Destined for You

by Tracie Peterson

  She frowned and felt his head. “You’re awfully warm.”

  “He was sitting by the stove,” Luke offered.

  “True.” She smoothed back her brother’s curls. “Go get ready for bed, and I’ll come tuck you in.”

  “Can Luke do it? He’s been telling me this story about a man and his friend who went on an adventure across America. He and his friend made maps and everything.”

  Gloriana looked at Luke, who shrugged. “I thought the story of Lewis and Clark was fascinating. Amazing, actually, when you consider they made their trek nearly seventy years ago when there was nothing settled at all.”

  “It is fascinating. I wouldn’t mind hearing it myself, but I understand it’s something you boys have going on, and I won’t interfere.” She pulled Sally out of the baby chair. “Besides, I must ready this little miss for her own bedtime.”

  They went their separate ways, and Gloriana put Sally to bed and then went back to clean the kitchen. But she couldn’t stop dwelling on the fact that someone out there wanted to divide her family. They wanted to take her happiness from her once again.

  Why should it matter so much to Luke’s father that Sally be his? He wouldn’t be the one caring for her. No doubt there would be a nurse and the baby would be hidden away in an opulent room in the old man’s grand house. He would bring her out and show her off from time to time like a beautiful painting or thoroughbred horse. Then he would send her back to live with her caregivers and grow up all alone, devoid of love and a normal family.

  “I won’t let that happen,” Gloriana murmured as she finished washing the last of the dishes. No matter what she had to do, she wouldn’t let Mr. Carson do such a horrible thing to Sally.

  She picked up a dish towel and suddenly remembered that on the morrow she was to become a bride. It was almost an afterthought, and it amused her that it wasn’t the grand event or monumental moment that she’d always thought it might be. She remembered friends planning their wedding days. They talked and planned constantly until the event was upon them.

  Gloriana went to the window and looked out into the dark night. The lake was nothing but blackness in the silence. Nevertheless, she knew it was there. The threats posed in the day seemed doubly so at night. She’d never liked to gaze upon the lake at night, be it at peace or churned up. It was always a dark omen—a silent warning.

  She let the curtain fall back into place. She wasn’t going to let Mr. Carson nor Lake Superior ruin her mood. She needed to focus on the good things that were about to happen. She needed to dwell on her love for Luke and the life they would have together.

  I love him so much.

  The words were still foreign on her lips. The love had developed in such a subtle way. There hadn’t been any fanfare or time for romantic strolls or courtship. It was a relationship that was matter-of-fact yet extraordinary.

  How could she not have seen its development? With each kindness, each gentle encouragement, love grew between them. Mama had once said that she knew she was in love with Gloriana’s father when he had stopped to calm a young boy who sat by the road crying.

  “He knelt beside the child and asked what the trouble was, and when the boy told him that he couldn’t find his favorite marble, your father didn’t chide him or laugh at him. Instead, he took the boy’s hand, and together they searched until the lost marble was found. I could not have loved him more for that act of kindness.”

  Luke was kind like that. He had such a gentle spirit and tenderness that amazed Gloriana. When he was dealing with JT and the boy was in a particularly bad mood, Luke seemed to have endless patience. Yet when speaking of his father’s threats, Luke was all strength and deliberate refuge. He would not see his family harmed. He would protect them.

  It was how her father had been—how her heavenly Father was. Fierce and powerful on one hand, but loving and gentle on the other. If she’d ever had any doubts about Luke being the right person for her, this thought completely dissolved them. Luke was a godly man—a man her father would have respected and loved.

  “You look deep in thought,” Luke said from the hallway.

  “I am.” She smiled. “I was just thinking of how tomorrow we’ll be married.”

  “I still want to give you a big church wedding if you want one.”

  She shook her head. “No. That’s never really been my desire. I always thought of a small intimate ceremony with my family and friends. Now my family is gone, and so are many of my friends. Sally was my best friend of all.”

  “I know we’ve had so little time to talk and consider what this means.” He came to stand directly in front of her and put his palm against her cheek. “I never thought it would be like this either.”

  Gloriana smiled. “Papa would have said it was just what he expected from me. I was always doing things different from everyone else.”

  “Some people will probably talk. Their curiosity will be stirred by us marrying quickly and quietly.”

  “Let them talk. My friends know my beliefs and trust me to make wise decisions, and those who believe otherwise are of no consequence. They aren’t real friends if they’re setting out to believe the worst about me.”

  “True.” He ran his fingers through her errant blond curls. “You’ve given up so much to care for others. You are the type of woman a man can always count on for support and honesty. I know that my heart will be safe with you. I hope you know that yours will be safe with mine.”

  “I do, and yet there is no reason either of us should feel so confident.” His fingers traced her jawline, and her heart quickened its pace. She loved his touch.

  “Sometimes,” he began, “God does things in such a way that all the pieces fit neatly together. There’s no striving. No conflict. Some would call it miraculous, and perhaps it is, for how could two people otherwise come together for the first time, yet feel as though they’d already lived a lifetime in each other’s presence?”

  “God is the only answer.” She was as sure of that as she was of anything else. Only God could have seen the need JT and Sally would have—the need that Gloriana and Luke would have—and then make such utter and complete resolution and restoration.

  “I love you, Gloriana. Never doubt that, I beg you. Ours might be a different kind of courtship, but my love for you is no less filled with passion and wonder. I know we will be happy together.”

  “I love you too, Luke. The wonder of it leaves me amazed and overwhelmed.” She searched the depth of his blue-gray eyes. “I never thought I’d fall in love—yet here we are.”

  “I never thought I’d live here and meet someone I love. For a long time, I was expected to live a certain way. I used to be so prideful. I was always considered a prime catch.” He chuckled. “And I almost believed it for a time. But God straightened me out on that. He made it clear that He had plans for my future—that love would come in time. I’ve always known I would be a husband and father one day. I just didn’t know God would send me someone like you.”

  “Luke, I don’t fit into that world of yours. You must see that and remember it.” She frowned. “I will never be good enough for Philadelphia society. You’re forsaking your upbringing and the privilege that goes with it by marrying me.”

  “It’s a price I happily pay. It was never a world that made me happy. Not like you make me happy.” He took her face in his hands. “And, Gloriana, I’ve never been so happy.”

  He kissed her tenderly, and she melted against him. Tomorrow she would be a bride and a wife. She could scarcely draw breath. After tomorrow, they would never have to part again. Never leave to go to their separate houses. Never be alone.

  “They aren’t going to change their minds,” the man declared as Theodore Sedgwick sipped his whiskey. “Are they?”

  “Not at this late date,” Theo admitted. “However, we can still make it costly to them. Perhaps if we plan it right, it will even be financially disastrous.” He had always seen this as the prized goal anyway. He didn’t care whether Du
luth or Superior got the railroad. Not really. It would have pleased him to see Duluth fail because that would hurt his father, but he honestly didn’t care.

  What he wanted was for Luke Carson’s name and reputation to be destroyed. Now that Luke’s father was in town, Theo had even tried to figure out a way to harm the old man as well. After all, it had been his bank Rafael had embezzled from and the elder Carson who had pressed the charges to the utter limit of the law. If there was a way to destroy father and son, that would be perfectly satisfying.

  “We can do nothing about the railroad. Cooke has that sewn up, and despite our having swayed a good number of congressmen to see things our way, money is what will always move railroads. However, we’ve another matter to consider. The canal.”

  Theodore knew the man who was speaking only by reputation. They’d never been formally introduced, nor did he imagine they would be. The man had no interest in someone of Theo’s lowly status, unless of course that someone could actually accomplish something. Theodore had failed in his eyes, and that made him less than useful to the likes of this politician.

  If Theodore could figure out a way to put an end to the canal plans, then perhaps the politician might have other uses for him. After all, Theodore’s quest for revenge against Luke and his father wouldn’t last forever. He’d ruin those two or kill them. Maybe both. Either way, he would still need powerful friends in the future.

  Chapter 21

  At breakfast the next morning, Luke was more than a little excited. “Pastor Sedgwick said to come to the church at seven tonight. He will marry us then. Mrs. Sedgwick said she’d even invite a few of your closest friends to witness the occasion, and there will be a little reception afterward.”

  “It sounds like a simple affair is growing more elaborate,” Gloriana said, glancing at her brother. “JT, are you feeling all right?”

  He shrugged. “I’m tired.” He cut into his pancake and said nothing more.

  Luke put several pancakes on his own plate. “I’m sure the excitement of it all gave him restless sleep. I know it did me. I kept thinking about how everything would come together tonight. I’m not sure how to manage it all. The new house won’t be complete until July, maybe August. I’m content to live here with you until then, if that meets with your approval.”

  Gloriana poured him a cup of coffee. “What else would we do?” She put the pot back on the stove and took her seat at the table beside Sally’s high chair. The baby was enjoying playing with a couple of wooden spoons.

  “Do you need me to pick up anything in town?” Luke asked.

  She considered his question a moment, then shook her head. “I can’t think of a thing. I figure I’ll have supper ready for us, and after we eat, we can go to the church.”

  Luke nodded. “That sounds perfect, although I wonder if either of us will be able to eat a bite. I don’t know about you, but I already have butterflies in my stomach.”

  “Butterflies?” JT asked. “How did you get butterflies in your stomach?”

  “It’s just a saying, JT.” Gloriana reached for the syrup. “Would you like some more?” She held up the crock and offered to spoon it onto JT’s uneaten pancake.

  “No. I think I got butterflies too.”

  Luke laughed. “It is a momentous occasion. Still, I would be grateful for syrup.”

  He was still thinking about butterflies later when he joined a meeting Roger Munger had arranged regarding the canal.

  “As most of you know, the canal is something we’ve wanted for years. There have been numerous difficulties in getting it established, however. We all know that the Panic of ’57 put a stop to everything, and then, of course, the war was a difficulty for all, even though we had no battles in Duluth.

  “Still, there have been attempts to further the cause of a canal. After the war, the Army Corps of Engineers built us a breakwater to protect the outer harbor. But as you gentlemen also remember, they advised against a canal due to an unreasonable fear that the flow of the St. Louis River might be altered and become more hazardous.”

  Munger looked at his notes. “Others have said there would be no damage and that digging a deeper channel would resolve any issues with the river. The fact of the matter is that no one knows for sure what will happen once a canal is in place, except that our commerce will be greatly benefitted.”

  There were murmurs of approval from around the room. Luke could see that the majority of these men were avid supporters of the canal. And for him, it sounded like the best idea for the city. Not only that, but he was certain Jay Cooke would agree and want to be in on the earliest plans.

  “My personal engineers assure me that a canal will not harm the harbor. If anything, it will benefit it greatly. I’ve already made arrangements to purchase or hire a steam dredger, and I believe by summer we should be able to begin digging,” Munger announced.

  There was something of a free-for-all of questions after that. The powerful men of Duluth wanted to know all of the details, and Luke found his mind again on his father and the wedding. Part of him wanted to invite his father to witness the nuptials, but he wanted the occasion to be without conflict, so that was out of the question.

  When the meeting broke up, Luke went back to his office. He was surprised to find correspondence awaiting him from Mr. Cooke, but not so shocked to see that it was all about the railroad. Scanning through the pages, Luke read Mr. Cooke’s concerns for reaching the August deadline to complete the Lake Superior and Mississippi line. They must, he wrote, focus on completing that railroad, even if the Northern Pacific was delayed. Yes, Congress had demanded progress from both ends of the northern line, but Mr. Cooke was certain Luke could at least make it appear that the work was progressing.

  Luke knew land was being cleared now that a warm spring was upon them. At last count, over thirty miles had been graded and looked ready for the laying of rails. The problem was, they needed more workers. Perhaps if he could hire on more people to finish up the Lake Superior line, they could then transfer all of those people to the Northern Pacific once the job was completed. Thankfully, Mr. Cooke had advertised abroad to encourage immigrant laborers to consider coming to work for the Northern Pacific. If enough of them signed on soon, Luke could use them with the Lake Superior line as well.

  The real frustration was the tampering with the route. Luke and Archie had been unable to find the original maps that had been drawn. They had been lost somewhere between offices. There were numerous section copies, but that didn’t help. They needed to find the original reports and maps to see exactly what had been compromised. Until then, there was no telling what trouble might come.

  Theodore came into his office, barely stopping to give a light rap. “Your father is here to see you, sir.”

  “I need no introduction,” Luke’s father declared, pushing past the secretary. “Now leave us so that I might talk to my son in private.”

  Theodore looked as if he might say something, but then he gave a curt nod and looked to Luke. “Will there be anything else, sir?”

  Luke felt sorry for Sedgwick. His father could be such an imposing figure to handle. “No. I believe it would be a good time for you to take your lunch. Father and I will likely do the same.”

  Theodore nodded and left with only the slightest glance at the senior Mr. Carson. Luke waited until he heard the outside door close before meeting his father’s disgruntled expression.

  “I thought I would see you at breakfast,” his father declared.

  “I had other plans and then a meeting.” Luke put away the correspondence from Mr. Cooke and got to his feet. “Luncheon will have to suffice, as today my schedule is quite busy.”

  “This is preposterous. I came all of this way and haven’t yet seen my granddaughter. You hide her away from me as if you think me some sort of villain. I am here to give her everything, not hurt her. You have made me out to be some sort of thief.”

  “You want to steal my daughter. That makes you a thief in my eyes.”r />
  “She’s my granddaughter by blood and your daughter only by paper.”

  Luke’s eyes narrowed. “I will not argue with you about the validity of my claim. Nor of the love I hold for that child. I also will not allow you to see her until you agree to put this ridiculous notion aside.”

  “What ridiculous notion?”

  “That you believe yourself capable of taking her from me. That will not happen.” Luke drew a deep breath. “Now, let us go to lunch and speak of more pleasant topics. Perhaps you can tell me how your investments played out last fall. You were quite excited about a couple of them, as I recall.”

  Gloriana made certain her dress was ready. At Christmas Luke had given her several store-bought gowns, and this was one she had thought much too fine to wear for everyday use. She hadn’t even managed to wear it for church because the silk material was too lightweight for winter. Now, however, with this unseasonably warm spring, Gloriana thought it would be perfect for her wedding dress.

  She lightly fingered the fabric and smiled. The pale coral color was trimmed in a slightly darker coral cord. The neckline was modest and edged with lace, and the sleeves were long and fitted. In keeping with the current fashion, the front of the gown was layered and drawn up to the back in a sweeping fashion that connected to form part of the bustle. There was a small matching hat for the gown that Gloriana thought quite charming. It had been designed to sit to one side, with tulle and feathers decorating its simplicity. She couldn’t imagine it being any more perfect. It would accent her blond hair and pale complexion.

  As she finished making sure every detail was perfect, she heard the front door open. “Is that you, JT?”

  “It’s me,” she heard him reply. He didn’t sound right.

  She left the dress hanging and went to see what might be wrong. She found JT slumped in a chair at the table.

  “Looks like you had a rough day.”

  “I don’t feel good, Glory,” he murmured.

  Gloriana raised his face to meet hers. His cheeks were red and his skin hot to the touch. He had a fever. There was no doubting it this time.