Author's Note: St. Catherine's feast day is not in September, but rather in April or November, depending on which one you are referring to. However, name day celebrations were big occasions in the Russian Orthodox Church, and the September date works with my storyline.
Frisco Views
Katarina and Samantha were in Gump's Department Store examining delicate jade and porcelain figurines from the orient. They had already been to the millinery department on the first floor, along with several other departments. Katarina wished she wasn't feeling so tired, because she was excited about seeing the store. When she'd been in India she had heard about Harrods's, the big department store in London.
The idea of being able to shop for all kinds of merchandise, in one store, had sounded very intriguing. Even St. Petersburg, for all of its cosmopolitan ways, didn't have anything like that. Katarina was making notes in her brain, about stuff to write to Sophie in the next letter. She loved getting Sophie's letters because they were always illustrated with beautifully drawn and colored pictures of life in Hong Kong. Her cousin was a good artist, and Katarina envied that, not having that talent.
She blamed her tiredness on the fact that she and Nicholas had made love three times last night. When they had arrived at their room, he had her clothes off of her before they even made it into the bedroom. Katarina had been hungry for him, and their first coupling had been hard and fast. The next two were a little slower, but equally passionate.
When she woke up early the next morning, her stomach had felt a little off, which again made her wonder what she'd eaten. Moving very quietly, so as not to wake up her husband, who was sleeping off their lovemaking, and the whiskey he'd had the night before, she went into the front room. Bishop Krill had given her some Russian tea, so she made herself a cup, which helped to settle her stomach, before she went back to sleep.
Reviewing all that in her mind, she wished she wasn't as tired as she felt, and hoped they could sit down to have some tea soon. Katarina also felt hungry suddenly, which had her thinking that maybe her stomach had finally settled itself. She noticed that Samantha had turned away from the figurines, and decided to suggest getting something to eat to her.
"That is a lovely idea! They have a café on the top floor that is quite good." Samantha replied to the query happily. She had not slept well last night, being worried about what the blackmailer was going to do next. There was also the issue of her feelings for Jarrod, and what to do in regard to them. They took the elevator up to the top floor, where the café was, decorated in pink, white, and green.
"Samantha, this food is delicious! I've never had crabmeat like this, warm and with cheese." Katarina declared, as she helped herself to another of the 'crab Louis' mini sandwiches. The actress was watching her, glad that she liked the food, but a little surprised at how much the Russian girl was eating.
"Actually, it is a local version of 'crab Louis', a French specialty." Samantha replied, and explained how it was made.
"Please excuse me for eating so much, but my stomach was rather upset this morning. Actually, it has been acting up lately. Last night, anytime I tried to drink anything alcoholic, it felt nauseous; probably because of something I had eaten." Katarina confessed, as she took another crab sandwich, as well as a cucumber sandwich too. Samantha looked at her, and thought about what she had just been told. Those symptoms sounded similar to some that she'd experienced thirteen years ago, and she remembered her thought from last night, about how young Jarrod's sister-in-law was.
"Catherine, I'm curious about something, if you don't mind me asking. Is it hard to live somewhere that you are a stranger?" Samantha wondered whether there was any female support for the girl, at the ranch. She knew that Nick loved his wife, but sometimes a woman needed another woman, especially if what Samantha suspected was true.
"No, I don't mind you asking Samantha." Katarina smiled kindly at the actress, as she went on "At first it was so hard, but as I spent more time there it became easier. In some ways life on the ranch is similar to my family's estates in Russia. Audra, the boys' sister is good company, while Nick's mother and I have become friends; she is a wonderful person." Katarina didn't want to reveal how Victoria had been towards her at first, because she understood why now. She was also hoping that Victoria would be Samantha's mother-in-law too, and she didn't want that relationship to get off on the wrong foot.
Samantha felt better when she heard how warmly Catherine spoke of her mother-in-law, being sure that the older woman would be a good resource of the Russian girl. It made her curious about Jarrod's mother, and she wondered if she would ever get to meet her. She also pondered what the woman would think of her son being involved with an actress.
When they finished eating, Samantha told her about a shop over by the Asian section of the city, which specialized in imported silks from china. They rode the elevator, with its elaborate brass cage, back down to the main floor. Leaving the building, Samantha saw her carriage, rented from the livery stable for the day, so she flagged it over. She didn't see the guard, but Jarrod had told her he would be discrete about his presence.
Samantha didn't know it, but the guard was lying in a side alley, knocked out, along with the driver of the carriage. The man who did it took the black great coat, and hat, thanking providence that he was the same size as the driver. Samantha was too busy listening to Catherine talk about the ranch, to notice that the driver was different.
They had been moving for about ten minutes when Katarina noticed a familiar smell that reminded her of St. Petersburg. It was faintly salty, and slightly swamp like, a smell common to places built next to, or on top of, water. She remembered the actress saying they were going to the Asian part of the city, which puzzled her. Nicholas had pointed out, on their way over to the Russian section the first time, the Asian temple. Reviewing the map of the city in her mind, she knew that the Russian section was not by the waterfront.
"Are we heading toward the waterfront?" Katarina asked delicately, not wanting to question Samantha's coachman. Maybe the smell of the water just carried further inland, she reasoned to herself.
"It sure smells like it!" Samantha inhaled the air, and she started to feel cold and scared. She tried rapping on the roof of the coach, to get the driver's attention. It was when the carriage speeded up that she knew they were in trouble. She reached over and clasped Katarina's hand, and the other woman had no problem understanding why her companion's eyes were dilated with fear.
Suddenly they were jostled to the side of the carriage, as it came to a quick stop. They heard the driver jumping down, and when the door was thrown open they saw a strange man pointed a gun at them. "Get out, now!" He snarled, as he cocked the weapon to show that he meant business.
"Look, we'll give you our valuables! Please don't hurt us!" Samantha declared, as she quickly climbed out of the carriage, with Katarina right behind her. Katarina was cursing herself for not having had the presence of mind to get her gun out of her purse. She was hoping that the thief wouldn't find it, and that maybe she could get to it.
"There is nothing you have that I want other than your traitorous life!" The man declared, putting the gun in Samantha's face, before he turned to look at the other woman "Has you friend told you who, and what she really is? Well, don't worry you will have plenty of time to listen to the story. Now march!" He motioned them over to a dilapidated warehouse, whose dock was falling apart.
Once inside the abandoned building he brought rope out, and tied them to a wooden post in the middle of the room. Katarina was trying to process what was going on, while she noticed that Samantha seemed to be in shock. Once they were tied up the man stepped back several paces, and then with great flourish took of the black greatcoat and hat. He was wearing a grey uniform, with buff colored facings and some gold decorations; it was one that Katarina had never seen before.
"Who the hell are you, and what the fuck are you doing?" Katarina cursed without meaning to, now feeling very annoyed at what was going on. Samantha managed to rouse herself when she heard the young woman cursing, but when she saw the uniform the man had on she went white, before she slumped over in a faint.
Nick was sitting in Jarrod's office, smoking a cigar as they concluded their business. He had dropped Katarina off at Samantha's earlier, taking a little bit of time to talk to Jarrod's girl friend. He and Katarina had discussed on the way over about how they both really liked the woman. Nick had wanted his wife to try to find out how serious the couple was, but Katarina said she wasn't going to pry. Remembering that now, he decided to do a little on his own. He was sure that in spite of her declaration to the contrary, she would get the whole story.
"Katarina and I had a great time last night, and we really like Samantha!" Nick offered up, as he took a draw on his cigar, before adding "Why don't you bring her to the party I'm throwing next month, for Katarina's name day." Jarrod looked with interest what Nick had had just said, and asked him about the purpose of the party.
"In the Russian church your saint's day or name day as it is called because you are always named after a saint, is celebrated. It is actually a bigger deal than birthdays, according to Bishop Krill and Nina. I thought that Katarina would like to have something that reminded her of Russia, and we haven't had a party for a while." Nick explained; glad now that both the clergy man and the maid had told him about the celebrations.
Jarrod had been slightly preoccupied all morning, thinking about Samantha and her situation. He had already reviewed the precautions he had put in place several times, but couldn't shake a nagging feeling that he had, that he'd missed something. Thinking about the party was a nice change, and as he thought about it he saw that it would be the perfect excuse to bring up the subject of their relationship with Samantha. Jarrod was sure the blackmailer would soon be caught, and inviting her to a family event would be a good gauge to see what her feelings toward him were.
He asked his brother several more questions about the party, and the guest list. Jarrod wasn't surprised when Nick announced that he didn't want the scared filly at the party. His brother had told him the night before that he'd already told their younger brother not to bring her to any more family events. In his role as Pappy he felt bad that there was a rift between his brothers, once again caused by a woman.
However, he didn't blame Nick his feelings, after that dinner on the 4th of July. It was too bad, he sighed, that Heath had become involved with Susannah. Jarrod thought about what Samantha had conjectured last night, and was sure that Nick's marriage had been the catalyst for the relationship starting.
"Brother Nick, thank you for the suggestion! I will talk to her about it, and see what she thinks. Samantha told me that she had enjoyed Catherine's company." Jarrod replied, and was all set to say more when there was a pounding on the office door, before it was hurled open. Harris, the retired Pinkerton agent, and a tall heavyset man in everyday clothes were entering his office.
"Mr. Barkley, I'm sorry to disturb you like this, but it is an emergency." Harris started, and then pushed the big man forward he went on "This is Jim, the bodyguard who was supposed to be following Miss St. Claire's carriage. He, and the driver, was knocked unconscious and left in an alley not far from Gump's." Jarrod jumped up quickly, now knowing why he'd had that nagging feeling of something being wrong. Samantha was in danger, and he had to get to her.
"What the fuck is he talking about, Jarrod? Why do you have Harris and a bodyguard following Samantha? And god damn it all, my wife is with her!" Nick's voice boomed around the room, and Harris winced, having never heard Mr. Barkley's brother that loud before. The burly bodyguard looked with respect at Nick, being willing to bet that he could kill a man with his bare hands if he wanted to.
Jarrod asked Harris some questions, and then explained the whole situation to his brother. He decided that he was glad that Nick was him. There was no better man in a fight, and Jarrod knew that where the family was concerned his middle brother would be relentless. After he explained about the letters and everything else, the men discussed their strategy. The talk was interrupted by a Pinkerton agent who came to tell Harris that the carriage had been found. They left the office to go examine the vehicle, hoping to find a clue as to where the women had been taken.