I smiled as I folded up the letter. I could practically hear every word of it coming from Tamsin’s mouth. “She’s always writing letters,” I told Cedric. “It’s nice to finally get one of my own.”
The day was already heating up when we reached the claim, but I hardly noticed anymore. I worked in rolled-up sleeves and a split skirt of light cotton that Mistress Marshall had helped me make, since the suede one was too warm these days. I’d done a lot of the sewing myself, and while my stitches still weren’t great, they were significantly improved.
Also improved was our efficiency once the sluices were set up. A sluice was a wide box that water could run through, filtering through a screen that trapped heavy minerals—ideally, gold. We decided on a few good spots in the river and placed them there, watching for several minutes as though we expected huge gold boulders to immediately get trapped.
“Not an instant gold strike,” I said. “But faster than panning.”
Cedric handed me my pan. “Which we still have to do.”
We’d been out panning in the river for a couple of hours when we heard a voice call, “Thorn, are you here?”
We looked up. Several riders were cutting across the claim and waved their hands in greeting. Cedric waved back and began wading through the water toward them.
I followed close behind. “Who are they?”
“Alanzans. I saw them in town the other day. They just finalized the paperwork on a claim on the far edge of Hadisen—far by design. I know a cousin of theirs. He was one of the Alanzans arrested at the Star Advent that later managed to escape. He’s waiting for them at that claim, and I told them to stop by when they made their trip out.”
Although I’d grown used to the idea of Cedric as an Alanzan, I’d yet to truly meet any others. This group looked perfectly ordinary, not much different from the Marshall clan. They wore rough, working-class clothes and hauled a wagon loaded with supplies. Cedric introduced them as the Galvestons, consisting of a middle-aged couple and their four children. Their oldest son was married and had his pregnant wife with them.
No sordid rituals or prayers followed. The Galvestons had been traveling that day and appreciated the break, especially from the younger children, who ran off to play. We sat with the adults and shared our water, mostly trading news. After a few weeks in Hadisen, Cedric and I felt like veterans and offered what expertise we had. The elder Mister Galveston, named Francis, proved to have more expertise as he surveyed the shanty.
“Why don’t you have anything to seal this roof?” he asked.
“There’s wood there. I nailed the boards in myself.” Cedric’s pride in that feat was obvious, and I couldn’t help smiling. I’d been there that day, and he’d hit his fingers with the hammer at least half a dozen times.
“And it’s going to let in a deluge as soon as this place gets one of its famous storms. You need to get some canvas to cover the gaps. We got the last of it from the supplier in town. You’ll have to wait until his new shipment comes in, or head back to Cape Triumph.”
“I don’t think we’ll be back there anytime soon,” Cedric said. “I’ll have to take my chances with the rain.”
Francis gestured for his older son and Cedric to follow. “We might be able to do some patches. Let’s take a look.”
That left me sitting with the women in the grass. Alice, the daughter-in-law, stretched and rested a hand on her swelling belly. “Are you uncomfortable?” I asked. “Can I get you anything?”
“No, thank you.” She shared a knowing smile with her mother-in-law, Henrietta. “When we read my destiny card at the beginning of the pregnancy, I drew the Keeper of Roses.”
When they saw my blank look, Henrietta asked, “Aren’t you familiar with the card?”
“I’m not familiar with any of the cards,” I admitted. I realized they were talking about the Deanzan cards, like the pack Ada had had. Ordinary people used them for games and fortune-telling. For the Alanzans, the cards had a more sacred meaning and were holy to Deanziel, the moon angel who governed inner wisdom.
Alice’s frown smoothed out, but her confusion remained. “When Cedric introduced you as his fiancée, I just assumed . . .”
“That I was Alanzan?” I finished.
Both looked embarrassed, and then Alice asked, “Are you going to convert after you’re married?”
“I hadn’t planned on it.”
“Then why go to the trouble of raising money for Westhaven now?” asked Henrietta. The Galvestons would’ve liked to go there as well but were waiting until the colony was more settled and required no charter fees. They hoped to earn money in gold in the meantime.
“For Cedric. I want him to be able to practice safely. And he’s very interested in taking up a leadership role there,” I explained. “Being a charter member would help with that.” Awkward silence fell, and I tried to fill it when it was clear they wouldn’t. “So. What does the Keeper of Roses mean?”