Gold Rush Bride

by Shirley Kennedy

  The old miner tipped his hat. “Sorry, that’s all I can tell you. I’ll say a prayer that you find your brother safe and sound.”

  Later, when Letty got back to the boarding house, she sat in the parlor with Doc and told him about the Gilmore Brothers. “They’re not coming back, Doc. Now what do I do?”

  Her friend shook his head in sympathy. “I doubt there’d be much of his tent left after the winter storms. To tell you the truth, I’m not sure you’ll find much of anything even if you do get up to his claim.”

  Letty took a moment to think. Doc was her friend. No one in the world could be more honest and trustworthy. He’d been so kind to her that she had to be honest. “I’ve never told you this, but my brother left a map…”

  She revealed how she’d found the map in the pocket of Charles’s jacket. How the map would lead her to what her brother had called a fabulously rich vein of gold. “So you can see why I want to get up there. Not only to find a trace of Charles but also, if the map is true, to find that vein of gold he described. It’s so important. My family isn’t rich and I—”

  “Say no more.” Doc raised his hand. “It wouldn’t hurt to take a day off from my claim. Tomorrow I’ll ask around and see if I—”

  “No, Doc, I won’t let you do that.” One thing she’d learned, every hour of daylight was precious to these hard working miners. “I’ll think of something, don’t you worry. I want to thank you, though. I’m grateful that you offered…” She started to choke up. A tear came to her eye. “Oh, Doc, it’s hard being alone.”

  He took her hands and held them tight. “You’re brave, and you’re strong. You’ll be fine. And remember, I’m here to help. All you have to do is ask.”

  When Letty went to bed that night, a dark gloom settled over her. She’d told Doc she would “think of something,” but how could she when she was out of ideas, out of confidence and out of hope? She’d wasted the family’s money and for what? She would never find Charles. She would never find the fabulously rich vein of gold.

  And she’d lost Garth.

  She would keep on looking because she had to. She would keep on singing, not for the joy of it but for the money. In fact, she highly doubted there’d be any joy in her life ever again.

  Chapter 20

  By the fourth night of her performances, Letty was feeling more comfortable. She’d sung to what seemed like the same audience every night, a pack of rowdy miners who grew silent when she started to sing, and by her last song—always “Annie Laurie”—were wiping away a tear. She varied her program but slightly, replacing “Sacramento” with “He’s the Man for Me,” adding a rousing version of “Crossing the Plains,” to which the appreciative crowd went wild, stamping their feet, clapping and whistling.

  Coming to the end of her performance, she was just finishing the last bars of “Annie Laurie” when she happened to glance at the standing-room-only crowd at the back of the theater. One face stood out. Mathew Hastings. The sight of him so shocked her she skipped a beat and had to rush the next few bars hoping no one would notice. At the end of her act, she left the stage with her heart pounding. Just seeing Garth’s employee, if indeed it was really him, brought back the pain of her parting with Garth, and so many other things, too. She half expected Mathew to come back stage, but when no one appeared, she convinced herself she was mistaken, that it was someone who looked like Mathew.

  Later, when she left the theater, guard beside her, a figure stepped out of the shadows. “Miss Tinsley?”

  “My goodness, it is you.” She stuck out her hand. Mathew wasn’t huggable, even in a situation like this.

  His handshake was a bit on the limp side but to be expected of the wishy-washy person she well remembered. He’d never impressed her, but she was pleased to see him despite the bad memories he brought her.

  He gave her a pleasant smile. “I’m glad I found you. Have you eaten?”

  She shook her head.

  “Then come with me to the Alhambra. We’ll have dinner, and I’ll tell you why I’ve come.”

  * * * *

  The closer Garth got to Empire, the more concerned he became. He’d chosen to take Jupiter. Riding horseback was not the most comfortable way to travel but definitely the fastest. Even so, the journey by riverboat up the San Joaquin River had been excruciatingly slow, and at one point was twice delayed for hours when the boat went aground. Once past Stockton, on his horse again, his sense of urgency grew. He kept having to stop himself from pushing his horse too hard. Not easy. From the moment he found Mathew’s cleared-out office, an overwhelming urge compelled him to go to Letty’s aid. Hard to believe his colorless assistant could pose any kind of a threat, yet why had he disappeared directly after he’d learned about Charles Tinsley’s map? Along with his anger at Mathew, Garth blamed himself. In what he now realized was a moment of madness, he’d revealed Letty’s secret. How could he have been so stupid? He’d known Mathew for years. Why hadn’t he seen beyond the little man’s servile attitude? Only God knew what he was up to, but it couldn’t be good.

  Lillian. Every time Garth thought of her, a pang of anger mixed with remorse shot through him. Why hadn’t he realized she’d do anything, try any trick, to keep him? He didn’t know what his mistress—no, ex-mistress—had said to Letty, but whatever lies she’d told had undoubtedly driven Letty to leave him and take the dangerous journey to Empire by herself. For Lillian’s sake, he could only hope she had sense enough to be gone by the time he returned. Otherwise…

  But he couldn’t dwell on revenge. He must get to Letty and protect her—whether she wanted him to or not. His precious Letty—so beautiful, so brave—the best thing that had ever happened in his life, and he would get her back or die trying.

  Uh-oh. Once again, he’d put Jupiter into a trot. He pulled on the reins, slowed his loyal horse to a walk and gave him a pat on his withers. “Sorry, old boy. Don’t mean to wear you out.”

  Letty, be careful. Mathew’s up to something. Don’t let him fool you. He would reach Empire in one more day. Pray God he wouldn’t be too late.

  * * * *

  Since Letty had arrived in Empire, she’d avoided the Alhambra Hotel. It belonged to Garth, and she wanted no reminders of her broken love affair. Now, finishing dinner with Mathew Hastings in the dining room, she was pleased that so far she’d managed to stay away from painful subjects. They’d talked of trivial matters, but when the dessert plates were cleared away, Mathew placed his napkin on the table and solemnly declared, “You want to know why I’m here? It’s because of you, Miss Tinsley.”

  “Do call me Letty,” she said with a smile. “No one’s formal in Empire.”

  He remained serious. “Very well, Letty then, and please call me Mathew.”

  He’d aroused her curiosity. “I’m surprised you’re here. As you may know, I had a falling out with your employer, and didn’t expect to see him—or, frankly, you—ever again.”

  Mathew inclined his head with sympathy. “Ah, yes, of course I knew about your…rift, shall we say, with Mr. Morgan. As his employee, I steer clear of anything involving his personal life, but I have to tell you…” He bit his lip and looked away.

  “Please go on. You have my word everything you say remains in confidence.”

  He flashed a little smile of relief and bent toward her. “You were right to leave him. He’d have caused you nothing but grief. Why, the very night you left, he had dinner with Lillian Belmont, who, as I’m sure you know by now, has been his mistress for years. The way those two were laughing and holding hands, I could easily see they were still…shall we say, together.”

  His words stabbed at her heart, but she managed a careless shrug. “That part of my life is behind me now. What with my new career, I hardly ever think of him, and, of course, I’m devoted to my search for Charles.”

  “Have you had any luck?”

  “I’m afraid not. Nobody seems to know exactly where his claim is. I was waiting for the Gilmo
re Brothers to return but found out yesterday they’re not coming back. And so…” She leaned back and flopped out her hands. “It’s all very frustrating. I must get up to Charles’s claim, but don’t see how I can unless”—a thought struck her—“you know where that claim is, don’t you, Mathew?”

  He smiled and nodded. “Of course, I do. That’s one of the reasons I’m here. I came to Empire to conduct some business for Mr. Morgan, but that won’t take much time. I’d be glad to lead you to your brother’s claim. That’s the least I can do to make up for the shabby way my boss treated you. The man has no heart, but I guess you know that by now.”

  She struggled to give him a pleasant smile. “How kind of you. Of course, I accept your offer. I had just about given up hope I’d ever find his claim.”

  “It’ll be my pleasure to help you. You can count on me. Shall we go tomorrow?”

  “That would be perfect. Tomorrow’s Sunday, so I don’t have a performance. How long will it take to get up there?”

  “It’s not an easy hike, quite steep in spots and a rocky terrain. I’m not sure a lady like you could make it.”

  “Oh, I’ll make it all right. You don’t have to worry.”

  “Then may I suggest the correct attire?”

  Poor Mathew. He looked uncomfortable, as if there were something improper about advising a lady what she should wear. Such an insecure little man. “Go right ahead. I’m in your hands.”

  “That dress you’re wearing and those flimsy shoes aren’t suitable for where we’re going. To be honest, you need to dress like a man. Pants, shirt, jacket and a pair of sturdy boots.”

  “Of course. Not a problem. What time?”

  “We’ll need an early start if we want to go up and back in one day. How would it be if I come by Mrs. Del Vechio’s boarding house tomorrow morning at five o’clock?”

  In the faint light of dawn, Letty curiously examined herself in her mirror. Never in her life had she worn men’s clothing. She turned at different angles to gaze at this strange new image of herself. Not half bad, although not wearing a skirt would take some getting used to. Last night her fellow boarders had rallied around to help her. One of the miners about her size loaned her a pair of his heavy twill pants and a long-sleeved plaid shirt. They didn’t fit quite right but good enough. Doc loaned her a warm wool jacket. In a rare moment of generosity, Mrs. Del Vechio gave her a pair of her deceased husband’s boots. “Ben was a small man with small feet,” she said. “And small everywhere else,” she mumbled. “The length is about right. If you wear heavy socks, they shouldn’t be too loose.”

  Mustn’t forget the map, but where could she put it? In this outfit, she had no snug bodice to tuck it into. Ah, yes, her boots. She stuck the map in the side of her right boot and laced up tight. When she was ready, she left her room and found her landlady in the kitchen scrambling eggs in a big iron skillet.

  Mrs. Del Vechio looked her up and down, smiling when she eyed the ample curves under Letty’s plaid shirt. “It’s a good thing you’re not trying to pass for a boy.” She picked up a knapsack. “Here’s some fried chicken and sourdough bread. It’s a long way up there, and I doubt Mathew has sense enough to think you might get hungry.”

  Letty took the knapsack and thanked her. She added a full canteen of water and slipped the straps over her back. Recalling Mrs. Del Vechio’s previous criticism, she asked, “You don’t think much of Mathew, do you?”

  “No I don’t. There’s something about that little weasel that makes me want to puke.”

  Letty had no wish to pursue her landlady’s indelicate reply. Her dark mood had lightened. Thanks to that little weasel, or whatever he was called, today, at long last, she was going to see her brother’s claim, and that was all that mattered.

  “Wait, Mathew, I’ve got to rest a minute.”

  Letty had known the hike would be hard, but after they’d climbed what seemed like straight up the mountain for an hour, her leg muscles were screaming for relief. Amidst tall pine trees, she sank to a boulder and slipped off her knapsack. Gasping for breath, she stuck her feet out in front of her. “What would I do without these boots? I couldn’t have made this hike in my flimsy kid slippers.”

  “Glad I warned you.” Mathew found another boulder to sit on and slipped off the knapsack and two bedrolls he carried on his back in case they needed to spend the night on the mountain. She hoped not. Spending the night with boring Mathew wasn’t the least appealing. She watched as he reached for the canteen fastened to his belt. As he did so, his jacket pulled back, revealing a pistol holstered on his hip.

  “A gun?” She’d never known him to be armed before.

  “A Colt revolver. Only a precaution in case we meet a bear.”

  Puny Mathew bravely fighting off a wild animal? She refrained from laughter. If he should meet a bear, more likely he’d turn and run. But she shouldn’t be too hard on him. As far as she knew, he’d spent most of his adult life doing clerical work behind a desk. But what else had he done? She knew little about him and had never bothered to ask. “Where are you from, Mathew? You’ve never said much about yourself.”

  “Me?” He gave her a rueful smile. “There’s not much to talk about. I was born in Ohio. My mother died when I was three. By then my father was nowhere to be found, so they put me in a place called The Sunny Hills Orphanage. That’s where I grew up.” His expression went grim. “There wasn’t much sunny about it.”

  “You weren’t treated well?”

  “We were half starved and beaten every day. I left when I was fourteen and went to sea as a cabin boy. Same thing. Not enough to eat and a captain who took delight in improving the performance of his crew by flogging them, including me.”

  The underlying bitterness in his voice told her he must have had a miserable childhood. “I’m sorry. I had no idea.” She didn’t know what else to say.

  “That’s quite all right. That’s all behind me. I have a grand life now, thanks to the incredible generosity of Garth Morgan.”

  Again, she caught that undertone of bitterness in his voice. How surprising. She’d always thought of Mathew as Garth’s loyal and devoted employee but maybe not. She’d better change the subject. “Is it much farther?”

  “It’s still a ways.”

  She would have questioned him further, but looking upward, she spotted a robin-size bird on a tree limb overhead. “Oh, look! There’ a baby earless screech owl. You can tell because it doesn’t have ear tufts like other owls do.”

  “That’s interesting,” Mathew muttered in a monotone.

  His obvious disinterest came as no surprise. She couldn’t expect everyone to love all of nature the way she did. When she started this hike, she hadn’t given a thought to the flora and fauna she’d encounter. Now, she was powerfully reminded nearly every step of the way why her brother had loved the Sierra Nevadas. Just in the hour she’d been climbing, she’d found species of trees, bushes, animals and birds she’d never seen before. Tall Ponderosa, sugar and digger pines. Dogwood and laurel trees. Bushes filled with plump, juicy blackberries. Glorious, verdant green ferns grew everywhere, sometimes towering over her head. She recognized the maidenhair and lady ferns, but there were many other species, too, that she never knew existed. As she’d climbed, she delighted in the sight of a majestic eagle soaring overhead. Passing a small lake, she saw a double-crested cormorant sitting at the edge of a small lake and heard the clear-whistled tweet of a spotted sandpiper up in a pine tree.

  As she sat resting on the boulder, a red-tailed hawk flying high above zoomed into a sharp dive. “Oh, look, Mathew…! Oh, never mind.” Why waste her breath? Her companion seemed oblivious to the wonders of nature that surrounded him. He wasn’t very good company at all. It seemed he’d lost whatever sense of humor he’d possessed, which wasn’t much in the first place, and was turning ever more deadly serious, seeming intent on getting to the claim.

  Through deep gulches and over huge protruding boulders
they climbed higher. Exhausted, Letty was afraid she couldn’t go much farther when Mathew announced, “We’re here. This is Charles’s claim.”

  They’d arrived at a small meadow surrounded by a thick grove of trees. The remains of a tent lay in the middle. Not much was left, just pieces of canvas scattered on the ground, one piece lying across a collapsed cot and small chest. The torn remains of a blanket lay across the cot. Close by, a blackened circle of ground surrounded by small rocks marked what once was the site of a campfire. A stream that she guessed was Coyote Creek bordered the meadow with some narrow pine boards scattered around, all that remained of a sluice box.

  All that’s left of Charles. She’d thought she was prepared for this, but the sight of the spot where her brother must have died caused a swell of grief that nearly overwhelmed her. “I’d better sit down.”

  “But of course. This must be hard on you.” Mathew took her arm and led her to a nearby log. “This was one of Charles’s favorite spots. He used to sit here and sketch birds.”

  My brother was here. After she rested, she walked slowly around the meadow, inhaling the pungent scent of the towering pines, just as Charles must have done; listening to the many different bird calls, just as Charles must have done. He would have recognized them all, not just the few that she did.

  Circling back to the remains of the tent, she spoke to Mathew, who’d seated himself on a tree stump and seemed to be patiently waiting. “This won’t take long. I want to search what’s left of the tent and see what I can find.”

  “Take your time,” he replied without moving.

  He could have offered to help instead of just sitting there, but then again, why should he? He’d been kind enough to show her the way up here, and she really shouldn’t complain. She stepped into what had once been the tent area and lifted the remains of the cot, revealing the muddy ground beneath. Nothing there except a broken paintbrush half buried in muck. Shutting her eyes to hold the tears back, she picked it up, wiped off the mud and hugged it to her heart. Somehow she felt closer to her brother now, here in the place where he’d found the gold. Here in the place where he’d painted his birds with loving care.