Chapter Four
"Do you have your derringer?" Jo shook her head no.
"Ok let's go to the bench by the statue and fountain in the middle of the square." Jarrod took her arm and guided her to the very public site.
"Do you recognize the man in the brown suit with a blue shirt and tie? She nodded no again.
They sat on the bench and watched the townspeople go about their business. Jarrod planned their next steps carefully. "Obviously Charles has people who now know we are here. Let's go with these carts passing by to the bank and visit with Antoine de Valla."
They zigzagged with the heavily loaded carts and got to the bank in the diversion of traffic. "He is still watching us," said Jarrod looking out the lobby window.
Antoine was not in today but the Bank President was. He was glad to visit with Madame Beaufort. He was an old friend of her father and Jean. They had made him a very wealthy man as such. Jo explained what had happened at the shipping company. He was appalled that any bank employee would be part of such a scheme.
"Who is handling the accounts? Surely I would be aware of anything with the Beaufort/Jackson lines."
"Antoine de Valla and Charles. It appears the personal accounts are being used."
He furrowed his brow. He had been forced to hire de Valla as a favor to the magistrate. Of course, he would be the one to bring trouble to my bank.
He brought in a much-trusted teller with the ledgers. "Yes, quite a bit of money is being withdrawn from the Chateau household accounts. Those are not associated with the trust"
He then pulled out another large journal. "I cannot divulge details of another client but I would check into the auction house. There have been numerous sales of art and antiquities from the Chateau and the funds deposited in your cousin's personal account."
About that time another employee came in with a letter from Antoine's desk.
It was a power of attorney for the trust signed by Heath Barkley for Isabella née Jackson Barkley designating Charles Beaufort as his agent. It was dated the day of the wedding and notarized by Phillip Archer, esquire of Stockton.
"That's a fraud. My brother never signed that" Jarrod looked at the paper. It looked similar to Heath's signature but it was a little off in one place.
…... It was signed, Heath Thompson Barkley instead of his real name of Heath Thomson Barkley…...
"Jo, we need a judge NOW "
Jo translated to the bank president…" la magistrat sans tarder. "
The bank president whispered in French, "Are you sure? He is a de Valla, and a cousin of Charles on his mother's side."
"No, you are right... let us think."
She sent a messenger for Grau and Paul to come from the shipping offices as soon as possible.
Grau Beaufort was a six-foot-seven African man. He was ponderously muscled and weighed over 200 pounds; he was truly a frightening presence on the streets.
The Admiral had rescued him from slavers years ago as a youth, nursed him back to full health and he had worked for the family business since then. He took the Beaufort name in honor of the Admiral, a man he thought of as a father. In slavery since childhood, his body was riddled with scars and healed wounds. He had known Marie and her daughters, accompanying them to town and upon ships back-and-forth from Bermuda. He's such a good man.
"Oh, Grau" Jo walked over and hugged the bear of a man. He smiled widely and spoke to her in French.
"This is Jarrod Barkley, my attorney, and friend". He shook Jarrod's hand firmly. Another Tom Barkley handshake.
"I know about you, sir. The Admiral came to see me and say Au revoir when he took his orders. He said Miss Elizabeth found a good man and he was freeing you up to marry an American attorney. I miss that man already but he needed to get right with the Lord. He made sure the bank had a deed to my cottage and some stocks in the company for me. He always took care of us, didn't he?" said the big man in heavily-accented English with the hint of tears in his eyes.
He looked at Jo. She squeezed his hand and smiled.
"Grau, I think cousin Charles is up to no good. Will you help me?"
"You don't even have to ask. You know that. That new wife of his is haughty. She is too nouveau for LeHavre. More like Paris riche. She is spending money all over town and ordering people around like they are her servants and putting on airs. The townspeople don't like her already. You know how we all felt about Mr. Charles too. He still calls me Jean's dumb Afrikan."
"Wife?" Jo dreaded the answer.
"Madame Melanie Beaufort" She and Jarrod exchanged looks of dread.
Grau took quick care of the man on the street, followed him, and he returned to the bank. "He's going to sleep until tomorrow. He works for Charles." He smirked.
He escorted Jarrod and Jo back to the inn. Paul told them that men from the shipping company would keep watch on the inn in shifts.
They ordered supper to their rooms and retired for the night. "Jo, I am going to sleep in your room tonight. I will take the trundle. I don't want you alone even with Grau and the men outside." Jo agreed. She didn't want to be away from him for one second.
Jarrod stepped out in the hall to allow her privacy to ready herself for bed. He did not trust himself to be in the same suite. He had nervously teased her, "No peignoirs, please."
She tossed her gloves at him. "In your dreams Mr. Barkley" she laughed.
His eyes darkened slightly with desire, "They already are, my love."
He quickly went out of the room and shared a cigar with Grau. Jo removed her corset and put on a loose nightgown with her winter robe on top of it. She didn't want to create any more discomfort for Jarrod… or herself. Heaven help me, I want him just as much.
She dimmed the wicks and got under the covers. He entered, kissed her on the forehead, and pulled out the trundle to sleep, fully clothed.
Nick and BlackJack headed out before sunrise with Jay to go hunting. They had asked Heath several times to go with them but he turned them down each time, "This is a working ranch in case you forgot."
He did get up early with them to help Jay saddle up the young mare he was to ride. "Don't be showing Nick up hunting now. He gets kinda grumpy when a 10-year-old gets the best of him."
Heath was cordial to BlackJack for Isabella's sake but he could not bring himself to be companionable. He and Audra were doing better; he was at least trying.
He watched them head off in the darkness. He thought about Isabella up there warm and soft in their bed or getting an early start to his day. And another hour until dawn… He quietly headed back up the staircase.
Jay talked incessantly the first hour. He was so excited about his first hunting trip to the mountains. Nick indulgently smiled and patiently answered all the questions. The whole family had said Jay was just like Nick growing up.
BlackJack was very quiet, lost in his thoughts.
I am overwhelmed with how much I had missed my daughters and now the twins' life. Losing Marie had destroyed me. I wanted to get away from every vestige of her and that included my beautiful daughters. I knew Jo's strength. I watched her read international law at the Sorbonne without hope of licensure. She had a man's mind for business and I know I left the company in good hands. Do I even want to go back into the shipping companies without Jean? Jo had already taken Marie's place with Isabella and Adrienne. Jean had helped educate them too as Marie wanted. Jo had been so strong through the marriage and the birth of twins. Oh, Marie had wanted to be there with her so much. He regretted separating them. So many regrets…
Now everyone is giving me a second chance and I am resolved not to make them regret their choices. Jarrod seemed to at least understand the choices he had made but disagreed with them. Heath was even coming around and would stay in the same room with him.
What he doesn't realize is that I respect him. I would never accept a man that abandoned his love. I understand Heath Barkley.
Jay woke BlackJack from his sad reverie " I think I saw a black panther."
They all laughed. As noisy as Jay was, there was not a wild animal within miles. This would be a trip to remember.