On a warm, early summer afternoon, as Hannah bustled around the large front room of the cabin, converted now into a small café area, serving her customers, she saw Miette standing at the door. The spring breeze tossed her black curls about her face and shoulders. Thinking the beautiful young French woman might be there to stir up trouble, Hannah watched her apprehensively.

“Vous avez une belle petite patisserie, madame,” Miette said, coming to stand in front of her, smiling. “I have heard many good things from the men about your pies. I came to see for myself. And to ask you to hire me.”

“Hire you?” Hannah was taken aback and stammered. “You came to ask me for a job?”

“Oui.”

“You have a job at the saloon.”

“Oui. But I can see that you need help, and I want to help you.”

“What would you do?”

“Whatever you asked of me. I could collect the berries for you or serve the pies to the men or wash tin plates. Whatever you needed doing.”

The wildberry season will end soon, Miette, Hannah said. “I don’t know that I will need any help when that happens.”

“I know it will end soon, so we will have to find new fruits to bake pies with.”

“We?” Hannah paused. “What do you know about baking pies?”

“Nothing, madame. You could teach me to bake them. What I know is that the men crave your wildberry pies, and the pleasure of coming here with their friends to eat them. They talk about this at the gambling saloon all the time. You must surely know you cannot stop when this berry season ends. So we should find new fruits, other berries, to bake in pies. I can show you I am a hard worker so you will make me your partner.”

Hannah was nonplussed. “My partner, you say?” She stared at Miette thoughtfully. The young woman’s amber eyes shone with intensity, her jaw was firmly set, giving a subtle definition to her pursed lips as she returned Hannah’s look. There was no conceit or self-consciousness in Miette that Hannah could see. She was the same pretty, dark French woman she had met on the stage from Stockton, still beautiful and self-possessed. She sensed Miette could likely accomplish whatever she set her mind on. Hannah felt a touch of jealousy but thought she could use someone like that.

“It would not work, Miette,” she said at last. “I am sorry. I cannot have my customers coming here to see you for…” She couldn’t find the right words.

“You think I would solicit them? Or take them away to the saloon? Is that it?”

“Well, yes, I do.”

“I don’t want that life anymore. I want to make a new life.” Miette looked down as she spoke. “I thought you would help me, being the Christian woman you say you are. Perhaps I was wrong.”

“But wouldn’t the men expect you to… entertain them? What will they think if they see you here?”

“I don’t care what they will think. I will leave the saloon and never go back to it again, or that kind of life, if you will give me this chance, Madame. Do you really think that I do what I have done because it is what I want for my life? Every day I have spent on this earth I have done only what I had to do to survive. You can never imagine the shame of that life.”

Hannah didn’t know how to respond. She looked at Miette dumbfounded.

“I thought you might give me a chance to start again. I see from the look on your face I misjudged you, Madame. I am sorry, I will leave you.” Miette started for the door. Hannah was stunned. She wasn’t sure what to do, but she felt as if a turning point in her life was abruptly upon her. “Wait!” she called out to Miette.