Amethyst Creek The Gold Miner's Wife (epub) id

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.The Gold Miner’s Wife;A Young Woman’s Story of Romance, Passion and Murderby Amethyst CreekCopyright 2014 by Dorothy J.TurnerAcknowledgementsA special thank you to my husband Charles for his thoughtful suggestions and savvy editing advice and to my son Andrew for assisting with computer problems.Thank you to my many supportive friends including Judy, Elaine, Lynn, Susie, Sonjia, Joanne, Kay, Linda, Kenda, Mindee, Cid, Anita, and Catharine.You encouraged me to follow my dreams! Thank you also to Emily Anderson of Pikes Peak Library District for the many historical newspaper articles on gold mining in early Colorado that were so useful to my research.Thanks, sis.Table of ContentsChapter OneChapter TwoChapter ThreeChapter FourChapter FiveChapter SixChapter SevenChapter EightChapter NineChapter TenChapter ElevenChapter TwelveChapter ThirteenChapter FourteenChapter FifteenChapter SixteenChapter SeventeenChapter EighteenChapter NineteenChapter TwentyChapter Twenty-OneChapter Twenty-TwoChapter Twenty-ThreeChapter Twenty-FourChapter Twenty-FiveChapter Twenty-SixChapter Twenty-SevenChapter Twenty-EightChapter Twenty-NineChapter ThirtyChapter Thirty-OneChapter Thirty-TwoApache BlessingMay the sunBring you new energy by dayMay the moonSoftly restore you by nightMay the rainWash away your worriesMay the breezeBlow new strength into your beingMay you walkGently through the world and know its beautyAll the days of your life.Chapter OneSpring, 1873If one thing can be said about adventures, it is that they’re not always good ones.In 1873, Miss Susannah Carlyle celebrated her 22nd birthday and shortly thereafter set out on an adventure that changed her life irreversibly and irrevocably.When Susannah bid her sweet grandmother an affectionate farewell in the drawing room of her Mayfair mansion, her aim had not been to escape a society that celebrated conformity, but rather to seek inspiration for her considerable artistic talent.She had no notion that this decision would take her away for more than a few months’ time, nor that it would fundamentally change her life forever.Her grandmother, Lady Alice Carlyle, could not bring herself to accept that Susannah’s desire to travel all the way from England to the Rocky Mountains to paint landscapes and wildflowers, was a well-reasoned choice.Her strongly-worded protests of risky, ill-advised, daft, addled, reckless along with countless other adjectives she put forward had no effect.Her granddaughter had always been too independent by nature, and this idea was as unconventional as it was impractical.What type of society would Susannah find when she got there? Would she become the victim of some wretched swindler or scoundrel? How would she live day-to-day? What kind of attire would be needed? Would she get lost in the wilderness? Would the Indians kidnap her? Who would care for her if she fell ill? What was the weather like? Had she thought about these things?In the end, it was her questioning grandmother, the woman who had come closest to showing her maternal concern and unconditional love for so many years, who reluctantly let her go.Susannah was an heiress in her own right and had come into her majority.Lady Alice’s misgivings were assuaged to some degree when Susannah’s former governess, Miss Parker, was enticed to accompany her on an ‘educational excursion’.Therefore, letters of introduction were prepared and it was soon arranged that Susannah and Miss Parker would call on Professor and Mrs.Robert Purfield once they reached Denver, to stay on for three months as their houseguests.The Purfields were the esteemed friends of Lady Alice’s cousin, Lord Morris.Purfield, a chemistry professor, was called to Denver to lend his expertise in building smelters that eventually would extract pure silver and gold.He and his wife, Ella, had rented a home on Lawrence Street.“Grandmamma, you must not worry so.I plan to take every precaution,” Susannah promised.“I will not let you down.”“You could never let me down, my child.I am sure you know you mean more to me than anyone,” her grandmother professed with high emotion.“When your parents died, I lost my only son and daughter-in-law.I was heartbroken, but you have filled the empty place in my heart.”Her grandmother had been her rock in the years since Susannah, at age ten, lost her parents so tragically in a boating accident.Lady Alice had tirelessly provided unwavering support along with the deepest expressions of love to her orphaned granddaughter.At their country estate, Larkspur, Miss Parker had tutored Susannah in reading, writing and sums as well as the finer things ladies were expected to excel in such as embroidery and playing the pianoforte.The introduction of art lessons soon revealed that Susannah had a natural ability and painting emerged as an enjoyable pastime.She loved nature and the outdoors and Larkspur afforded such a peaceful environment, her years spent there were happy ones.Susannah transformed from a heartbroken and sullen little girl, into a self-assured, confident and accomplished young woman.Susannah was an elegant young lady, slender, of medium height and with a sweet smile, one that reached her eyes.She possessed a cheerful disposition and when you met her, you knew unmistakably that you were in the presence of goodness.“I will correspond faithfully,” she further promised, “and will send some sketches.Do not worry.We will return from our adventure in a few months’ time with many interesting stories to tell.”The easels, canvases, brushes and art supplies were crated, the trunks were packed and on May 4th, the steamship departed.For Susannah, it was not until she was halfway across the Atlantic and seasickness overcame her, that the enormity of what she was doing settled around her.Green apples and hot tea along with brisk walks around the deck soon restored her equilibrium.Miss Parker kept her spirits up by challenging Susannah to compose humorous light ditties which they then read aloud to each other.From New York, the ladies journeyed by train to St.Louis and then on to Kansas City before reaching Denver.Their odyssey took them through many cities and towns which soon gave way to rural farms and thick forests.At night, fireflies winked in the distance as they passed quiet lakes bathed in the luminosity of the faded moonlight.Eventually, they crossed the high plains, when, for hour after hour there was nothing to be seen but isolated groups of cattle feeding or roaming in the immense landscape.The many strangers they met along the way were civil and obliging.All in all, the ladies deemed it to be a pleasant journey.It sometimes happens that once you have decided to strike out on a new course of action, events often transpire to help you.Susannah and Miss Parker had found such assistance in their new friends, the Purfields when they were warmly welcomed into their comfortable home.Professor Purfield was a short, stocky man with a white mustache and sideburns.He was intellectual, spoke with an economy of words and regarded his wife with lively affection.Mrs.Purfield was rotund, jolly and loquacious.Her eyes smiled, even when the rest of her face didn’t [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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