A Request With Dramatic Appeal

Jarrod had been in San Francisco for over two weeks, having left Stockton three days after Nick and Catherine had returned from the cabin. Victoria was partially right in her speculation that he'd gone back to the bay earlier than planned on, because of them. It wasn't that he wasn't happy for Nick, knowing that Catherine was perfect for his brother. She understood him, and his attachment to his land better than anyone else ever would.

That understanding was a big part of Jarrod's issue in seeing the couple together, and the connection they had to each other. Watching them brought up all the memories he had of Beth and their short time together. On one hand they had loved each other deeply, and Jarrod knew that was true. However, they'd only had a short time together, and she had only seen one facet of his life; Stockton.

He had started to wonder how she would have coped with San Francisco and his life there. She'd been a teacher on her way to a new job when they'd met on the train. From what Beth had told him, Jarrod had picked up that she was from a small manufacturing town in Pennsylvania. He had no problems believing that she would have been happy in Stockton.

San Francisco though was where the greater part of Jarrod's life occurred; his main law practice was there. Also, the location gave him the best vantage point to watch over the business interests of his family. It was an international port town, and also a hub for transportation anywhere else in the state. Jarrod liked the hustle and bustle of city life, and the opportunities for social encounters with other lawyers and politicians.

On several different occasions he had been approached about running for office, but so far had turned them down. It wasn't that he would never consider it, but Jarrod didn't feel he was quite ready yet. Part of the issue was that he would really need a wife, but only recently had he even been able to think of looking for one. Catherine, Jarrod knew, was the catalyst that had finally helped him move on from Beth.

Unfortunately, she had also forced to Jarrod to consider what his relationship with Beth would have been, had she lived. He was having problems seeing her enjoying the city life, or being a politician's wife either. She was loving, and down to earth, but not very sophisticated. Jarrod, after one long sleepless night, realized that as much as they had loved each other, Beth wasn't his soul mate. The admission had torn at him, and felt disloyal to her memory.

San Francisco was an easier place to be, because he'd never shared it with her, and he didn't have his brother's relationship hitting him in the face. Jarrod had been busy the last two weeks, preparing for an upcoming court case. He had also fallen back into the habit of visiting his two clubs, and dining out several times a week.

His apartment had been renovated, but he had just heard about some townhomes being built on Telegraph Hill. Jarrod had been offered one, before they went on sale to the general public, and he had decided to buy it. It would be nice, he thought, to have somewhere to entertain and had heard that one of Crocker's sons would also be buying a house there. The neighborhood was going to draw the adult children of the earlier settlers, and Jarrod knew it would be an appropriate address for a lawyer of his statue.

Jarrod was sitting in his office, drinking his morning coffee as he thought about the house. His thoughts were interrupted by his law clerk knocking on the door. He instructed the man to come in, and was surprised to see Lew followed by a Negro wearing a black suit like what a butler would wear.

"Jarrod, this is Piers and he has a note for you from his employer." Lew, who had come with him from Stockton, explained as he stepped back. Jarrod nodded his head for the grey haired black man to come forward.

"Mr. Barkley, my employer has requested that I deliver this to you personally, and await a reply." The man explained with a southern accent, passing the note to Jarrod, who read it with interest.

Dear Mr. Barkley,

A mutual friend, Peter Talbot, suggested I contact you about a matter I need help with. He says you are an upright man, with a strong sense of honor. I would be grateful if you could spare some of your time to meet with me.

S. Burns

Jarrod's attention was caught right away when he saw Peter Talbot's name. The man had been a career army officer, having graduated from West Point. Jarrod had served with him in Washington D.C. during the civil war. He had admired Peter's nuanced understanding of the war, and what would be needed to bring the union back together. After the war ended Talbot had been in New Orleans, before retiring to his hometown of Cleveland, Ohio. Jarrod was very curious as to what Peter had been up to, and who the mutual friend was.

"Piers let me give you a note to take to Mr. Burns. I will be glad to meet with him later this afternoon if it works." Jarrod smiled pleasantly at the servant, as he took some paper out to write a quick note. He was too busy writing to observe the weird look the servant was giving him. Finishing the note, he put it in an envelope and handed it to the Negro, who excused himself. Jarrod spent the rest of the morning mulling over the meeting he would have later.

It was early that afternoon, and Jarrod was eagerly waiting for S. Burns to show up. He hoped that the matter didn't concern bad news about Peter. Jarrod's thoughts were halted by the knock on his door, which he answered 'come in' to. Lew opened the door and Jarrod was surprised to see a woman wearing a long flowing black cloak, with a fur trimmed hood that hid her face.

The garment wasn't surprising, because the last week had been cold and rainy in the city. The surprise was that S. Burns was a woman, and not a man! Jarrod indicated for Lew to leave closing the door behind him. The woman waited until the door was shut before she lifted back her hood, to give Jarrod an even bigger surprise.

He had never met the woman in person, but had seen pictures of her, none of which did her justice. In person she was more beautiful than he'd realized. The raven black hair, dark flashing eyes, lily white skin, and ruby red lips though were just as the pictures had shown. What hadn't been shown was the intelligence, or the kindness that her eyes held, as well as how genuine her smile was.

Samantha St. Claire was the leading actress of the city's widely acclaimed theater scene. She could not only act, but also sing with almost an operatic quality to it. Her portrayal of Helen of Troy was said to be matchless, and Jarrod had heard that her current role, of Lady Macbeth was equally superb. He looked at her again, and noticed how petite the actress was, before he decided he needed to gather his wits about him.

"Miss Burns, I'm Jarrod Barkley. What can I do for you?" Jarrod summoned his best courtroom voice, while trying not to gawk. He was sure that she received quite enough of that in her everyday life.

"Actually, it is Mrs. Burns, my married name. St. Claire is my maiden name, as well as my stage name Mr. Barkley." The woman's voice was smooth and well modulated, and Jarrod was sure that she'd received professional voice coaching. He watched as she removed her cloak to reveal a jacket and skirt of smooth burgundy wool, decorated with black cording.

"Well then Mrs. Burns, may I offer you some coffee or tea?" Jarrod inquired, wanting her to be comfortable before they settled down to business. He knew that people had many different reasons for consulting an attorney and a well known actress would have more than most people. Her reference of her marriage intrigued him, because from what gossip he'd heard, a husband had never been mentioned.

She accepted coffee, and they made small talk while his clerk brought in a tray, along with a plate of cookies. Jarrod was not surprised to learn that she was well versed in city matters, and he appreciated her opinion on the port labor issue. Once his clerk left the lady turned to the matter she had come about.

"Mr. Barkley, Peter speaks very highly of you, and says that I can trust you. I hope that is true?" Samantha studied Jarrod with an almost impersonal appraisal as she made her observation. Jarrod discerned that she was a shrewd woman who could read people very well.

"First off, if we are going to do business together I would like you to call me Jarrod. Regarding Peter, he and I served together in Washington D.C. during the war. He is a man I trust and admire, and I would have to say that I am flattered that he recommended me to you." Jarrod meant what he said, wanting to earn this woman's trust.

"I think until you have agreed to help me, I will call you Mr. Barkley. It is very possible that once you know the whole story you will wish to wash your hands of the affair. I will completely understand and not hold it against you." Samantha stated her terms like a businesswoman, and Jarrod realized that she spoke the truth.

"Mrs. Burns, why don't you explain everything to me and we can go from there. Whatever you tell me is protected by the lawyer/client privilege, which I can't breach without losing my license. There is also the fact that I am a man of the world, and nothing you can say will shock me." Jarrod understood that a woman like her would need the reassurance that her secrets would not be sold to the tabloids.

Samantha studied the man sitting behind the desk, and liked what she saw. He was well dressed in a tasteful way, and his solid build was offset by his sparkling blue eyes. Peter had told her all about the man, but meeting someone in person was always a different experience. She also liked how he had not been awed by who she was.

"Mr. Bark..Jarrod, I'm from New Orleans originally, having only been in San Francisco the last five years. The St. Claire's were an old theater family, who first settled there in the late 1700's. My father was a world renowned actor, and my mother was a French opera star that my father met and married when he was performing in Europe. In other words, the theater is in my blood." Samantha started her story, wanting the lawyer to know the background.

Jarrod was intrigued with what she had just told him, and could see the French influences of her mother in the way she carried herself and dressed. He also knew that New Orleans had been settled by the French, whose influence was still strong.

"I was sixteen when war was declared, and by the time it ended I was twenty with a baby to care for. My husband, Charles Burns, had been a violin player in the New Orleans symphony; he was a peaceful man. However, he loved his city and was willing to fight to protect it Jarrod. He perished in the siege at Vicksburg." Samantha's voice held a hint of sadness as she talked about her husband.

As he thought of the siege, Jarrod sighed and looked at her with sympathy. The siege had lasted for over forty days, and by the end the few survivors were eating rats. He had read some of the accounts of the union officers who had liberated the city, and the stories had made him sick.

"Mrs. Burns, I am sorry that you had to lose your husband like that." Jarrod hoped that she had not heard, or read, the stories he had.

"Please call me Samantha, and thank you. I saw some of the northern newspapers later, about how the wicked slave owners had received what the deserved. Jarrod, we did own slaves; I'm not going to pretend differently. I never thought about it for the longest time, because it was what I'd grown up with. Our slaves were treated well, and Piers and his wife came with me out west. As my employees." She smiled at him, and Jarrod suddenly wanted to see her smile all the time.

"Jarrod, I was twenty, a widow, with a baby to take care. I didn't have the luxury of sitting on my principles, I needed to work. I took the oath of allegiance, and returned to the theater. By then New Orleans was occupied by union troops, who liked to see plays. I became a very well known actress." Samantha glanced away as she divulged what she'd done for her child.

Jarrod studied her profile, once again admiring how beautiful she was. He was also impressed with her actions, in handling what was a difficult, painful situation. Samantha had known what was important, and had taken care of her child. Those actions told him that she was a strong woman, and Jarrod was reminded of his mother. They did what needed to be done with no fuss or complaining.

"Since I was a well known actress I had many admirers, Jarrod, including some very famous union officers." Samantha left it at that, but Jarrod had no problems figuring out who the men might be. He couldn't fault the men's taste, considering how beautiful she was.

"However, I turned them all down, until Peter came along." Samantha paused and watched Jarrod for his reaction. He made it a point to keep his face bland though, not really being surprised at what she was telling him. He had also learned that clients revealed more if the lawyer kept quiet.

"Peter was kind, and a gentleman in the way he treated me, Jarrod. I knew he was married, and understood what he was offering me. I became his mistress, and he protected me and my son. I didn't love him, but we fulfilled a need for each other." Samantha didn't apologize for what she'd done, and Jarrod admired her for that.

He was glad to hear that Peter had been good to her, and it said a lot that she was still in touch with the man. Jarrod didn't fault Peter for his actions, because he knew that Peter's marriage was sterile. His wife had been paralyzed after a bout with polio, but Peter had stayed with her and their children.

"Jarrod, as you can imagine once the union troops were withdrawn from New Orleans I was persona non grata because of my liaison with a union officer. Peter helped me relocate to San Francisco, and pays for my son, who is thirteen now, to attend boarding school in New England. We have stayed friends, but nothing more." Samantha imparted the information, and then added "Peter has been the only man I've had that type of a relationship with. I had no interest because I didn't like the position I was put in, and I wanted my son to be proud of me."

He reviewed all the gossip he'd heard about the actress, and knew what she was saying was true. Samantha had many admirers, but none of them had ever made it to relationship status. Jarrod himself knew that the Lt. Governor had wooed her with flowers and jewelry, which had been returned unopened. It touched him that she was concerned about her son, and his opinion of her.

"Samantha, I appreciate you taking me into your confidence about your affair. Peter is a good man, and if you were able to bring him some happiness I have no problems with your conduct." Jarrod stated truthfully. He found himself rather envious of his old friend, and then wondered what it would be like to have a relationship with a woman like Samantha.

Jarrod dismissed that thought as not a good idea to entertain, and returned to the matter at hand. "Samantha, what is the problem you and Peter think I could help with?" Jarrod was enjoying the woman's company, but knew that she'd sought him out for a reason.

"Someone is trying to blackmail me about the relationship I had with Peter. However, all they've done so far is sent letters, threatening to reveal the story. They have not made any demands from me, or Peter; I'm not even sure what they want." Samantha disclosed, giving him a 'can you believe it' look.

"I need to ask you some questions, as your lawyer Samantha. Is there any physical proof of the affair? Letters or notes?" Jarrod didn't like putting her on the spot like that, but if he was going to help her he needed to know. She had also been willing to tell him the truth about her relations with Peter, so he didn't think she would be insulted in what he was asking.

"No, Jarrod there isn't. We never exchanged love letters, and kept separate establishments. People in New Orleans were aware of it, but it was all word of mouth." Samantha's voice was cool as she made her statement. Opening her reticule, she produced three letters and passed them to him, commenting "These are what I have received from the 'blackmailer'."

He studied the letters and saw that it was block printing, on cheap white paper. The three notes basically said the same thing that the writer was aware that she'd had an improper affair with Col. Peter Talbot, and that it would be revealed. Jarrod found the whole thing perplexing and would have dismissed it as a cruel joke, but for the skull head that was drawn on each of the messages.

"Honestly, I have no idea who or why is doing this, Jarrod!" Samantha exclaimed, and he heard frustration in her voice.

"Samantha, let me keep these for now. I know a retired Pinkerton man that I will probably bring into the investigation. I will update you either tomorrow or the next day about what our next step should be." Jarrod gave her a reassuring smile, as he talked to her.

"Thank you, Jarrod. I need to get going anyway, I have a performance tonight." The woman stood up and started to put her cloak on. "Please let me know what I will owe you for your services. I will send you a retainer check when I get back to my house."

"I want to see if I can help you at all, before I take the case or your money." Jarrod in fact would have done the work for free, because of his friendship with Peter. He rather thought though that Samantha might take his offer the wrong way.

Another thought came to him "Samantha, you are playing Lady Macbeth, right?" Jarrod asked, and she nodded her head.

"If you haven't seen it you really should. Our version is quite good, and the musical score adds depth to the story. I would be glad to leave tickets for you and your wife to come; we only have tonight's performance left." Samantha became very animated as she talked about the production.

"Well then I will have to get there tonight I guess. However, you don't need to set a ticket aside for me, I can buy my own. And, I am not married either." Jarrod informed her, not wanting to take advantage of her generosity.

"Jarrod, it is the least I can do for helping me. I'll leave two tickets at the box office anyway, in case you want to bring a friend." Samantha replied, and they exchanged goodbyes.

He spent the rest of the afternoon bringing the Pinkerton man into the loop, and thinking about his strategy for the case. Jarrod thought the time moved slowly, but he knew that he was anxious to see the play tonight. Samantha had captivated him in a way that no woman had for a long time. It was playing with fire to think about her as anything but a client, but he couldn't help himself.

That evening he presented himself at the box office, and found that she had set tickets aside for him. Jarrod had considered bringing a friend along, but then decided he didn't want any distractions from watching the performance. He was very impressed with the seat she had for him, and knew he would be able to see the stage perfectly. He had also brought along a pair of opera glasses too.

By the end of the performance Jarrod couldn't have told anyone a thing about it, other than there was some music involved. He had spent the whole time looking at Samantha through the glasses, admiring her beauty. Jarrod had also taken note of what a good actress she was, and how she showed the depth of emotion and madness the character was composed of.

Jarrod considered going around the back, to see if he could talk to her after the performance. What stopped him was that he didn't want to come across as a 'stage door Johnny'. He remembered hearing that she never received admirers. It wouldn't be fair to use his status as her lawyer to get into to see her, either, he decided.

He went home and lay awake for a long time, thinking of Samantha and her situation. By the next morning he had come up with a possible approach to solve her problem. The drawback was that he was very attracted to her, and his plan for getting to the bottom of what was going on could backfire badly. However, he didn't have any other ideas, and decided this was the best one.

The note he sent to her said thank you for the ticket, and complimented her on her performance. He then asked if she could meet him tomorrow morning, to discuss the letters. Jarrod hoped, as he sealed the letter, that he would be able to walk the fine line he was setting up for himself. If he couldn't, at least his heart could get broken, and at worst he could be disbarred. The risk was worth it though, in his opinion, because it had been a long time since he'd been so attracted to a woman.