The Gold Miner's Wife: A Young Woman's Story of Romance, Passion and Murder by Amethyst Creek Page B

blown one hundred feet, striking a rock with such force as to bend it double.  Mr. Miller’s right hand had been frightfully mangled by the explosion.  His face was burned by the powder and cut by the stones.  He was brought to town the same evening in a wagon and is now receiving the careful nursing of friends.’ ”
                  “That poor man,” Susannah sighed.  “I pray he will recover.” 
                  This was the news she dreaded most about her husband’s livelihood, the constant fear of a disaster.  Almost from the moment she had met Thomas, Susannah was aware of the great risks involved in operating a mine.  Accidents seemed to be an unavoidable part of this dangerous occupation and were regularly reported in the newspapers.  She trusted that Thomas and Jack together would be careful and cautious, meticulous, thorough.  Her fears seemed to occupy a permanent corner of her mind and Susannah hated her own weakness for her inability to conquer such negative thinking.  The specter of an accident was a grim reality she did not wish to countenance.  Catori had been correct when she said, ‘fear makes the wolf seem bigger’.
                  “How could something like that happen?” Edward asked slyly, his curiosity at war with his desire to appear uninterested.
                  “Sometimes those drilling holes to set new charges are unaware of an unexploded charge nearby,” Thomas answered.
                  In the early afternoon Edward found Susannah in her flower garden behind the mansion, a friendly cat rubbing against her skirt.  “Yours?” Edward asked while bestowing a much appreciated scratch behind its ears.
                  “Not exactly,” said Susannah.  “He behaves as if he belongs to everyone in the neighborhood.”
                  “A characteristic of felines, I believe,” Edward observed.
                  “Why don’t we sit for a few moments, Edward,” Susannah suggested, indicating the nearby bench which offered a magnificent view of distant snow-capped peaks.
                  “We are certainly a long way from England,” he commented as he surveyed the terrain.
                  “Yes,” she agreed.  “But this is my home now and I have come to love it here.  Of course I have had to learn new ways and make new friends.”
                  “I sensed your uneasiness when Thomas was reading from the newspaper this morning,” he said.
                  “You sensed correctly.  It is a topic which is constantly on my mind.”
                  Edward patted her arm.  “Do not let such worries intrude on your happiness,” he kindly advised.  “Most of the things we worry about never happen.”
                  “I suppose that is true,” she conceded.
                  “Besides, Thomas is a careful man and his partner Jack seems very responsible indeed,” he said reassuringly.
                  “I appreciate your kind words, Edward. “You have been a true friend.”
                  “Now, turning to other things,” he said with a grin, “I am off with Charlotte to ride the trolley and do a bit of sightseeing in your fair city.  Perhaps we shall take tea at one of your fine hotels,” he said brightly.  “Of course we shall return in plenty of time for tonight’s engagement.”
                  “What a wonderful idea.  You are so good to Charlotte.  Enjoy your afternoon and thank you again for sharing your thoughts with me,” said Susannah with a smile.
                  That evening the dinner and dance at the Grand Hotel was a large function.  The rich gleam of silk along with the flash of cravat pins and watch fobs sparkled through the ballroom along with dozens of glasses filled with the best champagne, port and brandy.