第 43 页

"Who are you talking to?"

Lissa looked up, surprised. Jack was standing at the corner of the room, staring at her. She blinked until he was in focus.

"Was I talking?" she asked distractedly.

"You said something about Christmas carols."She frowned, wondering why her legs felt numb and her throat was so dry. "That's odd."He came toward her, moving in that lithe, graceful way that always mesmerized her, and pulled her into a passionate embrace. She curled her arms around him and rested her face in the crook of his neck. The warm, familiar scent of him saturated her senses, reminded her once again how much she loved this man.

"Dance with me," he whispered against her ear.

Lissa smiled up at him. She placed her hand in his and closed her eyes. Outside the storm played on, the wind beating a gentle cadence on the window pane.

Together they began to move, slowly and in perfect time to each other and nature's music. There, in a room that smelled of smoke and Christmas and magic, Jack and Lissa danced.

It was a good day for miracles.

Authors Note

ONCE IN EVERY LIFE is based on an actual series of incidents that took place on San Juan Island in 1873. For the purposes of storytelling, I have changed some of the character names and played slightly with the timing and sequence of events. My account of the events is based in large part on the memoirs of Delilah "Lila" Hannah, my husband's great-aunt.

In the spring of 1873, Henry and Selina Dwyer were murdered in cold blood as they worked their farm. For many weeks, apprehensive settlers reacted nervously to the realization that a killer was among them. They suspected the worst of everyone.

During this time, while the islanders were trying to get a vigilante group together, Minerva Hannah was quietly adding up her suspicions about Joe and Kie Nuanna, who had borrowed a shotgun from the Hannahs only a few days before the murder. Joe and Kie had returned the gun? which did have human blood on the stock?but had not returned the shot pouch. Unbeknownst to Minerva, Justice of the Peace Ed Warbass had found the buckskin pouch in the Dwyers' root cellar.

Ed Warbass telegraphed this information to a special officer in Victoria, and the police arrested Joe and Kie Nuanna and a third young man, called Indian Charlie.

A hearing was promptly held; however, the magistrate determined that the evidence was not strong enough to convict. The court allowed Special Officer MacMillian to hold Joe for another week only, pending gathering of evidence. It was at this time that Charlie MacKay (or MacCoy) had a fatherly chat with Joe Nuanna.

Joe eagerly pinned the crime on his friend Indian Charlie, who had already been released. He told about the crime in an incriminating level of detail. Later, when Charlie was arrested and could easily account for his whereabouts during the murder, Joe confessed to the heinous crime.

Joe was extradited to the Washington Territory in late October. He was tried for the Dwyers' murder. Most of the citizens of San Juan Island showed up for the trial, and evidence given by Minerva and Lila Hannah was conclusive.

Joe Nuanna was hanged on a cold day the following March. Most of the town turned out for the event, and the young man's last words were reportedly as follows: "People, I am very sorry for what I have done. Now I have to go. All hands?good-bye."

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