Just Dessert

by Heather Gray

  Taken aback at Clive's confidence and his word use, Mary nodded mutely, trying to swallow the fear she'd felt in years past as winter approached. Seeing the look on her face, Clive went on, "Look, Mary, look at how much money we have." He showed her the books he'd been learning to keep.

  Mary was shocked by the balance. "Where did all that money come from?"

  "I was confused, too, but Grady pointed something out. Without Pa here to take our money for booze, we've got a lot more. We also have more hens this year, and because we haven't had to sneak around as much, we've been better at getting milk and eggs to Mrs. Ginty."

  Taking a seat at the living room table, Mary asked, "Is there enough for me to buy material to make new clothes for school?"

  Clive scratched his head. "I was thinking about a horse instead."

  "A horse?"

  "Well, yeah. Seems like a good investment, don't you think?"

  Struck by the hilarity of the situation, Mary started chuckling. Eventually her hilarity grew into full-blown gales of laughter. Staring at her as if she'd lost her mind, Clive asked, "What on earth has gotten into you?"

  Trying to contain her laughter, Mary wiped tears from her eyes. "Oh, Clive. Can you believe it? We're discussing a horse and clothes. When's the last time we ever discussed having money to spare going into winter?"

  Sitting back in his seat, Clive's face reflected the dawning realization of their changed situation. "I owe Grady a lot more respect than I've been giving him. Without him, none of this would have been possible. We'd be in the same desperate place we are every winter."

  Sobering, Mary told Clive, "You should tell him that."

  "What ever happened between you two, anyway? Something went wrong, but nobody's sayin' nothing."

  Still ashamed of the scene as she remembered it, Mary said, "I'd rather not talk about it Clive."

  With uncharacteristic thoughtfulness, Clive nodded and said, "Okay, I'll leave it alone." He then changed the subject and told Mary about the mill that was going to grind their wheat into flour. The mill would give them however much of the flour they wanted and then would sell the rest. "We'll keep half the flour and let the rest go to market," he said, explaining that they didn't want to keep it all and risk weevils getting it. "We'll plant more fields next year and maybe even have enough to start shipping produce out to other locations," Clive said with evident pride.

  "It'll be even better when we get a railroad here, won't it?" Mary asked.

  Clive nodded. "Talk around town is that Sarah's new husband is building a hotel down by the stage office. Folks say he's predicting the railroad will be here within five years."

  Mary perked up when she heard that. "A hotel, huh? Have we approached him about eggs and milk?"

  "We don't have enough to supply both places, Mary."

  "Maybe that's where we should invest the extra money. More hens, another milk cow. And maybe we should talk to Mrs. Ginty and the hotel about onions and potatoes during the winter."

  His face lighting up, Clive exclaimed, "I didn't think of that! Mrs. Ginty buys hers from the mercantile. We could sell direct to her and maybe to the hotel, too. Do you want to set up a meeting with the hotel owner? I can talk to Mrs. Ginty tomorrow."

  Mary had done a good job of avoiding town all summer. She hadn't met many people since the day they all came visiting because of Pa's death. She had secluded herself from the community her brothers and sisters were coming to know better. The farm was the one place where she truly felt comfortable. When she went into town she could hear the voices of some of the women who had come to see her after her father died. They had critiqued her home, her clothes, the way she dressed her brothers and sisters, their manners, and more. Having no desire to subject herself to that again, Mary had avoided virtually the entire town.

  Knowing she needed to take back the reins of her family and her life, Mary nodded to Clive. "I'll go speak to him. What price are you going to give Mrs. Ginty?" Once they settled on a price system, Mary went upstairs to put on a fresh dress before her walk into town.

  You can do this, Mary Fitzgerald. Just stick to the plan.

  Because Clive could get around without notice from Pa more readily than she could, he'd always been the one to spearhead any negotiations. This would be her first time directly handling any sort of a business deal. She felt queasy with nervousness as she changed dresses. She had to do it, though. It was time to start living her life and being the leader her brothers and sisters needed.

  The time had come to start putting the past behind her.

  ****

  Grady was surprised to see the four youngest Fitzgeralds approaching. Pushing the hat back on his head, he asked, "What can I do for y'all this fine day?" The only one who gave the impression he might have an answer was Clive, so Grady zeroed in on him. "Everything all right Clive?"

  Clive nodded. "I wanted to talk to you about a business matter, and Bobby didn't want to be left home with the girls."

  "Where's Mary?"

  Looking uncomfortable, Clive answered, "In town taking care of something."

  "Does she know you're here?"

  "Not exactly," Clive answered, his brown eyes moving evasively.

  Nodding his head in the direction of the farmhouse, Grady said, "Bobby, girls, why don't you so see if Gram has any cookies handy. I'm going to visit here with Clive for a few, and then we'll be on up to the house to join you." The three didn't need to be told twice. They all took off running toward the house like bears hungry from hibernation. Once they had the yard to themselves, Grady asked, "So what's on your mind, Clive?"

  "Well, see, it's like this," Clive said, finally making eye contact. "I'd like to talk to you about buying a horse."

  ****

  Mary walked down the boardwalk, head held high, gaze stiffly focused forward. Refusing to make eye contact with anyone, she avoided any judgment she might see there. She hoped Sarah would be at the stage office and able to direct Mary to her husband's location. As she approached the office, though, she was shocked at the sight of a behemoth building going up between it and the town proper. "Well, I'll be!"

  "She sure is a beauty, isn't she?" a male voice asked.

  Drawing her gaze away from the half-finished building and to the tall man standing in front of her, Mary asked, "Is this the new hotel I heard about?"

  "Sure is."

  "It's huge."

  "Larkspur's going to grow. This hotel is built to grow with it."

  Trying to place the man's accent, Mary said, "I am looking for Mr. Livingston. Do you know where I might find him?"

  With a deep bow and a flashy grin, the man said, "Samuel Livingston at your service. And who might you be?"

  Blushing at the pomp and circumstance, Mary forced false confidence into her posture and hoped her voice wouldn't crack, "Mary Fitzgerald, sir. It's a pleasure to meet you."

  "Well, Miss Fitzgerald, tell me what I can do for you. But I insist you call me Samuel."

  Samuel offered his arm to Mary as he indicated a makeshift table and chairs. It was made up of a large tree stump and some fairly solid looking crates, but it was placed in the middle of the road. Raising her eyebrow at the odd location and appearance of the table and chairs, Mary took his arm and allowed him to walk her over to it.

  Mary settled into her seat before he began talking. "I insisted on having my table and chairs where I could look over into the stage office and see my lovely wife and where she could keep an eye on me whenever she was wont to do so. Sometimes I have to meet with charming women such as yourself, and I didn't want Sarah to ever have any reason to think there was anything untoward going on."

  Mary nodded, almost understanding what he was saying. Then he continued, "Sarah, however, would not allow me to put a perfectly good set of table and chairs out here in the middle of the road by a construction site. So this is our compromise. I think it adds to the ambiance." Then, leaning back as if completely comfortable on his backless crate, he said, "I'd offer yo
u some coffee, but Sarah made it, and, trust me, you don't want any." When Samuel followed that statement with a wink, Mary was lost. She couldn't tell if the man was trifling with her or if this was simply his nature. This was not the sort of person she'd imagined Sarah would end up with someday.

  "I…" Mary's voice did indeed crack despite her best efforts. She tried again, "I came to discuss a business proposition with you."

  "You have my attention. Let me hear it."

  Mary took stock of the man before her. He had eyes that were a mix of brown and gold. His curly hair was blond. Of their own volition, her eyes returned to the flashy purple vest he wore. Taking a deep breath, she said, "We supply eggs and milk to Mrs. Ginty's boardinghouse. We would be interested in extending our services to include the hotel if we can come to an agreement on price."

  Nodding thoughtfully, Samuel asked, "Do you have enough to meet the demand of both locations?"

  Fidgeting, Mary answered, "No, sir, not at present. If the hotel became our client, though, we would increase our inventory so we are able to meet the demand. You would need to give us some insight into what that demand would be, of course."

  "The hotel business is funny. Sometimes you are booked to the gills with customers, and sometimes you are empty as can be. It's not always easy to predict."

  "If you are experienced in the hotel business," Mary said, "I would imagine you are reasonably able to predict and plan accordingly."

  Mary had not meant it to come out sounding like a challenge, but sure enough it did. The twinkle in Samuel's eyes told her she had not offended him. "This is true," he responded. "However, even the most experienced in the hotel business can be caught by surprise."

  "We are willing to be flexible within reason. In addition to breakfast, you have bread, desserts, soufflés, and other dishes requiring eggs. When we have an abundance of eggs at home, I do my baking and prepare dishes that require more eggs. When eggs are in short supply, I use fewer. We are happy to work with you and adjust to your fluctuations in business, but I would ask, in turn, you keep your expectations reasonable."

  "Define reasonable."

  Mary was glad she and Clive had discussed this beforehand. "If we agree, say, to three dozen eggs per day, and you have no customers, you still need to buy the three dozen eggs we bring you that morning. You can then tell us to reduce the order for the next day, or even two days, but you cannot send us back home with what we've brought you that day."

  Nodding, Samuel said, "I think that's fair. I can agree to those terms."

  Smiling for the first time since she'd met him, Mary said, "Excellent. Now tell me how many eggs you will want and when you are going to start needing them."

  Laughing, Samuel said, "You make an excellent businesswoman Mary Fitzgerald." When she sat there, back ramrod straight, still awaiting his reply, he spoke. "I hope for the hotel to be open by mid-October, but I can't be certain. When we get into October I should be able to pin it down more specifically for you. In addition, our order at first may be for no more than a dozen eggs per day. We won't have a large business up-front. It will take time. As I said, I am building this hotel to accommodate the growth in Larkspur, not because there is presently a need for this many hotel rooms."

  "Okay," Mary said, "I will check back with you in early October. Now, let's discuss milk, potatoes and onions." When Samuel waved her on with his hand, she continued, "Currently, we furnish the milk at Mrs. Ginty's. I'm happy to include the hotel as a customer, but I would need to know soon because it would require us to get at least one more milk cow, if not two. In addition, we have a harvest of potatoes and onions. We will be providing an ongoing supply to the mercantile, Mrs. Ginty's and, if you are interested, the hotel, throughout the winter months. You could place an order daily when we bring your eggs."

  "I'm interested in the onions and potatoes, but I want to discuss the milk first. How do you deliver your milk to Mrs. Ginty?"

  "In a bucket."

  "Is it strained first?"

  "No, sir." Mary said uncertainly.

  "If the hotel is going to purchase milk from you, it needs to be strained and delivered in milk jugs. Hotels go through a lot of milk, too. Two more cows might not be enough for you. Besides drinking and using it in coffee, it's used in baking and other dishes. Like you with your eggs, when we have too much milk, we fix more dishes with gravy and cream, and when we don't have enough milk we reserve it strictly for drinking and coffee."

  Mary looked stunned, "How many cows do you think?"

  "Well," Samuel said, "if the one cow you have now is plenty for Mrs. Ginty and your own family, then I would recommend adding two cows to meet the hotel's demand the first winter. As our clientele grows, then the number of cows would need to grow with it."

  Panic began to rise up and take hold of Mary. She refused to give in to it, though, and said, "I'm not sure if I can afford to do that."

  Nodding, Samuel said, "I understand. We'll come back to that in a minute. Let's discuss potatoes and onions first. What sort of price are you planning?"

  "Since we are also selling to the mercantile, which is the only other place around here you'll find potatoes or onions, we are willing to sell to you at a ten per cent discount off of whatever the mercantile is charging. The mercantile price will surely fluctuate throughout the winter, and so our price to you will follow theirs."

  "So, let me get this straight. I'll be paying you more than the mercantile is paying you?"

  "Yes. But you'll be paying us less than you'd be paying at the mercantile, and we'll deliver them right to your door each morning."

  "How do you plan to get all those things into town? The eggs, milk and vegetables?"

  "We'll carry it in on foot like we always have."

  Nodding patiently, Samuel said, "Your terms for the eggs are reasonable, and I'll agree to that. I also agree to the potatoes and onions for now. If I get a better offer, you may hear from me asking for a renegotiation. The milk is of interest to me if you think you can handle getting it strained and bottled and can manage two additional cows. I might have a counter-offer on the milk, but I need to give it some thought. Can you come back in a week and see me again?"

  "Yes, sir."

  Samuel stood and waited for her to stand also. He shook her hand warmly and said, "It's been a pleasure doing business with you, Mary. I look forward to seeing you next week."

  ****

  Samuel watched Mary walk toward town. When he turned to go speak to his wife, he found she'd already come out from the stage office and was standing a few feet behind him. "Is everything all right?" Sarah asked.

  Distractedly, Samuel said, "Yes, dear, everything's fine. Mary wanted to sell me eggs and milk and some vegetables for the hotel."

  "Are you going to buy them from her?" Sarah's voice gave away her hope. Samuel knew how she felt about Mary. She would want him to help the Fitzgerald family in any way he could.

  "We are still working out a couple of points, but yes, we are going to be buying from her." Samuel swooped down to give his wife a kiss when he saw the look of relief on her face. "I need to send Claudio on an errand today. Can you spare him?" When Sarah nodded, Samuel bound up the steps to the stage office. Sarah came through the door moments later and found him scribbling a note on paper and handing it to Claudio.

  "What's the errand?" she asked curiously.

  "I need to speak to Grady Carlisle. The milk is going to be an issue because she doesn't have enough cows. There's an idea bouncing around inside my head, but I want to talk it over with Grady first. He knows their situation. I don't want to propose a business deal if it's not going to be the best thing for them."

  Chapter Twenty

  Mary left her meeting with Samuel feeling lighter than she had in recent memory. There might be some obstacles, but she knew she and the kids would be okay. They could do business and find a way to survive.

  She would have been content to let Clive handle this meeting but was glad now that he'd push
ed her to deal with it. Something about Samuel Livingston made her feel a little off-kilter. He was certainly unconventional, no doubt about it. She wasn't sure she'd ever seen a man wear such a bright vest before and smiled at the recollection.

  As Mary was making a mental note to bake a pie for Sarah and her new husband, she heard her name called. Turning in surprise, she saw Minnie Smith, black hair shining in the sun, waving frantically from her parents' front porch. Mary made her way across the street and over to Minnie.

  "Good morning Mary! How are you doing? What brings you to town?"

  Smiling at Minnie's energy, so much like Gigi's, Mary answered, "I came to see the new hotel. How are you today, Minnie?"

  "I'm packing for college, and life is grand! I'll be leaving for San Francisco in ten days, and I have some things for you. Can you come in?"

  When Mary made her way up the porch steps, Minnie grabbed her by the arm and practically dragged her into the house. "Come see what I found!" Mary fought to keep up with Minnie as she ran through the house, weaving through doorways to end up in what appeared to be a small sitting room filled with trunks.

  "Mum told me I had to go through all my stuff from the attic, too. So I did, and I found all these trunks. Just look!" Minnie waved her arms expansively.

  Mary stood there looking at the trunks and finally said, "Impressive."

  "No, silly!" Minnie exclaimed. "Look in the trunks!" Then Minnie began opening trunks, and Mary gasped. The trunks were full of clothes Minnie had worn years ago when she was a little girl, clothes that would probably fit Lizzie and Gigi perfectly. Another trunk was full of material. Yard upon yard of material. Kneeling to get a better look, Mary could see it was nothing Minnie would ever use now. The patterns were too young and girlish. Any dress made from these materials would look ridiculous on anyone over the age of fourteen, even someone as slight of stature as Minnie.

  Almost certain Minnie was going to offer all of this to her but not wanting to seem greedy, Mary fingered some of the items and said, "This is all so beautiful."