Gold Rush Bride

by Shirley Kennedy

  She was about to be polite and say no when she spotted a display of lady’s bonnets. She might just take a look. One in particular stood out—a gray silk taffeta with a blue velvet bow that seemed to be calling to her. She tried it on. “Oh, I love this one!”

  After they left Fitzgerald’s store, Letty in her new bonnet, Garth took her to the top of Twin Peaks, where she caught a breathtaking view of the city and bay beyond. After that, they drove west to a section of the beach where several rocks jutted from the water, just beyond the breakers. A multitude of sea lions lived on the rocks. Letty watched, fascinated, as the huge creatures slept in the sunshine or honked noisily as they flopped about.

  On the way back, such gladness welled in Letty’s heart she turned to Garth and burst, “I have so enjoyed this day.”

  His blue eyes shone with pleasure. “My darling, this is just the beginning of many enjoyable days.”

  Before they returned to the Golden Phoenix, she asked him to stop at the Franklin Hotel. “Wait for me. I must see what my maid is up to.” She had to laugh. “If I have a maid anymore.”

  When Elfreda opened the door of her room and saw who was standing there, her face wreathed in a smile. “Miss Letty, come in. I’m happy to see you.”

  What a surprise. Elfreda’s sullen attitude was nowhere to be seen. She looked relaxed, even downright happy with a sparkle in her eye. After they were seated, Letty remarked, “I was a bit worried about you being here all by yourself, but you seem to be doing all right.”

  Elfreda burst into an unfamiliar booming peal of laughter. “I’m doing more than all right, thanks to Henry.”

  Letty had to think a moment before she recalled the porter who’d shown them to their room. “Has he shown an interest in you?”

  Elfreda snorted with disgust. “There’s other things in this world besides love and courtship. Being you’re in the midst of your big romance with Mr. Morgan, you can’t see that right now.”

  “So what do you mean?”

  Elfreda sighed patiently. “I expect you see Henry as a lowly hotel porter and nothing more. Am I right?”

  “I suppose, although I certainly don’t look upon him as lowly.”

  “He’s a lot more than what he seems.” Elfreda proudly raised her chin. “The moment I heard him speak, I knew where he was from. He’s not ‘Henry.’ He’s Chikelu from the village of Lywok in South Africa, not far from where I grew up. He’s an ex-slave who escaped and came to California where he thought he’d be free.”

  “But isn’t he? I mean, isn’t California a free state? Nobody can own a slave here.”

  “That’s what you think.” Elfreda mocked her with one of her disgusted looks. “In 1851, California passed a law that says it’s a free state, but there’s lots of greedy men who say it’s not. Chikelu was lucky. After he escaped from that Georgia plantation, his owner never came after him. Some owners do, though. As the law stands now, they can go to court and win. As a result, slaves are returned to their masters right here in California.”

  “I didn’t know. That’s terrible.”

  “Chikelu is the leader of a group that’s fighting for a new law that will stop all that.” A glowing light of purpose shone in Elfreda’s eyes. “For years I’ve carried a lot of anger inside me, but what could I do? Now, thanks to Chikelu, I’m going to join him and fight back.”

  “Oh, my stars!” With a slow, disbelieving shake of her head, Letty continued, “I always saw you only as our cook and kitchen maid. I never gave a thought to what you were thinking and feeling.”

  “Miss Letty, even though I was free, you never thought of me as a human being.”

  “Well, I do now, and I think what you’re doing is absolutely splendid.”

  “Then you don’t mind?”

  “Of course not. Do you have enough money? If you don’t—”

  “I’ll be fine. I’ve saved some money, and Chikelu will help if I need anything.”

  Letty smiled softly. “Are you sure there’s nothing between you?”

  “Maybe, maybe not. All I know is, I’ve finally found my purpose in life. I’ve never been happier.”

  “Well, then…” She rose to leave. “I shall miss you.”

  “And I’ll miss you, Miss Letty. I—” Elfreda choked and for a moment could not go on. “I never used to like you. I thought you were shallow, frivolous and had no heart. But then we went on this crazy journey, and I changed my mind. You and I have been through a lot together. I’ve seen you at your best, and I’ve seen you at your worst, and what I think is, you did just fine all the way.”

  “I shall treasure your words, Elfreda.”

  Her maid got a spark of amusement in her eye. “Just one more thing. I’m not Elfreda anymore.”

  “You’re not? Then who are you?”

  “I’m Takisha now.”

  Takisha. She’d have to remember that. “What does it mean?”

  “It’s the name I was born with, an old African name from my village that means ‘happy and alive.’” A broad smile lit her former maid’s face, the broadest Letty had ever seen. “That’s what I am now, happy and alive, thanks to you.”

  “Really? What did I do?”

  “If not for you, I’d still be in Boston, still scared the man who owned me would come and take me away. Maybe he would have, too, and I’m so very thankful that I went on that God-awful journey with you.” With a trace of laughter, she added, “Although I could have done without the scorpion.”

  When Letty said good-bye, she was glad she’d remembered Elfreda’s new name and made a point to say it. “Good-bye, Takisha. We’ll keep in touch. We went through a lot, didn’t we? Went through some good times and some bad times together. You’ll always be dear to my heart, and I wish you the very best in everything you do.”

  Her former maid got tears in her eyes, the first time Letty had ever seen them there. “I love you, Miss Letty. I’m happy for you and Mr. Morgan, and I’m going to pray nothing goes wrong.”

  “Thanks for the thought, but you don’t need to worry. He’s asked me to marry him. You’re invited to the wedding.”

  “I’ll be there, and if you don’t mind, I’ll bring Chikelu along.”

  Letty’s spirits rose to new heights as she left the Franklin Hotel and found Garth waiting for her. “Wait ’til you hear what my maid is up to,” she called. “I mean my former maid.” Climbing into the carriage, she hoped Elfreda—no Takisha—wouldn’t waste time worrying about Garth and her. Except for Charles, everything was perfect. Her troubles were over. Nothing could possibly go wrong.

  Chapter 17

  That evening, Letty dined alone in her room. Garth had gone down the peninsula to San Jose on business and wouldn’t be back until morning. “I’m sending a seamstress to see you,” he’d said. “It’s time for a new dress or two, don’t you think?”

  She had readily agreed and now was enjoying the unfamiliar solitude. In Boston, she’d spent many a contented hour by herself, reading, playing her piano or working at the museum. All that changed the day she set foot in steerage on the Mirabello where no such thing as privacy existed. But looking back on her harrowing journey, she wouldn’t change a thing. Her trip to California would be something to tell her children about, and her grandchildren—hers and Garth’s, what a lovely thought.

  Someone was knocking, probably the seamstress. She hastened to open the door and got an unpleasant surprise. The red-headed woman she’d seen on the pier stood in the doorway. Garth’s mistress. If not for the red hair, Letty wouldn’t have recognized her. The flamboyant outfit from yesterday was gone, replaced by a simple black dress so completely unadorned she could have been going to a funeral. Her expression matched the dress, strained and unhappy, as if she was in mourning. “You wanted to see me?”

  “If you are Miss Tinsley. I’m Lillian Belmont, and I’d like to talk to you.” The woman glanced down. A little girl stood by her side, a pretty little thing with blon
d curls and bright blue eyes. “This is Beatrice, my daughter. She’s four years old.”

  Why was she here? Taken by surprise, Letty swung the door wide. “Come in.”

  “Wait in the hallway, sweetheart,” Lillian said to her daughter. “This won’t take long.”

  Letty hastened to speak up. “I don’t mind if she comes in.”

  “She will wait in the hall.” Leaving the girl outside, Lillian swept in and seated herself on one of the room’s velvet padded chairs. “So you are Garth’s new love,” she said in a matter-of-fact way. Her gaze swept over Letty, seeming to examine every inch of her. “He said you were beautiful, and I see you are. My, my, what lovely blond hair.”

  The hostile edge in Lillian’s voice warned her this was no social visit. No need to be all that polite. “Why are you here?”

  Lillian gave her a thin-lipped smile. “This will come as a shock, dear. You’d better sit down.”

  Taking any suggestion from this woman was galling, but curiosity made her sink into the chair across. “Go on.”

  “I take no pleasure in this, you understand.”

  “Go on.”

  “After you saw Garth and me on the pier yesterday, I’m sure he went to great lengths to explain himself.”

  “So what if he did?”

  “I should imagine he told you the truth, that I’ve been his mistress, paramour, lover—whatever you wish to call it for many years. Am I right?”

  Letty wasn’t about to acknowledge anything this woman said. “Just go on.”

  “I suppose he told you he’s in love with you, so madly in love he dumped his old mistress on the spot—kicked her right out the door—and wants to marry you. Am I right?”

  Letty was getting a sick feeling in her stomach. “Get to the point.”

  “He’s done this before, Letty. I can’t tell you the number of women he’s cheated and lied to. He’s hurt me so many times I can’t count, but what can I do? I love him. Even though he’s a cunning, deceitful scoundrel, I can’t bring myself to leave.” Lillian’s mouth took on an unpleasant twist. “You haven’t seen much of the world, have you? I can see you’re a refined young woman who’s led a sheltered life—just the kind of gullible woman Garth takes advantage of. Mark my words, he will never marry you. If you have the sense of a goose, you’ll leave right now.”

  “I am not a gullible woman, Miss Belmont, and I resent your assuming that I am.”

  Lillian shook her head with sympathy. “I’ve made you angry, and I’m sorry, but some day you’ll thank me for telling you the truth about Garth Morgan.”

  How dare this woman presume to tell her how she felt, let alone give her advice? Not only that, she was telling lies. The man she described was not the kind, compassionate man Letty knew. “Perhaps you’re well intentioned, but I refuse to believe you.” She stood and pointed toward the door. “I don’t have to listen to this. It’s best you leave.”

  The woman showed no signs of departing. With a patient sigh, she sank back in her chair and regarded Letty with pitying eyes. “I was hoping to avoid the worst but apparently not. Beatrice, the little girl you just met, is Garth’s daughter.”

  For a few seconds, Letty could only stare wide-eyed. She couldn’t speak because she’d lost all her breath, like someone had just punched her in the stomach. Her knees buckled. She had to sit down again. “Garth’s daughter?”

  “Yes, but he doesn’t know. Please…” A muscle quivered in Lillian’s jaw. Tears glistened in her eyes. “God only knows what he’d do to me if he found out. I’ll tell you everything, but you must give me your word you’ll never let him know I told you.”

  What was Lillian after? She’d better listen whether she wanted to hear it or not. “All right, I promise, if that’s what you want, but why are you telling me this?”

  Lillian ignored her question. She produced a lace handkerchief and dabbed at her eyes. “It was nearly five years ago. I’d been with Garth only months when I discovered I was in a family way. We were so in love I expected he’d be delighted when I told him, but instead…” She choked up and had to dab at her eyes again. “I have never seen such anger. He didn’t want the baby. Insisted I get rid of it.”

  She seemed so sincerely distraught, Letty half believed her. “How awful.”

  “Can you understand the dilemma I was in? I wanted to please him, but how could I get rid of our love child when I couldn’t bear the thought?”

  “It…it must have been difficult.”

  “I couldn’t do it. I decided to have the baby, whether he approved or not. When I started to show, I deceived him—pretended I was going to visit my mother back east. I stayed away until my precious Beatrice was born. Garth never knew a thing.”

  “You said he doesn’t know. What did you do with her?”

  “It wasn’t easy, but I found a farm couple who were willing to raise her, for a price, of course.” Clutching her now-soggy handkerchief, Lillian raised her head proudly. “But all that was going to change. In all good conscience, I couldn’t deceive Garth any longer. I decided when he got back from this last trip, I was going to tell him the truth. I thought if he met Beatrice—saw what a sweet, bright little girl she was, how could he not love her? When I met Garth on the pier yesterday, I was more sure than ever that I was doing the right thing. He seemed changed somehow—not so focused on himself like he was before. For the first time, I saw compassion in his eyes. My hopes lifted, but then… Oh, my poor little girl.” Her lip quivered. In a broken whisper, she continued, “Before I could tell him, he told me about you. Loves you, he said. Wants to marry you. Can you imagine how I feel? I am beyond devastated. Now Beatrice will never have a father.” Her tears started flowing again.

  The poor woman. Letty fought the urge to reach out and comfort her. She waited until Lillian stopped crying and asked in a quiet voice, “What would you have me do?”

  “Leave!” Lillian fairly screeched at her. “Get out of his life. He’ll only hurt you if you stay. Give me a chance. Give Beatrice a chance. My little girl deserves a father and a decent home.”

  Letty swallowed the sudden despair in her throat. She must maintain her pride and dignity at all costs. She arose and stood waiting. “I shall consider what you’ve just told me, Miss Belmont. I think you should leave now.”

  “I’m in your hands, Miss Tinsley. I trust you’ll do the right thing.”

  Clutching the soggy lace handkerchief, Garth’s mistress left without another word. When she was gone, Letty closed her eyes, willing herself not to cry. She must decide what to do, but at the moment her brain was so numb she couldn’t think straight. Maybe the woman was lying, but Letty didn’t think so. Her story had the ring of truth. Those tears were real, and even more real was the little girl with the blue eyes, just like Garth’s blue eyes, who’d been made to stand in the hallway. Letty looked around the room with its plush carpet and Louis XVI gilded furnishings, all so beautiful. Too beautiful to last and she might have known. Just like her romance with Garth had been a fairy tale, too improbable to ever be believed.

  Another knock on her door jolted her from her dark thoughts. She must pull herself together. Even though she hadn’t yet cried, she must look terrible, the shock of Lillian’s words surely showing on her face, but she’d better answer.

  It was Mathew. He took one look and asked, “Is something wrong?”

  “Everything’s wrong. Come in.” She must try to put her thoughts in order, make some sort of plan. “Mr. Morgan won’t be back ’til morning?”

  “Yes, that’s right, Miss Tinsley. He went to San Jose on business.”

  “I wonder if you might help me.”

  “Of course, anything. What would you have me do?”

  “I’m leaving. I’ll need help with my luggage and a ride to the Franklin Hotel.”

  His eyes went wide. “But… Does Mr. Morgan know?”

  “No, he doesn’t, and I don’t want him to know.” She tried her
best to sound crisp and sure of herself, not easy when her thoughts were so scrambled she could hardly talk. “Could you come back in half an hour? I should be packed and ready by then.”

  After he left, she packed swiftly, tossing clothes into her bag with no regard to neatness. When he came back, she was ready to go. He shook his head as if genuinely concerned. “Are you sure you want to leave? I don’t think Mr. Morgan—”

  “I’m sure, Mathew.”

  She walked out the front entrance of Garth’s beautiful Golden Phoenix Hotel with her head held high. What the future held, she didn’t know. What she did know was she’d lost the only man she could ever love. Her only consolation, and it wasn’t much, was her sure belief she was doing the right thing, just as poor Lillian had requested.

  “Miss Letty? What are you doing here?” Her former maid stood in the doorway of her room at the Franklin, an astonished expression on her face.

  “Sorry to bother you, Elfreda—I mean Takisha—but…but…” She could not go on. So far, she hadn’t cried, but just the sight of her former servant sparked treasured memories of Boston, back in another lifetime when she’d felt safe, secure and happy, surrounded by a loving family. So much had changed. Now she’d lost everything. Nothing but a bleak future lay ahead. She tried to hold back a rush of tears but lost the battle. “Oh, Takisha!”

  Inside the room, door closed, she cried her heart out in Takisha’s arms, her head resting on the black woman’s shoulder. “I’ve lost Mr. Morgan,” she sobbed. “I loved him so much, and he…he…”

  “Now, now Miss Letty. Things can’t be as bad as they seem.”

  “No, they’re worse.”

  When her tears finally stopped, she felt better. Not much, but now she didn’t feel so alone. Takisha fixed them each a cup of tea. “Now, tell me what happened. I can’t believe Mr. Morgan did something bad.”

  Letty had cried all the tears she was going to cry and told her story with dry eyes. When she finished, Takisha tipped her head and asked, “You believe Miss Belmont?”