It was the third day of February, and it had rained almost every day of 1890. Wearing a thick wool skirt, a walking coat, and her fox fur vest, Anna slung Levi’s old bow, which she now considered her own, on her back and walked to Heather’s cabin through the rain. It had been over a week since Ben had held her hand in his own and said he admired her. The thought of writing to him and receiving his letters in return warmed her from the inside despite the frigid weather.
Striding confidently, she paused at random to turn and aim her bow behind her. It was an exercise that left her breathless, but it was good for getting her body ready for summiting. The faster she went, the warmer she got, keeping the frosty air from chilling her blood.
As she pulled an arrow out of a tree, she thought of June again, and a shudder went through her. Greta had turned up nothing by stopping at two different brothels. She’d also inquired at the police station, but hadn’t uncovered anything. Hopefully June would stop by soon.
When she arrived at the cabin, Heather hurried to open the door to let her in as the cold air rushed around them. She was soaked completely, and as she took her boots off, she poured out a small puddle of rainwater.
“Sorry.” Anna tried to sop up the puddle with her wet petticoat. “I don’t want Pisha to slip.”
“She’s not well, actually. She’s sleeping.” Heather gestured to the corner where the girl lay curled up on the bed, covered with a quilt.
“Oh no.” Anna crossed her arms over her chest. “Does she need medicine?”
Heather didn’t take her eyes away from her daughter. “My grandmother left yesterday to ask one of the Duwamish men on Ballast Island to take her to the reservation by canoe to get medicine. She should be back soon.”
Anna smiled at the sleeping toddler. “You’re taking good care of her.”
“How’s your training going?” Heather picked up the dripping boots.
“I’ve been climbing the stairs with a terribly heavy pack full of books. Walking up hills and valleys—even a frozen pond. I think that’ll go much more smoothly when I have the proper gear. But I feel stronger. I know it improves my lungs coming all the way out here.”
Heather had a far-off smile. “You’ve done well.”
“I’ve learned about other women who’ve climbed mountains, too. Isabella Bird, Lucy Walker. It’s so inspiring to know there are women all over the world like me—it makes me feel less lonely.” She pulled the brick, compass, and knife out of a handbag she’d brought along. “I have much to tell you, Heather.”
Heather wrung the wet socks and coat out and put them near the fire to dry. She put a quilt over Anna’s shoulders and poured boiling water into a cup, adding tea leaves to steep.
“I haven’t seen you in such a long time,” Anna said. “Well, you knew we collected the brick from the Occidental Hotel. Then we figured out the name of the ship Dmitri and Natalya came to America on. And then I finally received the copy of Crime and Punishment I ordered months ago and discovered the third clue is a knife. Now here they all are.”
Heather nodded. “You’ve done a lot.”
“The last clue is a fireplace, I think.” Anna picked up the knife and set it on top of the brick, then she opened the compass, and the wheel moved slightly as she adjusted it in her hand. “Maybe if I put these three things in the fireplace, an emerald ring will appear.”
Anna laughed and leaned closer toward the fireplace, admiring the brick. “Actually…these are awfully similar to the one I have from the hotel. I wonder if Dmitri was part of the construction crew at the Occidental Hotel and purchased leftover brick to make his own fireplace?”
Heather shrugged. “I have no idea.”
Anna examined the fireplace, searching for one as similar as possible to the one from the Occidental Hotel. She moved closer, dragging her finger along the bricks. They were smooth with rough spots between each where they’d been plastered together. For the first time, she saw something small drawn on a brick—a tiny black circle. Her heart pounded as she kneeled down for a closer look, and the circle became a small compass with each of the four cardinal directions marked with their abbreviations, the “N” being the largest of all on the top.
Heather came to stand behind her. “What is it?”
“A compass rose.” Adrenaline rushed through her veins like lightning. “And then, you’ll need to find a rose, but not in thorny space. Remember well the ship that brought us to this wondrous place. Could it have been here all along?”
She grabbed her knife, nearly dropping it in her excitement, then slid the blade around the edges of the brick with the small compass on it.
As she worked the knife, she thought of Ben offering to hold the brick at the Occidental Hotel. She’d just met him back then, and already she’d sensed a connection. He’d offered his coat on the docks as they’d searched for the name of the ship—the Compass Rose. And the knife in her hands had been a beautiful gift from him. She sensed the whole mystery sliding into place, along with the realization of how strong her feelings were for the man who’d been with her every step of the way.
She pulled the brick out of its place and looked up at Heather with a hopeful grin. Heather shook her head with a half-smile, clearly amused the ring had been so close all these years. Deep in the back of the hole, Anna felt something soft with her fingers. It was a small velvet bag, and she pulled it out and placed it in her hand.
“The ring,” Heather said triumphantly.
Anna laughed giddily, then pulled the string of the bag and tipped it upside down above her hand. An emerald ring silently landed on her palm. The large rectangular stone sparkled, with engraved leaves winding around the golden band. All at once, she imagined herself on the top of the mountain, joy flooding over her like a waterfall. She saw herself being congratulated by all the men surrounding her, thanking her for her hard work and dedication to such a historical feat.
A moment later, when she found herself back in reality holding the antique ring in her hands, she stood and hugged Heather. She wished Ben could have been there to share the moment—he would have hollered and raised his arms up in dramatic celebration. He would have grinned so deeply, so genuinely, then kissed her, sending a shock wave through her, making the solved mystery something for the history books.
“We found it,” she whispered, smiling at Heather.
Heather nodded emphatically. “You found it.”
“This is your cabin,” Anna said. It was right to give it to her.
“But you did all the work. I couldn’t even read the inscription. Let it take you up the mountain.”
Anna’s heart pounded at how much money she might get from selling the ring. Ten dollars? Fifteen?
“We should sell it and split the money,” Anna said. “I would’ve never found it if you hadn’t given me the book.”
“It’s yours,” Heather said firmly. “We have all the salmon we can eat. Our garden does well, and the forest has berries. Michael brings anything we need from town. Please, it’s yours.”
Anna’s eyes filled with tears of excitement, but she forced them away. “I don’t know how to thank you for everything—giving me the book, becoming my friend. My life’s taken an unexpected turn since I met you. I don’t know what the future holds, but I’m already happier.”
Heather smiled, but it soon faded as she checked on Pisha. She put the back of her hand against the girl’s forehead, then leaned down to put her cheek against her forehead.
“If I sell this ring, I’ll have enough to buy supplies and a train ticket,” Anna said.
“Good. The mountain is dangerous, but you’re strong.” She picked Pisha up from a deep sleep, and the girl hung limp in her arms. “She’s burning hot.”
Heather stared out the small window, worry clouding her face. “Where is my grandmother with the medicine?”
It took Anna a moment to come down from her emotional high and realize the severity of Pisha’s situation. She felt a twinge of confusion that anything bad could be happening during such an exciting moment for her—an unlikely discovery, one that had taken so long and required so much time and thought.
“How can I help?”
Heather didn’t respond but brushed the sandy brown hair away from Pisha’s closed eyes.
“I could fetch a doctor from town? Our family doctor is an old man, but he could come on his horse.”
“Your doctors would never come here to give a Duwamish child medicine. Getting help from the reservation is our only choice,” Heather said matter-of-factly. “Will you get Michael? I can tell you his address.”
“Of course.”
Anna’s coat and boots were still wet, but she put them back on and ran out the door. She was still soaring with the joy of solving the riddle and wanting badly to tell Ben, but she was worried for Pisha and feared she might truly need a doctor.
She hurried back to town as fast as she could, running then walking when she got too tired. It took her a little over an hour to get back, but she quickly found Michael’s apartment and informed him of the situation. He thanked her for relaying the news before running out the door toward the cabin.
She pictured the way Pisha had hung limp in her mother’s arms and not opened her eyes despite all their chatting. She wrung her hands. Although it had stopped raining, night had fallen, and Doctor Wright would be home and eating dinner by now. She knew where he lived, but she couldn’t imagine him caring about a sick Duwamish child. It was worth a try anyway.
It was seven in the evening when she knocked on the doctor’s door, and his wife answered, inviting Anna to come inside.
“You’re soaked to the bone, my dear,” she said with concern, eyeing Anna’s vest and the bow slung on her back. “Is everything all right? Is Levi still healing well?”
“We’re all fine, thank you,” she said, catching her breath. “It’s my friend—”
“I’ll fetch William,” she said, running off before Anna could finish.
The doctor came to greet her near the doorway where his wife had left her. “How can I help, Miss Gallagher?”
“I don’t want to waste your time, Doctor,” Anna said. “Would you come with me five miles outside of town to see a sick Duwamish child?”
The older man stared at her blankly over his spectacles. “I don’t know why there would be any Duwamish people outside the reservations. You know, there are doctors hired by the government to service the Indians, Miss Gallagher. Why don’t you send them there? That’s where they belong anyway, you know that.”
“Her grandmother went to the reservation yesterday to get medicine, but she hasn’t returned. It’s too far to go with a sick child.”
The doctor said nothing and shrugged indifferently.
“Thank you for your time, Doctor Wright.” Anna marched away without looking back.
Anger filled her chest, and she wanted to yell into the fog settling in the streets. Pisha needed to be seen by a doctor, but what else could she do?
Her mind flashed to Connor’s face, and her stomach churned at the thought of having to see him again, let alone ask a favor. She started back to her house and pulled the ring out of her pocket. It gleamed, somehow pulling light from the dim electric street lamps and the full moon through the fog. Even so, frustration consumed her by the time she arrived home, still soaked to the bone and now shivering.
She quickly stripped her clothes off and dried herself with a towel. She put the velvet bag holding the ring into the top drawer of her night stand, where Anna Karenina still rested. Once more, she imagined Ben’s excitement at her discovery, just for a moment, but that would have to wait.
Glad to finally be dry, she quickly dressed in a pink cotton shirt and black skirt, then put her knife and compass into the pocket of her skirt. As she descended the stairs, her grandfather and Levi came in the front door.
“Going out, lassie?” her grandfather asked as he helped Levi to a chair.
“Heather’s daughter is unwell,” she said without wasting a moment. “She’s not even two years old. I’m going to ask Connor if he’ll help.”
Her grandfather’s face went blank. “I wouldn’t want any harm coming to a wee one. Good luck.”
She felt a softness in her heart for him. He was trying.
“Thank you. I don’t know what time I’ll be home.”
“Please be safe, Anna,” Levi called from the living room.
She nodded and ran out the front door toward town. It started to sprinkle again, and she was glad she had on a dry cloak with a hood this time.
As she knocked on the door to Connor’s house, she couldn’t help but notice the neatly trimmed hedges and recently painted white fence around his property; a reminder of the life she might have had if he’d been more understanding. He answered the door, then took a step back in surprise.
“Connor,” she said in the politest tone she could manage. “Sorry to disturb you at this late hour, but I’m afraid I need your help.”
“Please come in.” He opened the door wider.
“First I need to ask: Would you help a sick Duwamish child? They’re five miles away in the forest. She’s had a high fever for too long, and we’re worried.”
“I’ll get my coat and supplies. We can leave right away.” He nodded importantly and disappeared back into his house.
Anna stared after him, mouth agape.
“It’s cold and dark,” he said from the other room. “We should take my horse. She’s in a stable in the back. I’ll get her saddled, and we can be on our way.”
Her eyes widened. “I’ve never ridden a horse.”
“Just don’t fall off,” he said, smiling. “I thought you were all about adventure, Anna. You do want my help, right?”
She wanted to glare at him, but her appreciation for his immediate help won out. “Absolutely—thank you.”
They made their way to the stable, which was just behind his residence. It was made of timber fine enough for a house and elegantly constructed. Anna wrapped her cloak around her tightly in the darkness. It smelled of hay and leather, and inside the stalls Connor lifted a match to light a lantern. He quickly saddled a regal, dark brown horse who was stomping her hoofs in anticipation. Brown eyes peeked through the black strands of her mane, which fell to the side as she strained her neck toward Anna, sniffing the air, studying her.
Connor rubbed the white marking that looked like a star on the horse’s forehead. “This is Ruby. I’ll carry a lantern, and she can get us through the woods in no time.”
He put a stool down next to the horse, and without using it, stepped up onto the horse’s back in one graceful motion. “Step onto the stool and swing one leg over like I did, and you’ll be sitting right behind me.”
She took a deep breath and tried to do as he described. Stepping onto the stool, she took his hand and managed to get seated behind him, but it was none too graceful.
“Hold on tightly to my waist,” he said, turning to look back at her.
Her stomach fluttered at his nearness, and the horse let out an impatient breath. Confused about how she ought to feel, she leaned in against his back, reaching her arms around him. He grabbed the lantern from a high hook in the stall, and they set out into the dark forest.