Flower Jones longs for refuge in England, where she believes she will be safe. But she reckons without William King, an escaped slave, who wants her for his woman. Although he could live free in Cherry Vale, where no one will ever whip him again, William follows her as she travels to a seaport, risking capture as an escaped slave. The raw gold they carry excites the greed of outlaws, who force them to fight for their lives. Face to face with death, will Flower realize how precious life —and William—are to her?
Excerpt
Flower greeted all three men, and was caught in a bear hug by Hilaire--she could not think of him as Skwiskwis, no matter how much she tried. He was far too big to be a convincing squirrel.
His cousin, Tenas Eena, was just as big, but not so wide-shouldered or deep- chested. Younger than Flower and Hilaire by several years, he still showed the slimness of rapid growth and recent maturation. He blushed when she smiled at him, and smiled back, showing the two prominent teeth that had led to his name, 'Small Beaver.'
They ate together, salmon stew and steamed cat-tail root, followed by biscuits with honey. Therese cooked them in a Dutch oven she had traded a salmon for the previous fall. Flower admired it, and hid her amusement. So much for holding to the old ways.
"Walk with me," she said to Hilaire when they had eaten. "I wish to speak with you."
They strolled along the creek, upstream of the village. "I need your help," she told him, when they were far from possible listeners, "for a dangerous task."
She saw his white teeth flash in the light of the setting sun. "You have it," he said. "Who do I kill?"
"Be serious. You may have to."
That sobered him. "Tell me, Fleur. I will do what I can."
She looked up at him, this young man she had know since childhood. Once he had been her hero, and she had told him that when they were man and woman, she would marry him. She still loved him, but as a favorite brother only.
Walking slowly beside him, she told him of William, how good he was, and how he insisted on traveling with her, despite the risk to himself. When Hilaire asked why she was going to England, she gave him an evasive answer and he did not press her. He seemed to understand that there were things she would not speak of.
"This man, how could he be a slave? I thought Americans only enslaved the Niggers and the Indians."
"Don't call him a Nigger!" She clapped her hand over her mouth. "Oh, Hilaire, I should not have snapped at you. But Hattie told me once that it is a very bad word, used to denigrate the Negro race."
"So he is Negro." Hilaire looked at her, his gaze searching. "And you love him."
"I do not! I respect him and I owe him for what he has done for me." Looking down at her hands, she watched her fingers twist themselves together...apart...together again. "I love no man. I cannot."
"Because he is Negro?"
"Of course not! There are...reasons why I cannot...why I will never love a man."
"As you say." Hilaire's tone was skeptical, but he said no more.
They walked on in silence, turning back when the creek cut through a low ridge. As they approached the village, Hilaire said, "Fishing is a good way to live, but it lacks excitement. I will help you, and hope that whatever I do is not entirely unexciting."
"It could be far more exciting than you wish," she warned.
His shrug was eloquent. "So much the better. What is it you need?"
"I am not sure. I have a bad feeling--" She touched her heart. "Here. It tells me that nothing is as easy as we wish it to be. Let me speak again with William, and in the morning we can plan."
"Good. I will speak to Tenas Eena tonight. He has complained of boredom lately. And to my uncle. He is a wise man."
"Oh, no--" She felt guilty enough asking for Hilaire's help. To ask his younger cousin...
"Oh, yes, Fleur. If I had an adventure and he was left behind, he would drown me the next time we fished. I cannot risk that." His laughter rang out in the night. "A quiet life is a long life, my uncle says, but it seems even longer."
Professional Reviews
Ice Princess
Book II: Behind The Ranges series; Western historical romance.
After killing the last of her rapists, Flower Jones walked away from her life with those who loved her. Determined to wash away the vile things done to her, Flower spent the winter alone with her shame. Unfortunately, Flower cannot accept that the blame is not hers and has determined to go to England where she can be safe and take her place in a society that does not know her as a "half breed".
William King, an escaped slave, waited out the winter for Flower to return to those who love her. Sure that is not going to happen and knowing that Flower needs him as surely as he needs her, William sets out to find her and bring her home. Since Flower will not come home, he is determined to follow and protect her in her journey as far as it takes her, even if it means he must again be a slave. He's already a slave to his heart, now he must find a way to open Flower's heart and save them both!
In this second book of the series, Ms. Glad has again touched the hearts of her readers with vivid descriptions of the west as it was so long ago. She deals with prejudice and hardships both physical and emotional that must be overcome no matter the odds faced! I am looking forward to the next installment in this series as a child looks forward to Christmas. I know the package will be filled with more of the love and hardships that make for a wonderful romance by this author!
Reviewed by Gloria Kruenegel
Courtesy Sensual Romance
Ice Princess
3 Stars!
The West is changing. More white men are coming into the area. For people like Flower and William, the more new people they encounter, the more the danger.
Flower, from The Queen of Cherry Vale, is half Indian and half white. She has always felt as if she didn’t belong in either world. What little comfort and safety she did feel was shattered when she was brutally attacked and raped by renegade whites. She fled Cherry Vale and her fears.
William, an escaped slaved who walked west from Mississippi with no shoes or weapons, had been a friend of Flower’s father and is staying at Cherry Vale. When Flower runs away, he sets out to find her.
Ms. Glad has written a series truly reflective of the American west. Even though her pace is a bit slow, the stories and characters are interesting.
Deborah Brent
Romantic Times
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