Author's Note: In 1884 America did not have a Vice President. President James Garfield was assassinated in 1881, and then Vice President Chester Arthur became President. There was not a Vice President until 1885, when Thomas Hendricks held the position under President Grover Cleveland. However, for my storyline there is a Vice President.
Chapter Fifty-Two
Heath and Sharon were having breakfast in their hotel room and talking about plans for the day. They had arrived yesterday and checked into the hotel. Sharon had been very impressed with the suite, and how lavishly decorated it was. They had both been surprised to see a large floral arrangement, and a basket with food, wine, and fine liquor.
The gifts were from the Governor and his wife, congratulating them on the marriage. There were also gifts from other notable people, including Leland Stanford. Sharon had teased him about what an important person he must be, while Heath replied, no the Barkley name is important. They laughed as they looked at the gifts.
They had spent the rest of the day exploring the city, with Heath pointing out various landmarks to Sharon. He took her to the wharves, so she could see the bay, and the ships from all over the world. Heath liked how excited she was about everything and took the wind and the smells in stride.
"So, what are your plans for today?" Heath asked now, as he took a sip of coffee. He watched her as she looked up from her plate, trying not to notice how great she looked.
"Well, I am going to have another one of these biscuits right now." Sharon announced as she reached for the basket. "I never had them with cheese and herbs – so good. I wonder if I could get the recipe?" She gave him an inquiring look.
"I do not see why not. Let me ask the concierge about getting the recipe." Heath told her and saw a puzzled look cross her face before she sighed.
"As Mrs. Heath Barkley I cannot just go down to the kitchen, correct?" Sharon observed, and he nodded his head.
"The biscuits are very good, I agree, and it would be nice to have them at home." Heath smiled, thinking how nice it was to say the word. He had missed his house and was looking forward to getting back to the valley. "Are you going to bake them, or will Violet?" Heath was curious as to what domestic arrangements she was planning.
"Well, the first time we will do them together." Sharon answered, before going on "as of now we'll just have Violet and a maid – the house is too big for Violet to do everything. However, I have some special dishes I make, which the children really like."
"I remember the shepherd's pie you used to make, and the berry cobbler." Heath thought back to the time when he was courting her at Kilkenny Farms. Wanting to stop thinking about the past, he changed the subject.
"I need to go to the Mining Exchange and drop some papers off at Jarrod's office." Heath stated, and looked expectantly, wondering what her plans were.
"Violet and I came up with a list of stuff for the house. We are freshening up the downstairs rooms, my bedroom, and the children's rooms. The two bedrooms Sean and Tara picked are not setup for children." Sharon smiled at him "I am also going to visit some of the places that Priscilla, Audra, and I went to when we were up here."
"The city will be glad that you are helping the local economy." Heath shook his head, hoping that she would be thoughtful with her purchases. A knock at the door caused both to look in that direction. He stood up and walked over to answer the knock.
"This arrived by special messenger, Mr. Barkley." The bell hop held out a thick, cream-colored vellum envelope in his gloved hand. Heath took it and reached into his pocket for a coin to tip the man. After shutting the door, he turned the envelope and saw that the wax seal bore the insignia of the Office of the Governor.
Heath walked over to the desk in the corner, to get a letter opener, which he slid under the seal. He took the folded paper out and read the contents – as he did so his breath caught in his throat. Re-reading it for a second time he still could not believe what he was seeing.
"Is everything all right? The children?" Sharon jumped up from her chair, worry and concern on her countenance.
"This has nothing to do with the children; it is from the Governor." Heath passed the note to her. "He is hosting a dinner tonight, in honor of the Vice President who is visiting the city. It seems the Vice President has asked to meet me; so we have been invited to the dinner."
"Tis the Vice President of the United States! What an honor!" Sharon read the letter and added "I like how Governor Stoneman apologizes for interrupting our honeymoon."
"Well, I guess we know where we will be dining tonight." Heath tried to sound nonchalant but in truth was awe struck at the invitation. He looked over at Sharon and saw a panicked look on her face, which he asked about.
"I have nothing to wear! I was going to order several evening dresses while we were in the city." Sharon declared in bated breath. "My wedding dress would have done, but I left it in Stockton."
"You remember my earlier comment, about the Barkley name being important?" Heath asked her, as he tilted his head. When she nodded in reply he said, "I am sure that you can find a dressmaker who can accommodate you." He smiled encouraging at her. Having a fashionable sister and sister-in-law, he knew how important the right dress was.
"Yes, of course." Sharon forced a smile on her face. She reassured herself that as Mrs. Heath Barkley she would find a dress.
It was almost three hours later, and she was opening the door to the last dressmaker on her list. Sharon, after Heath had left for the mining exchange, had made a list of the dressmakers that Priscilla and Audra had talked about when they were in the city.
All of them, while being very friendly, had made it clear that they had nothing available for her. It surprised Sharon, because she remembered hearing stories, when she was in Ireland, at how London dressmakers, during the season always had some dresses ready to go – just in case of a last-minute invitation.
Unfortunately, it was the same response as the other dressmakers she had visited. It was with a defeated step that she turned and left the shop and stood on the wooden walkway. Sharon's shoulders sagged, and she realized that she was out of options. She told herself that Heath could always go by himself. The fact that her husband had been singled out by the Vice President weighed heavily on her. When she, Priscilla, and Audra had been clothes shopping she had not thought about an evening dress at all.
"Mrs. Barkley" a young girl's voice called to her. She recognized the girl as having been tidying up in the shop she just left. Sharon put her age at maybe fifteen but noted the plain but well fitted maroon dress that the sales staff had all worn.
"Yes" Sharon replied, wondering why the girl was following her. She wondered if she was going to be asked for a charitable contribution.
"Your brother-in-law, Mr. Jarrod Barkley defended my cousin when he was wrongly accused of something. No one else believed him." The girl explained, smiling at Sharon. "My whole family was so grateful. I cannot repay Mr. Barkley, but I can help you."
"I am glad that Mr. Barkley was able to take care of your cousin, but how can you help me?" Sharon was truly puzzled as to what the lass thought she could do about a dress.
"By telling you where you can get a dress – and I mean a top-notch French design dress." The girl stopped and looked expectantly at Sharon who asked her name. "I am Betty, and I am an apprentice at the shop. Madame is a good dressmaker, and I have learned a great deal."
"But Madame is very strict, and I only have a few moments." Betty turned to look at the door of the dressmaker shop with concern.
"Of course, I do understand, and I do not want to cause unpleasantness for you." Sharon smiled with understanding, feeling for the young girl who undoubtedly worked very hard.
"The Bayview Department Store does readymade dresses, and they all are current French designs. All the dressmakers hate the store, because they feel it cheapens the process, so we are not to talk about the establishment." The young girl then turned and walked back to the shop.
Sharon had been excited that Betty would be able to help her, now though it was with trepidation that she thought about what Betty had told her. Sharon knew all about the store, but not for the best reasons. Between what Heath had grudgingly shared with her, what Penny had alluded to, and all the gossip that had gone for the last six months; well – ugh!
The last place Sharon wanted to go was the store owned by Heath's ex-wife's new husband. However, she recalled that Heath had said the Governor had mentioned both of them in the invitation. No, she said to herself, she had to go, and she needed a dress. Saying a silent prayer that if Heath found out he would understand, she turned in the direction of the department store.
When she arrived at the establishment she noted the dark blue carpet in front of the entrance, and a bellman dressed in blue and gold livery. He bowed deferentially to her as he opened the glass and wood door. Sharon found herself in an entry way with black and white marble on the floor, and delicate carving in a light wood.
"How may we be of assistance to you, Madame?" The man standing at the podium, in the middle of the entrance hall, wearing a finely tailored black suit asked her.
"I am in need of an evening dress – an ensemble for a formal event." Sharon stood up straight and made her request in a confident tone of voice. In truth it was the last thing she felt, but she had learned a great deal as a junior lady's maid in Ireland.
"Madame will want to visit the Fleur Salon." The man answered, after looking her up and down. Sharon was glad she was wearing one of the nicer dresses that Audra had purchased for her. It was raw silk woven with blue and green, all trimmed with a dark green lace. The bustle was held back with the same lace and a pouf of peacock feathers. Her hat was trimmed with the same feathers.
Sharon watched as the man turned his attention to the podium, and she heard a bell ringing. It was barely a minute before a salesclerk – dressed in pale blue with a white, lace trimmed apron, came to greet her. She followed the clerk as they walked to the back of the store. Sharon was trying not to be curious about everything around her.
At the back of the store there was a brass elevator, which the clerk, whose name was Susan, explained would take them to the second floor. She stepped into the brass cage, with more confidence than she was feeling.
The Fleur Salon had delicate, white French moldings around the lights, two impressive chandeliers, with soft pale blue paint. There were white pilasters to decorate the walls, an Aubergine rug done in pale blue, cream, and pink. The furniture was delicate, painted white with gold accents. Sharon knew it was all French and admired how well done it was.
Susan turned her over to Lily, who appeared to oversee the Fleur Room. Lily wore an outfit similar to Susan's, but much better fitted. Sharon was sure that the outfits, at least for the lower-level staff were already made. Lily though, in her well-tailored pale blue dress, with a gold fleur-de-lis pin on her shoulder was clearly senior staff.
"How can we help Madame?" Lily asked in dulcet tones, making Sharon wonder if she had had to have voice training, or did she already know how to speak like a lady.
"I have an event to attend tonight; it was last minute invitation. I need an ensemble ready to go." Sharon matched Lily's dulcet tones. She knew at some point she would have to reveal her name but was cautious. The Bayview Department Store was her last hope for a dress. If Heath's ex-wife were vindictive, she could end up with nothing to wear. Sharon was holding her breath, as she waited for Lily's response. It was not Lily who replied though, and Sharon realized that her worst fear was coming true.
"Lily, it is past your break time. I will help Mrs. Barkley." A woman came into the room, dressed in a rich blue silk gown, wearing the same fleur-de-lis brooch. However, hers was encrusted with diamonds. Even as Sharon was noting the brooch, she recognized the woman. Sarah stood there, looking like a China doll, perfect and pristine.
Sharon noted the higher waist band of the dress and realized that the woman was with child. She thought about all the stories she had heard, about how Sarah had not been able to conceive. It came to her that clearly it had not been Sarah at fault.
"I assume you need a dress for the Vice President's dinner?" Sarah gave her a pitiful look. "Honestly, it is your honeymoon, but for some people other things are always more important. Follow me – I have just the dress."
The last thing Sharon wanted to do was follow Sarah – her pity, and her perfection was too much for Sharon. She had spent over three hours trying to find a dress, and was hot, tired, and hungry. Sharon also thought about what Penny had shared with her about Heath. She then scolded herself because Heath was marrying her as a business transaction.
That meant she had to attend the dinner tonight, suitably attired as Mrs. Heath Barkley. The only happy thought was the jewel case that Victoria had given her. The diamonds would take care of any deficiencies in the dress department.
