by Cassie Hayes
“But, Jack, you are the same. I saw you this morning. I saw…”
She choked up at the image and clasped her hands to her mouth in response.
“I know what you thought you seen. What you really saw was Fanny blackmailin’ me so’s she’d leave me alone. Leave us alone. Thought it was the best investment I ever made, payin’ her off, but didn’t seem to pan out that way after all.”
He jerked his head backward at the fire that was quickly being contained by the fire department. Understanding flashed in Dell’s eyes.
“Fanny?”
He nodded somberly. “Seems she don’t like rejection.”
Just then Aidan popped out of a nearby alley with a kicking and biting Fanny struggling against his rock-solid bear hug. Jack jumped up as a few men ran to her defense.
“Wait!” he shouted as they tried to free her from the clutches of an apparent madman. “Hey, fella! Is this the woman you saw coming out the print shop?”
The man he’d spoken with hurried over, giving Fanny a good long look.
“Sure is. I remember that lavender dress, but she was wearing a hat then. Funny lookin’ thing with ugly pink flowers all over the top.”
“Y’mean dis one?” Aidan said, whipping a crushed hat with pink flowers from his back pocket.
“That’s it!”
Fanny screamed in rage and tried to rip free from Aidan’s grasp.
Jack reached out and twisted one of Fanny’s arms up behind her back until she cried out in pain and stopped fighting.
“Gentlemen, please fetch a policeman. Or better yet, the Vigilance Committee. This woman burned down my business and I demand justice!”
“I’ll kill you, Jack Dalton! I done it before and I’ll do it again! You don’t cross Fanny Sweet and live to tell about it!”
Twenty minutes later, Fanny was safely in police custody, having inadvertently confessed to murdering Leland Kirby, the man who’d abandoned Dell on the waterfront. In her hysterical rants and threats against Jack, she’d revealed that, after Kirby proposed to her in a drunken stupor one night shortly before Dell arrived, he tried to break off the engagement. Rather than allow him to make her a ‘sucker’, she poisoned his drinks at the saloon every night for a month.
If the Vigilance Committee got to her, it was almost certain she’d hang for the crime. If the police handled the matter, she’d most likely be sent to the prison ship Euphemia, anchored out in the harbor. He’d heard they had a section reserved for a handful of the city’s worst women. Either way, Jack was having a hard time mustering any sympathy for her.
Dell paled at the news of Leland’s murder when Jack kneeled before her again. Millie had helped her move to the edge of the uneven sidewalk so she could lean against a hitching post, but he wanted to see her face. The dwindling light from the fire bathed her in an orange glow and his heart skipped at her beauty.
“Jack, there’s something I’ve been wondering,” she started.
“Ask away, darlin’.”
“If you weren’t with Fanny and you weren’t with Aidan, where were you all day?”
A smile sprung into his eyes as he tugged his lucky nugget chain from around his neck. He’d been waiting for her to ask. As he spoke, he fiddled with the clasp on the chain.
“Spent it tracking down a friend of mine. He’s a mighty talented goldsmith. Took me a fair bit o’ haggling, but I won out in the end. He does good work, don’t ya think?”
Slipping the shimmering gold from the chain, he lifted Dell’s left hand. Her eyes widened at what he was holding. Millie gasped.
“Dell, I spent my whole life runnin’. I thought I was runnin’ from somethin’ but now I know I was runnin’ toward somethin’. That somethin’ is you. You stole my heart and I don’t want it back. Will you marry me?”
His heart was lodged firmly in his throat. Lord only knew that she had plenty of reasons to refuse him. He hadn’t realized he’d been holding his breath until she nodded ‘yes’, and it all came out in a great rush as he slid the ring home.
Chapter 14
Jack and Dell set the wedding date for Saturday, October 19th. The shipment of The Nuptial News had gone out on schedule via the Pacific Mail Steamship California nearly three months earlier and would take over a month to arrive in Boston. Figuring a few weeks for the newspaper to reach its audience and another forty days or so for the replies to start arriving in San Francisco, they’d been expecting the first batch of responses by now. The good news was that they continued to receive piles of new submissions from lonely men.
Each night after helping clean up from supper, Dell sat in the parlor and, by the light of a dim oil lamp, sewed on her wedding dress. Jack had tried to talk her into ordering a dress from one of the catalogs Millie had at the post office, but she insisted on sewing her own. She couldn’t buy it herself — she insisted that every penny of ad revenue go directly back into the paper’s coffers, and she refused to spend any of Jack’s earnings on herself until they were wed. Besides, the sewing kept her mind busy so she wouldn’t fret over the success of the paper.
The day before the wedding, they were putting the finishing touches on the latest edition of the paper in their new shop. Jack’s first order of business on their very first day of ownership had been to scrape the front window clean of the name of the previous owner — one J. Arden Kimble — and have his favorite painter replace it with ‘The Nuptial News, Mr. & Mrs. Jack Dalton, Proprietors’.
As it turned out, Kimble was eager to retire, and he was more than thrilled with the offer Jack made to buy out his business.
“On one condition,” he’d added. “That your feisty young bride-to-be gives me a free ad.”
“But I thought you was retirin’,” Jack said.
“Not a business ad, Dalton. A…personal ad!”
Dell was doublechecking that Kimble’s ad was in the very first position on the front page when a boy burst in through the front door shouting, “California’s a state! California’s a state!” Just as quickly as he’d come, the boy was gone, tearing down the street to the next business.
Jack, Dell and Aidan looked at each other and broke into grins. They barreled out, hoping to catch the boy for more details, but people were already crowding the streets of San Francisco and spreading the news brought on the Pacific Mail Steamship Oregon: California had been admitted to the Union as a free state on September ninth, thirty-eight days before.
Jack hooted and scooped Dell up in his arms, planting a kiss on her lips in front of God and everyone. The blush that pinked her cheeks when he did such things was still fetching, and she never failed to find his very public displays of affection romantic, if slightly embarrassing.
Burying his face in her neck, loose strands of hair tickling his cheeks, he whispered hoarsely, “I can’t wait to make you my wife tomorrow, Dell Price. In fact, I don’t think I’d be able to wait much longer.”
The kisses he feathered along her bare neck set her trembling, not out of fear but anticipation. When Jack pulled back to gaze into her eyes, she replied, “Neither can I, Jack. I love you so very much.”
For some reason Jack didn’t understand, Dell had insisted on holding the wedding at a little pond not far from Sam’s house. There was just enough room for their guests, and the fountain in the middle of the pond was quaint enough, but a fancy church wedding was more along the lines of what Jack had been thinking. But this was Dell’s day and if she wanted to have it on a half-sunken ship in the bay, he would have made it happen.
He had to admit that the spot was spectacular. The view of the rolling green headlands on both sides of the Golden Gate, the strait leading from the Pacific Ocean to San Francisco Bay, was breathtaking and the warm fall weather meant folks didn’t have to bundle up to stand around while they exchanged vows like they would have if it had been summer. He still hadn’t quite adjusted to the bay’s biting cold summer winds.
As the preacher — another of Dell’s clients — got the ceremony under w
ay, Jack and Dell broke away from visiting with Sam, Aidan and a few of the men from the boarding house to join hands in front of him. Dell wondered where Millie was, but the moment she met Jack’s gaze, the rest of the world disappeared.
Their guests formed a circle around the pond, some — such as the gruff miner Gus, who’d come down from the diggings just for the ceremony — weeping openly as Jack and Dell spoke their vows.
To have and to hold
From this day forward
For better, for worse
For richer, for poorer
In sickness and in health
To love, to honor and to cherish
Till death do us part.
“I now pronounce you husband and wife,” the preacher intoned, a smile flavoring his words. “Now kiss her already, would ya, Jack?!”
“My pleasure,” growled Jack, pulling Dell’s body into his so she could feel his love and need for her. Holding her head in one hand, her body with the other, he locked eyes with her, never closing them, as he pressed his lips into hers. It was almost more than Dell could bear to keep her eyes open, his kiss was so gloriously sublime, but the love spoken between them with that one look was more than words could ever say.
When their lips parted, the small group cheered and applauded for the new couple, crowding around them. Sam pulled a crate from behind a shrub and whistled to gain everyone’s attention.
“Looks like the good folks at The Eagle miss ol’ Jack now that he’s gone and is settling down, but they still sent their best wishes,” he announced, pulling out some bottles filled with wine and liquor. Inspecting the label of one, he added with a grin, “And maybe a few top-shelf wishes!”
The men whooped their approval as glasses appeared from nowhere and started spilling over with cheer. Even Dell accepted a glass of wine in celebration of the big day.
“Hush now,” Sam continued, turning to Jack and Dell with his glass held high. “I got somethin’ to say!
“Jack, when ya first come down off’n the diggings, I figgered you had two roads before ya. One would lead ya to losin’ all that gold ya done worked so blasted hard for. The other would lead ya to a new life ya never before imagined. Can’t be happier that you took that second road, son.”
Sam’s eyes were moist and the sniffles were getting the better of him. To add a little levity, he said, “But I can’t believe ya done melted down yer lucky nugget to make the ring.”
Jack turned his own misty gaze on Dell. “She’s my lucky nugget now.”
There wasn’t a dry eye among them. Clearing his throat to get control of his emotions, Sam continued.
“Dell, ya come to me on one of the darkest days of yer young life. But ya didn’t let that stop ya. No sir, ya pulled yerself up by the bootstraps and really made somethin’ of yerself and I couldn’t be prouder if’n ya was my own kin.”
Tears were freely flowing down his grizzled cheeks. “I told ya once to come down to this fountain to make a wish and, whatever it was, I know it done come true today. But do ya remember askin’ if the wish I’d made come true?”
At her nod, he continued. “Y’see, there weren’t no truer love than my Mabel, but I went ahead and was greedy with my wish. I wished to experience true love again. Well, today my wish done come true, too. It mayhap weren’t exactly what I had in mind, but through you two, true love is in my life again and I cain’t thank ya enough. Let’s all raise our glasses to Jack and Dell Dalton. To true love!”
Glasses clinked and whoops sounded as they toasted the happy couple. The sounds of the city celebrating statehood — a celebration that would end up lasting two weeks — reached them at their secluded spot, adding to the festive mood. The sound of rustling in the shrubbery enclosing the pond drew everyone’s gaze.
When Millie popped out from behind a hillock, she was red in the face and dragging a large canvas bag behind her.
“What’re y’all staring at? Ain’t there one chivalrous gentleman who’d help a lady with her bag?”
Sam stepped forward and bowed low. “My apologies, Mrs. St. James, we was jest surprised is all.” Taking the drawstring from her, he hefted the weighty bag over his shoulder. “Where to?”
Millie’s lips crept up into a smile as she gave Sam a once-over. “You’re Dell’s landlord, Sam, ain’t ya?”
At his nod, she jerked her head toward Jack and Dell and moved in their direction, letting Sam follow as he might.
Wrapping Dell in a tremendous hug, she whispered, “I’m so sorry for bein’ late, child, but I got your wedding present right here.”
At her nod, Sam dropped the bulky bag at their feet.
“The news of our statehood t’weren’t the only thing Oregon brought to us yesterday,” Millie announced to the crowd. “It also brought this, which had me up half the night sortin’ and stuffing into this here bag. Congratulations!”
Jack and Dell exchanged excited glances, then tore open the sack. It was crammed full of letters addressed to The Nuptial News, more than they’d ever dreamed of receiving!
“Oh, Jack…” Dell was nearly in tears. All of her dreams had come true, even the ones she didn’t know she’d even wanted.
Aidan reached into the bag to pull out a handful of letters.
“I got sometink t’say, too. May ya be poor in misfortune, rich in blessin’s, slow to make enemies and quick to make friends,” he said, sprinkling the letters over their heads as he spoke. “And may ya know nothin’ but happiness from dis day forward!”
Pulling them both into a hug, he said, “Y’done good, dearies. Ya deserve all da success in da world.”
A look passed between the newlyweds, and Dell nodded to Jack.
“Don’t you mean we deserve all the success?” he asked.
“Aye, dat’s what I said. You deserve it all.”
Clapping his friend on the shoulder, Jack laughed.
“No, you great galoot. We, as in all three of us. We’re bringin’ ya in as a full partner, Aidan.”
Aidan’s jaw went slack and his face turned an alarming shade of crimson. Bursting out into laughter, he grabbed Jack by the shoulders and kissed him on both cheeks, slapping his back and hooting in delight. Then he took Dell in his arms and dipped her low, covering her mouth with his in a kiss that lasted just a little too long for Jack’s liking.
When they popped back up for air, everyone laughed and applauded, including Jack, but he kept Dell just a little closer for the rest of the day. And he had every intention of keeping her close every day for the rest of his life.
~*~*~
THE END
Don’t miss Emmy, the next installment of the Gold Rush Brides series! Keep reading for an excerpt and to discover my inspriation for writing Gold Rush Brides!
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Acknowledgements
California’s Gold Rush era is a fascinating time in our nation’s history. Not only did it mark the beginning of a massive migration west, but women were offered many more opportunities than ever before. Many women who endured the arduous journey west — either by ship or by wagon — set themselves up in any number of businesses, from cooking and cleaning to running hotels and boardinghouses. One of the most comprehensive and fascinating books on the subject is Jo Ann Levy’s They Saw the Elephant: Women in the Calfiornia Gold Rush.
It is true that mail order brides — often referred to as catalog brides — helped populate the west, and there was, in fact, a newspaper dedicated to helping lonely hearts find spouses. The Matrimonial News began publication in San Francisco in 1870 and was distributed weekly for more than 30 years. I used the paper as a model for Dell’s creation, The Nuptial News, and will use actual ads as the basis for future stories in the Gold Rush Brides series. Special thanks go to the State Historical Society of Missouri for apparently being the only museum in the country to preserve a copy of thi
s amazing periodical!
I would especially like to thank the members of the Pioneer Hearts Facebook group — a place where historical western romance authors and readers discuss their favorite stories, recipes and photos — for their support and encouragmeent. CLICK HERE to join or find us at www.facebook.com/groups/PioneerHearts!
~ * ~ * ~
Excerpt from Emmy
Gold Rush Brides Book 2
Buy now on Amazon!
Emmy woke early the next morning with butterflies flitting around in her belly. That was the pretty little saying, but these felt more like crows trying to peck their way out. As confident as she’d felt the night before, this morning she was a jumble of nerves.
What if Roy was disappointed when he saw her? What if she was disappointed? What if they weren’t compatible? What if he didn’t show up at all?
This last thought nearly crippled her. She would be settling her bill with the hotel on her way out, and then she would be nearly penniless. If Roy were to stand her up, she had no idea what she would do. Perhaps Mr. Portnoy would hire her as a maid, regardless of the fact that she’d never so much as made her own bed in New York.
Gnawing on her lower lip, she dressed carefully in the same lovely yellow dress she’d worn the night before, cinching her corset as tight as she could manage alone. Her wedding dress was packed in her trunk, on top of her undergarments, toiletries and woolen traveling dress, which needed a good washing.
When she’d arrived in San Francisco, Dell and Jack Dalton had met her ship and told her that normally grooms schedule the wedding for the day of the bride’s arrival, so no time is wasted. Having left New York so quickly after receiving Roy’s proposal, she’d barely had enough time to send him her answer, along with her travel itinerary, so she had no idea what he had planned for a ceremony. She only hoped she’d have time to change into her mother’s dress.
