“Addie faced difficulties for so many reasons. Her father and brothers held no respect for women. They were unkind and vicious. She was humiliated and defeated by them no matter the situation. They were terrible people.”
“Aren’t the brothers still living?”
“Yes, I suppose I should have said that theyareterrible people. I don’t know if her brothers are still in prison or not. When I spoke to them, they still had a few years on their sentences. I suppose it’s possible they could have died or gotten into a worse situation in prison, causing time to be added to their sentence. I only hope they never catch up to Addie. She snuck out of Dawson to escape them. Did I tell you that story?”
“I think so. You said you had talked to her friend and learned that she left town to escape them.”
Isaac gave a sad smile. “Her friend Millie. She told me how she helped Addie escape dressed as a boy. She had come to Dawson City in the same fashion, and they both thought it fitting that she leave that way.”
“Still, it was no doubt difficult for her.” Elizabeth fixed him with a sympathetic expression. “But you know that she’s safe now.”
“Yes, she’s working at the expo. She takes photographs and sells Brownie cameras. She’s quite good. I’ve seen some of her photographs.”
“Where is she living?”
“I heard one of the girls say she lives nearby, but I don’t know where. I plan to visit her at the shop, and perhaps she’ll tell me.”
“Do you think it’s wise to pester her? She needs to get used to the idea that you’re back in her life. These things can be quite hard on a woman.”
“I’ve taken that into consideration, along with all that happened to her after I left. I won’t rush her into marrying me, but I want her to know that I don’t care about anything that’s happened ... at least not in the sense that it would keep me from loving her. I’ve never stopped.”
Elizabeth leaned toward him and took hold of Isaac’s hand. “But you must listen to me. You may not care about those things that happened to her, but Isaac, if they were bad enough, they have the power to change who she is. She’s no doubt different from the young girl you left in Dawson.”
“She is changed. I know that. I know that the things that happened took a toll on her.” He tried not to think of the things her brothers and Millie had said to him about Addie’s plight. It hurt him so much to know her brothers sold her to Moerman and the brothel. He wouldn’t ever admit that part to Elizabeth, as he didn’t want her to think less of Addie. He didn’t think his sister would be that petty, but he feared it was the type of thing that had the potential to wreak havoc.
Still, Elizabeth made a good point. The horrible things that Addie had endured could have changed her profoundly. He knew she still loved him, but he wasn’t at all sure she cared about herself. Maybe she didn’t believe herself worthy of love. That made him angry.
“You’re frowning. What’s the matter?”
Isaac shook his head. “I just don’t like the idea of Addie going through so much that she might no longer feel deserving of love. She told me she never had the slightest bit of loveuntil I came into her life. Her mother had died in childbirth, and her father and brothers were incapable of it. No one has ever been there for Addie except me. When I think of her as a little girl like Mina and Lena and how she had no one to comfort her when she was afraid or to encourage her when she was challenged ... it makes me angry.”
“It does me as well, Isaac.” She squeezed his hand. “All I can tell you is to pray for her and give her time. If God still means for the two of you to be together, He will make it happen.”
“I feel completely positive that He intends it, Lizzy. I don’t think my life would ever be complete without Addie.”
Later that day, after delivering his letter of resignation, Isaac started back for home. His mind kept going over all the things that he and Addie had said to each other. He knew she was afraid. He could see that much. He wasn’t sure why. Maybe she thought he wouldn’t love her anymore. Maybe she thought the past would tear them apart.
But Isaac didn’t care about the past. He remembered Millie telling him how terrible things had been in Dawson City.“This place got all the worse after you’d gone. You must remember that Addie’s had to witness a lot and endure more than most women.”
She’d told him a lot of other things too. Things that grieved him. He didn’t like to remember any of it, especially the things her brothers had told him. Isaac sometimes wished he’d never gone to visit them at the prison. They were mean-spirited, angry men who held no lovewhatsoever for their sister. They spoke of her as if she were nothing more than dirt on their boots. When they talked of selling her, they had absolutely no feeling for her whatsoever.
“We knew we could get good money for her,” Hiram had told him. “Moerman said she’d make it back for him almost overnight. The only regret I had was in not having asked for more money.”
Isaac had wanted to punch him square in the nose, but Hiram probably wouldn’t have felt it. The man was pure muscle and had had his nose broken so many times that once more from a man half his size wouldn’t have mattered.
He let out a heavy sigh and climbed onto the trolley. He was nearly to the expo by the time he realized what he’d done. He was going to see Addie.
Pearl tapped Addie on the shoulder. “Are you sure you feel well enough to be here?”
“I’m fine, Pearl. Don’t worry about me.”
“We have a new girl coming today. She wants to hire on, and Otis thought her references were good. If you like her and think the same, would you mind training her?”
“Of course not. When will she get here?”
Pearl glanced at her watch pin. “Any time now. Her name is Eleanor. Eleanor Bennett. She lives here in Seattle and is twenty years old.”
Just then, a young woman with strawberry blond curls walked into the shop. She looked around and then smiled at Addie and Pearl.
