Parts 1-3
Part 1
Victoria woke in the darkness to the familiar scent of her husband�s shaving soap. �Royce?�
�Did I wake you, my love?�
�What are you doing up so early?�
�I couldn�t sleep.�
�You�re excited about the trip, aren�t you?�
�I haven�t been back to the Point since I graduated.�
�Forty-eight years ago.�
�A lifetime.� He sat down on the edge of the bed and stroked her hair. �So, yes, I�m excited�and a little afraid, too.�
�Because not everyone understood your decision to resign your commission and fight for the South?�
�The ones who understood knew that I wasn�t fighting for the South. I just couldn�t fight against it.�
�It was a long time ago.�
�Some people are still fighting the war�especially here in the South. Still, I want to go back. The letter from Gideon Merrill assured me that I�d be welcomed�at least by some.�
She sat up and put her arms around his neck. �I�ll be so proud to be introduced as Mrs. Royce Wardell.�
�I shall be very proud to introduce you as my wife.� He kissed her. �I do love you, Victoria.�
**********
�Do I look all right, Mother?� Kate turned from the mirror and spread her arms.
�You look lovely, darling. But your hair is down, and your Papa gave you permission to put it up for the reception tonight.�
�I know, but he likes it down, and I want this evening to be perfect for him.�
�As do I.�
�He�s nervous, isn�t he?�
�Apprehensive, I think.�
�I don�t understand how anyone could hold a man�s convictions against him!�
�You didn�t live through the War, Kate. Neither did I for that matter, not really. California was the West, and though we sent soldiers to fight for the Union, we were far removed from the carnage.�
�Amanda�s father says that the Union soldiers were butchers.�
�I�m sure he saw them that way.�
�And yet Heath was so abused at Carterson, and that was a southern prison!�
�It wasn�t a prison, Kate, it was a man-made hell. That�s the reality of war�it�s man-made. No side is entirely right or entirely wrong, and both are guilty of atrocities at some point.�
�So if Papa had stayed in the army and fought for the North, he wouldn�t be accepted in Nashville the way he is.�
�It�s unlikely.�
�You�re right, Mother. I don�t understand.�
�There�s no need for you to, Kate. Just be there for your father tonight.�
�Royce Wardell?� The well-dressed man extended his left arm. The right was missing.
�Gideon Merrill!�
�I�m glad you came, Royce. It�s time to put aside what happened a quarter of a century ago.�
�I agree.�
The man glanced at his empty sleeve. �Chancellorsville.�
�I�m sorry.�
�I am, too, but I�d be sorrier not to be alive. Now, introduce me to these two lovely ladies.�
�My wife Victoria and our daughter Kate.�
Victoria offered her hand which Gideon raised to his lips. �I am delighted. And Miss Kate.� She stifled a nervous giggle as he kissed her fingertips, too. �My wife passed away last year, but my daughter is here somewhere, and my granddaughter is just about your age, I�d say, Miss Kate.�
�I�m sixteen.�
�A perfect match.� He glanced around the room. �Ah, there they are!� At his beckoning, two expensively-dressed women joined him. �Martha, I would like you to meet an old and dear friend, Royce Wardell. His wife Victoria, and their daughter Kate. And this is my granddaughter, Riva Uriel.�
�Mrs. Wardell.� Martha offered her hand almost stiffly.
�Mrs. Uriel, it�s a pleasure. Your daughter favors you charmingly.�
Martha Uriel�s shoulders straightened noticeably. �How nice of you to say that!� She looked at Kate as if trying to return the compliment but found nothing to say.
Kate�s open, friendly smile saved the moment. �My brother Nick says I�m quite stubborn, just like Mother!�
�I�ve found that family resemblance is often more a result of living together, don�t you agree, Mrs. Uriel?�
�Why, yes, I do. Riva is very quiet�like my mother who raised her for a number of years.�
Gideon took Royce�s arm. �Shall we leave the ladies to get acquainted? I�ve been wanting to get acquainted with the bar.� He nodded in the direction of the anteroom where two men clad in white jackets were serving drinks.
�Please go, Royce,� Victoria said quickly. �Kate and Riva probably shouldn�t hear any of your tales anyway.�
Royce kissed her cheek. �I daresay you�re right, my love.�
Victoria indicated a grouping of chairs. �Shall we make ourselves at home in that alcove?�
Riva looked at Kate from beneath thick, dark lashes. �Would you like to go outside and see the Point in the moonlight? It�s quite beautiful.�
Victoria nodded her consent. �But don�t wander far, Kate.�
�No, I won�t, Mother. Thank you!�
�Your grandfather is very handsome,� Kate began as the two girls walked toward the door. �As handsome as Papa�almost!�
Riva smiled her appreciation at the joke. �Grandfather told me that Mr. Wardell resigned from the army to fight for the South.�
�Well, it was his home. He couldn�t fight against them.�
�No, of course not, and I didn�t mean it as a criticism. It�s just that Grandfather wasn�t sure he�d come tonight because not everyone understands that.�
�Papa knew that when he accepted the invitation.�
�I hope he doesn�t regret coming.�
�Why? Do you think someone will. ..�
�No, not really. I hope not. I�m so tired of all the fighting!�
Kate stopped. �I don�t understand what you mean.�
Riva sank down on one of the stone benches at the edge of the veranda. �People come to see Grandfather all the time just to talk about the War. They call the people in the South terrible names.�
�But the war has been over for thirty years!�
�There�s a group that wants. . .� Riva twisted her hands in her lap. �I probably shouldn�t be telling you this.�
�It�s all right. I won�t say anything unless I think Papa should know.�
�There�s a group that feels the South wasn�t punished enough after the War.�
�Papa says the South suffered most of all�homes destroyed, women and children starved to death�and then there were the years of so-called Reconstruction.�
�That�s what Grandfather says, too.�
�So why do the men talk to him?�
�He was their commanding officer�a major-general�and he�s also a United States senator.�
�Yes, I know�that he�s a senator, that is.�
�They want him to introduce a bill in Congress that calls for all Confederate officers to be investigated for their part in the War�and if they were responsible for�atrocities�they should be prosecuted.�
�That�s absurd! It would never pass! And Papa says that the men responsible for doing terrible things were punished. But even General Lee wasn�t sent to prison!�
�Grandfather says that, too.�
Kate warmed to her new acquaintance. �You�re very different from the girls I went to school with.�
�How?�
�Oh, that�s a compliment, Riva, a sincere one! They weren�t interested in doing anything but graduating and coming out and then getting married. I�m going to college and then to medical school.�
�You want to be a doctor? My father was a doctor.�
�How interesting!�
�He died last year.�
�I�m sorry.� Kate covered Riva�s hands briefly with her own. �I�m really sorry. You must miss him terribly!�
�Not really. Oh, I loved him very much, but he was away much of the time. Mother often traveled with him, so that�s why I lived with my grandparents.�
�And you lost your grandmother last year, too. Oh, Riva!�
�Actually, they�they died together. Someone�someone shot them.�
Kate thought for a moment that she�d never breathe again.
�My father was Jewish, you see, so that makes me half-Jewish. His family was very wealthy, and he used the money he inherited, as well as his skill as a doctor, to help people who�well, who weren�t always people that some thought should be helped.�
�Like who?�
�Mother won�t talk about it in much detail, but she often went with him. She�s a trained nurse, you see. They traveled out of the country for months at a time.�
Kate wished the other girl would get back to the subject of her father�s death, but she was too polite to ask questions.
�Anyway, when they arrived home from Europe last year, my grandparents took me to New York to meet the ship. My mother came off first, followed by my father, and I broke away and ran toward them, and there was a gunshot. It hit my mother, and my grandmother started running toward us. There was another shot, and she went down�and finally a third shot hit my father in the head.�
�Oh, Riva!�
�Father and my grandmother died there on the dock before we could get help. Mother recovered. We�ve been living with Grandfather ever since.�
�I�m so very sorry!�
�I don�t know why I�m telling you all this, but Grandfather said that Mr. Wardell�that your father was a good man. I think he invited him here especially to talk about the others�the ones who still want revenge. I think after my grandmother and my father were. . .murdered. . .he realized that he couldn�t just ignore things.�
�You mean that your father�s death is somehow connected with those men?�
�No, I don�t think so, but he was killed for revenge, you see. My grandmother just got in the way. I think that Grandfather couldn�t do anything about that, but he can do something about the men who want to punish the South.�
As Kate reflected on Riva�s words, she felt the joy of the evening trickle away. Mother had said this reunion was so important for Papa and had encouraged him to make the trip. But she hadn�t known about Mr. Merrill�s real motive�and Kate was quite sure that, if she had, she wouldn�t have placed any of them in this situation.
**************
�I�m so glad the evening was a success, Royce,� Victoria said as he unlocked the door of their hotel suite.
�It was beyond anything I�d hoped for. No one I spoke to even mentioned the war.�
�Perhaps soldiers are the ones who truly realize that conflicts must be put to rest.�
�Some of them at least. And you, Kate? Did you enjoy yourself?�
�Oh, yes, Papa. Riva is so interesting. She�s invited me out to their home to ride tomorrow. Mother said I might go if you agreed.�
�As a matter of fact, Gideon asked me to come out in the morning to discuss some business. He�s thinking of expanding his enterprises into Virginia, North Carolina, and Tennessee.�
�Martha is coming into town to take me to a few shops,� Victoria said. �So I believe we�re all occupied for the day. Go and get ready for bed, Kate, and I�ll be in to say goodnight.�
When Kate�s door was closed, Victoria turned to Royce. �That was a magnificent performance, Royce. Martha told me the story.�
Royce sat down on the sofa and put his face in his hands. �I�m glad you know.�
�Were you going to tell me?�
�I didn�t want to, but�yes, I was going to tell you.�
She joined him on the sofa and massaged his hunched shoulders. �Did any of the others mention the War?�
�No, that much at least was true. The ones in attendance tonight are the very ones I�d expect to put it behind them. Most of them knew about me. A few even expressed the sentiments that, given my circumstances, they�d have made a similar choice.�
�So something good came of the evening after all.�
�Yes.� He gathered Victoria into his arms. �I dread tomorrow though.�
�Is it a good idea for Kate to go with you?�
�Gideon says we�ll be alone.�
�And you trust him.�
�I have to trust him.�
�Then I won�t question you further.�
�He�d never put Riva in danger. Her safety guarantees Kate�s. And I don�t want Kate to know.�
�What if Riva told her some of the story? She impresses me as a young lady wise beyond her years.�
�I hadn�t thought of that. Perhaps Kate will confide in you when you go in to say goodnight.�
�I�ll give her every opportunity.�
************
�It was a nice coincidence, wasn�t it, darling�finding someone your own age at the reception?�
�Would I sound very snobbish if I said that I liked her because she�s intelligent?�
�Not at all. Her background ascertained that she would be.�
�She told me that her father had written several books on unusual diseases and that he traveled a lot taking care of people.�
�Yes, he did.� Victoria picked up the hairbrush and began to draw it through Kate�s thick hair. �Did she mention how he died?�
�Yes. It was terrible! I can�t imagine something like that happening to Papa! I�d want to die, too!�
�Perhaps for the moment.�
�It was so unfair! He was a good man!�
�Death is no respecter of good or bad, Kate.� She brushed on in silence, waiting.
�Mother, Riva said something. . .�
�Yes?�
�Oh�nothing. It was nothing. I�m looking forward to riding with her tomorrow. She said that her grandfather keeps a wonderful stable!�
Victoria stifled a sigh. �I�m sure you�ll have a lovely time, darling. Now, pop under the covers, and I�ll send your father in to say goodnight.� She drew the quilt up and tucked it around Kate�s shoulders. �Goodnight, Kate,� she murmured, brushing the girl�s forehead with her lips. �You are loved.�
In their room, she said, �I think she knows something, Royce. Maybe she�ll tell you.�
Royce knocked on the door, something he�d begun to do when Kate was twelve and becoming a young lady, as he put it.
�Come in, Papa.�
He took the place on the edge of the bed that Victoria had just vacated. �You looked lovely tonight.�
�I wore my hair down for you, Papa.�
�I suppose I�m just not ready for you to grow up, Kate precious.�
�It�s all right.�
�I�m delighted that you found a friend.�
�I like Riva very much. She talks about more important things than Amanda and the others at Miss Beauville�s.�
Royce laughed at her earnestness. �She�s been well-educated as you have.� He hesitated. �I hope you don�t feel you�ve missed anything, Kate.�
�Missed anything?�
�Oh, the more frivolous things. I realize we�ve been quite strict with you. We�ve whisked you off to California every June and at Christmas, and several times we took you out of school to travel with us to Europe.�
�I loved all that, Papa! You know I did!�
�Well, yes, but. . .�
�Amanda and the others don�t understand that there�s a whole world beyond Nashville, but I do, and I�m glad.�
�And the world is waiting for you, precious. Waiting for our Kate.� He kissed her forehead, then her cheek. �You are loved.�
Part 2
�I wouldn�t have left Riva this morning if I thought there was any danger,� Martha Uriel said to Victoria as they had tea in a small caf�. �I hope you�re not worried about Kate.�
�Not really. I am worried about Royce, though�emotionally if not physically. I�d hoped that this reunion would heal old wounds.�
�Some wounds never heal.�
�You�re right, of course.�
�Your husband followed his conscience. No one can fault him for that.�
�Apparently some do.�
�My husband died because he followed his conscience, but I wouldn�t have wanted him to do otherwise. I wouldn�t have had him made less than the man he was.�
�No, of course not.�
�My father believes your husband might be the voice of reason in all this. Anyway, he had to try. He blames himself�a little�for not foreseeing what happened to Levi and my mother. He knew Levi had enemies�highly-placed people who disapproved of his philanthropy to causes that they considered suspect.�
�Were they? Suspect, I mean.�
�In some ways, I suppose. My husband wasn�t an anarchist in the strict sense of the word, but he believed that some governments were intrinsically evil and should be dissolved.�
�Violently?�
�Not necessarily. Of course, he couldn�t control what was done with the money he contributed. And he did a great deal of good medically, you understand. He was a brilliant man.� She toyed with her cup. �You know what it means to lose a husband who died doing something he believed in very strongly.�
�Yes, I do know. I often felt that Tom Barkley acted foolishly�riding out alone as he did to try and reason with the railroad men.�
�And they killed him.�
�Their hired guns killed him.�
�Father believes that these men will act�or try to act�within the law, but he can�t gauge the mood of the Congress.�
�And if they take the law into their own hands? The men they want to punish were field commanders like Royce. I�m not saying that some of them didn�t do things that were more personally vengeful than military, but it occurs to me that these men talking to your Father are more interested in personal retribution.�
�You could be right.�
�If they are, they won�t be reasoned with.�
Martha Uriel eyes met Victoria�s. No reply was necessary.
***********
�These names mean nothing to me, Gideon.� Royce placed the list back on Merrill�s desk.
�They�re all government officials. Petree and Geoghan are minor government officials. They don�t have the President�s ear, but they have influence in other quarters.�
�And you actually think I can change their minds? I�m one of the men they�d like to strip of everything and send to prison.�
�Royce, I know you did nothing suspect during the War.�
�Except wear a Confederate uniform.�
�I mean�in the course of your command.�
�No, I�m not ashamed of anything I did. I sent men into battle. Most times I led them. War is a travesty, Gideon. We both know that. But it�s over.�
�Is it, Royce? Are the people in the South truly and completely loyal to the Union that conquered them?�
�Not all of them, but some--those who know that what the South was fighting for was unrealistic. Lincoln said it best, didn�t he? A house divided against itself cannot stand.�
�I was no great admirer of Lincoln, but he was our President. I respected the office.�
�The die-hard Unionists wreaked their revenge during Reconstruction. What more do they want?�
Gideon Merrill walked to the window of his study and stared out. �Petree and some of the men he works for believes that civil war is stirring again in the South.�
�That�s ridiculous!�
�Is it?�
�I�m not a politician, but I keep up with things. I�ve never had the slightest indication that armed force against the government has even been discussed.�
Gideon still didn�t turn around. �As you know, my son-in-law espoused some unpopular causes. He was born in Italy and came here as a young man. Ultimately, the circumstances of his birth and what he stood for killed him�as well as my wife.�
�I lost my first wife to men who believed in nothing but themselves.�
�Yes, I know about Catherine.�
�I�m an American, Gideon. I believe in the Union. I never dishonored my uniform or my commission while I served on the frontier. The decision I made to abandon it wasn�t made because I no longer honored my country.�
�Royce, I know that.�
�But I did abandon my country, nevertheless, and break the oath I took to defend it. Under the circumstances, I�m hardly someone Petree and the others would listen to.�
�On the contrary�you might put a human face on this whole thing.�
�A human face?�
�They see the men on whom they want to serve their so-called justice as something less than human. They believe that the men who were really responsible for secession and war were never punished�only those whose names made them heroes. They don�t�believe in heroes�on either side.�
�I don�t follow you.�
�Petree and Geoghan are small men. Small in intellect and empathy for their fellowman. It�s not widely known, but Petree left the Point after two years because of failing marks. Geoghan�s family were dirt farmers in Pennsylvania. His father and older brother were killed at the second Bull Run. He ultimately lost the farm. His mother went to live with a sister, and he took to the streets of Philadelphia�which is where he received most of his education.�
�The worst kind.�
�Yes. They have something to prove, Royce, and they don�t care how they do it. It isn�t justice they�re after�it�s revenge for their personal failures.�
�I understand all that, but I still don�t see how I can convince them otherwise. There�s nothing worse than trying to reason with unreasonable�and ignorant�men.�
�Royce, if you don�t try, I�m afraid of what will happen.�
�To you? To your family? Have you been threatened?�
�Not directly.�
�Do they know that you�ve approached me?�
�I don�t know. I put together this reunion as a smokescreen to bring you here.�
�I must say that I find the entire premise naive�though it�s no reflection on you.�
�It�s all I have.�
�Have you thought of approaching government authorities?�
�If I mention Petree and Geoghan, it will get back to them.�
�You said they hadn�t threatened you directly.�
�They can ruin me politically as well as financially, Royce. That�s why they came to me.�
�How?�
�By invoking mostly-forgotten regulations that affect my business�laws passed that were found to be damaging but were never repealed. And I�m up for re-election this year.�
�I see. So what do they propose to do about this imagined insurrection in the South?�
�They plan to ask for emergency measures to arrest every man on the list. The investigations will drag out, trials will be held�and military rule will be the order of the day again.�
�Impossible!�
�Is it? Think about it, Royce. Think about what happened before.�
�Because Andrew Johnson couldn�t control. . .�
�Neither can McKinley.�
Royce sat for a moment, thinking. �I can�t give you an answer now, Gideon. There�s Victoria�and Kate to consider.�
�I know how much they mean to you.�
�Victoria was my salvation, and Kate---Kate was my miracle.�
�All right. I�ll wait to hear from you. Meanwhile, there�s no reason why the ladies can�t continue to enjoy themselves. Riva and Kate seem to have become good friends already.�
On cue, the two girls entered arm-in-arm, flushed and wind-blown. �Oh, Papa, I�ve just ridden the most magnificent horse! He�s an Arabian!�
Royce brushed her hair from her face. �And not a disloyal twinge for poor Maudie?� he teased gently.
�Oh, Papa!� Kate snuggled against him. �Riva wants me to spend the weekend. May I?�
�We�ll have to discuss it with your Mother, Kate.�
�She�ll say yes if you do.�
�Nevertheless, we must discuss it with her. If we feel it�s best, you may come back tomorrow morning.�
Kate sighed audibly.
�Come, Kate, don�t sulk.�
�I�m not. . .I�m sorry, Papa.�
He patted her cheek. �Now we must be going.� He put out his hand. �I�ll be in touch, Gideon.�
The other man nodded curtly. �I�ll wait to hear from you then.�
*************
Victoria didn�t say anything for a few moments after Royce finished detailing his conversation with Gideon Merrill. Then, �What are you going to do?�
�I don�t know.�
�What do you want to do?�
�I want to take you and Kate back to Nashville immediately.�
�Perhaps that would be best for all of us.�
�What I can�t really understand is why Gideon feels I can influence these men. If what he tells me is true, they�re totally without scruples or conscience.�
�Could there be another reason why he wants to bring you together with them?�
�I don�t like to think so. Still. . .�
�What was between you and Gideon?�
�Nothing except friendship. We graduated in the same class and were commissioned together. He and John Lyles came with Catherine and me when we were married secretly. They even offered their protection when we told her family what we�d done. After that, our paths crossed only twice more. He brought a patrol through Wyoming when I was posted there. Then I ran into him when I came to New York after Lee surrendered. I didn�t confide my reason for being there�he learned about it later.�
�Was the meeting friendly?�
�Quite.�
�Well, then.�
He shook his head. �I don�t know, Victoria. I don�t know what this is really about, and I don�t know what to do about it.�
She leaned against him. �You�ll find the answer, Royce. You always do.�
************
With some misgivings, Royce and Victoria allowed Kate to spend the weekend with Riva Uriel. �We�ve never been without Kate before,� Royce said as he moved restlessly about the hotel suite.
�Only the first six months of our marriage. We�re simply at loose ends, aren�t we?�
�I suppose we should take advantage of our isolation�a romantic weekend, perhaps?�
�Like the one we had in San Francisco before we were married?�
�Unfortunately, there�s no Nick to liven things up.�
Victoria went to his outstretched arms. �Every day of every year with you has been pure joy.�
A sharp rap on the door ended the peaceful moment. Royce returned with a telegram in his hand. �It�s from Jarrod.� He slit the envelope and scanned the paper quickly. �It�s not bad news, Victoria.�
She took her hand from her throat. �I was afraid something had happened at the ranch.�
He motioned her to sit beside him. �Listen. Contact J. Markham, Pinkerton�s immediately. Do not� repeat� do not commit to anything. And he signed it quite officially�Jarrod T. Barkley, attorney-at-law.�
�How. . .�
�Jarrod isn�t just politically involved in California, my love. I don�t know how he got wind of all this, but I�m going to take his advice without delay.�
Part 3
John Markham was in his office even on Saturday afternoon. �Jarrod wired me to expect you.�
Royce sat down. �I hope you can shed some light on all this.�
�I can. You were contacted by Senator Gideon Merrill about being an intermediary in a rather delicate matter.�
�A ridiculous matter as far as I can tell. How anyone could have the idea that the South is contemplating further insurrection. . .�
�There are radicals everywhere, Mr. Wardell, but I agree with you. Nothing is brewing in the South, only in the minds of a few politically-ambitious and power-hungry people in the North.�
�I would think that Gideon Merrill could see through them.�
�Oh, he does, but they control him, too.�
�They control. . .please explain that, Mr. Markham.�
�Does the name Richard Wright mean anything to you?�
Royce grasped the arms of the chair so tightly that the veins stood out on the backs of his hands. �He is�he was my brother-in-law.�
�Yes, I know. You�re not on good terms.�
�That�s putting it mildly. His family always blamed me for their sister�s�my first wife�s�death. And they considered me a traitor because I resigned my commission in sixty-two.�
�Yes, I know that, too. Well, I will tell you that Gideon Merrill is quite neatly placed in Richard Wright�s pocket. Does that help?�
Royce�s head jerked back as if he�d been struck. �No!�
�I�m afraid it�s true. Richard Wright controls a large section of the New York state government, and his influence extends to the federal government, as well. It was his idea to plant the idea of southern insurrection in certain suggestible minds.�
�But why? What does he have to gain?�
�You, Mr. Wardell. You and all the people with whom he�s obsessed as being traitors.�
�The War has been over for thirty years!�
�For some people, but not for Richard Wright. He�s fought it every day of his life. He�s influenced every piece of legislation unfavorable to the South since Reconstruction ended. And he�s kept tabs on you.�
�I don�t believe it!�
Markham shrugged. �You inherited some property in Texas a few years ago, didn�t you?�
�Yes, a ranch, but I sold it.�
�You thought it came through the parents of a West Point classmate, didn�t you?�
�Yes, their names. . .�
�It didn�t. Richard Wright owned it. You went to see it, and there was trouble.�
�That couldn�t have had anything to do with Wright. The ranch manager had been skimming the books for years, and. . .�
�Wright knew that. He planned to have your entire family killed and the blame placed on the manager.�
�That�s not what happened.�
�You were lucky. The men he sent to do the job were intercepted by Pinkerton agents who�d been watching them for other reasons.�
�Anyone so full of�so full of malice and hatred�must be unbalanced!�
�I assure you that he�s perfectly sane�and very dangerous. He�s crafted this entire scenario to discredit you�and ultimately kill you.�
�How did Jarrod know?�
John Markham smiled. �Jarrod Barkley is also a very powerful man, although he takes care not to let anyone know just how powerful. Fortunately, he�s a principled man as well and uses that power for good. There hasn�t been a day since you married his mother that he hasn�t known every circumstance of your life. After all, you were the one who suggested he have you investigated.�
�Yes, I did suggest that, but. . .�
�It was a wise move, Mr. Wardell. What Jarrod found out, he never forgot, and he�s been at your back ever since�so to speak. He was away on business when you and his brother went to Texas, was he not? He�d have told you not to go.�
�He was. . .yes, he was in London that summer. I remember now.�
�Wright knew that. He wasn�t unaware of Jarrod�s connections.�
�It seems that I�m faced with something of a dilemma. But since Jarrod trusts your judgment, I will rely on it also.�
�It�s a tricky situation, Mr. Wardell. My first instinct, when Jarrod contacted me, was to advise you not to attend this class reunion at all. However, Wright would�ve gotten to you another way, and it�s better that he confine his dubious activities to New York rather than transfer them to Nashville.�
�I wonder if my family is safe even there?�
�Oh, I think they are. Tennessee is, after all, the South, and Wright and his cronies aren�t popular there. What exactly did Senator Merrill ask you to do?�
�To speak with two men named Petree and Geoghan and try to convince them that there�s nothing going on among the ex-Confederate military leaders who are still alive. Though how I�d know that, I�m not sure. I�m not active in any of the veterans� organizations.�
�You wouldn�t, and Senator Merrill is aware of that.�
�Then why ask me?�
�I told you�he�s in Wright�s pocket. He owes him.�
�For what?�
�Favors. Campaign contributions. For protecting his son-in-law�to a point.�
�Does any of this have anything to do with Levi Uriel?�
�I think it does. He made contributions to several secret societies in the South during Reconstruction. He wasn�t a southern sympathizer, you understand, but he didn�t approve of what the carpetbaggers and others were doing either. He wasn�t married to Merrill�s daughter then.�
�I�m surprised that Gideon allowed the marriage. It wasn�t politically�ah�expedient, was it?�
�His daughter is extremely strong-willed. She met Uriel, fell in love with him, and announced they were going to marry. Her father could accept that or not. She was his only child, so he gave in. Riva was born to Martha and Levi rather late in life, but she is an adored child�like your daughter. Like Kate.�
�So�what do you suggest I do?�
�Meet with Petree and Geoghan. They�re completely dishonest, but they�re not dangerous to you�not physically�to my knowledge, that is. And they don�t know about Wright�s connection to you. They really believe that violence is brewing in the South.�
�What do I tell them?�
�The truth�that you know nothing. Offer to make some inquiries when you get back to Nashville.�
�I don�t understand�how is this going to satisfy Wright�s need for revenge? Doesn�t he want me dead?�
�Yes, but he has to discredit you first�make your death look like the work of southern radicals who felt you betrayed them to Merrill.�
�Would he�would he go after Victoria and Kate?�
�I don�t know.�
�I�ll send them to California straightaway�to the ranch.�
�If you do that, you�ll tip his hand. I�ll assign an agent to you and one to them. See what you can find out and report back to me.�
�Why do I get the feeling that you�re more involved in this than you�re willing to admit?�
John Markham�s lips turned up in the bare suggestion of a smile. �The Pinkerton Agency works for many people, Mr. Wardell. Highly-placed people. Do you understand what I�m saying to you?�
Royce considered the man�s words. �The government.�
Markham�s face remained impassive.
�All right. But I�ll have to tell Victoria all of this. She has a right to know. And I may send Kate to California regardless.�
�Use your own judgment.�
�When should I expect the agents. . .�
�One is at the hotel now, and the other is waiting outside this door for you. Take a good look at both of them so you�ll know the difference between them and anyone else who happens to be following you.� The investigator stood up and offered his hand. �Good luck, Mr. Wardell. You may be doing a greater good than you realize. Wright wants to shift the entire political balance of the nation�whether it�s good for the nation or not.�
************
Victoria put her hand on Royce�s face and realized that he was awake and staring into the darkness. �Royce.�
�Yes, my love?�
�You don�t have to do this.�
�I haven�t said I�m going to.�
�How will you feel if you don�t?�
�I might be looking over my shoulder for the rest of my life.�
She sighed.
�I�m sorry to have involved you and Kate in all this�again. Mustang Creek was bad enough.�
�We were all safe in the end.�
�I know what it did to you emotionally.�
�I�m not fragile, Royce. I�ve survived many emotional blows.�
�Nevertheless, I want to protect you.�
�How will all this affect Kate? Under the circumstances, I don�t want her visiting at the Merrill home again.�
�Nor do I. What if we send her to California ahead of us? We�re expected there in a few weeks anyway.�
�Alone?�
�We could hire a companion and wire the ranch to have someone meet her half-way with the private car. Nick maybe. Jarrod would explain things to him.�
�She�s going to ask questions that you don�t want to answer.�
�I�m counting on the fact that she�s always anxious to please me.� He chuckled, not entirely with humor. �After all the pleading to wear her hair up to the reception the other night, she wore it down because she knew I preferred it.�
Victoria turned on her side and reached for his hand. �I remember waiting with Addie Hoover that day and thinking that we�d drunk our cup of joy but that Kate was only a child and had her life before her. That�s what broke my heart�the thought that she might never know the full measure of life�s wonders.�
�She�s still only a child. I�ve even considered that she�s too young for college at sixteen.�
�She�ll be living at home. It won�t be any different than attending Miss Beauville�s.�
�Well.�
�You said there�s a Pinkerton agent assigned to us. Is it really necessary to send her away?�
�Richard Wright believes I took his sister away from the family�first, when I married her, and then, placing her in the situation that killed her. Taking what means most to me would be his idea of justice.�
�But you also lost what meant most to you at that time�Catherine.�
�He was incapable of considering that.�
�It might be easier to send Kate ahead to California rather than try to keep her confined at the hotel.�
�I�ll contact Markham in the morning about finding a traveling companion for her.�
�Do you think that Martha Uriel knows what her father is doing?�
�You�ve spent time with her. What do you think?�
�I think she�s very idealistic�she believed in her husband, and she believes in her father.�
�I agree.�
Royce turned and took Victoria in his arms. �Go to sleep, my love. We�ll deal with tomorrow when it comes.�
************
Kate was unenthusiastic about traveling to California without her parents. �I�d really rather wait and go with you,� she argued. �I don�t understand why you have to stay longer. We were just going to attend the reunion and see something of New York and then. . .�
�I have business with Senator Merrill, Kate. It was unexpected, but I must attend to it.� There was a sharp edge, honed by worry, to Royce�s voice.
Kate recoiled from his uncharacteristic reply. �But Papa, I don�t mind staying and. . .�
�Kate, your father prefers that you go to California�now.� Victoria spoke in the tone of voice that Kate had recognized early on meant there was to be no argument. �And so do I.�
Fighting tears of frustration�and a nibbling of fear�Kate rushed from the room.
�I botched that badly,� Royce said.
�She�s not accustomed to being denied.�
�You mean we�ve spoiled her?�
�Of course not. But we�ve always had her with us, and the idea of separation frightens her a little, I think. Give her a while. She�ll cry a few tears and sulk briefly, and then she�ll do exactly as we�ve asked.�
�It�s a good thing you�ve had experience raising children.�
�It gives me some insight at least. Audra was that way. She didn�t like to be crossed�but then, she was spoiled by her father. I spent a miserable six months making her understand that.�
�She�s very giving and selfless now, it seems to me.�
�That�s her true nature, but Tom. . .well, it�s over.�
The wire from Nick the next day turned the tide. Will meet Katiebee in Denver. Wire arrival time in advance. Picking up two Arabians for breeding.
�Arabians! Oh, they�re magnificent! I hope they�re broken and that Nick will let me ride them!�
�Has he ever denied you anything?� Royce asked, smiling at her change of attitude.
�Well, yes�he scolded me more than once for climbing on the corral fence.�
�He told you not to do it, Kate, and once should have been enough.� Victoria smiled, too.
�Maybe I�ll be there when the Heath�s new baby is born!�
�Very possibly�Tess is due anytime now.�
Kate curled on the sofa, wrapping her arms around her legs and resting her chin on her knees the way she�d done as a child. �I remember when Camron was born. I stayed with Audra the whole time. It was terrible and wonderful all at the same time!�
Royce and Victoria exchanged satisfied glances.
�I wanted to run out of the room at the last because I couldn�t bear to see her in so much pain, but I�m glad I stayed.�
�Eugene told you that you�d regret leaving.�
�Ummm. He said I�d miss the greatest moment I�d ever experienced, and he was right.� She smiled, remembering.
�The miracle of life,� Victoria murmured.
�Mother, do you ever regret. . .�
Victoria�s eyebrows went up. �Not giving birth to you? Good heavens, Kate, I was fifty-two years old, and I�d had seven children already! You came to me in the best possible way�neatly wrapped in a blanket without all the fuss!�
Royce laughed. �I tend to agree. I was rather too old to be pacing the floor.�
�I�ve never understood why men do that,� Kate said, frowning. �The women are doing all the work, and the men just wear themselves out for nothing!�
The earnest expression on her face brought laughter. She uncurled herself from the sofa and threw herself into their arms. �I do love you both!�
Royce�s arms tightened around the two of them. �And we do love you, Kate precious.�
****************
Theodosia Cummings spoke privately with Royce and Victoria before boarding the train. �I�ve had many similar assignments,� she assured them. �Pinkertons has trained me thoroughly. But I know you�ll worry until I turn your daughter over to her brother.�
�It�s the nature of parenthood,� Victoria replied.
�You�ll wire us along the way, of course.�
�Of course, Mr. Wardell.�
They embraced Kate with what they hoped was their usual demeanor. �Have a pleasant journey, darling,� Victoria said. �We�ll join you soon.�
�Don�t give Nick too much trouble, Kate precious. He�s not as young as he used to be.�
Kate tossed her head. �Oh, Papa!�
They stood on the platform until the last car disappeared from view and rode back to the hotel in silence.