Almost a Bride (The Bride Ships Book 4)

by Jody Hedlund

  At a fork in the gulch, she stopped to catch her breath and wait for Mr. Blake. To the south through the tree covering, smaller paths branched off leading to rock debris scattered along the hillside, the remnants of all the mining that had taken place over the past two years.

  She lowered herself to a smooth boulder at the center of the fork and breathed in the mountain air laden with the scent of pine and damp earth. Ahead to the north, wispy clouds hovered above the peaks as if snagged there by the barren rocky ledges. Tints of rose and lavender streaked through the clouds. Against the cobalt sky made translucent from the setting sun to the west, the scene was worthy of a canvas.

  Under normal circumstances, her fingers would have fidgeted, restless for her brushes. And her imagination wouldn’t have been satisfied until she’d captured the landscape. The process of creating would have soothed her anxiety and brought a measure of peace.

  But tonight as she waited, thoughts of the newly arrived reverend intruded and cast long shadows. The gloom settled over her, growing ever darker, until finally she glimpsed a man with red hair and a red beard approaching from the trail below. As he drew steadily nearer, doubts crowded in. Should she continue up to Zeke’s mine? She certainly wouldn’t call off her engagement. That’s not why she wanted to see him.

  No, she simply wanted to reassure herself she’d made the right choice in agreeing to marry him. All she needed was to look into his confident eyes and bask in the pleasure of his smile.

  When Mr. Blake turned the path and started toward her, he tipped his hat in greeting but otherwise was almost somber. He apparently didn’t approve of her seeking out Zeke. Perhaps after catching them together on Zeke’s bed, Mr. Blake believed she had ulterior motives for visiting Zeke, perhaps plans for an illicit rendezvous.

  “Thank you for helping me find Zeke,” she said, as they started up the northern fork of the gulch. “I know this may seem unusual, but I need to talk to him. That’s all.”

  “It’s no trouble. I’m meeting with the foreman at my mine anyway.”

  “Then your mine is up this way, too?”

  “On the claim right next to Zeke’s.”

  “Oh, good. Well, I’m relieved I’m not inconveniencing you.”

  Mr. Blake responded with a nod but said nothing more as they climbed upward. With bulging packs slung across each shoulder, he led the way, his long steps even and confident and at home in the hills.

  She was tempted to ask him more about himself and his family. From the little Zeke had told her about Mr. Blake, he’d left his wife and children behind in Wales and had been apart from them for at least two—if not three—years. Was he lonely? Did he miss his family? Or like her father, was he relieved to be away living his own life and having his own adventures?

  During those first years after her father’s absence, she’d prayed every day that he’d realize how much he missed her and the rest of his family, that he’d come running home and scoop her up and tell her he’d never leave again.

  But with the passing of time, she’d accepted he wasn’t coming and hadn’t loved her or Mum or her brothers enough to sacrifice to stay together. Wherever he was, he hadn’t cared enough to write and invite them to be with him.

  Zeke was different than her father, she reminded herself with each step farther up the mountain. And her marriage would be different than her parents’.

  As the path followed a winding stream, the evidence of gold mining littered the bank—the remains of rockers, flumes, sluice boxes, pans, piles of pebbles, and blackened campfires.

  “How much longer?” The evening shadows were deepening, turning the sky overhead into a dusky purple-blue.

  “Not far now.” Mr. Blake’s gaze darted to the crevices and canyons as if he expected wild animals to jump out at them.

  The path turned rockier and steeper, and Kate could only guess how hard the trek up into the mountains had been for Zeke with his crutch. He’d likely reached his mine tired and sore after his weeks of inactivity.

  Would he be too tired to see her tonight?

  She halted abruptly. What was she doing here? Why was she allowing Herbert’s accusations to drive her? Maybe she ought to turn around.

  “Just up around the bend.” Mr. Blake paused and readjusted his sacks.

  She glanced back down the gulch. The return climb would be easier. She’d be in town in no time.

  But even as she debated, Mr. Blake started hiking again, and she pushed herself to follow. She couldn’t stop now, especially after Mr. Blake had gone to the trouble of bringing her this far.

  A few minutes later, they reached a level area that contained several buildings and the mouth of a mine. Surrounded by wooden beams, the entrance was marked with a crudely made sign with painted block letters that read Hart Mine. Rock debris covered the hill outside the entrance, forming a thick layer. Metal tracks led inside the mine, with wagon-like carts resting along the entrance, some still partially filled with rocks.

  Mr. Blake lit one of the lanterns hanging by the opening before he ducked under the beams and started down a dark passageway that seemed to stretch on forever. Kate crept in after him, wishing for her own lantern as the darkness enfolded them. The temperature dropped the farther they walked, the chilled air almost as cold as the January air had been in Victoria when she’d first arrived on the bride ship over six months ago. After the exertion of the hike, however, the coolness soothed her flushed skin.

  Ahead of her, Mr. Blake hunched low to prevent his head from bumping against the beams that seemed to be keeping the tunnel from collapsing on itself. After walking two dozen paces, the beams ended, and jagged rocks formed the ceiling. Kate hesitated, before she ducked lower so she wouldn’t accidentally hit her head and suffer injury. She’d heard the tales of miners being maimed and severely injured. But she hadn’t comprehended the severity of their working conditions.

  Now she better understood Zeke’s drive to establish a hospital in Williamsville, as well as his proposal to compensate workers injured on the job. He’d indicated that Mr. Blake and Mr. Putnam weren’t as supportive of his plans and preferred not to get involved, other than funding a benefit dinner. Zeke complained that while the dinner was something, it wasn’t enough. Now, after only a few minutes in the mine, she was inclined to agree with him.

  As the tunnel slanted downward, it grew slick and muddy. She slipped on several occasions, catching herself by grabbing on to the rock walls that were damp with trickling water. When the path leveled out again, Mr. Blake’s swinging lantern illuminated the thin layer of water covering the path.

  “Do you know where to find Zeke?” She tiptoed forward, her voice echoing in the cavern.

  “I imagine he’s down a level.”

  Her shoes squished as the cold water seeped through the leather. “Is that far?” Just as she asked, they turned a corner and came upon an opening in the floor. Mr. Blake held up his lantern, showing a ladder descending into the deep hole cut through stone. Next to the ladder was a pulley she guessed was used to haul up stone and gold.

  “This is as far as I go,” he said.

  She peeked over the edge. A glassy layer of ebony shimmered in the light at the bottom. More water. She stifled a shudder. “Zeke’s down there?”

  Mr. Blake nodded and cocked his head. “Listen and you’ll hear the drill.”

  She stood motionless and strained to hear above her breathing. A steady distant thundering came from the hole. How had Zeke managed to climb down with his broken, plastered leg? Had he perhaps used the pulley?

  She reached for the ladder.

  “Are you sure you want to go down there?”

  “Of course.” She stepped onto the first rung, holding her skirts with one hand to keep her feet from tangling. “I’ve come this far. Why stop now?”

  “You’ll be in water ankle-deep.”

  She carefully moved down a step. “My shoes are already wet, so it won’t matter now.”

  Mr. Blake steadied the ladde
r and held the lantern above her, so she could see her way down. It was longer than she’d realized, at least the length of several men. The narrow walls of the opening closed in around her, and she halted. Should she proceed?

  “I’ll be fine,” she said, more to reassure herself than Mr. Blake.

  “Follow the sounds, and you’ll find the men.”

  She paused, clutching the rung, her fingers already stiff from the cold, damp air. “What about a lantern? How will I be able to see?”

  “The glow from their flames will guide you.”

  She wanted to insist that Mr. Blake give her his lantern, but she guessed he needed it to find his way back to the mine entrance. When she lowered her feet into the water, she sucked in a breath from the frigidness. How did the miners work in such conditions all day?

  “Go straight ahead,” Mr. Blake called. “You’ll find them soon enough.”

  The light down the tunnel drew her forward, as did the echo of voices. She splashed a dozen paces before she realized she hadn’t said thank you to Mr. Blake. She turned, but the cavern behind her was black. Mr. Blake was gone and had taken his lantern with him.

  The coldness seeping between her toes matched the coldness in her heart. Suddenly, she knew exactly why she’d come to the mine. Because deep inside she knew Herbert Frank was right—she was too afraid to go through with marrying Zeke. She had to break the engagement before she broke his heart. Hopefully, she wasn’t too late.

  NINETEEN

  “ZEKE! I’M SORRY but I can’t marry you!”

  At the sound of Kate’s voice echoing in the drift, Zeke straightened and nearly bumped his head on the granite above him. He had to be hearing things. Kate couldn’t be here, down in the tunnel, could she?

  He squinted in the direction of the shaft that led to the main drift. His foreman, Phil, and several other miners who’d stayed behind grew silent. When they parted, their lanterns highlighted Kate’s beautiful face and form. She stood a dozen paces away, her expression etched with the same panicked look he’d seen the day she broke her engagement with Herb.

  His pulse spurted with dread. “Kate, what are you doing here?” He started toward her, his crutch sticking in the sediment beneath the water and slowing him down.

  “I can’t marry you, Zeke,” she said again, this time more firmly.

  “Don’t say that—”

  “I’m sorry.” She held out her hand to stop him from advancing, her eyes wide and frightened.

  He froze. He didn’t know what was going on, but it wasn’t good. He glanced at his men who immediately dropped their gazes to their tools, all except Phil who caught Zeke’s eye and cocked his head in the direction of the shaft.

  Zeke nodded in return. “Looks like we’re finished here, everyone. Head out and give me a moment.”

  Silently the men gathered the rest of their tools and belongings and shuffled past Kate. Phil halted several feet away, his gaze compassionate. “I’ll wait for you yonder by the ladder.”

  Zeke swallowed hard, his mouth and throat dry. “Thank you.”

  As soon as the men disappeared down the tunnel, Zeke advanced another step toward Kate.

  “I’m sorry, Zeke.” Her eyes welled with tears. “I’m so sorry.”

  “What happened?”

  “I hoped being near you again would help.” Her voice rose a pitch and her breathing escalated. “But it only made me realize I don’t want to hurt you.”

  “Now hold on.” He drew nearer with caution, as one would to a wounded wild creature. “We’ll work through this together.”

  “The reverend arrived today,” she blurted the words as if they were a curse.

  He hesitated. What should he say? Every day, he’d been waiting for word of the traveling minister’s arrival. With each delay, his anxiety had mounted. Had a part of him known Kate would have second thoughts the longer they put off the wedding?

  “Listen, Kate.” He forced a calmness to his tone he didn’t feel. “I know you’ve had some hesitations about me. But we’re working through the issues, aren’t we?” He’d been trying to have an open mind about God, had even asked Wendell to find him a Bible. But this wasn’t something he could force, and Kate wouldn’t want insincere faith.

  She crossed her arms, tucking her fingers under her sleeves, but not before he noticed her shaking. “Mr. Frank stopped me on the street this evening and accused me of never going through with marrying any of the men I’m engaged to.”

  “That’s because none of them have been the right man is all.” He moved so he was standing only a hand’s width away. “None have been me.”

  “He told me I wouldn’t go through with marrying you either.”

  “You will.”

  “He said I get close to being a bride but then am always afraid to go through with it.”

  “You can’t be listening to anything Herb says. He’s just jealous.”

  She lifted her troubled brown eyes. “I think he’s right.” For several minutes she relayed all that had happened on the street—carrying Becca’s picture, Herb stopping her, his accusations, along with her confusion. She shared about Blake coming to her rescue and guiding her up to the mine.

  “We’ll be fine, Kate,” he whispered when she finished, touching a strand that had come loose from her plait.

  “I’m afraid.”

  In the quiet of the tunnel, the plopping of the runoff echoed loudly. “You’re just nervous. Aren’t all brides?”

  She chewed at her bottom lip. “Maybe. Except for Zoe.”

  “Don’t compare yourself with my sister.” He stroked Kate’s hair. “She’s too daring for her own good.”

  Kate’s lips rose in the hint of a smile, one that started to untangle the knot inside him.

  “You’ve got nothing to worry about.” He still had a long way to go in easing her worries and convincing her to go through with their wedding, but he was making a start. “I promise I’m different.”

  “That’s what I told Mr. Frank.”

  Did he dare hold her? Gently he touched her shoulder. When she didn’t pull back, he slid his arm around her and drew her closer. She came to him without a moment of hesitation.

  He released a tense breath and then settled his chin on top of her head, holding his crutch in one arm and gripping her as tightly as he could with the other. She rested against him for several long minutes before she pulled back and gazed around curiously.

  “I’ve never been down in a mine before. Where is the gold?”

  He tried to shove aside his anxiety as he showed her the new vein and explained how they extracted the gold. She was full of questions, and he hoped that meant she’d forgotten all about her encounter with Herb. But even as he told her about how the rock was transported above the surface to the mill, where a machine known as a crusher would grind the ore to separate the gold from the granite, he couldn’t shake his fears.

  As he leaned past her to point out another smaller vein of gold, with his hunched head and stooped shoulders, his face brushed against hers at the perfect angle for kissing her. The softness of her cheek and the tickle of her hair beckoned him, and his lingering anxiety prodded him. Maybe if he kissed her, he could convince her the best way he knew how that they belonged together. He tilted and leaned in, his mouth hovering just above hers.

  Her eyes widened, and she sucked in a breath.

  He brushed his lips against hers, letting her feel the heat of his desire before pulling back and touching foreheads, then noses.

  Her breathing turned shallow, assuring him her desire was still as strong and alive as his. He’d just needed to remind her of it.

  While the cold, watery depths of his mine wasn’t the ideal place to share a moment of intimacy, somehow the darkness and privacy of the tunnel seemed to give him the permission he’d denied himself all week. ’Course he’d promised Mr. Peabody and himself he wouldn’t touch her again until they were married.

  But here, now, in the darkness, alone with the real
ization the reverend was waiting to marry them tonight and only her fears to hinder them, he pushed aside all reason. He slid his hand to the back of her neck and guided her mouth to his. He teased her again with almost-kisses.

  When she released a breathy gasp, he gave in and let his mouth mesh with hers. Desire welled inside his chest. How had he ever lived without Kate? How could he ever go on without her? He needed her, needed her kisses, needed her life more than he needed his own.

  “Zeke.” She broke away.

  He didn’t know what she wanted to tell him, but he didn’t want to chance any more protest. He cupped her face, letting his crutch fall into the water. And he let himself say the words that had been building, words that scared him. “I love you, Kate.”

  Her breath hitched, but he didn’t give her the chance to respond. He kissed her again, this time going deeper. Maybe knowing of his love would frighten her even more, but now that the words were out, he couldn’t take them back, didn’t want to take them back.

  Instead of pulling away, she lifted her hands to his face. Her fingers splayed across his cheeks, and she pressed closer.

  He lost himself in their kissing, in her, and in their passion. At a low rumble in the walls, he paused. Crumbling pebbles and dust sifted onto his head. A second later, the roar and crash of stone came from down the tunnel near the shaft.

  He broke away from Kate and tried to make sense of what was happening. He hadn’t ordered blasting anywhere in the mine tonight, as he sometimes did to create new drifts or shafts. Even if he had, Phil would have made sure everyone was out before detonating the fuse. He always did in order to give rocks and dust time to settle before the men returned in the morning to clear out the rubble.

  Kate lifted her arms above her head to shield herself. He swept her against his chest and sheltered her in the curve of his body. His lantern swayed, and he grabbed it to keep it from falling off the outcropping and into the water.