The Golden Bride

by Kimberley Woodhouse

  When she was finished, he stood and offered his arm. “Shall we get to our errands?”

  With a light laugh, she removed her apron and took his arm. “I don’t know if buying a new bonnet is an errand worthy in a man’s opinion, but I must admit I’m excited about going to the bank. You’ll have to teach me how all of this works because this is all brand new to me.”

  He held the door open for her as she exited. “Well good, we will just have to help each other because bonnet buying is a new adventure to me as well.”

  She couldn’t help the smile that broke out over her face. It wasn’t just Joseph Sawyer’s eyes that intrigued her, and she couldn’t wait to spend more time with him. Even though her mind told her she shouldn’t.

  The rest of the afternoon passed in a blur as he took her to the bank just down the street from Livingston’s. She deposited all but ten dollars into an account that had her very own name on it. The thought was thrilling. Placing the remaining money into the pocket of her dress, she felt strange to be carrying around that much cash. Never had she had more than a few coins. But with Joseph accompanying her, she felt a bit safer.

  At the mercantile, she walked up and down the rows of goods, amazed that she could afford to purchase a special item or two if she chose. It made her smile as she touched a pair of gloves that were softer than anything she’d ever experienced. Glancing up, she noticed Joseph watching her. The soft light in his eyes made a blush rise up her neck. Had he observed her fascination? The last thing she wanted was to embarrass herself in front of a man of means—at least Joseph appeared that way—by showing him that she was a novice around beautiful things.

  Moving back toward the front of the shop, Olivia decided it was best to focus on what she came to purchase—a serviceable bonnet. As she perused the small assortment, she couldn’t believe the prices. No wonder they’d gotten so much money for Hezekiah’s supplies—everything seemed to be doubled or even tripled in price.

  A beautiful deep blue bonnet caught her eye. The entire hat was covered in velvet and had lighter blue silk flowers sewn around the wide brim. It was lovely. But as soon as she saw the price tag, she walked away and settled for a much simpler and cheaper cotton bonnet.

  Joseph had stayed within a few steps of her in the store but had given her space as she’d looked around. While she appreciated his consideration, she realized she missed the easy conversation they’d had at the bank and on the walk over.

  After she made her purchase, he met her at the door and offered his arm once again. “Would you like to see any other shops on this street before we head back?”

  “That would be nice.” She fell into step beside him. His tall frame made her feel safe and secure.

  “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to pry, but those were your husband’s things I sold?”

  “Yes. He had the notion to come to San Francisco and find gold.” She tried to keep the sarcasm from her voice, but it didn’t work.

  He was silent for a moment. “I can imagine it’s difficult for you with him gone.”

  She hesitated before she answered. It seemed like such an intimate thing to share, but he was her friend and she desperately needed a friend. “I didn’t know him very well, and we were only married a few weeks. I don’t quite know what I feel, especially since I’d just lost my parents. I guess I just feel a bit lost.” Why had she told him that last part? She certainly didn’t need him thinking that she was searching for a man to fill a role in her life.

  “I’m so sorry for all the loss you’ve had to endure.”

  “Thank you.” She needed to get the topic of conversation onto something safer. “I just realized that I don’t know what you do, Mr. Sawyer. It appears that you do quite well for yourself. I know you helped my brother out with a load of supplies and that you are on the city council, but do you have any other occupation?”

  “I … uh …” He cleared his throat. Then he looked down at her with a sad sort of a smile and stopped walking.

  Whatever could be so shocking that he couldn’t say it out loud? “I didn’t mean to embarrass you or make you uncomfortable.”

  “My apologies. It’s best to just be honest. But you see I already know what you think of my occupation, and I’m hesitant to tell you because I don’t want you to think poorly of me.”

  She released his arm and faced him. The fact that he cared about her opinion impressed her, but it didn’t stop her heart from skipping a little faster. “Now you really have my curiosity piqued, Mr. Sawyer. But I can tell you that I know too much about you already to think poorly of you.”

  “I’m glad you can say that, but I understand if you change your mind.” He looked away for a brief moment and then turned back to look into her eyes. His gaze serious. “Because … I own a gold mine.”

  You’re a gold miner?” As her eyebrows shot up, Olivia couldn’t keep the shock from her voice. Of all the things in the world, she’d never expected to hear Joseph Sawyer tell her that he did the very thing she despised most. And it wasn’t just because Hezekiah had gone off and gotten himself gold fever. No. But the evidence of what that profession established was all around her in this crime-infested, ramshackle city. Day after day she’d witnessed one gold miner after another.

  He looked out to the street and then back to her. “Well, not anymore … That is, I mean … I own the mine but don’t do any of the mining myself these days. I have men who work for me.”

  “I see.” The look in his brown eyes—almost as if he begged for her approval—made her feel like a hypocrite. Didn’t she just tell him that she knew too much about him to think poorly of him? But how could she justify that in her mind? Turning forward, she started walking again. What was she supposed to do with this news? “Your business must be doing very well for you to hire employees. I haven’t been here long but know enough for that to be true.”

  He kept his stride in sync with hers. “It is. I must say that the Lord has really blessed me.”

  A volcano of emotions warred within her. Could his success truly be a blessing from the Lord? Here was a man who was her brother’s closest friend. He seemed honorable and a gentleman—especially when she compared him to every other man she’d met in this sin-filled city—yet she wanted to dislike him because of his occupation. In her defense, that occupation had turned countless men into a bunch of money-crazed idiots.

  Shaking her head of the judgmental thoughts, she remembered the little white church he’d built. Didn’t it make a difference that a man with such a depraved line of work did something noble and good with his money? Besides Daniel, Joseph was the only friend she had.

  “Olivia, I’m sorry. I know you despise it. I was just hoping that we could still be friends. I couldn’t be dishonest with you about this.”

  She stopped and turned to face him again. “I appreciate your honesty.” And she did. That meant more than he would ever know, because the majority of men were less than truthful, another thing she witnessed day in and day out. But his revelation bothered her just the same.

  “Friends?” He offered her his arm again.

  Oh, what did it matter? If Daniel trusted the man, she had no reason to doubt him. She slipped her hand into the crook of his arm and smiled. “Friends.”

  In amiable silence, he led her down the street and back to the restaurant, the one building she knew. Of course, it was also her home. Could she really call this place home? Never in a million years would she choose this town as a place to live. It wasn’t anything like what she’d dreamed and hoped for, but here she was.

  It had been so pleasant to get out for a bit. And if she were being honest with herself, it had been nice to be accompanied by Joseph. Even his revelation didn’t seem to affect her in the way she expected. Just because the man owned a gold mine didn’t mean he was heinous.

  Her thoughts flew back to the journals. Maybe she could learn a thing or two more from her ancestors. Mary Elizabeth had overcome her fear and hesitation when it came to so many things,
especially the people with whom they’d traveled to the New World. Why, she’d even married one of the Strangers—something that, as a Separatist, she thought she’d never do. The thought brought a smile to Olivia’s face. After reading that first journal, her heart didn’t feel nearly as heavy or depressed. So maybe she was a widow and would remain alone the rest of her life, but couldn’t she at least make the best of it and stop all these judgmental thoughts when a man as good as Joseph had proven himself trustworthy?

  He opened the front door of the dining room for her.

  Allowing her smile to grow, she gazed into his eyes. Such nice eyes. “Thank you for a lovely afternoon and for all of your help.”

  “I am glad to be of assistance.” He gave a slight bow.

  “Even if the assistance has to do with bonnets?”

  His deep chuckle washed over her and made her feel warm. “Yes. Although I believe I proved not to be very helpful in that department.”

  “Maybe with practice you’ll get better at it. I know for certain that I wouldn’t have understood a thing at the bank today without your help. So please, accept my deepest thanks.”

  “You are most welcome. Perhaps we can do it again sometime … the outing, that is.” The smile he shot her made her stomach do a little flip. What was wrong with her? First his eyes, then the dimples, and now his smile.

  “I’ll look forward to seeing you at lunch tomorrow, Joseph.” She offered her hand.

  His brows lifted a bit as he glanced down at her hand, but then he clasped it and shook it. “I’ll see you then.”

  Joseph made his way back to the wharf to check on all the men he’d rescued. He easily found out that not only had everyone recovered, they’d taken other jobs—one even went off to look for gold. He wished he’d known that sooner. He would have offered to hire the man himself. But with Dewei’s brothers coming, it was probably for the best. Of course, his mine could probably use at least five more able-bodied workers, but that was if he wanted to find all the gold as fast as they could. At least at this point, he knew that he’d be able to keep his men employed for a while.

  As he strolled down Market Street, he shoved his hands into his pockets. He hadn’t given a lot of thought to what he would do after the mine. Truth be told, he really hadn’t thought about anything other than gold mining. Once he’d gotten his life straight, he’d given all the credit to God and thought the blessing of the mine was his to bear.

  Seeing the look on Olivia’s face had made his heart sink. It didn’t take a genius to know that she loathed gold miners. Then there was the statement she’d made that she would never marry a gold miner. So where did that leave him, especially since he hadn’t been able to get the pretty widow off his mind? It was not something he wanted to admit to Daniel anytime soon, but his friend was astute. Before long, Joseph was sure that the restaurant owner would figure it out.

  Joseph was smitten.

  The woman had overcome a lot of hardship and obstacles in the last few months, including making it all the way to the city by herself. That told him a lot about her character. But if he was completely honest, he had to admit he’d admired her as soon as she’d given that customer his pie. In the face. It made him chuckle just to think of it.

  Olivia Brighton wasn’t a dainty flower—even though she was as pretty as one—and he liked that. Most men seemed to want women who were sweet and docile, but Joseph had come to realize he wanted a woman he could also respect. Granted, he hadn’t met more than ten women in this city, but Olivia was different.

  Today when they were at the bank, her genuine interest in learning about financial and banking matters made him proud. As they’d perused the mercantile, he’d silently watched her blue eyes light up at a bonnet that clearly struck her fancy, but practicality had won out for the widow even though she had the money to pay for the much more expensive hat.

  Perhaps if he’d known her longer, he would have purchased that blue bonnet for her straightaway, but that wasn’t the case. Besides, he was determined to get to know her better over the coming weeks.

  Thoughts of her continued to fill his mind until Joseph shook his head. It couldn’t be healthy for him to continue to daydream about his friend’s sister. Then there was the problem of his still owning the mine. He couldn’t imagine ever gaining Olivia’s favor if he continued. But what would he do? Was mining for gold for the rest of his life what the good Lord had for him? Or could he build a business like Daniel had? Perhaps he could still do a lot of good in this city that way. He thought he’d never want to raise a family here. Or would he? That was a thought that hadn’t crossed his mind too often, because he’d never had someone that interested him like Olivia.

  Turning around at the dock once again, he headed back to town. He had more than enough work to keep him busy. It was just as well. These thoughts weren’t getting him anywhere. Perhaps it would be good to have a discussion over prayer with Daniel about the mine and whether he should keep it. Joseph still felt new at his faith and wanted to do the right thing. The last thing he wanted to tell his friend, though, was that his thoughts were motivated by a woman. And not just any woman … his friend’s sister.

  As he started back up the hill, a familiar figure caught his attention. The man looked both ways and darted between two buildings. If he wasn’t mistaken, it was George Banister. Now what was that man up to?

  Out of instinct, Joseph followed the man’s tracks. Was he being presumptuous? Assuming the worst? While it was true that George irritated Joseph, it still didn’t mean that the man was up to no good. For Pete’s sake, the man was on the city council with him, and they’d all sworn an oath to protect and do what was best for their city. But that didn’t stop the feeling in his gut that something wasn’t right.

  After winding in between tents and shacks, Joseph thought he’d lost the man. He scanned the area around him and didn’t see George. But the farther he pushed into this section of town, the worse the feeling got in the pit of his stomach. Sounds of crying reached his ears. Trying to locate the source, he had to pull a handkerchief out of his pocket to cover his nose because the air was quite rank. As the crying grew, the smell intensified. It seemed to surround him at every turn. Filth and decay encircled him. Heaviness at the mess in his city pressed down into his chest.

  The cries grew in volume and turned to the sounds of sobs and howling. Had he heard someone cry for help? Or was it just the stark misery around him that made him conjure up that word?

  Standing in the middle of the street, he wished he could find the source of the wailing. What bothered him most was that it wasn’t just one voice—it seemed to be multiple voices. Had someone died? Could that be the reason for the sad sounds?

  Joseph closed his eyes and tried to sense the direction of the clamor. The more he listened, the more his gut told him that, yes, he was correct. That was the sound of multiple people crying.

  A bump from a solid form almost knocked him over. “Good gracious, Sawyer! What on earth are you doing in this part of town?” George’s voice penetrated his thoughts.

  Joseph’s eyes flew open. “Why, I was following the sound of crying. I could ask you the same question, Banister.” Raising an eyebrow, he wished he could intimidate the man to tell the truth, but he doubted that would ever happen. George was slippery at every turn.

  “Well, as you know, my employer is extremely generous and has a heart for the downtrodden. I bring meals down here for the poor wretched souls as often as I can.”

  “Down here.” Joseph pointed to the ground. “On Pacific Street?”

  “Of course. The Hounds know me and wouldn’t dare instigate any fights with my employer.” George put an arm around Joseph’s shoulders. “But I wouldn’t put them past messing with a dandy like you, Sawyer. I suggest you leave while it is still daylight. I would hate to see some ill fate befall a fellow city councilman.”

  George pushed Joseph’s shoulders, trying to get rid of him. Of that Joseph was sure. But why? It certainly
wasn’t for his safety. Joseph couldn’t figure out any other good options, however. “What about the crying? Don’t you hear it?”

  “Oh, there’s a lot of sickness going around in this area right now. That’s why I brought so many supplies.” The man looked down at his hands. “But I’m all finished now, and it’s best to leave before we catch the death ourselves.” George put a hand to Joseph’s back and started walking away. “It was good to see you, Sawyer, but it’s quite unsafe for you here.”

  Why the push to go? And what had the man been up to? Deciding it was best to leave this part of town for now, he nodded at George. “Well, keep up the good work. Perhaps at our next council meeting, you can tell us all about this extra charity work that you perform. Maybe we can all pitch in and help.”

  “Of course, of course!” The smile on the man’s face was anything but genuine.

  Joseph let it slide for the moment. As he walked away, he decided that there had to be another way to find out what George Banister and his employer were really up to. And he aimed to find out as soon as he could.

  Life settled into a good routine for Olivia. Her days were filled with working at the restaurant, a late lunch with Daniel and Joseph as they discussed what they could do to help their city, and then more hours serving the customers their meals. Whenever she could, she spent a few minutes convincing every customer they had to sign their petition for the city council.

  The only difference came on Sundays, when they closed the restaurant for the morning hours and went to church. Oh, there’d been lots of complaints about no breakfast on Sunday mornings, but she’d made sure to tell all the men that they’d do better to be in church than in the restaurant for breakfast anyway. Not that the complaints stopped, but every once in a while one of the men would show up at church. And getting any of the ne’er-do-wells in church was a good thing.