for the gold fields, I was highly skeptical. Told him he was a fool. As it turned out, I was mistaken.”
Letty nodded briskly. “We were all mistaken.” A horrible thought struck her. “Tell me, Mr. Winslow, what would happen if, for some unlikely reason, you don’t receive any more deposits from Charles?”
“Well, now...” The banker frowned, deep in thought. “We can stretch the money out, but you’d have to cut back considerably. Let one or two servants go, move to a smaller house, that sort of thing.”
“I see.” Letty tried not to show her shock and dismay. How had this happened? Her family had never been rich, but they’d always led an easy, comfortable life. Even after her father, Dr. Marvin Tinsley, died unexpectedly of a heart attack, her older brother’s job as curator at the Boston Museum of Natural History enabled them to maintain their respectable standard of living. Of course, that was before the staggering news of the gold discovery in California that completely changed their lives.
Having dutifully issued his warning, Mr. Winslow arose from his desk. “We must remain optimistic. I’m sure Charles’s next deposit has simply been delayed.”
“Of course it has. I’m sure we’ll hear from him soon.” Letty had to force the words out. She must sound confident for her mother’s sake but couldn’t shake the feeling that something bad had happened to her beloved brother.
Men turned their heads, as they always did, when Letty, neatly gloved hands clasping the reins, drove the family two-seater Runabout along the cobblestone streets of Boston at a measured pace. She made a pretty picture with her delicate-featured face, slender figure, and blond ringlets peeking from beneath her stylish bonnet. She would much prefer to be a passenger, but after Charles left, she had no choice but to learn how to hitch their two horses to the Runabout and drive herself. “Mr. Winslow’s right.” She flicked a glance at her mother beside her. “We worry too much. We’ll receive a letter any day now.”
“We’ll be fine.” Always an optimist, Margaret added, “God will provide.”
“Of course He will.” Maybe. Letty would never forget the turmoil when her older brother announced he was quitting his job at the museum and going to California to search for gold. She and her mother were thunderstruck. How would they live? Her sister, Millicent, was only eighteen, still single and living at home. At ten, William, her younger brother, attended a costly private school.
Despite his mother’s tears and sisters’ pleas, Charles couldn’t be dissuaded. “I’m going, but you’ve nothing to worry about. There’s enough in the bank to keep the family comfortable for at least a year. By then, I will have reached California and found my share of those gold nuggets they’re talking about.”
Letty had not understood Charles’s unreasoning optimism. She’d jammed fists to her hips and inquired, “Are you insane? I can’t believe you’d do this. You’re the last person in the world who’d sail to a strange land thousands of miles away on a crazy, half-cocked search for gold.” She loved her brother dearly and had always admired and respected him for his easy-going nature and quick intelligence. All the ladies loved him. Tall, with a handsome face, gray-green eyes and a full head of wavy dark hair, he was considered quite the catch. However, at thirty-one, he was still a bachelor, happy with his work as curator at the museum. At least she’d assumed he’d been happy.
Charles didn’t waver. “Did you ever think I might be tired of cataloguing fossils all day? I’m going, Letty. It’s time I broke free, did something crazy.”
The wild gleam in her brother’s eye signaled his determination. Clearly, he wasn’t about to change his mind.
“So if it doesn’t work out, you’ll come home?”
“Of course, but it will work out. I’ll be sending money soon as I stake my claim and find gold.” He smiled at her fondly. “You’re the reliable one. You’ll be head of the family. Take care of Mother. You know how fragile she is. Millicent’s a bit of a scatterbrain, but quite capable of looking out for herself. As for William, our little brother will be just fine.” Charles paused and, as an afterthought, inquired, “You’re not thinking of marrying any time soon?”
She’d laughed. “You know the answer to that.” At the age of twenty-eight, she’d long since accepted her lot as a confirmed spinster. She’d been engaged once, but Aaron Tyler, her beloved and the first mate aboard the brig St. John, went down with his ship when it sank just off Cohasset. A hero, they said. Tried to save others with no thought for himself. She would treasure little memories of Aaron the rest of her life: the warmth of his embrace, their picnics together when he laughingly taught her all his sailor knots “just in case you ever go to sea.” Now the love of her life was only a name on a monument in the Cohasset Cemetery. She’d never get over his loss, even though men still cast longing eyes in her direction. She tried to get interested, but in her heart she had no desire to look for another man. Until she died, she’d be faithful to Aaron’s memory.
Charles had given her a smile full of confidence that he was doing the right thing. “So you see, it will all work out. You’ve nothing to worry about.”
Letty couldn’t argue. Millicent had so many beaux she would doubtless soon be married. William was a constant delight and no trouble at all. She’d run out of arguments and sighed in defeat. “I see you’re set on going and nothing will stop you.”
Charles nodded with relief. “I’m glad you understand. Look at the bright side. I will find gold, Letty. In my heart, I know I will, and when I do, just think what the future holds. We’ll be rich. Mother will never want for anything again. We’ll live in a fancy house on Beacon Street with a dozen servants, a fancy carriage and four matched horses. You’ll have clothes and jewels and anything you want.”
Never had she seen her brother so excited, so bursting with enthusiasm. Despite her misgivings, she hadn’t the heart to discourage him. “I believe you, Charles. Don’t worry about a thing. I’ll be here to take care of the family.”
How her family had celebrated the day they received that astounding letter from Charles. After leaving Boston and sailing around the Horn, he’d arrived at the mining town of Empire, California and staked his claim. After only a week of digging, he discovered a vein of gold worth thousands, and there was more to come. After that, his generous deposits to their account had more than provided the family with an ample income. The thought never crossed her mind they wouldn’t continue.
As Letty turned the horses onto their street, her mother sat straight and pointed. “What’s that in front of our house?”
“It’s one of those fancy barouches.” The closer they came to their house, the more Letty could see the carriage parked in front wasn’t the ordinary kind most of their friends drove. Two fine white horses were hitched to the four-seater. A top-hatted driver sat on a small, high seat upfront. “Looks like we have visitors, but I can’t imagine who.”
Inside, they were greeted by Molly, their young parlor maid. “There’s a gentleman to see you. He’s got a package. He said he’d wait, so I put him in the parlor.”
Mother frowned in puzzlement. “Who could it be? We weren’t expecting anyone.”
“Then let’s find out, shall we?” Letty and her mother entered the parlor. Because of the fancy carriage parked outside, Letty had assumed whoever was visiting would be dressed in elegant clothing, but no such thing. Their visitor, a pudgy-faced man of small stature, age thirty or so, wore the ordinary clothing of a clerk, or maybe a bank teller.
