Chapter Two
The week-long steamship trip was pleasant under the circumstances and unremarkable for the family after all the stress and pain of the past two months. Audra would join the family for dinner and long walks topside.
Scotty seemed to love the fresh sea air and it refreshed her mother too. Scotty's smiles lit up the room and everyone enjoyed taking their turns with the sweet baby. Jack was especially good already at making her smile and Rose was always next to her patting the 'bebe'. Her chubby little hands had to be touching Scotty and the baby responded.
Jarrod was exceptional at crooning to his niece and already telling the two-month-old about her father who loved her so much. Audra appreciated it very much.
Liesel fell even more in love with her husband as she watched him with his family.
Victoria was always around making sure Audra didn't lapse into the grief that threatened to overwhelm her seemingly at the 'drop of a hat'. Victoria firmly allowed her privacy in their rooms to grieve but did not allow it to last too long and brought Scotty back to her mother each time.
"She needed to find her purpose, her routine as all women do," she told Liesel and Isabella.
They understood completely. Liesel added, "You just need to keep going one step at a time. Your child needs you."
She encouraged her to eat each meal, "for the baby's sake".
His mother confided to Jarrod, "I am concerned for Audra. She hasn't had time to grieve properly or even be up and out of the childbed. Scotty is only eight weeks and I wasn't myself for quite a while with any of you."
Jarrod and Liesel continued their honeymoon at sea each night and early morning. The days were devoted to the children and his family.
"Liesel, you have made me the happiest man in the world. I came to the continent adrift but you anchored me. I never planned to marry again but when I met you, I had no choice but to love you and marry you."
"Oh Jarrod, I had no life before your arms. None. You are the best father already to Jack. He will learn to be a strong man from you. Rose will learn her Father can be trusted and loves her. I watch you with Audra. I can't imagine a better man than you, Jarrod Barkley."
"You made a numb heart beat again."
"You put back together, a shattered heart."
The last night at sea, Jarrod excused himself from their cabin to check on Audra and get a signature that he needed on a document for the probate. He talked for quite a while with Audra and his mother about the financial transactions he needed to make in New York.
"It could take up to a week."
He had gone over it all before but Audra's grief was playing havoc with her memory.
"Oh no, NO Jarrod, we have to get Scott home. Can't you do it from California?"
"No honey I can't. These international banks have their offices in NY and Scott's attorney is waiting for me."
She threw herself on the bed and started sobbing again, "It's okay Jarrod I understand" but her tears flowed.
Scotty woke up and started crying. His mother nodded for him to go.
"We will be fine."
He went up to the deck to have a cigar and collect his thoughts.
A beautiful woman came out of the casino. She was scantily clothed and Jarrod thought she was part of a Cuban dance troupe performing onboard. He and Liesel had not gone to the show; they were enjoying their privacy too much.
She was obviously tipsy and leaned up against him.
"I love the smell of cigars. My Uncle rolls and dries them in his sheds. My brothers taught me to smoke them myself. Want to share?"
He awkwardly handed her the cigar that he had already lit.
Liesel had been packing their trunks and realized that she was missing a laundry parcel. She called for a porter to no avail. Many people were in the midst of packing too.
"I will just go by myself. I saw the laundry at the top of the deck behind the steam room."
She turned the corner and saw the woman smoking Jarrod's cigar and leaning on him.
She hid back around the corner and was relieved to watch Jarrod rebuff the woman and say, "I need to go find my wife. I am happily married and on my honeymoon. Keep the cigar and go get some coffee."
Liesel hurried back and beat Jarrod to the room. She could buy new undergarments easily enough in New York.
But the old insecurities inched back in.
They made harbor in New York and embarked the ship. Jarrod needed to take care of Scott's stateside accounts and transfer his assets back to San Francisco and Stockton. He banked all over the world and it was a tedious process.
Audra was a fabulously wealthy woman; he wondered if she ever knew how well off she was. He would have to sell off some of the East Coast interests when they returned to California. The profitable Tahiti trade being one of them, located in San Francisco.
He would not have time to run all of Scott's interests as well as the Barkley's and practice law, ``It's simply not possible." he told Liesel and his mother.
He met with Scott's NY attorneys for several days lining out the estate. They would help him find buyers too for the continental assets.
He was exhausted mentally and wanted to spend more time alone with Liesel in the city. It was not to be with the endless meetings but he did manage to carve out one night.
He wanted to court her and life kept getting in the way. They both had mentioned to each other that they needed to get to know each other and he wanted to know everything about his beautiful Liesel.
"You are a mystery to me, my wife. I want to know everything about you." after making love one night.
"I am simpler than you think, husband. I was raised in wealth and I do love the arts, all of them but I always envied our gardener, our jardinier . Married to his bride as he called her for forty years, raising his children with her and then the twelve grandchildren who visited their stone cottage. Raising roses, shooting grouse, eating porridge. Jarrod, they still walked hand-in-hand on the un ruisseau."
Jarrod smiled at her as he held her. He loved the way several languages would flow through her speech almost unbeknownst to her.
"It was endearing" he thought.
"Our pâtissière chef was the same for me. I used to spend long hours with him and his wife learning to bake, decorate and create. They would kiss with flour on their face and laugh loudly when no one was around. He would squeeze her derrière when he thought no one was looking."
And she whispered to him what she and Etiennette had seen of the husband and wife in the pantry when they were sneaking cookies.
He grinned widely. "That sounds like a very happy couple." and she blushed.
The ladies went shopping for several days. Audra went several times with Victoria's urging. She splurged on matching dresses for Rose and Scotty with velvet and wool short coats for Jack to coordinate with the girls. Shopping for the children made her happy and they all ended up with a new toy from Aunt Audra. It was the best day they had since Scott died.
"You used to love working with children. You were made to be a mother, my dear," she encouraged her daughter.
Liesel bought new undergarments and a heavy robe for the train. She was not sure how they would all manage cross country in the Pullman car. She had not thought to ask Jarrod about their sleeping arrangements. She had gotten very used to him next to her on the ship and he had convinced her easily to sleep au naturale for him.
It felt so scandalous but yet so right.
Liesel spent one afternoon alone in the city looking for a gift for Jarrod. She found herself in a small art gallery and found a perfect small painting of an angry sea and cliffs with an anchor on the shore. It seemed perfect for the cottage of their honeymoon and Jarrod's words to her. She had the 8x10 oil wrapped in brown parcel paper with string. She couldn't wait to give it to him.
"I can't decide if I want to put it on my office wall or in our home. Either way, it will remind me of our beautiful first night."
He treated her to dinner at a fine restaurant on their one free night; Isabella and Victoria kept the children.
"Would you like French or Italian or steak or seafood?"
Another thing he wanted to learn about her; What foods did she like? He had not seen her drink much, just champagne with him and a small glass of white wine at dinners. A red wine the first night they talked. Also a sangria on the picnic fishing trip.
She chose seafood and then he took her dancing at a ballroom. They danced the night away and came back to the hotel in the wee hours. The exhilarating night of dancing, champagne, and no stress made for a passionate evening.
He placed an amethyst necklace around her neck that night he managed to pick up in the city. He wasn't even sure what her favorite gem or flower or even color was. He knew she wore many greens and he loved that celadon gown on her in Paris and that they married in. He would see Abraham soon for a wedding ring to go with the edelweiss band.
He was slowly learning about his wife. It felt like a quest to him. He hated the unknown. She had exquisite taste but spent little money. When he signed for their purchases as they were leaving the hotel, hers was the smallest of all the ladies. Assorted sundries at a ladies' shop plus fabrics. She seemed to be very practical.
He couldn't help but compare the enormous bills left by Ghislaine each day. He dreaded seeing the last month's totals when he cut off the suite and credit line.
"I am so glad I ended that liaison before I left. I can't imagine having to put Liesel through that again. Ghis will land on her feet and I have a sneaking suspicion she wasn't lonely for long."
"What was I thinking?" Well, I know what I was thinking.
Four days later, they pulled out of the busy train station in two private Pullman luxury cars, a drawing-room that sleeps four comfortably and a sleeper car for them. Jarrod had planned well or so he thought.
The first night was filled with crying children and none of the adults got much sleep. Jack ended up sleeping with Jarrod and Rose between Liesel and Isabella.
Liesel asked Jarrod and his mother to use the sleeping car the next night as she and Isabellas's capable hands settled the three children in the drawing-room car. Audra was having a bad night and handed Scotty off to the sisters.
Jarrod whispered in her ear as took her things from the sleeping cart for the night, "I love you and I will miss you even for just one night."
"Au revoir, mon amour, mon amour."
Jarrod was already missing her next to him. As she was Jarrod.
A few days in, Liesel asked Isabella to watch the children as she needed to nap and whispered in her sister's ear. She looked peaked.
"Do you need anything?"
"No…I prepared beforehand."
Jarrod was worried that she had fallen ill and followed her to their compartment.
"Are you feeling well?"
"Yes, it is my time."
He did not catch her phrasing and looked confused.
"Jarrod, my time….how would Americans say, 'time of the moon'?"
He looked embarrassed. "I am sorry. Can I do anything?"
"No, it is part of a woman's life. I hope you are not disappointed we have not created a child yet. I thought it quite possible to be as ardent as you are." and she winked.
He laughed, "I shall take that as a compliment but it is because of my beautiful wife. I cannot sate my appetite for you."
"And a child will come when it is time, Liesel. And I shall be quite thrilled but I plan on keeping up my husbandly duties well."
She laughed. "I am counting on it, Mr. Barkley."
He kissed her soundly. "Let me know if I can do anything, Mrs. Barkley."
I have a lot to learn about being married and made a mental note of the date.
She slept all afternoon and he ordered her cheese, ham, and crackers with wine to her room. She smiled when he brought it to the door, her in her heavy new robe. He kissed her on the forehead and walked in with her. She reclined and he read for an hour.
"This is the peace I have been searching for my whole life," he remarked offhandedly.
" my le contentement"
"He really is just content to be with me." she sighed.
He looked up as her sigh was audible. "Need anything?"
"No, I have everything I need."
"So do I, my love."
The closer they came to Denver, the more distressed Audra became. She was teary and distracted; Scotty sensed her countenance and was fussier.
She and Scott had married three years before in Denver. She married at 18 and was widowed at 21. It seemed inconceivable to her and she dwelled on her pain again. And now they were heading back to Denver with a coffin.
Everyone took their turns cheering her up but it did no good.
Liesel and Jarrod closeted for the night as Victoria slept with the crying Audra. They had Rose asleep between them on the bed and Scotty asleep in the Moses basket. Jack was nuzzled in fast asleep with Isabella in the drawing-room across from the grieving daughter and her mother.
The train whistle blew as a herd of mule deer crossed the tracks as they went through the first pass into the Rocky Mountains at sunset.
"Oh Jarrod, it's beautiful. I have never seen anything so majestic." and she clasped his hand. He could see the wonder in her green eyes.
Rose stirred between them and opened her eyes. "Look, Mamere, look"
"I am, my Rose. Your Pappy brought us to a wonderful place."
The rosy-cheeked toddler crawled over to Jarrod and kissed him on the cheek
He ran his hand through her auburn ringlets and scratched her back. She promptly fell asleep on his shoulder again.
Leaning over to kiss Liesel's cheek across the still child, he thought the Rockies had never looked so beautiful.
They pulled into Stockton a few days later, extremely exhausted but glad to get Audra back home and to the valley to heal.
And to finally begin his life anew with Liesel and their children.