“How could you be so careless! It shows what you think of the ring and what it represents.” Mariah flinched at the words and backed away from him. “All right,” he said, “Here’s ten dollars. Take a cab back but don’t dawdle or the damn ship’ll leave without you!” He was more than a little irritated with her. It was just another example of her recent absentmindedness, and he did nothing to soften the quickly snapped words of anger.
Mariah made a vast effort to control her tears, knowing how she irritated him lately. She wasn’t sure herself why she was so dazed and forgetful. She hurried along, remembering his threat that the ship would leave without her. She knew how anxious he was to leave for England and she really believed he would stay on the ship and leave her if she were late. It was either that or wait for her and curse her for making him miss the trip. Remembering how easily he could be moved to physical violence, she told the cabbie there would be a large tip if he hurried.
Arriving back at the Sunburst, Mariah asked the cabbie to wait and hurried to McCabe’s office. The apartment would be locked and he’d have to let her in. She ran into Natalie and the girl stopped her, surprised to see her again when she’d just bid farewell an hour before.
“What on earth—honey, why aren’t you aboard the ship yet? It leaves in about forty-five minutes, Mariah!” When Mariah swiftly explained her plight, Natalie grabbed her hand and together they rushed to McCabe’s office, only to find it empty.
“Natalie, I've got to find the key. I won’t leave without my wedding band! Where on earth could McCabe be?” She glanced distractedly about the office, trying to think where the key might be kept. Just as she was about to dissolve into helpless tears, McCabe entered the room.
When the situation was explained a second time, he immediately went to the desk and produced the key from his top drawer.
“Oh, thank you, Ben,” Mariah said appreciatively. “I haven’t much time, I’ve got a cab waiting outside.” He quickly took her to the apartment and Mariah went directly to the nightstand. The ring lay in the exact spot where she had put it the night before. With a satisfied sigh, Mariah put it on and slipped her white gloves over it, feeling secure now that it was in place. She started for the door, where McCabe was waiting to lock up, when a sudden giddy feeling overtook her and she paused, shaking her head a moment. Everything started to blur as the objects in the room seemed to slant crazily. Having fainted before, Mariah was aware she was about to crumple to the ground and fought it, managing to stay erect but weak and shaken from the effort. From a distance she heard Natalie and Ben discussing her and found she was seated on the sofa, leaning back on it for support.
“I’m sending for a doctor, she doesn’t look well at all,” Ben’s voice was saying, and he left the room, leaving Natalie to watch her. Outside, he grabbed one of the help and sent him scurrying off on the errand. Remembering the carriage awaiting Mariah’s return he went outside and was about to pay the driver when a sudden thought occurred to him. Pausing, he slyly pondered a message for the driver to deliver. If his quickly conceived plan worked, Jared would think Mariah had left him and, knowing how anxious the man was to leave for England, he gambled that Mariah would be left behind—in his hands. Handing the driver a twenty-dollar bill, he repeated his message twice to make sure the man understood it.
. “You’re to go back to the docks and find a man named Jared Bryant aboard the Fleet Queen berthed at slip #5. Tell him the lady you brought here sends her regrets but she’s changed her mind about the trip. She wishes her baggage taken off the ship and returned here. Please repeat the message.” When the man said it perfectly word for word, Ben added, “There’s another twenty when you return with the bags, and you may also tell Mr. Bryant that Ben McCabe wishes him a pleasant journey and will see to the lady.” The driver nodded, anxious to be off and return to receive his money. Such tips were hard to come by and the high denomination made him carefully repeat the message as he whipped the horses down the street, toward the dock.
Watching the cab leave, Ben grinned triumphantly. Unless the plan backfired and Jared came after her, Mariah would fall to him; and though there was a chance Bryant might try and kill him, Mariah was worth the gamble. Now, if he could delay her enough to miss the ship’s sailing, she’d think Jared had abandoned her alone and penniless in San Francisco.
Inside the apartment, Mariah was insisting she had to leave, but Natalie was just as insistent she would have to wait for the doctor. “I don’t think you realize what’s wrong with you, honey. I’m the oldest of twelve kids and I saw my ma in your condition enough times to know. You been sick to your stomach and weak?” When Mariah nodded at each query, Natalie smiled, patting her hand. “Honey, you’ll just feel that way a while. About seven months from now you’ll end up with a healthy baby.”
Mariah stared, shocked by the diagnosis. “I can’t be pregnant…I just can’t!” Jared would be furious, unwilling to take her through the jungle on the seventy-five-mile journey across Panama. He might have to stay behind and he’d blame the whole thing on her! “I’ve got to get to the boat, it’ll sail in a half-hour. I’ve just got time to make it. Please, Natalie, go with me to the dock!”
“That husband of yours ain’t about to leave you alone! He might even a’ guessed when you didn’t. He’s older and he’s been ’round enough to know the symptoms.” Seeing her friend’s agitation, she relented, “All right, Mariah, let’s get going, but you’ll see, even if the boat’s gone, Jared’ll be there waiting for you. When you explain about the baby, he’ll understand.”
Mariah was dubious but happy enough to be on her way. Outside, there were no cabs in sight and she grew frantic again. Ben joined them, and discovering their destination told them he would have his carriage brought around. In five minutes, they were on their way. Mariah was on pins and needles the entire trip.
When they reached the docks, Ben helped them down from the carriage and, as they looked around, it was clear the Fleet Queen had embarked on her journey. No one stood on the dock; it was almost entirely deserted.
Mariah stood perfectly still, fighting the tears. He’d always threatened he’d leave her when he didn’t want her anymore. She wondered if his actions were prompted by his realization that she was pregnant. Maybe Natalie was right, he’d guessed about the baby and figured she’d be a liability. The horrible weakness challenged her again and only sheer willpower helped her fight it.
Natalie was watching Mariah’s face with concerned worry. Turning to stare at the empty slip, she frowned, trying to decide if Jared Bryant was the type to leave his own wife penniless and abandoned. She knew they hadn’t been getting along ever since that blonde hussy tried to come between them. Yet, she found it hard to believe he hadn’t loved Mariah. Seeking to console her and afraid she’d miscarry if she became hysterical, Natalie offered a small ray of hope.
“Look, sweetie, maybe we missed him. When you didn’t get here in time, he probably hired a carriage back to the Sunburst. When we get back, you’ll find him waiting impatiently. Just you wait and see!” She frowned at Ben, who wasn’t any help at all. He’d remained silent the entire time. “Isn’t that so, Ben?”
“I’m sure it is,” he lied convincingly. Inwardly he was jubilant, sure his plan had worked. He could barely control his excitement at the thought of seducing the raven-haired beauty. “Why don’t we return to the casino and find out?” He reached out to assist Mariah into the carriage. She seemed in a daze, almost reluctant to move, and he decided it was because she had sensed the partial truth, that when they got back to the Sunburst, Jared probably wouldn’t be there.
On the return trip, Natalie kept up a nervous chatter, trying to occupy Mariah’s thoughts. By now, she too had a feeling they wouldn’t find Jared there, and she prayed the doctor who’d been called earlier would still be around. Looking at Mariah’s pale, wooden expression she was sure he would be needed.
Inside, the Sunburst was deserted, except for the doctor who sat drinking a cup of
coffee at one of the tables. Ben asked the day barkeep if Bryant had been back.
The cadaverously thin, balding barman replied in his usual dull monotone. “Haven’t seen ’im. Thought he left for some foreign country, boss.”
Natalie called to the doctor, an older, bespectacled man she’d seen several times. Mariah looked like she was about to collapse and before the doctor reached them, she did—swooning, and was caught in Ben’s arms and carried to his office couch. Natalie insisted on staying while the doctor examined her friend, but Ben was shooed from the room to wait outside at the bar.
He told Carson to pour him a stiff brandy and silently toasted his success. He couldn’t believe it had worked out so well. The cab driver he’d paid earlier entered the club, carrying Mariah’s luggage and Ben told him to take the bags back to the apartment, producing the key from his pocket. When the man returned, Ben paid him and the driver tipped his hat in respect. “Anytime you need an errand run, I’m your man, sir. Just call for J. C. Beck.” He pocketed the twenty and strolled, whistling, out the door.
Dr. Myers stood up from the seat he’d taken at the desk, handing a written prescription form to Natalie. “Have this filled and keep her off her feet for a week, or I won’t be responsible for the baby’s chances.” Turning to Mariah, he patted her hand in a comforting way. “I know this sounds like dull advice from an old so-and-so, but you must take hold of yourself for the child’s sake. It’s not much comfort, you’re still nothing but a child yourself, but the more trials we come through in this life, the stronger we get. Now, you rest and follow the instructions I gave you. Baby should be here about the fourteenth of February. I’ll check on you every couple of weeks, just to make sure everything’s all right.” He shook his head sadly, at the sight of Mariah’s face. Poor girl didn’t look like she heard a word he’d said. Sad, how fragile she looked.
Natalie followed the man outside, assuring him she would see his instructions were followed. She watched him leave, then wandered over to the table where McCabe sat. Slumping into the next chair, she gave in to her sadness, burying her hands in her head as tears coursed down her thin cheeks.
“It seems there’s more to this than we guessed. I certainly wouldn’t want to be the one to tell her though,” Ben commented. When Natalie looked up, puzzled by his words, he handed her a note addressed to him from Del. She’d quit her job “for greener pastures” and had sailed on board the Fleet Queen. His mouth twitching with mock disgust, Ben spoke disparagingly. “Hardly a coincidence, don’t you agree? By the way, what’d the doc say about Mariah?”
Natalie was too busy placing a silent curse on Jared and Del to reply for a moment. When he repeated the concerned inquiry about Mariah, Natalie shook herself to clear her head. “Besides being abandoned and penniless, she’s six weeks pregnant. The baby’s due in February. What the hell will she do to survive ’til then?”
Stunned by the news, Ben’s facile mind took a minute to recover. “She can keep the apartment ’til she has the baby. Then she can work as a dealer. "Mariah’s quick enough to learn fast and she’ll be a big drawing card. Until then, she doesn’t have to worry about any bills.”
Skeptical of the first generous act she’d ever known Ben to perform, Natalie nonetheless worried about Mariah working in the casino. She just wasn’t the type of girl to handle the rough customers and smooth talkers who gambled at the Sunburst. Well, it was eight or nine months in the future, she’d worry about that later. “Don’t tell her about that bitch leaving town, Ben. For sure, that would make her lose the baby.” When he promised he wouldn’t, she rose and wearily returned to assure Mariah she’d be taken care of. At least she could offer her that much comfort.
Mariah felt she was in the middle of a nightmare. Reaching down, she laid a hand atop her flat stomach, amazed that it held a tiny spark of life. Aside from the nausea and dizzy spells, she still felt it couldn’t be possible. A baby, part of her and part of Jared. She wondered why she couldn’t accept it; there’d certainly been enough times to produce such an event. Positive that Jared knew and had rejected the idea of fatherhood, Mariah already found herself thinking of the baby as hers entirely, as though some miracle had created it inside her without help from anyone. Poor thing, she thought, how’ll we survive, you and I? Jared’s leaving had been the last straw, and the doctor had convinced her that if she could come through this she’d be strong, strong enough never to have to lean on a man for security ever again. Something in the thought calmed her, and though she was anxious to go to Ben and remind him of the job he’d offered, she obeyed the doctor’s instructions and continued to lie still. She was no longer responsible for just her own existence, but also the baby’s, and she intended to see she was careful and carried it to full term. Mariah pushed Jared from her mind, telling herself that if he could be so cruel as to abandon her and his unborn child, then what she had taken for love must have been nothing but lust. Shedding only a single tear for the idealistic romanticism of her younger days, Mariah, at the age of eighteen, put that part of her life behind her and looked toward the future with a bitter realism.
Mariah obeyed the doctor’s instructions carefully and was able to be up and around in just over a week. Although Ben insisted it wasn’t necessary, Mariah wanted to start her job as soon as possible. It would keep her mind occupied and away from indulgent self-pity. During the day, while the Sunburst was empty, Ben drilled her in vingt-et-un and Monte, the two main card games. Poker was considered too slow a diversion for the gamblers; and although there were games around the room, most of the gamblers preferred Monte or the roulette table. Mariah was an excellent student, mastering the games after several days of practice. Since she refused to wear the skimpy costumes the other girls wore, Ben allowed her to have several dresses made to wear.
When Mariah modeled the dresses, Ben was at first a little skeptical. They were tailored in a very plain style, with long sleeves and a high lace neck, but after a while he began to see what an enhancement they would be. In one of the cheap, low-cut gowns, Mariah would have been noticed, for the men couldn’t ignore her dark beauty; but she wouldn’t have been as demurely attractive, as seductively unattainable. She had ordered three of the dresses, each cut the same in black velvet material. A soft lace froth of white edged the high neckline and circled her wrists, adding just the right touch to ease the severity of the style.
The first night she worked, he discovered how dazzling the effect was. Nervous, but outwardly cool and in control, Mariah held court at a table in the center of the huge room, the table that was the most profitable of the night. Ben had assured her he’d keep an eye on her and when he caught sight of two slightly drunk young miners who appeared to be giving Mariah a difficult time, he swiftly made his way toward the table. Meanwhile Mariah managed to gain the respect of the rest of the gamblers at the table by handling the situation herself. She merely lectured the youngsters about troubling defenseless women and shamed them into behaving properly.
As the weeks progressed and his profits continued to spiral, Ben was to become aware that because he had desired Mariah and managed to engineer what had seemed like her desertion, he’d stumbled onto a gold mine. Many of the customers told him they came to the Sunburst more often because of her. Miners in from far-flung mining camps were passed the word that Mariah’s Monte game was the best in town, but warned in serious tones that anyone who gave her trouble would be thrown out on his ear.
After her initial anxiety had disappeared, Mariah found she enjoyed the work and the affectionate respect of the customers. A small part of her was shocked by her enjoyment, but a new sense of freedom that came from earning her own way and total independence forced her to bury any moralistic self-reproach. She hardly ever thought of Jared anymore, except when, alone at night in her bed, she would touch her gently rounding stomach and remember the baby was his. She was four months along, just beginning to show and in another two weeks she would be forced to quit. She had to laugh aloud at the idea of con
tinuing any further. A vision of herself, eight months pregnant and unable to sit close enough to deal was hilarious. At least she still had her sense of humor left. A sudden kicking movement made her reach down to feel her stomach. There…it happened again! The baby was beginning to be very real now and it reminded her again of Jared. Did he ever think of her or was he so cold-hearted he was capable of completely forgetting her?
Chapter 23
If she could have read Jared’s thoughts, Mariah would have been shocked by his antagonism. The message he’d received at the dock that day in early June had sent him into such a blind rage, he’d stalked to his cabin and in lieu of having Ben’s face handy, had slammed his fist into a heavy wooden shelf, splintering it to pieces and breaking two fingers. The ship’s doctor had set his hand and, refusing a painkiller, Jared had instead centered his rage on what he’d like to do if he ever saw Mariah and Ben again. He was hardly aware of the pain as the physician plastered the hand and taped the cast. He had politely thanked the man but had left him to puzzle out his own explanation of how or why the injury had occurred.
Jared left the doctor’s cabin and joined Tony on the deck to watch as the shoreline of San Francisco receded. Tony had been there to witness the fact that Mariah had left Jared and he stood by, unable to think of any words that would explain her actions. Tony found it hard to believe that the sweet young girl he’d met only two days before was devious enough to leave Jared in such a manner. What was worse was the way the girl’s lover had sent the note, rubbing Jared’s nose in the dirt. He would have excused himself but he’d taken an instant liking to Jared and felt he should stay near in case he wanted to talk.
Noticing the heavy, brooding scowl on Jared’s face, he inquired whether there was anything he could do. “If you’d prefer to be alone, I quite understand. Sometimes, though, it helps to unburden one’s self.” Jared seemed barely to hear him and Tony added in a louder tone, “Should you want to talk, I’ll be in my cabin. I’ve an excellent bottle of aged brandy with me.” There was no response from Jared, only his continuous brooding stare into the dark waters beneath the boat. Tony patted him on the back and went below, feeling he’d offered the best help he could.
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