"Miss Whittier was intelligent and determined, strong willed and pretty enough...commendable attributes, but one he couldn't afford to admire. He had to remember that she was not be trusted until his lawyer had finished reviewing the particulars of Josiah's estate. Not if he wanted to keep a cool head around her.
Not if he wanted to keep himself from caring.
"I came her to fetch what Josiah owed me and my sisters," he said plainly, truthfully, "not to ruin a young woman's future."
"You might succeed in doing both."
He slapped his hat against his thigh, fanning an eddy of dust across the floor. "Listen, I'm not out to hurt you. But I can't go back on the promises I've made, any more than you can go back on yours. You believe your girls need you. My sisters need me."
"Do you honestly think we can fulfill both our promises, Mr. Cady?"
"You have your backers," he pointed out.
"Anxious men whose charitable impulses read well in the newspaper but don't always hold up under pressure." She wasn't naive in the least.
Daniel stilled the nervous motion of his hands. Pretty young women like Sarah shouldn't be so cynical or worldly-wise. They should be sheltered and supported, what he'd spent half a lifetime doing for his sisters, trying to keep them from suffering the worst of the damage Josiah had caused. He didn't have to learn much about Sarah Whittier to realize that, even though she'd worked for Josiah in that comfortable house, she'd had to scrape and claw to be where she was today. Just like he had, making them two of a kind. An uncomfortable recognition.
"What do you want from me?" he asked.
"I didn't bring you here to impress you with my empty shop and its filthy floors." She pulled in a long breath. "I brought you here because, if you succeed in gaining Josiah's estate, I want you to invest in the studio. I would pay you back, with interest."
"I can't do that." Even if he wanted to help Sarah Whittier, for the sake of Lily's and Marguerite's futures, he couldn't.
Sarah gave him a withering look and retrieved her reticule from the countertop where she left it. Apparently she had let herself hope for more from him.
"You were right." Her eyes were deep brown, the color of cocoa or polished walnut. Lovely even when dull with disillusionment. "I did waste my time."
In the novel Josiah's Treasure by author Nancy Herriman, the reader is transported back to San Francisco in 1882. Here we find ourselves at a crossroads with Sarah Whittier and Daniel Cady. Two strong and yet opposing forces that each have a dream that they are trying to build and fulfill. With Sarah, she had been Josiah's nurse and caretaker until his death, leaving her all his wealthy and estate. She now plans on using some of that money to help build an art business to employ several immigrant women and help them get ahead in life by teaching them valuable life skills instead of selling themselves down on the Barbary alley.
Daniel arrives literally at Sarah's doorstep, claiming to be Josiah's long long son and perceived heir to his estate. He refuses to let himself care for Sarah or her desire to help other women less fortunate than herself find better lives. Until he can provide proof of his identity, both of them remain at odds. Daniel will do whatever it takes to provide for his sisters what he feels his father had promised them long ago when he left them behind. He can't believe that Josiah never revealed to Sarah that he had children, and now believes that there may in fact be a treasure buried in the house that his father hid when he stuck gold in coming to California. Now if he can only convince his heart to follow his head.
I received Josiah's Treasure by author Nancy Herriman compliments of Worthy Publishing and Christian Fiction Blog Alliance for my honest review. This is such a charming book taking into account the rise to wealthy by those that struck it rich during California's famed gold rush. I love the strength that Nancy breathed into the character of Sarah, a perseverance to keep pushing through despite the odds against her by the men of that time period. I love how she is willing to try anything to give her dream wings and hopes in some way she can convince Daniel to help. I rate this one a 5 out of 5 stars and loved the historical look back at the early growth of San Francisco during the setting of this novel with the cable cars and Nob Hill as the backdrop. I will be looking for more books from Nancy Herriman in the future to enjoy and add to my library of favorites. This one has found a permanent home.
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- Paperback: 310 pages
- Publisher: Worthy Book Publishers (April 16, 2013)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1936034794
- ISBN-13: 978-1936034796
- Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.9 x 8.4 inches
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