In the Shadow of the Mountains

by Rosanne Bittner

  “Mother, I feel funny with my shoulders bare,” Irene complained.

  “It’s quite acceptable. I probably should have waited until you were sixteen, but it’s only a modest cut, Irene. Nothing is showing that shouldn’t be showing.”

  Twelve-year-old Elly wondered if and when she would fill out like Irene, wishing she could wear a bodice that dipped much lower to show off the breasts she was beginning to develop. If she were Irene, she would be complaining that the neckline was too high, not too low. She kept her hurt and hatred to herself as Bea fussed over Irene’s lustrous, golden hair, making sure it was properly pinned at the back, a rose-colored lace hairpiece decorating the twisted curls. A diamond necklace sparkled at Irene’s slender throat.

  “There,” Bea said, stepping back. She smiled, sighing deeply. “You’re a picture, Irene. Chad Jacobs will be very impressed, and I know you’ll like him very much.” She glanced at Elly, suddenly frowning. “Elly, you know you look terrible in that color green. Put on the yellow dress like I told you.”

  “But I like this one better. It makes me look thinner.”

  “It’s too tight in the waist. It only makes you look heavier because it pinches and creases right at the waistline. Wear the yellow one, and hurry up. We haven’t much time.” She turned to John. “You look fine, John.”

  He stuck a finger into the collar that felt too tight around his neck. “I hate getting dressed up.”

  Bea adjusted his bow tie and buttoned one button he had left open on his silk vest. “So does your father, but we want to be proper for Mr. Jacobs. And I want you to get to know him much better. Chad will benefit your career much more than that uneducated Mexican woodcarver you go on about. It’s time to stop whittling away at wood and get into more serious studies, John. I want you to start spending some time at the law firm to see how things are handled. It might help you when you go off to college.”

  John just scowled and glanced at Irene. His sister and his father understood how he felt about wood carving. He had given up trying to make his mother understand. Bea seemed deaf when anyone in the family wanted something other than what she wanted for them. “It’s stuffy up here,” he grumbled, walking out of the bedroom to go downstairs.

  “Our new home will be much nicer,” Bea assured the girls. “Your rooms will be quite large, and you can decorate them however you like. We won’t be able to move in until later in the summer, so we may have to wait until then to have your party, Irene, even though you’ll be sixteen in March.”

  “It doesn’t matter to me, Mother. I don’t need a coming-out party.”

  “Of course you do. All proper young ladies should have one. I want to show my daughter off to all of Denver. Now come downstairs with me and we’ll make sure Elsa has the appetizers ready.”

  Bea and Irene left, and Elly glared at the doorway, hastily and angrily removing her dress to change into the yellow one her mother wanted her to wear. It was a “little-girl’s” dress, as far as she was concerned. She envisioned walking up to Irene in front of Chad Jacobs and yanking Irene’s dress down to her waist, humiliating her. The thought made her laugh.

  She quickly put on the yellow dress, scowling in the mirror at how it made her look. She removed the green ribbon and rebrushed her long, straight hair, then tied a yellow ribbon into it. Although she hated the dress, she agreed that yellow did look better against her olive skin and dark hair, but the dress made her look heavier. She pushed at her waist, hoping she would lose her chunky look as she got older. She studied her breasts, pleased that at least they seemed to be developing nicely. She wondered if Mr. Chad Jacobs would notice.

  Someone rapped at the door downstairs, and Elly hurried out of the room, racing down the stairs just in time to see Bea and Kirk opening the door to welcome the new attorney. Elly already knew he was twenty-four, came from a prominent family in Pennsylvania, and had graduated from law school at the top of his class. What she didn’t know until now was that her mother’s remark about his looks had been an understatement. Her heart fluttered as she gazed upon the most handsome man her young eyes had ever beheld.

  She could tell that Irene was also impressed, as her cheeks suddenly flushed at the sight of him. Elly wanted to cry when she saw how Chad, in turn, looked at Irene. Extreme delight was written all over his finely chiseled face as his soft gray eyes drank in Irene’s exquisite beauty. He shook hands with Kirk, then turned back to Irene, taking her hand and bowing lightly. “I’m honored and delighted to meet you, Irene,” he told her. “Your mother has told me a lot about you.”

  Irene blushed as he turned to Bea then. “Well, Mrs. Kirkland, you do indeed have a very beautiful daughter.”

  Bea glowed with pride. She had a daughter much more beautiful than her cousin Cynthia could ever have hoped to be. No one had to know Irene wasn’t of her own blood, and no one would ever know, as far as she was concerned. She could hardly wait until the new house was finished so she could write to Cynthia, now a married woman herself, and invite her to come for a visit.

  Bea turned and introduced Elly and John. Elly stared in awe at Jacobs, whom she considered nothing short of a prince. He shook hands with John, then took Elly’s hand and squeezed it. “So, this is the little sister,” he commented with a gentle smile.

  How Elly hated to be referred to in that way! His eyes immediately turned back to Irene. He walked beside her as they went into the dining room to sit down at an elegantly set table. Bea Kirkland had only the finest china and silverware. The huge dining table and matching chairs were a rich mahogany, and the lace tablecloth was from France.

  Elly’s eyes never left Chad Jacobs as they all took their places. He was more than handsome. He was beautiful—tall and well built, with thick, sandy hair; his smile showed even, white teeth, and his nose was perfect. Elly was certain there was not another man like him in all of Denver, and her heart felt crushed to think that she would never get the chance to vie for his attention. By the time she was old enough for men to notice, Chad Jacobs would most certainly be taken by someone else, and if Bea Kirkland had anything to do with it, that someone would be Irene.

  Irene still felt awkward. She was not accustomed to entertaining men, and she was glad her whole family was present so she didn’t have to worry about making conversation. Chad Jacobs was every bit as handsome as her mother had predicted, as well as charming and well spoken; he was, indeed, a man with a promising future. Still, there was something about him that made her uncomfortable, something she could not name. He was almost too charming, but she reasoned it didn’t make much difference at the moment how she felt about him. She wouldn’t even be sixteen for two months yet.

  Talk turned to Kirkland Enterprises and what Chad’s duties would be. It was obvious to Irene that both Bea and Elly were totally taken with Chad, but Kirk appeared somewhat wary. Irene was surprised that she felt the same way, sensing Chad was a man who could turn on the charm when needed, but that underneath there lurked a much cooler personality.

  “I wanted to come west—help build a new city from the ground up,” he was saying as the soup was served. “I’m very excited about being able to work for you, Mr. Kirkland.”

  “How about proving your loyalty to Denver first?” Kirk retorted.

  Everyone looked at him in surprise. “Sir?” Chad asked. “I’m not sure what you mean.”

  Kirk grinned. “Just a suggestion,” he told the young man. “Word is, Confederates are headed this way out of San Antonio…close to four thousand men.”

  “Kirk!” Bea paled. “Are you sure about that?”

  “Byers has been getting telegraph messages for several days now. A General Sibley is marching north. He’s already overtaken several Union forts. The mines up here are producing millions in gold, and the South needs it. Sibley is only a little over three hundred miles south of here, and none of us has any doubt where he’s headed.”

  “Oh, my goodness,” Bea said softly, putting a hand to her chest. “Kirk, what if they get ho
ld of our own assets, take over the bank!”

  Kirk looked at Chad. “Before you start helping Bea handle our business affairs, we have to make sure we keep our property and possessions in Kirkland hands, or there won’t be a Kirkland Enterprises.”

  “If you’re asking for my help, sir, you’ve got it,” Chad offered. “I don’t want Confederates running over this town any more than you do.”

  Kirk eyed him closely. “Good. I’m joining the First Colorado Volunteers for a march south to intercept this Sibley. You want to come along?”

  The table was suddenly quiet, everyone worried, Irene concerned for her father, but Elly already concerned for Chad Jacobs. “Sure, I’ll join,” Chad told him. “As long as I can come back to work as soon as we do what’s needed.”

  “Can you handle a rifle?”

  “Yes, sir. I did a lot of hunting back home.”

  Kirk picked up a soup spoon. “Fine. I’ve been fighting since I was a kid, mostly Indians. Seems strange to be going up against other white men. There was a time when I never thought I’d see so much civilization in this country. I don’t like it much, but I know it can’t be stopped. I have a family to provide for now; so I just flow with the tide.”

  The words took him back to Bent’s Fort. He remembered Red McKinley telling him about flowing with the tide. It had been over fifteen years since he had seen his old friend, and he wondered what had ever happened to him. What would Red think of him now—David Kirkland, a wealthy, settled man? He wanted to laugh at the thought of it.

  “Well, you just tell me who to go see, and I’ll pick up a uniform,” Chad was saying.

  Kirk swallowed a spoonful of soup. “There’s a man down at the city offices by the name of Major John Chivington who’s swearing in volunteers. We can go over there together tomorrow. The man is actually a Methodist minister. For some reason he got involved in all this and seems to know what he’s doing. Some are calling him the ‘fighting preacher.’”

  Chad laughed. “And I’ve heard the Volunteers called Governor Gilpin’s ‘pet lambs.’ We’ll show them what we’re worth when we rout out this Sibley and his men, right?”

  Kirk could not help respecting Chad’s readiness to volunteer, although he suspected the man’s motives were mainly to impress Bea and Irene. Jacobs at least seemed to have no aversion to doing a man’s job, and he certainly looked up to the task. Irene was somewhat more impressed herself, sensing her father had been testing the young man.

  “I wish you would discuss these things with me before you act on them, Kirk,” Bea said, trying to appear calm. “I had no idea you were joining the Volunteers.”

  “Well, it wasn’t until today that they began asking for extra men. When I heard how close this Sibley was, I decided I couldn’t just sit here waiting to see what happens. Besides, it’s been a long time since I enjoyed a good fight.”

  “You’re a businessman now. Denver needs you,” Bea reminded him. “And so do we.”

  “That’s why I’m going—to protect my family, my possessions, and Denver. But I am sorry I brought it up here at the table. Let’s just eat and talk about this later.”

  Kirk turned the conversation to Denver itself, the mining operations, how rapidly the city had grown, and how hard he and others were working to keep the city growing, even if the gold should run out. By dessert, Chad seemed to fit right in with the family. He had turned his attention to Irene several times. Bea had made certain she was seated next to him. Chad seemed interested in her life, and she was relieved that he was not put off when she mentioned that she liked to ride.

  Irene wanted to dislike him, and she didn’t even know why; but he had a way of making it difficult to tear her eyes away once he caught them with his own penetrating gaze; and he made conversation easily. The rest of the evening seemed to pass swiftly. Kirk lit the fireplace in the parlor, and Bea urged Irene and Chad to sit together on a satin love seat. Elly sat in a chair near them, continually interrupting their conversation with her own questions. She struggled to get Chad’s attention, but he had eyes only for Irene. Just being near him made Elly feel shaky and warm, and she felt like crying at the thought of Chad Jacobs’s joining the Volunteers.

  The evening wore on, and Chad had to leave. Kirk and Irene walked him to the door, and he asked if he might talk to Irene alone for a moment. Irene reddened, feeling awkward and embarrassed. Kirk frowned, eyeing his beautiful daughter, unable to blame Jacobs for being interested but wary of any young man getting close to Irene. She was not only beautiful and rich, but trusting and innocent as well. He was not going to let her be hurt. “Two minutes,” he told Chad with a wink.

  He left them at the door, and Chad looked down at Irene, placing a finger lightly under her chin to turn her face toward his. “I’d like to see more of you, Irene,” he told her, “once I get back. Your mother tells me you’re turning sixteen soon. I think your parents would let me begin seeing you more then, if you’ll allow it.”

  Irene was not sure how she felt. She reasoned any young woman would be flattered and eager to be courted by this seemingly near-perfect man. This was something her mother wanted very much, and she decided she didn’t know enough about men to be so wary of this one, certainly not before even getting to know him better. There couldn’t be any harm in that.

  “It’s fine with me,” she answered, wondering if her face was as red as it felt.

  He gave her his most unnerving smile. “Thank you.” He took her hand and leaned down to kiss the back of it. “We’ll take care of those rebels and be back in no time.”

  “Be careful, Chad,” she told him. “And watch out for my father, will you?”

  He grinned more. “I have a feeling he’s not the kind of man who needs looking after. But I’ll keep an eye out.” He took his tweed frock coat from a rack near the door, putting it on and adjusting the silk serge collar. He donned his silk hat and held Irene’s eyes a moment longer, sensing her doubts, realizing she was quite the innocent. He imagined with aching ecstasy what it would be like bringing out the woman in this object of utter beauty.

  “Good-bye, Irene,” he told her softly, wondering how long it would take to break down her girlish resistance. She told him good-bye, and he left, his body burning with desire for Irene Kirkland. Not only was she more beautiful than her mother had described, but she was rich. His own parents were not doing so well anymore. He needed new resources. Bea Kirkland was paying him well, but he wanted more, and Irene could be his pathway to a lifetime of luxury. How delightful to find a rich girl who was also pretty. That made it all that much easier to marry a woman just for the money.

  He considered the fact that marriage meant only one woman in his bed. To Chad Jacobs, the conquest of women had been a thrilling hobby for years. It mattered little whether they were virgins, married women, or widows. The thrill of victory was always the same, and it came easy for him. Just the right smile, the right words, the right touch, was all they needed. He had killer looks, and he knew it. He had perfected his talent in seducing women to the point where he could probably get any woman he wanted into his bed.

  Except, perhaps, Bea Kirkland, he thought. She was a rare breed. He sensed right off that no man got through to that stalwart queen. She was a shrewd woman. He had to be careful with her, or she would catch on to him, and his plans for her daughter would be ruined. The way to that woman’s heart was not through charm and passion, but through hard work and dollar signs. He would charm her with his knowledge, his devotion to Kirkland Enterprises, of which he intended to own a part someday, through Irene.

  As far as David Kirkland was concerned, he would be even harder to fool. But he had made a good start at winning the man’s confidence by quickly agreeing to join the Volunteers, much as he detested the idea.

  He realized that for the time being he would have to give up chasing after other women. He had to appear devoted to Irene now. Still, a man had needs. He headed for Denver’s red light district. No red-blooded young man could be blam
ed for visiting the whores once in a while. He needed the whores—using them and other women to get back at his mother…his slutty, cruel mother. God, how he hated her!

  From an upstairs window Elly watched him go. She hated her mother for making her come upstairs early, and she hated Irene for being able to stay up until Chad Jacobs left. “I’ll pray for you, Chad,” she whispered. She was not thirteen yet, but she was in love, of that she was sure. It had taken only one evening with Chad Jacobs to develop an aching crush that brought pain to her chest.

  Chapter Seven

  Early March of 1862 brought a chinook wind that warmed the valley to a delightful, if not deceitful, early spring, although there was still a lot of snow at higher elevations. Irene put on her riding habit and a cape and headed out to the stables to saddle Sierra. She was worried about her father, who had been gone over three weeks, and she was getting restless sitting around the house reading and embroidering. She needed to get out into the warm, fresh air and vent her anxiety in a good ride.

  Bea had taken advantage of the weather to make a trip farther south to visit her farming project, to ensure the planting of another crop of potatoes. “With growing Indian trouble, there could be a food shortage,” she had told Irene. “If the Indians should cut off our supply lines, the Kirklands will have potatoes and other items stored up for sale, and we’ll be able to charge whatever we want.”

  Irene’s feelings for her mother were mixed. She loved Bea, but there were times when the woman seemed a true hypocrite. Bea often talked of the wealthier women of Denver doing something to help the growing indigent population, yet turned around and talked about charging outrageous prices to hungry people in case of a food shortage. Irene knew that no matter how wealthy she became, she could never take advantage of anyone. For her mother, money came first. It was never wasted and certainly never given away; but Irene always felt a little guilty having so much, when there were so many homeless women and children in Denver. Men were often killed in mining accidents; others disappeared into the mountains to prospect and never returned, leaving families abandoned.