Chapter 2

Jack and Frances Main were not the happiest couple in town, and everyone knew that. Some people chalked it up to the fact that Frances was pregnant and pregnant women could be testy, but those who knew the Mains well knew that they'd been having trouble all along. Frances was a more intense person than Jack was. Jack was content being a banker, living a low-key life in a decent but not extravagant home on the "proper" side of town, but Frances often seemed bored. She was younger than Jack, came from a good family in Sacramento, and in general seemed to feel like she was missing something all the time. Discontent radiated out of her, at first after her first son was born, the more after the second, and now even more that she was pregnant again.

In fact, she did not seem to be happy about anything, and so when Jack Main came to him, Jarrod was not surprised it was a divorce Jack was after, even if his wife was about to have a baby and Jarrod thought initially that divorce was not a good idea.

What did surprise Jarrod was that Jack said, fairly early in their conversation in Jarrod's office, "That baby isn't mine."

Jarrod straightened a bit and raised an eyebrow, but didn't say anything. He just waited for the next shoe to fall, knowing it would without him even asking the indelicate question.

"Bill Bridger is that child's father," Jack said.

There it was. "Frances is having an affair with Bill Bridger?"

Jack nodded. "She has been for quite a while, but I just found out about it. Did you know?"

"Did I know?" Jarrod said, surprised. "No, I didn't know, but – well, a lot of people know you haven't been happy together. Are you sure about the affair and the baby?"

"I'm sure about the affair," Jack said. "Frances confessed to me last night."

"What made you ask her?"

"Little things. I'd go home at lunch hour and she'd be gone sometimes while the boys were in school and wouldn't say anything other than she'd been shopping or she'd been for a walk. I found some money in her reticule and I know I hadn't given it to her. Then I overheard somebody say something when Bill Bridger was leaving the bank. The rumor is running around, so I asked her point blank."

"Did she also say the baby was Bridger's?" Jarrod asked.

"No," Jack said. "She wouldn't say one way or the other. The fact that she didn't out and out say it was mine said a lot though."

"Maybe she doesn't know."

"That says a lot too, and it backs up what she told me about her affair with Bill Bridger."

"Is the affair ongoing?" Jarrod asked.

"As of last night, yes," Jack said with a nod. "She doesn't show any interest in ending it."

Jarrod sighed. "Divorce is a big move, Jack, especially since you already have two sons, and a charge of adultery is a big charge that will run around town like wildfire."

"I know that, but I've had enough, Jarrod. I want out, and I want my sons with me, not with her."

XXXXXX

Jarrod came downstairs after talking to Jack, thinking about the man's visit to retain him for the divorce. It was the stress pouring out of Jack that prompted Jarrod to invite him out here to work some of it off. It had seemed like a good idea at the time. It didn't now.

Jarrod found his family sharing before dinner drinks in the living room, as usual for this time of day. Victoria and Audra were seated on the settee, but Nick and Heath were up and moving around. Everybody stopped and looked up when Jarrod came in.

"He's asleep," Jarrod said.

"Were you able to – well, I guess talk to him is the wrong way to put it," Victoria said.

Jarrod nodded. "We exchanged information, with him raising and lifting his hand for 'no and yes,' and we added a lift of the index finger for 'I don't know.'"

"So what happens now?" Audra asked. "Does he want to see his wife or his sons?"

Jarrod shook his head. "No, he doesn't. I think he doesn't want any of them to see him like this. What happens now is I miss dinner and go into town to talk to Jordan Williams, then let him give Frances the news. I need to do that right away, so if you will all excuse me, I'll see you later. Just have Silas keep something warm for me."

With that, Jarrod headed for the front door, grabbing his hat off the table in the foyer, and was gone.

"I wonder what's happened between the Mains?" Audra asked.

"Well, given that Frances is going to have a baby, the timing is a little odd," Victoria said, and wondered if the baby had anything to do with it.

Nick and Heath looked at each other. The question that passed between them was not one they would bring up in the company of their mother and sister. They had heard rumors the women hadn't.

Jarrod, of course, knew the answer to that question but would never share it with anyone, even though it ran over and over in his mind as he headed into Stockton. Bill Bridger, a fairly well-to-do businessman in the Stockton community, Frances's lover and maybe the baby's father. Maybe the basis for divorce.

Jarrod had no plans to discuss it more with Williams now. Everything had to stop as far as the divorce was concerned, unless Frances now decided to file for one on the grounds of non-support. As he thought about all this on the way to town, Jarrod wasn't sure whether anything at all would go forward legally. He hoped there would be no divorce at all and this stroke of Jack's would bring him and his wife back together. But of course, he had been hoping too that Jack was wrong, that Frances did not have Bill Bridger for a lover, and that the baby was Jack's. He hadn't even had the time to check out what Frances's position on that question was. Maybe, with some luck, he'd never have to.

Jarrod's hopes got a bad shock almost the moment he rode into town. It was dark. Before Jarrod could get to Williams's office, he saw Williams going into Bill Bridger's office under a street light. As far as Jarrod knew, Williams was not Bridger's lawyer. He gave it some thought and decided Jack's condition was worry enough to go barging into Bridger's office right now. So he did.

Bridger didn't have a full-time secretary. He conducted his business via telegraph to San Francisco for the most part, and right now, Jarrod found him and Williams alone. They were talking, but they stopped when the door opened and Jarrod came in. They both looked up at him, annoyed.

"Sorry to barge in, but I saw you come in here, Jordan, and I need to talk to you urgently," Jarrod said.

"Can't it wait?" Bridger asked.

"No, it can't," Jarrod said quickly. "Jack Main is at my house, laid up. He suffered a stroke today."

Now both the other men actually looked alarmed.

"He's disabled," Jarrod went on. "Paralyzed on one side, unable to move around or talk. The doctor says he may improve, but Frances needs to know about this right away – even though Jack says he doesn't want her to come out there to see him." Then, because they were now venturing into their clients' dispute, Jarrod said, "Jordan, perhaps it would be better if you and I went to your office to discuss this."

"Yes," Bridger said quickly. "You don't belong here right now."

"All right, Jarrod," Williams said. "Meet me over at my office."

Jarrod and Williams both went out, Williams walking across the street and down a block to his office, Jarrod mounting up and riding his horse that far. He dismounted and hitched his horse to the rail, but then as he stepped up into the shadows on the boardwalk, he decided to wait a moment. Williams had already gone in. Jarrod paused in front of the door and looked back toward Bridger's office. And waited for a minute or two.

Bridger did come out, and he headed on foot down the street in the direction of Jack and Frances Main's house. The house was out of sight so Jarrod couldn't be sure he was going there, but Bridger's heading that way was enough to give Jarrod more evidence to believe Jack on. Jarrod went into Williams's office.

"What took you so long?" Williams asked as soon as Jarrod closed the door.

"I spotted Bridger leaving his office and heading toward the Mains' house," Jarrod said, deciding to broach the subject. "I know I haven't filed papers yet for Jack and needless to say, I won't be anytime soon, but I'll be straight out with you. The charge will be adultery. Jack believes Frances is having an affair with Bridger and her baby is his."

Williams sighed and sat down at his desk. "I know what Jack believes. Frances denies it."

"What about Bridger? Does he deny it?"

Williams looked even more unhappy. "If we get to court on this, I think you'll find both men denying the baby is his."

Jarrod sighed. "I suppose that at some point we will hash that out, but right now I need you to tell Frances what's happened."

"And that Jack doesn't want to see her?"

"For now he doesn't, or the boys," Jarrod said, "and for now it might be too upsetting for any of them anyway."

"She says there's nothing between her and Bridger and the baby is her husband's, and if so, you're right," Williams said. "She's been upset enough as it is, being accused of what Jack's accusing her of. Maybe she won't want to see him either."

"Jack says Frances confessed to him last night that she's having an affair with Bridger."

Williams didn't say anything. His expression didn't change either.

"I don't know what the future looks like for Jack, Jordan," Jarrod said. "The doctor says he might improve over time, and he already has a little movement in his hand that he didn't have earlier today. But as soon as you know anything from Frances's point of view, I'd appreciate knowing."

"You mean if she decides to sue for divorce for his inability to support her," Williams said. "If she wants to sue, I'll tell you as soon as I know, but if she doesn't – well, I'm not sure what we do about that. Just leave them to each other, I guess."

"As long as he's out at my place, I'm going to be involved even if you're not," Jarrod said, "and he'll be at my place for the foreseeable future."

"What is he doing out there in the first place?"

"I had him come out to do some physical work, work off the stress of this divorce. Dr. Merar says he might have had the stroke sitting here in town behind his desk, but since he had it out at my place, that's where he has to stay for now."

Williams nodded. "I'll go talk to Frances now and give her the news. Will you be in church tomorrow?"

Jarrod nodded.

"I guess I'll talk to you then."

Jarrod started to head for the door but Williams interrupted him.

"I wouldn't swing by the Main house if I were you, Jarrod, just to see who might have gone over there," Williams said. "I'd have a big problem with that."

Jarrod said, "The thought didn't enter my mind, Jordan, since it's out of my way."

"Good," Williams said. "For now, Frances still is my client."

Jarrod nodded. "Until you tell me otherwise, she's your client. Good night, Jordan."

"Good night, Jarrod."