“What did you say in return?”
“Nothing. I just walked away.”
He nodded before he said, “You best head back to the cabin. The temperature is dropping. I predict we’ll see rain in a few more minutes.”
Maddie, full of questions, wanted to protest, but her good sense prevailed. She’d have to be cautious where Lucky was concerned. “Good night.”
“Night,” he responded without glancing her way.
She made her way back to the cabin. Even though they hadn’t said more than a few words, she still felt hope rising inside her.
Maddie held on to that hope, and each night, long after the boat settled into the quiet darkness, she’d venture out to the wheel after using the facilities at the back of the boat. Though Lucky never appeared happy to see her, he didn’t appear surprised or angered, either, and her hope continued to grow. More so when several days later, Captain Trig said he was pleased to see she and Lucky were on speaking terms again. He said the women below had noticed their late-night meetings and no longer doubted the marriage ruse as much.
One night, while standing near the wheel, she said, “Tell me about Alaska, Lucky. Please.”
“Alaska or gold?” he asked a few moments later.
“Both.”
“You have gold fever, darling.”
Though she’d hated it before, she didn’t mind when he called her darling. It suggested his anger might be diminishing. He’d make a good partner, considering all he knew from the many books he owned. With all Smitty had taught her, the two of them could find a lot of gold together. They’d have to have separate claims, of course. She’d meant what she’d said. Her days of sharing—certain things anyway—were over. He was right, though; she did have gold fever.
“I’ve had it for years,” she answered. “How long have you had it?”
“Who says I have it?”
“Me. I know it when I see it.” In truth she wasn’t sure he had the fever. She’d seen men with gold fever and Lucky wasn’t like that. Those men had been dangerous, full of desperation and more often than not, full of whiskey.
Lucky was so quiet she couldn’t even hear him breathing, leaving her to wonder if he was still mad and wasn’t about to share anything with her. Then, gazing over the water, he started, “It’s an amazing place. Alaska. Last year we sailed up the Yukon River to Dabbler. There’s only a few months out of the year that can happen, but when the waterway is open, a sailor can make a fortune. That’s what Uncle Trig is counting on. The hull, the part not full of women, is stuffed with cargo the miners need. Mainly foodstuff they can’t get. Raisins and—”
“Raisins?”
“Yes. Miners claim raisins are all they need to survive. It’s not true, of course. No one can live off just raisins, but they are easy to haul and they’re paying top dollar a pound.”
“Is a boat the only way to get to Dabbler?” she asked, not overly interested in the cargo—raisins or women.
“No, there are trails, but they’re long and dangerous. Sailing in is the rich man’s way. Trig could have made a lot of money taking on passengers, but he doesn’t like hauling people. They’re more work than cargo, and the Mary Jane isn’t equipped for it.”
She’d heard that much. Trig wasn’t impressed with Robbie for agreeing to haul the women, and she’d learned the large woman in the hull had paid a small fortune for herself and her girls to sail on the Mary Jane.
“I plan on going northeast of Dabbler,” Lucky said, “farther into the Klondike. That’s where the gold is.”
Maddie’s heart leaped inside her chest. “How do you know? Have you seen it?”
“Yes. Last year we hauled gold back to Seattle,” he answered. “The purest, richest gold Trig had ever seen. An old friend of his, Whiskey Jack, brought it in, knowing he could trust Trig to get the best price. Knew he could trust me, too, and gave me a map.”
Her heart hammered so hard she could barely breathe.
“It’s not in my cabin,” he said, turning back to gaze over the water.
Slightly flustered, yet not enough to quell her excitement, she said, “I wouldn’t steal your map.”
“How do I know? You sneaked on board.”
“Yes, I did, but I had to. I couldn’t stay in Seattle.”
“Not the kind of gal that can be penned up, are you?”
A flutter happened inside, and she determined it was because he was teasing her, not mean like the outlaws used to do, but in a fun way. Grinning, she shook her head.