Northern Lights Trilogy

by Lisa Tawn Bergren

  “Tora Anders.”

  Trent looked up at him in surprise.

  Brad beamed, cocky with his knowledge. “Karl filled me in. Where is she now?”

  “The Skagit Valley.”

  This news took him by surprise. “And you’re here because …?”

  “She needed to do something on her own.”

  “Ah,” Brad said, after another sip of coffee. “Another independent woman. Tell you what, Trent. You convince your gal to head north, and I’ll convince mine. At least they’d have each other.”

  Trent smiled, finding Brad’s enthusiasm contagious, as always. “We’ll see. But I think that moving again is the last thing on Tora’s mind.”

  twenty-nine

  September 1887

  Karl entered the Butler Hotel in Seattle, and immediately ran into Brad and Virginia Bresley in the lobby.

  Brad turned to him and said, “Well, if it isn’t my ol’ seafaring partner back from the dead!” He shook his hand joyfully and clapped him on the back.

  Karl returned his greeting and then turned to greet Virginia with a kiss to her cheek. “It’s good to be back in the States.”

  “Staying home for a while?” Brad asked.

  “Just picking up a load from Ramstad Lumber Yard and then heading south to San Francisco. I’m not sure where we’ll go after that.”

  “I gather you’re just in from Japan?”

  “Just. We docked not three hours ago.”

  “Things went all right?”

  Karl grinned. Where would he start? “As well as could be expected. Let’s just say I have enough news to fill a dinner conversation.”

  “Excellent! Can you join us tonight?”

  “I’d be honored. But I need to see to—”

  “No, no excuses,” Brad said, shaking his head. “We won’t be around for long.”

  “What do you mean?”

  Brad and Virginia shared a meaningful glance and then Brad turned back to him. “We’re heading out. North. To Alaska.”

  “Alaska?” Karl asked, looking from one to the other. “Sounds like we have enough to fill two dinner conversations!”

  “And then some,” Virginia put in.

  Brad put an arm around her. “We’re expecting,” he said, in a quieter, conspiratorial tone.

  “Congratulations!” Karl exclaimed. “My, this is a bit much to take in. Shall we meet here at around five?”

  “That will work for us. Looking forward to it, friend,” he said, sticking out his hand again. “I’ve missed your ugly face.”

  “No more than I’ve missed yours,” Karl said, pumping his hand up and down. “Until tonight, then.”

  They parted ways and Karl checked into the hotel. He found several letters waiting for him, one from Gerald Kenney, one from Elsa, and one from Kaatje. He could hardly wait to get to his room and tear them open.

  When he got upstairs, he threw his valise on the bed and went immediately to the writing desk by the window. Deciding to save the best for last, he opened Gerald’s letter first. It was full of good news and encouragement, going on and on about their success in placing his first load from Japan and anticipating similar response for the load of wood that he was to bring from Seattle. They expected him home in the Bay Area this month, when his business was complete in the Washington Territory.

  He turned toward Kaatje’s letter.

  22 August 1886

  Dear Karl,

  I pray this letter finds you well and happy. I’m assuming you will stay in your usual hotel by sending this directly there. I wanted you to be the first to know that I am going north.

  Karl opened his eyes wider. Was everyone he knew heading north?

  As you know, I have felt a pull to go northward for over a year now. I’m assuming it’s so I might have a chance to find out about Soren once and for all, then get back to the business of life in full. However, I won’t put any limitations on what God can do. We’ve seen much, have we not? The wilds north of us are bound to teach me many more lessons than I have in mind. Please pray for me and the girls.

  We do not travel alone. In May, Tora Anders came to reside with us. With her help, we were able to bring in a sizable crop that covered thirty acres. It will sustain us well through the winter, regardless of what we might encounter. I will rent out the farm here in the Skagit Valley until we return or decide to sell. Tora and I have found our peace, and I think she has become a remarkable young woman. You wouldn’t recognize her, I’m sure. She has a devout heart for the Lord, and it shines through her, making her all the more lovely. She’s determined to travel with us and stay with us through the spring. I am glad for her company; I do not think I would have had the tenacity to see this through without her, to say nothing of the funds.

  I will write soon after our arrival to let you know our exact whereabouts. I hear from Elsa that you are again traveling the high seas and loving it. I am so glad for your newfound freedom and happiness. Please pray that I find the same, will you?

  All my best,

  Kaatje

  Karl sat back in wonder. Tora was with Kaatje! With Jessica! And they had obviously found a way to forge a new friendship. What had taken Tora there, of all places? Obviously, God was as heavily at work in her as he had been in him. Karl’s head swam with all the information that buzzed through it.

  He turned toward Elsa’s letter, examining her clean, sophisticated script on the envelope. He sliced this one open more thoughtfully, taking care not to tear it.

  12 August 1887

  The Hawaiian Islands

  Dear Karl,

  I have just put my children to bed and as I stare at their angelic faces, so content, so peaceful, in the dim light of the candle, I can only think of you and what you have done for me. If you had not come to my rescue, it is very likely that I would not ever have seen their darling faces again. You have made me appreciate them all the more, and acknowledge that they are far too young to lose a mother as well as a father.

  With that in mind, I return to Seattle for the fall and winter. The Bergen, a new ironclad schooner, is soon due to arrive, and she might tempt me to attempt winter sailing, but until then I will weigh my options. For now I am happy to be alive, captaining my Grace, and with my children. Thank you, thank you, dear Karl, for your part in that. Should you find yourself in the Northwest come Thanksgiving time, do look us up. We’ll be in Seattle or the Skagit Valley to spend it with the Bergensers. It is so much like being with family that I find it difficult to resist.

  We are mending a broken mast here in Hawaii, so I’ll send this along with another ship due to head out shortly. Faced a terrible storm coming in. If only we were near Ramstad Lumber Yard! I guess the sailor’s life is not one of convenience.

  I pray that this finds you well after a successful voyage.

  With a grateful heart,

  Elsa

  Karl smiled wistfully at her friendly manner and stared out the window. Below him, the street was alive with carriages and wagons pulled by horses, men on horseback, pedestrians, and shopkeepers. But his thoughts were of Elsa. Where was she now? Soon home in Seattle? Who would ever have believed that he and Elsa would reestablish their friendship? It filled his heart with a gladness he could not explain. Thank you, Father. Thank you for this peace, this freedom. Perhaps he would still find himself in the Northwest come November. He would see. And if he was … He shook off the thought and rose.

  Still mulling over the news he had received from his friends in the lobby and then from the letters, he unpacked his valise, hanging up his suit in the armoire so the wrinkles would fade a bit, and carefully set up his razor edge and shaving soap cake on the sink in his room. While the water closets and bathing facilities were down the hall, Karl appreciated the individual sinks in each room. It allowed him much-needed privacy that was part of the reason he stayed here each time he came to town. The other part was that many sea captains stayed here as well, giving him the opportunity to share stories and swap info
rmation.

  As he ran the water to give himself a clean shave before dinner, he thought of Peder. Once in a while, the pain of Peder’s death was so acute it left him breathless. It seemed impossible that he would never see his best friend again. Yet, he considered as he lathered up the brush and swiped his cheeks, chin, and upper lip, something monumental had changed for him. Just as it had when he had sought Elsa out for her forgiveness and when he had visited Peder’s grave. It was as if in freeing Elsa from Mason he had paid some sort of debt. Something wrong had been made right.

  Karl reached for the blade and carefully scraped his cheek. He paused and stared at himself in the mirror. Was it merely the act of saving her, or their reunion afterward that brought him this peace? He’d never forget how she looked as he entered his cabin. Her face had been a mix of relief and excitement. Even with her hair hastily dried in matted coils, she still had been lovely. Yet all he had felt was the same relief and excitement that her face exhibited. Relief that his friend was alive. Excitement that she was well. The last time they had been in such close proximity, he had kissed her. And that kiss had changed everything.

  This time it had gone as it should. Their reunion was warm, friendly, but completely chaste. He smiled at his mirror image. God had truly done a great work in him. He was finally free to be what Elsa needed most: a trusted friend.

  Karl finished shaving and then dressed for dinner. Downstairs, he found Brad and Virginia waiting for him.

  “Shall we go to the cafe down the street?” Brad suggested.

  “Anywhere there’s fresh food and plenty of it,” Karl said. He offered Virginia his arm and she took it gleefully. “I must say that motherhood is becoming to you. You’re more beautiful every time I see you.”

  “Karl, you flatterer,” she said, giving him a sly look. “How is it that you haven’t made a girl fall in love with you yet?”

  “Guess I haven’t met the right one. Now how did my scoundrel of a friend convince you to go to the Alaska territory?”

  “At first I told him no. Told him if he was going someplace so godforsaken, he could go on his own.”

  Karl shot Brad a surprised glance. “You were in dire straits, my friend. How did you escape?”

  Brad let Virginia answer for him. “Soon enough I knew that I was expecting. It made me put my priorities in order. I figured we would be a family in one place or die trying.”

  “Well, bully for you,” Karl said, patting her arm. “It takes a courageous woman to head north. It so happens I know another who’s intending to go soon too.”

  “Kaatje Janssen and Tora Anders?”

  “Why, yes! How did you know?” He looked over her head at Brad in wonder.

  “We’re all going together.”

  “Together? Seriously?” Karl shook his head. “How did this transpire?”

  “Well, Trent Storm is deeply in love with Tora Anders.”

  They had reached the cafe, and Karl could hardly stand the interruption of being seated. As soon as the menus had been distributed and the waiter had departed, Karl said, “Please! Go on! Last time I talked with Trent, he had tracked Tora to the Seattle area, but had not seen her.”

  “Well, he found her all right,” Brad said.

  “He found her and they reestablished their relationship. Tora Anders is a different girl now. You wouldn’t recognize her,” Virginia said.

  “No joking,” Brad added. “The woman’s had some sort of transformation.”

  “Reformation,” Virginia amended. “She’s come to Christ and he’s remade her. I like her a lot better than I ever did in Minnesota.”

  “So anyway,” Brad cut in, “Tora decided to go to Alaska to help Kaatje find out about her husband that disappeared way back when. Sam, or Saul—”

  “Soren,” Karl supplied.

  “That’s right. Soren. And she writes Trent this letter telling him that she needs to go with her, and she hopes they can find their way to be together again, but if not, she would understand if he had to forget their relationship completely.”

  “Tora Anders wrote that?”

  “She’s a different gal, I tell you,” Brad said.

  “But anyway, that was right after I asked Trent if he would consider doing some business with me up in the new territory, seeing that you have this newfound love for the sea …”

  “I understand. So Trent took it as God’s way of confirming that it was the right thing for him to do?”

  “Right.”

  “Can you believe it?” Virginia asked. “It’s a miracle.”

  Karl nodded. “Our God works in amazing ways.” He turned his attention back to his menu, but his mind was again spinning. Who could have planned it this way other than their Lord?

  “I’ll want in on the shipping end,” he said to Brad.

  “I was counting on it. Can’t stand to be left out, eh?” he taunted.

  “Out of something lucrative that involves the sea?” Karl said.

  “Stick around,” Brad said. “Trent should be back soon from sending a telegraph with his happy news to Tora, and then we’ll be shipping out of here on a passenger steamer. We could discuss our options.”

  “I don’t know. I need to get back to the Bay Area. Perhaps I can go there, drop my load of lumber, pick up a load of goods and head to Juneau. We could meet there. No doubt the new arrivals are hungry for anything I could bring in.”

  “Most likely.”

  Karl nodded and turned back to the menu as the waiter approached them again. “Waiter,” he said, feeling celebratory, “I’ll have your finest, biggest steak, and all the trimmings.”

  thirty

  Tora and Trent, Bradley and Virginia, and Kaatje and her children all gathered at the docks, huddling against the cold as they waited to board the steamer to Juneau. There was an icy wind off the Puget Sound’s waters that morning, and Tora was glad they were on their way. Winter would soon be upon them, especially as far north as Alaska. She bent over Kaatje’s girls, tucking their hoods more firmly around red, chapped cheeks.

  She glanced up to see Trent moving nearer, smiling. He had taken to the girls as he did to all children. She was certain he would be a wonderful father someday. Tora too felt a new desire to begin a family with Trent, but a sudden fear overtook her. What would happen if they never had children of their own? She had heard of other women who’d borne children early in their lives, only to be barren when they wanted more children later. Her glance went from Trent to the girls, and then to Kaatje.

  Kaatje looked back at Tora as if she could read her thoughts, kindness in her eyes. As soon as she had heard that Trent was coming north, that he wanted to marry her, she had begun her campaign to convince Tora of the wisdom of a wedding. But Tora had remained steadfast. It was enough that he was coming with them. She was sure this was how it was supposed to be; for her to remain free to support Kaatje through this transition. When the time was right, she would know. There was a peace about it all; as if she knew, deep down, that it was all going to work out right, regardless of their dreams and desires and decisions. For now she had to concentrate on what the Lord wanted, first.

  Christina leaned toward Jessica and whispered something to her. They giggled together conspiratorially, and Tora smiled. She felt a genuine love for them both. There had only been hints of it with Kristoffer’s boys and Jessica in the short months she had spent with them in Camden. At the time, all she had allowed herself to think about was the future. She hadn’t allowed herself to truly care. Now she knew that the present was the most precious moment of all. One never knew what was behind the next corner.

  “Now boarding!” called the captain from his deck. “All first-class passengers proceed to the aft deck and hand your carry-on luggage to the steward as you board!” Trent had insisted on purchasing tickets for Kaatje, her girls, Tora, and himself, so they were all traveling with Brad and Virginia in first-rate accommodations. He and Kaatje and Tora had spent the last several evenings talking about different busine
ss options in Alaska, and Trent had chalked up the steamer tickets to “an advance on my investment,” obviously assuming he’d buy into anything Tora and Kaatje decided upon, so great did he consider the opportunity spectrum in the new territory, so strong was his belief in the two women.

  A man collected their tickets from Trent as they passed him, and Tora helped keep the Janssen girls from leaning too far over the edge, herding them up the gangplank like excited rabbits. To them, this was an adventure; there was no fear. What was it about childhood that allowed such fresh perspective? She wanted to remember it, feel it herself. Because it was how she wanted to proceed, with the faith of a small child. Regardless of what had transpired, regardless of what had happened to her to this point, she always wanted to remember to step forward with the grace, excitement, and assuredness that the girls exhibited before her.

  “Ready?” Trent asked, taking her hand as she stepped onto the ship, his look meaningful.

  “Ready,” she said.

  Elsa could not explain why she was feeling the way she did. She was restless, irritable, unhappy. Ever since she had returned to Seattle, she had struggled with a vague sense of disappointment, as if she had organized a party and no one had attended. She supposed it was because she had been met with the news that her friends and sister were heading north. She chided herself for being childish. Her mother’s words came to her often: It’s always easier to be the one going than the one left behind.

  Was that what she considered herself? Left behind? Since marrying Peder, she had largely been the one waving good-bye to those at home. After she convinced him to let her travel with him, that is. But could she not bear it with greater grace? Surely there was some deeper reason for her disquiet than that.

  If only I had had a chance to say good-bye, she thought, staring out the window at a brilliant Seattle fall day. The leaves were in full regalia, reminding her of those in Camden-by-the-Sea. Even that thought made her more melancholy, wishing for friends she had not seen in over two years. Briefly she considered a transcontinental trip by train, but then immediately discounted it, unwilling to put her children, or Mrs. Hodge, through such an ordeal.