Forever by Your Side (Willamette Brides #3) - Tracie Peterson Page 0,27
parents directed toward redemption.” Again, he shook his head. “But her parents aren’t a part of this. Everyone who knows them refuses to believe they have even the slightest part in stirring the Indians to war. They love those people and have put their lives on the line many times in order to prevent confrontation.”
“I hope you’re right,” Major Wells said, reaching again for his coffee. “I’d hate to see your wife or any of your family have to deal with the situation should it prove their family is involved.”
“Just remember your promise to keep Connie’s part in this a secret. I know I can trust you, or I would never have told you. I just couldn’t help feeling it was right to tell you. I believe it was God’s prompting.”
“I’ll say nothing.” The major chuckled. “Although I hardly think God concerns Himself with me.”
“Of course He does,” Seth countered. “He concerns Himself with all of us, no matter our position or place. I feel confident it’s God’s Spirit that makes it so evident to me that the Brownings are innocent.”
“It must be, because you’ve convinced me of the Brownings’ innocence as well.” The major got to his feet. “Hopefully we can soon prove it.”
Hours after Wells had departed, Seth sat in the kitchen, relating what they had discussed to Faith and Nancy. The two women wanted to know every detail of the investigation’s progress.
“The major said they have a list of men who are watched closely. Most are the laborers who are moving the guns and whiskey. They’ve taken an inordinate amount of whiskey to the reservations, but it’s been allowed to pass through. Wells is afraid that if they intercept the deliveries, it will compromise the rest of the investigation.”
“I hate to think of the harm it’s doing.” Faith looked dismayed. “Alcohol will just cause increasing problems on the reservation.”
“I’m sure you’re right, but I’m also confident the major’s concerns are warranted. We’ve come too far to give it all away now. Wells said that everything indicates it won’t be long until the planned uprising takes place. He would stop it all now, but we don’t have the man responsible for planning all of this. Without finding him, we’ll only have to deal with him trying this again and again.”
“I’m sure you’re right,” Nancy said, placing her hand atop his. “It’s just such a helpless feeling to sit here and not be able to do anything.”
“We can pray,” Seth said, smiling. “Look what it’s done for me—for us.” He squeezed her fingers. “God is good. He won’t let the innocent be condemned.”
“He allowed His only Son to be condemned, and He was innocent,” Nancy murmured. “Others have fallen under false accusation to God’s glory. You can’t say that it won’t happen to Uncle Adam and Aunt Mercy. You can’t be sure.”
“But I am sure of God’s righteousness. No matter what happens, we either trust in Him or we don’t.” He looked at Nancy and then Faith. “The choice is ours, and for me, I believe there is only one choice, and that is to trust. The alternative has no hope for me.”
“Nor me,” Nancy admitted. “I know Faith feels the same way.”
“I do.” Faith sighed. “God has already brought me through so much—you two as well. We know we live in a fallen world and that bad things will continue to happen, but we know too that God is faithful. He will deliver us and our family from this mess. He will let the truth be revealed, because Adam and Mercy belong to Jesus, and He is the truth.”
“It looks rather hopeless at the moment,” Connie’s father said in a hushed voice, “but our trust is in God.”
Connie had joined her folks at the kitchen table, where many a problem had been discussed over the years. She was sharing with them all that she knew, starting at the beginning. “Tom was given reports on the investigation thus far. Apparently Nancy’s first husband was a central figure for a time. He was recruited to buy large quantities of weapons and liquor. He hid these in secret caches and kept separate records regarding what had been purchased. The money for the guns and whiskey was given to him by a group of businessmen in Portland. One of those men was Gerome Berkshire and another was Samuel Lakewood. Berkshire was the contact for Nancy’s husband. Berkshire arranged for the contents of the caches to be delivered to the reservations via his