Chapters 6-10
Jarrod moderated the family meeting with his usual authority. Trevor had asked to come along, claiming he was part of the situation by virtue of having accompanied Katherine to Ash Flat the day before. Nick, mindful of his youngest sister�s vulnerable state, put on a positive face and kept his mouth shut. Heath maintained his customary stoic silence, and Gene seemed to think it was his job to help Pappy conduct the proceedings.
�All right,� Jarrod said, �we�ve established that you intend to see this through, KatieBee. What we need to do now is decide how best for you to go about it.�
�I�m open to any suggestions,� Katherine said calmly, her emotions firmly in check again.
�I don�t see why she has to make the trip herself,� Nick said, unable to keep quiet any longer. �Why can�t we have more pictures printed up and send them to the local law enforcement in those towns? They�re seven of them�I got out the map last night and looked.�
Jarrod glanced at Katherine. �Honey?�
�I think that�s a good suggestion,� she said quietly, �but I need to go myself. If I find someone who knew her, I need to be able to speak with them face to face.�
�I think so, too,� Trevor agreed quickly.
Jarrod raised his eyebrows at his oldest son. �We agreed you�d be a spectator, not a participant.�
Trevor�s face reddened. �You made me part of this when you sent me to Ash Flat with Katherine yesterday!�
�Why can�t Trevor go with her again?� Gene asked.
�I�m willing.�
�This isn�t your quest, Trevor,� Katherine said gently. �I appreciate your willingness to put your own business aside for me, but. . .�
�You could run into trouble in some of those places.� Heath spoke for the first time. �We don�t know what made her take off, but a fifteen-year-old girl don�t run just for the sake of running. Something made her go in a hurry. And from what the woman in Ash Flat told you, it sounds like she wasn�t prepared for life outside of wherever she came from. Suppose you do find where she came from�and the people she left behind? Could be they�re not too interested in anybody nosing around in their business.�
�I�ve thought of that,� Katherine said.
�Good point,� Jarrod said, putting the tips of his fingers together thoughtfully. �And another thing�you�re a very wealthy young lady as well as a very beautiful one. The name �Wardell� may not be readily recognizable in those places, but everybody knows the Barkley name. If you don�t like who you find, they�ll always know where you are.�
�I�ve thought of that, too, but I don�t have to use the Barkley name at all.�
�I still vote for sending the pictures out or for Trevor going with her,� Nick said. He turned to his sister. �Honey, I�m just thinking of you.�
�I know you are, Nick, and I appreciate it.�
�I don�t see why you don�t want me along,� Trevor said sulkily.
�It�s not a question of not wanting you, Trevor. But the people I want to talk to may be willing to talk to me�to one person�but not to two of us. I don�t want it to seem like an inquisition.�
�You really think you�re going to find out anything after all this time?� Nick asked.
Katherine smiled at him. �Are you saying I�m old?�
�You know I�m not!� he growled, then realized she was teasing him. �But twenty-eight years come Christmas has been a long time, honey. A long time for people to put things behind them�to forget.�
She let her eyes wander over her brothers, loving them even more at this moment. They didn�t understand�and they didn�t agree�but they were behind her now. �Here�s what I want to propose. I�ll ride the spur as far north as Redding and go to the sheriff�s office, the newspaper, the general store. . .places people gather. . .�
�You stay the hell out of the saloons,� Nick growled.
Everyone laughed. �I believe they�re referred to by other names now in polite society, Brother Nick,� Jarrod said.
�Whatever they�re called�promise me now, KatieBee. Mother and Royce wouldn�t like it.�
�I promise, Nick. I promise I won�t do anything to put myself at risk. In fact, I�ll sign the hotel registers �K. Wardell� and give Nashville, not Stockton, as my home.�
�And you�ll wire the minute you get to Redding and everyplace in between,� Nick said.
�The very minute.�
�And don�t carry a wad of cash on you. You can always get a bank draft cashed in the bigger places.� He looked down at her sternly.
�I�ll get you a letter of credit tomorrow,� Jarrod said. �Trevor said something yesterday about a name on the back of that picture.�
�Yes. The man who came looking for her in January.�
�Could he be your. . .the man who. . .� Gene looked uncomfortable.
�Pregnant,� Katherine said, rolling her eyes. �The man who got her pregnant! Why does everyone have such a hard time with that word? You don�t have any trouble talking in the most graphic terms about breeding stock. I�ve heard it all my life. I�ve sat right here in this room and heard. . .�
�Okay,� Nick interrupted. �We get the point.� He glared at Heath who laughed out loud.
�I�d like the man�s name,� Jarrod said, looking slightly amused at the exchange. Maybe I could turn up something on him.�
�I�d be very grateful, Jarrod.�
�All right then�it�s settled. KatieBee goes alone, but she checks in with us at every stop.� Jarrod pointed with his cane at the glass decanter on the table by the fireplace. �And now, Brother Nick, if you�d be so kind.�
* * * * * * * *
Nick and Heath put her on the train the next day. �You�ll get into Redding after dark,� Nick said. �I don�t like that.�
�I�ll be fine, Nick.� Katherine stood on her toes to kiss his cheek, then Heath�s.
�Don�t forget the wire�the minute you get there!� Nick turned his hat nervously in his hands. He had a bad feeling about all this.
�I�ll be fine,� she repeated. Heath handed her traveling bag to the conductor and gave her a hand up the steps. �Heath. . .Nick. . .�
Heath nodded. �Have a good trip, honey. Don�t forget where home is though.�
She watched them standing on the platform, looking after the departing train, until the station disappeared from sight. In her compartment, she took off her hat and opened her traveling case and reached inside for the book she was reading. Instead, her hand closed around cold steel�a handgun.
Of course, Nick had put it there. It was like him. He knew, that she could use it with skill because he�d taught her himself. Papa hadn�t particularly liked the idea of Nick teaching her to shoot, but Mother said that it was a good idea. Sometimes Papa came along just to keep an eye on things. A gun in the dainty hands of his princess disturbed him even though he conceded the wisdom of his wife�s words.
She smiled, remembering the afternoon that she�d knocked six tin cans off the fence in just seconds with Papa watching. He�d applauded her enthusiastically, and Nick had wrapped her in a huge bear hug. She�d been thirteen that summer. The next day she�d �become a young woman�, as Mother put it. Of the two momentous events, the success with the gun had seemed far more exciting, and when she�d said as much to Mother, her words had been met with understanding. �You�re caught between two worlds, Kate,� she said, cuddling her daughter. �Your body says you�re a woman, but your mind tells you that you�re still a child. You still want to play�and you should. You have years ahead of you to grow up.�
She�d looked at her mother�s unlined face framed by the white hair that shone like spun silk. �I want to be just like you when I grow up, Mother.�
�You�ll be yourself, Kate�and your Papa and I will be so very proud!�
Katherine tucked the gun into her purse. She wouldn�t need it, but she�d be able to tell Nick she�d carried it as he intended. She shook her head and laughed, and then opened her book.
* * * * * * * *
She didn�t find anything in Redding or even the next town, but she perfected her approach to those who were sympathetic to her quest and those who were not. By the time she got to Orland, she felt prepared for anyone and anything.
The sheriff was a young man, hardly older than she was, but he looked at the picture and listened to her story. It wasn�t the real story, of course, but it was plausible: her cousin Annie had run off with a man her family disapproved of, and her aunt was ill from worry. She�d heard they might be living in Orland, and so�
The man shook his head. �Don�t recognize her, Miss, but that don�t mean she ain�t here. Tell you what�go on down the street a piece to Bartlett�s Store. Almanzo Bartlett�s lived in this town all his life and knows everything that goes on. And if he don�t know, his daddy will.�
Katherine slipped the picture carefully back into the leather portfolio, thanked the sheriff for his help, and made her way to Bartlett�s Store. Except for the requisite group of old men smoking around a pot-bellied stove the place was empty.
�Help you, miss?� The middle-aged man behind the counter smiled at her pleasantly.
�I�m looking for someone,� Katherine said, approaching him and laying the portfolio open between a jar of pickles and a box of beef jerky. She opened her mouth to give the rehearsed explanation, but something held her back. She knew why when she saw the man�s eyes widen in surprise.
�That�s Annie Jimson! You know her? Where is she?�
Katherine�s heart pounded. �Annie Jimson? You�re sure?�
�Miss, I went to school with her until she took off nearly thirty years ago. I was right sweet on her, too, but she was so pretty�I knew she�d never look at the likes of me, leastways not like I wanted her to.� He drug his eyes from the picture to Katherine�s face. �You�you favor her, miss. Are you kin somehow?�
Before she could answer, he held up the picture toward the men around the stove. �Look here�that�s Annie Jimson, ain�t it?�
One of the men brought his chair forward from two legs and set the other two down hard. �By golly! By golly, it is!� He got up and came over for a closer look. �Little Annie Jimson�it sure is!�
Katherine�s mouth went dry, and her heart pounded harder. �What can you tell me about her?�
The counter man�Alonzo Bartlett, she assumed�studied the picture again. �She sure was pretty�smart, too. Miz Wilcox, our teacher, said she could even go to college if she wanted to, but her pa�old man Jimson�he wouldn�t have any of it. Took her out of school right after that. It was time to harvest the crops, and he drove her like a slave.�
One of the men by the stove leaned over and spat into a tarnished brass cuspidor. �Meanest man God ever put on this earth�old man Jimson was. Still is, far�s I know.�
�He�s still alive?� Katherine asked carefully.
�Still breathing anyway, last I heard,� the man said. �But he�s been dead a long time.�
Katherine felt chilled. �Her�Annie�s mother?�
The storekeeper shook his head. �The next year after Luther wouldn�t let her go to school anymore, the diphtheria took Miz Jimson and little Luke, too.�
�Luke was her brother?�
�Yeah. He was a couple of years younger, and he wasn�t quite right, you know? Had a funny look about him�almost like he was Chinese or something.�
Katherine knew all too well.
�But he was a sweet kid, never caused no trouble. Even went to school for awhile when he was little. Miss Wilcox gave him chores to do and let him draw pictures. I remember he liked to listen to the stories she read everyday after lunch. Some of the other children made fun of him�but not all. Most just accepted him, and if they didn�t, why, Annie�d let them have it good.� He chuckled. �She wasn�t very big, but one day she took down Bob Crown�took him by surprise and sat on top of him and beat the tar out of him before Miss Wilcox came out and made her stop! Bob, he didn�t mess with little Luke again, I�m here to tell you!�
�So her mother and brother died with diphtheria. When?�
The man scratched his head. �Come to think of it, I guess�well, I guess it was around the time she took off. She was there at the burying, and then I didn�t see her in town for awhile. She usually brought in eggs to sell at the store �bout once a week. This is my pa�s store, y�see. He liked Annie�felt sorry for her�and always paid her a little extra. She musta squirreled it away and used it to run off on. Can�t say that I blame her though. That old man made her life miserable!�
Katherine considered her next words. �Where�where would I find her father?�
�You don�t wanta find him, miss,� said one of the men by the stove. �No, sir, you don�t wanta go anywhere near him, �specially if you was a friend of Annie.�
�I�I wasn�t exactly a friend,� Katherine said.
Almanzo Bartlett put on his gold-rimmed glasses and peered at her closely. �You sure do look like her, miss. You some kin?�
Katherine nodded. �I�m some kin,� she said. �Is there anyone else in town who would remember her?�
�Caroline Fuller,� said another of the men by the stove. �They was best friends. Caroline went off to some kind of girls� school and then married a doctor, and they came back here.�
�Where does she live?�
�Doc Fuller has his office a few doors down, and they live up over it.�
Katherine closed the portfolio. �Thank you very much for your help,� she said, turning to go.
�Wait a minute, miss! You go see Caroline but stay away from old man Jimson. He�d as soon shoot you as look at you!�
�If he can still see to point a gun,� a man guffawed.
Katherine kept walking toward the door. �I�ll remember what you said.�
Chapter 7
Caroline Fuller looked at the picture, then at Katherine, then back at the picture. �Oh, Annie,� she murmured.
�Mr. Bartlett at the store said you were her best friend.�
�That�s right. We told each other everything�or I thought we did. But she didn�t tell me she was going to leave. If she had, I�d have done everything I could to stop her. My father was the circuit judge, you see, and he might have been able to find some way to get Annie away from her father. That man nearly worked her to death, and he wasn�t above hitting her either. When Mrs. Jimson and little Luke died, Annie told me that at least he couldn�t hurt them anymore. I remember we were standing at the gate of the cemetery after the funeral. It was raining and cold, and she didn�t have on much more than a shawl for protection. I tried to get her to come home with me that afternoon, but she said she couldn�t. I remember she had to run to catch up with the wagon�Mr. Jimson had driven right off and left her.�
�How long after that did she leave?�
�I�m not sure�I didn�t see her again for a few weeks, but that wasn�t unusual since she wasn�t attending school anymore. Then one day I went in the store to get some thread for Mamma, and Mr. Bartlett�the older Mr. Bartlett�asked me about her. He said she hadn�t brought him any eggs in over a month. I just said that maybe the hens had quit laying for some reason, but I knew then that she�d gone. There wasn�t any reason for her to stay, not with her mamma and little Luke dead.�
Caroline stared out the window. �I�ve thought of her every day, believe it or not. Wondered where she was�hoped she was happy.� She looked back at Katherine. �But she�s not�is she?�
Katherine swallowed hard. �She�s�she�s at peace anyway.�
�She�s dead.�
Katherine nodded.
�Do you know what happened to her?�
�I know part of it.�
�Will you tell me, dear? I loved Annie�I need to know.�
Katherine gave the sparse facts, stopping short of saying that she was the baby born in the line shack.
Caroline cried for a few minutes, then said, �You�re her daughter, aren�t you?�
�Yes.�
�Oh, my dear.�
�I was adopted by lovely people. I had a very happy life.�
Caroline nodded. �Annie would be glad for that.�
�Another man at the store mentioned that her father is still alive.�
Caroline�s eyes flashed. �Alive enough to be dangerous. Stay away from him!�
�I�I want to see where she lived.�
�Philip and I will drive you out there if you have to go, but we�ll only look from the road.�
�I wouldn�t want to trouble you, Mrs. Fuller. I can rent a horse at the livery.�
�Don�t do it, Miss Wardell. I�m telling you�don�t do it. He was mean before, and since she left, he�s crazy mean�and he�s dying anyway. Philip goes out to see him every week or so.�
�What�s wrong with him?�
�Personally, I think the evil in his soul is finally consuming him�but medically, it�s gangrene.�
�Gangrene!�
�Yes, that�s when. . .�
�I know what it is, Mrs. Fuller. I�m a physician myself.�
�You�re what?�
�I graduated from the medical school at Vanderbilt.�
�That�s where my husband graduated!�
Katherine smiled. �Then you know I�m fully qualified. Go on about Mr. Jimson.�
�He cut his foot on a piece of farm equipment, and it got infected. By the time he came to see Philip, it was already gangrenous. Philip cut out what he could and gave him specific instructions about taking care of it, but that�s been a month ago, and it�s just gotten worse.�
�I see.�
�Why don�t you stay to supper, Miss Wardell? You could speak with Philip about Luther Jimson, and I�d like to talk more about Annie�share my memories of her with you. It�it would be of help�to me, at least.�
�Thank you so much, Mrs. Fuller. I accept your invitation. I�m going to check into the hotel and then send a wire�my family expects to hear from me regularly.�
�You have a large family?�
�Four brothers and a sister�much older�and they�re very protective of me. My parents aren�t living.�
�I�d like to hear more about your family, Miss. . .�
�Please call me �Katherine�.�
�Katherine. Well, you take care of the things you need to do, and then I�ll expect you at seven. The Spur Hotel is the best, by the way.�
* * * * * * * *
Katherine registered at the Spur and asked if someone could take a message to the telegraph office. The clerk gave her a form and a pencil.
�Spur Hotel in Orland. Success. More tomorrow. Love, KB.�
Upstairs she changed her traveling dress and lay down across the bed. She had found what she was searching for�or part of it anyway. No matter what Caroline Fuller said, she knew she was going to see Luther Jimson. She had to look into the face of the man who had sent Annie on a flight to an early and unnecessary grave.
Anger and unforgiveness�Papa had said those were the two worst evils in the world. �Everything bad that happens springs from those two terrible things, Kate precious. Learn to use your anger for good�and try to understand things from the other person�s point of view and forgive the wrongs done to you. If you do those two things, you�ll have the happy life your mother and I want for you.�
She hadn�t known then about the anger and unforgiveness of Catherine�s family that had affected Papa�s life. It was only much later that Mother had told her what had happened to Catherine and how Papa was so angry that he looked for the men for five years with the intention of killing them.
She couldn�t imagine Papa hurting anyone�he was so gentle, so kind, so thoughtful of people around him, especially Mother and her.
What about Luther Jimson? What had made him so angry and unforgiving? She�d never know, of course. The point was, she had to forgive him�for Annie.
And what about little Luke? She�d seen a few babies born like that. The doctors always made arrangements for them to be transferred to an institution and never allowed their families to see or hold them. She�d cared for one during her pediatric rotation�spent hours rocking the fretful infant who couldn�t seem to keep nourishment down. He�d died in her arms one night, and she�d wept for hours. Mother and Papa tried to comfort her by saying that God had mercifully taken him back before he was institutionalized, and that had helped�but not much.
Then there was Annie. Katherine couldn�t think of her as her mother�only as a frightened child. But she owed her life to that child, and that debt was, as yet, unpaid. Perhaps that�s why she was here. Perhaps . . . She closed her eyes and dreamed that she was riding across the north pasture at the ranch. Riding like the wind, riding toward something she couldn�t identify but had to reach. Riding and riding and riding. . .
* * * * * * * *
She liked Philip Fuller immediately because he addressed her as �Dr. Wardell� and treated her with the same respect he would have given a male colleague. They spoke of Vanderbilt�though he had come through there years before she did�and of the advances that were changing the face of medicine in the United States.
However, he was firm on the subject of Luther Jimson. �Please understand, Dr. Wardell, that I accept you as a full and equal member of the medical profession, but I also have a duty to protect you as a young woman. I think your parents would agree with my keeping you from a truly unpleasant experience with Luther Jimson.�
�I understand and appreciate your motives, Dr. Fuller, but I�m determined to see him.�
Philip Fuller exchanged glances with his wife. �Something tells me that it�s useless to try to persuade you otherwise.�
Katherine smiled. �Yes, it is.�
�Could you tell me what it is you hope to accomplish?�
Katherine didn�t hesitate. �I have to forgive him�for Annie.�
�What if he doesn�t want�or feel he needs�forgiveness?� Caroline asked.
�I�m only responsible for giving it to him�whether or not he accepts it.�
Later, over coffee in the small sitting room, Caroline shared more memories of her girlhood friend. �She wrote beautiful essays�Miss Wilcox always had her read them aloud. And she could do sums in her head faster than most of us could do them on the chalk board.�
�Did she want to further her education?�
�More than anything�but she knew there was no chance. And she wouldn�t have left her mother and brother anyway. Mrs. Jimson had been frail since Luke�s birth. Annie did most of the housework and practically raised her brother.�
�You indicated that her father beat her.�
�I know that he did, but in those days�well, what went on in families stayed there. The community didn�t get involved.�
�But you said that your father. . .�
�I never told him, because I had no proof. Annie wouldn�t talk to me about it, but I saw the bruises on her arms�and suspected they were elsewhere as well. And it occurred to me that her father would as soon kill her as allow her to leave his house. I think she thought so, too. I think that�s why she ran away.�
�What made him that way?�
Caroline put aside her cup. �My father said that Luther Jimson came out to California after the war. So many people did. The South was ravaged�almost unliveable in places. Perhaps he lost everything. Perhaps he was bitter about that�or about an imperfect child and a sickly wife. I don�t think even Annie knew.�
Just before she left, Phillip Fuller said, �Look, I�ve been thinking about what you want to do. I have to go out there tomorrow�see if he�s still alive�and you can go with me if you like.�
�Oh, Phillip, is that wise? She looks so much like Annie! He�s sure to see it!� Caroline touched her husband�s arm nervously.
�Caroline, my love, I agree with you�but it would be more unwise for her to go alone.�
�What time shall I be ready?� Katherine asked.
�I�ll call for you at the hotel around noon.�
Caroline kissed her cheek timidly. �Be careful, Katherine. You�ve already become special to me because of Annie.�
Katherine smiled. �Papa used to say that it didn�t matter how I came into the world�it was the way I lived in it that was important. It touches me that you share his sentiments�that you don�t see me as. . .�
Caroline shook her head. �Your papa was a very wise man.�
Since it was late and quite dark, Philip insisted on seeing her back to the hotel. When she paused at the desk for her key, the clerk handed her an envelope. �This came for you earlier, ma�m.�
Katherine opened the telegram as she climbed the stairs to her room. �Pleased for you. Man in question owns Seven Star Hotel in San Francisco. Advise next move. Love, Jarrod.�
Chapter 8
Philip Fuller stopped the carriage at the half-unhinged gate. �That�s it.�
Katherine gazed down the rutted road to the unpainted house. The roof was collapsed on one side of the porch, and the other side looked to be in danger of following suit. Except for a ragged lace curtain fluttering from a broken window, there was no movement anywhere.
�He kept it up pretty well until a year or so ago. Then he sold off his stock and quit planting and just sort of holed up here. Came into town for supplies from time to time.�
�How long does he have?�
�Dr. Wardell, I don�t even know if he�s alive right now. Have you ever seen gangrene before?�
�Only twice.�
�There�s not much of that in Nashville, I don�t suppose.�
�People don�t seem to be affected by the same things in the city as they are in more rural areas. I did have a rabies case once.�
The doctor winced. �I�ve only seen one, and that was enough. Thank God for Pasteur!� He tapped the horse lightly with the whip. �Well, let�s get this over with.�
The stench was worse than anything Katherine had ever smelled. Spoiled food in pans still sitting on the table and stove, human waste�and the overpowering smell of rotting flesh�Katherine gasped and stepped back.
�You don�t have to come in, you know.� Philip looked at her with concern.
She shook her head. �I�m coming in with you.�
Luther Jimson lay on sheets that had long since turned gray, his bandaged foot propped on a padded board that the doctor had rigged for him. His dirty white hair was matted, and, Katherine suspected, infested with lice. But it was his eyes�her own seafoam green eyes that peered angrily from his unshaven face�that startled her most.
�When�s it gonna be over?� he demanded in a voice hardly above a whisper.
�I don�t know, Luther. Soon. But I could make you more comfortable in town. There�s an empty room behind the livery. Your meals could be brought in, and the lady who cleans at the boarding house said she�d see to you.�
�Nah! Nah!�
�All right. I�ll have a look at the foot now.�
Katherine was glad she hadn�t eaten much breakfast�and what she had swallowed now seemed determined to come back up as she watched the doctor unwrap Luther�s foot. He seemed to sense her discomfort. �Dr. Wardell, would you get me some water, please? There�s a pump on the sink in the other room.�
She fled, choking back the urge to regurgitate, but through sheer force of will, she�d recovered her composure as she brought the water in a basin. Her hospital training took over as she helped Philip Fuller wash and rebind the foot. Then she emptied the water in the yard and scrubbed her hands under the pump.
In the bedroom, Philip was refilling the bottle of laudanum that stood on a table by the bed. �You�re using more of this,� he commented.
The old man let out an oath.
�It�s all right, Luther, that�s what it�s for. You�re sure you won�t consider going to town. . .�
He swore again.
Katherine thought of her mother, how clean and fresh she and the nurse had kept her, how they�d done everything to make her comfortable�how in those last few days, she�d administered morphine by injection when the pain grew unbearable. Mother had always been so appreciative of every attention�always thanked her graciously. Compassion for the dying old man stirred in Katherine�s heart now. He had no one to care for him. He would die alone and in pain as Annie had done. Perhaps he deserved it. Perhaps it was, after all, justice.
Justice. Papa had spoken of how important that was. �Justice, not revenge, Kate precious. Justice is a natural consequence. Revenge is against the laws of nature�and of God.� She hadn�t really understood then, but she did now.
The old man groaned and thrashed around with surprising strength. Then, suddenly, he seemed to see her for the first time. Shock�and recognition�contorted his face. The epithets that spewed from his mouth weren�t anything she hadn�t heard before, but they stung her.
�You�re wrong, Luther�that�s not Annie. That�s Dr. Wardell. She�s visiting from. . .�
�Bastard!� Katherine was more startled by the venom in his voice than by the word itself.
Katherine stepped forward a little. �That�s right, I�m Annie�s child,� she said flatly.
�Bastard!� Without warning, his bony hands closed around a shotgun that leaned against the bed frame. It was almost too heavy for him and swayed perilously, but Katherine knew he could fire it.
Her purse, which she�d retrieved from the other room, hung heavily from her wrist. Slowly she slipped her hand inside and withdrew the handgun. �I can hit a target six out of six times with this,� she said quietly. �Please put down the gun, Mr. Jimson.�
Philip Fuller stood motionless beside the medical bag he�d begun to repack in preparation for leaving.
�Filthy bastard!� Luther Jimson spat again, trying to steady the gun.
�Please put the gun down,� Katherine repeated.
Only when the gun fell across the man�s bony legs did Philip let himself breathe again.
�Annie died when I was born,� Katherine said. �But she gave me life, and I�m indebted to her. I came here to find out who she really was. I came to tell anyone she had left�and I suppose that�s you�that her life will go on through me, and I�ll live it the best I can. I know you don�t understand�never understood her or what you did to her�maybe you couldn�t understand. I have to believe that if I�m going to forgive you, Mr. Jimson. And I am going to forgive you.�
He stared at her, his jaw working spasmodically as if he had something to say. She braced herself for another verbal assault, but it didn�t come. The anger that continued to blaze from his eyes told her that he hadn�t accepted anything that she�d said. But she�d said it. That was all that counted.
�I�ll be outside in the carriage,� she said to Philip. She turned, slipping the gun back into the purse, and left the house.
They were almost to the gate when the shotgun blast shattered the afternoon stillness. Without a word, Philip turned the carriage around. He was only in the house for a moment. Taking the reins again, he said, �I�ll send out the sheriff and the undertaker.�
He stopped again at the gate. �I think you gave him what he needed most, Katherine�a reason to quit holding onto all the hatred and bitterness of his wasted life and leave it. I don�t know whether he went to Heaven or hell, but he�s gone.�
Katherine looked back at the house. �Maybe that was his hell.�
Philip flapped the reins. �Maybe so.�
Chapter 9
Katherine spent the evening with the Fullers at their insistence. She wasn�t particularly hungry, but she didn�t really want to be alone either. She couldn�t help thinking of the oath she�d taken when she became a doctor��Do no harm�. Had she done harm to Luther Jimson by confronting him? Philip said not, but he didn�t really know either.
She had wired Jarrod that she was staying over a day in Orland, but she hadn�t told him why. It seemed the least she could do, considering everything, to see Mr. Jimson�her grandfather�laid to rest�if rest was indeed what he�d found.
�Are you going home now?� Caroline Fuller asked, interrupting her reverie.
�Not right away. I�m going on to San Francisco.�
�San Francisco?� Philip asked.
�Yes, I think that�s where my�where the man who fathered me is living.� She explained briefly about the name Hallie had jotted down on the back of the picture and how Jarrod had traced the name to a prominent businessman in San Francisco.
�I wonder if you should really go�alone�to see him,� Caroline said.
�I think I have to.�
Surprisingly, Philip agreed with her. �I think it�s best to finish things now,� he said.
Philip saw her back to the hotel again where she found another wire from Jarrod. �Come home to discuss San Francisco.�
She slept fitfully and woke early, feeling oddly detached from her surroundings. She needed to go home, to go back to work�but mainly she needed to go to San Francisco.
She drew back the dull green curtain and looked down at the street. Orland was waking up to the business of the day. A delivery wagon stood in front of Bartlett�s Store. A tiny woman in a black dress was busily sweeping the walk in front of her millinery shop. On the corner, a man in a business suit unlocked the front door of the bank and stepped inside.
She let the curtain fall back into place and thought of her room at home in Nashville. Papa had bought new furniture for her when they moved from New Orleans�bird�s eye maple polished to a satiny sheen. There was a four poster bed with a canopy, a dressing table, a bureau, a desk and chair, two bookcases, and a cabinet with glass doors to hold her ever-expanding doll collection.
Mother had chosen sky-blue drapes and white sheers for the wall of windows that overlooked her rose garden just beyond the side portico. There was a thick, slightly-darker blue carpet on the gleaming hardwood floor and a lacy blue-and-white coverlet for the bed. Katherine closed her eyes and actually felt the silky white down comforter folded neatly at the foot.
The first night they�d tucked her into bed in her finished room, she�d said that she felt like she was living in Heaven among the clouds. Papa said he was sure he saw an angel in the corner, and Mother added that there was another one by the door, and that the two of them would guard her all night long.
She thought longingly of that beautiful, safe haven and wished she were back in it now. She wished that her quest was finished�but there was still one more thing she had to do�and she had to do it alone, no matter what Jarrod or anyone else felt.
* * * * * * * *
Only Katherine and the Fullers stood beside the plain pine box as the minister�who hadn�t even known Luther Jimson�struggled to find words appropriate to the occasion. She thought of how different her parents� services had been. So much love and warmth had permeated the sadness, so many joyful memories had tempered the grief. But there was no one to mourn Luther Jimson, and nothing that anyone could�or wanted to�remember.
She had tried to buy flowers, but there were none to be had. �Orland isn�t quite big enough for that yet,� Caroline had said apologetically.
A cold, wet wind blew through the cemetery, tearing at the women�s hats and riffling the pages of the minister�s book. When he�d spoken the final �amen�, Katherine handed the elderly man an envelope containing what she hoped would be a generous donation to his church�or his living. �Thank you. I appreciate what you�ve done.�
They took refuge from the chill in the hotel caf� and ordered coffee. �I appreciate everything you�ve done, too,� she told the Fullers. �Especially coming with me to the cemetery today.�
�We were glad to do it,� Philip said. �Have you notified your family that you�re going on to San Francisco? Forgive my inquisitiveness, but Caroline and I feel a particular responsibility for you somehow.�
�My brother Jarrod wired me to come home to discuss things first, but I�m going on. Jarrod�s quite cautious and very protective of me.�
�Don�t you think perhaps you should go home?� Caroline touched Katherine�s arm lightly. �San Francisco is such a big city, and. . .�
Philip cleared his throat. �I think, Caroline my love, that Dr. Katherine Wardell is more than capable of looking after herself.� He�d detailed to his wife the younger woman�s cool display of the gun and stated intent to use it. When he thought of it again now, he felt only admiration for her�though he�d had a brief, uncomfortable moment of near-terror the previous afternoon. He�d never had a liking for weapons of any sort.
They laughed together, dispelling the heaviness that had accompanied them from the cemetery. Then Katherine grew serious again. �I hadn�t expected things to turn out quite this way,� she said.
Philip shook his head. �I�m glad for him and glad for me,� he said bluntly. �Every time I�d go out there, I�d have trouble sleeping. I didn�t like the man, but he was a human being after all.�
Philip had patients to see, but Caroline accompanied her to the train later. �You�ll keep in touch with us, won�t you, dear? Let us know how things turn out for you in San Francisco?�
Katherine hugged her. �Of course, I will. You�ve been very kind, and I�ll never forget you.�
* * * * * * * *
She took a cab from the station to the Seven Stars Hotel. It was a luxurious establishment complete with potted palms and overstuffed chairs in the chandelier-lit lobby and two elevators with gleaming metal doors.
�What time does the restaurant begin serving dinner?� she asked the bellboy as he set her bags down inside the room. She opened her purse and handed him some coins.
�Thank you, miss. Five-thirty, but dinner goes until ten, and you can have room service.� He indicated the house phone on the writing desk.
She didn�t unpack right away. Instead she sat down and considered how best to find Will Trowbridge. How hard would it be to locate the man in San Francisco? It didn�t really matter. She�d come to see him, and see him she would. She reached for the house phone, and a clerk answered immediately.
�I�d like to speak with the manager, please.�
�That would be Mr. Millard. Is there�is there a problem with the room?�
�No, the room is lovely, but I need some information. Would you connect me with Mr. Millard, please?�
It took a few moments for another voice to come on the line. �Millard here.�
�This is Dr. Katherine Wardell in room 3409. I�d like to speak with Mr. Will Trowbridge. Does he perhaps have an office in the hotel?�
There was a long hesitation. �Mr. Trowbridge isn�t. . .this is Thursday, and he usually checks in. . .I suppose I could give him a message.�
�That will be satisfactory. Please tell him that Dr. Katherine Wardell wishes to speak with him at his earliest convenience.�
�May I tell him in regards to what?�
�It�s personal.� Katherine hung up.
She waited until nine o�clock without results, so she dressed and went downstairs to the restaurant. A maitre�d wearing a ruffled shirt and black jacket seated her at a table for two in a secluded corner. �Will this be satisfactory, miss?�
�Completely.� She glanced at the menu he laid in front of her. �I�ll have a glass of white wine.�
�Is there any particular. . .�
She smiled sweetly. �I�m sure you know the best wine available.�
The maitre�d snapped his fingers at a waiter in a white waistcoat, murmured something to him, and bowed to Katherine.
While she waited for her veal with b�arnaise sauce, she sipped her wine and looked around appreciatively at the elegant dining room. She felt completely at home here. After all, she�d dined out often with Mother and Papa, had been taught the proper manners, and had learned how to deal with servers. The best that money could buy was nothing new to her.
The last thought made her uncomfortable. Mother said that money was a convenience, nothing more, and had discouraged her budding extravagances when Papa began to give her weekly pocket money. Mother had also made her understand that a portion of her funds should be set aside for the offering plate each Sunday.
So as she grew up, money meant little to her. She was appropriately dressed for every occasion�Mother saw to that�and she knew that her education was expensive. But Mother had taught her to mend and to cook and insisted that she keep her own room tidy despite the fact that Papa employed a housekeeper and a part-time upstairs maid. How many times had Mother called her away from some activity to remake a carelessly-spread bed or wipe the ring from the bathtub?
She declined a second glass of wine when the waiter brought her plate. Papa said that a glass of wine before or after dinner was appropriate for a young lady�but certainly not both and certainly not with dinner itself.
The waiter was taking her plate and replacing it with a cup of custard when Katherine became aware of the man wearing formal evening dress standing just inside the door. He seemed to be watching her, and he also seemed somewhat familiar. As he came toward her, she recognized him as the man Nick had asked her about at the dinner following Papa�s service.
�Dr. Wardell, I believe you wanted to see me. I�m Will Trowbridge.�
Her throat constricted, but she managed to say, �Please join me.�
�Thank you.� He sat down across from her.
�You were at my father�s funeral in Stockton last week.�
He smiled. �I was at your mother�s also, but you didn�t see me.�
�So you knew my parents?�
�You might say that.�
�I might also ask how you knew them.�
�I knew of them.�
Katherine felt suddenly weary, as if she were playing an interminable game of cat-and-mouse.
The man smiled at her. �You look like her, you know. You have her eyes.�
Katherine relaxed. �Annie.�
�Yes.�
�She died giving birth to me.�
�I know that.�
�She was all alone.� She regretted the accusatory note in her voice.
�I know that, too.�
They sat in silence, each taking the other�s measure. Finally the man spoke. �I�m not your father�though I would have been proud to be.�
�Do you know who he was?�
�No.�
�Would you tell me if you did?�
�Yes.� He signaled to a passing waiter. �Coffee.�
�Why did you go back to the saloon in Ash Flat looking for her?�
�May I tell you a story?�
�I wish you would.�
�When I was seventeen, I got into a fight with my father�one of those silly things that kids do�and decided to take off on my own. I rode into Ash Flat feeling like a man and headed straight for the saloon�the Desert Lily. I�d never had a drink in my life, but I was determined to have one that afternoon. While I was waiting, I saw Annie sitting alone at a table in the back and swaggered over thinking I was going to impress her.�
�Did you?�
He shook his head. �Before I knew it, we were talking like we�d known each other all our lives, commiserating with each other for being out in the cold, cruel world. The thing was, I knew I could always go home�and she knew she couldn�t. I got a job with an outfit north of there, but every chance I got, I went into town to see her. After awhile, I began to notice that she was filling out in the wrong place, and I finally convinced her to talk to me. She was so innocent�and a drunken cowboy had gotten her out in the alley one night and taken advantage of her.�
His jaw hardened. �I was so angry�I�d been brought up to respect women, you see. I had three younger sisters and a mamma who took a wooden spoon to my backside pretty regularly. Anyway, I told Annie I�d marry her and give the baby my name, and she jumped at the offer.�
He stirred his coffee thoughtfully. �Unfortunately, before we could get things taken care of, I got sent with a herd to the railhead at Carson City. I promised her I�d be back�even wrote to her from there when we were delayed waiting for the cattle cars�but I guess she never got my letter. When I got back, she�d gone. I didn�t know exactly when the baby was due, but it wasn�t hard to figure out that she�d gotten scared and run off again.� He ran his hand through his hair. �The thing that always bothered me was that she felt like I�d run out on her�and I hadn�t. I need you to believe that.�
�I do believe you, Mr. Trowbridge. But how did you know about me?�
�I quit my job and looked for Annie until my money ran out. Then, in the spring, I went to Stockton because I�d heard the Barkleys were hiring. Somebody told me that Nick Barkley was in the caf�, so I went looking for him. He was there with his brother Jarrod, and when I heard Jarrod say something about a baby and an adoption being finalized, I sat down and eavesdropped. I heard enough to know that the baby they were talking about was probably Annie�s. One of them mentioned the cemetery, so I went out there and asked the caretaker if there was an Annie buried somewhere. When I saw the marker and the date, I knew what had happened.�
�I still don�t understand why you came to my parents� funerals.�
He smiled almost boyishly. �Well, I didn�t go to work for the Barkleys, but I kept up with you. The Stockton newspaper always ran those little stories about how Mr. and Mrs. Royce Wardell and daughter Katherine were visiting from New Orleans�or Nashville. I knew when you finished Vanderbilt�summa cum laude, no less�and when you received your medical degree. When I read that your mother had died, I wanted to see you�and I also felt I owed her�and your father�a great deal. They�d done for you what I would have done if things had been different.�
He gestured around the dining room. �I made a small silver strike over in Nevada, found some good investments, and ended up with this hotel and several other rather lucrative business enterprises. It doesn�t seem fair, does it? I could have given Annie all this.�
�You gave her something,� Katherine said softly. �You gave her hope.�
�That wasn�t enough, was it?� His tone was surprisingly bitter.
�It was something anyway.� She swallowed the lump in her throat. �I know about Annie�shall I tell you about her?�
There was, Katherine thought, a hungry look in his eyes as he leaned forward, waiting.
Chapter 10
The dining room was deserted by the time they finished talking. She�d done exactly what Jarrod had cautioned her against�shared her life with a stranger�but Will Trowbridge didn�t seem so much like a stranger now.
He, in turn, had shared something of himself with her. �There have been a few women in my life but none I wanted to share my life with. I took care of my parents and saw that my sisters were educated. I�m content.�
�Papa thought he was content until he met Mother. He�d been alone for a long time. And then, of course, there was me. Mother always said he deserved a chance at being a father.�
�It could happen, I suppose, but I�m not counting on it. Is there anyone special in your life, Katherine?�
�Actually, there is. He�s a doctor, too. We�d been seeing each other for almost a year when Mother became ill. Then there was Papa to care for. He said he understood and that it would be the right time for us someday.�
�And is it the right time now?�
�Yes. I expect we�ll be married as soon as I return to Nashville.�
�I�m very happy for you then.�
�Thank you.�
�Are you going back to Stockton tomorrow?�
�I think so. My brother Jarrod thought I shouldn�t come here without another family meeting to discuss it, but I knew I had to come now�and I�m glad I did.�
�I�m glad, too. If you like, I�ll send you back in my private railway car.�
�I�ll travel coach�Mother would disapprove of the unnecessary luxury.�
He laughed. �So would my mother!�
He walked her to the elevator and held the door. �I�ll say again that I would have been proud to be your father, Katherine, and I hope you know that you can call on me if there�s ever anything I can do for you.�
She nodded. �You�ve done a great deal already.� Impulsively, she kissed his cheek. �Goodnight, Mr. Trowbridge�and thank you.�
* * * * * * * *
As she�d known he would, Jarrod readily forgave her for ignoring his directive, and then everyone in the family over eighteen gathered for dinner one night to hear the story of her journey. She was tempted to skip the part about the gun, but it figured too heavily in the explanation to be dismissed.. She thought Nick looked somewhat smug when she repeated what she�d said to Luther Jimson.
She needed no urging to stay through Christmas. Audra went home but promised to return. The family tradition of not exchanging gifts had continued. Contributions to the orphanage�which had been taken over by the state ten years ago�and to other worthy causes were the rule of thumb.
Katherine�s birthday on the twenty-third, however, was celebrated with what Gene called �all the trimmings�. She took that opportunity to announce that, before her next birthday, she would be Mrs. Theodore Emerson. Predictably, a discussion ensued as to who would give the bride away. Just as predictably, Pappy put his foot down. �I�m the oldest�it�s my responsibility and my honor.� Nick disagreed, as did Heath and Gene, but Jarrod remained adamant.
Audra tapped on her door after everyone had gone to bed. �I�m so happy for you, KatieBee. You remember that I wore Mother�s dress�and then put it away safely for you.�
�Oh, Audra! No, I didn�t remember! I was only four!�
�It�s stored in the cedar closet in the attic. You�ll want to take it with you so that it can be fitted.�
Katherine embraced her sister. �It will be like having her there!�
* * * * * * * *
On Christmas Eve morning she asked Fernando to saddle a horse for her, and, without asking anyone�s leave, rode into town. It was an unusually mild day for late December. Teddy had written that it was snowing in Nashville and that he�d given up his automobile for a horse�at least until spring. Thinking of him made her smile. He�d been so patient and understanding�standing by whenever she needed him but not pressuring her to slight her responsibility to Mother and Papa. They had approved of him wholeheartedly. She only wished that Papa would be the one to escort her down the aisle, but. . .
Stockton had boasted a single florist for a year now, and it was to his shop she headed. The selection was small this time of year, but there was plenty of holly. It didn�t take long for him to fashion three wreaths tied with red velvet ribbon.
She placed two of the wreaths on her parents graves and stepped back. �You said I was your miracle�well, you were mine, too. You gave me the best life I could have had. I wouldn�t change anything, not really. I wish that Annie hadn�t died�alone. Maybe she�d have left me at the orphanage anyway�who knows? Maybe Mr. Trowbridge would have found her later, and they�d have been happy. But I can�t imagine not being your daughter. That�s who I am�who I�ll always be.�
She sought out the caretaker to help her find Annie�s grave and was surprised to find an obviously new marble marker on it. �Annie Jimson, 1864-1880. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.�
�Do you like it?� She caught her breath sharply as Will Trowbridge stepped from behind a nearby tree. �It was just set this morning.�
�It�it�s lovely.�
�It�s my Christmas present to myself.� He stepped up beside her. �I see you thought of her, too.�
�Yes. I had some made for my parents and thought I�d bring one to her.�
�Very appropriate. She gave you breath�and they gave you life.�
She looked up at him. �That�s a beautiful thought.�
�You�re going home to be married after Christmas then?�
�Yes. Jarrod�s going to give me away, but I wish that Papa. . .�
�I understand.� The corners of his mouth turned up slightly. �You know, strange as it may seem, two days after you left I met someone.�
�And?�
�I don�t know yet, but we�re seeing each other regularly. She�s a widow with a ten-year-old son.�
�So you�d be getting an entire family.�
�Possibly.�
�Will you let me know? You can write to me in care of Vanderbilt. I also teach classes there as well as see patients in the hospital.�
�Of course. Will you invite me to your wedding?�
�The first invitation is yours.�
She laid the wreath on Annie�s grave. �Why do I feel that it�s tomorrow already? That it�s Christmas?�
He took her arm. �Maybe because yesterday is finally over�for both of us.�
�I think you�re right. I�m going to my brother�s office. Would you come with me and meet Jarrod? I�ve told him about you.�
�I just have a few minutes. My private car is being switched over to the noon train to San Francisco. I promised Elizabeth I�d be back in time to help trim the tree.�
�Then I�ll walk with you to the station.�
* * * * * * * *
�Now, honey, you�ll wire us as soon as you get home.� Jarrod kissed his sister�s cheek. �And write us about the wedding plans. We�ll need some advance notice for such a long trip, you know.�
�Yes to all of the above,� Katherine laughed.
One by one the others kissed her and added their brotherly admonitions to Jarrod�s. Gene handed her bag to the conductor and assisted her up the step. �So we�ll see you in the spring, KatieBee! Take care!�
�And you tell Dr. Theodore Emerson that I�m going to want to have a long talk with him as soon as I get there!� Nick blustered.
�With your shotgun across your lap?� she called back.
�Maybe! Just maybe!�
Heath shook his head. �Maybe you should think about eloping!� he yelled over the noise of the engine.
Katherine stood on the steps until the train picked up enough speed that the conductor forced her to come inside. She took one last look at her brothers�the four of them standing side by side�before she complied. She loved them so�and they loved her�and she was, at long last, going home. She had come to bury Papa and to find the truth about herself, and she had done both. Yesterday was over. The book was closed.
THE END