Chapter 11
CHAPTER 11
T he next day, Clara squeezed past Patsy in the narrow kitchen, the other woman's elbow nearly colliding with her ribs. The cabin walls seemed to press in on Clara, and from the pinched looks on the others' faces, she could tell they felt it too. So many people in close quarters for so long had made the air feel a bit stifling.
Outside the frosty window, fresh snow from that morning blanketed the yard, covering the tracks the children had made earlier that morning with their gleeful play. Their joy had long since evaporated, replaced by whines and squabbles as they huddled by the fire, still shivering from the bitter cold.
“Clara, can you stir these dumplings a minute?” Dinah stood at the stove, holding out the spoon. “I need to check on your uncle.”
“Of course.” Clara guided the metal utensil around in the big pot of white cream. This was their second batch of the day.
Uncle Hiram had been napping for the last hour, probably trying to keep out of the mass of bodies clogging the cabin’s main room.
Her thoughts drifted to the note Holloway had sent with Miles yesterday, tucked discreetly inside a sketch. I hope you're making good use of your time at the house. I wouldn’t want anyone to get hurt .
She hadn’t changed her mind about refusing to find it. Especially not the more she got to know these people. She could never betray their trust and hurt them in such an awful way.
But Holloway wouldn’t be stalled.
Was there another way out of this pickle she was in?
With the constant bustle in this cabin, there certainly hadn't been time to search Dinah and Jericho's room, which seemed by far the likeliest place to find a document that was worth so much.
She nearly jumped when Dinah appeared at her elbow. “Would you mind taking this out to Miles?” Dinah held out a basket, a cloth covering its contents.
Clara nodded toward the bubbling pot she was still stirring. "But the dumplings…"
Dinah took the spoon from her hand. "I'll finish up here. You go on and bundle up. It's frightful cold out there."
The thought of a breath of fresh air, a few moments free of these cabin walls, and a chance to see Miles…
She wrapped herself in her coat, hat, and gloves, then carried the basket out into the crisp, cold air. She inhaled, savoring the sting in her lungs. White blanketed the world, the snow sparkling beneath the pale winter sun.
She scanned the beauty and…
A sleigh!
It gleamed a rich brown, it was parked between the house and the barn, two sturdy bays harnessed to it. And there, standing near their heads and wearing a wide grin, was Miles.
"What's all this?" Her heart picked up speed as she moved toward him, boots crunching in the snow.
Miles strode forward, his cheeks flushed from the cold. "Thought you might be feeling cooped up in there with the whole lot of us." He nodded toward the cabin. "Jericho and I talked it over, and seeing as there's been no sign of trouble today, we reckoned it'd be all right if you and I took a little sleigh ride." His smile softened. "I know it’s not quite like the Christmas rides you used to take with your uncle, but I thought you might still enjoy it."
Tears pricked at her eyes. Not only had he remembered her favorite memory, but he’d worked to recreate it.
Miles took the basket and helped Clara to her seat, then tucked the blankets snugly around her before climbing in on the other side. He’d even placed hot rocks at their feet for warmth.
As they prepared to depart, the cabin door swung open, and Dinah waved goodbye, a knowing twinkle in her eye. She’d obviously been in on the surprise, keeping Clara occupied while Miles readied the sleigh.
"Thank you!" Clara called out, her heart swelling with gratitude.
They set off down the wide, snow-blanketed trail through the woods, tiny flakes stinging her nose and cheeks.
Miles handled the team with ease, just like everything else he did.
He sent her a quick look, and she smiled. "I didn’t know you had a sleigh."
He refocused on the trail. "We usually switch one of the wagons from wheels to runners after the first snow." His breath formed clouds in front of them. "Spent the morning doing that and making it a bit more comfortable."
Comfortable. He'd gone to such lengths, just for her.
As they glided through the hushed forest, the only sounds became the jingle of the horses' harnesses and the swish of the sleigh's runners. Flurries fell thicker around them, flakes the size of silver dollars drifting lazily through the air.
She pulled the blanket tighter around her shoulders, savoring the crisp scent of the pines. Being out here, just the two of them, made her think of Christmas traditions. "What does your family usually do to celebrate the holiday?"
His eyes took on a faraway look, a smile playing at his mouth. "The women make all sorts of bows and garlands to decorate the cabin. We bring in a big fir tree from the forest for them to trim. We make hot apple cider, and the ladies cook up all kinds of treats—molasses cookies, peppermint sticks, spice cake." He glanced over at her. “I hope you’ll be here for Christmas.”
She let herself linger in the warmth of his regard. In the hope of possibly being part of the heaven he described. Christmas was still a week and a half away, though. Holloway would want to move on before then.
And she wanted them to move on long before the holy day. She needed to keep Holloway from forcing her to find the Coulters’ deed. The reminder burned in her chest, and she looked away from Miles’s smiling eyes.
She couldn’t hurt him the way her superiors wanted her too. And if that meant leaving him as soon as possible, she’d have to prepare for the loss. Make herself look forward to it even.
Miles guided the sleigh into a wide open meadow, the mountains rising majestic and snow-capped around them. He brought the team to a halt, and they sat for a moment, the falling snow swirling around them in the breeze.
"I love Christmas.” Miles’s voice was soft. “The joy in giving to each other. I've been working on a little gift for each person in the family."
The thoughtfulness of this man never ceased to amaze her. "That's a lot of gifts."
He shrugged. "I’ve been at it for a while now. Making them bit by bit in my spare time."
The way he used his talents to help others—it was one of the things she lo?—
No, one of the things she liked about him.
She couldn't let herself think the other word, not even in the privacy of her own mind. Not when their time together would be so short.
Miles set the brake and reached for the basket. "Figured this would be a nice place for our picnic. Probably best we stay in the sleigh, though, the way the snow’s coming down."
Indeed, the swirling flakes had grown larger, falling thick and fast from the steel gray sky. The wind gusted, sending a shiver through her as icy air found its way past her coat collar.
Working quickly, she pulled out the still-warm dumplings Dinah had sent. How in the world had she found a moment to pack them without Clara seeing?
They started eating, huddled beneath the thick lap blankets as the snowfall intensified around them.
Miles studied the low grey sky as he chewed, then swallowed. “I think maybe we should head back.” He sent her an apologetic look. “I didn’t expect the weather to turn so quickly.”
“Oh.” She worked not to show her disappointment. “Of course.”
She repacked the food, and Miles took up the reins, turning the team toward home.
Already, the hot stones at their feet had lost their warmth, and Clara's teeth chattered, her body trembling. Wind surged in gusts, swirling the white so, at times, she couldn’t even see the horses.
Miles had to be feeling the chill as well, his shoulders hunched. One blanket was draped over both their laps, and he wrapped the other blanket around her shoulders before they’d set out.
She lifted the edge closest to him and spoke loudly enough to be heard over the whipping wind. “Do you want to tuck this around you?”
He shook his head. “Too hard to hold while I drive.” But he nodded at the seat between them. "You could scoot closer, though.”
She did, and though he’d said he didn’t want the blanket, she held up one side. “Lean forward so I can wrap this behind you.”
He obeyed. He must truly be frozen.
She slipped the cover around his far shoulder, and he leaned back. Then she pressed closer against his side. The heat of his body seeped into her, and she let out a sigh, some of her tension easing. Hopefully, this would help him too.
Yet even with his nearness, she couldn’t stop the chattering of her teeth, or the growing numbness in her fingers and toes. The sleigh picked up speed, the frigid wind stinging her exposed skin like needles.
Thank heavens they weren’t far from the house.
S now slammed against them in a fierce onslaught as Miles urged the horses forward. They struggled against the battering wind, and he could only pray the animals knew the trail, for he couldn’t see past them.
He tamped down the rising guilt. He’d deal with that later. Right now, they had to get out of this storm—and fast.
The house was probably still another half hour at the horses’ normal walk, but at this achingly slow pace, they might be out here an hour. Or more.
Should they stop at the storage shed by the mine? It was close, maybe only a quarter mile off the main trail. He couldn’t let her know about the sapphires, but only a few crates were left there, and they wouldn’t be marked. If she asked, he could just say they were supplies.
Beside him, Clara trembled, even with their sides pressed together for warmth. That made the decision for him.
"We need to get out of this wind." He ducked his chin so his words reached her ear and weren’t whipped away by the howling gale. "There's a shed up ahead where we store supplies. We can take shelter there and wait out the worst of it."
Her pale face stared up at him, her eyes glassy, though she seemed heartened by the suggestion.
He shook the reins, urging the horses forward. Then as soon as the break appeared in the trees to their right, he guided them onto the narrow path toward the mine. This was another trail they knew well, though it was hidden from strangers.
The trees closed in around them, shielding Miles and Clara a little from the unrelenting gusts. But the snow fell thick and fast, obscuring his vision until he could barely make out the horses' heads bobbing in front of the sleigh.
Please, let me have chosen right.
The meager protection of the storage shed seemed like their best chance, but now, as the world faded into a swirling void of white, he feared they shouldn’t even try to go that far. Should they stop here and huddle under the blankets? The sleigh runners brought the wagon body lower to the ground, so they couldn’t take shelter underneath like they would have been able to if it were supported by wheels.
Clara's life was in his hands.
What if he chose wrong?
What if they ended up freezing, lost in this blizzard?
Another vicious shiver racked her, fueling his determination. She needed more shelter than blankets. The shed was their best hope.
Lord, don’t let the horses stray from the path.
He could see nothing in front of the animals. What if he guided them into a tree? He needed to lead the way so they stayed on this narrow trail.
He reined in the team, speaking close to her ear. "I'm going to the horses’ heads to make sure we stay on the path." He eased the blanket from his shoulders and secured it around her. Then he pushed the other cover away from his legs and jumped down.
Fire shot through his feet when they landed on the icy ground. They’d been numb, but apparently not completely frozen. He gripped the front of the sleigh to keep himself upright as he started toward the animals’ heads.
“Be careful.” Clara’s call followed him through the haze.
He would have turned to smile reassurance, but he couldn’t feel much of his face. So he nodded.
The warmth of the horses’ breath clouded in the swirling snow. He’d forgotten how much heat an animal could create when working. He took a quick moment to tuck his hands under Jack’s mane and crowd close to the animal, pressing his cheek against the thick coat. Maybe he should have Clara come huddle with the horses too.
But she would be far better off in the shed where the wind and wet couldn’t touch her. Especially if he could build a fire there. He moved in front of the team, feeling to make sure no trees blocked their next step. His hands met nothing solid, only a wall of white.
Surely, they hadn’t reached the clearing yet. Just to make sure, he moved to the left and reached out until his fingers brushed a sturdy tree. Good.
He grabbed Jack’s reins and started forward, waving his hand in front of him as he moved. Back and forth he motioned, leading the gelding behind him. Every few steps, he reached to the left to make sure he could feel a tree far enough away that the sleigh wouldn’t brush against it.
Their progress came painfully slow, but he couldn’t risk losing the trail.
“Miles?” Clara’s voice sounded like it came from a long distance, muffled as it was by the snow and wind.
“I’m here.” His heart thudded even faster.
“Are you all right? I can’t see you. Are you too cold?”
“I’m all right. We’re making progress. Should reach the shed any time. Are you warm enough?”
She wasn’t. He knew that. But mostly he wanted to know how her spirits were.
“I’m fine. Be careful. Please.”
A tiny bit of warmth eased through him. “I will.”
As he squinted through the white, doing his best to keep the snow out of his eyes, a dark shape rose up on his left. Was that the gnarled oak? If so, they were only a few strides from the clearing.
Thank You, God!
Relief surged through him, but he tamped it down. They weren't out of the woods yet—and he meant that both ways.
He didn’t even have to see the clearing to know when they reached it. The howling of the wind intensified, screaming around them with renewed fury.
He turned the team a little to the left, aiming straight for the shed, or so he hoped. His sense of direction felt askew. Not quite trustworthy.
When they’d gone far enough that they should have found the building, he halted the animals again. Then he took a few steps forward into the white, leaving the team behind. He might be making a disastrous mistake.
But his hands struck something solid. He felt the shape—flat, rough wood under both hands. He moved sideways, groping until he found the corner. This was the direction he needed to bring the sleigh.
When he reached the team again, he yelled back to Clara. “We found it. Let me bring the animals forward, and I’ll help you down.”
As the horses came abreast of the structure where the team would be protected from the harsh wind, he halted them. “Good, boys.” He stroked each animal’s neck, murmuring encouragement. Jack and Jerry were good wagon horses. Brothers, though a couple years apart. They would get a warm rubdown and dry stalls once they made it back to the barn.
For now, he returned to the sleigh. The horses had thick coats to protect them from this weather, but Clara didn’t.
"Here, let me help you." He reached for her, steadying her as she climbed down from the sleigh.
She landed on the ground, wobbled.
He caught her around the waist to steady her. He knew exactly how much her feet likely stung. He held her close, giving her a minute to get feeling back in her feet.
And relishing the feel of her in his arms, even through the many layers between them.
But he couldn't linger. They had to get inside.