by Paige Powers
Amelia was accepted as a businesswoman and a teacher, and no one spoke of her money or her class first. None of her fashions from Paris made much of a difference to anyone in particular here. Modesty was well-respected.
San Francisco was a place that Amelia knew she could fit in well. It was a place where she did not have to carry around the load and responsibility of her surname. She could simply be Amelia here. And that was good for her right now.
She sent a carriage to receive Mr. McGill from the train station. His arrival was not something that she mentioned straightaway to her fiancé. She wanted to meet with Mr. McGill first, and then tell him about what had been happening in her life before any introductions were in order.
Waiting in the local café, she sipped on tea while she continued glancing out of the window in anticipation of Mr. McGill's carriage.
Two rode by before his arrived. When she saw him step out of the carriage, she immediately stood up and ran outside.
"Amelia, so good to see you." He gave her a sturdy pat on the back before he turned around to grab his bag out of the coach.
"So good to see you, Mr. McGill. How was your train ride?"
His smile was wide and soothing. "Long. I must say I could use a little refreshment."
She led him inside the café to the table where she had been sitting. "Well, I hope you will come to love San Francisco as I have. How long are you staying?"
He set his bag down, and took a seat.
"I ordered some coffee for you already. There is some food coming shortly."
"Ah well, this is perfect." He took a sip of his coffee. "I will be here for the week. Helping to get a few of your father's affairs in order. And to check in on you. How are things going?"
Amelia nodded as she tasted the food that the server set in front of them. She did not realize that she was hungry until the food arrived.
"Things here in San Francisco are," Amelia paused trying to find the right words. "Things here are going extremely well. The school has opened, and we even have a waiting list for new students."
Mr. McGill smiled. "So good to hear. We miss you back East, but this is a very smart move for you, Amelia. I think both of your parents would be extremely proud of you. Tell me more about the school."
They sat for the next hour, catching up on old times. Mr. McGill had some colorful stories about what was happening back in Boston. Amelia filled the lawyer in on what was happening in her life in San Francisco. Most of the details, save her relationship with Alfred. She thought it best not to overload Mr. McGill just yet.
The carriage took them back to Amelia's home. She was happy to share it with Mr. McGill so that he could see firsthand that she had done well for herself thus far.
It was in no way as expansive as her childhood home, and she certainly did not have the number of wait staff that her parents had, but it was comfortable enough for her.
"Mr. McGill, I have a room prepared for you for your stay. I hope that you will enjoy your stay here in my home. I tried to make it as comfortable as possible.”
"I think that I will take you up on that offer, Amelia. The thought of finding room and board elsewhere at this time is exhausting. After all of that travel, I would love to freshen up and take a small nap if I could."
"Of course. Mellie, could you please help Mr. McGill to the room we prepared?"
"Yes ma'am." Mellie assisted Mr. McGill in going to his room. Amelia wiped her brow and smoothed her brunette hair back, making sure her bun was still intact.
She was not ready to talk about her relationship, or lack thereof, with Alfred Sharp. But she knew that it would come out eventually, so she might as well tell Mr. McGill. She decided that telling him at dinner would be best. Maybe he could help her make sense of everything that was going on in her life.
*
Although it was just the two of them for dinner, there was more than enough food to feed an army.
"Are we having guests?" Mr. McGill asked.
"No. I'm afraid we are not. My cook is fabulous, and I think she just went a little overboard tonight."
The lawyer pulled out Amelia's chair and waited for her to be seated before he took the chair directly across from her.
"Too bad. I was hoping to meet someone from your new life here."
As they ate, Amelia let Mr. McGill's last comment sink in. She was not sure if she wanted to get immediately into her relationship status just yet. There was a chance that maybe Alfred was not the one. But what were the chances that in about a month and a half she would meet the man that she wanted to marry?
"You know, I think now is the perfect time for us to talk about something very important since we are finished eating."
"Certainly Mr. McGill. We can retire to the study with some coffee if that is okay with you."
Amelia and Mr. McGill were escorted to the study by her butler, and soon served tea cakes and coffee.
"What is it that you wanted to discuss, Mr. McGill?"
She sipped daintily on her coffee while she waited patiently for the lawyer to open up and discuss what was on his mind.
"I got a visit from someone before I left."
Amelia sat silently nibbling on her tea cake.
Mr. McGill finished his coffee and sat back in his chair as he continued. "A young man named Jonathan Montgomery Smith came to my office."
The lawyer sat quietly regarding Amelia.
"You are staring at me as if waiting for a response at the name you mentioned. Am I supposed to know who this Mr. Jonathan Montgomery Smith is?" Amelia questioned.
Mr. McGill slapped his large hands on his knees. "He claims to be your father's son."
The sound Amelia made was like she just could not catch her breath. "What is it you mean – 'my father's son'?"
"He says that he found out from his mother that William was his biological father. He is about a year or so older than you. So as I calculate, if this is truth, he would have had to be born directly prior to your parents' nuptials."
There was a moment of silence.
Amelia rose from her chair and began pacing the floor. "I can't believe this. So out of the woodwork comes a man who says that my father is his father, but he did not know this until recently?"
Mr. McGill nodded.
"What is it he wants? Is it money?" She threw her hands in the air, exasperated.
"Calm down. There is no way that he can get his hands on your money."
Those words offered a bit of reprieve, but not enough.
"Then what is it that he wants?" Amelia felt a mix of desperation and frustration.
"Oh, I'm pretty sure that he wants money and status. I will find out more about what it is he wants. Your interests are protected, and I have not heard from any lawyers that are representing him, so we will find out more very soon. Let's not worry too much about that. Your uncle and I will make sure that your parents' companies stay intact. My main concern is that time is winding down for you to get married."
Amelia looked away. She knew that the topic was soon to be discussed, so there was no need to belabor the situation.
"Believe me, I do acknowledge that. I have found a suitor."
"Really? Tell me more."
"His name is Alfred Sharp and he comes from a decent enough family."
"Is that all you have to say about your beau?"
"Well, yes. He comes from a hard-working family. They don't have much, but they are decent people with a pretty good name for themselves."
"I hope so, Amelia. Your father's request is something that is out of the ordinary for sure, but I would hate for you to marry someone who is not a good choice to spend the rest of your life with. You have not had much time for courting. Is he good to you?"
Amelia shrugged. "Good enough." She tried to plaster a reassuring smile on so that Mr. McGill would not be any wiser.
"Well now. Maybe a meeting with him and his family will be in order before I leave. Do you think that can be arranged?"
"
Yes. It can. I will arrange it for tomorrow."
"Sounds good. I am happy to see that life is working out for you here in San Francisco, Amelia. I would love to go out and see the school as well."
Amelia sipped the rest of her coffee. Life had been pretty good to her thus far. Now she just had to make sure that things all fell in line the way that she planned, with no distractions. And that meant she had to make sure that Mr. Jonathan Montgomery Smith was not an issue and would not be an issue for her or her family's fortune.
Chapter 5
Being a Pinkerton meant that Ben would have to travel. It was something that he was going to have to get used to. Hailing from South Carolina, Ben Abbott had never seen anything else but the soil from the tiny town he was born in outside of Charleston.
One of ten children, life was not easy for the Abbotts. They did not have much money and they were farmers. They could not afford slaves, even though they lived on one of the most expansive plantations in the area. So Ben and all of his brothers worked the land, plowing the earth, harvesting cotton and tobacco so that the family could make a living.
Others in the county looked down on them. The Abbott boys were loud, precarious, and loved their liquor. They ran around the county like wild men, and no one dared to mess with them because there were so many of them.
Word came back from the west that there was opportunity for work on uncharted land. People were moving west at an increasing rate. There were no other prospects for him in Charleston, so Ben decided to work for the Pinkertons. It was respectable work that allowed him to make money and live life on his own terms. His mother did not understand his decision and his father certainly did not, but Mr. Abbott was willing to let a man make his own decisions.
Ben was surprised that he received his assignment so quickly. He was commissioned by a man named Jonathan Montgomery Smith to track down a woman named Amelia Smith. It seemed that Amelia moved from Boston to San Francisco, and Jonathan wanted to find out exactly where she was located.
It seemed like an easy enough job to do. Ben was more than ready to travel cross-country. He’d always had an adventurous side, and working for the Pinkertons would surely cure the itch.
The train ride was grueling, but being able to see places in America that Ben did not even know existed made the travel bearable. Once the train arrived in San Francisco, Ben breathed a sigh of relief. He would find a place for lodging and get cleaned up before he started exploring the city.
After asking a gentleman at the train depot where he suggested for lodging, Ben made his way out into the city. The roads were still dirt, but he could see where the city was making improvements and becoming more modern.
People bustled to and fro and Ben thought it reminded him a bit of Boston. The street was full of pedestrians and carriages. No one seemed to be paying attention to each other. Ben wondered where everyone was going. As he walked, following the directions he was given to the hotel, Ben admired the shops along the street. There were dresses hanging in the window, and it made him think about his mother. She would love the chance to go shopping at an elegant shop like one of these and have a dress fitted especially for her.
It was something that he wanted to do for her one day. Surprise her. She would blush and say that she had nowhere to wear something so beautiful, and she would do her best to talk him out of spending his money on the garment.
He would definitely be able to buy her something beautiful and take it back to her from his travels, even if it was not an expensive petticoat dress.
When he got to the hotel, there was only one room left, lucky for him. The lodging was meager, just enough for him to rest his head and clean up before he started his search for Ms. Smith.
It was relaxing to bathe and put on clean clothing. The first thing that Ben wanted was a meal and some whiskey.
The owner of the hotel told him that there was a saloon in town that would serve him well.
After walking a few streets over, Ben found what he was looking for. There was music playing, and a cherub-faced girl singing a song about moving west to find the man that broke her heart to get revenge.
"Well now, how are you, stranger?"
Ben eyed the raven-haired beauty in front of him. "Better now that you are here."
"What can I get you?"
"Whiskey. And a plate of dinner. Whatever is on the menu."
"All right. I'll be right back."
She shimmied her hips and winked her eye at him before walking away. Ben eyed the show, but did not want to get his mind off of what he was here for. After work was done, he would have plenty of time to play.
But with the way that the girl had her eye on him, Ben knew that he could use that to his advantage.
"Here is your food." The raven-haired woman set the food down on the table.
Ben flashed a wide smile. Most women found him attractive. His dark brown hair brought out the hue in his deep blue eyes. The slight gap in his two front teeth and his crooked smile made women swoon. But Ben was not the type to let love for a woman distract him.
"Sweetheart, I am new to town. Can you tell me a little about what is going on around here?"
The girl smiled at the attention Ben gave her.
"Let me see. There will be a parade in a few days to celebrate the election of the new city council. Everyone will be there to enjoy that. And we have the best food in town here."
"And the most beautiful women obviously." Ben threw in the comment, hoping it would continue to hold her attention. It was not all a lie. She was a beautiful girl.
"What is your name?"
She leaned in a bit closer as if she was going to whisper. "Angelica."
"Well, Angelica. You have made my day, dear." He took her hand in his and kissed it gently. When he did, he felt her shiver.
"Thank you, let me know if you need anything else."
She turned to leave.
"I did have one more thing to ask of you."
"Anything."
"I'm sure that in a place like this, there are many other people moving to town. Anybody new move here recently?"
Angelica shifted her weight from her left foot to her right. A curious look came across her face.
Ben figured that he had better clean up his question before Angelica decided she did not want to answer.
"What I mean is, I am thinking about moving to town soon. I am checking out my prospects, but I would be interested to know what kind of people have moved to town recently so I can get an idea of what kinds of people would be my neighbors."
Angelica stared at him for a moment, as if she was trying to decide if she was going to answer and how she should do so.
"Well, let's see. There is Archibald Glen, the tailor that moved in to town from somewhere in Texas. And the Frazier clan that moved west when their father was looking to be a prospector, but I think Mr. Frazier just passed away from some type of illness."
Ben nodded as she spoke. She had yet to mention Amelia Smith. He had to be patient enough to hear her out.
"Oh yes, and there is Amelia Smith. She is a wealthy woman who moved from back east. Can't remember where from. But she owns the new finishing school for girls."
Just what he wanted to know.
He flashed that winning smile again, and this time he took her hand in his and stroked it gently.
"Thank you so much, Angelica. Hopefully I will see you around again."
"I hope so, Cowboy."
She sauntered away with a flirtatious smile.
Ben was just happy that he got the lead on the information that he needed. So far, things were going well and he would soon be hot on the trail of Ms. Amelia Smith.
*
After learning how to navigate around town, Ben began to blend in. The last thing that he wanted to do was stick out like a sore thumb. And if people knew right away that he was a Pinkerton, he would most likely not get what it was he needed to accomplish his task.
Fortunately for Ben, Amelia had a fairly
organized and predictable schedule. She went for a walk every morning around seven at the port. Then she would take her carriage back home and after what Ben assumed was enough time to eat breakfast, she would leave and walk the three blocks to her school.
She would spend the morning there until lunch, and then she would take coffee and a small meal at the nearby café. Back to work at the school for another few hours, and then she would go home. Occasionally, she would have a visitor call on her, which looked to be a good female friend of hers.
What he could not figure out was whether or not the male who came by to call on her was really a suitor. When they walked together, they did not look to be in love. They did not carry themselves as a couple smitten with one another. The man usually looked quite awkward and more attentive when the older woman was talking to him.
Over the past few days, Ben had gotten to know a bit about Amelia. She seemed to have a true love affair with the ships and the water. She would sit and stare for hours at the ships at the dock. There was something calming about being near the ocean, and Ben did not realize it until he had sat all of those mornings on his trail following Amelia.
She was a beautiful woman. Her brunette hair was always piled high on top of her head, with stray tendrils that framed her heart-shaped face. Her cheeks were rosy, her lips full, and she had a penchant for wearing the most stylish of dresses.
Ben had never done this type of work before, and he was not sure if he should be trailing Amelia every day. But he felt as if he had gotten to know her a bit, and she seemed unlike the other rich women he had encountered in his life.
She was kind as she walked through the streets, smiling and bidding good day to others. And as far as Ben was concerned, any woman who chose to work with children had to be patient and kindhearted.