She drew a deep breath. It was now or never.

Luke was waiting for her by the fire. To her surprise, he’d already washed up the dishes and cleaned the kitchen.

“What a pleasant surprise.”

“You work much too hard,” he said, smiling. “I just wanted to offer what I could.”

She took a seat in her mother’s chair and relished the fire’s warmth. “I hope I haven’t made you uncomfortable with my request to talk.”

He pulled up the rocker and sat down. “Not at all. I enjoy our talks, so please begin.”

“First I want to thank you for your patience with me. You’ve never quite had my best. When you arrived, I was already steeped in sorrow and anger over Papa and Scott. I felt God had forsaken us, and it made me so bitter. Upon reflection and with the passing of time, my heart has come to an understanding that my grief does not equate to God’s absence. Mrs. Sedgwick and I had a long discussion about that today, and I feel I am ready to release my bitterness and rage at the Almighty. Better still, I know that I have His forgiveness.”

“I’m so glad, Gloriana. I’ve been praying for you. I know your pain has been acute.”

“It has.” She met his gaze. “And I knew you were praying. You’ve been so kind. So caring, so patient. I honestly do not know what I would have done without you, and I want you to know that I’ve come to care for you more deeply than I thought possible.”

“What exactly are you saying?”

She struggled for the right words. “I . . . I have . . .” She sighed. “I have never felt like you were a stranger. From the moment I found you in the cottage, it seemed I knew you. We have so easily become friends—family, of a sort—and I cannot imagine the future without you in it.” She drew in a deep breath. “Nor do I want to.”

“Nor do I.” He moved from the chair to kneel in front of her. “So, will you marry me?”

Gloriana smiled. She didn’t feel surprised by his words—just pleased. “Of course I will.”

Chapter 19

When the harbor opened again in April and welcomed the first ships of spring, the cities of Superior and Duluth celebrated. They put aside their differences and instead focused on the joy of having the harbor once again open to commerce and badly needed supplies. Railroad work had already started up again, and there were some new ideas about how to build up the roadway for the railroad. A combination of gravel and woodchips was being experimented with, as well as drainage systems suggested by some Dutch experts. Perhaps they would get this railroad built on time after all.