Chapter Thirty-Eight
Jarrod entered his conference room at ten past eleven o'clock in the morning, just in time for the scheduled meeting. He had planned his arrival carefully, not wanting to deal with Priscilla, and undoubtedly Nick. Once he had agreed to this plan - only because of Heath's involvement - Jarrod had turned it all over to Lewis, telling him to work out the details with Priscilla.
Now he surveyed the room, and its occupants; people whose worlds would normally not intersect, or in this case collide. He was surprised at how calm it was, even as he looked around for Priscilla and Noah, who were not there. Nick was over by the credenza talking to Lewis, who at once worshiped and feared the brawny rancher. On more than one occasion Nick had offered to take Lewis out for a night on the town, but Jarrod wasn't sure if Lewis would survive. That opinion was reinforced, as Jarrod saw how hard Lewis was working to keep his eyes away from the woman in the room.
Maisy Watters was dressed in a flamboyant red day dress, topped by a hat decorated with red plumes. Her brilliant auburn hair seemed even brighter than usual, as it vied against all those red feathers on the hat. Jarrod wasn't surprised to see Maisy so attired, even as her generous bosom was covered. What caused him to stop in his tracks was the sight of Rufus Morton talking to her like an old friend.
In the normal scheme of things, Rufus should have been as far away as possible from that kind of woman. Instead, he was standing next to her, gesturing animatedly as he talked. Maisy was listened intently, and Jarrod found himself intrigued. He remembered how warmly the Madame spoke of Rufus, which had puzzled him. Jarrod had never seen Rufus anywhere near the House of Flowers, and until just recently with Noah the only other way their worlds would have overlapped was Zack and JR.
Rufus, president of the school board, and a member of the church council, should have been giving Maisy the evil eye. None of it was making sense, but then Jarrod thought about his life lately, and realized that the sentiment could be applied to that too. He was still at the hotel, eating his meals in the dining room or his office. His lunch with Heath - once his brother got off the subject of Nick - had been a good experience. Jarrod missed being at home, eating meals with the family. Unfortunately since his lunch with Heath he'd been back to feeling lonely.
There was also the matter of the empty spot in his life, with Rosemary gone. Jarrod was still puzzled as to why she'd left like she did, and why she did not say goodbye in person. He had no idea what the reason behind her leaving was, but hoped that it wasn't something he had caused. Unfortunately, with the current state of his life, Jarrod didn't discount that he might have had an unknowing hand in her leaving. That thought, along with others involving Nick and Priscilla, were keeping him from sleeping well at night.
"Good morning everyone! Sorry we are late, but the math lesson ran long." His thoughts were interrupted as Pricilla and Noah came into the conference. Jarrod couldn't help himself as he took in her attractive presence. She wore a navy blue skirt, bustled back and trimmed with cream colored ribbon. Her blouse was of lawn in the same shade as the ribbons on the skirt. The eye catching detail was the insets of delicate lace around the collar and shoulders, outlined with navy blue velvet ribbon.
Jarrod almost groaned as he looked at Priscilla, taking in her blue, white, and gold perfection. It struck him as unfair that this pretty little package was Nick's, even as he acknowledged how she was wrecking his life. In that moment it came to him how exactly alike Priscilla and her half-sister were. The irony of how Nick was responsible of both women wrecking havoc on his family, struck him, even as he disliked the point of reference. Jarrod could still remember Hester dazzling in the ballroom in San Francisco, even as he'd not been able to get close to her.
His rather acidic thoughts were broken at how Noah rushed over to Rufus Morton, who gladly put his arm around the boy's shoulders. In that moment Jarrod saw the proud doting father that the man was – the man he had been before his wife's and daughter's death had hardened him. Jarrod suddenly felt the hot flash of envy and jealousy, as he wondered if he would ever have a son to feel proud of. That was accompanied by an over powering feeling of sadness, that he worked hard to tamp down.
"Miss Converse, I totally understand. I have wanted to compliment you on how you integrate math into everyday activities." Rufus looked from Noah, and beamed happily – Jarrod was by now ready to think that maybe he was in a bad day dream – or nightmare – he wasn't sure what. Honestly all he wanted his own bed – or hell maybe his own house?
"So I guess I will start this meeting, because I was the one who wanted it. I want to say thank you to Jarrod Barkley and Lewis." Priscilla turned toward the gangly young man and gave him a dazzling smile. Jarrod saw his timid law clerk bloom at the young woman's praise, and it came to him that he had sold Lewis short. Maybe the young man needed more exposure to the world, instead of hiding in Jarrod's office.
"Noah, after you told me about Col. Kelling I spoke to Mr. Barkley." Priscilla paused to indicate Jarrod, who was surprised at how the young man smiled at him with warmth. Once again he was taken aback to see how much Noah resembled his grandmother, with the flaming red hair and green eyes. Noah was small for his age, but no doubt once he started growing he would be a strapping young man. That thought caused Jarrod to feel proud, as he thought of what he'd done already for the boy.
"I would like Mr. Barkley to tell you what he found out, about the Colonel's family. It was because of his efforts that we have the information." Priscilla smiled warmly at Jarrod, who caught himself smiling back before he could help it. Jarrod had been all set with a sarcastic reply about how kind of Priscilla to let him take over the meeting, especially since it was in his conference room. What stopped him was the way both she and Noah looked at him with admiration.
"Colonel Cabot Mills Kelling graduated at the top of his class from West Point, in 1868. His older brother had -" Jarrod was interrupted by Noah's eager voice.
"Yes, the Colonel's brother, Lt. Owen Kelling died in the first battle of Bull Run, where he received the Medal of Honor. That was the reason Col. Kelling decided to join the army, was because of his brother's death. He told me all about it." Noah's eyes showed a fond memory, before they darkened. "My father was at that battle too, and served in the same unit. Papa was proud of his service, and how he'd come up from the ranks, to be an officer."
"Col. Kelling left a widow, three daughters, and a son. It was because of a recent addition to his family that the Colonel was alone at the post." Jarrod went on to explain how the commanding officer, to fill a void, had taken to tutoring several of the young boys at the fort. "The Colonel felt that Noah had the greatest promise, and in fact confided that to his father, Captain Henry Jones."
Jarrod noticed how Noah's head jerked back, and his hand clenched, at the mention of his father. Knowing the whole story of the man, he suddenly felt the need to move beyond his passive, annoyed stance, in regard to this meeting.
"Noah, your father was a very brave man, and a highly decorated officer with many commendations; you should be very proud of him." Jarrod had in fact been rather awed at what the man from a small town in Ohio had accomplished. He went on to list his awards, and Jarrod saw that everyone in the room was impressed. It was with special pleasure that he noticed Maisy taking in what he was saying; well the man had been her daughter's husband after all.
"Yes, sir I am! He told me stories about the army, and one day I'm going to be an officer too!" Noah sat up straight, and spoke in a confident voice. Jarrod could see the eagerness and determination shining from the green eyes, which filled him with admiration for the boy.
"Well Col. Kelling knew about your desire, and wrote to his wife about you." Walking over to his desk, Jarrod pulled out a large envelope, sealed with an over-large wax seal in dark blue. "Mrs. Kelling had not realized that anyone survived the massacre. When she found out that you had, she wanted to honor both your father and her husband." Jarrod passed the envelope to Noah, who took it with a puzzled look, as he noticed his name on the front of the heavy linen paper.
"Am I supposed to open it?" Noah asked he turned it over to look at the embossing on the dark blue wax seal. "This is the symbol of the United States." His voice took on an awe struck note, and Jarrod had no problem understanding what Noah was experiencing. He went over and knelt down next to the young boy, as he indicated for Noah to break the seal.
Everyone in the room was fixated on the boy, as he gently opened the envelope, being careful not to break the seal. His fingers caressed the raised design and his shoulders squared as he reached into the envelope. Jarrod noticed the boy's careful and reverent actions, as he pulled out the piece of heavy vellum paper. There was a gold ribbon affixed at the end of the paper, anchored by a different seal in red wax.
"Mr. Barkley, does it say what I think it does?" Noah's green eyes were huge, as he handed the paper to the man kneeling down next to him. Jarrod, who already knew what the paper said, smiled with reassurance. "Would you like me to read it to you?" he asked. Noah nodded once and took his grandmother's hand, squeezing it tightly.
"By order of the President Rutherford B. Hayes, Noah Henry Jones is granted a presidential appointment to the United States Military Academy. This honor is giving in recognition of the sacrifice of the lives of Captain Henry Adam Jones and Colonel Cabot Mills Kelling, West Point Class of 1868, in the defense of Ft. Endurance, Dakota Territory against the Sioux Nation." Jarrod felt a chill come over him, as he took in the meaning of the words.
"Noah, there is something else you need to know." It came to him that now was the time, in front of Maisy, Rufus, and Priscilla, to hand over what he had. Jarrod walked over to his desk and picked up a flat box covered in navy blue leather. "In other circumstances this would have been given to you at the White House, in a formal ceremony. However, it does come with the invitation to visit there if you so desire." He handed the box to Noah, who took it carefully.
Noah's eyes widened as the opened the box. "This is the Medal of Honor!" Noah held up the five pointed gold star hanging from the light blue ribbon with white stars. "Is this my father's?" He asked, as he looked with awe at the decoration.
"It is your father's Noah. Just so you know Colonel Kelling also received one." Jarrod put his arm around Noah's shoulders, as he looked directly at Maisy. He wanted her to understand what Noah's father, and indirectly Maisy's daughter had achieved. It touched him to see the hardened woman bow her head, as she admired the medal that her beloved grandson held up. As much as he didn't want to break up the moment, Jarrod knew that there was more to discuss.
"Noah, the appointment to West Point does come with two conditions; you must be eighteen and you need to pass the entrance exam. That brings us to the issue of your continued schooling." Jarrod paused and looked over at Priscilla who'd moved to the side of the room, next to Nick. He had to give her credit for not taking center stage, if nothing else.
"The school here in Stockton is done in May, and I know that Miss Converse has already spoken to Mrs. St. Romaine." Jarrod wanted to stay as formal as possible, in dealing with the Madame. "About a boarding school in San Francisco. I know of the place, and it is a fine institution, run by the Jesuits; you will receive a first rate education there. However, you have another option Noah, albeit one that is further away." The consternation in Maisy's eyes was apparent, but Jarrod shot her a warning look.
"Mrs. Kelling has arranged a scholarship for you at the Military Academy Preparatory School, in the Hudson Valley. In addition to providing a good education, it offers some military instruction." Jarrod explained, and then brought out an envelope that he gave to Noah. "Mrs. Kelling is also inviting you to come east for the summer, to spend time with her family in Boston, and Cape Cod. You certainly don't need to decide right away about the school, of course." He was sure that Noah was feeling very overwhelmed.
"That is in Massachusetts, which is quite a ways. Would I have to go by myself?" The worry was very clear in the green eyes, even as he held tight to his grandmother's hands. Jarrod was glad that he had brought that point up because it gave him the opening he wanted.
"Actually, no you wouldn't. I am heading back east in June, to Washington D.C., so it would be easy for you – provided your grandmother is all right with it." Jarrod didn't want Maisy to ruin Noah's chances because she was feeling blindsided. After all, he told himself, the Madame had taken Noah when he was alone in the world. "You could travel with me, and we will go to Boston together. I went to school there, so am familiar with the area. We can meet the Kellings, and even tour the school. Also, I will take you to Washington, so you can visit the White House." He looked at Maisy, to see how she was handling everything.
"Jarrod, thank you for being willing to take him, since it would be hard for me get away." The red headed woman replied, adding. "Since we really don't know anything about the Kellings, it will be good to have you there." It took a great deal of control for Jarrod not to retort that Mrs. Kelling was not the one running a house of prostitution. Jarrod though was glad for Maisy's acceptance of it all, so he kept quiet.
"I would also like to offer my services to help tutor Noah in Latin, something he will need at either school he chooses. Noah could come to my office several times a week, after school." He turned to Priscilla. "Miss Converse will concur that getting familiar with the language will give Noah a leg up."
Jarrod had an ulterior motive in his offer, as held his breath hoping Priscilla would back him up. Part of Noah's lessons would not about Latin. Noah didn't know it, but the Kellings were an old Boston family, dating back to before the revolution. Mrs. Kelling's father was an ex-governor, and her brother-in-law was the senior senator for the state. It was because of those connections that she had secured the West Point appointment for Noah. Jarrod was well aware of the difference in lifestyle the Kellings led, and he wanted Noah to be well versed in manners and etiquette.
"Thank you Jarrod. Mrs. St. Romaine, he is right; Noah will need a better basis in Latin than what I'm able to give him." Priscilla had looked at him with agreement, before she turned to speak to Maisy. Now she looked at everyone in the room, before she spoke again.
"I would like to say thank you to Jarrod, for what he has done. When I first met Noah I knew there was more to the story." She went over and put her arm around the boy, who gave her a fond smile. "Jarrod listened to what I had to say, and has put in an inordinate amount of time, to put all the pieces together." Priscilla stood by Noah, as they both looked at him with admiration.
Jarrod felt his resentment at Priscilla starting to melt, as he heard what she was saying. Priscilla was giving him the credit that no one else had, and it was nice to finally be appreciated. He had enrolled Noah in school; he'd done his best to protect Priscilla, even while honoring the wishes of his client. It came to Jarrod that clearly Priscilla bore him no ill-will about the House of Flowers mishap.
As far as her telling Nick about Rosemary, Jarrod admitted that he'd opened himself up to that since he'd involved Priscilla in the necklace purchase. Priscilla was young and innocent, and seeing that necklace on Rosemary would have her wondering. She loved Nick – Jarrod knew that perfectly well – and so of course she would talk to him about what she'd seen. Jarrod acknowledged that Priscilla had never discussed the subject with him, and she probably didn't know that Nick had made him aware of her information.
"That is very kind of you Priscilla, but I think you need some credit too. You are an amazing teacher, and the children of Stockton are very lucky to have you." Jarrod replied, meaning every word he said. She was a good person, and only wanted to help, not hurt. She'd ended up where she shouldn't have, because of that instinct. Priscilla also loved Nick wholeheartedly, which was the reason she had told him what she'd seen. It wasn't Priscilla's fault that Nick acted before he thought, and it came to Jarrod that she would have her hands full in dealing with his hot tempered brother.
The next several minutes were spent with everyone looking at the certificate, and congratulating Noah. Then Priscilla announced that she and Noah needed to get back to school, which seemed to be the cue for everyone to leave. Well almost everyone, with the exception of Nick, which caused Jarrod to tense up.
"Listen Jarrod, we need to talk." Nick began, once the room was empty and the door shut. "I was a total ass to you, about Priscilla and the House of Flowers. You were right; it is none of my business who your clients are. Further, I now see that you did everything possible to protect Priscilla, and it was just an unfortunate accident that she met Maisy."
Jarrod took in his brother standing there, turning his gloves in his hands. He knew it was taking a lot for Nick to apologize like this, and Jarrod wondered how much of it was Priscilla's doing. However he wasn't going to let Nick off the hook that easily, as Jarrod recalled everything that Nick had said.
"You think? What you did – and said – was so uncalled for Nick." Jarrod retorted tersely, wanting his brother to truly feel sorry. Of course Nick never did anything by halves, and as he bowed his head Jarrod felt the tug at his heart.
"God I know! I told you I was a total ass!" Nick pleaded, throwing out his hands, palms up. "Look, you've said before that I can put my foot in my mouth faster than anyone you've ever met. Was this any different?"
Jarrod took in the remorse in Nick's eyes, and as he listened to what his brother was saying a sad look came over his face. "No, it wasn't different Nick, but this time it felt more personal. I had gone to a great deal of trouble, and spent even more time on this matter, and felt attacked when you came at me." He wanted to be honest with Nick, but couldn't bring up the subject of Priscilla and Rosemary.
"Fair enough. Please understand though that all I could see was the woman I love being put in a bad situation." Nick replied, a serious look on his face. "I love Priscilla so much, Jarrod. She is the best thing that has ever happened to me, and I'm still afraid of mucking it up – as you once warned me." His shoulders sagged, and Jarrod suddenly felt sorry for the man.
"Priscilla adores you Nick, and will stand by you; of that I'm sure." Jarrod reassured him, tamping down the fissure of jealously he felt. Nick responded by coming over and giving Jarrod a big hug.
"You think so? Thank you!" Nick's arms were around him, and Jarrod returned the hug, glad to be at peace with his brother. "Look, Heath is waiting to have lunch with us – at the Empire Hotel at my suggestion. You have to be tired of the Cattleman's, and I hope you will come back home. Jarrod, I've missed you. Silas has too." The mention of home caused a warm feeling to come over Jarrod; yes he did want to go home. He wanted his room with the windows that faced the south garden, his comfortable bed – and his family.
"Brother Nick, I agree to the idea of lunch, and to coming back home. Best ideas you've had in a while." Jarrod answered, and was rewarded with Nick throwing back his head as his laughter rang around the room.