Chapter Forty-Nine

"Mrs. Cartwright, if you don't mind, I'd like to see my family while we're in town," said Amalee. "Perhaps while you and Mr. Cartwright have lunch?"

Shiloh smiled. "How far from here are your parents?"

"My father owns a mercantile just a block away," said Amalee, returning the smile. "I'll be fine. Shall I return here…to the opera hall?"

"That's fine, Amalee. Enjoy your time with your family."

Adam took Abel in one arm and offered the other to Shiloh, and as they watched Amalee walk down the sidewalk, and then disappear into the mercantile, Adam asked, "Where would you like to go for lunch?"

"Somewhere we can carry on a private conversation," she replied as she wrapped her arm around his.

"Good idea. We need to talk," he bit. He could feel her stiffen, but when he looked at her, though her jaw had tightened, her eyes looked straight ahead. Neither said anything more until they arrived at Delmonico's Restaurant, a two-story frame house where the dining room was upstairs and the market selling perfectly marbled Ponderosa beef was on the main floor. Though the original Delmonico's was in New York, the best known of the other Delmonico's was here in the city and came by its name honestly as its original owner, Cyrus Delmonico, was a relative of the New York Delmonico's. Cyrus sold it two years prior to Giocondo Giannini who kept the name. It seemed the Delmonico name was written in gold wherever it was used.

Adam requested a table in an alcove at the back he had used in the past for business lunches. He order breaded veal with all the fixings for himself, lobster salad for Shiloh, a bottle of wine, and the required cuisine for his son.

While they waited for their food, both passed Abel's nose between them as Abel spoke in that way that babies do while crawling all over Adam trying to retrieve his nose. Adam finally put Abel's nose back in place when the food arrived.

"As you requested, Madam, the apples have been smashed, and the eggs have been scrambled firm." The waiter placed the plate and bowl in front of Adam who was still holding Abel. They smiled and nodded at the waiter until he finished serving them and left, and then swapped Abel and his food. After all, Adam's veal required the use of a knife.

They ate in silence for the first few minutes until Adam said, "So what did you want to talk about?"

Shiloh put her fork down and wiped her mouth, then leaned forward a little. "The dairy. You said you were ready to build the dairy, but I don't have the time…or the inclination…to deal with it."

"You don't have to."

"Oh. I thought…" She creased her brow as she turned her head slightly. "We both learned how to make cheese and butter. If you didn't expect me to run it, why did we do that?"

"It was your idea to give the women in Virginia City an alternative to working in the saloons. It was your plan to let it pay for itself, and then let the women who worked become shareholders."

She bit her lip. "True. But that was before I had a baby to tend in addition to the horses and music. I can't do anything else."

"Well, it's always good to know something about a business undertaking," said Adam as he chewed. "But from the moment I made plans to build it, you…resisted. And I understand why. So, I have someone to oversee it. Most of it anyway. There'll be a ledger to keep up, and the bills to be paid."

"Who have you decided will oversee it?"

"Evangeline Meder."

"Oh."

Adam stopped chewing, tucked his food in his cheek, and looked at her. "Oh?"

"Nothing," she said quickly and took a bite of salad. "It's just that…" She finished chewing, and continued, "Well, I thought Evangeline helped her parents at their dairy."

"She did. But the Meders are retiring and selling out. They'll be moving to Santa Cruz. Evangeline wanted a job, and she knows the dairy business, so it made sense to let her run our dairy."

"I see."

"Shiloh, why does this bother you?"

She halfway smiled. "What did you want to speak to me about?"

"You left early this morning," said Adam as he propped his elbow on the table. "I expected to ride into town with you."

"Oh, well, I wanted to ride. It's been a while, so I rode alongside the coach."

He narrowed his eyes. "You stayed with the coach?"

She bowed her head, moving the lobster in her salad around with her fork. "Mostly," she said quietly.

Laying his fork down on the table, Adam sat straight up. "Mostly," he said with a frown. "Shiloh, I told you I didn't want you riding here alone for a reason. People here know who you are."

Shiloh looked away. "I've never hidden from the public. And I was never out of sight of the coach. I rode ahead a little, then rode back.

When Adam glared and said, "Really," in a tone that froze Abel, Shiloh pulled the baby close to her.

"Yes, really."

"Clarence said you were already at the opera hall when he arrived."

"Adam, I was late. I told Clarence when I rode ahead to the hall. They were never out of my sight. I asked him to take Spirit before I rode ahead so I could go on into the hall."

Adam looked out away from their table. People were quickly glancing their way. "We'll finish this later." Neither said another word, not in the restaurant and not on the way back to the hall.

Shiloh carried Abel and was walking faster than Adam thought possible. When she arrived at the door, she pulled it open and stepped inside without giving him a thought. Amalee was already there, so Shiloh deposited Abel on her lap, changed his diaper, and then left him whimpering in Amalee's charge.

Amalee was certainly good with him. He had forgotten all about his parents before his mother had gotten up on the stage.

Adam stood at the door watching, and when he was sure everyone was all right and would be staying put for a while, he left for his meeting with Ralston in his office at the Bank of California.

"I'm here to see Mr. Ralston," he said as he walked up to the desk at the front of the lobby.

"Mr. Ralston is expecting you, Mr. Cartwright. Right this way."

The clerk led Adam up two flights of stairs into an office at the front of the building. "Mr. Ralston will be with you momentarily," said the clerk. "Libations are in the cabinet to your right, and the view is remarkable," said the clerk before he closed the door, leaving Adam alone.

Ignoring the liquor cabinet, Adam strolled to the windows overlooking the city and the bay. It was a magnificent view, he thought. He turned at the click of the door.

"Adam, sorry about the wait," said Ralston, heading for the liquor cabinet. "Can I pour you a drink?"

Adam smiled. "No thank you. I need a clear head when I go back to the office."

"I would imagine you do," said Ralston, chuckling. "Now, what are we going to do about our problem?"

"By that, I assume you mean the curved doors," answered Adam.

"Gaynor hasn't been able to find anyone who can build them. They'll start, but after the first foot it all starts falling apart."

Adam folded his lips together and exhaled heavily. "Who's gotten the most done?"

"A man by the name of Foley. But his work was awful," answered Ralston with a look of disgust.

"I'll talk to our men, and if there's anyone who can do it, I'll pull them off their current job," said Adam.

"I don't have to remind you that we are too far along to change that wall," said Ralston. "If you can't find anyone, what then?"

After pinching the bridge of his nose, Adam let his hands fall to this sides. "I'll do it."

"You can build curved doors? I thought you were an architect." Ralston snapped his fingers at a sudden memory. "As I recall, you built a home on the Ponderosa…among other things."

"I'm also an Engineer. So yes, I can do it."

"Well, then why waste your time finding someone?" said Ralston. "Just do it."

"Billy, I do have other work. Some of it is on your mansion."

"The doors are more important. Take the time you'd be spending on my home and build the doors."

"You want me to stop working on the cantilevered opera boxes and the skylights?"

Ralston drew in a deep breath. "I'm beginning to understand why Gaynor gave those two things to you."

Adam chuckled. "Don't discount what Gaynor can do. He's good. The thing about him is he deals with one big undertaking at a time."

"Then why didn't he just build the curved doors when he couldn't find anyone?" asked Ralston.

Raising his brows as he headed for the door, Adam said, "You'll have to ask him. I'll arrange for the materials to be delivered to my home." Adam turned before he closed the door behind him. "And I'll send you the bill for the extra work." On his way down the hall, he heard Ralston laugh loudly.

xxxxxxxx

When Slater and Cartwright closed for the day, Adam still sat at his desk working on his drawings.

"Goodnight, Adam," called Robert as he moved his hat to his head and opened the front door.

Adam looked up just as Robert was turning the open sign to closed.

"Will you be leaving soon?" Robert asked.

"Just a few more minutes, and then I have an errand to run before I go by the hall to get Shiloh and Abel," answered Adam. "Remember, I'll be heading down to Rancho Buri Buri tomorrow morning before I come in. I'll go out to the Michael's tomorrow afternoon."

"I'll let them know," Robert said as he tipped his hat and walked out the door.

It was only a few more minutes that Adam drew the last mark on his drawings, reached forward, blew out his lamp, and collected his things. He stepped out of the door, making sure to lock it, and pulled on his coat as he walked down the sidewalk, and as he walked he tensed at the thought that he'd have to finish his lunch conversation with Shiloh. She had loved riding her horses across her land. She was as much at ease with her horses as she was when she was planning a performance. And he was putting limits on her again, but here, in this city where morality lived during the day and depravity took over the night and spilled into the outskirts, there was too much danger, especially with her carrying another child. As headstrong as she could be, he'd have to make her understand. He hoped what he was about to pick up would make things easier.

It took him only a few minutes in the little shop. He left with a smile and walked down to Maguire's. When he opened the door, he was immediately met by a large man who asked who he was.

"I'm Adam Cartwright."

"And what business do you have here, Mr. Cartwright?"

"I…I'm Isabella Whitney's husband…Abel's father."

"I'm sorry Mr. Cartwright. No one is allowed in the hall while Mr. Scott and Miss Whitney are working."

Adam's brows creased, but he managed a smile. "I'm sure that doesn't apply to me."

"It does, Sir."

"Excuse me?" When Adam tried to push by, the huge man bear hugged him, lifted him off his feet, and spun around, releasing Adam on the outside of the door. Adam began to shout, but found himself shouting at the door. When he tried the doorknob, it didn't budge. Next he banged on the door. When that didn't work, he shouted, "At least tell her I'm here."

His request seemed to have worked. As he paced, the door opened. The huge man let him in.