“There. All finished.”
While Isaac spoke to his students, Addie gave in to her panic and disappeared into the throng of children and teachers. She ducked into the exhibit building and into a storage room. She hid behind one of the unused display cases while she fought to regain her breath.
How could he be here? Why now?
“Oh, Isaac.”
She lowered her gaze to the floor and let the tears come. She had always prayed she would see him again, but at the same time, she feared it. Nothing could ever come of it. She had been a man’s mistress. She had lived in a brothel. Her reputation had been destroyed. Had Sam not married her, the few decent folks left in Dawson City would have completely ignored her.
Planting her hand over her mouth, Addie did her best to stifle her sobs. The pain of the moment was just too great. She still loved Isaac. She would always love Isaac, but she could never be with him now.
“Addie!” She heard him call her name frantically from just outside the door.
He would know she’d be obligated to speak to the next group of students. She was nearly out of time before Jim Rigsby would be calling her to the stage.
I can’t face him. Not yet. Not now.
She pulled herself together and wiped her face. Her handkerchief was soaking wet. She left it on the back of a nearby chair and smoothed her black skirt before heading for the storage room door. She had no idea of what to say or do to ease the desperation she’d heard in Isaac’s voice.
God, how is this showing me love?
Isaac found one of the teachers from his school and got him to put their classes together for the next hour. He promised to catch up at the eleven o’clock lecture, then waited by the stage for Addie to return. When he caught sight of her, Isaac could see she’d been crying. But why? Was she so overwhelmed with joy that she couldn’t bear it? Or was she grieved at seeing him again?
The man who had introduced her was now trying to rally the crowd and get them into their places so that he could introduce Addie once again. Isaac had no time to waste. He slipped around the partition that was meant to keep him out and came up the steps to where Addie was. Without warning he pulled her back down the stairs with him.
“Please don’t run away again. I must talk to you. We must.”
Addie looked up at him. “I-I can’t, Isaac. I have to work. I have two more lectures to give and then my job as a Camera Girl. I can’t stop and talk to you.”
“I’ve looked for you everywhere. I’m so happy to see you.”
“Isaac. There are things ... I ...” She shook her head. “I can’t. We can’t.”
“You’re obviously shaken by the surprise of seeing me here. Just as I am you. It’s been so long, and I just want to hear about you—to know what you’ve been doing. Can we please just meet and talk?”
“I don’t know.”
“The expo won’t open until one tomorrow. Could we meet at the park down by the lake? Please, Addie. We have so much to discuss.”
She finally nodded. “All right, let’s meet there at eleven. I’ll wait by the boat dock.”
Isaac smiled as Jim Rigsby called Addie’s name. “I’ll be there.” And with that she was gone.
Later that night, Isaac questioned whether the encounter had even happened. It certainly wasn’t the reunion he’d dreamed about.
He slipped upstairs into the nursery to tell the girls goodnight. That was when he often told them stories of his life in the Yukon and Princess Addie. Tonight, he could tell them that he’d found her, and they would get to meet her in the morning. He had already gotten permission from Stuart to take them to the park after Sunday school.
“Are my two favorite girls still awake?” he asked.
“Of course. We were waiting for you,” Mina said, sitting up in bed.
Lena popped up from the bed on his right. “We thought you weren’t coming.”
“I had something wonderful happen today.” He sat on the edge of Mina’s bed, and Lena joined them.
“What happened?” Lena asked as she crawled onto Isaac’s lap.
“I know what happened,” Mina said. Her eyes sparkled.
