9
Ultima considered exactly what she should reveal before she continued telling Adam about Forsyth. Then she turned to face him and decided to underplay her reaction to her visitor.
"I told him that I wouldn't suggest that you sell him any shares. He was upset." She gave a small smile and then walked to him and ruffled the hair at his temples. He looked up at her and Ultima felt a surge of emotion as she saw the open devotion in his eyes. Ultima knew that her husband tried very hard not to reveal his vulnerabilities but often, especially when they lay together, his soul shone in his eyes and she saw a man who needed love and acceptance and then she would put her arms out and clasp him to her and stroke his hair.
"Did he lose his temper with you?" Adam placed his hands on Ultima's waist and pulled her closer, wrapping his arms about her. He pressed his face into her and smelled her sweetness, felling his arousal become stronger; she was his wife and he knew that should he ask, she would go upstairs with him now.
"No. He's not that type. But I know that he's angry and he still wants to buy some shares. I have been considering as he offered to pay more than they're worth. I'm also sure he's considering that he could probably convince some of the others to share their shares. If he can convince enough people to sell, then he'll own a greater portion of the stock and have a greater voting presence."
"Well, we own 65% together; we would still have the majority." Adam released her and stood up. "Don't worry about him. Forsyth may very well just give up. After all, he also owns shares in the Ophir mine in Colorado and I'm sure a few others—I haven't investigated him that much; he doesn't need to own shares in the Croesus. Just don't worry." Adam kissed her lightly but he knew human nature; once a man has wealth, all he can usually think about it garnering more. And he also wondered why Forsyth wanted the Croesus mine so badly; it had to be more than just avarice. "I'll go wash for dinner and maybe we should turn in early." He winked at his wife. Ultima was flustered; Adam was unpredictable and she never knew what to expect from him but he obviously wanted to come to her earlier than usual and spend a great deal of time in her bed. But as Adam walked away, Ultima relaxed a bit. It was good to hear Adam's reassurances despite the fact that she wasn't freed from her concerns. And she looked forward to giving herself up to her husband completely that night, to let him use her as he desired and to not have to think for a while—just to feel his hands move over her and his mouth tantalize her. And she shivered slightly in anticipation.
Ultima pulled on her gloves and looked at herself once more in the mirror in the foyer. Amanda stood next to her holding the Missus' basket of threads, fabric pieces and needles. Ben Cartwright waited out in the front with a buggy to take his daughter-in-law into Virginia City for her Wednesday afternoon Ladies' Church Guild quilting bee.
Ultima took the basket from the young girl who smiled and said, "You look lovely, ma'am. The new hair style is fetching indeed, and I'm sure that the next time it won't take us so long." The latest Godey's Lady's Book had arrived with the newest hair styles from Paris and Ultima and Amanda had laughed together as they fixed Ultima's hair in the latest fashion. Ultima knew that Adam, when he saw it, would probably say the style was pretentious and that it made her look more like a French whore but then she also knew that he would later whisper, as he nuzzled her neck, that she was beautiful and that he was a most fortunate man to have won her.
Ultima smiled at Amanda. She had known the young girl since she was twelve. Amanda had been orphaned and her mother had worked for a neighbor so Ultima took the girl into her household and taught her how to be a lady's maid. Soon Amanda far surpassed Maisie who had been Ultima's lady's maid until the young woman married and left the Lafferty's employ. Ultima became truly fond of Amanda and they often chatted about love and men, Amanda wanting to know as much as possible as her young girl's heart longed to be loved as her Missus was by her husband as well as Mr. Lafferty. But Amanda had never before heard the sounds that emanated from the Missus' room now that she was Mrs. Cartright.
"Well, you did a wonderful job, Amanda, and if Mr. Cartwright had to wait a bit, well, men should be accustomed to waiting for women." Ultima patted Amanda on her arm and the girl rushed around her mistress to open the door for her.
Ben Cartwright, who had been waiting, leaning against the buggy, gave a sigh of impatience as Ultima finally walked out. He had been asked to wait inside but had declined; Ben had hoped that Ultima would hurry if she knew that he was waiting outside but she hadn't. He did have to admit that Ultima looked lovely.
"Well, I take it that you're ready?" Ben asked taking the basket from Ultima and placing it behind the seats.
"I am so sorry that I was late." Ultima smiled at her father-in-law. Although she saw very little of Ben in Adam, she had to admit that he was a handsome man and he did make Mrs. Fontaine's heart flutter.
"Well, it seems to have been worth it," he sincerely replied. "Are you wearing your hair differently?" Ben had noticed that instead of the usual severe style of her hair, there were soft curls and tendrils that fell gently from her up-do and her hat sat perched jauntily to the side.
"Yes," she answered as he helped her up. Had it been Adam, Ultima would have asked him if he liked the new style but not his father; he and she had an uneasy alliance. Ultima knew that Ben disapproved of her and Adam's overhasty marriage. She had heard Ben mumble when Adam had brought her home, "Husband not even cold yet and she marries again." But Ben had seemed to soften a bit in his disapproval and they always had a pleasant drive to Virginia City—the most pleasant part of every Wednesday as far as Ultima was concerned.
Ultima did not enjoy the Wednesday afternoon quilting bee and she had nothing in common with the pious women who prayed before their work began and then after. But the quilts went to the poor and needy in the areas and some were sent to "Our red brothers who have need."
Adam had conflicting feelings about "Our Red Brothers." He knew that the land that he and his family owned had once been the Paiute's and the Bannock's. Therefore, he always felt guilty about all the land they owned. He knew the other ranchers had stolen their land from their "Red Brothers" as well. So ever since he was a child, Adam and his father had always "mitigated their guilt" as he put it to his father, by taking steers and horses to the Paiutes nearby.
The quilting bee had been Adam's idea.
"You should join the ladies' guild at the church. They keep asking you but you keep declining the invitation." He ran his hands over Ultima's smooth belly and down her thighs. It relaxed her; she reminded him of a cat as she moved under his hands. "One day I expect you to purr," he had said.
"They bore me," Ultima said. "I have nothing to say to those stodgy women. Besides, I'm sure they gossip about me behind my back."
"Well they might be less inclined to do so if you become friendlier. The Cartwrights have a presence in Virginia City, in the whole territory and you must be as gracious to them as if they were guests in our home." He lightly ran his fingers on the inside of one of her thighs as she had slightly relaxed her legs and let them drop apart. "Attend the next quilting bee; my father can take you into town on Wednesday's."
She opened her eyes and looked at him. "Is that an order?"
"Yes, it is. This Sunday, tell them with your sweetest smile, that you are delighted they asked you and that you will join the following Wednesday. Understand, my love?" Adam bent over and placed a kiss below her navel.
Ultima had sighed; she knew that she had no choice. She reached down and stroked Adam's hair. "I understand. Whatever you want, husband." And she heard Adam laugh deeply in his throat.
"You always do give me what I want—what I need, don't you, my love?" He had a slight sarcastic tinge to his voice whenever he called her, "My Love."
"Yes," she answered. "Always," and sighed as she arched her back, her eyes closed to better enjoy the pleasure he was giving her.
Utima felt the thimble to be an awkward invention and it had taken her the past four meetings to be able to manage it as she stitched the pieces of fabric into place. The women talked about the visiting minister who would be coming next week, Mrs. Gibson's late delivery of her first child and how Sue Hanson and Marlene Frank were behaving like little harlots in church, both of them trying to win the attention of Hart Mansfield's son, Tom. They all agreed that church was not the place to find a husband as one's mind should be on spiritual achievements—not carnal and that someone needed to talk to the young girls' parents.
Ultima refrained from saying anything since she well-knew that if she talked to the girls, she would give them advice on how to be subtle and yet be assured that they were receiving the young man's attention. And Ultima sighed deeply and suddenly realized when all hands stopped their stitching and the women looked at her, that she had given away that she was bored.
"Oh, I'm so sorry," Ultima said. "My stays are so tight that I often find it necessary to take a deep breath."
"My dear," Ms. Worthington said, "you must allow more room and loosen the ties. As we age, our waists do expand, especially with children. I've also noticed that you haven't partaken of any of the pies that have been served. Now that you're married, you have no need to worry about a few pounds here and there. Just wait until you have children!'
The women laughed together and Ultima smiled congenially. Adam had told her to be gracious and she was doing her best. She went back to stitching while Doris Tarnower went to the table in the church's common room where they met and took up the tea tray in order to refresh the women's cups. Then Doris was distracted by a young woman standing at the door.
"Excuse me," she said. She looked worried and nervous. "I'm to find Mrs. Cartwright. It seems that Mr. Ben Cartwright has been injured. He's been taken off the street and into a business—the doctor is with him and he has called for his daughter-in-law."
Ultima stood up. "I'm Mrs. Cartwright." She turned to the women who were all looking at her. "Please excuse me, ladies. I must go."
They all agreed that she must go and offered any help should she need it and a place for Ben to rest should he need it, and Ultima rushed out with the young woman leading her. Ultima held up her skirts and people turned to look at the two women, one well-dressed and elegant, the other dressed a bit shabbily and with her hair hanging straight, rushing past them. Ultima nodded at the men who tipped their hats as they stepped aside to allow her to go by unimpeded. After a few minutes of walking and turns into side streets, Ultima looked around. She wasn't familiar with this part of town. The sidewalk had ended and they walked in the dirt and the buildings were in a state of disrepair, needing new paint and shutters.
Ultima stopped. The young woman, realizing that she had, turned to her. "Hurry," she said. "He's in a bad way."
"Just where is Mr. Cartwright? He would have no business in this part of town."
"He's right there—in that building. There." The woman pointed and Ultima craned her neck to see; she didn't want to go any further.
"I'm going back," Ultima said. "I'll fetch the sheriff and return." Ultima turned and raised her skirts higher as her heart began to pound. With her stays so tight that she couldn't take a deep breath, she felt light-headed and dizzy as she hurried. And then she heard the young woman's voice call out, "Mack! Mack! She's on to us! Hurry!"