Mary popped up. “I’m glad you’re all right. I’ll see you at work.”
Opening the door, Addie thanked her. “I’m sure glad you came by. I never would have gotten those buttons done up.”
“Happy to help.” Mary took off down the pathway. As she left, Addie noticed the lawn needed to be cut. One more worry.
Addie locked the door behind Mary. It was kind of the girl to care. It touched Addie deeply. She had wanted to explain to Mary the circumstances but knew it was best to leave it lie. As soon as she met with Isaac and told him that nothing could ever come of their relationship, Mary would have nothing more to worry about.
But just the thought of putting Isaac out of her life again left Addie feeling a sense of hopelessness and sorrow. This sorrow cut even deeper than losing him the first time because he clearly wanted to renew their relationship and move toward the future they had pledged to each other.
Considering the path her life had taken, Addie knew it would be unfair to enter into a marriage with Isaac. He deserved a woman above reproach. Thinking of her past brought thoughts of her brothers. She despised them for what they had done to her. Their father may have beaten her and expected her to do the work of a dozen people, but he was clear about keeping her from being manhandled. But Hiram and Shep had no such convictions, and when money was to be made for absolutely no effort on their part ... Addie’s innocence was of no concern to them.
She tasted blood and realized she’d been biting her lip.Her brothers were in prison, and she hoped they died there. The fear of seeing them as she had Isaac, however, crept over her. It had been several years. They might not be in prison anymore. It was possible they were free. That turned her stomach even more than the thought of having to tell Isaac why they couldn’t be together.
Pushing those thoughts aside, Addie did up the buttons on her boots and drew a deep breath. Everything would be all right. She would simply tell Isaac that too many years had passed by. She’d be firm with him and explain that she was happily settled on her own.
It was a lie, of course, but what else could she do?
At a little before eleven, Addie left her house and walked to the park. The trash collectors had already cleaned the area, and it looked quite beautiful. The landscapers were managing some of the flower gardens, and Addie admired the work they had done. It was said that there were over fifty-thousand plants just in this one area of the exposition. Maybe she should plant more flowers around her little cottage. The Montgomery sisters had some lovely flowers arranged, but there was room for so many more.
Addie took a seat on a bench near the path and stared out across the water. A part of her knew she would never have the strength to say good-bye again to Isaac, while another part told her she had to find that strength. No man wanted to marry the mistress of another man, even if he did marry her in the end. All it would take would be running across one person they had known in Dawson City, and Isaac would be completely shamed.
She knew she should just tell him the truth and be done with it, but Addie couldn’t even do that. Isaac would hearit but not really receive it. He would tell her it didn’t matter, though Addie knew it did. He wanted to be a great professor at a university one day. He’d told her that on more than one occasion. Those types of men needed impeccable reputations and the admiration of all who crossed their paths. With her at his side, he could never have that. If it was learned that his wife once lived in a brothel as mistress to the owner ... well, it wouldn’t matter that it wasn’t her fault nor his.
“Addie.”
She looked up and found Isaac and two little girls. Her heart skipped a beat. “Hello, Isaac.”
“Girls, this is Addie.”
“Princess Addie,” the taller of the two declared.
“Princess Addie,” the smaller one said as if in awe.
Addie looked to Isaac for an explanation. He smiled and put his arm around the girls. “This is Mina,” he said, nodding to the older one. “And this is Lena.”
He had children. Addie relaxed a bit. If he had children, then there was no doubt a wife. She let her breath go. Almost immediately, however, the thought of Isaac speaking about their future came to mind.
“I’m pleased to meet you, Mina and Lena.”
The girls actually curtsied. “Princess Addie, you’re more beautiful than I ever dreamed,” Mina said, smiling.
“Why do you call me Princess Addie?” she asked.
“I told them stories about our days in the Yukon and of our adventures,” Isaac explained.
“And of how much he loved you and still does,” Lena added in her little girl voice.
Addie put her hand to her heart. “And what does your mother think of your father telling you stories like that?”
Mina giggled and that made Lena laugh as well, although she looked as if she wasn’t quite sure what they were laughing about.
Mina jumped in. “Uncle Isaac isn’t our father—he’s our uncle. Our mama is his sister.”
Addie recalled that Isaac did have a sister. She was married and living in ... Seattle. The thoughts chased around in her head. Isaac had told his nieces stories about her ... so many times that they called her Princess Addie. They knew that he loved her.
“Mama knows he tells us stories. You are the princess and Uncle Isaac is the knight who has searched for years upon years to find you and rescue you from the horrible dragons who took you away. Now that he has, you can both live happily ever after,” Mina said.
Addie thought she might be sick. Her stomach roiled at the child’s descriptions of them being like characters in a fairy tale. This certainly wasn’t a fairy tale. In a story like that, the hero always arrived before anything bad could happen to his lady love. She looked up and met Isaac’s steady gaze. This time the knight was too late, and the princess had been hurt.
