Chapter Four
Sarah wrapped a wool shawl closer around her shoulders. Her skirt and blouse were cotton, and even the long sleeves didn't help against the cold of the Rockies coming through the windows of the railcar's second room. It was later in the afternoon Sarah judged, looking at the angle of the sun's rays. She'd been on the train for three days, but it felt like three weeks, as she'd struggled to occupy herself.
Heath was always busy with documents relating to the Colorado mines that made up the trust – which she was coming to resent. Priscilla slept in until almost 10:00 every day, and then took a nap after lunch. Oftentimes Nick, after having an after meal smoke with Heath on the platform at the rear of the car, would announce that he was going to check on Priscilla. Sarah had been very taken aback when she'd walked by the couple's room and heard certain unmistakable sounds coming from within.
She had resigned herself to the fact that Priscilla was enceinte; Sarah managed to console herself with that the couple would probably wait until they were back in California to announce the fact. It would be at one of those Sunday dinners that Heath loved so much. In the meantime she had to watch Nick being even more doting and affectionate than usual with Priscilla.
The man had always treated Priscilla as if she was a fragile object, even while engaging in way too public displays. Nick held Priscilla's hand, put his arm around her shoulder, caressed her back, and stroked her neck with a brazen familiarity. Priscilla for her part wasn't put off at all; instead she welcomed her husband's touches, cuddling close against him and giggling.
By the second day Sarah was over Priscilla and Nick, her reaction not being helped at how Heath had looked at them with joy and pleasure. It made her wonder if Nick had confided to Heath – god knows they were close. Sarah had also noted how Soo treated 'Missy Nick', as if she walked on water and needed constant attention.
Sarah took one last look around the small room, bracing herself against the sway of the train around yet another hard curve. She had retired here after lunch, on the pretext to rest; in reality she'd made notes in the journal she kept, about her business. There was no way that she would have let Heath stay with her in the middle of the day, if he'd even come into check on her. Instead he'd stayed in the parlor area, reading documents and drinking tea brewed by Soo Lin.
Forcing a pleasant smile on her face Sarah made her way towards the parlor, in the center of the car. After three hours by herself she was ready to make nice with Soo, just to have someone to talk to. Entering the sitting area, she was pleased to see Priscilla sitting on the padded bench against the wall, papers spread on the table in front of her. Sarah's eyes narrowed, as she took in Priscilla's outfit of a red wool skirt with ruffles at the hem, and a cream colored sweater with red rosettes woven into the design.
Priscilla's hair was put up in a pretty, elaborate updo, ornamented with red ribbon and a large bow. Sarah envied her sister-in-law being able to do her hair so; Priscilla had the thick, wavy hair that lent itself to many styles. Sarah's hair was long but fine; Heath compared it to silk but in the end it took her a great deal more work and aids of several hair rats, to achieve anywhere near the look Priscilla did so easily.
"Good Afternoon Sarah! I'm so glad to see you." Priscilla looked up at her, beaming a warm smile. It made Sarah feel bad about her earlier thoughts, since her sister-in-law was truly the nicest person in the world. Sarah could admit that she didn't envy Priscilla so much per se, just how satisfied she was with her life. It annoyed her because Sarah's life wasn't like anything she wanted at all, even as she admitted that only recently had she figured out exactly what she did want – or at least what she didn't want.
"I'm glad to see you too! What is going on?" Sarah forced her face into a smooth mask, pushing aside her private dissatisfaction. Instead she looked around the room, noticing the sun warming up the gold curtains at the windows. "Where are Heath and Nick?" She was more curious than she wanted to let on, since Heath had not come to their room, to say what he was going to do next.
"Well Nick went to go explore the other cars on the train, and ran into some men he knew from a horse auction in Virginia City." Priscilla said with a slight chuckle. "They invited Nick to a card game, and he got Heath to go along. I hope you don't mind, but Nick has really missed the chance to kick up his heels." She offered the apology, as if Sarah would be upset at Heath going off to play cards.
Did Priscilla see her as a controlling wife? Sarah wondered, but also admitted that in her private opinion Priscilla gave Nick more leeway than most wives would. She had heard that Nick still went drinking in the saloon several times a month, coming home worse for the wear. Heath would sometimes be with him, and would help Nick get home.
For his part Heath never imbibed too much, which made Sarah glad. The one time he'd had – at Audra's wedding – Sarah had left him dancing around the room with pink flowers adorning his head. When he'd come upstairs he had found the bedroom door locked, and ended up in a guest room. Heath had never done anything like that again, and Sarah wondered if maybe she should counsel Priscilla. However she didn't think it would do any good, even if Priscilla would listen to her, which she doubted.
Priscilla's use of the phrase 'Nick has really missed the chance to kick up his heels' showed Sarah that her sister-in-law had no problem with his behavior. Sarah wondered for a fleeting moment if Priscilla made Nick sleep in the guest room, but then decided probably not. She then pushed the thought of Priscilla's attitude to Nick aside; it wasn't her marriage, thank god. Of course, one part of her brain made the silent observation that Priscilla was happy while Sarah couldn't make the same claim.
"I'm glad that Heath is getting out; he's been so busy with all that paperwork. He's hardly had time to catch a breath." Sarah didn't mean to make the dig, and wished she could take it back. It was with relief that Priscilla seemed to have totally missed the underlying barb.
"You are so right about that. Honestly I think he's going to know more about mining in Colorado than the people already mining there." Priscilla gave her a sympathetic smile, and it came to Sarah that it was Heath's need to know everything that had him working so hard. Clearly it wasn't Priscilla driving him to pour through all those files.
"He already knows so much about mining; is it that different in Colorado?" Sarah questioned, hoping to get some insight into the trust that Priscilla and Jarrod had set up. She still couldn't figure it out, and especially why Nick wasn't involved at all.
"I think it is more the desire on Heath's part, to approach the mine owners as equals. The majority of these men are the richest men in the country." Priscilla paused, and Sarah could see that she was weighing her words. It made Sarah wonder if her sister-in-law had some insight into Heath that she didn't.
"Heath's experience, until he came to the Barkley's, was as a worker in the mines; not an owner." Priscilla stated, looking closely at Sarah, her wide blue eyes narrowing. It made Sarah feel like Priscilla was – almost judging her – because she didn't know this about her husband. Sarah could truthfully admit that she'd never given much thought to Heath's early background, because by the time she met him he was a full-fledged Barkley. Now though she pondered that if she'd paid more attention, she might not have ended up as blind-sided as she'd had been on those other occasions.
"So you think Heath is concerned about facing the rich mine owners? But he is a rich mine owner." Sarah replied, trying to sound confident in her statement about her husband.
"Well now it is one thing to be born to it, and another thing to earn it by hard work. Heath came to it all, by the back door so to speak." Priscilla's delicate hands, with their porcelain white skin, tapering fingers, and well-kept nails moved to gather up the paperwork in front of her. Her large ruby and diamond engagement ring, gleaming against the glowing gold wedding band caught light from the slowly setting sun. The gesture caused Sarah, after she'd admired Priscilla's hands – those of a lady of wealth and ease - to wonder what Priscilla had been working on, and she seized the opportunity to change the subject. It bothered her that the other woman might have a better understanding of Heath than Sarah did.
"Did I interrupt some important work?" Sarah inquired, loosening her grasp on her shawl to indicate the folder on the table. Sarah was still cold, and she wished that she'd packed warmer clothes as she looked at Priscilla's sweater.
"Just some paperwork for the school board; Rufus asked me to take over Nick's seat after I came back from our honeymoon. He thought that I would be a good board member, since I have actual experience of teaching." Priscilla beamed, and went on to talk about how flattered she'd been that Rufus had asked her, adding that Nick was delighted to have her replace him.
Sarah worked hard to keep a smooth expression on her face, as her sister-in-law said kind words about Rufus Morton. The man in question reminded Sarah of a biblical patriarch who was ready to call down the Lord's wrath at any minute. He had been coolly cordial to Sarah and her mother, and she'd noticed that his sons had kept their distance from her. At the time she'd put it down to Rufus' personality and religious beliefs, but later, when she saw how warmly the man welcomed Priscilla, the lay of the land was clear.
Priscilla proceeded to talk about the teacher they'd hired, and improvements in the curriculum for the school. Sarah hadn't realized how involved her sister-in-law was in the school board. She knew already that Priscilla belonged to the altar guild; Sarah's mother had informed her of that fact, adding that Sarah should really join the organization.
"Of course I was busy during August with the grape harvest, and the gypsies who pick the grapes." Priscilla stated, causing Sarah to look at her with curiosity at her statement. Gypsies! She wasn't much interested in ranching, but this side of the business intrigued her.
"What is it like to work in the orchards and vineyards?" Sarah asked.
"Nick needed help in the blending house, at the vineyard, to keep records of what grapes were harvested, as well as the plantings for next year. The gypsies are the workers who come to pick the grapes, and they are incredible people." Priscilla answered, and went on to talk about the music, food, and entertainment they brought with them. "Pilar is an old friend of Nick's; he actually escorted her to her wedding, after their wagon had been attacked by some men from town. Her husband is head of the tribe and they are the hardest workers you could ever find".
"They are very family orientated, so I set up a school for the children, while their parents were picking the grapes." Priscilla explained, going on. "The children aren't welcome in towns, because of prejudices against their background. It worked out well because the children enjoyed being together, and their parents knew they were well taken care of."
Sarah listened to Priscilla, noting the smile on the other woman's face. She found herself envying Priscilla, both the sense of purpose she had, and how involved she was with the Barkley enterprises. At the back of her mind she wondered about this Pilar woman, and Nick's involvement with her. Priscilla acted like it was no matter, but Sarah knew that if Heath had escorted an unmarried woman on a trip she would want to know all about the event.
"Do you do other things like this at the ranch? Are you sorry you aren't teaching anymore? " Sarah asked the question, to change the subject, since she knew her curiosity about this Pilar would not be answered. She was also interested in how Priscilla spent her days, as well as what happened on the ranch. Heath kept that part of his compartmentalized that, but she could admit that it might be because she was never at their house. That was a whole story in itself, but she forced herself to listen to what Priscilla said.
"I miss the time with the kids, but don't miss all the paperwork and grading." Priscilla shook her head as she smiled. "As far as the ranch, most of what I do is help Victoria either with the household management, or making sure the tenants and the ranch hands families – if they are living on the ranch – are doing all right." The reply sounded like rather tedious work to Sarah, but she had to admit that least Priscilla at her house always had people around her; very different than what Sarah would had.
Priscilla continued "Teaching, well no there is no way, being married to Nick that I could. He likes me around the house, so he can see me." Priscilla's face lit up as she talked about Nick. Sarah had no trouble understanding that Nick would expect his wife to be waiting for him. Just as Heath would; the small voice inside her head stated, but she pushed it away.
"Priscilla, I have a question, about the trust; I hope you won't mind me asking?" She saw an opportunity to change the subject, and maybe get a burning question answered. Since her sister-in-law was in a chatty mood Sarah wanted to take advantage of it. Priscilla indicated for her to go on, so Sarah sat down next to her.
"Why isn't Nick involved in the trust? I understand Jarrod, because he is a lawyer, but why did you ask Heath and not Nick?" Ever since Heath had told her about the trust, Sarah had been puzzled that Nick was hands off with the whole endeavor. That was very atypical behavior for her brother-in-law who liked to have a finger in every pie.
"Because of his mining background Heath was well-equipped to deal with the mining issues, and you know how important mining reform is to him." Priscilla explained, tilting her head to look directly at Sarah. Her eyebrows puckered, and Sarah noted the deep breath the other woman took. "I know you are aware of the publicity around my sister's passing. Nick wanted nothing to do with anything belonging to Hester."
Sarah was tempted to reply with an unladylike snort of are you kidding! Even in San Francisco, where Sarah had been at the time, the papers covered it extensively. The publicity had made her want to change her name, and she had to admit that Priscilla was more gracious than what Sarah would have managed.
"Yes, I understand that." Sarah replied with an understanding smile, and waited for her sister-in-law to go on with the explanation.
"Nick just wanted to put Hester behind him, and would have let me throw the money into the ocean." Priscilla sighed, and Sarah could see that the situation had bothered her greatly. Before she could inquire thought, the fair haired woman sat up straight. "The trust was the perfect way to do good with the money, and honor Joseph, who was a good man. I will say that Jarrod does most of the work; he just likes me to review the correspondence from Roland White, the lawyer in Denver. Since I know the city, I am familiar with various suppliers and businesses."
"It must make you happy that you found a solution." Sarah offered, realizing that Priscilla had not had an ulterior motive in getting Heath involved. "I forgot that you'd spent time in Denver; can you tell me about the city?" She was curious about what her sister-in-law's view of the city was, because the people Priscilla had met with Hester would probably the same ones she would be meeting.
Soo Lin brought tea in, and Sarah listened to Priscilla chatter about parties, and lunches; she paid close attention to the names her sister-in-law mentioned. Heath had mentioned some of those same names, when she'd asked him about the documents he was studying.
"Hester presented me at the Governor's Ball, which was quite the event." Priscilla went on to describe an occasion that sounded lavish and extravagant, even down to the food. "The current Governor, Frederick Pitkin, is an attorney with ties to the mining industry. We will be dining with him and his wife." She went on to outline the details of the evening, before adding that he'd been a partner in one of Hester's late husband's partnerships.
"It all sounds so grand. I am sure you were very popular." Sarah could see Priscilla with her pink and white prettiness and kind heart – not to mention wealthy relations – as being a very sought after dancing partner. She had never had the chance to be presented to society, because of her father's scandal. Sarah had thought she'd done a good job of not dwelling on what her life could have been, but talking to Priscilla was a painful reminder.
"Well it was lots of fun, but I didn't meet anyone who caught my eye. Denver society is very superficial and materialistic, just so you know. It is all about how much money your family has, and how fast you are spending it." Priscilla offered, and Sarah reminded herself that the woman had been raised by a minister – even if that man had been related to a great English duke.
"I rather think that is how most society is Priscilla; we saw that in Sacramento." Sarah recalled the occasion of the Governor's Ball, where she and Priscilla had received lots of attention, because of their husbands. The occasion had been ghastly for her, but Sarah had seen how Priscilla handled it so easily, dazzling in a brilliant green gown and diamonds, including the earrings from her wedding and a cascading necklace that Sarah had never seen before. It had to have set Nick back a pretty penny, in her estimation.
"Sacramento was all about the state fair, and the importance of agriculture to the state's economy. The Barkley's are a big part of that, so of course we got attention." Priscilla dismissed the whole event as if it was not important at all. It made Sarah wonder if she was overthinking the whole event.
"So we only get attention because of our husbands? What about our achievements and talents?" Sarah snapped before she could stop herself. One of the things that annoyed her was how people assumed how lucky she was to be married to a Barkley; as if that was the ultimate achievement. Her mother was good at reminding her that she should content herself with her role as Heath's wife.
"I always like to think of the English play "She Stoops to Conquer"; a woman can do so much behind the scenes." Priscilla chuckled and Sarah found herself wishing she had Priscilla's easy going outlook on life. Of course Priscilla was happy with her life, such as it was. That waspish thought made Sarah ask the question she was curious about.
"How do you deal with Nick's past? Not just your sister, but also all those other women, bar fights, and being in jail." Sarah knew she was probably venturing into territory that was supposed to be off-limits. On the other hand she wanted to know how Priscilla coped, to maybe find some way to deal with Heath. At the end of the day there was no one else she could talk with about the situation.
"Nick didn't marry any of them, he married me." Priscilla's voice was steady and sure. "Before we even started going out Nick told me all about his past; to quote him I drank, gambled, and caroused my way up and down the west coast. So I've never had any illusions about him, which makes it easy. I know who he is, and what he is; I accept him totally."
"He told you everything?" Sarah knew she was being nosy, but was having a hard time fathoming how Priscilla had taken it all in.
"Well not all the details, but I didn't need them." Priscilla reached over and put her hand on Sarah's arm. "The thing about Nick – and Heath too – is that what is really important to them is their land. The rest of it, and the trappings that go with it, are just the frame of their lives. They are happiest when they are working on the ranch. That is why they married us, because we love them as just good honorable men, for their hearts and not their bank accounts."
Sarah heard was Priscilla was trying to convey, about not letting outsiders and gossip to wheedle into a marriage. Part of Sarah was flattered that Priscilla saw her in that good, loving light, even as her heart contracted with pain. She wondered, not for the first time, if she loved Heath as he loved her.