Author's Note: The original Union Station in Denver actually opened in 1881, with the purpose to unite the four railways that served Denver. The main part of the structure burnt down in 1894, and when it was rebuilt it featured a clock tower that faced four different directions, to symbolize the four railroad companies. The structure was redesigned again in 1896 and 1914, and just recently was refurbished with a hotel, shops, and upscale bars and restaurants. This story is taking place in 1879, but Union Station has always been a focal point of Denver, so I have included it in my story.
Chapter 5
Heath was enjoying a hearty breakfast with Nick, as Soo poured another cup of coffee for him. They'd been on the train for almost a week; a rock slide in one of the mountain canyons had added a day to the trip. He had not really cared, because the trip had given him and Nick the chance to spend time together, away from the ranch. The interval had given the men the chance to compare notes about the round up, and draw up plans for the next year.
There had also been the bonus for Heath, of having Sarah close by and around all the time. Heath loved her so much, and had wished more than once that they both weren't the same type of people. Sarah had the same burning drive to succeed that he did, and he had enough self-knowledge to understand that they both wanted to atone for their fathers.
He knew his schedule hadn't been easy, but Sarah had been pre-occupied too, and not just with the business. Not quite a month after they'd returned from their honeymoon, her mother had fallen ill. Heath had understood that Sarah needed to go nurse her mother, and stay with her in town. What he'd not counted on was the older woman's ongoing need to have Sarah in town several days a week. Heath would his mother-in-law see at church, Sunday dinner, and at social engagements; to his mind she looked perfectly healthy.
Sarah had explained that her mother was just putting up a good front, and still struggled with weakness. Heath accepted what Sarah said, partly because of his background he valued women, and in some ways it made it easier for him. With Nick's wedding, honeymoon, and travel, Heath was stretched thin running the ranch. Privately he admitted to himself that he didn't like Sarah making the trips to San Francisco by herself, but he wasn't in a position to accompany her. Heath also understood why Sarah was going to the city, to buy fabric for the dressmaking shop.
Now though, fall having arrived, the work on the ranch would settle down, with the round-up being finished. The trip to Denver was a perfect time for him to reconnect with Sarah. When they arrived back in Stockton they would be able to spend time in their own house. He was also looking forward to hosting the family for Sunday dinner, wanting it to turn into at least a once a month occurrence.
"Good morning everyone." Sarah came into the main room, and both men stood up, in spite of Nick having a mouthful of eggs, Heath noticed. Heath greeted his wife with a kiss to her cheek, and held out the chair next to him. He beamed as he noticed how pretty she looked, done up for their arrival in Denver. Her travel dress was brown and green woven cloth, ornamented with amber colored velvet that picked up the gold flecks in Sarah's eyes. It was bustled back with more velvet ribbon, and the hat on Sarah's head had pheasant feathers held in place by an arrangement of green silk leaves.
"Well now I think I might need to go get a little more gussied up, darling, if I am to be seen in public with you." Heath drawled, suddenly not minding having to put on one of his good suits for the final stop of their trip.
"Nonsense Heath, you look very handsome." Sarah smiled at him, before she turned to look at Nick, "You also look very well turned out." She commented to her brother-in-law and Heath saw Nick smile, as he finished his eggs.
"I should since Priscilla laid my suit out the night before, as well as my shirt and tie. At least she lets me choose my own footwear." Nick's voice boomed around the room, as he stomped his foot clad in a dark colored leather boot with some fancy animal skin on the calf. Heath heard the comment, and wasn't surprised that Priscilla was overseeing his brother's wardrobe. Nick was in love and besotted with his wife, who clearly adored him. His brother never did anything by half, so Heath knew that Nick would agree to do anything to keep Priscilla happy.
"There is nothing wrong with a wife looking out for her husband." Heath exchanged a wink with Sarah, before he went on. "Especially you Nick, who as I recall wore the same suit for five years in a row; or rather the same style as it was hard to tell."
"Ha! You are one to comment brother" Nick responded with a gruff laugh, "Can we talk about that hat? I think it has seen one trail too many, not to mention that brims that turned up went out of fashion years ago." He gestured to Heath's scruffy buff colored hat, with its low crown and plain brown leather hat band.
"Well now I don't need to be changing out a perfectly good hat because of fashion Nick. There is also fact that my hat was made in California." Heath retorted, knowing that his brother custom ordered his hats from a company in Texas, who prided itself on being known as 'the cowboys' hat. "Of course my hat looked much better before a bridge collapsed under me!" He added just to pull Nick's chain.
"That was over four years ago Heath" Nick shook his head in disbelief, before he turned to Sarah "If you don't give him a new hat for Christmas I will." He winked at Sarah who laughed in agreement at the statement.
Heath pulled out a chair for Sarah to sit down, as Soo brought a plate of breakfast over to her. In truth he was glad to get off the subject of his hat, as it was important to him in ways he had not shared. Soo brought a plate over to Sarah. They spent the next couple of minutes chatting and eating, until a rustling was heard, as Priscilla came into the room.
Heath noted her clothes, thinking the dark bluish grey fabric, with pinkish lavender details, and grey facings and cording reminded him of the sunset. The outfit was lavish, and rather over the top, especially since Priscilla was wearing some sparkly pink stone earrings and a large broach with the same stones at her neck. He was used to that kind of jewelry only being worn in the evening, but Heath noted that Nick was full of praise and approval for her appearance.
Even as he and Nick stood up he heard Sarah enthuse about the outfit, which he picked up was actually from London. Heath though was paying more attention to how Priscilla looked, having started to suspect several days ago that she might be in the family way. She was sleeping a great deal, and when she did eat it was all rather bland food.
Nick too had been very doting on her; Heath was used to how affectionate the couple was. In some ways he wished Sarah was more open to his touches in public, but he understood her reticence and the cause behind it. There was also the matter of Soo Lin who constantly made up a special tea for her with ginger. Heath knew enough about Chinese medicine to understand what ginger was prescribed for.
If Priscilla was in the family way he would be very happy for his brother, as he'd been for his sister last month. Heath was aware of the talk around town, and how upsetting it was to Sarah. His mother had made it a point to share her story with both Heath and Sarah, to reassure them. Heath could admit that he enjoyed having Sarah all to himself – when he could get her to himself – and didn't necessarily feel in a hurry for a baby.
"I am more than ready to be in Denver, after a week on the train." Priscilla announced, after greeting Nick with a passionate kiss, before he held out the chair for her to sit down. "I know I sound soft; Granny Elspeth has told me of her voyages, with several months on a ship. We are very spoiled to be able to travel so fast." She laughed, as she acknowledged Soo putting a plate in front of her. Heath noted that it was scrambled eggs, and a plain piece of toast. The oriental man also set a cup of hot tea, and the honey dispenser.
"Well I know when my parents came west, it was a long and hard journey; now it is nothing at all to go from the east to west and back again." Nick offered, and they all laughed. It was a merry group that ate breakfast, as they talked about what it must have been like to trek westward into the unknown country. Sarah, having been born and raised in St. Louis had seen the westward expansion from almost her back yard, and had funny stories to tell about life along the Mississippi River that was the gateway to the west.
"So what is the drill for our arrival in Denver?" Heath asked, not being sure what was on the agenda. He knew the broad outlines of the visit, including several meetings with mine owners, and a semi-private dinner with the governor. He had spent the last week studying the notes from Jarrod, about the trust and the other mine owners. They were all powerful men, with wealth many times over; wealth he knew they'd fought hard for and wouldn't easily part with.
"Roland White is greeting us at the station, and then we are going to the Queen City Hotel." Priscilla went on to describe the hotel and its location; Heath had studied in detailed map of the city, and knew right away the hotel was in the best area of town. As an ex-lawman, he had made it a point to note the less desirable areas of town; specifically Holladay Street and the Tenderloin district. "The rest of the day we are on our own, but the next morning you and Nick will have some free time." She went on describe the typical societal events that men and women engaged in. Heath looked with a concerned glance over at Sarah, but she seemed to very agreeable with the agenda.
"I certainly hope we don't have too much of Roland White; pompous ass." Nick growled, reaching for a third serving of eggs and bacon. Priscilla looked at him with a reproving glance, but Nick was having none of it. Used to Nick, Heath resigned himself to finishing his eggs along with one of Nick's tirades.
"He can't be all that bad, can he?" Sarah asked.
"He was all against Priscilla setting up the trust, and even tried to get me to tell her not to do it! As if I would ever do anything like that!" Nick's voice boomed around the room, and Heath watched as Priscilla reached over to kiss and hug her husband. Heath had already noticed that theirs was clearly a deep and passionate union, apparent to all and sundry; at the back of his mind Heath wondered why he kept on noticing the couple's interactions.
"Your voice is not as loud as it was when you shouted down the lawyer." Heath observed, thinking back to the meeting. Roland White had been very standoffish towards him, until the lawyer realized that Heath knew a great deal about mining. He was smart enough to know that he would need the lawyer's help to get his plans into action; but Heath wasn't concerned. Roland White wouldn't be his first choice as a dinner companion, but he'd eaten with much more distasteful people in his life. His thoughts were interrupted by Priscilla's voice; what she said surprised him and Sarah, but for different reasons.
"I know we have a great deal scheduled before we go to Georgetown, but I want to get Hester's house done. Then we will be able to get rid of the security guards, and the threatening incidents." She said, the sun reflecting through the ribbon of honey she poured into her tea.
"Why are there guards on Hester's house?" Heath questioned, even as he felt Sarah tense up next to him.
"You didn't say anything about going to Washington, D.C. I can't be gone from the business for that long." Sarah's voice was taut, with an easy to hear note of anger. Heath sighed, because everything had been so nice, but if she was spun up the rest of the day – and maybe tomorrow – would be spent soothing her hurt feelings.
"Washington D.C.?" Priscilla looked at her with a puzzled look, while Heath noted how Nick's eyes were narrowing as he regarded Sarah. The tension was broken when Priscilla laughed, and smiled at Sarah. "The Georgetown we are going to is about fifty miles west of Denver, up in the mountains." She went on to explain that it was the mining capital of the state, with the nickname 'Silver Queen of Colorado'. Priscilla added that the trip was part of their ten day itinerary.
Heath could tell that Priscilla's words had calmed Sarah, but he had noticed how Priscilla had, before she spoke to Sarah, reached over to put her hand on Nick's. It had been apparent to Heath that Nick had been bothered by Sarah's reaction to the longer trip, and he wondered why. Figuring he could pursue that line of questioning later, he recalled Priscilla's other statement.
"Why are there guards on your sister's house?" Heath couldn't bring himself to speak Hester's name, even as she'd given him an opportunity to fulfill one of his long held desires. He still struggled with how it had all come about, and one part of him wished he could have talked to Sarah about the whole affair.
However, she'd already shown no patience or understanding with his past, and he certainly didn't want to arouse her ire again, as it had been after her talk with Hester. There had been one woman he'd always been able to talk to about everything but; well life gets in the way he scolded himself.
"Once we finished with most of Hester's estate, we left a caretaker at the house. It has been sold, but I wanted the opportunity to go through it before the new owners take possession." Priscilla went on to explain how the house was broken into with the caretaker being badly injured. At that point Jarrod had assigned a local security firm, with connections to the Pinkerton's to watch the house.
"Sissi, the sooner the better, as far as I am concerned! Deal with the house, get what you want out of it and then let the new owners take possession." Nick growled, clearly not happy with the specter of Hester coming to the table. Priscilla reassured Nick that it would be quick, and she wanted to be done with Hester as badly as he did. Heath found it interesting to watch the interaction between the couple; it was clear Priscilla was aware of what Nick and Hester's relationship had been. Before Heath could ponder that, the train whistle and movement made him aware that they were approaching Union Station, in Denver.
Pulling into Denver was quite the grand experience, with the railroad terminal having been just recently completed. Four different tunnels, from each direction, all converged into a center point, where passengers would depart and board. The Barkley private railcar was attached to the Eastern Suncatcher, which was the Central Pacific's express service to Chicago. Because of its status the train was given right of way as they entered Denver's station.
The couples knew that they had over half an hour, before the train pulled out again, wanting to meet its next stop in Chicago. Soo Lin was very experienced, having traveled with Jarrod several times a year, when he went to the East Coast. The oriental man knew all the Pullman porters, and of course the Barkley's private car was recognized by railway officials.
When they disembarked from the car, Heath was careful to let Priscilla – and therefore Nick – go first. He picked up that Sarah was annoyed about his actions, but wasn't sure why; Priscilla was Hester's heiress, and also the one who'd set up the trust. Heath's understanding that he was there to oversee the mines, and bring them up to modern safety standards. Priscilla had, in a conversation on the train, told him that she trusted him to do with right thing with Joseph's legacy.
Roland White was there to greet them, with two covered carriages and four porters at their disposal. He had small floral bouquets for both Priscilla and Sarah, which he presented with proper ceremony. Heath had to give the sophisticated lawyer - the fine tailored clothes, the walking stick with its gold knobbed handle, and the well-polished top hat oozed wealth and position – credit for the effort with the welcome even if it seemed over the top.
Heath was preoccupied with how Sarah was going to deal with the whole welcoming ceremony, so later he would state that he wasn't paying attention to the surroundings. It relieved him to see Sarah being very affable to Roland White's overtures, as she took the flowers. The lawyer was very attentive to the ladies, while Heath felt like he and Nick were the odd men out; he wasn't sure why he had that thought.
Before he could respond Heath found himself fenced in between the train and the luggage cart, separated from the rest of the party. Heath felt a sense of being boxed in and trapped; not sure why because it was just the train station. The luggage cart passed and Heath seized his opportunity to rejoin the family party.
Just as he went to move forward to join his wife two things happened; another luggage cart started to move in front of him. At the same time a crowd of people disembarking from a west bound train on the opposite platform all surged onto the main platform. Heath wasn't sure what occurred first, or in what order, but he found himself being pushed – he would swear that he felt hands against his side – on to the adjoining set of tracks.
Due to the elevation of the different tracks, the platform that Heath was on was raised very high; almost six feet above the grade. He found himself falling backwards to the offset railroad tracks, as a freight train was coming into the station. The train wouldn't be stopping, rather going on to the rail depot at the stockyards, at the eastern side of town.
Even as he felt himself falling, he saw the iron handrails set into the raised concrete platform. They were there for the railroad workers to get down to the yard, to service the trains. Heath made a superhuman effort, as he reached out to grasp the handrails. With barely a hair's breadth he clasped the cold metal, and then pulled himself tight against the stone, as the freight train hurled past.
Just as suddenly as it had happened it was all over, and Heath climbed up to see Nick, Priscilla, Sarah and Roland White all looking at him with horror in their eyes. Several railroad officials had come rushing over, and the waiting passengers were all looking at the scene with interest.
"Heath are you all right?" Sarah came rushing over to him and put her arms around him, and he felt her trembling. Not caring about the people around them Heath returned the embraced and murmured in her ear that he was all right. He took advantage of their closeness to softly kiss her skin, and was rewarded by her moving close to him.
"What happened there Heath?" Roland White's cultured voice broke into the moment, and Heath felt Sarah pull away and stand up straight. Heath was tempted to reply with someone pushed me off the platform but he held his tongue. The last thing he wanted was to cause a scene about something that could have just been an unfortunate string of events.
"A luggage cart caught my foot at the same time the passengers for the other train were boarding." Heath brushed off the incident, but noticed how closely Nick was regarding him.
"Are you sure?" Nick bristled, and Heath could see that his brother was all set to say more about the incident.
"Really, it was an odd accident." He stated, even as his eyes had narrowed and were darting around the milling crowd. Heath felt the tension in his body, reminiscent of when he was a lawman with a target on his back. The last thing he wanted though was to make a scene now, even though he knew with certainty he'd been pushed. Later he would talk to Nick in private about what had really happened.
"Honestly why this kind of thing doesn't happen more often, I can only wonder!" Roland declared, going to talk about how the station was badly designed. His main complaint was that first-class passengers should be given their own area to board and disembark the trains. Heath had noticed how the lawyer carefully kept himself slightly removed from the crowds around them, sniffing disdainfully.
Heath wasn't surprised at how Roland sorted out the carriages so he was with the ladies, while Nick and Heath were with Roland's clerk. In truth Heath was glad not to have to ride with Roland, but he wasn't sure he liked Sarah – well Sarah and Priscilla- alone with the lawyer. He looked over to see what Nick thought of it, but Nick was busy talking to the lawyer's clerk, dressed in similar garb to his boss, who'd come along to manage the logistical details. Heath sighed, and settled into the overly padded seat, glad that the hotel was not that far of a distance.