Read Online Ashes and Ice by Tracie Peterson - Free Book Online

herself out trying to convince them of things they would blindly ignore.
    “Peter Colton!” Karen called as a sea of people threatened to send her back up the wharf and onto the sandy shore. She reached out, waving her arms.
    “What are you doing here?” Peter questioned. He pushed through the crowd to take hold of her arm. “It’s sheer madness out here. You know it’s always like this when the ships come to dock.”
    “I know, but I had to talk to you before you attempted to deliver goods to the store.”
    “Attempted?” Peter asked, raising a brow. “What’s this all about?”
    “There’s been a fire,” Karen said, seeing no reason to play out the telling of her tale.
    “The store?”
    She nodded. “Burned to the ground. We lost everything.”
    Karen could see his confusion and shock. Putting her hand on his arm she added, “The Barringer children and I managed to escape, thanks to Adrik Ivankov. But Aunt Doris didn’t make it. She succumbed before reaching the door. I thought she was right behind me—in fact, I thought I had hold of her arm. I had her blanket and nothing more.”
    This news brought Peter from his stunned reverie. He looked at her with such tenderness that Karen knew his sorrow was sincere. “Miss Pierce is dead? I’m so sorry. I truly liked your aunt.”
    “It’s been hard to imagine life without her—to look toward the future—but it seems the days are passing, the sun still rises and sets, and the ships still dock, bringing us boatloads of people.”
    Peter nodded. “There’s no sign of it slowing down, either. I had to turn people away in Seattle.” He glanced across the madness, then suggested they go somewhere else to talk.
    “The Glacier Restaurant looks swamped with newcomers,” Karen observed. “Why don’t we head over to the Pacific Hotel? They’re boasting chicken and dumplings for lunch. The North Star came in yesterday with crates of chickens and fresh eggs. They sold for incredible prices.”
    “I can well imagine,” Peter replied. “The Pacific sounds acceptable, and quite frankly, I’m famished.”
    They wove their way through the excited crowd, saying nothing as if by some mutual agreement. Karen realized that once they were alone, she would have to explain her theory about Paxton. Adrik’s words of warning came back to haunt her. What if Paxton were an innocent bystander? What if he were merely gloating at their misfortune? But that just couldn’t be true.
    The Pacific Hotel was nothing elaborate. Built nearly overnight from plank boards and sheer gumption, it could accommodate at least three hundred guests. Of course, most of those would find little other than a place to spread their blanket, but it nevertheless got them in out of the elements.
    Peter found a small table and pulled out the chair for Karen. Considering her words carefully, Karen decided to ignore her pang of conscience. Without delay she leaned forward and explained what was on her mind.
    “I think Martin Paxton was responsible for the fire.”
    Peter stared at her blankly, and for a moment Karen thought he hadn’t heard her. “I said—” she began again.
    “I heard what you said,” he growled and slammed his cap down on the table. “What makes you think this?”
    “It was after Adrik had helped us from the burning building,” Karen said softly. “I was standing there crying, and I looked up and gazed across the alleyway. He was there.”
    “Paxton?”
    Karen saw the look of disbelief on Peter’s face. “Yes! It was Paxton. Not only was he there—after all, half the town had come by this time—but it was the manner in which he conducted himself. He stared at me smugly and then tipped his hat as if to say, ‘How do you like my handiwork?’ That was when I felt confident that he was responsible. After all, he lives in Skagway, not Dyea. Why would he even be here in the middle of the night unless it was for something underhanded?”
    Peter studied the table in silence.