shaking her head. “You don’t even sound like the Karen Pierce who taught me to trust God in matters of revenge.”
Karen didn’t take her upbraiding easily. She got to her feet, hands on her waist. “I’m not the same Karen Pierce. I’ve lost my mother, my father, and now Aunt Doris. I nearly lost my own life. Not only that, but I just got word that the Barringer children’s father has most likely died in an avalanche. Please don’t expect me to be the same woman. You went off to safety with Peter. Safety and love and comfort. You had no idea of Paxton’s threats, and you have no idea how badly I want that man punished.”
“But, Karen,” Grace tried to reason, “it isn’t our job to punish him. If you have proof, take the matter to the law. Better yet, take it to God. Vengeance belongs to Him.”
“If I wait for God, it might never be taken care of.” Grace’s mouth dropped open in surprise, but still Karen wasn’t moved. “I don’t have much faith in what might be done to put an end to Martin Paxton’s evil deeds.”
“Sounds to me like you don’t have much faith, period.”
Karen looked hard at Grace. “I don’t want to discuss my faith or lack of it. I only want to see Paxton suffer as he’s made others suffer. Peter understands me. Why can’t you?”
Karen stormed from the room, knowing that she’d deeply wounded her friend. It hadn’t been her intention. She had been happy to see Grace once again, but something in her gentle demeanor set Karen on edge. Something in her peaceful spirit forced Karen to think of the wall she’d put between herself and God. A wall that grew higher and deeper by the minute.
—[CHAPTER NINE]—
“JACOB, LEAH, I NEED to talk to you upstairs,” Karen said as soon as supper was finished. She didn’t wait for either one to respond to her, but instead got up from the table and moved toward the back stairs just off the kitchen.
For a new building, the floors certainly creak a lot , she thought. With each step, the stairs seemed to groan, evidence of their shoddy carpentry. Karen didn’t mind for once. She listened to the sound and heard her own heart in those wooden moans. She felt old and tired. How could it be that she had passed thirty years and had so very little to show for it? All of her girlhood friends were married with large families of their own. She was still single and cared for a dead man’s children.
“This is about Pa, isn’t it?” Jacob asked.
Karen waited until they were inside their room before she spoke. “Mr. Ivankov brought back a letter.”
“Then he’s alive?” Leah asked with hope.
Karen met Jacob’s fixed stare and knew she couldn’t hold the truth from them any longer. “I don’t know, quite honestly. Adrik found a man who resembled your father. He had this letter on him, but nothing else to identify him. The man had been battered by the avalanche, and Adrik had only seen your father on a couple of previous occasions.”
Jacob said nothing, his face losing its color. His eyes refused to blink and he maintained his stoic gaze, while Leah cried out loud and threw herself onto the bed.
“No! He can’t be dead!”
Karen handed the letter to Jacob and went to gather Leah in her arms. “I know this is hard. But, Leah, we don’t know for sure that it was your father.”
“I knew he was in trouble. I knew,” Leah sobbed. “I told you, didn’t I?”
“Yes, you did.” Karen stroked the girl’s hair as Leah buried her face against Karen’s chest.
Karen watched Jacob as he read the letter. She knew the content, but she waited for him to say something about the message.
“Perhaps you could read the letter to Leah,” Karen suggested.
Jacob looked up. “Let her read it herself.” He threw the page at Karen. “Where’s his body? I’ll know if it’s him. Even if nobody else can recognize him, I can.”
Leah cried all the harder at this reminder, but Jacob refused to be moved. Karen could see the
Karen didn’t take her upbraiding easily. She got to her feet, hands on her waist. “I’m not the same Karen Pierce. I’ve lost my mother, my father, and now Aunt Doris. I nearly lost my own life. Not only that, but I just got word that the Barringer children’s father has most likely died in an avalanche. Please don’t expect me to be the same woman. You went off to safety with Peter. Safety and love and comfort. You had no idea of Paxton’s threats, and you have no idea how badly I want that man punished.”
“But, Karen,” Grace tried to reason, “it isn’t our job to punish him. If you have proof, take the matter to the law. Better yet, take it to God. Vengeance belongs to Him.”
“If I wait for God, it might never be taken care of.” Grace’s mouth dropped open in surprise, but still Karen wasn’t moved. “I don’t have much faith in what might be done to put an end to Martin Paxton’s evil deeds.”
“Sounds to me like you don’t have much faith, period.”
Karen looked hard at Grace. “I don’t want to discuss my faith or lack of it. I only want to see Paxton suffer as he’s made others suffer. Peter understands me. Why can’t you?”
Karen stormed from the room, knowing that she’d deeply wounded her friend. It hadn’t been her intention. She had been happy to see Grace once again, but something in her gentle demeanor set Karen on edge. Something in her peaceful spirit forced Karen to think of the wall she’d put between herself and God. A wall that grew higher and deeper by the minute.
—[CHAPTER NINE]—
“JACOB, LEAH, I NEED to talk to you upstairs,” Karen said as soon as supper was finished. She didn’t wait for either one to respond to her, but instead got up from the table and moved toward the back stairs just off the kitchen.
For a new building, the floors certainly creak a lot , she thought. With each step, the stairs seemed to groan, evidence of their shoddy carpentry. Karen didn’t mind for once. She listened to the sound and heard her own heart in those wooden moans. She felt old and tired. How could it be that she had passed thirty years and had so very little to show for it? All of her girlhood friends were married with large families of their own. She was still single and cared for a dead man’s children.
“This is about Pa, isn’t it?” Jacob asked.
Karen waited until they were inside their room before she spoke. “Mr. Ivankov brought back a letter.”
“Then he’s alive?” Leah asked with hope.
Karen met Jacob’s fixed stare and knew she couldn’t hold the truth from them any longer. “I don’t know, quite honestly. Adrik found a man who resembled your father. He had this letter on him, but nothing else to identify him. The man had been battered by the avalanche, and Adrik had only seen your father on a couple of previous occasions.”
Jacob said nothing, his face losing its color. His eyes refused to blink and he maintained his stoic gaze, while Leah cried out loud and threw herself onto the bed.
“No! He can’t be dead!”
Karen handed the letter to Jacob and went to gather Leah in her arms. “I know this is hard. But, Leah, we don’t know for sure that it was your father.”
“I knew he was in trouble. I knew,” Leah sobbed. “I told you, didn’t I?”
“Yes, you did.” Karen stroked the girl’s hair as Leah buried her face against Karen’s chest.
Karen watched Jacob as he read the letter. She knew the content, but she waited for him to say something about the message.
“Perhaps you could read the letter to Leah,” Karen suggested.
Jacob looked up. “Let her read it herself.” He threw the page at Karen. “Where’s his body? I’ll know if it’s him. Even if nobody else can recognize him, I can.”
Leah cried all the harder at this reminder, but Jacob refused to be moved. Karen could see the
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