Beloved Hope (Heart of the Frontier Book #2) , livre ebook

Baker Publishing Group - Tracie Peterson

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150 pages

English

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A Compelling Novel of Forgiveness and Hope from Leading Author Tracie PetersonHope Flanagan survived the massacre at the Whitman Mission, but at terrible personal cost. Safe now in Oregon City, she lives with her sisters, Grace and Mercy, and Grace's new husband, Alex. As she spends her days tending their flock of sheep, Hope's mind and soul are slowly healing. Yet, though she was once surrounded by suitors, she has no interest in giving her heart again after the man she loved died in her arms.Hope's precarious new peace is shattered when those responsible for the massacre are captured and put on trial. She is asked to testify against them, but she's not sure she can bear to relive the events of those horrific days.As Hope struggles to free herself from the pain of her past, Lance Kenner, an Army lieutenant, brings an unexpected ray of light into her life. But what will Lance think of her if he learns the truth behind her anguish? And what secrets lie in his past?

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Publié par	Baker Publishing Group
Date de parution	04 juillet 2017
Nombre de lectures	0
EAN13	9781441265432
Langue	English
Poids de l'ouvrage	3 Mo

Informations légales : prix de location à la page 0,0000€. Cette information est donnée uniquement à titre indicatif conformément à la législation en vigueur.

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Title Page
Copyright Page
© 2017 by Peterson Ink, Inc.
Published by Bethany House Publishers
11400 Hampshire Avenue South
Bloomington, Minnesota 55438
www.bethanyhouse.com
Bethany House Publishers is a division of
Baker Publishing Group, Grand Rapids, Michigan
www.bakerpublishinggroup.com
Ebook edition created 2017
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—for example, electronic, photocopy, recording—without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC.
ISBN 978-1-4412-6543-2
Scripture quotations are from the King James Version of the Bible.
This is a work of historical reconstruction; the appearances of certain historical figures are therefore inevitable. All other characters, however, are products of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is coincidental.
Cover design by LOOK Design Studio
Cover photography by Aimee Christenson
Dedication
To Calvin Braaksma— You are an amazing attorney with a great sense of humor and heart for God.
Thank you for being you!
Contents
Cover
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
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10
11
12
13
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About the Author
Books by Tracie Peterson
Back Ads
Back Cover
Chapter 1
Oregon City, Oregon May 1850
Y ou can’t be serious.” Hope Flanagan looked at the man who sat opposite her at her sister and brother-in-law’s kitchen table. “You expect me to testify in the Cayuse trial.”
Only weeks before, the five Cayuse men deemed responsible for the Whitman Massacre had been turned over to the army and were now in Oregon City to stand trial. Hope twisted her skirt in her hands, thankful the table hid her actions.
For the last two and a half years, she had worked to forget that awful day in November when the Cayuse attacked the Whitman Mission. Then, in a single moment, this man brought it all back to her. She remembered the kitchen at the mission on that day. Sitting beside John Sager, the boy she’d hoped to marry. She had thought life perfect. She’d never wanted to come west to Oregon, but when she fell in love, everything changed.
It changed again when Tomahas and Telokite—two Cayuse chiefs—showed up at the mission house.
There had been trouble with the Cayuse for weeks. Measles had followed the white settlers into Oregon Country, and many of the Cayuse had died. The chiefs blamed the whites in general at first, but when Marcus Whitman—a doctor—failed to save their sick while seeming to revive his white patients, the Cayuse were convinced he was killing them on purpose.
The Cayuse were angry that day. They demanded help, demanded medicine. But all the while they had planned to kill Whitman. Hope trembled, remembering the murderous look in Tomahas’s eyes. Even prior to the attack, his people called Tomahas “the Murderer,” and rightly so. His temper was short and his actions swift.
Hope remembered John tensing beside her. He’d been working with twine and put it to one side in a very slow, casual manner. When Telokite and Tomahas began their attack, John reached for his pistol, and Tomahas shot him. Hope had fallen to the floor with John and cradled him as he died. His blood had soaked her dress as she pleaded with him to live.
“Miss Flanagan, I know this is difficult.”
The attorney’s voice brought Hope back to the present. She fixed him with a look that made him grimace. He knew nothing of what had happened except what he’d been told.
As if reading her mind, he quickly focused on his empty coffee cup. “I mean to say that I’ve been told what you and the others went through. I understand that it won’t be easy to come forward and testify.”
“And that’s why I won’t do it.”
He looked up and shook his head. “But you must. Witnesses are vital in this trial. Generally speaking, Indian massacres do not have survivors. You were there, and you have vital information to offer.”
Grace, Hope’s older sister, brought the coffeepot and poured the man another cup. “Mr. Holbrook, a great many women and children survived the massacre. Why must Hope testify?”
“As I understand it, your sister was in the kitchen when the Indians entered and began their attack. She witnessed Marcus Whitman’s murder. Few can say the same. We need her testimony to ensure the guilty verdict.”
Grace was unimpressed. “Why should there be any question of their guilt? You’ve known the identities of the men since we arrived in Oregon City. The victims saw those responsible cut down the men at the mission. They witnessed it firsthand, and their testimony has never wavered. Furthermore, as I understand it, Telokite and Tomahas have boasted of their deeds. They take full credit for ridding their people of Dr. Whitman.”
“Yes, they did, but that isn’t the case now. They deny any participation. They’re entering a plea of not guilty and are hoping for a complete acquittal.”
Hope studied the stranger. Amory Holbrook had been appointed by the president to be the United States Attorney for the Oregon Territory. He would prosecute the Cayuse. He was young—perhaps too young for the job he held. Hope had her doubts about his abilities. She didn’t like him but couldn’t exactly say why. It might only be what he represented. On the other hand, she found the beard that edged his jawline and barely covered the end of his chin annoying. He was otherwise clean-shaven. It was a look Hope had never cared for.
“Miss Flanagan, I know this is difficult—”
He’d said it again. Hope gritted her teeth and tightened her hold on her skirt. She could barely force out her words. “You know nothing. You weren’t there, and you can’t possibly understand, no matter how many people tell you the story or give you the ugly details. You will never know what your request is costing me.”
“Of course, you’re right, and I did not mean to imply a firsthand knowledge of events. However, I do understand that the event described to me by other witnesses was a heinous, unforgivable act of indecency, and I want to see those men hang for what they did.”
Hope drew in a deep breath to calm her spirit. “So do I.”
“The trial will hopefully conclude in that. However, some feel a goodwill gesture might be called for.”
“A goodwill gesture?” Grace asked.
Holbrook nodded. “There has been talk that pardoning the Indians would show the various tribes that the white man understands their plight and concerns and forgives what happened because of them. However, I do not adhere to that thought. It would be one thing if they had committed a single murder. Perhaps even multiple murders might be overlooked, but what they did in taking helpless women and children hostage is unforgivable. I believe we need to send a much stronger message to these Indian nations. In hanging those guilty of murdering Dr. Whitman and the others, we put it in clear, unquestionable terms: ‘If you continue to harm the settlers, we will prosecute you and punish you to the full extent of the law.’” He paused for a moment. “The entire United States is watching to see how we deal with the Cayuse. And not only the whites, but the Indians as well. They are waiting to see if we pardon the murderers. Mark my words, it will spell disaster if we do.”
Hope had never once considered that anyone would think it reasonable to pardon murderers. The very idea of Tomahas—the Cayuse who had killed the man she loved, taken her virtue, and left her to bear his unwanted child—walking the streets as a free man left her sick inside.
“So you see, we need witnesses such as yourself to tell your story of what happened on the day of the massacre, as well as what happened to you during captivity, and how those events affect you even today. If the facts are unknown—if the victims fail to speak out and give a detailed account of what happened, they’ll have no one but themselves to blame if those savages are freed.”
Silence hung over the kitchen. Hope knew she had little choice. She couldn’t let the Cayuse get away with what they had done. She owed that much to Johnny.
“Very well. I will testify.”
Holbrook nodded. “Thank you. I’ll need you to come by my office, and we’ll take down a detailed account of what happened, since you weren’t one of the women who helped us get the grand jury indictment.” He got to his feet and gave Grace a nod. “Thank you for your hospitality.”
Grace exchanged a glance with Hope. “You’re welcome, but I have a question to ask. Will you also need my youngest sister to testify? She’s not yet fifteen. She was only twelve when the attack took place.”
He looked at his notes. “Mercy Flanagan, correct?”
“Yes.”
“I don’t believe we’ll need her testimony, Mrs. Armistead. She was in the school at the onset of the attack, as was Eliza Spaulding. We have Miss Spaulding’s deposition. She acted as interpreter for the Cayuse during the days of captivity, so she had a clearer understanding of what the Cayuse intended. There should be no reason for your young sister to have to testify.”
Hope saw the relief in Grace’s expression. They had talked about the possibility ever since the Cayuse had been caught and the victims started being interviewed. Mercy was extremely tenderhearted, and they both feared testifying would be too hard on her.
Mercy was also of a mind that as true Christians, they should forgive the Indians and move on. It was a mentality Hope could not understand. After all, Mercy had witnessed the horrors of the massacre as well, although she might not have understood all that happened to the women. Mercy was small for her age, and the Cayuse had considered her a child. Hope had tried to shield her from the worst of it, but even so, Mercy had to remember how terrifyin