Golden Paradise (Vincente 1) (18 page)

Evonne's next words made Valentina feel even worse. There was blind trust in the silver-blue eyes that shimmered with tears. "As I said, the subject is now closed. I just had to hear it from your own mouth."

*                                          *                                          *

Santiago helped Valentina and her mother into the buggy, beaming all the while. As they arranged their skirts, he climbed aboard the buggy and guided the horses onto the dusty roadway.

Evonne glanced about her excitedly, her impressions coming in quick snatches. It was so good to be out of the house. The streets were filled with wagons and carts, and people of all nationalities milled about. It seemed there had been a great influx of Chinese laborers lately, giving a strange, foreign appearance to the town. There were shanties, tents, and shacks—everything made of either wood or canvas—all crowded to overflowing. The storefront windows were stacked with colorful merchandise, and, as they rode, the constant sound of the hammer and saw could be heard.

The community was thriving—bursting at the seams. Gold fever ran rampant, and men were getting rich off human misery. Even so, there was an excitement in the air. This was a new land, and both women were confident that San Francisco would survive the growing pains to one day become a great city.

Valentina noticed that she and her mother were stirring up a great deal of interest from the passersby. They received more than passing glances from many of the gentlemen, who did not often get a chance to see two lovely ladies dressed in such finery.

When the buggy stopped before the San Francisco Hotel, Santiago jumped to the ground and helped both ladies down. After Valentina told him to return for them in an hour and a half, he hopped in the buggy and disappeared down the street.

The inside of the dining room was surprisingly elegant. The walls were filled with reproductions of old masterpieces, and the tables were covered with snowy white tablecloths and laid with silver and crystal. The clientele was obviously upper class—the men and women of the elite San Francisco society.

All eyes followed Valentina and her mother across the room as a stiff headwaiter showed them to a table. Valentina could feel everyone staring at her, so she looked neither to the left nor the right.

After they had ordered lobster with butter sauce, Valentina observed the excited flush on her mother's cheeks. The doctor had been right—this outing was doing her a world of good. As Valentina scanned her mother's lovely face, she was glad to see the illness had left no mark. She was as pretty as ever.

"This room reminds me of a hotel your father and I stayed at in India."

"Are you having fun, Mother?" Valentina asked, changing the subject, fearing her mother would become sad again.

"Oh, yes, dear. The only thing that would make this day complete would be if your father walked in that door right this moment."

Valentina instinctively glanced up at the door and her eyes collided with a man who had just entered. It was Marquis Vincente! When she saw he was with the same woman he had brought to the Crystal Palace that first night, Valentina licked her dry lips and quickly turned away. Confusion and hurt waged a battle within her. Marquis had lied to her. He had said he would be out of town for at least a week. Valentina stared down at her gloved hand, realizing he did not even know she had caught him in a lie, because he did not know she was Jordanna.

Daring another peek in Marquis's direction, Valentina watched the waiter lead him and the woman across the room. To her horror, she saw that the waiter was taking them to the table next to hers.

Out of politeness, Marquis paused at their table and bowed stiffly before moving away.

Valentina nodded slightly then turned away herself. She knew Marquis could hardly engage her and her mother in conversation while he had his mistress with him. She felt an ache in her heart, as if he had betrayed her, yet she did not know if it was Valentina or Jordanna he had betrayed.

"Valentina, isn't that Marquis Vincente?" her mother asked, moving forward and lowering her voice.

"Yes, it is," Valentina answered. Her mind was in a turmoil. Apparently Marquis preferred to be with that woman rather than with her.

When a shadow fell across the table, Valentina glanced up to see Tyree standing over them. "Pardon me for the intrusion, Miss Barrett, but I wanted to pay my respects."

Valentina smiled cheerfully, grateful for Tyree's distraction. "I am pleased that you did, Mr. Garth. May I present my mother to you. Mother, this is the man who has been so kind to me. He has made several inquiries about Father for us."

Evonne offered her hand to Tyree. "If what my daughter says is true, Mr. Garth, you have my eternal gratitude."

Tyree glanced from one woman to the other, thinking that San Francisco had rarely had two such beautiful women to grace her shores. While Valentina's beauty was blossoming with youth, her mother had the radiance of the full-grown flower. Each had a classic beauty that would only be enhanced with age.

"I can assure you I have done nothing, Mrs. Barrett. However, I would like you both to think of me as a friend."

"Won't you join us for dinner, Mr. Garth?" Evonne offered.

Tyree smiled at Valentina. "Perhaps you should tell your mother that it isn't considered wise for a woman to be seen in my company."

Valentina's eyes were warm with laughter. "What Mr. Garth wants me to tell you, Mother, is that he is the proprietor of the Crystal Palace."

Evonne looked shock for just a moment, but she quickly recovered. "I can assure you, Mr. Garth, that my daughter and I will never snub one who has so graciously offered his help to us. That would be the epitome of hypocrisy. My offer still stands if you would like to join us. If you but knew it, I have a past that might shock you.

Tyree chuckled and seated himself at the table. "How can I refuse such an intriguing invitation. I wonder, would you consider telling me about your secret past, Mrs. Barrett? I can assure you I am a man who knows how to keep a secret." His eyes met Valentina's. "Do you trust me, Miss Barrett?"

Valentina stared into laughing eyes. "With my life," she answered.

Tyree felt the warmth of Valentina's gaze. Feeling almost light-headed, he quickly turned to the mother. "Will you share your secret with me? As you can see, your daughter trusts me."

Evonne took a sip of wine and smiled at the young man. She could tell he was thoroughly enchanted with her daughter. He looked something of a rake, but that made him all the more charming in her eyes. Lowering her voice, she motioned for him to lean closer. "I was once a dancer," she admitted. "On the stage."

Tyree's eyes moved to Valentina, and he saw shock register on her face. Smiling to himself, he nodded. "I can well imagine you were a wonderful dancer."

Valentina was completely surprised that her mother would admit to having been a dancer in the past. She felt the need to defend her mother's reputation. She did not want Tyree to think her mother had danced in a saloon. "My mother was once a very famous dancer in Europe. She was a prima ballerina."

Tyree caught the guarded look on Valentina's face. "I have only recently seen a ballerina dance, Mrs. Barrett. I can assure you it is by far my favorite dance." He leaned back and studied the mother. "Tell me about your dancing career."

As her mother continued, Valentina could feel Marquis's eyes burning into her. Looking past Tyree's shoulder, she saw what appeared to be anger on his face. The woman beside him had leaned across the table and had taken his hand, but he was not listening to her. He did not seem at all pleased that Tyree had joined Valentina and her mother. Valentina wondered why.

"How much of San Francisco have you ladies seen?" Tyree asked, disrupting Valentina's thoughts.

"Not very much, I'm afraid," Evonne admitted. "I have been ill, and my daughter has a job as companion to an elderly woman."

Tyree raised his brow at Valentina, and, as usual, the humor danced in his eyes. "Indeed. What a fortunate lady to have your daughter as a companion." Suppressed laughter curved his lips. "I will have to show you my city after we have eaten."

Lunch was an uncomfortable affair for Valentina. She was aware of Marquis's brooding silence, and she tried to pretend indifference, for she could not let him discover she was wise to his lies. Despite her efforts, her anger rose so near the surface that she was afraid to look at him.

After they had eaten, Valentina and her mother moved across the room while Tyree stopped briefly to speak to Marquis and Bonita. "Well, I'm off to show two very charming ladies San Francisco, Marquis. I trust you two will fare well without my company."

Marquis ground his teeth. "I am sure you will make the most of it, Tyree. As I recall, you were supposed to have lunch with Bonita and me."

"I apologize, but I couldn't turn down such a charming invitation, my friend." Tyree grinned. "You can't have every lovely lady that crosses your path. You have to save a few for the rest of us poor devils." Chuckling to himself, Tyree winked at Bonita and strolled away to join Valentina and Evonne Barrett.

Tyree's horse trotted along beside the buggy driven by Santiago. After they had climbed a steep grade, he instructed Santiago to halt the buggy so he could show Valentina and her mother the spectacular view of San Francisco. Steering the ladies to the edge of the hill, Tyree pointed out the places of interest.

"The town grew almost overnight from the sleepy little village of eight hundred people that it was in 1847 to the thriving beehive you see now. There are more than a thousand people and only two hundred buildings. You guess where they all live, because I assure you I don't know. Most of the buildings are wood and, in my estimation, too close together. It doesn't take much imagination to realize the fire hazard they represent. It would be advantageous to all concerned if they built with fire safety in mind."

"I hadn't thought of that," Evonne said, allowing her eyes to move over the town. "I know that London was almost wiped out by fire at one time."

"That is just one aspect of the town. If you will look toward the waterfront, you will notice the many deserted ships that ride at anchor. Their captains and crews have deserted for the lure of the gold fields. Some lie low in the water and will eventually sink. Notice how some of the ships are listing at crazy angles with their masts and riggings entangled with nearby ships."

Valentina watched one ship riding at anchor, rolled half on her side and dipping drunkenly with the motion of the waves. She caught Tyree's eye, listening with interest as he continued.

"In the holds of many of the ships is rotting cargo that will never be unloaded. It's been estimated that over two hundred empty ships strain at their anchors since their captains and crews have abandoned them."

"I'm sure there is nowhere on earth like California," Evonne speculated. "And believe me I know, because Ward and I have seen most of the world. This is a paradise, or could be. My husband told me of great waterfalls and giant trees that are wider than a house. Man is a great spoiler. If he isn't careful, he will spoil this lovely land."

Tyree smiled at Valentina's mother. "You're right. I have loved this land ever since I came here with my father. To my way of thinking, when God was creating the earth, he paid particular attention to California."

"Yes, this is a land where children could grow and thrive. It makes one wonder how it would have developed if gold hadn't been discovered," Evonne speculated.

"We'll never know," Tyree answered. "One of the saddest sights I've seen is the many families torn apart because of the greed for gold. The husband can't afford to keep his wife with him, so he sends her packing, back East to the kids, who wait for them both to return. There is always a spectacle when the ships arrive. You can stand on the wharf and catch a glimpse of husband and wife being united, their hearts full, thinking they will find gold and go home wealthy. There is also the disappointment when an expected loved one doesn't disembark from the ship."

Tyree gazed out to sea as if searching for something before he continued. "You can read the unspeakable grief on the face of a young husband waiting for his wife, only to discover she has succumbed to some disaster or sickness at sea. On the other side there is the wife who searches the faces of the crowd for her husband, only to find her journey was a fruitless pilgrimage, for her husband has already been claimed by death. Some arrive sick and feeble, unable to work. Theirs is the saddest plight of all. In a land of plenty, there are those who are starving."

Tyree's eyes moved to the city, automatically seeking the Crystal Palace. "San Francisco is a pesthole. The streets become a sea of mud in the rainy season. Animals, as well as men, have been known to drown in the mire. Many horses have sunk into the mud and have to be shot because they couldn't be pulled out. There is a great need for sewers and pure water. There is no real law here, and the dregs of the world have descended on us."

"I thought you loved San Francisco, yet you sound like you hate it here," Valentina observed.

He smiled at her. "To the contrary, I love San Francisco. I just don't like what's happening to her."

"Did you never try your hand at mining, Mr. Garth?" Evonne wanted to know.