Homecoming Girls (33 page)

Lorenzo called to a passing bell boy and ordered coffee for them both. ‘You’ve hit the nail on the head, Miss Clara. It’s most perceptive of you, but I’m worried that Fed is set on a downward path.’

‘Does he frequent the opium dens in Chinatown?’ she asked quietly and observed with wry humour the gaping astonishment on Lorenzo’s face.

‘I – I wouldn’t have thought that an English lady would have known about those places,’ he said.

Clara smiled. ‘There is much that you don’t know about me,
or Jewel either for that matter, although I doubt that Jewel knows much about opium addicts. I’m aware of them because of my mother’s work in our home town. The opium habit isn’t only confined to Chinatown, you know!’

‘That I realize,’ he admitted. ‘But let me tell you about my experience. When I was twelve years old, my father decided that he would educate me in the ways of men. He told me that there are many temptations in San Francisco, perhaps more than in most cities because there are so many cultures, so many nationalities who came here thinking it was Eldorado.’

‘Because of the gold?’

He nodded. ‘That, and the chance of a new life; perhaps escaping from a life of poverty in their own country. That was the case with my own parents. However, my father saw that I was running wild and so he took me on a tour of the city. He brought me to Montgomery, down Washington and Stockton, and showed me the down-and-outs who had squandered what little money they had on women, bars and gambling and sat on the sidewalks begging for a crust.

‘It opened my eyes and yet in the cold light of day it made little impact on me, except that to see the thriftless men and the loose women hanging about the street corners was fascinating to a youth of my years, and I believe my father saw that.’

Lorenzo heaved a breath as he continued. ‘And so he took me, against my mother’s warnings, to Chinatown at night. There are many good people living there, as you have already discovered, but at night it’s a different place altogether and decent citizens close their doors and curtains.’

‘There must be many places like that,’ Clara interrupted. ‘Not only Chinatown.’

Lorenzo agreed, but went on, ‘My father had a friend who was a policeman and he came with us, though not in his uniform. Pinyin came too, and they took us to a gambling den. We were allowed to enter even though I was so young and I was offered liquor. The air inside the room was blue with smoke, from tobacco I assumed, though it had a strange sweet
smell. The room was filled with men dressed in black: these were the bankers and completely disguised by their robes and hoods. The customers looked like country boys just down from the farm, or miners from the diggings; most of them were already drunk and were throwing money on the table as if it grew like leaves on trees. When they lost their bets and made a great fuss, they were ejected from the room and put out into the street.

‘Next I was taken to another house. At the time I wasn’t sure of the purpose of this visit, but it dawned on me when I was a little older. There were young girls there, some perhaps the same age as me, others younger, but they had colour painted on their faces and their hair dressed like women, which made them look older, although I could tell that they were not by their immature figures beneath their thin and gaudy clothing. They looked very sad, frightened even. There was music playing and one of these girls came up to me and stroked my arm and asked if I’d like to dance with her. Pinyin then insisted that we’d seen enough and must leave. I recall him saying that it was too dangerous to stay any longer.’

‘How dreadful,’ Clara murmured, and thought of the young girl she had seen fleeing after the earthquake.

‘Yes,’ Lorenzo said quietly. ‘And that was not the worst of it. I was shown the opium dens, the places where Federico spends his time and money.’ Lorenzo paused for a moment and then plunged on, as if pursued by demons. ‘I must tell you, Miss Clara, that Fed has told me that he’s very attracted to you and wishes to take your friendship further.
Please
, do not listen to him. He has a very persuasive manner in his sober moments, but I’m sorry to say that he’s a hopeless case. I speak as a friend to him, and I hope to you.’

The realization came to Clara as Lorenzo spoke. ‘I’ve no intention of allowing my friendship with Mr Cavalli to go any further,’ she said. ‘Indeed, I’d rather not speak to him any more if that is his purpose.’ She smiled. ‘If he should broach the subject again you might tell him that I already have a commitment.’

‘Oh.’ Lorenzo’s face brightened. ‘Is that so? I’m very pleased to hear it. This is someone in England?’

‘Erm, yes. At least, that is what I hope for.’

Lorenzo laughed. ‘You mean he hasn’t yet spoken? What’s the matter with the man?’

Clara wouldn’t be drawn, but turned the tables on him by asking, ‘And what of you, Lorenzo? Do you have plans?’

He stared at her in astonishment. ‘Can you not tell? I thought it would be written all over my face. I adore Jewel! I feel as if I have been waiting for her all my life! But we’ve known each other such a short time. I can’t tell her of my intentions yet, as she’ll surely not wish to hear of them.’

Clara hid a smile. ‘Perhaps you’re right, and how sensible you are,’ she said wryly. ‘And perhaps I should tell
you
that her parents, her adoptive parents, have arrived in America and are presently in Dreumel’s Creek.’

‘Are you sure!’ Wilhelm whispered.

‘Absolutely,’ Georgiana said. ‘And so is the doctor.’

‘Oh!’Wilhelm breathed out; it was as if he was lost for words. He put his arms round Georgiana and closed his eyes. ‘I can’t believe it.’ He kissed her cheek. ‘I must take great care of you. Is it safe? What did the doctor say?’

‘He said it was fairly unusual to have a first child at my age, but not unheard of, and,’ she said reassuringly, ‘he said I was very fit and therefore he foresaw no difficulty.’

Wilhelm gave a sudden whoop and picked her up and swung her round. ‘I’m going to be a father,’ he cheered. ‘I’m going to be a
papa
! Oh!’ He stopped suddenly. ‘Whatever will Jewel think? We are giving her a brother or sister when she is old enough to have a child herself.’ He put his hand to his mouth. ‘Will people think we are too old?’

‘It doesn’t matter what other people think, Wilhelm,’ Georgiana said softly. ‘It’s what
we
think that matters, and
we
are delighted,’ she added.

‘And another thing, my darling,’ Wilhelm said slowly. ‘Another thing that we must think of—’

She put the palms of her hands on either side of his face. ‘I have already thought of it, Wilhelm. Is it not strange that after all these years of wanting a child and now – we’re here, in the land of your birth! You’ll want our child to be born here? In Dreumel’s Creek?’

He nodded mutely, too full of emotion to speak.

Georgiana smiled. ‘I know. I’ve already spoken to the doctor’s wife. She’ll take care of my confinement. I think that we won’t announce the news just yet, not until we’ve written to Jewel, and then perhaps, when she has discovered all she needs to know about her birth mother, she’ll come back here to be with us. Then we can tell Kitty and Grace. The doctor thinks the birth will be in the spring, but he can’t be sure.’

‘Perfect,’ he said contentedly. ‘It’s the time of rebirth. When the dark soil gives forth green shoots and the birds nest.’ He heaved a deep sigh and held her close. ‘I cannot believe my good fortune.’

Dan had been talking to Jason and had been invited to supper with him and his wife, Rose, a plump, pretty woman. They had four children, all girls, two of them now married.

‘I wished for a son,’ Jason said, ‘but I was blessed with daughters. What about you, Dan? You got a wife or a gal back home?’

‘N-no,’ he said. ‘I don’t seem to have much luck with the ladies.’

‘No?’ Rose said. ‘Why not? A handsome buck like you? Well, we’ve got two daughters left over. Or maybe you’re not the type to settle down? Or maybe not ready?’

‘I think I’m probably ready,’ he said. ‘But mebbe I look beyond my station.’

‘I don’t know what that means,’ Rose said. ‘Surely you’re as good as any other man? You’ve got a trade?’

‘Yes, I’ve got a trade, but I guess I’m too plain-spoken and I like my own way. The women I’ve met so far don’t like that.’

Rose laughed. ‘Of course they don’t. But there’s the fun of it. If you can find a young woman who can stand up to you, then she’s the one for you.’

‘Do you think so?’ Dan gazed at her over his coffee cup. ‘Well, I’m not so sure.’

‘What kinda gal do you like?’ Rose asked inquisitively. ‘Dark or fair? Plump or slender? Quiet or merry?’

‘Well, I did like them dark, but lately I’ve discovered a partiality for redheads.’ He smiled. ‘Somebody with a—’

‘Ah’m looking fer a business partner,’ Jason interrupted, cradling his cup. ‘Ah’m lookin’ to build up a new business. There’s a deal o’ work ahead and I need tradesmen and somebody who can organize them. I’m not a tradesman myself,’ he explained. ‘I came to Dreumel when I was jest a young feller and did whatever was axed of me – dug shafts, panned fer gold, blasted through rock – but I feel the need to do more, build up sump’n permanent so I’ll be remembered; sump’n my wife and daughters, aye, and grandchildren too, will be proud of.’

‘Why, you old silly,’ Rose said. ‘We’re proud of you now, Jason. Don’t you be thinking we’re not.’

‘Ah, well, you know what I mean, Rose. I need to have my name up on a hoarding so’s that folk will look up and say
yip, I remember him
.’

‘What sort o’ business?’ Dan asked. ‘I’m a wood worker though I can turn my hand to other crafts, but I’ve no money to put into any company.’

‘Well, the way I look at it,’ Jason mused, ‘folks round here want to rebuild after the fire, and most of them haven’t any money either; majority of them put all they had into their homes and lost everything. And folks’ll be coming from far and near once they know that a new town is going up. I’d like to build some nice new houses, not fer sale but to charge a fair rent so’s that them folk can get back on their feet again and then they can have the option of buying once they’re good’n’ ready.’

Dan shook his head and grinned. ‘You’d need a deal o’ money to do that, Jason. Or to know a friendly banker!’

Jason leaned back in his chair. ‘Why, I know several of them,’ he drawled. ‘Fall over the’selves to have me bank with them. “Yes, sir, no, sir, what can I do fer you today, sir?”’

Dan listened, astonished. Jason and his wife had a nice
house and comfortable furniture, but they were far from pretentious. Rose had obviously cooked the supper herself. Was Jason boasting? Or did he really have wealth?

‘But there’s no sense in having money,’Jason went on, ‘if ya can’t spread it around.’

He looked at Dan, who was staring at him open-mouthed. ‘Whatcha lookin’ at, boy? Did Bill Dreumel not tell you of the time we found gold?’

My darling Jewel, I hardly know how to begin this letter
, Georgiana wrote.
You will know by now that Papa and I are in Dreumel’s Creek. We were so worried over you and Clara, as were Aunt Grace and Uncle Martin, and of course concerned about all our friends when we read of the disastrous fire in Yeller. Papa took ship immediately, although by then we had heard that you were safe and had left for California
.

She went on to describe the journey and how she had been unwell and how very helpful and considerate Dan Hanson had been.
He seems to be settling into life here and has joined forces with Jason in a building project in Yeller. He has said nothing about travelling to California!

Georgiana thought long and hard about how to tell of the most important news of all and wondered how Jewel would react to it; but there was nothing for it, Jewel must be the first to know. She gave her the glad tidings and concluded by saying that she and Wilhelm were absolutely delighted at the prospect of a child and also of seeing Jewel again soon. She put a postscript at the bottom.

I’m sorry to say that James Crawford is leaving the hotel. He has been an excellent manager, but now feels that it is time to return to his roots. He asked if, when writing to you, I would send his very good wishes to you and Clara and say what an honour it had been to meet you. He said, in particular, that he would never forget the pleasurable conversations he had with Miss Clara. What a very agreeable man he is; he reminds me so much of someone I used to know. We shall miss him here in Dreumel’s Creek
.

Your ever loving Mama
.

Jewel and Clara spent the next two weeks travelling around San Francisco and areas beyond. Larkin and Dolly took them into the hills in his trap, as Jewel had said she was keen to see the city as her father had seen it when he’d first arrived.

‘By rights we should’ve died on that journey.’ Larkin chewed thoughtfully on a wad of tobacco. ‘I don’t know how we ever made it. Just a gang o’ Mississippi swamp suckers we were; greenhorns, and your pappy was greener than most. A city gent we called him, but he proved to be as good as anybody. We walked across plains, got buried in the snow, and crossed the Old Spanish Trail and over the Sierra Nevada.’

He pointed down to the city below them. ‘It’s changed in the twenty-five years since we came. Back then it was full of bars, cheap hotels, farmhands like us with hayseed in their hair, card sharps, and a bay full of ships disgorging men who were greedy fer gold. We pitched our tents and pondered on what to do.’