Deadly Proof: A Victorian San Francisco Mystery

by Locke, M. Louisa

  But sometimes she found that very affection uncomfortable. As a result, when Nate left the boarding house last night, she realized she didn’t want to tell anyone how deeply moved she’d been when he slid the engagement ring on her finger––his voice trembling as he confessed how much he loved her, how much he hoped she was pleased with the ring.

  She wasn’t even able to find the words to tell Nate why it was so precious to her—particularly compared to the flashy, expensive diamond ring her first husband, John, gave her. She knew that Nate had been working tirelessly the past four months to save enough money for a proper engagement ring. Yet how to explain to him that if it had been no more than a band of tarnished silver, she would still love it? How could she explain to anyone that the ring’s modest size and understated tastefulness made it perfect, whereas John’s ring––furnished by his father as a symbol of his family’s wealth––had only brought her happiness once—when she sold it to fund her trip out west to start her new life?

  “Annie love,” Beatrice broke into these thoughts, “now that the secret is out, do tell us exactly what happened last night, before everyone else arrives.”

  “Oh, ma’am yes, do,” chimed in Kathleen. “What did he say? Was the ring a surprise? Is it what you expected? Did he go down on one knee like they do in the stories?”

  Beatrice interjected, “Now Kathleen, you know that Mr. Dawson and Mrs. Fuller have been formally engaged since February. But Annie, what I want to know is, does this means you two have finally set the date for the wedding?”

  Annie looked down at the ring again, then looked up at the smiling faces of her friends and said, “No, Kathleen he didn’t go down on one knee, but the ring was certainly a surprise. And I think it is very beautiful. Yes, Beatrice, we have decided the wedding is to be sometime the second week of August. That’s the one window of time his parents and brother and sister-in-law have between the hay harvest and the fall round-up. And a month should be enough time for us to plan a simple wedding, shouldn’t it?”

  *****

  Jefferson Square Park was considerably more crowded by the time the first group of friends and boarders returned from watching the parade. The first to arrive were three of her boarders, Mr. David Chapman, and Mrs. Barbara Hewitt and her son Jamie, along with her maid Kathleen’s younger brother Ian. They’d all been invited to see the parade from the upper floors of the firm where Chapman worked.

  Annie, watching the boys tell Kathleen and Beatrice about the parade, said to Barbara Hewitt, “They certainly seemed to have had a splendid time. How long did the march go on? I expected you all would get to the park earlier. Were the crowds just awful once the parade ended?”

  Nate was now two hours late, and she was trying not to worry that more than crowded horse cars were the cause. What if he’d gotten cold feet after last night? Setting the date making their future together all too real. No, she was being silly.

  “My goodness, yes. While the tail-end of the procession passed us around three, just getting across Market Street took forever.”

  Annie turned to Jamie who had come up beside them, saying, “What was your favorite part of the procession?”

  “Oh, the wagon with the mining camp. They were so jolly. There was a fiddler, and they were doing some sort of jig. You should have seen the cart that was supposed to be the North Pole with the ship the Jennette that is stuck up there. The ice looked so real, and there was a polar bear and everything.”

  “My, that does sound wonderful. I gather there were a good number of bands. We could hear some of them as we left the boarding house. They must have been quite loud.”

  “Deafening, some of them,” said Barbara. “Each trying to outdo the next.”

  “Well, from where you were watching the parade, you were probably getting them coming and going,” Annie said. “I am just glad everyone had a good time. Jamie, why don’t you go and ask Mrs. O’Rourke to start distributing the food? I expect you and Ian are pretty hungry after all that excitement.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” Jamie said with fervor and ran back over to Beatrice.

  His mother laughed and said, “You would think they hadn’t had anything to eat since breakfast, but Mr. Chapman was so thoughtful––providing lemonade and sandwiches for us all. I don’t see Laura yet. Is Mr. Dawson bringing her?”

  “No, Laura was invited by her friend Kitty Blaine to attend the procession, and I do believe they were going to attend the literary and musical events after the parade. As for Nate, I don’t know what has kept him.”

  Laura Dawson was Nate’s sister, and she’d moved into Annie’s boarding house in January when she came to San Francisco to take up a teaching job. They had become very close in the last six months, and Nate teased Annie that the only reason she finally consented to marry him was to get Laura as her sister-in-law. Annie was pleased she’d been able to help the younger woman get a job working for a local printer this summer so she could stay in the city.

  Barbara pointed towards the street and said, “Look, isn’t that Laura getting out of that carriage? Oh, and there is Kitty behind her.”

  Annie waved to the girls, who were alighting from Kitty Blaine’s fancy barouche. Laura, with her statuesque height and dark coloring, looked stately in her bronze and ivory basque-style suit. Kitty, tiny next to her friend, had chosen a walking dress in a daring shade of apricot that somehow complemented her pale skin and copper-colored hair. Both girls had parasols that matched their dresses, and the lace and ribbons on their outfits fluttered gaily in the western breeze.

  “Oh, Annie, Barbara, what an extraordinary treat today has been,” Laura said, running up and giving each of them a hug. “Kitty’s father rented a room right at the corner of Third and Market, so we saw everything. And since we were at the beginning of the procession, there was lots of time for us to make it to the Grand Opera House down on Mission for the later events.”

  Annie reached out her hand to Kitty, who hung shyly in back of Laura, saying, “Miss Blaine, so pleased you were able to come to our picnic. And I know that Mr. Dawson would like me to convey his thanks to you and your father for entertaining Laura today. He should be here soon to thank you himself.”

  “It was all my pleasure, Mrs. Fuller. Father knew I wouldn’t want to sit with him on the viewing stand, and literary events aren’t exactly his cup of tea, so he was delighted I would have a companion for the day. And John the coachman did an excellent job of making sure we weren’t bothered by the crowds.”

  Annie smiled inwardly, having met “John the coachman” several times when she went out to ask if he wanted something to drink while he waited to take Kitty home from visiting Laura. He was a slow talking but very polite giant of a man, who appeared quite capable of acting as chaperone to his mistress. She didn’t imagine even the most high-spirited of July Fourth revelers would dare harass any young lady under his protection.

  Annie told Laura and Kitty to go over to say hello to Mrs. O’Rourke. “She and Kathleen seem to have cooked up enough for an army.”

  To Barbara, she said, “Why don’t you rescue poor Mr. Chapman from the boys, while I see if Kathleen will make up a plate for Kitty’s coachman? I know from experience he won’t leave his horses, but it looks like he is planning on staying until it is time to take Kitty home.”

  A few minutes later, Annie stood for a moment to look at the scene laid out before her. Beatrice had turned over the sturdy wooden crate she’d used to transport the plates and utensils for the meal and was sitting on it in queenly dignity under the shade of the oak. Meanwhile, Kitty and Laura were laughingly trying to sit upright on the ground in their fashionable attire, while eating from their heaped-up plates. Kathleen, whose dress was a bit more serviceable in the shape and volume of its skirt, was sitting quite primly, eating a ham sandwich and listening to Ian and Jamie, who were trying to eat and talk at the same time. David Chapman had piled several of the extra blankets up for Barbara to sit on and was holding her plate while she delicately
picked at her potato salad.

  All around her in Jefferson Square were similar scenes. Small children darted and shrieked around women in gaily colored outfits and men in their more somber hues. She heard snatches of songs from a group with a guitar, noticed an impromptu game of croquet at one corner of the park, and saw that the members of one of the parade’s bands were asleep under a tree in apparent exhaustion, their instruments at their sides. There were a couple of hours before the sun would sink behind the dunes to the west, but the shadows were long, and the light through the dark green shrubbery and evergreens of the park already began to take on the soft haze that meant the evening fog was massing along the coast.

  Annie felt suddenly chilled, and she pulled up her shawl and walked over to Beatrice to ask her to make up two plates, one for her and the other for Nate. Surely he will be joining us soon.

  *****

  The picnic was a tremendous success, and several hours later, Annie stood and discreetly tugged at her corset to undo the front bottom hook, giving herself some breathing room. She really shouldn’t have eaten that second piece of apple pie.

  “Annie love, I’ve put by some of the oatmeal cookies for Mr. Dawson,” said Beatrice. “Jamie and Ian tried to cram them all into their pockets. Little scamps. They said they would need a snack on the way home from the fireworks. Are you sure you don’t want to come back with us? It’s nearly seven. At this point, surely Mr. Dawson will stop by the boarding house before coming to the park?”

  Annie shook her head and tried to summon a smile. “No, I am afraid I might miss him.”

  “Well, if you are sure. I was thinking, though, that Mr. Chapman should stay with you.”

  “That won’t be necessary. After Kitty’s coachman drops you, Mrs. Hewitt, and Mr. Chapman back at the boarding house, he will return here to wait until everyone else returns from the fireworks. I can always sit up on the carriage seat with him and learn his life story if I get bored. That would give me a lovely view of the fireworks as well. I will be fine.”

  Beatrice shook her head and frowned. Then she said, “I put a jug of cider and the cookies in with the plates of food in this basket for Mr. Dawson, and we will leave three of the blankets. That shouldn’t be difficult to carry home.” Giving Annie one more pointed look, she then let David Chapman take her arm to help her across to the waiting carriage.

  Next to the carriage stood Beatrice’s nephew Patrick McGee, who had come as promised to take Kathleen, Laura, Kitty, and the boys over to the vacant lot near Geary and Fillmore where the fireworks exhibition was to be held. The Western Addition was Patrick’s normal police patrol beat, so he said he knew the best vantage point for them to see everything.

  Since he was on duty, he was wearing the dark-blue uniform with the ten bright brass buttons down the front and the large seven-pointed star that proclaimed his occupation. This, and his tall-crowned derby, gave him an air of authority, although his freckles and the good-natured grin below his copper-colored mustache undercut this image. However, Annie knew that under his long blue coat was a serviceable revolver that Patrick wasn’t afraid to use.

  She also knew that the presence of Patrick was the only reason she’d been able to convince Barbara Hewitt not to accompany the group to see the fireworks. She assured her that her son would be in good hands with Kathleen and the girls and that Patrick would keep an eye on everyone.

  Earlier, Jamie quietly asked Annie if she thought his mother would be all right with him going off without her, and Annie told him that his mother was probably a bit fatigued from the early start this morning and would appreciate not having to stand for another couple of hours. What she didn’t say to either of them was, as distressing as the events of last winter had been, it was time for Jamie to just be a boy again and not feel responsible for his mother’s well-being.

  “Annie, are you sure you don’t want to accompany us? Serve my brother right to come and find everyone gone. How dare he be so late.” Laura came up and gave Annie a hug. “He’s going to have some excuse like he got working on some tricky legal precedent and forgot the time. You should threaten to give the ring back. You do really love it, don’t you?”

  “Of course I do; it is exquisite. And look how beautifully it catches the sun.” Annie stuck her left hand out, and they both admired the way the sapphire glowed. “I should have known you were responsible for picking it out.”

  “Oh, no. Nate asked me to come with him—but the choice was all his. He said he noticed that you were partial to blue. He was worried that you would have preferred a diamond as the main setting, but I assured him that you wouldn’t want anything that vulgar. I was right, wasn’t I?”

  Annie returned her hug and said, “Absolutely right. This is unique, just like my relationship to your brother. I’m pleased your parents and brother and sister-in-law are going to make it to the wedding. It will give you a chance to see them.”

  “Yes. Mother wasn’t too happy about my decision to stay in San Francisco this summer. Oh, look, they are waving to me. I must go. Jamie and Ian are afraid if they don’t get there at least an hour early they won’t get a good place to watch the fireworks. Now, you give that brother of mine a good scold when you see him. We should be back at the park shortly after nine.”

  Laura ran up the slope to join the others, looking more like a young girl than a twenty-year-old woman. Annie watched with satisfaction as Nate’s sister put her arm around Kitty Blaine’s waist, and the two walked with their heads together, chattering away. Someone very close to Laura had died this year, and the friendship with Kitty was doing much to heal the pain of that tragic loss.

  A few minutes later, as she watched the group disappear out of sight, she was startled by a voice behind her that said, “So, did you all leave anything for me to eat? Or is starvation to be my punishment for being so late?”

  Annie whipped around to see Nate looking extremely penitent with his top hat held in one hand. Joyfully, she grabbed his other hand and squeezed. He clapped his hat back on his head and leaned over and kissed her fingers. They stood looking at each other for long seconds, rekindling the warm glow of last night. So stupid of her to worry; surely he deserved her trust by now.

  She loved looking at his long, narrow, clean-shaven face, with the high cheekbones and hawk-like nose that hinted at his Shawnee ancestors. The harshness of these features was softened by his warm brown eyes and the smile that hid in the corners of his wide mobile mouth. A mouth that...Annie stopped, reminded that a public park was not the appropriate venue to follow such thoughts.

  She stepped away and put her hands on her hips, saying in mock seriousness, “Well, Mr. Dawson, what is your excuse? I will give you sixty seconds to plead your case.”

  “Oh, it is going to take longer than that. But I think you will judge my reasons for being late sufficient when you hear what happened,” he said. “But I really do need to eat something. I am hoping that the basket at your feet isn’t empty, because I haven’t had anything since a bite of burnt toast at breakfast. My landlady was determined to see the parade and decided that a carafe of her over-brewed coffee and a plate of cold toast should suffice for us all. And where is everyone?”

  Annie explained to him that he’d just missed the rest of the party as she knelt to open up the basket of food that Beatrice had left. While Nate concentrated on eating his way through several pieces of fried chicken, a ham sandwich, grapes, a serving of potato salad, and a slice of cherry pie, she told him about how much Ian and Jamie enjoyed seeing the parade.

  “One of the tableaus puzzled them because it just looked like a number of burned buildings. Laura and Kitty knew the real story. It was supposed represent the Battle of New Orleans, but someone threw a firecracker that ignited the cotton bale breastworks. Laura said it was really quite exciting to see the poor dray horses charging ahead with the mock soldiers jumping off the sides of the burning wagon.”

  Nate put down his fork and said, “My word, I hope no one was hurt.” He s
hook his head and said, “I expect we will be able to read all about it in the papers tomorrow. Did Laura and Kitty like the literary exercises at the Grand Opera? Did they have good seats?”

  “Yes, near the front of the first balcony. Laura seemed most taken by the Amphion Quartette, while Kitty professed to be impressed by the rendition of Frank Soule’s Flag of Freedom. Mostly, I think they were just having a good time looking at all the high-society women in their fancy outfits.”

  Annie then told Nate she hoped he didn’t mind waiting for the fireworks to be over since the plan was for the two of them to escort Kathleen and the boys home, while Kitty would drop off Laura before heading home herself.

  Nate took a swig of the cider, stoppered it, and put it back into the basket, sighing. “Once again, Mrs. O’Rourke outdid herself.” He unfastened the buttons of his frock coat and looked over the park where bonfires were springing up as the sky darkened. “A lot of people are staying put; do you think we will be able to see any of the fireworks from here?”

  “I suppose so.” Annie pulled her shawl tighter.

  Nate leaned over and placed one of the extra blankets over her lap and said, “Are you all right? Kitty’s coachman could take you home, and I could wait here for everyone. There is no reason for you to sit out in the cold.”

  “You are not going to get out of telling me what delayed you that easily. But if you would sit closer and put the other blanket around both our shoulders, I will be fine.” Annie patted the ground next to her, invitingly.

  Nate followed her instructions and took advantage of the cover of the blanket around her shoulders to keep his arm tight around her waist. He then said, “This morning, I got a note at my boarding house asking me to meet Mrs. Laura deForce Gordon at the law offices at one. Saying that she needed to consult with me about a possible case. There wasn’t time to let you know, and I thought I would still be able to make it here in time.”