Almost a Bride (The Bride Ships Book 4)

by Jody Hedlund

  “That’s the same question I asked Blake,” Wendell responded. “Especially when he told everyone he’d taken you up to the mine because Zeke wanted time alone with you.”

  “What?” Kate sat up, even against Becca’s clucking and fussing. Once she’d climbed down into the tunnel, Zeke had sent his men away. Maybe he’d figured that was the only place they’d be able to spend any time without Becca’s watchful gaze. Even though Kate’s cheeks flamed, she met Zeke’s gaze directly. “Is that true?”

  “Nope! ’Course not!” He spat the denial as if such an accusation were an insult. “I never even considered it.”

  Mr. Peabody patted Zeke’s arm. “I knew Zeke wouldn’t do such a thing. After harming Kate’s reputation once, he’d never risk hurting her again.”

  “Fact was, I promised I’d only visit Kate with a chaperone until we were married. And that’s what I aimed to do.”

  From the sincerity of Zeke’s tone, remorse swelled within Kate. She shouldn’t question his motives. After all, she was the one who’d sought him out at the mine. If not for her, they wouldn’t have ended up alone. In fact, if anyone was to blame for them being together in the compromising situation, she was.

  Wendell cleared his throat while pushing his glasses up his nose. “When my grandfather insisted that Mr. Blake was lying, I realized it was possible I’d been looking for the suspect for the crimes in the wrong places. That perhaps the true culprit had planted clues in order to keep the attention off himself.”

  Zeke glanced around at the miners, his eyes narrowed with suspicion. “Then it’s possible Herb was a decoy?”

  “It’s eighty percent possible.”

  “That means you’ve got solid evidence to convict the person who’s really responsible for everything?” Zeke asked.

  “Yes.” Wendell’s eyes were wide but guileless. “I searched the suspect’s belongings and discovered a book with a missing page that matches the sheet used for the death threat. The handwriting on the note—while disguised—is still very much the same as the other handwriting samples I located from this person. In addition, the supplies used in both explosions also match the supplies that remain among the store of explosives at his mine.”

  “Who is it?” Kate couldn’t hold in the question, her grip tightening within Becca’s firm hold. “Is it Mr. Blake?”

  “As I said,” Wendell answered. “I’m eighty percent sure it’s him.”

  Zeke limped closer to Wendell. “Herb’s got motivation to eliminate me so he can have Kate. What’s Blake’s?”

  “Your gold.” Wendell responded without hesitation. “I looked into his ledgers, and the numbers show a steady decline in the output of his mine. It’s possible he would have depleted his gold by the end of autumn.”

  Wendell rattled off figures that Kate couldn’t understand but were clearly bad since the miners began to murmur among themselves.

  “He pretended to be wealthy, but in reality, he was barely excavating enough to pay his workers. My guess is that he believed if he could get rid of you, he’d be the first in line to acquire your mine since it bordered his. He could also make the case that as the first to arrive in Williamsville he deserved the right.”

  “Blake was the first in Williamsville?” Kate asked.

  “The town is named after him,” one of the other miners interjected. “William is his given name.”

  “So he’s been trying to kill me,” Zeke asked, “but shifting the blame to Herb?”

  “That makes sense.” Mr. Peabody brushed at the dust on Zeke’s shirt. “The attacks didn’t start until Kate arrived, probably because Blake realized he could plot Zeke’s demise and pin the blame on her rejected fiancé.”

  Wendell cleared his throat again. “The trouble is that I’m still missing twenty percent of the evidence.”

  “It’s certainly more evidence than we have to keep Herb locked away,” someone countered.

  Kate’s eyes had finally adjusted, and the sun wasn’t as bright as she’d first thought. The sky overhead was a swirl of rose and sienna and lavender against the blue of the fading evening. She shuddered at the realization of how long they’d been trapped.

  Becca tugged the blanket back around her more securely and started to give instructions to several men standing nearby.

  “I think we might actually have that twenty percent.” Zeke’s declaration cut Becca off.

  “No.” Wendell shook his head. “I’ve already done the calculations—”

  “My foreman, Phil, can give you what you need. He stayed behind to lift me out with the windlass. Only minutes before the explosion he glanced up the shaft and saw Blake in the main drift.”

  Wendell nodded, his glasses slipping down his nose as he did so. “If Phil can give a testimony, then we’ll have nearly one hundred percent of the verification we need to lock Blake away for good.”

  “Phil’s still unconscious.” Zeke peered past the men toward where the doctor was tending the foreman. “Even so, we gotta lock Blake up before he strikes again.”

  Zeke’s pronouncement set the men into motion, and Kate reclined, closing her eyes and letting her body relax. Everything would be just fine now. Hopefully, Phil would recover. And hopefully, Blake was the real culprit. Once he was captured, they could all rest easier knowing they were safe. Life could go on without any more threats hanging above them.

  But how exactly would life go on? As she tuned in to Zeke’s voice issuing orders, an ache formed in the pit of her stomach. Her resolve from the time in the tunnel came rushing back. She couldn’t marry Zeke—not because she was running away in fear, but because he needed to find his happiness in God first before he could truly be happy with her.

  She didn’t know how or when she’d tell him the news, except that she needed to do it soon.

  TWENTY-TWO

  ZEKE STOOD IN the hallway outside his bedroom door and combed his fingers through his hair. His heart thudded an ominous rhythm, one he knew wouldn’t go away until he did what he needed to do.

  He blew out a breath and then knocked on the door frame.

  “Come in,” Kate called so sweetly and eagerly that he hesitated. Maybe he could wait a couple more days to speak his piece. After all, they’d only been out of the mine for two days. She’d been abed most of it.

  But the doctor had announced yesterday that she was recovered enough to get up for short periods. That meant she’d be walking around and back to normal soon. With the minister still in town, she’d be expecting him to push to get married and would wonder why he was stalling when he’d been so insistent before.

  He stepped into the room. She was sitting up in bed. Her fair hair was plaited, and the braid hung over her shoulder and down her chest. Her face had lost its pallor and was rosy. And her lips curved into an easy smile.

  “Have you come today to finally kick me out of your bed?” Her pencil grew idle above the sketchbook spread out before her.

  Under other circumstances, he might have joked with her. But the weight of the news he had to deliver was too heavy. In the process of setting her free, he was afraid initially he’d hurt her, especially now that he was aware of how deeply her father’s leaving had affected her.

  Yet the more time that passed since his desperate hours down in the mine, the more he was convicted he needed to let go of her. He had to take time to grow in his renewed commitment to the Almighty before he’d be ready to lead a wife and family. And while he’d argued with himself that he could grow in his faith even if he went through with marrying Kate, he always came back around to the same issue—he’d never know for sure if he’d chosen to follow God because of Kate or because he’d wanted it for himself.

  At his lack of response to her teasing, her smile dimmed. “Is everything alright?”

  “Aye. Still no sign of Blake anywhere in the area.”

  “Nowhere?”

  “We’ve put out the word to the towns all around, but no one has seen him.”

  Kate shivere
d and adjusted the thin coverlet higher over her nightgown.

  “Don’t be worrying. I doubt he’ll come back and try to hurt me. I suspect that when he learned we’d been rescued and we were alive, he knew it was only a matter of time before the clues all led back to him.”

  “Then do you think he ran away?”

  “With the way he cashed in on all his assets and cleaned out his gold, no doubt he hightailed it back to Wales and his family.”

  Zeke crossed to the bed. Should he call Mr. Peabody into the room to act as a chaperone while he visited with Kate? Becca had stayed with Kate the first day after the accident but then had returned to the laundry to help Lee.

  ’Course, the situation wasn’t the same as it had been when he’d broken his leg. Kate wasn’t incapacitated like he’d been and didn’t need constant assistance. And besides, Mr. Peabody was having the time of his life pampering Kate. On his way in, Zeke had greeted the housekeeper in the garden where he was picking and arranging a fresh bouquet for her room.

  Zeke stopped at the footboard. If he got any closer, he’d have a hard time resisting the urge to pull her into his arms. And if that happened, he wouldn’t be able to say what he had to.

  “How is Phil?” She closed her sketchbook, as though she didn’t want him to see what she’d been drawing. “I hope he’s doing better.”

  “Phil’s a tough one. And Doc remains confident he’ll pull through.” Having been in his wet garments in the cold, damp tunnel for so long, Phil had come down with pneumonia. With his blood loss and concussion, he’d also been unconscious longer and was suffering from memory lapses. Good thing he hadn’t forgotten about seeing Blake in the mine just before the accident and had been able to make a statement to that effect.

  “I keep praying for him.”

  Zeke wanted to admit he’d prayed for Phil too. But his throat constricted around the words. He couldn’t say it to Kate. Not yet. He hadn’t told her about praying while they’d been trapped in the mine. He hadn’t told her about repenting. And he hadn’t told her he’d been talking to God every day since then.

  He needed to know this was his conviction before he made it known to everyone else, especially to Kate.

  “Kate . . .”

  Her features tightened, as though she sensed he was bringing bad tidings.

  “Kate, I need to talk to you—”

  “Hello?” a woman called from the hallway. “Zeke? Are you home?”

  He couldn’t place the voice, couldn’t imagine any other women in town except for Becca and Kate being in his home.

  A moment later, a beautiful woman with green eyes and long dark hair appeared in the doorway.

  “Zoe?” He blinked, afraid he was imagining her there.

  Her anxious eyes took him in from his head down to his boots. “We got news you’d been in an accident with broken bones and burns, so we packed up and left the minute we heard. We got into town late last night, and I wanted to see you right away. I’ve been so worried, but Abe convinced me to wait until this morning.”

  “It’s been a month, and I’m doing fine now.”

  “Are you sure?” She studied his plastered leg.

  “Aye, I’m well on the mend.” He guessed she hadn’t heard he’d been trapped in the mine and almost died. He wouldn’t trouble her with that news yet. Instead, he crossed to her and grabbed her into a hug. “How are you?”

  “Getting bigger.” She squeezed him tight before she pulled back and slid a hand over her abdomen, revealing a small swell. When he’d last seen Zoe in July, she shared the news of her pregnancy. Already having several adopted children and a newly opened orphanage down the Fraser River in Yale, Zoe would be busy.

  Before Zeke could respond, a tall man holding an infant appeared in the doorway. He bounced a chubby-cheeked native child who cooed and clapped. At the sight of Zeke and Kate, her happy noises ceased, and she stuffed her thumb into her mouth and sucked on it.

  “Pastor Abe.” Zeke crossed the room and held out his hand toward his sister’s husband.

  “Good to see you all put together, Zeke,” Abe said with a handshake. “The news we received wasn’t good.”

  “Except the news that you’re getting married.” Zoe glanced at the bed. “We heard rumors you were rewarding the minister who could arrive first.”

  Zeke shifted, uncertain how to answer.

  As Zoe studied Kate, her eyes widened. “Kate Millington? Whatever in the world are you doing here in Williamsville? Last time I saw you in Victoria, you had a whole swarm of suitors vying for your hand, and I thought for sure you’d marry one of them.”

  Kate smiled. “It’s a long story.”

  Zoe rushed to the bed and wrapped Kate into a hug. “Why are you abed? I hope you’re not ill.”

  “That’s another long story,” Kate replied. “But rest assured, I’m doing well, and the doctor promises I’ll be out of bed soon.”

  “I’m glad to know Zeke’s taking care of you. At least now I don’t have to strangle him . . .” Zoe’s gaze bounced from Kate to Zeke and then back. “Wait a minute. Was that why you needed a minister? Are the two of you . . .?”

  “Married?” Kate filled in the pause.

  Zoe’s attention zeroed in on Zeke, making him suddenly uncomfortable. He knew how this appeared. Kate was in his bed in his house. “It’s not what you think.”

  “No, we’re not married,” Kate said at the same time, her eyes revealing turmoil. Apparently, she sensed something had changed in him and his plans. He could only pray she’d give him the chance to explain himself and reassure her this had nothing to do with her and everything with him.

  “Oh.” Zoe’s eyes narrowed. “So the minister request wasn’t for the two of you?”

  “It was,” Kate admitted. “But that’s an even longer story.”

  Zoe sat on the edge of the bed. “Sounds like I need to make myself comfortable so I can hear all these stories.”

  Zeke rubbed his hand over the back of his neck. How could he even begin to summarize what had happened over the past weeks?

  The child began to fuss. Rather than rising and rushing to the infant, Zoe clasped Kate’s hands. “Zeke, would you mind taking Abe to the kitchen so he can feed Violet?”

  Zeke hesitated, not sure if he wanted to leave Kate and Zoe alone. But at the gratefulness filling Kate’s eyes as she squeezed Zoe’s hands, he realized Kate needed a woman to talk to and that having Zoe here was probably the best thing for her. No matter the outcome, he needed to let her unburden herself.

  If only he didn’t dread the outcome.

  TWENTY-THREE

  KATE SWIPED AT the tears that wouldn’t stop flowing after she shared all the stories with Zoe. “So, what do you think I should do?”

  Zoe’s green eyes, so much like Zeke’s, regarded her seriously. “Do you want to hear the truth?”

  Kate brushed the dampness from her cheeks again. Did she want the truth no matter how difficult? Or did she want Zoe to tell her everything would be alright?

  The men’s voices wafted from the kitchen, and Kate guessed Zeke had given Pastor Abe the same details she’d just given to Zoe. At some point, Mr. Peabody had entered the kitchen, and from the higher pitch of his tone, she could tell he was talking to Violet, Abe and Zoe’s adopted baby. The scent of his morning baking still filled the house, and if his pattern from the previous days held true, he’d soon deliver the delicacy to her with fresh coffee and a vase of flowers.

  If she turned down Zeke’s offer of marriage, she’d have to give up living in his house and the delight of Mr. Peabody spoiling her. More than that, she’d disappoint Mr. Peabody, who thrived in her presence.

  Worst of all, if she canceled her engagement, she’d lose the man she loved. Aye, she loved Zeke more than she had any other man. Her brush with death had shown her that, and she couldn’t imagine her life without him.

  Yet how could she join her soul to his when they didn’t share the most fundamental and important of belie
fs?

  “What is the truth, Zoe? Please tell me.”

  Zoe squeezed her hand, her expression sympathetic. “The truth is that as much as I love my brother, I’m not sure he’s stable enough for you. I’m afraid that until he makes peace with his past, he may always keep running. And I don’t want you to end up like your mum, left behind by a restless soul.”

  Kate nodded. Zoe had been there when her father had left and had witnessed the devastation to her mum. During the voyage to British Columbia on the bride ship, they’d had long conversations about their parents’ marriages. And they both vowed to do better.

  But was that possible? Were they destined to make mistakes too, perhaps even the same ones?

  “I love him,” Kate whispered, her chest swelling with the pain of loving a man she knew she couldn’t have.

  Zoe didn’t say anything but drew Kate into her arms and held her. Kate gave way to tears and let herself grieve the loss of everything that could have been. In turning down Zeke’s proposal, she was giving up so much.

  Finally, she pulled back. “Thank you, Zoe. You’re a godsend.” She attempted a smile.

  Zoe smiled tenderly in return. “What will you do next? Will you continue to work in the laundry?”

  “No, I can’t.” Over the past couple of days of lying in bed, she’d had too much time to think. As much as she loved Becca, she couldn’t impose on her friend any longer. It wouldn’t be long before Mr. Chung asked Becca to be his bride, and when he did, he’d want to move back into the shack.

  Even if Kate found another place to live, Mr. Chung didn’t want her in the laundry. And what other suitable work was there for a woman like her in Williamsville? She certainly didn’t want to resume her courtship plans anytime soon, especially not to anyone besides Zeke.

  “I think I’ll need to return to Victoria,” Kate admitted, her heart wrenching at the prospect of being so far from Zeke.

  Zoe brushed a strand of Kate’s hair back. “How would you feel about traveling with us to Yale and working in our new orphanage? We’d love the help.”