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Chapters (51)
  1. Cover
  2. Books by Elizabeth Camden
  3. Title Page
  4. One
  5. Two
  6. Three
  7. Four
  8. Five
  9. Six
  10. Seven
  11. Eight
  12. Nine
  13. Ten
  14. Eleven
  15. Twelve
  16. Thirteen
  17. Fourteen
  18. Fifteen
  19. Sixteen
  20. Seventeen
  21. Eighteen
  22. Nineteen
  23. Twenty
  24. Twenty-One
  25. Twenty-Two
  26. Twenty-Three
  27. Twenty-Four
  28. Twenty-Five
  29. Twenty-Six
  30. Twenty-Seven
  31. Twenty-Eight
  32. Twenty-Nine
  33. Thirty
  34. Thirty-One
  35. Thirty-Two
  36. Thirty-Three
  37. Thirty-Four
  38. Thirty-Five
  39. Thirty-Six
  40. Thirty-Seven
  41. Thirty-Eight
  42. Thirty-Nine
  43. Forty
  44. Forty-One
  45. Forty-Two
  46. Historical Note
  47. Questions for Discussion
  48. In 2020, look forCaroline Delacroix’sstory in
  49. About the Author
  50. Back Ads
  51. Back Cover

And that was good, for Jesus promised there was no sin that could not be forgiven. Luke was struggling to find a way through the darkness and into a world of blazing hope and salvation. It was impossible to know what fate had in store for him, but his soul was on its way to being saved, and Gray couldn’t ask for more than that.

He knelt beside the hiding place to return the books. Almost everything here was proof of Luke’s decency and compassion, and what an irony that he worked so hard to hide it from the world. Luke was going to be all right. Maybe not in this life, but his restless struggle toward salvation had to count for something. God didn’t expect them to be perfect, only a valiant effort to try, and Luke had been trying.

Gray sat on the bed, staring at the open cache at his feet, shame washing over him. He hadn’t understood the real Luke for years. All he saw was the carefree bon vivant Luke wanted the world to see, not the tormented soul seeking redemption. Gray had entirely missed that.

Ever since his arrest, Luke had been sending the same message over and over, and Gray had ignored those messages too. Luke pleaded to be left alone. He told them not to worry. He said not to blame Annabelle. He had fired the attorneys Gray tried to hire, and refused to speak to American authorities. He hindered, stonewalled, and resisted all efforts of help. The only thing he didn’t do was try to earn his freedom. Was he in the middle of some sort of plan? Or was it a form of misguided penance for his sins?

Gray could never stop worrying about Luke or trying to win his freedom. The one thing he could do was take Luke’s wishes to heart and stop blaming Annabelle.

Forty-One

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The journey back to Kansas would take three days, and they were beginning with an argument. Annabelle stood on the train station platform, trying to keep out of it as her parents argued about whether to exchange the tickets Gray had bought them for a cheaper version.

“We don’t need a private compartment,” Maude said. “We can save forty dollars by exchanging them for third-class tickets. Forty dollars!”

Roy didn’t look happy. “I’ve never ridden in a first-class compartment in my life, and unless we use these tickets, I never will.”