[Alaskan Quest 02] - Under the Northern Lights (13 page)

Chapter Eleven

L
eah’s mind was made up. Botanist Teddy Davenport, dear friend from the gold rush days, had sent Leah a nice shipment of herbs that weren’t available in her part of Alaska. He knew of her medical work in Last Chance and had kindly sent the herbs, along with instructions for their use, to help in her cause.

She had some of these herbs with her now. One of them was belladonna—deadly nightshade, as some called it. A little bit could be used to relieve respiratory spasms. In fact, she had used some to ease Helaina’s cough. A little higher dosage could be used as a sedative for surgery. More still could cause death.

Leah would simply slip some belladonna into the food that night and put Chase to sleep. Once he was asleep, she would take Helaina and they would head out. She’d tried to focus on the trail as Chase pushed them ever farther north and into the interior. She’d never journeyed this direction and hadn’t even heard Jacob tell tales of such trips. It would be difficult to escape and make an easy path home, but to do anything else might well end her life . . . or Chase’s.

The rage she felt toward Chase terrified Leah. She tried to calm her spirit, but she found there was no reasoning with herself at times. Just as soon as she’d convince herself that everything would be all right—that Jayce would still love her and that she would heal from the damage done by Chase—her anger would resurface, and Leah found herself wishing fervently that she could exact her revenge.

The days were shorter than ever. Leah had lost track of the time but knew that if they continued north they would soon have no daylight at all. That would make travel very dangerous. She felt certain Chase couldn’t be all that capable in such circumstances.

Chase brought them to a stop earlier than Leah had expected. He’d grown careless of late—no longer going back to see that the trails were obliterated, nor concerned about having a fire at night. He had even allowed Leah to begin trapping again, although the catches had not been good.

Tonight,
Leah thought,
tonight I will end this one way or another
. She tried to think of exactly how to handle the situation. She would set the traps and hope that perhaps something could be caught before she needed to leave the area. She would prepare Helaina’s medicated broth and while measuring out those herbs, would add the belladonna to the main dish. The trick would be to put aside some food for herself—food that hadn’t been tainted. She couldn’t risk putting herself to sleep along with Chase and Helaina.

‘‘Will you set the traps tonight?’’ Chase asked in a gentle tone. Since the assault, he had strangely gone out of his way to ease the tension between them, but Leah wanted no part of it.

‘‘Don’t I set them every night? At least every night that you aren’t too fearful to let me out of your sight?’’ She wished immediately that she could take the words back. Perhaps she should force herself to be nice to him—just long enough to put her plan into motion.
No,
she thought just as quickly.
He’ll know that something’s
going on if I treat him well. I have to continue with things just as they
are or it will ruin my plans
. She looked at him from the corner of her eye and set her jaw. ‘‘So are you letting me set them tonight?’’

‘‘I see no reason to do otherwise.’’ He seemed rather thoughtful for a moment. ‘‘You always manage to make us good meals.

You’re a good cook.’’

She hated his patronage. She knew his words were only intended to sooth his own guilty conscience, and Leah refused to give him such comfort.

‘‘Your flattery means nothing.’’ She glared at him. ‘‘You are still worse than an animal. I’ll not absolve you of your sins.’’

‘‘But what of forgiveness?’’ Chase asked, surprising her. ‘‘Doesn’t your God require you give forgiveness when people seek it?’’

‘‘Lately my God has required a great many things of me,’’ Leah answered. ‘‘If He wants me to forgive you, however, He’s asking too much.’’

She stomped off toward the sled basket, where Helaina slept. The traps were tied to the side toward the back. Leah reached out and touched Helaina’s forehead. To her surprise it seemed the fever had lessened considerably. Leah checked the younger woman’s breathing. It appeared much less labored, more even. Perhaps Mrs. Beecham was on the mend.

‘‘How is she?’’ Chase asked, coming up behind Leah.

Leah jumped and moved away as though he might touch her.

‘‘She’s very sick. I’ve already told you that.’’

Leah turned to go, but Chase questioned her again. ‘‘Should I put her in the tent?’’

Leah hated that he was asking her opinion. He was doing this only to force her into conversation, thinking she might crack under his kindness and give him what he seemed to crave more than anything: her pardon.

‘‘I think she’ll be warmer and more comfortable in the sled.’’ Leah kept her answers short and without emotion. She walked away without waiting for him to respond and was glad when he said nothing.

With the traps set, Leah went back to their cache of food and began to unwrap the supplies. She thought of what she was about to do and realized that she had no concern for Chase’s well-being. She knew the herbs she would use could kill if too much was consumed. She knew, too, that some people reacted violently to the medication. She’d seen a man die in their village when he’d had such a reaction. But her heart was hardened. If Chase died, she’d consider it justice and nothing more.

The wind picked up, causing the flames to dance in their campfire. Leah watched the show and thought of a time long ago when she had sat at her mother’s knee before their hearth. She could almost feel her mother brushing out her hair . . . almost hear her speak.

‘‘Leah,’’
her mother had said,
‘‘sometimes life is very hard. It doesn’t
mean God no longer cares. It’s just the way things are at times.’’

‘‘But it seems unfair,’’
Leah had replied.
‘‘If God loves us so very
much that He would send His Son Jesus to die for us, then why not keep the
bad things away from us?’’

Her mother had leaned down and kissed her on the top of her head.
‘‘I wish I had an easy answer for you, my love. God has His reasons.
They sometimes seem cruel, I know. But I promise you, Leah, even when things
seem confusing and wrong, God loves you. He’s still by your side, holding
your hand—guiding you through the painful times.’’

Leah didn’t realize she was crying until droplets fell onto her hands as she prepared the hare she had saved from the previous night. She wiped at her cheeks with the back of her sleeve and tried not to think about the memory of her mother. The thoughts would not leave her, however.

Life might have been very different had her mother lived. Leah might never have come to Alaska. She might never have known the sorrows and betrayals that had haunted her days. Jayce Kincaid might never have entered her life, and without him there would certainly have been no Chase.

But would I trade away the good along with the bad?
The question permeated her hard façade. There were many wonderful things that had also come her way. The love she knew with Jayce had been the fulfillment of everything she had hoped for. Would she throw that away as well?

‘‘But that’s all ended now,’’ she said, not meaning to speak the words aloud. She looked up, wondering if Chase had overheard her. Yet he was nowhere in sight. Sometimes he took himself away from the camp, but never for long. Often he was trying his best to hunt food, but for some reason the game was quite scarce in this area.

Leah turned her attention back to the broth. Ayoona had given her some dried
mazué
—Eskimo potatoes. Leah had hoarded them away for times when the food was scarce. The mazué were good by themselves and could even be eaten raw with seal oil. This time, however, Leah thought the added treat might entice Chase to eat more than a small portion. Cutting the roots with her ulu, Leah made a list in her head of things she needed to do in order to make her escape plan work.

I will need to hide the knife so that I can cut my bonds if Chase ties me
up tonight
. Her hope was that the belladonna would work quickly and Chase would fall asleep long before he thought of securing Leah for the night.

I will also need to collect the traps and anything that might be in them
. She glanced at the basket. Helaina continued to sleep, but Leah figured to wake her and get some of the drugged broth down her.

She couldn’t risk having Helaina awaken and raise a fuss about their leaving Chase behind.

Leah portioned out some of the broth and left the rest of the soup to cook. She put another dose of belladonna in the mixture and stirred it for several seconds. This should keep Helaina asleep and cooperative.

Going to the basket, Leah arranged things so that she could sit beside the sick woman. ‘‘Helaina, wake up. I have some broth for you.’’

To her surprise, Helaina managed to open her eyes. ‘‘Are we there yet?’’

‘‘Where?’’ Leah was surprised by the woman’s question.

Helaina shook her head. ‘‘I don’t know. I can’t remember. I just . . . wondered . . . why we’d stopped.’’

‘‘We’ve stopped for the night, and no, we aren’t there—wherever there might be. We’re still in the middle of the wilds.’’ Leah lifted a spoonful of broth. ‘‘Now take this. It will make you feel better.’’

‘‘I do feel better,’’ Helaina replied. ‘‘I don’t feel so cold.’’

‘‘I think your fever broke. I can’t be sure that it will remain gone, but for now it seems to have passed. That’s why you must take your medicine.’’

‘‘Thank you for taking care of me.’’ She swallowed the broth and closed her eyes. ‘‘That’s very good. What is it?’’

‘‘It’s just a concoction of things,’’ Leah replied honestly. ‘‘I used what I had available. You have to keep up your strength.’’

‘‘I know you . . . are . . . unhappy with me,’’ Helaina said before taking more of the soup. ‘‘I’m sorry for the . . . trouble I’ve caused. I hope you’ll forgive me.’’

Leah grimaced. Yet another person asking for forgiveness, as though that might suddenly make everything fine. She spooned more soup into Helaina’s mouth, hoping to silence her, but it didn’t work.

‘‘I know your faith is strong. I know you will forgive me, but . . . well . . . sometimes I think I don’t deserve forgiveness.’’

Leah focused on the bowl. ‘‘There are times when everyone feels that way. I think people especially feel that way when they know just how wrong they were to begin with.’’

Helaina shook her head. ‘‘I know I went about things in the wrong . . . way.’’ She yawned and Leah knew the herbs were working.

‘‘Forget about it. You need to stop talking and eat.’’

Helaina gave up the discussion and Leah breathed a sigh of relief. She hadn’t had to lie and tell Helaina that she didn’t feel like forgiving her and then wrestle with some argument about why Leah was obligated to forgive.

By the time the bowl of soup was gone, Helaina was once again unconscious. Her heavy breathing suggested a very deep sleep. Leah felt a huge sense of relief as she returned to the fire and checked the soup. Everything was ready. All she needed now was for Chase to return. Leah pulled out the portion of meat and broth she’d hidden for herself. She slipped a few pieces of root into her own mixture and stirred it before sampling.

‘‘It smells marvelous,’’ Chase said, once again slipping into camp without a sound.

‘‘It’s ready.’’

Leah continued eating her own portion, hoping he’d sit down and serve himself. To her surprise, he did just that. She tried not to look anxious as he began to eat. He ate nearly half a bowl before commenting further.

‘‘It tastes as good as it smelled. I could eat the entire pot.’’

‘‘Do as you will. I have all I want.’’ Leah hoped her words sounded indifferent. She didn’t want him to suspect a thing. Not until she was long gone.

Chase dished himself more food and sat back. Leah finished her bowl and grew nervous about what to do next. She had slipped the ulu under the fur on which she sat and hoped Chase wouldn’t ask for it as he usually did after their meal was concluded.

‘‘You know, when I was a young man we ate very well. After my father made his fortune, we had the best of everything. I remember sumptuous meals. Huge roasted baron of beef, five and six side dishes with gravy and sauces that made your mouth water just to see them on the table. Oh, and the bread . . . Our cook could make the flakiest rolls—nothing like the sourdough we get up here.’’ He yawned but continued eating.

Leah thought to show him that she felt just as tired. She faked a yawn of her own and forced herself to lean in a relaxed manner near the fire. Chase seemed completely at ease as he continued with his memories.

‘‘My favorite things were the desserts. Oh, we had such wonderful creations.’’ He smiled. ‘‘I’m sure I’m boring you—that’s why you’re so tired. I’ll get the tent set up as soon as I finish here.’’

‘‘Don’t bother on my account,’’ Leah said with a yawn. ‘‘I plan to sleep in the basket with Helaina. She’ll need my warmth. I’ve no desire to share the tent with you any more than I have to.’’

Chase frowned. His eyelids seemed heavy. ‘‘I’ll have to tie you up.’’

‘‘Why should tonight be any different?’’ Leah asked sarcastically. She changed the subject then, hoping to keep his mind occupied elsewhere. ‘‘How long must we continue this journey? Where are you taking us and when will we finally be there?’’

Chase shook his head and downed the last of his meal. ‘‘Not long now. I have a cabin not far from here. It’s on the river. It’s plenty warm with lots of wood. It’ll keep us well through the winter.’’

‘‘You expect to keep us there all winter?’’ Leah questioned. ‘‘Then what?’’

Chase seemed to struggle to think. Leah thought he looked almost puzzled at her question. ‘‘I don’t know what we’ll do then. We have to deal with Jayce first. I know he will come. It might take him a while, but eventually I’ll have to deal with him.’’

‘‘Jayce will hunt you down. You can be assured of that.’’