PROLOGUE

Missouri - 1889

Sarah was thirteen the night George Smede raped her. Now, at eighteen, she lived in constant fear that he'd do it again.

She clearly remembered that night as clearly as she remembered the night when she and four year old Michael had been forced to watch George beat and rape her mother, Ellie, into submission. That was the last Sarah had ever heard a sound come from Michael's mouth. Never again did her speak, scream or even utter a small whimper when he cried. For this, Sarah would never forgive her father.

The carpetbag dropped to the floor with a soft thud bringing Sarah out of her memories. Ellie knelt down to where Sarah was sitting before the meager fire in the heart, Michael in her lap. She took them both into her embrace, rocking them back and forth as she wept. It had been another one of those nights when her father had come home drunk and raged at them all. Elllie, as usual, had defended them, eventually dragging him into their bedroom so they wouldn't have to witness what would come next.

When at last Ellie pulled away, she looked at them. Sorrow and weariness wore deep lines around her eyes and Sarah's heart lurched for what her mother must endure at the hands of George Smede.

Sarah too in her mother's appearance and grimaced. Like herself, her dress was tattered and dingy, though showed rough seems at the bodice where George had repeatedly torn it to her waist and Ellie quietly had re-stitched it as best she could. Her sweater was also old and hopelessly stretched beyond repair, hanging limply from her shoulders. There was a hole in the elbow and the collar was fraying. Hair that had once been fair was now graying and lifeless. Ellie had tied it back with a bit of twine though a bit hung loosely across her face. Sarah fought the urge to reach up and smooth it back but she knew that it concealed the fresh bruise that was forming.

"Sarah," Ellie whispered, her eyes taking in her daughter for the last time. "I can't bear to see your pain any longer. I … I want you to understand that I love you very much. And that's why I'm sending you away." Her voice was low but hurried. She wasn't sure how long George would sleep this time and she had to get Sarah and Michael out of the house and on their way as soon as possible.

"Mama, you're comin' with us, right?" Sarah's voice held panic as her eyes widened.

"No, child. Now listen to me. Now that you're leaving there's something you need to know." Ellie pulled a tiny bundle from the carpetbag, loosened the ribbon and pulled out a small gold locket. Inside were two photographs. One was of a man Sarah had never seen before. The other was of her mother as a radiant young woman.

Ellie gazed at the image of the man for a brief moment before kissing it. Looking back to Sarah, she said, "This is a man I once loved…still love…very much. His name is Quintin Miles. He's your father Sarah." Sarah sat stunned speechless.

"When I realized that I was pregnant I went to him. It was a bitter pill to swallow after one careless night. He said he had to think things through, but after several days without word I went to him. He'd disappeared. No one knew where he'd gone and his mother was worried sick.

"I gathered my strength and went to my parents. My mother cried and my father was furious. Their only concern was for their social position," she spat." I was sent away to live with cousins her in Missouri. They were paid by my parents to marry me off. George Smede was their ranch foreman. In the beginning, he was good to me. But after he lost his job things changed." Ellie paused then waved her hand in the air, dismissing the last eighteen years of her life with George.

"Find your father, Sarah. I want him to see you and know you're his daughter. He can't help but know just looking into your misty green eyes and raven hair. You're made in his image." She reached up and brushed her fingers along Sarah's cheek and smiled wistfully. Hesitantly she looked back into the carpetbag and pulled out two envelopes. "There is a letter in the bag for your Aunt Charlotte. Give it to her when you reach her home. Treat her with respect, Sarah. She's the only one you can go to. The other letter is for your father."

"Come' with us, Mama," Sarah whispered quickly. "He can't hurt you anymore if ye'r not here."

"Hush, now. I can't go. My life is here now, such as it is." She held both of Sarah's hands in her own. "Now, wakeup Michael. It's time for you to go. There's a wagon waiting for you at the livery that will take you to the train. It goes straight through to San Francisco." Handing Sarah a bit of money she said, "Use some of this to get to your aunt's house. Her address is on her letter." Finally, Ellie pulled a small sack from the carpetbag. "There are sandwiches in here to tide you over until you reach the city. Now, up with you and be on your way before you miss the train."

Ellie fairly pushed Sarah and the sleepy Michael out the front door. She couldn't risk George waking up and finding her gone so she trusted that Sarah would find her own way to the livery. It wasn't a long walk but she knew it would be a lonely one. As soon as her babies were off the porch she closed the door on them, not wanting them to see her tears.

There was a man at the livery waiting just as her mother had told her. He picked Michael up and put him in the back of the buckboard beside the carpetbag and helped her up before climbing into the drivers seat and taking up the reins. The buckboard bolted forward as the man maneuvered it out of the barn and into the street. She didn't see her mother staring at them through teary eyes from behind the shabby curtain as they road away.

CHAPTER ONE

San Francisco - 1889

Sarah was not prepared for the hustle and bustle of San Francisco when she the stepped off the train, nor the quaint beauty of her aunt's grand home once she reached it. When she enquired with a porter for a ride through the city he simply pointed to a funny looking carriage. She paid their fare and sat in amazement as the carriage traveled through the city, by underground cable the driver told her, towards her aunt's house. A short walk delivered them to her front door where they now stood in trepidation.

The house was unlike anything she'd ever seen before in her life. Aside from the sheer size of it what amazed her was the number of leaded glass windows, the detailed eaves, the round turret-like corners and cone shaped roves of the different sections. A large porch surrounded the whole ground floor level. At the sidewalk, huge green hedges were perfectly manicured and, like the porch, surrounded the boundary of the property. The large ornate iron gate hung between two large pillars but she could see the colorful garden with its flowers in full bloom and trellising vines.

Sarah's heart picked up a beat to think that she and Michael would be living here for a time, then lurched at the conditions in which they had left Ellie behind in their house that was little more than a shack. But she couldn't think of that now. This was a new beginning for them and as soon as they were settled she'd work on a way to get her mother to leave Missouri behind.

With the carpetbag in one hand and Michael's tiny one in her other, she swung the gate open and stepped into her aunt's garden. Michael's grip tightened on hers as he looked up at her with all of the apprehension and anticipation that she felt too. What would their new life hold in this fine house? Would they fit in? Setting the carpetbag down on the porch she raised her hand to knock on the door, knowing they were about to find the answers to all of their unasked questions.

Within moments the door swung open to reveal a small Chinese boy, not much older than twelve or thirteen, dressed in a simple white uniform. His hair was long and pulled back into a simple braid that hung down his back. Fear rose in Sarah's heart that her mother had given her the wrong address.

"What you want?" he asked in poor English. She and Michael stood motionless, panic stricken, as the boy stared at them intently.

Sarah's voice wavered but the words managed to come. "Does Charlotte Johnson live here?" She tried to smile but knew that it didn't reach her eyes.

The boy's eyes narrowed at her and quickly said, "No work here. You go now." He started to push the door closed but Sarah found herself holding the door open. Her look was more intent now.

"I ain't lookin' fer work. I'm lookin' fer Charlotte Johnson. Does she live here?" she asked again.

"Missy Charlotte not home. You go." He tried to close the door again, but Sarah would not be put out. They'd come too far to be thrown out into the street by a boy.

"Where is she? Can we wait for her?" The boy looked her up and down as if inspecting her.

"What you want with her. I never seen you before here."

Sarah breathed a sigh of relief when the boy stopped fighting with the door and listened to her. "We came all the way from Missour-ah. My Ma wrote that she'd be sendin' us and Charlotte said she had a bed fer us. She's expectin' us."

"This not boarding house," he said firmly.

"We ain't lookin' ta board. Charlotte is my Ma's sister. My aunt." With that the boy's expression changed from that of speculation to one of wholehearted welcome.

"Why you not say so in first place?" He reached down for the carpetbag and quickly ushered them through the door. "You wait in parlor. Missy Charlotte come soon." He slid the parlor door closed and Sarah heard him shuffling down the hall.

She felt a tug on her skirt and looked down to Michael, his arms outstretched for her to lift him. She rocked him in her arms, his face buried in her dirty hair. She could hear him snuffling as he cried to himself.

She wanted to sit but the furniture was so fine and delicate looking that she was afraid that she might break something or stain it with her dingy clothes. So she stood where she was, aching back and all.

It was a long wait for Charlotte. The boy must have told her the truth when he said that Charlotte wasn't at home. She wondered where the woman could have gone.

She looked around the room while they waited. The windows were large and shaded by lacy white curtains. Heavy velvet curtains were tied back and framed the windows. There was a large carpet spread over polished wood floors; the fringe on the edges was perfectly straight. Delicate pieces of furniture were placed precisely around the room. The sofa and chairs were positioned for conversation and upholstered in the same fabric, a deep green that matched the velvet curtains. They were edged in dark wood, the backs arching like scared cats while the arms curled over gracefully. The feet were carved to look like paws.

There was another set of similar chairs situated in front of the fireplace, which had a huge mantle of dark wood that was ornately carved. On tables around the room had large vases filled to overflowing with fresh blooms. Their fragrance permeated the room and gave life to an otherwise lifeless room.

The walls were covered in a fancy paper with a cream background and pale pink flowers and large paintings hung in ornate frames. Some were country scenes and others were of the ocean. All were signed "CJ".

She didn't know what caused her to look up, but once she did her mouth dropped open in awe, her breath catching in her throat. Above her this whole time was a beautiful chandelier. Teardrop shaped pieces of glass hung from each tiny golden arm. The daylight that filtered through the windows caught in the glass and sparkled effortlessly. She pointed up for Michael to see and his eyes shot open with a gasp. A big smile came to him and he reached up trying to grasp the glittering gems.

Neither of them heard the parlor door slide open or saw Charlotte walk into the room. She watched as Sarah and Michael looked up at the chandelier with wonder in their eyes. From her sister's letters she doubted if they'd ever seen one before. Let alone any of the other finer things in life that would now surround them. She sighed heavily at the thought of being given the change to show them the wonders in life, as she was never able to show her own children.

Michael was the first to hear the sign and jumped with a started in Sarah's arms. Sarah turned to see what he was looking at and couldn't believe her eyes. Before her stood the image of her mother, only a bit older.

Charlotte was the first to speak. "I came as soon as I found out you were here." She walked over to them with her arms outstretched, headless of the state of their clothes and bodies. "Yun Hee sent a messenger and I came at once." She hugged them both tightly then looked down to both of them. "I trust your trip went smoothly." At first she thought she saw fear in their eyes then realized it was astonishment. "Your mother and I were often mistaken for the other. We fooled many people. One day I'll tell you of some of our antics." Charlotte stepped away from them and motioned to the sofa. "Come and sit with me. I would like to hear about your trip." She sat and patted the seat next to her.

Sarah tried to put Michael down, but he refused to let her go. So she sat with him on her lap. And feeling self-conscious herself, she sat silently as well.

Charlotte's Voice was sweet and kind as she spoke and in no time Sarah was speaking with her as if she'd known her all her life. The resemblance to her own mother probably helped her in the transition. "Tell me of your journey. Was it fun?" She looked down to Michael and smiled broadly, hoping to hear what he had to say about the trip.

" 'Twasn't zctly fun, but we did see lots of critters through the windows." Michael made a motion as if he was terribly cold and Sarah was reminded of their trip over the mountains. "Oh ya. We also saw the snow on the mountains."

"The Sierra's are some of the highest mountains in the country. Snow falls on them many times during the year. But I'll bet you've seen snow before living in Missouri."

"Yes, ma'am, we have. But the trees here are different and the mountains are a lot bigger. And it was a might colder, I'd say." Sarah looked to Michael. She was happy to see him adjust to Charlotte so quickly. Maybe it was that she looked so much like Ellie for him too.

"Tell me how your mother is doing. I hadn't heard from her in over fifteen years until she wrote me about you two," said Charlotte.
"When did Ma start writin' you?" Sarah looked into her aunt's eyes with deep interest. She'd wondered all the way to San Francisco how long her mother had planned their 'escape'.

Thinking a moment Charlotte finally said, "I think it was about a year ago. Why do you ask?"

Sarrah's head went down immediately. "Curious is all," she said, putting Michael off her lap. She motioned for him to bring her the carpetbag and he ran to get it. She pulled out a piece of hard candy that she'd purchased at one of their stops and he gladly took it. Sarah smiled and Charlotte watched in fascination.

Digging back into the bag she found what she was looking for and pulled it out, handing it to Charlotte. "Ma sencha this. I was told to give it to you ya as soon as we got here." Charlotte took the letter from Sarah's shaking hands and opened it carefully.

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