[Yukon Quest 01] - Treasures Of The North
TREASURES
of the
NORTH
TREASURES
of the
NORTH
T
RACIE
P
ETERSON
Treasures of the North
Copyright © 2001
Tracie Peterson
Cover design by Andrea Gjeldum
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise—without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.
Published by Bethany House Publishers
11400 Hampshire Avenue South
Bloomington, Minnesota 55438
Bethany House Publishers is a division of
Baker Publishing Group, Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Printed in the United States of America
ISBN 978-0-7642-2378-5
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Peterson, Tracie.
Treasures of the north / by Tracie Peterson.
p. cm. — (Yukon quest ; 1)
ISBN 0-7642-2378-X (pbk. : alk. paper)
1. Yukon River Valley (Yukon and Alaska)—Fiction. 2. Frontier and pioneer life—Fiction. 3. Women pioneers—Fiction. 4. Alaska—Fiction.
I. Title.
PS3566.E7717 T74 2000
813'.54—dc21
00-011575
BOOKS
by
TRACIE PETERSON
A Slender Thread
•
What She Left for Me
•
Where My Heart Belongs
S
ONG
O
F
A
LASKA
Dawn’s Prelude
•
Morning’s Refrain
A
LASKAN
Q
UEST
Summer of the Midnight Sun
Under the Northern Lights
•
Whispers of Winter
Alaskan Quest
(3 in 1)
T
HE
B
RIDES
O
F
G
ALLATIN
C
OUNTY
A Promise to Believe In
•
A Love to Last Forever
A Dream to Call My Own
T
HE
B
ROADMOOR
L
EGACY
*
A Daughter’s Inheritance
•
An Unexpected Love
A Surrendered Heart
B
ELLS
O
F
L
OWELL
*
Daughter of the Loom
•
A Fragile Design
•
These Tangled Threads
Bells of Lowell
(3 in 1)
L
IGHTS
O
F
L
OWELL
*
A Tapestry of Hope
•
A Love Woven True
•
The Pattern of Her Heart
D
ESERT
R
OSES
Shadows of the Canyon
•
Across the Years
•
Beneath a Harvest Sky
H
EIRS
O
F
M
ONTANA
Land of My Heart
•
The Coming Storm
To Dream Anew
•
The Hope Within
L
ADIES
O
F
L
IBERTY
A Lady of High Regard
•
A Lady of Hidden Intent
A Lady of Secret Devotion
R
IBBONS
O
F
S
TEEL
**
Distant Dreams
•
A Hope Beyond
•
A Promise for Tomorrow
W
ESTWARD
C
HRONICLES
A Shelter of Hope
•
Hidden in a Whisper
•
A Veiled Reflection
Y
UKON
Q
UEST
Treasures of the North
•
Ashes and Ice
•
Rivers of Gold
*
with Judith Miller
**
with Judith Pella
TRACIE PETERSON is the author of over eighty novels, both historical and contemporary. Her avid research resonates in her stories, as seen in her bestselling HEIRS OF MONTANA and ALASKAN QUEST series. Tracie and her family make their home in Montana.
Visit Tracie’s Web site at
www.traciepeterson.com
.
Visit Tracie’s Blog at
writespassage.blogspot.com
.
Contents
JUNE-AUGUST 1897
In thee, O Lord, do I put my trust: let me never
be put to confusion. Deliver me in thy
righteousness, and cause me to escape: incline
thine ear unto me, and save me.
PSALM 71:1–2
A GOSSAMER WRAP of glittering ivory danced across Grace Hawkins’ shoulders and enveloped her in its folds like the kiss of a summer breeze. Huge brown eyes stared out from a china doll face, serving only to accentuate the delicacy of its owner.
Her expression might have suggested serenity, but the mood in her heart suggested quite the opposite.
‘‘My dear, you look radiant.’’
‘‘Thank you, Mother,’’ Grace replied, trying hard to smile. She had no heart for this evening or for the charade she was about to play. This should have been the happiest night of her life; instead, Grace dreaded it as she would have a dose of the cook’s tonic. Neither she nor her governess, Karen Pierce, could abide the smelly concoction and usually found an unlikely place to dispose of it before being found out. Pity Grace couldn’t dispose of her unwanted fiance
as easily.
Grace sighed. There were a great many things she and Karen had managed to avoid in life; however, engagement to Martin Paxton didn’t appear to be one of them. Karen’s quick thinking and understanding of the world would do little to free Grace from her father’s demands.
And unlike Karen, who held animosity for any man’s demands, Grace had worked hard for a genteel balance. She could be her father’s obedient daughter, gentle in spirit and silent unless spoken to, but she could also be a reflection of her teacher. Unfortunately, as Grace grew older and began to see life for herself, the two natures warred against each other, causing her no end of frustration and confusion. Underlying Grace’s seemingly serene personality a storm was brewing, and she couldn’t help but wonder if this particularly unpleasant situation would be the missing element to unleash that storm.
‘‘Your fiancwill be very impressed, I’ve no doubt,’’ her mother chattered on. ‘‘A woman of quality and beauty is not easily found. You will make him proud.’’
But what will he make me?
Grace wondered. She’d already met the formidable man, and while he was handsome enough, despite a thin jagged scar that marred his jawline on the right side of his face, his personality suggested an aloofness, a kind of cold shoulder that left Grace wondering if there could be any hope for love to grow.
Looking up, Grace caught sight of her own reflection in the mirror.
My, but I’m all grown-up
.
The gown, of ivory and rose, seemed to shimmer at her every move. Tiny summer roses fresh from the garden had been sewn into the neckline, sending a delectable fragrance— sweet and airy—wafting through the air. Their deep pink color appeared shaded and muted through the veil-like covering of Grace’s wrap. The teasing effect hinted of something more—something pure and special. Grace thought it a symbolic statement of her own purity, veiled and delicately concealed, yet evident for the world and one man’s picking.
Her mother had commissioned the gown in honor of her engagement, and Grace could tell by the pleased expression on her mother’s face that the dress was exactly what she had hoped for. Status and appearance were of great importance to her mother. The society pages would be positively ringing with praises for the couple on the morrow, giving fuel to her mother’s energies to plan the wedding of the century.
‘‘Karen, put another pin in her hair,’’ Mrs. Hawkins commanded. ‘‘Right here where the curl seems wont to slip away.’’
Karen, ever patient with her employer’s demands, did as she was instructed, then stood back. Mrs. Hawkins nodded and lifted her chin as she drew a deep breath. ‘‘There will not be another young woman half so beautiful. I will go and attend to our guests. Karen will bring you to your father when the time is right.’’ She looked back at Grace and nodded again. ‘‘Oh, I do hope the photographer has arrived!’’