Chapter 7
Jarrod drove the buggy in silence, Alana beside him in silence, for more than a mile before something prompted a thought. He considered it for a minute or two, before asking, "Alana, do you have any family other than Steve?"
She didn't answer right away. He wondered if it was because she was surprised by the question or whether she was taking time to think up an answer. She finally said, "Why do you ask?"
More tickling in his mind gave Jarrod an answer. "I'm just wondering what kind of support you have right now, especially if Steve doesn't know you're having a child."
"You didn't seem that concerned about my support when you ushered me out of your house," Alana said.
"I'm sorry if I seemed insensitive, but you took me by surprise," Jarrod lied. "What is your family situation? Are your parents still alive?"
"No," Alana answered quickly.
Jarrod waited for a moment, to see if she would provide more of an answer, but she didn't. "No brothers or sisters?" he asked.
"No," she said.
"No family at all?"
"No," she said, this time sounding more irritated about it. "So if you're not willing to help me, then it'll be up to Steve, if he's still interested in reconciling after he finds out I'm having your baby."
"I told you I wanted to go see your doctor with you," Jarrod said. "And I told you I still had to think about everything. What you tell Steve and when is going to be up to you."
She didn't say anything more, and Jarrod kept silent too. When the got to the railway station, there was still a half hour wait before the next train to San Francisco was due to arrive. Jarrod bought Alana a ticket.
"We can wait at my office if you like, or I can buy you a cup of coffee at the café," Jarrod offered.
"I'll wait here," Alana said, firmly but distractedly.
"I won't let you wait alone," Jarrod said.
"I've waited alone before," she said.
Jarrod had hold of her arm, but she was turning to sit down on a bench. Jarrod sat beside her when she did, but they were still in silence. Jarrod looked around, saw a few eyes looking his way, people he knew who were curious about who this woman with him was. He gave them a glance but then quietly said to Alana, "Can I get you anything at all?"
Out of the blue, Alana just quietly said, "My father died when I was ten, my mother when I was 15. I had an older brother, but he died when I was just a baby. My father had a brother, but I never knew him, and I don't know where he is now. My mother never said if she had any relatives or not. I don't think she did."
Jarrod was surprised she offered the information and he said, "I'm sorry. Did anyone take you in after your mother died?"
"I've been on my own since then, except for my marriages," Alana said. Then she looked firmly at Jarrod, and he saw that maneuvering for control come back into her again. "I've done all right, and before you ask, no, I didn't have to turn to saloons or brothels to support myself. My mother left me some money. It supported me until my first marriage, and when we were divorced I got enough money to support myself until Steve came along. And yes, I loved both my husbands, but I couldn't give them children. I miscarried twice."
Jarrod asked, "Are you afraid you'll miscarry again?"
"Are you?" she asked right back at him. "Or are you hoping I will?"
"I'm not hoping anything," Jarrod said. "I'm not planning anything either, not until we can see your doctor together."
Alana turned her face away again. "I'll arrange it. Let me know when you get back to San Francisco."
"Are you going to tell Steve what's happening? He should know if he wants to reconcile."
"I haven't decided yet if I want to reconcile," Alana said. Then she added, "If you won't marry me."
Jarrod said, "We'll discuss everything after we see your doctor. Whether you tell Steve in the meantime – well, I'll leave that up to you. But I strongly urge you to talk to your lawyer, and talk to him honestly. If you spring some surprise on him, he might very well drop you."
Alana didn't say anything. They waited in silence after that, until the train came in.
Jarrod walked her to the platform and to the train, giving the conductor her ticket himself. "Contact me when you get back to San Francisco," Alana said, and then she got on the train without looking back.
The conductor noticed. He just raised his eyebrows at Jarrod.
Jarrod left with a big sigh, and went straight to the telegraph station. He sent a wire to Nat Springer –
Mrs. R came here. Is on her way back to SF. We were right about what she would do. She says husband wants to reconcile. I will be back by upcoming Tuesday.
It was coded enough that Springer would understand it while no telegrapher would, and since Jarrod had sent wires to Springer before, the Stockton telegrapher wouldn't be particularly nosy about it.
Jarrod headed back home then, surprisingly tired when he went in through the front door. Surprised to find his mother still on the settee in the living room. She looked up from the book she was reading, then closed it, put it down, and came to him.
Jarrod was glad no one else was here.
"I'll only ask one question," Victoria said. "Was that the problem that's going to take you back to San Francisco so soon?"
Jarrod nodded. "I'd tell you more, Mother, but – what isn't covered by confidentiality is too uncertain to explain. I need to get back to San Francisco by Tuesday. After that, I might be able to tell you something, or perhaps the whole problem will have gone away."
"Just as long as you know that you can bring it up if you want to."
Jarrod gave her a kiss on the cheek. "I know that. And if I need to, I will. But for now – I've got work left in the library and I better square things away more quickly than I'd planned if I'm going to get back to San Francisco by Tuesday."
When the family gathered for dinner and Jarrod explained he'd be leaving again earlier than expected, he also immediately explained that he would not leave family business undone. That seemed to ease Nick's mind, but Nick still said, "Heath and I can go with you and help you out if you need us."
Jarrod gave a little grin. "I thought you were bothered at the thought that you might have to bail me out."
Nick left it without a response – until long after dinner and a game of pool between him and his older brother that ended after everyone else had gone to bed. As they were putting the cue sticks away, Nick said, "Mother said you had a client from San Francisco come here today, and you sent her back."
"There wasn't anything I could do for her until I get back to San Francisco," Jarrod said.
"Well," Nick said, "Mother was too polite to ask you or even bring it up with me, but you know me. I'm more blunt. Is the lady pregnant?"
Jarrod smiled. "Mother too polite to ask? If she thought that was the problem, she'd have brought it up with me before you ever got home. You'd be amazed at some of the blunt conversations I've had with her over the years, and I bet I'd be amazed at some of the ones she's had with you."
Nick shrugged. "All right, you've got me on that. But is the lady pregnant?"
"I don't know," Jarrod said honestly. "And beyond that, you'll get nothing out of me. It's nothing I can discuss with you."
"You know if you need our help, Heath and I will help without asking any more questions."
Now Jarrod was grateful. "Thanks, Nick. I appreciate that. But let me just get back to San Francisco before I decide if I need you. You have plenty to do here, and yes, I will have what I'm working on for you wrapped up before I go."
Nick gave him a nod, and Jarrod gave Nick a slap on the back as they headed to bed. As they went, though, Jarrod started thinking about how lucky he was to have his family's support – and what Alana said about not having any. That alone could explain some of her actions in her marriages, and with him. That alone could explain the way she always acted as if she were trying to control him. She probably did that with her husbands, too.
It also explained why her first and second husbands felt sorry for her, but then again, Jarrod wondered. Was what she said about having no family really true? If she was lying about being pregnant – if she had lied the other times about being pregnant – why wouldn't she lie about having no family? Why wouldn't she lie about anything she wanted to?