Prologue

1870

Near Stevensville, Montana Territory

Four weeks before Christmas

“Please, Phineas! Open the door! I beg of you!” Madelaine pulled at her older cousin’s sleeve. She was desperately trying to persuade Phineas to let her little sister, Belle, go. She was just a toddler, not even two and half years old yet, and she had been screaming at the top of her lungs since he’d locked her in that room hours ago.

It was still quite early in the day—the late November sun had just started to peek over the mountain tops in the east, but the rays had not yet reached this side of the house. Madelaine increasingly worried that her little sister could get sick due to the cold in that room. Since Phineas had started his little game right after breakfast, he hadn’t let anybody in there to attend Belle, not even to top up the fire for her.

Phineas didn’t move an inch. He remained standing in front of the door, smugly swinging the large key around his finger, gleefully chuckling to himself as if this was some sort of joke.

Sadly, none of his behavior came as a surprise to Madelaine. She knew Phineas to be a rather coldhearted human being. He did not care about the small child locked in that room behind him and it reminded her why she needed to find a way out of their dire situation as quickly as possible.

As she stared up at him, his dark eyes seemed as black as tar, much like his thinning hair. Furious heat rose to her cheeks, but she fought hard not to show her feelings.

Madelaine also knew that she had to stay calm for Simon, her seven-year-old little brother, who stood directly behind her, hiding in the folds of her skirt, quietly sobbing. She felt for his head, gently stroking his soft light-brown curls to reassure him.

She sent a silent prayer to the heavens, hoping that her cousin would tire of this ridiculous little game.

“Please! She’s been in there too long already! What do I have to do to convince you?” she asked, hating that she needed to plead.

“I don’t care about that brat!” Phineas’ breath stank of tobacco and alcohol as he spit those words right into Madelaine’s face. “All I care about is the wedding tomorrow! Do you remember our wedding, my dear?” In the blink of an eye, his tone of voice switched from spiteful to playful, but she heard the sarcastic bite regardless.

The wedding.

Their wedding…

How on Earth had she landed in such a mess?

Since the tragic deaths of both of her parents a few months ago, Madelaine’s life had been turned upside down, and her beautiful, peaceful existence, her entire world, had been uprooted and smashed to smithereens. Everything was still so raw, and she had to blink away the sudden moisture in her eyes.

Phineas stared at Madelaine questioningly, one eyebrow slightly raised. There was no question that he thought of her as a beautiful woman, with big green eyes and luscious curves, because he had told her this, when he’d announced his plans to wed her. She wore her glossy black hair tightly pulled back in a neat bun at her nape, which showed off her elegant neck and shoulders. She wasn’t particularly tall, but he probably thought that it was perfect, since he wasn’t particularly tall himself.

His arrogant smirk was still there, albeit seemingly less certain.

She remembered his question and tried to put on something that resembled a smile. “Of course, I do remember! How could I forget such an important day, silly?! Now, please be so kind and open the door, would you?” Madelaine’s lighthearted approach to jest with him fell flat when Phineas showed no reaction.

“How will I know that you’ll show up?” He pulled his face into an angry scowl. “I need some kind of guarantee that you’ll stick to our plan, woman!” He made a disgusting noise in the back of his throat and then spit something sideways onto the floor.

Madelaine could barely control the nausea at his dismissive display.

“I have half a mind to leave that brat in there until she cries herself to sleep, just to make sure that you’ll show up tomorrow…” Phineas spat.

“No!” Madelaine did what she had hoped she wouldn’t have to do and let herself fall onto her knees, right at his feet. “Please, let me get Belle out of that room! I promise, I will be there tomorrow! Please, Phineas! Open the door!”

“Be quiet!” Phineas yelled louder than Belle and Madelaine combined, took a step backwards, and dramatically covered his ears with both hands. “Quit your nagging! I’ll open the blasted door! You better make sure to show up tomorrow, or else!”

As she got up to her feet, she felt a certain fear deep in her heart. She really didn’t want to challenge God’s plan for her, but she also didn’t want to marry the horrible man standing in front of her.

The whole wedding had been his idea, but not at all out of love for her. Phineas didn’t even attempt to hide his true intentions. He wanted the ranch. The beautiful home her father had built, his successful business, the land—everything Madelaine had inherited after her parents’ tragic passing in a train crash earlier in the year. In Phineas’ mind, he would get his hands on everything if he were to marry her. But Madelaine wasn’t naïve. She knew his game and didn’t trust him as far as she could throw him.

The minute Phineas had shown up at the ranch five weeks ago, unannounced and uninvited, she’d known that things would become even more difficult for her than they’d already been. She’d been hopeful and expected him to leave after a few days of filling his belly, but instead, he’d decided to make his home here.

He’d immediately taken over everything. He even had the audacity to sleep in her parents’ old bedroom, wearing her father’s old clothes without asking. Just two days after his unwelcome arrival, Phineas boldly announced at dinner that he would marry her very soon, and that he was in charge of the ranch now.

Granted, he’d been drunk, but she’d heeded the warning, nonetheless. The only problem was, she had no idea what to do about it, or even where to begin.

Worst of all, since his announcement, he’d made her life even more miserable, pestering her every single day, and it threatened to pull her into a rather dark place more and more.

The only thing that prevented her from falling into a deep melancholia was her absolute faith in God. Her mother had always instilled a strong belief in her that He would guide her through life and provide her with some kind of a solution. Living with and marrying this man, losing the ranch to him, losing herself in the process, not to mention the turmoil he’d force onto her younger siblings, whom she’d vowed to protect at all costs… All this couldn’t possibly be her destiny, so she poured all her hope and desperation into each and every one of her daily prayers. Despite these terrible times, her faith never wavered.

And God listened.

Just seven days ago, Madelaine went into town to get some much-needed items at the general store. Belle and Simon were both sprouting like weeds—literally outgrowing their clothes. Madelaine loved buying new fabric to make pretty dresses for her little sister, and Simon needed new boots as well, so she had taken the two of them with her to make it an outing as a family. Phineas never showed the slightest interest in what she was doing, so she hadn’t worried that he might follow her.

On that day, it just so happened that she crossed paths with Ian Sterling, the local lawyer in town, who was also in the general store to place an order for paper and ink. Ian was a knowledgeable, slightly older man in his mid-forties, with very kind blue eyes and graying brown hair, who’d recently moved to Stevensville all the way from Boston.

“How are you doing, Miss Peterson? How are you holding up?” he asked Madelaine while they were waiting for the store owner, who was in the back. Like most folks in town, Mr. Sterling knew about the train crash and the loss of her parents.

“Thank you, Mr. Sterling. We are doing our best, given the circumstances,” she replied with a sad smile.

“Well, if you need any help with anything, especially with your legal affairs, I’d be happy to be of assistance. These matters should not be ignored,” he told her with a kind, but urgent tone.

This was exactly what Madelaine had been praying for.

She was so very grateful to hear his advice, since he’d informed her about the importance of the title to the ranch—which was now in Madelaine’s name—and how paramount it was to keep all papers related to her inheritance in a safe place.

“As long as you are in possession of those papers, nobody can harm you and your siblings, nor take your farm away,” he declared, before he tipped his hat to leave.

On her way back home, Madelaine felt reassured and hopeful, knowing that even her greedy cousin couldn’t do anything as long as she had proof.

However, Phineas still hadn’t left the ranch, despite her asking him to. His threats and demands had only increased the longer he’d stayed. How was she supposed to make him go away?

In that moment, Phineas coughed extra loudly and drew her attention back to him.

He turned around, stuck the key into the door, and before he could so much as push it open, Madelaine rushed past him into the frigid room.

Belle was a mess. Her soft blonde hair looked like a bird’s nest on top of her head. She must have pulled at her pigtails in frustration. The silk ribbons were strewn on the floor. Her bright blue eyes were red and swollen from all the crying, her dress was stained and disheveled.

However, nothing of her outer appearance shocked Madelaine as much as the freezing cold inside the room.

The window was wide open. Ice-cold wind blew inside uninhibited, coming straight down from the snowy mountaintops beyond, billowing the thin curtains like the wings of a vulture. It must have blown out the fire in the fireplace, because the logs in there were black, without the slightest hint of any embers, so it was extra cold.

When Madelaine pulled Belle’s shivering body into a tight hug, she immediately noticed her blueish, pale skin. She hastily touched Belle’s icy little fingers, blowing warm air onto her tiny hands before grabbing the blanket laying on the bed and wrapping it tightly around her shivering frame. Madelaine lifted her into her arms and stormed out of the room.

As she ran past Phineas, who just stood there with an unmoved expression on his face, it took everything in her not to lose her composure there and then. Madelaine had more than a few choice words for that despicable man, but in this moment, Belle was more important and she had to get her warm, quickly.

Belle sobbed silently in her arms as Madelaine ran straight towards the kitchen, where Mrs. Keagan and her daughter Maggie were busy preparing food for the day. A roaring fire crackled and popped in the big hearth, and the large space was filled with the delicious scents of roasted meats and spices.

Madelaine rushed Belle in front of the fireplace and began rubbing her arms and back vigorously.

All of the staff on the ranch were aware of the situation that had been unfolding all morning, but they hadn’t been able to do anything about it—until now.

Mrs. Keagan, a voluptuous middle-aged Irish woman with a big mop of curly red hair and rosy cheeks, immediately sprang into action.

”Heat up some milk with an extra spoonful of honey for this little girl, darling,” she advised Maggie. ”This should warm you up quickly, sweetheart,” she said to Belle. Then, she soaked a clean rag in some warm water and came to clean Belle’s little face. “There, there, now. This already looks better,” she cooed to the little girl.

Belle, who had been crying relentlessly for all those hours, finally gave into all the attention and sank with a big heaving sigh back against Madelaine’s chest. When Mrs. Keagan handed her a freshly baked sweet dinner roll with a fat dollop of creamy butter in the middle of it, Belle devoured her morsel of food within seconds, just in time for Maggie to arrive, who brought her a cup of warm milk with honey.

Madelaine looked up at both of them. “Thank you both so very much. I don’t even know what to say to show my gratitude.” She was so very grateful for these women and their selfless help, she almost wanted to cry with relief. When she heard Belle giggle, Madelaine could feel how the tension left her body, and she allowed herself to relax a little.

“You don’t need to say anything, dear. This situation is outrageous, and if I were you, I would reconsider marrying this despicable man. He doesn’t deserve you!” Mrs. Keagan said angrily, as she returned to the stove. Good boy that he was, Simon had followed them into the kitchen and now climbed onto Madelaine’s lap to hug his little sister—and to steal a sip of warm honey-milk from her. Madelaine hugged both of them tightly, buried her nose in their soft hair, and breathed in their scent.

Looking at these two, she knew that she could not and would not allow Phineas to harm them ever again.

Madelaine owed it to them. She owed it to their parents. She owed it to herself.

After everything that had happened, her decision solidified, and she finally knew what she had to do.

Chapter One

Exhausted from her ordeal, Belle fell asleep right there in the kitchen on Madelaine’s lap, so Maggie came and took her and Simon to their room for a nap.

“Would you please make sure that the fireplace is stocked up with enough wood, so it will last a while? And don’t forget to tuck both of them in with heavy winter blankets,” Madelaine reminded her on their way out.

Mrs. Keagan wiped her hands on her apron and went back to work to prepare lunch for everyone at the ranch. Madelaine’s family had always had the tradition that every person—owners and workers, regardless of status—would sit together for lunch.

Upon Phineas’ arrival, he had tried to stop these gatherings from happening, since nobody on the ranch seemed to respect him enough to treat him like a superior. Everybody ignored him, and they all came together at noon on the dot. Well, everyone who was still around.

Unfortunately, since Madelaine’s father was no longer in charge, a lot of the stable hands had left the ranch, and Phineas’ unfair and unruly ways of trying to run the place had chased away even more of the workers. It didn’t exactly fill Madelaine with confidence. Not to mention that Phineas had brought in some of his own men, who wrongfully acted as overseers, all living here for free.

Mrs. Keagan glanced at Madelaine with a knowing look then walked over to the coffee pot on the cast iron stove and poured the strong black brew into a mug before wandering over to Madelaine and handing it to her. Madelaine took it with a grateful smile and inhaled the smell of the steamy goodness. This was exactly what she needed. Despite the early hour of the day, she felt exhausted.

“How are you holding up, dear?” Mrs. Keagan was back at the counter cutting up some carrots, but her attention was on Madelaine, who carefully sipped her coffee.

“It’s not easy.” Mrs. Keagan nodded emphatically.

It wasn’t easy for any of them. Madelaine looked at the older woman and could feel almost the same sadness in her as her own. Everybody missed her parents very much, and everybody grieved their loss in their own ways.

Madelaine got up to her feet and walked over to Mrs. Keagan to see if she could help. Since her parents’ passing, Madelaine had always felt that it was her duty to help as much as she could with the work, much like her mother and father had done every single day without fail. After the debacle earlier she was behind on her usual chores. “Do you need any help with that?”

Mrs. Keagan shook her head. “No, dear. I have everything under control. Why don’t you go lie down and rest for a bit? It has been an eventful morning and you look as tired as Belle.”

As exhausted as she was, Madelaine was too agitated right now to lie down. Shaking her head, she rolled up her sleeves. “I’d rather keep busy. I need the distraction.”

Mrs. Keagan nodded and handed her a fat carrot and a small knife, and Madelaine relaxed into her work and the easy banter she shared with the cook.

Once they were finished, Mrs. Keagan tended to the big cast iron pot of bubbling stew on the stove while Madelaine went into the big room to set the table for lunch.

By the time everyone gathered around, the table was set and loaded with delicious foods—a whole basket full of freshly baked, buttery rolls and a loaf of sourdough bread, steaming stew, roasted pumpkin and potatoes doused in more butter, boiled eggs, and an extra slab of grilled venison for the men, who needed the extra meat for the hard labor.

For a brief moment, Madelaine was able to forget her difficult situation.

Belle and Simon had woken up from their naps, and they came running into the room as if nothing had happened. Both of them acted as though they were starving, eagerly climbing onto their chairs to join in with everybody enjoying their lunch.

Afterwards, when all the workers had left, Madelaine went to the larder to grab some apples for the horses before going out to the barn. She cherished these afternoons and made sure to go out to the stables every single day to tend to the horses, give them a treat or two, and see that they had hay and water and were well cared for.

The minute she stepped into the storage room, she noticed it—things had been moved around, and some of the jerky hanging from the rafters to dry had been stolen. Even a large slab of ham was missing.

“Mrs. Keagan!” Madelaine shouted, her voice tight with anxiety.

She whirled around and saw Mrs. Keagan, rushing toward her with worry written all over her face. “What is the matter, dear?”

“Am I seeing things, or is there food missing again?”

Mrs. Keagan’s kind face pulled into a disapproving scowl. “It looks like it. Who would do such a thing? We need all these supplies to last us all winter!” Her voice rose slightly, showing how angry she was as she inspected everything.

“Do you have any idea who the thief could be? I haven’t seen anybody walk around with an entire slab of ham, have you?”

“No, dear. I have no idea. The girls wouldn’t risk getting caught, and I haven’t seen any of the men in here. This is really getting out of hand!” She actually stomped her foot on the floor.

“We need to make sure the larder is locked at all times,” Madelaine finally said, Mrs. Keagan nodded in agreement. “You will be the only person with a key. Don’t ever let anybody else have it. I trust you, but I don’t trust anybody else around here enough with our livelihood. We cannot risk running out of food at the end of winter.”

Frustrated, Madelaine stuffed a handful of apples into the large pockets in her skirt. They’d harvested buckets full of apples last autumn, so these wouldn’t be missed. The dried meat was a different story, as it would sustain all of them during the leaner months to come.

As Madelaine stepped out into the fresh crisp air of the beautiful afternoon, patches of white snow in the valley announced that winter had officially arrived. Walking over frosty, crunchy grass to the barn on the far east side of the ranch, she took in the sheer size of it.

Nestled on the eastern side of Bitterroot Valley, the Peterson ranch sat roughly thirty miles north of Stevensville on almost a thousand acres of hay fields, pastures and a small patch of woods to the north. The main house was a typical, but rather large, one-story ranch house with a wrap-around porch, surrounded by swaths of wildflowers during summer and some rose bushes her mother had planted there in memory of her late mother and grandfather. She’d always tried to make it look pretty as well as practical.

At the back of the house, near the kitchen, there was a huge garden where most of their food grew. Behind it sat two large barns, one filled with stables for over sixty horses, and one for all the hay and equipment. Next to that were some smaller huts, which housed most of the stable hands and farm workers. It was simply magnificent, and Madelaine’s heart was simultaneously filled with warmth and sadness.

Her father had worked tirelessly to build his successful business as a horse breeder, and he’d been well known in the entire region to only supply the very best horses. Right now, Madelaine had no idea if she would be able to keep their reputation up.

The overwhelming doubt and sadness of it all hit her with full force, and as much as she tried to suppress the spiraling emotions, not to give into the raw grief and crippling fear, this time it washed over her like a roaring avalanche.

She stopped in her tracks, tried to swallow the big painful lump in her throat, but to no avail. The images came flooding in, and before she knew it, she was pulled back to the moment that had changed everything forever.

She remembered the day so vividly. Her mother and father had walked out the door just a few months before. They’d been dressed in their best attire, laughing and joking, their spirits high, so full of excitement to take their carriage to the nearest train station north of the Great Salt Lakes in Brigham City, a small outpost newly connected to the brand-new Union Pacific Railroad. They were to board the latest sensational attraction, a train connecting Utah directly to California.

That day, Madelaine had stood on the wrap-around porch of her father’s beautiful ranch with a crying Belle on her arm and a whining Simon by her side, reassuring both of her parents that she would take care of her siblings and their home. Their goodbyes had been cheerful and full of happiness and laughter. She had joked with them that this would be educational for her, because she wanted to become a wife and a mother one day. She had told them to enjoy themselves on their important business trip, since they would be back within less than two weeks.

Only… that hadn’t happened.

Those two weeks passed, and they hadn’t returned.

It took another week before the news finally arrived in their little town.

Unfortunately, Madelaine remembered that day just as vividly. She had been outside, when she suddenly noticed the cloud of dust being whirled up by a frantic rider, who raced toward her until he stopped almost exactly in front of her.

He’d handed her a piece of paper. Some sort of telegram.

“There has been a tragic accident… the train has crashed… no survivors…” he’d said.