A Bride for Noah Page 11

  Both Sarah and Lucy appeared alarmed at the suggestion. Clearly they had not considered that one of them might be the object of the braves’ amorous attention.

  “We left them where they were,” Louisa continued, looking at David. “But we felt you should know.”

  “I’m certain this can be cleared up.” Uncle Miles spoke in a knowing tone. “I’ll just have a word with Chief Seattle. I spoke with him yesterday and though language is a bit of a barrier, I found him to be a most amiable man.”

  Arthur jerked his forehead toward Noah. “You go with him, so there’s no misunderstanding.”

  Uncle Miles slapped his hands together. “Excellent. We’ll go first thing in the morning, after I’ve had a chance to pull some things together. And while we’re there you can help me settle a few of the finer points of our bargain that I was unable to explain.”

  Noah closed his eyes and focused on taking deep, even breaths. How had he been pulled into his uncle’s latest scheme? It was Evangeline’s fault. He opened his eyes to find her watching him with wide-eyed innocence.

  Arthur started to turn away, and then stopped to fix Noah with a look full of meaning. “Would you please make sure the ladies get back home safely?”

  The only answer Noah could manage was a nod. Arthur stomped off, his boots abusing the soft soil.

  Noah glanced at Evangeline. “May I speak with you privately, please?”

  Without waiting for an answer, he hooked a hand under her arm and pulled her off to one side. When they were out of earshot, he rounded on her.

  “What are you doing here?” His voice hissed with a ferocious whisper. “I thought I’d made myself clear that you were to stay at the cabin.”

  Her expression cold, she stared pointedly at his fingers around her arm. He realized his grip was firmer than he intended. Chagrined, he released her and tucked his hand behind his back.

  “I was not aware that your orders”—she drew out the word—“applied when we were in danger from the natives.”

  “You’re in no danger.” He straightened and crossed his arms. “If anyone is in danger, it’s the tribesman who thinks he wants you for his squaw.”

  She drew herself up, outrage plain in the stiffening of her spine. Before she could deliver what was sure to be a blistering reply, Noah raised a hand. “I’m sorry. That was impolite.” A dull ache began in his head, and he pressed his forefingers and thumbs against his eyes. “I only wish I could make you understand the pressure we’re under.”

  “And I am under none?” The words fired at him like gunshots, but then she drew in a breath and continued in a softer tone. “I don’t wish to make trouble for you, truly I don’t. The fact is we are both under a great burden.”

  His shoulders relaxed a fraction. “Thank you for recognizing that.”

  Her expression had lost some of its sharpness, which gave Noah a flicker of hope. Perhaps today she would listen to reason.

  “You see what happens when the men see you and the others.”

  He waved a hand in the direction of the lumberjacks. Work had resumed, but with nowhere near the previous enthusiasm. The men’s gazes were fixed on the ladies. A few made halfhearted attempts with ax or saw, but their attention was obviously elsewhere. Lucy and Sarah were enjoying the attention, tossing their hair and waving with waggling fingers. Several of the men returned the gesture, either unaware or uncaring that they looked like besotted idiots.

  “Somebody’s going to get hurt. A lumber camp is no place for women.”

  “Hmmm.” Observing the men, Evangeline’s expression became thoughtful. “I see what you mean. We should leave immediately.”

  Noah straightened, pleased that she was finally open to hearing reason. In the next instant suspicion set in. What was going on in that lovely head of hers?

  “Yes, I think that would be best. Let me get my tools and I’ll escort you home.”

  “Oh, no need for that.” She spoke quickly, her face a mask of concern. Laying a hand on his arm, she said, “I hate to take you from your work. We can certainly find our way back.”

  He cocked his head, studying her. He’d never known her to be so considerate of him. She returned his stare without blinking, her smooth forehead clear of guile.

  “Perhaps Uncle Miles won’t mind going along, just to be safe.”

  She opened her mouth as if to argue, then appeared to change her mind. “If he doesn’t mind,” she said in an agreeable tone, and patted his arm before removing her hand. “Don’t worry about a thing.”

  Without waiting for an answer, she whirled with a swish of skirts and rejoined the other ladies. She gestured toward the watching men and toward him, and Uncle Miles nodded and headed down the trail toward camp. David placed a kiss upon Louisa’s cheek and then returned to his work while she and Evangeline fell in behind Uncle Miles. With obvious reluctance and an occasional backward glance, Lucy and Sarah followed.

  Noah stared at the trailhead long after they had disappeared. That woman had taken pleasure in irking him since the moment he laid eyes on her. He’d come to expect it. A cooperative Evangeline left him mildly alarmed.

  On the way back to the logging camp, Evie kept glancing over her shoulder. Would Noah follow to make sure they returned to the cabin? He would certainly interfere with her exploration plans if he knew she had no intention of going back home immediately.

  The only sign of life at the camp was a steady stream of smoke rising from the chimney of the cookhouse. The aroma of bacon lingered in the air, along with the savory scent of roasting meat.

  She lengthened her stride and caught up with Miles. “Before we head back to the cabin, I’d like to take a look around.”

  “Oh?” His brow creased. “Why?”

  “We were hurried off so quickly yesterday I haven’t had an opportunity to see anything. I want to see the area where we will build our restaurant. And I want to get a few things from our supplies for Mary.”

  Louisa glanced back down the trail. “I’m not sure Arthur would approve.”

  He certainly would not. Arthur and Noah both cared only that Evie remained neatly tucked out of sight. And if that’s what they wanted, then so be it. She didn’t intend to hover about beneath their noses begging for help anymore. Upsetting Mr. Hughes.

  “Why would he mind? We won’t be distracting anyone from their work except Miles, and he doesn’t matter.”

  Miles drew himself up. “Here now. I wish you wouldn’t put it like that.”

  “You know what I mean.” She smiled an apology to take the sting out of her words. “This is your venture too, you know. Aren’t you at all interested in exploring the place where our fortunes will be made?”

  He cocked his head. “When you put it like that, yes.”

  Louisa took a long moment to consider, and then shrugged. “You’re right. Besides, Arthur doesn’t need to know that we didn’t go straight home.”

  Sarah and Lucy were agreeable. The five of them took off down the trail toward the dock where they had landed two days before. The Commodore had left early this morning, according to Miles, and Evie regretted that she hadn’t an opportunity to bid farewell to the crew and Captain Johnson.

  They hiked for some ways over a trail that sloped gently downward. The night before last the ground had consisted of muddy sludge. The center of the path was still soggy, even after a day and a half without rain. They kept to the sides, where the soil was moist but easy to traverse. This trail was more defined than the one between the Denny cabin and the logging camp, and the forest slightly less dense. Obviously this area got more use. She spied signs indicating the men had done some clearing to widen what had probably been a natural path leading away from the bay. Had Noah helped select the site for their logging camp, or had that decision been left up to the Denny brothers?

  Shortly before they reached the beach, she began to get glimpses of the bay. Snatches of blue shimmered between the endless stretch of trees, and the gentle sound of water lapping aga
inst an unseen shore provided a peaceful background to the noise of their feet crashing through pine needles and fallen leaves. Miles had taken the lead, but now Evie lengthened her stride, straining to see ahead.

  They came out of the woods suddenly. She stepped from shadow to sunshine, her eyes dazzled by a view so beautiful it snatched the breath from her lungs. The bay stretched out before her, sunshine sparkling on the rippled blue-green surface. The last time she saw this bay it was through a gray curtain of rain, but today the air was sharp and clear, and she could easily see the distant shoreline covered with the same dense forest. Above the treetops rose the magnificent mountains she had noticed from the deck of the Commodore, but today their snow-capped peaks stood out starkly, appearing to carve a jagged line in the sky. The glassy surface of the bay reflected a clear image, so that whether she looked up or down she saw their majestic form.

  Beside her, Lucy gave a gasp. “I’ve never seen anything so pretty in all my born days.”

  “It is lovely, isn’t it?” Louisa’s voice held a note of pride.

  Evie tore her eyes from the vista before her to smile at her friend. “I can see why Arthur chose this spot to settle.”

  “It was David and Noah who found it first.” She folded her arms across her chest and gave a satisfied nod. “My David is a man of vision.”

  Evie looked again at the panorama before her. No wonder Noah felt such a sense of responsibility for the success of this new town. He’d been one of the first white men to set foot on this shore. The idea stirred a sense of awe in her.

  “This is the place.” Miles cast a possessive glance around the clearing, as though he were personally responsible for its existence. “One day soon we shall own the first commercial building on this shore.”

  Evie scanned the area. This shoreline would one day become a busy port and be crowded with buildings. There was no doubt the view was lovely. But the way the ground sloped toward the water made her uneasy. And what about storms? This area of the bay was somewhat protected from harsh winds, but did the water ever rise enough to flood, as the river did back home?

  “Behold our supplies, my dear.” Miles pointed to a sheltered area down the beach where a canvas-covered pile rested.

  “Mmm-hmm.” Evie continued her survey of the area, turning in a half-circle to place the bay at her back. The path down which they’d just come was the only defined trail within sight. No doubt that would one day become the main thoroughfare from the port.

  Louisa watched her closely. “You’re thinking something—I can practically hear the wheels turning.”

  Evie tapped a finger thoughtfully against her lips. “I’m trying to picture where the town’s center will end up being. I doubt it will be here, on the beach.”

  Louisa pointed toward a flat stretch of land a short distance down the shoreline. “The hope is to build a lumber mill there. That tributary just beyond is wide and deep enough to float logs from way up into the woods. The town will probably grow inland from the mill, I think.”

  That made sense. “So we’ll want to be nearby, but not too close.”

  Evie began marching up the path in the direction they’d just come, the others following. As she walked, her eyes skimmed the landscape. They’d been walking some five minutes when she found what she was looking for. The ground flattened out, and was that a lightening of the shade just a short distance from the path? She turned to the right and plunged into the forest.

  “Where are you going?” called Miles from behind.

  “I’m looking for a place to build a restaurant,” she shouted.

  “I thought we were going to put it down there, near the dock. I’m sure that’s what everyone expects.” He pulled a large white handkerchief from his pocket and mopped his brow.

  And that is one reason I don’t want it there.

  There was no trail here, but skirting the giant cedars wasn’t difficult. A short distance from the trail the cedars grew sparse and the bushy fir trees became dense. The sounds from behind told her that the others were following, but falling behind as they struggled through the underbrush. She plowed further ahead and came alone to a place where the trees clustered so closely that they formed a wall of green branches. Instead of hesitating, she pushed her way through prickly needles and found herself in a clearing.

  It wasn’t an uncommonly beautiful place, like the one surrounding the Denny’s cabin. There was no stream, though she could hear the sound of running water not far away. But the land was level here, and the trees were smaller, with wide grassy spaces between them. Tall cedars surrounded the glade, far enough apart to allow a good-sized building to be erected between them. She turned to the west, and a slow smile spread across her lips. The clearing rested atop a slight ridge with the land sloping gently downward, which gave her a glimpse of the bay below. When the land was cleared, which she had no doubt would happen as the town grew, she would have a stunning view.

  Louisa emerged behind her, followed closely by Sarah and Lucy.

  “This is it.” Evie spread her arms wide as if to encompass the clearing. “This is where I shall build my restaurant.”

  Doubt showed on the sisters’ faces, but Louisa turned in a circle and then nodded.

  “It’s a good location,” she said.

  Miles emerged, irritably batting a branch out of his face. He stopped beside Evie, settled his waistcoat with a tug, and cast a skeptical glance around. “Are you sure it wouldn’t be wiser to be down by the shore? There would be less work involved in readying the area before building can begin.”

  With a certainty that she felt deep inside, Evie replied with no hesitation. “I’m sure.”

  He studied her for a moment and then shrugged. “This place is as good as any other, as far as I’m concerned. Besides, we still have time to scout around. We won’t be able to hire the labor for at least another month.”

  With a glance in his direction, she assumed a casual tone, “Are there not extra tools in the camp? Axes and saws and so on?”

  A frown gathered on his bearded face. “Why do you want to know?”

  She folded her arms across her chest as she gazed at her clearing. “Because I don’t intend to wait a month or longer. I’m not the weakling Noah seems to think I am.”

  Amusement danced in Louisa’s eyes. “Are you saying you will build a restaurant by yourself?”

  “Not at all. Miles will help.”

  “What?” He took a step backward, looking at her with alarm, and nearly stumbled over a sapling in the tall grass. “Me, wield an ax? My dear girl!”

  She ignored him, and nodded toward the sisters. “And Sarah and Lucy and Ethel can help.”

  Sarah screwed her face in twisted angst. “I wouldn’t know what to do with an ax.”

  “Then you can use a saw,” Evie told her. “There aren’t any huge trees in this area to give us trouble, only small ones. Between the five of us, we can get a good start. It’s better than sitting around doing nothing.”

  Louisa leaned back her head and laughed. “Well, why not? I’ll help too.”

  Her spirits high, Evie leaned over and pulled Louisa into a grateful hug. Noah thought she would go meekly into hiding until he was ready to deal with her. Ha! She could hardly wait to see his face when he discovered how wrong he was. She was an independent woman in charge of her own future, and she would not be tucked in a corner.

  But clearing the land was only the first step of her plan. The rest would take some time to put in place.

  “We-ell.” Miles drew the word out and followed it with a loud sigh. “Every venture needs supervision. I suppose I can contribute something along those lines.”

  Evie turned a mock scowl on him and then put one arm around Lucy and the other around Sarah. “Think of how impressed all those loggers will be when they see how capable you are.”

  “Or how pitiful we are,” moaned Lucy.

  “Either way, you’ll have their attention, won’t you?”

  That drew hes
itant smiles from them both.

  She squeezed their waists. “Now, let’s go get some tea from our supplies and then we’ll go back to Mary’s and relax for the rest of the day. Tomorrow will be busy.”

  They trooped back down the trail together. Evie was well pleased with her morning’s work. Finally, after two days of frustration and disappointment, she was in control again. And she fully intended to stay there.

  Down at the landing site the muddy shore showed signs of drying out, but, like the trail, was still soggy in places. They skirted the edge of the open space, keeping to the firmer soil along the tree line. Evie’s supplies had been unloaded from the ship and the crates stacked in a neat pile on a wooden platform in a small grassy area. The lot had been covered with a canvas tarp. Though she would prefer a sturdier shelter, especially for the heavy iron stove that had cost an astounding amount of money, at least the canvas would provide shelter from the rain and, if roped tightly, from wild animals. And the deck protected the crates from moisture on the ground. The sketch she had made of her restaurant included a large supply room, and as soon as the walls were up she would have Miles arrange to have these things moved.

  The sight that greeted her as she neared halted her thoughts. The ties were in place on this side of the load, but at the back, the canvas flapped open. She broke into a run and reached the deck before the others. Lifting the loose tarp, she peered beneath it. A sob rose in her throat. The canvas covered only the large, heavy crate containing her stove and a few smaller ones which lay on their sides, pried open and empty. The sob nearly choked her as she straightened and her eyes searched the area. An object on the ground caught her attention, and she ran to the base of a nearby tree to pick it up. It was a linen napkin, trampled with mud. Not far away, an onion lay half-sunk in the wet soil as though it had been stepped on.

  Tears blurred her vision. Her cargo had been ransacked. Her cookware, table linens, cutlery, all gone. The food and supplies for which she had paid so dearly had been stolen.