Photographs and Memories
Chapter 1 Remembering
Biddie and Candy sat in the sitting parlor of the Dormitory. They were just about the last two left since the first brides came to Seattle. Four years! Candy was engaged and was waiting until Jermey was ready to marry. Barnabas Smith had written Biddie many letters, she had answered them and he had proposed to her just recently by letter. She was so excited that when she talked to Candy that morning she was planning her wedding already.
"Oh Candy, I hope we can have a double wedding! It would be so fun!"
"I think that would be nice, I will see if Jeremy would like that as well. He has been so busy lately. They have to provide quite a lot of lumber for the contract they have!" Candy answered as she took out a book with pictures in it. She flipped through some pages and found the picture she wanted.
"Biddy, do you remember when Mr. Curtis took our picture on this large tree log?" Biddie took a look at the picture. It was in black and white but she could make out all the ladies on top of the log.
"I remember it was the largest tree that they had cut. We were only in Seattle for 3 months when they cut that tree!" Biddie said as she looked, it was large enough for all 100 brides to sit on top of that and have their picture taken. Candy looked at it and smiled. That was some time after she had gotten lost in the forest and Jason had found her and then Aaron Stemple had accused her of not being marriageable!
"I am glad we have that picture to remind us. Look, on the back we have everyone's names and where we are!" Candy turned the picture around and looked at all the names.
"There is Fran, and Betty, and Ann and Rachel…"
"Oh, Candy, look at me! I look so young! Was it only 4 years ago?" Biddie asked as she looked at everyone in the picture. Candy nodded and said:
"Wow, four years, time sure flies!" They sat reminiscing for a while longer. There was a knock on the door and Candy went to answer it.
"Oh, Jeremy I am glad to see you won't you come in?" Jeremy stood at the door and was about to come in when he saw Biddie.
"I would like to but I need to speak to you alone." He said, Candy looked at Biddie.
"Biddie would you excuse me for a little while please?"
"Oh, sure" Biddie said and then stood there for a few minutes and then Candy looked at her and she realized that she needed to leave the dorm for a while.
"Oh, well, I need to go over to Miss Lottie's to see about borrowing some sugar!" She said and left to go across the street.
"Jeremy, come in please. Have a seat, do you want something to eat or drink?" Candy asked him.
"N-no thank you, Candy. Let's sit down, I have something I have to tell you." Candy looked at him and sat on the settee. He sat down next to her and looked at her with loving eyes, he took her hands and held them in his and looked down the slowly raised his eyes to hers and said:
"Miss Pruitt, I don't know if you are ready for this but I want to marry you very soon! Like in a week or so!" Candy was surprised and said:
"I want to marry you as well Mr. Bolt, but why does it have to be so soon?" Candy asked and then said:
"Not that I don't want to marry you sooner, but what has happened that we need to marry right away?" Jeremy held her hands and looked into her eyes. His thoughts were of her and her alone, her read hair, green eyes, and his desire to love her and to hold her. How could he begin to tell her, how was he going to tell her. He kept thinking for quite some time.
Across the town, Aaron Stemple was sitting in his office with Jason and Joshua there was some thing wrong with the contract and they all knew it. It was not the contract that Stemple had made with the Bolts, someone had come in and changed the contract.
"Jason, I had nothing to do with this! I did not switch the requirements for the brides. That had been finished over three years ago. Whoever wrote that addendum in the contract was not I. I have asked my lawyers to find out why that is in there. They are working on it as we speak!"
"Aaron, I don't doubt that the contract was changed but when I went to look at our deed from our father, there was also a stipulation that I know my father would never have placed in the deed! Someone has changed our legal paperwork!" Jason almost shouted at Aaron. Joshua was just as upset and when he had read the stipulation he had taken it to Jason and then they looked at the contract they had with Aaron and it had the same stipulation in it as well.
"I don't think any one of us would have been able to change the contract, could one of the ladies have changed it? When those lawyers were here, could Candy or Biddie have asked them to place that stipulation in the contract?" Aaron said.
"Jason, I don't think they could have done that without our knowledge, I don't even think Jeremy would have done that himself!" Joshua said to Jason and Aaron.
They all stood and read the stipulation in both contracts, Aaron reading aloud from his contract with the Bolts for the brides.
"Stipulation: all brides must be married within a four-year period; the Bolts must have at least one brother married in order for Bridal Veil Mountain to remain in the Bolt family."
Jason and Joshua read their father's deed which had an addendum that was added four years ago:
"Addendum 15: At least one Bolt will be married and have a family within ten years of their maturation. If this has not happened, then Bridal Veil Mountain will be the property of the Town of Seattle!"
This was a blow to both the Bolt brothers and Aaron Stemple. He wanted the mountain but this was something he had not anticipated for himself. Although he thought it was a good idea.
Back at the dormitory, Candy began to cry, Jeremy held on to her, he was ready to cry as well.
Chapter 2 Legalities
Barnabas had just finished the last day of his sentence; he had made reparation for his fraud and was ready to be reinstated as a lawyer. He went to the main office in Olympia, swore his oath and received his license. He smiled as he took it. His first goal was to go straight to Seattle and see Biddie, then to acquire an office and a place to live. He was so excited that he left on his horse and forgot that he wanted to take a few law books with him. He went back to his brother's house in Olympia and packed a few law books to get started.
"Barnabas, I wondered when you would be collecting your books. Here, let me help you!" His brother Victor said. He helped him pack about 6 heavy law books and promised that he would send the rest of Barnabas' books later.
"Thank you Victor." He said as he placed the books on the side of the horse.
"Barnabas, are you going to propose to Biddie Cloom?" Victor asked
"Why yes I am, I have the ring and I am ready to make a new home there in Seattle!"
"That is good, would you bring this letter to her? She received this from her aunt in New Bedford." Barnabas was curious as to why a letter from her aunt should be in his brother's possession.
"She asked me to send some letters to her aunt when we were first there. I contacted her aunts lawyer and he took care of the specific correspondence. I am sure she will tell you all about it. Especially when you two get married. A woman should not have secrets from her man!" Victor said, smiling at his brother. Barnabas was not too sure about his brother's motives and wondered why she trusted his brother instead of him. He would ask her when he got to Seattle. It would take him a week to arrive, he had already written to her and had also rented out a small office near the newly built bank.
Getting on his horse he said goodbye to his brother and left Olympia. The weather was quite warm that summer and it seemed to him that he would have faired better with a train, but his horse, Mandy, was a good horse and he had not wanted to travel by stage or train to Seattle. He wanted to wander and think about the next step in his life and relationships. It would be without his older brother and he would be making his own decisions. He was very happy and satisfied with his goal.
The first couple of days went quietly. On the third day though, he was stopped by some people on the highway. At first he wasn't too worried, but when they, held a gun and made him get off his horse he became worried.
"What do you want? I only have some law books and a not much money?" He asked.
"We don't want your money, but there is someone who wants to talk to you? A man with a handkerchief across his face said. He was led to an old cabin; the door was open and he was led inside. There was a table and two chairs. He was forced to sit down on one of the chairs. He was tied to the chair and was blindfolded.
"What is happening? Who are you?" He asked before they gagged him. He sat still waiting to find out what was wanted from him. No one spoke he sat there, there was no sound except an occasional sound of footsteps pacing back and forth.
In Seattle, Jason and Aaron had received their telegraph messages, both of their lawyers said that several people in the territory had all been swindled out of their inheritance's and contracts within the past 3 months. The contracts were legal and binding but so far no one had fought these contracts.
"Aaron, do you think we should go to court on this? I want to because my father's Inheritance is all we have!" Jason said to Aaron as they sat in the backroom of Lottie's saloon. Aaron looked at Jason and knew what he was saying and agreed, for once they both put aside their differences.
"I think we should, Jason. Who can change a contract or a deed without the authorization of the person who owns either of them." Aaron said.
"I know that Barnabas Smith is coming to town, perhaps he can help us?" Jason said. Aaron looked at Jason and said:
"I disagree, he and his brother may be 'reformed' however, they may be a part of it as well! To top it off, they have finished their sentence and both have been reinstated by the legal community to be lawyers but I believe that Barnabas will have certain restrictions and that may include not being able to make out wills, or have anything to do with deeds or trust's?" Aaron said. Jason looked at him and said:
"You are probably right, Aaron, but our lawyers are looking into this, they have found nothing that suggests that anything was done illegally?" Joshua knocked on the door and said:
"Jeremy and Candy are here!"
"Okay, thank you Joshua, can you send them in?" Josh said okay and ushered Jeremy and Candy in to the back room. Jeremy looked at his brothers and then said:
"I told her Jason." Candy held Jeremy's hand; she was a little scared but waited until Jason spoke to her.
"Candy, will you please have a seat." Jason offered her. She sat down and he asked her:
"Was there anything that was changed from your mother's will that you know was not supposed to be there?" She looked at Jason and said:
"I don't think so. I know that when I went back, we spoke with the lawyers and they said that mother and fathers place would be sold. We have money that was placed in trust for Molly and Christopher. They will not be able to get it until they reach 25!" She said worried that maybe there was something that wasn't right with the will for their parents.
"Thank you Candy. Jeremy, did you tell Candy about the addendum in the deed from the Bolt family?"
"Yes, just today, I had no idea there was such an addendum?" she answered Aaron.
"Okay, thank you Candy. You can go, I need the Bolt brothers together, we need to talk a little more." Aaron told her. She looked at Jeremy and he said:
"It's okay, we can talk later." He stood up and kissed her on her cheek and led her out the door. He came back into the backroom and sat down so that they could discuss what was next.
It was dark, Barnabas had sat in that chair tied, blindfolded, and gagged. He was thirsty and tired. He wanted to leave but was unsure of what he could do. He heard footsteps and then the gag was taken out of his mouth, one candle was lit and a faceless person was in front of him. The blindfold was also taken off. He was surprised at who he saw.
"Well, brother, I am glad you survived some of your travels." Victor said to his brother.
"What is happening Vic?" Barnabas asked confused and concerned.
"What is happening is this, there has been a bit of a problem that is taking place in Seattle right now and you are going to help me get what I want!" Barnabas was a little unsure of what his brother wanted.
"You have everything, you have a wife, a new law practice, what more do you want? Didn't doing time and making restitution show you that it was better to work on the side of the law rather than outside the law?" Barnabas said. Victor took a look at his brother and said:
"Either you are addlepated or twitterpated, but you cant suppose that we have really been forgiven of our crimes, do you? I think that we still need to do some more to get the pay we deserve from those people in Seattle! Don't you?" Victor said as he walked around the table to sit next to his brother. They had untied his hands and Victor offered a pen for him to sign some paper work.
"Now, if you cooperate, and sign this contract, your precious lady, Miss Cloom will be okay, if not, She meet with an unfortunate accident!"
"What do I need to sign?" asked Barnabas wondered trying to think of a way to stall.
"This contract, it says that if Miss Cloom passes away after you are married, then you will inherit her estate, and of course, you will give me the estate, when the paperwork is finished!" Victor said to his brother.
Barnabas was at his wits end, what could he do, if he did not sign it, she would meet an untimely end, and if he did, she would still meet an untimely end. He sighed, the only thing to do was to sign and hope that he could get someone to help before it was too late.
Victor had no idea what Barnabas was thinking, he, being the older brother, was always telling his younger brother what to do. He expected him to back down, to keep his precious Biddie safe, but she would not be safe, this was an insurance scheme which paid off when the person passed away. And she was going to pass away after Barnabas married her regardless of how Barnabas felt about her.
Chapter 3 Family Relations
Candy and Jeremy married shortly after the meeting. They did not have the wedding that Candy had wanted but for safety's sake, they had a small church wedding. Biddie had caught the Bouquet and Barnabas was near by and they planned a small wedding as well.
Candy and Jeremy lived in the Bolt Cabin until their home was built. Barnabas had secured his office and living quarters and when he and Biddie were married, they moved in over the office. Now that no one lived in the dormitory, Lottie purchased the dormitory to make it into a hotel and restaurant. It was now about 6 months into both marriages. Biddie was pregnant and Candy was not far behind. They spend their days talking and planning for their babies and were all excited. Jeremy worked and came home, sometimes exhausted, sometimes not. Barnabas was handling several cases in the new courthouse there in Seattle. The problems with the deed, contract and insurance had all been forgotten until Victor rode into town, saying he wanted a vacation and to visit his brother and sister-in-law.
"Oh, Candy, look at the Sears Catalogue, they have new houses you can build! Wouldn't it be fun to have a house that Barnabas builds?" Biddie said as they perused through the catalogue for baby items. Candy looked and said:
"Well, I think if we wait long enough after the baby's have been born, maybe the Bolts will build you and Barnabas a house as well!" They giggled together, then Barnabas came in. He looked a little worried and said:
"Hello, Candy, I am glad you and Biddie can get together to visit, but I would like to ask you to leave…"
"Barney? Why are you asking Candy to leave? She is my guest!" Biddie said interrupting him.
"I will tell you later Biddie, but Candy could you leave now, Please!"
"Certainly, Biddie, I will see you later, we have the baby shower at 3 this afternoon! Mr. Curtis will be taking pictures for us!" Candy smiled and walked out.
Victor then came in; he had waited politely so that Candy would not see him. He was not ready to be seen by anyone.
"Biddie, you remember my brother, Victor?"
"Oh, yes, Indeedy, may I get you some coffee or tea?" she asked standing up.
"No, No thank you Mrs. Smith. Please stay seated, I have a letter from your aunt. I am not sure if Barnabas delivered the first letter to you?" Victor said, charmingly. Biddie smiled and said:
"I remember a letter, but my aunt does not use your services, how come she sent you that letter the first time?" Biddie asked.
"Well, she said she was having a hard time getting in touch with you. Seems some of your mail never made it to New Bedford!" Biddie said, 'Oh!' and then thanked him for helping. She opened the letter from her aunt and read it.
"Dear Biddie, I want to say congratulations on your wedding and your soon-to-be-new baby. I want you to know that I have redone my will and that you will have no problem with finances for the rest of your life. Mr. Smith, Victor, seems to be a kind man. He said he will draw up the inheritance paperwork and have you sign it, then he will send it to me and I can sign it as well. Take care your aunt."
Biddie was confused and asked Barnabas, why her aunt was not using the family lawyer? He said he had not known about this letter and his brother told her that the family lawyer had passed away some time ago.
"That must have been one of the letters that did not reach you, Mrs. Smith!" said Victor who was sitting next to her. Barnabas was across from her having been pushed away by his brother. The whole thing was eating him up inside.
"Victor, now that business is concluded, I have to get back to my office, would you be so kind as to leave, we will meet you for dinner this evening at Miss Lottie's." Victor knew his brother too well. He knew he was upset, but that was to be expected, especially if you are planning to kill someone. But Barnabas would not be killing her yet!
"Jeremy, I am concerned about Biddie, and Barnabas, he did not want me to be there when his brother showed up. But he looked at me as if he wanted me to tell someone something?" Candy said as they ate their supper in the cabin.
"Well, Candy, I don't think that there is anything to worry about, but if you want, I can talk to Barnabas and see if he will tell me anything. He is not one that talks a lot about his private life." Jeremy said as he finished his roast and potatoes.
"Sweetheart, thank you for that wonderful meal. I love you!" he said to Candy as she was clearing the dishes. She grabbed her stomach and almost dropped the dishes on the floor. Jeremy was up in an instant and held on to her. He got the dishes on the counter and then took her to the couch. She sat for a moment and then said:
"Jeremy, I am not sure why I suddenly had a sharp pain, I think I want to see Dr. Wright. I know that I am pregnant, but it has only been 4 months?"
"Do you need to see her tonight? I can get her tonight if you want?" Jeremy asked, concerned for Candy.
"Oh, please would you? I still don't feel good!" she said. He went to the front door and took his coat from the peg and went out to the doctors house. As he walked he noticed someone walking from Barnabas' office back to Lottie's. He watched for a minute then went on to the doctor's house where the sign he had made for her, was up on the door. He knocked on her door, when she came to the door, she grabbed her coat and bag and went to check on Candy.