A Bride for Noah Read Online Free

hand. “I’m quite fond of you, you know.”
    Not exactly a profession of undying love from the lips of her intended.
    â€œFond of me,” she repeated dully.
    â€œOf course. You’re attractive enough, and you’re a fair hand at cooking when you put your mind to it.” He tucked her hand in the crook of his arm and resumed their walk. “Besides, your job as a housemaid brings a decent wage. I’ve intended to talk to you about an idea I have. Word is in a few years the railroad is going to build a new station over on Chestnut Street. Property there goes for a song.” He gave a low whistle. “So I thought if we wait a while before the wedding and put our money together, we can buy a place over there.”
    Her mind went numb. “Wait to be married? But why?”
    â€œThink about it, Evie. Your room at the boardinghouse doesn’t cost much and neither does mine. When we’re married we’ll have to get a place for the two of us to live together, and we’ll pay a lot more. Instead, we could spend our money buying property on Chestnut. When the railroad announces their plans for the station, prices will turn. We’ll make a bundle. Then we can get married.” He patted her hand. “Shouldn’t be more than a year or two. Three at the most.”
    Her feet continued to move, though she was unaware of her surroundings. Three more years at the boardinghouse. Three more years of housework for Mrs. Coffinger, of listening to the woman berate her husband for his “ignorance.” And afterward countless years of being called a fool herself, of James “taking care” of her because of the depth of his “fondness.”
    They arrived at the boardinghouse and James pulled her to a stop.
    â€œThere. Safely home. You go on inside and think about what I said. I’ll come calling on Wednesday, like always.”
    He bent to place a chaste kiss on her cheek and then turned without waiting for a response. The sound of his whistle followed after him as, hands in pockets, he sauntered back in the direction they’d come to join his friends at the ale house.
    Think about what I said.
    Evie watched his retreat until he rounded the corner. Oh, she’d think about what he said, all right. She’d think long and hard.
    About that, and a few other things as well.

Two
    Elliott Bay, Oregon Territory
    H ughes! Got a minute?”
    At Arthur’s call, Noah glanced up from trimming branches from a felled tree in preparation to bucking it. The air rang with the chopping of blades and the deep voices of the men calling instructions to each other. At the edge of the clearing, Arthur raised an arm and gestured for him to come. Noah set his ax down on the log and hopped across it. Beside Arthur stood the unmistakable figure of the chief of the Duwamish along with a handful of his tribal clansmen, all of them watching the work of the lumberjacks with the keen interest they displayed in everything the white settlers did. Their village was located several miles from this new settlement, close enough that from some places on the land to which Noah had laid claim he could hear the distant beat of their drums.
    Noah nodded a greeting to Chief Seattle as he approached. The man commanded respect, though there was nothing physically impressive about him. He stood at average height, several inches shorter than Noah, and his build leaned toward slender. Even so, he held himself with an ease born of confidence in his position as the chief of nearly four thousand men, women, and children. Hewatched Noah’s approach through intense black eyes set in a broad face.
    Arthur welcomed Noah with obvious relief. “Could you talk to Chief Seattle for me? David’s working over at the skids so he’s not available.”
    David had made a concerted effort to learn the language of the Duwamish. Though nowhere near as proficient as David, Noah had picked up a few