[Yukon Quest 01] - Treasures Of The North Read Online Free Page B

clearly one of disgust. ‘‘I shall speak to your father on this matter.’’
    Grace reached out and touched her mother’s hand. ‘‘Please, Mother, sit with me for a moment. I need to ask you something.’’
    The older woman seemed to understand the importance and nodded. ‘‘We have a house full of guests, you know. I can’t possibly stay long.’’
    ‘‘I understand,’’ Grace replied. ‘‘I wouldn’t ask you if it weren’t of the utmost concern.’’
    ‘‘I’ll go,’’ Karen suggested.
    ‘‘No!’’ Grace declared. ‘‘I want you to stay. You know all about this, and we might very well need your thoughts on the matter.’’
    ‘‘Whatever are you talking about?’’ Myrtle questioned.
    ‘‘Mother, something is wrong. I can’t even pretend to know what it is, but Mr. Paxton apparently has some sort of control—some power over Father. I wondered if you knew what it might be.’’
    ‘‘Power over your father? Why, that’s nonsense. Frederick would never allow anyone to dictate his choices.’’
    ‘‘Mr. Paxton told me that should I be less than cooperative in giving myself to him, apparently with the benefits of marriage or without, that he would ruin our family and Father would suffer greatly.’’
    Myrtle stiffened. ‘‘He has no power to ruin the Hawkins family. How dare he imply such a thing merely to obtain liberties with you!’’
    ‘‘So there is nothing he can do to hurt Father?’’ Grace looked at her mother to ascertain her confidence in the matter. Unfortunately, the older woman looked away, but not before Grace detected uncertainty in her mother’s eyes.
    Grace took hold of her mother’s hand. ‘‘What is it?’’
    Karen watched in silence, but Myrtle seemed more than aware of her presence. She looked to Karen and then back to Grace, as if hoping someone might instruct her as to what to say.
    ‘‘Your father hasn’t been himself in weeks. I haven’t any idea what is wrong. He used to be quite willing to talk freely to me, but lately he refuses. He came home one day and announced that you were to marry Martin Paxton, and when I chided him for inappropriately suggesting such a thing without a period of courtship, he told me to keep such thoughts to myself. He told me you would marry Paxton and that was his final word.’’
    Grace shook her head. ‘‘Mr. Paxton must have some influence over Father that we are unaware of. But, Mother . . .’’ She paused and looked to Karen for reassurance. ‘‘Despite my love for you and Father, I cannot marry Mr. Paxton. He is much too cruel, and I will not suffer a husband who beats me.’’
    ‘‘Neither would I ask you to,’’ Myrtle said, her expression softening as she reached up to touch her daughter’s cheek. Tears came to her eyes. ‘‘No one has ever laid a hand to you before this. No one ever had to. You were always such a sweet child, good as gold and never a problem. That he should strike you so offends and wounds me that I must say something to him before the night is out.’’
    ‘‘Don’t,’’ Grace replied. ‘‘He might very well do the same to you.’’
    ‘‘Nonsense. He wouldn’t dare,’’ Myrtle said, raising her chin defiantly. She thrust her shoulders back and appeared to take on a new resolve. ‘‘I will speak to him and to your father as well.’’
    ‘‘Please, Mother, do not speak to Mr. Paxton on any of this. Talk to Father if you like, but leave it at that. Perhaps Father will finally relent and tell you what has happened. We should know the truth of that prior to making any other decisions.’’
    With the last of the party guests on their way home, Martin Paxton bid Mr. and Mrs. Hawkins good-night with the best of wishes on the speedy recovery of his fiancee’s health.
    ‘‘I hope Miss Hawkins will feel better in the morning,’’ he said rather smugly.
    ‘‘I’m certain she will,’’ Frederick replied, then turning to the butler, he checked to make sure