Chapter Seventy ONE MONTH LATER
"Maris? Maris? The train whistle blew. We are almost into the station." he gently whispered.
She awoke with a start and Nick literally caught her in his arms as she lurched. He held her tightly in the Barkley private car. She was mentally and physically exhausted.
"It's OK, my girl. Didn't mean to startle ya."
She weakly smiled and put her hand to his face. He had stubble where he missed a spot shaving; she thought to himself the past few weeks had aged him—-she swore the gray at his temples appeared overnight.
He stared at her with the same thoughts: dark circles under her eyes, pale pallor, and fearful eyes.
She was rapidly getting a pooch at her midsection, covered by the folds of her dresses. Dr. Merar had told them to mark it down when the quickening happened and the baby would be born eighteen weeks later or so. She was making herself eat and sleep for the baby's sake. The whole family had hovered over her and Nick was beside himself checking on her needs.
Since Nate had come with the news two weeks before, they had been through every emotion possible: rage, fear, depression, anxiety—-
Nick's sleep was interrupted by catastrophic nightmares of Peg and Maris and losing the baby. The demons of his nights were in plain sight in daylight.
They stood up and smoothed their clothes. Nick grabbed his black cowboy hat and Maris adjusted her hat in the mirror. Heath and Audra walked up with their travel bags from the first-class section. They had left the couple in the private car in hopes they would sleep.
He smiled at his brother and sister with honest emotion. Maris teared up again remembering their decision to travel to San Francisco with them.
Jarrod and Nate had met for days working on a legal strategy for the new complication, David Autonberry aka Santiago. No one knew what to expect. Timothy had gone to Nate's office and shared all of his documents, conversations, and the disclosure that David was alive and coming to San Francisco to meet with him and Jarrod Barkley. Nate in turn traveled to Stockton to break the news. He had told Alice, "This kind of news needs to happen face to face." She quickly replied, "I am going with you Nat; Maris will need me,"
The news was broken to Jarrod and Nick first; then to Maris. They made plans to travel to San Francisco for a private court hearing.
Then—they told the family. Victoria was stoic; Elisabeth was still worried about the boys but she kept it to herself and Jarrod. She carefully made sure Maris rested and ate something all week. Sally lost her temper and let everyone know which body parts needed to be removed from the Autonberry family and lawyers. She brought a bit of levity to the horrific situation once she calmed down. Carl took Nick on several long rides on their fence line to decompress and have a few belts to relax.
But Heath and Audra brokered no argument. They were going to San Francisco with them and weren't going home until a resolution was found,
When Jarrod told Eugene, he reacted the same. "I will meet them at the train station."
Victoria wrote to her sister, "My heart is full and broken at the same time. The situation… and yet all five of my children are standing arm-in-arm behind Maris and her unborn Barkley. I just wish I could be there for them."
Eugene, as he promised, was waiting at the train station. He and Nick shared a long hug on the platform then quickly separated out of embarrassment.
"Let's get to Nate's." Heath took Maris's arm protectively and Audra joined hers with Nick.
"Gene, little brother gets the trunk." and they all shared a laugh as he paid the porter.
"It's good to be a Barkley," Maris whispered to Heath.
"Yes, it is," Heath mumbled back.
—&—-
Alice checked on all the bedrooms and her staff had them ready for the Barkleys.
"I can't wait to see Maris. She is so much like my sister and a dearest friend."
"I misses her too. Good lady. Liked her living with the family, Miz Springer."
Alice walked downstairs and looked into the study, "Need anything?"
Jarrod and Nate looked up from their tablets, "Can you send in more coffee? Please,"
"Of course," as she looked at the empty cups and half-eaten food. She started stacking them on the tray.
"Sorry," Jarrod looked up with his huge eyes, "We have been out of sorts—-but we are hoping to cover every scenario that might appear tomorrow in court,"
"Don't apologize Jarrod. I feel useful at least. Wish I could do more."
Jarrod patted her hand, "Alice, you have been a lifesaver."
"Alice, would you mind reading the Pinkerton report on Autonberry? See if we missed anything your woman's eye catches?" Nate looked up at her with his arched eyebrow of inquiry.
She was delighted to be asked.
"Hmmmmm, the clerk Timothy seems to be above board. JD left him a house and pension and money for his children. Worked for him his whole life."
Jarrod nodded, "His record-keeping is impeccable. He switched sides after seeing Peterson betrayed and Branch's arrogance. Still defends the old man a little but seems to trust David completely. Known each other since they were children."
"Those accounts are helpful?"
"Yes," Nate answered, "One of those smaller account numbers paid off the Headmaster. Supposedly by Peterson but oddly enough after his death."
"No copy of the will signed by Maris? That's suspicious."
"Yes, somehow it was filed in court records but not in the file. Timothy says Branch is looking everywhere for it."
"That's good for Maris"
"Yes, it is."
"We know why there wasn't a death certificate for David now. Peterson probably didn't want to add fraud to his shingle."
"The marriage license?"
"Non-existent according to Timothy and that was verified by Pinkerton."
"JD not married to Lila?"
"Not one hundred percent certain about that. But it is very possible."
"What about David's common-law wife? Ximena Santiago?"
"Perfumer, businesswoman, quite wealthy."
Alice gasped, "Her perfume is amazing. It sells out quickly and many of the high society echelon wear it."
"In Mexico, they have a concubinage. Living together as man and wife for more than five years. Except he is still married to Maris."
"Maris has grounds for divorce since he was gone ten years; three is the standard for desertion."
Alice shook her head, "How shall this be sorted out, especially before the baby comes?"
Nate and Jarrod shook their heads simultaneously, "That is the question of the day."