Standing in front of a mirror at the dressing table, Adam tied his tie, and then shrugged on his black jacket. Shiloh sat just below him, putting the final touches on her hair. “Adam, are you sure the dates for my performance here are alright?”
“It’s a little late to be asking me now,” he replied, running a brush through his hair. “We already signed the contract.”
“Does that mean there’s a problem?”
Laying the brush on the dressing table in front of her, he bent and kissed the back of her neck. “No, but you didn’t seem too happy when we signed.” She sat with her hands on the table, tapping her fingers and drawing in one side of her mouth. “Spit it out,” he said, looking at her in the mirror.
She sighed loudly and cut her eyes up at him. “That…that…turtle of a man…wouldn’t accept it unless you signed it.”
“It was a contract, Sweetheart. You and I have already talked about legally binding contracts.”
Standing and turning to him, she asked, “Do you even know what the contract said?”
“It stated what you wanted as far as your accommodations, meals, number of performances and pay. I would never sign a contract without knowing what it said.” He gave her a quick smack on the lips, then turned to fetch her wrap, and bringing it up around her and laying it over her shoulders, he asked, “Are you going to get upset with every contract you write? You’ve known since you said ‘yes’ that I’d have to sign all of them.” When she pouted, he put his arms around her waist, cocked his head and smiled slightly. “It’s just something that has to be done, and pouting about it isn’t going to change it. Now, put on that irresistible smile of yours. It’s time to go.”
A private coach was waiting for them when they got to the lobby. Once they were aboard, they were taken to the Crocker house, where a doorman was waiting at the street and a butler waited at the front door. “Mr. and Mrs. Cartwright, welcome.”
“Thank you,” said Adam while Shiloh smiled and nodded.
Once they were inside the house, the butler asked Shiloh for her wrap, and then led them into a large parlor where Mr. and Mrs. Crocker were waiting. “Mr. Cartwright, I’m pleased that you could come on such short notice. Mrs. Cartwright, it’s a pleasure to meet you. May I present my wife?”
Adam took her hand and bowed. “Mrs. Crocker, it is a pleasure.”
She turned to Shiloh. “I’m very glad to meet you, Mrs. Crocker.” To Shiloh, she looked to be around Adam’s age, a bit younger than her husband. She dressed conservatively and wore her hair in a bun that looked painfully taut. But her smile was so brilliant and relaxed, it immediately set Shiloh at ease.
“Please, won’t you come in and sit down,” she said in a soft, lilting voice. “Dinner will be ready in only a few minutes.”
“Mr. Cartwright, you’re probably wondering why I invited you for dinner tonight.”
“Truthfully, I did wonder. I assumed it was about timber, but this is still highly unusual.”
“Well, the reason I contacted you isn’t just because of your family’s reputation in timber. It’s also because of your lovely wife.”
Shiloh perked up. “I’m sorry, have we met?”
“We have a mutual friend…Mr. Frederick Stanton.”
Looking over at Adam, she breathed out when she smiled. “And what did Mr. Stanton tell you?”
“It’s not what Mr. Stanton told me. It’s what he did for me.”
Shiloh creased her eyebrows. “I don’t understand.”
The butler appeared at the parlor door and announced dinner.
“Why don’t we discuss this in the dining room,” said Mr. Crocker, standing and offering his arm to his wife. Adam followed suit and escorted Shiloh to a table that was magnificently set with beautiful china, crystal and silver including multiple forks, spoons and knives. Each plate was prepared by an attendant, and when everyone was served, Mr. Crocker said grace.
“I understand that you’ve just been married,” said Mr. Crocker.
“Yes, we were married March first and have just returned from a month in San Francisco,” said Adam.
“Please, call me Charles. I hope to be doing business with the Ponderosa for a very long time.”
Adam nodded. “Adam.”
“You and your father have won some of my timber contracts before. And you, Mrs. Cartwright…Mr. Stanton referred to you as Miss Whitney back then, but of course, you weren’t married at the time. You won the bid on some property in the Sierra with what Mr. Stanton described as a unique and impressive bid. He showed it to me, and I agreed.”
“Pardon my ignorance, Mr. Crocker…”
“Please, call me Charles.”
Shiloh held her breath for a moment, then, forced it out…”Charles…that was a private bid. Why would Mr. Stanton show it to you?”
“It’s quite simple…may I call you Shiloh…or would you prefer Isabella?”
Shiloh felt completely confused. At this point she didn’t care what he called her, but decided since they were talking about timber…”Shiloh, please.”
“Shiloh, you bought the land from me.”
Shiloh’s mouth formed the word ‘oh’, even though she didn’t say it. She looked over at Adam who wore the same expression, but quickly changed his to a reserved smile.
“Charles, I think you might be a bit confused,” said Adam. “The Ponderosa doesn’t own that land. The Flying W does.”
“Adam, you and I both know it doesn’t really matter who owns the land. I’m dealing with Cartwrights either way.”
Shiloh moved her eyes toward Mrs. Crocker who was just listening, nodding and smiling. She caught Shiloh’s look and said, “Please don’t be concerned about my silence. I don’t participate in Charles’ business, but I must say, I’m intrigued that you are knowledgeable in timber and land. I would never have imagined that Charles would agree to sell any of his holdings to a woman, so you must have impressed him greatly.”
Shiloh smiled, but said nothing. She didn’t know whether she had been complimented or insulted.
“At the time I sold the land, I was raising money to get the railroad started from this end. Now that I’ve raised some capital, I’d like to leverage our sales agreement to build it.”
He had both Adam and Shiloh’s full attention. “What did you have in mind?” asked Adam.
“The sales contract calls for fifty percent of the first five timber contracts. I’d like to give you those five timber contracts and invest my fifty percent in the railroad. By providing you with the timber contracts, I can anticipate what that fifty percent will be and can guarantee future loans.”
The corner of Adam’s mouth turned up. “So we figure the amount of the contract, and then execute it at fifty percent of the profit we anticipate.”
“It reduces the line item costs on the railroad to levels where I can get those guarantees. I don’t care if you use Ponderosa timber or Flying W timber, though I’m sure since the sales agreement is with the Flying W, it will most likely be my former timber that you choose. I already know the quality of that wood. I also know the quality of Ponderosa timber.”
“So it wasn’t that my bid was particularly good,” said Shiloh. “It gave you enough for capital when you needed it and left you with enough for a nest egg when you started purchasing materials.”
“Mr. Stanton was leaning toward Adam’s bid, but when I told him what I wanted to do, he showed me yours. But Shiloh, your bid was brilliant, and exactly what I would expect from someone just getting into the timber business. It was a good risk on your part. The only reservation Mr. Stanton had was…”
“That I’m a woman. Well, I hope Mr. Stanton has learned his lesson about women.”
“Women…no,” said Mr. Crocker. “You…most definitely.”
After dinner, they drank brandy in the parlor while Mr. Crocker and Adam discussed the particulars of the railroad’s needs. “Adam, if you can deliver these five contracts on time, I will most likely name you as the primary contractor for the remainder of the timber we’ll need. And I have no doubt that you can.”
“Well, I don’t think I have to tell you that this will be a joint effort by both ranches.”
“Either one or both is fine. I’ll send you the specifications within the next two weeks. Most of it in the beginning will be ties until we can survey the line further into the Sierra. I already know we will be building some trestles, and there will be a need for water tanks and coal storage and perhaps several depots.”
“I’ll look for them.” The men stood and shook hands. “Well, we should be getting back to the hotel. We have a stagecoach to catch tomorrow,” said Adam, holding his hand out to Shiloh.
“Thank you, Mr….Charles,” said Shiloh. “Mrs. Crocker, it’s been a pleasant evening.”
“Have you decided when you will be performing in Sacramento?” she asked.
Again, she took Shiloh by surprise. “Yes, I have. I’ll be back in August.”
“Charles and I didn’t have the chance to see you perform in San Francisco. I’m looking forward to it.”
Shiloh and Adam were quiet in the coach and all the way up to their room. They removed their evening clothes and repacked them, then took out the clothes they would wear for their trip home in total silence. When they got into bed, they lay on their backs staring up at the ceiling, and then at the same time, they both began to laugh.
“I feel like I’ve been taken advantage of,” she laughed. “I have no idea why that’s so funny.”
“Pa’s gonna have to sit down for an entire evening when he hears this.”
Turning to face each other, they kissed as they laughed and slowly stopped, finally just enjoying each other’s laughing eyes. “Adam, can we handle all this?”
“We’ve already bid on some timber contracts. We won’t get all of them, but it’s going to be a busy season this year. We’ll make it work. I don’t want to turn down the business of the railroad. This could easily be a five or six year deal.”
“What about the courthouse…and you said you have another project for Slater?”
“Shiloh, if there’s one thing that you and I have in common, it’s our need to be busy. We’ll be busy. But we’ll always come home to each other.”
Settling in each other’s arms, they closed their eyes. The silence was broken by an occasional giggle or chuckle until they both fell asleep.
The End
Next Story in theTo Everything, There is a Season Series:
Growing Pains
Family Ties
Life’s Demands
Special thanks to sklamb; my beta, my friend
You know, some people thought this one is the worst of them all…kind of a fantasy that never would have happened. I don’t know about that. All these places really did exist back then. The Lick House was real and accurately described, the Cliff House and the beach, too. And Santa Cruz in the mid-1800s was the way I described it. The Meders were real, and so was their dairy. In fact a couple of those buildings are still there. Thomas Maquire and his opera house in San Francisco and VC were real. Even the San Francisco mayors I have in the stories were all real. This one’s a story back, but Eliza Biscaciante was real and her story was real. She eventually regained her popularity in South America (from Adam’s encouragement, of course!), but she was singing in Gentlemen’s Clubs in San Francisco for drinks at one point. I love working history into my stories.
I suppose my favorite part of all of this was their time on the beach. I’ve been to that very beach, but it’s not a little hideaway any longer…it’s got quite a surfing crowd these days. But the description of the creek coming off the bluff down through the woods is true as well as the small pool of water on the beach. And you can get stuck on that beach at high tide. The cliffs are so high, you can’t climb out. You either have to swim around the points or you have to wait for the tide to go back out. A lot did happen in this one, but as I said, I think this one is my favorite of them all.
Thanks so much, Marie. I think you have just a little ways to go to the end of this one.
I was in a lot of pain last weekend so I didn’t get to finish it. I’ve been busy all week so I’m looking forward to figuring out where I left off. I love this story. I’m loving the entire series! I love long long stories and a series to boot? What more could I ask for! Okay, off to figure out where I left off before I hurt my back last weekend. 🙂
~ A great way to start a new beginning! I look forward to reading each chapter and commenting about them as I read them. 🙂 I just love this couple!
~ Poor Shiloh, she doesn’t do well on those stage coaches. I don’t think I would have either! I just can’t imagine having to travel via a stage coach to get anywhere. I’m glad they arrived at Sacramento safe and sound…Who is this mysterious man?
~ What an opulent hotel, Adam. Presidential Suite? Very impressive indeed! Who was the gent inquiring about them that didn’t want to identify himself? Hmmmm
~ Adam was very adamant about not letting Shiloh sing even if it was for just one night. I can’t blame him though, they’re on their honeymoon! Somehow I don’t think Shiloh will be in that beautiful nightgown and robe too long after breakfast is over. 😉
~ Oh snap! That witch, Natalie Peterson and Will! I just knew he was the “mystery man”. Those two…ooooooh, this is going to get GOOD! LOL
~ Who is this mysterious thug? No doubt a hinchman for Will. I was hoping Adam would get him and show him a thing or two. I’m sure we haven’t seen the last of him, Will, or that nasty Natalie.
~ I sure would have loved to been at dinner! The food sounded divine. Is Adam and Shiloh moving to SFO? I must keep reading! 🙂
~ I don’t like this Daniel guy. Not respecting the institution of marriage. I think he has a thing for Shiloh. He’s trouble indeed!
~ What is that no good Daniel up to? It seems the whole world is after poor Shiloh. First it’s Will, Natalie and the mystery man, now Daniel. Somehow I think their honeymoon is going to be a firestorm!
~ It’s almost like she saw a ghost! Who…or what did she see? The plot thickens. 😮
~ Shiloh is so good to go along with Adam, even though these types of events are what she despises the most. She’s such a trooper. The mayor’s wife was so excited to see they had a celebrity in the house, however, she was quite rude to drag her around like a rag doll. Poor Shiloh. Oh boy, the well just got deep! Will is going to make it tough for Adam and his new firm. I know Adam will work it out. Don’t mess with a Cartwright, buddy! That darn Peterson woman…I can just see her body language now; like she’s got the upper hand and she’s going to make Shiloh’s life a living hell. rrrrr
~ Well, the mayor’s reception went well….Cartwrights 1, Will and Natalie, 0. ROTFL
~ What a powerful chapter. How stupid is Will? I mean to come to the hotel where Adam and Shiloh are staying and make such a scene. Did he think it would end well for him? Now the hotel has his face and he will be escorted out if he tries to step in again. I can’t wait to see what Natalie has up here sleeve. I almost feel sorry for her, though…Natalie, that is…She’s just a pawn in this scheme. I’m not sure if she wants Will or if she wants Adam, but she’s a sad lost soul; I pity her.
~ How cute was this chapter. I loved the “escort” Shiloh had for the banquet hall and the “password”. Pretty clever of shiloh to come up with something only Adam would know. I loved their banter at the breakfast table. Too cute!
~ How sweet are Mary and Harold? The seawall thing was so fun! I don’t think I would want to do it in the dead of winter but it might be something fun to share with your beloved in the summer! I loved this chapter!
~ The Alta California is nothing but a sleazy rag paper. On the front page no doubt. I wonder how much money Will paid them to run that article. He’s such a sleaze bag. I sure hope Shiloh does not find out about this; she’ll be heartbroken thinking she’s caused all of this drama for Adam. What she doesn’t know is if you mess with the Cartwrights, you’re messing with a mighty empire nobody can defend against.
~ What a lighthearted chapter. It was so good to see Shiloh smile and be childlike again. I was so sorry Adam couldn’t fully enjoy it with her. 🙁 I hope she is able to get him to feel the inner child he never got to experience. I was just glad they were finally free of all the drama which had encapsulated them in SFO. I just wonder if there is not drama around the bend….
~ Will is a scoundrel! Thank goodness the mayor sees through his stupidness and told him to keep his personal life out of his professional one. I have a sneaking suspicion good ole Will is going to amp it up a notch to try and discredit Adam with not only SFO but with Shiloh, too! Spec, Spec, Spec…She’s a character! I love that girl! ROTFL
~ Sounds like they’re finally going to be able to have the honeymoon they were expecting. The little town they are going to visit sounds delightful. The thought of Shiloh getting kidnapped by Will…makes me shiver.
~ Okay, I don’t know if I was stone cold drunk would I try a fried grasshopper. LOL but wow, that was too funny! The food sounded fantastic, however, I don’t do any seafood or fish, but I do love empanadas! Loved seeing them having such a great time in Spanishtown, even if the jerk who’s following them showed up.
~ What is Daniel up to and what does he want with Will? Those two along with Natalie; a deadly combo. 🙁 Shiloh seeing Micah? What?? Oh poor thing. She wants so much for her brother to be alive. :'(
~ I feel so bad for them, they can’t seem to catch a break on the drama left behind at SFO. Hopefully their time in Santa Cruz will be more enjoyable. The clipper ship sounded lovely.
~ Shiloh’s so cute. She’s a feisty thing and Adam has her hands full. I can understand her frustration with Adam not being forthright about the accusations Will thrusted upon him trying to get the Mayor to take away the contract for the courthouse, but at the same time I see Adam’s point, why burden her with the nonsense when he knew there was no merit to it and the mayor dismissed Will’s claim? She has so much already on her plate and what purpose would it serve her for him to tell her about Will’s ridiculous attempts to try and hurt him and the new company he is with.
~ What a great chapter. It seems maybe they should have gone to Santa Cruz for their honeymoon instead and just let everyone think they were going to San Francisco. LOL Loved how she got a bit tipsy again. Very cute! “Liar,” she said. ROTFL Loved it!
~Somehow I don’t think Shiloh’s to keen on learning the ropes of a dairy farm. LOL She did seem to enjoy the trip to the Meder farm though. 🙂
~ Interesting on how they made cheese and butter back then. I don’t think I like the whole rennent thing though. 🙁 Thank goodness I wasn’t born back in the 19th century or on a farm. I’m too much of a city girl! LOL
~ Why do I feel something is going to happen while they’re camping? Sounds blissful though…If you like camping and fishing. Seems it’s right up Shiloh’s alley!
~ I think Adam may have trouble getting Shiloh to leave their little private slice of heaven. I loved this chapter. I’m glad everything is going so well…for now. 😉
~ Shame on you, Adam Cartwright, for making Shiloh…no forcing her to face her fear of the water the way you did. He needs to realize you have to slowly let someone adjust to a fear. Help them in a safe environment. He’s lucky it didn’t backfire on him and her fear become worse when she was knocked about by the wave that took her under. I’m a good swimmer and that’s happened to me on more than one occasion and it’s scary as heck! Oh, Adam, I’m not happy with you. 🙁 Thank goodness Shiloh is strong and is willing to try it again.
~ My heart stopped when Adam called for Shiloh and she didn’t answer. I thought I can only imagine the fear that set in to him as he called her and no answer came. I can breathe again.
~ Ick…I don’t know if I would want to wake up to raccoons, skunks, and rabbits in my camp. LOL
~ Awe, I wonder if she is pregnant. She’ll make a great mom. She just doesn’t know it yet. 🙂
~ I never thought Ben would be such a “traditionalist” not wanting to move The Ponderosa forward. I can see how that would frustrate Adam. He’ll have to use his ingenuity at the Flying W.
~ I hope she’s not going to have issues having children. They’ll both make great parents. I kind of hope she is with child. 🙂
~ This poor couple haven’t had much of a honeymoon when they’ve been in the city. I guess that’s why Shiloh enjoyed the beach and Santa Cruz so much. Nobody knew them and most of all, they were away from Will!
~ Wow! What a great ending! Such a great opportunity for both Adam, Shiloh, and both ranches to be involved with the railroad. I know it was hard for Shiloh to have Adam sign the contracts instead of her now that she was married to him. I’m glad those times have changed! While I still am somewhat of a traditionalist at heart, I believe a woman can stand firmly on her own and share equally in a marriage partnership. It seems Shiloh and I think a lot alike. 🙂
Looking forward to the next story in the series!
Thanks for such a sweet tender story. I hope we get to see Will and his sidekick again. I love seeing them make fools of themselves. LOL