"Her uncle?"
"Arthur Ettinger," Jed explained. "He built Utopia and Ettinger House and owned the silver mine."
Mary smiled. "Arthur. I should have guessed."
"Yes, ma'am," Jed agreed. "Old man Arthur practically worshipped King Arthur and the knights of the round table. Too bad he didn't treat his subjects as well as King Arthur treated his."
"I don't understand."
"Up until Miz Gray, Tabitha, moved here, Utopia didn't have a general store. The mining company operated the store and the miners could only buy from the company store—at outrageously inflated prices. I had opened my store, but I could barely support myself on what I made off sales to the other residents of Utopia. When Art died, Tabitha inherited everything." He paused and scratched his beard. "I don't know why old Art didn't leave everything to your husband, ma'am, what with him being Tabitha's only brother and all."
"You might say my husband was something of a loner before we married," Mary told him. "I don't believe he had much contact with his family after the war."
Jed nodded. "I can surely understand that. I lost most of my family and everything I owned in the war." He reached down and rapped his knuckles on his right leg above his knee. "Even lost my leg at Vicksburg."
"I'm sorry."
"Don't be, ma'am," Jed said. "It turned out to be one of the best things that ever happened to me. My father owned a string of businesses back home and I was studying business. But I was a wild one before the war, hell-bent on destruction. I hated being confined. I hated the university. I didn't want to be a shopkeeper, I wanted to be a hero. I couldn't wait to enlist and fight for the South. I had to learn things the hard way. I saw enough destruction during the war to last me a lifetime. And after I lost everything, I decided to come west. I knew I couldn't work as a miner with a wooden leg, but I had sense enough to know that miners needed equipment and supplies. I scraped together some cash and came west."
"I settled in Utopia because the name and the location appealed to me. But I nearly starved the first year. I couldn't compete with the company store. Anyway, after Art died, Tabitha closed the store and allowed me to buy the contents. You could say she saved my business, and all she asked in return was that I treat the mine employees fairly. I agreed, and we did business together until she died."
Mary sighed. It was impossible to stay angry at a dead woman. Especially when the dead woman was someone she admired—someone she was sure she would have liked if they had met before Lee Kincaid came along. "I know about Tabitha's arrangement with the wives of the miners," Mary said. "How have you managed since the mine closed?"
"I managed because Tabitha used her savings to buy food and goods from me." Jed shook his head and scratched his beard again. "I don't know how she survived. She must have exhausted her money. Supporting a whole town is expensive. Kids always need shoes and clothes and even if they're thrifty, women have to buy things once in a while."
"That's what I want to talk to you about." Mary saw her opening and seized it. "I want to keep the arrangement with the miner's wives. I would like for you to continue to supply them with the necessary food and household goods and whatever school supplies they need—books, slates, pencils, pens, ink."
"The children in this town don't need school supplies, ma'am," Jed told her. "Utopia doesn't have a school or a schoolteacher."
Mary frowned. "What do the children do all day?"
"Most of them work or keep house and take care of the younger ones while their mothers work."
"But they should be in school!"
Jed shrugged. "Like I said, Utopia doesn't have a schoolhouse or a teacher."
Mary's face seemed to light up. "They do now!"
"Ma'am?"
"I'm a teacher, Mr. Buford," Mary answered. "The town needs a teacher and I need pupils. Please order a case each of elementary grade spellers, readers, and arithmetic books, to start. And slates and chalk, and a standing slate board for me as well as pencils, pens, and ink." Mary thought for a moment. "Oh, and desks. About twenty of them."
"I'll be glad to order any supplies you need, Miz Kincaid," Jed said. "But have you thought where you're going to put this school? We don't have any vacant buildings left in town except the jail, and even if it was suitable, it wouldn't be big enough."
"What about one of the saloons?" Mary suggested.
Jed shook his head. "The Ajax already doubles as the assayer's office and the bank and the Silver Bear—well, the Silver Bear has an upstairs business the children ought not to see."
"The servant's kitchen at Ettinger House is plenty big enough," Mary said. "But we need the seating space for meals."
"What about after breakfast and dinner?" Jed suggested. "You could have school in the afternoon between dinner and supper."
"That would only give us two or three hours of school, and the children will need more time than that."
"A little schooling a day is better than none," Jed reminded her.
"Yes, I know," Mary admitted. "But there must be a way. Some place—" Suddenly, she knew where she could start the school. "The ballroom."
"What?"
"The third floor of the Ettinger House has complete servants quarters and a ballroom." Mary was excited. "The ballroom is more than big enough, and with the servant's quarters, we could even house students from outlying farms and towns. And I won't even have to leave my home. I can be there to take care of Judah and Maddy. Order the supplies, Mr. Buford, Utopia is about to get a school!"
Although enthusiastic about the school and the sales for his store, Jed Buford was also practical. He figured it was bad enough having nearly everyone in town going in and out of Ettinger House for meals. Adding a school would be adding more inside traffic and a lot less privacy for the residents. "Maybe we ought to wait to order the school supplies, Miz Kincaid, until after your husband gets back."
"Why?" Mary asked, still carried away by the idea of founding Utopia's first school.
"Maybe you ought to discuss this over with your husband first. He might not think it's such a good idea…" Just this morning, Louisa Shockley had mentioned to Jed, when he delivered fresh eggs and milk, that it was a shame that Lee Kincaid had to leave Utopia to take care of a business matter when he and his sweet wife were still honeymooning. Jed wouldn't like leaving a woman like Mary Kincaid home alone on her honeymoon. And he certainly wouldn't enjoy having a town full of strangers traipsing through his house at all hours. Mealtimes would be bad enough, but having the town's child population underfoot all day long monopolizing his wife's time… After hearing about the passionate kiss between Kincaid and his wife in the middle of Main Street yesterday afternoon, Jed didn't imagine Lee Kincaid would be thrilled with the idea either.
"There isn't any need to discuss this with my husband." Mary gritted her teeth at Jed's suggestion. "I'm the teacher. It's my decision. Besides, my husband is a very well-educated man and I'm sure he'll be delighted by the idea of having a school that the children in town can attend." At least, she hoped Lee would be delighted. She'd been so excited by the idea of starting a school that she hadn't given any thought to Lee's reaction. What would he say when he discovered that not only did she plan to redecorate most of Ettinger House, but open a school too? Still, Mary told herself, Madeline needed the company of other children, and what better way to get it than to have the other children go to school upstairs in her home? Mary bit her bottom lip. Jed Buford was right—she probably should consult with Lee. But he might be gone for weeks and she really wanted to get started on the project immediately.
"Anything else you need, Miz Kincaid?" Jed asked.
Mary handed him her list of paints, wallpaper patterns, and fabric selections. "And now that we've decided to open a school, I think I should add a dozen or so blankets, sheets, and pillows to the list in case we get boarders. And several bolts of white cotton, navy blue serge, and navy blue wool for school uniforms."
"Anything else?" he asked as he added the other items
to Mary's list.
"Can you tell me where I can find a telegraph office?" she asked.
"At the depot," Jed answered.
"Thank you, Mr. Buford, thank you very much." Mary waved good-bye as she left Sherman's General Store and practically skipped down Main Street until she reached the Denver Pacific Railroad depot.
"I need to send a wire," she announced as she entered the railroad office.
"Right this way, ma'am." Carl Baker, the manager of the depot and the telegraph operator, escorted Mary over to the opposite side of the depot where a high counter and the sign proclaimed the existence of an official Western Union telegraph office. He handed Mary a pencil and a slip of paper. "If you'll be so kind as to write the message out for me."
Mary took the pencil and paper and wrote:
Mr. Reese Jordan,
Trail T Ranch, Cheyenne, Wyoming Territory.
Dear Reese, I am starting a school in Utopia. Need funds for renovations. Please send enough capital to equip and supply a school of approximately twenty students, plus extra to cover the cost of turning a ballroom into a schoolroom and for emergencies. I am opening an account at—
Mary looked up at the telegrapher. "Can you tell me the correct name of the bank here in town?"
"It's called the Ajax Saloon, Bank, and Assayer's Office of Utopia, Colorado Territory," he told her. "And it's the only bank in town."
—the Ajax Saloon, Bank, and Assayer's Office of Utopia, Colorado Territory. Need funds as soon as possible as Lee is in Washington on business. Thank you. All my love to the family. Yours, Mary. PS. Do not wire Lee for approval as this is meant as a surprise. Also, as we do not have a newspaper office in Utopia, please place advertisements announcing the opening of the Utopia School for summer term in the area papers.
She finished writing out her message and handed it to the telegrapher.
"That will be one dollar and forty-three cents," Carl told her. "Will you want to wait for a reply or have it delivered? It's an extra two bits for delivery."
Mary took the money out of her purse and added the extra twenty-five cents. "Thank you, Mr…"
"Baker, ma'am. Carl Baker."
"Thank you, Mr. Baker. I'm Mary Kincaid. I'm new to Utopia. I have several more errands to run this morning." She glanced at the watch pinned to the bodice of her walking dress. "I don't expect to get an answer before I return home, so please have the reply delivered to Ettinger House as soon as you receive it."
"Yes, ma'am."
"Now, can you please tell me if the Ajax Saloon, Bank, and Assayer's Office is open this time of morning?"
The bell over the front door to the depot jangled merrily. Carl Baker looked over at his latest customer. "I'll be with you in a moment, Miss Delight, as soon as I finish with this lady."
Mary glanced over her shoulder at Mr. Baker's customer. Miss Delight was a stunningly attractive woman in her late thirties or early forties. Her blond hair shimmered beneath her bright blue feathered hat and she wore a dress fashioned after the latest Paris styles in a matching shade of blue. Mary noticed that her eyes were the same bright blue.
Carl Baker turned his attention back to Mary, but took a moment longer than necessary to reply. "Yes, ma'am, it's open."
Mary sensed something was wrong. "What's the matter? Aren't ladies allowed in the saloon to conduct banking business?"
"Yes, ma'am," Mr. Baker continued to hesitate. "Hugh Morton, that's the owner of the Ajax, allows ladies inside the saloon."
"But…" Mary prompted.
"Ma'am," Mr. Baker said with a rush, "he don't allow no Indians or half-breeds."
Mary recoiled as if he had slapped her. Everyone in Utopia had been so kind. Most of the town had appeared at Ettinger House for breakfast, had sat down at the table and eaten with her, yet no one had even remarked on her heritage—or refused the meal she provided, although she was sure Louisa had enlightened the townspeople about their new benefactress's bloodlines. Besides, Mary sighed, there was no sense trying to hide her heritage. Anyone could see she carried Indian blood in her veins.
She had been sheltered by her family for so long and protected and accepted into Cheyenne society, because of her family's influence and wealth, that she had forgotten how prejudiced and narrow-minded some people could be. She had related the incident that had happened to her years before at school to Lee and told him she had never forgotten it. And Mary realized she hadn't forgotten the viciousness of her classmates, the attempted rape, or her unjust dismissal from school, but she had forgotten the reason for it. She had been accepted by her close-knit family and circle of friends for so many years that she had forgotten there were people who, unlike Lee, and Maddy, and Judah, refused to accept her as a human being with thoughts, feelings, needs, and desires just like their own.
"Ma'am," Carl Baker was saying, "I didn't mean to hurt your feelings, but I thought you ought to know before you tried to go to the Ajax."
"Does he refuse admittance to all Indians and half-breeds or only poor ones?"
"He don't allow no Indians. Period. He lost a brother and his father in a massacre down in Texas before the war."
"I see." Mary turned to leave.
"Miz Kincaid, ma'am, we have cash on hand here at the Western Union office. We might be able to meet your needs."
Mary tried to smile. "Does Western Union provide banking services?"
"No, ma'am."
"I appreciate the offer, Mr. Baker, but I'm quite certain I'll need to open a bank account. I won't be able to conduct my business without access to my funds."
"What about your husband?" Carl asked. "Can't he open an account for you? He's not—" He broke off.
"No, he's Scots-Irish," Mary answered. "Or are Irish barred from the saloon as well?"
"No, ma'am. Some of the Ajax's best customers are Irish. Why don't you ask your husband to take care of your banking business for you?"
Mary gritted her teeth once again. She hadn't realized that the state of matrimony came with so many give-and-takes. She had given up her name and independent status when she married Lee, but she'd been given a certain amount of social freedom in return. She could, for instance, walk down the street without constant supervision or an escort with the knowledge that the wedding band on her finger protected her from some of the unwanted attention she had been subjected to as a single woman. She was also aware that Lee's name provided a certain amount of protection and status, but she hadn't known she would be considered by most men and some women to be lacking in intelligence and abilities, and required to ask permission of her husband or gain his approval simply because she was married. The Cherokee were a matriarchal society, and the men in the Jordan-Alexander family always treated the women with love, admiration, and respect. "My husband is away on business," Mary answered finally. "And I can't ask a stranger to open a bank account for me."
"You won't have to ask." The woman in the doorway stepped forward. "I apologize for eavesdropping, but I couldn't help but overhear part of your conversation. My name is Silver Delight. I have a business here in town and I would be pleased to go to the Ajax and open a bank account on your behalf."
Carl Baker moved to stand between Silver Delight and Mary. "Miss Delight, you ought not to approach a lady like Miz Kincaid in a public place. People might get the wrong idea about her."
Silver fixed Carl with an icy blue stare. "Some people already have the wrong idea about her," Silver replied. "Some people thinks she's a savage Indian, when anyone can see she's a lady."
"Of mixed blood," Carl said.
"But a lady nonetheless," Silver told him. "And I would be proud to help her out—or even loan her the money she needs myself."
"Thank you, Miss Delight." Mary walked around Mr.
Baker, stood before Silver Delight, and offered her hand. "I don't think a loan will be necessary, but I would greatly appreciate your help in opening a bank account."
Silver shook Mary's hand. "Fine. I'll go down to the Ajax right now."
br /> "Oh, but you have business with Mr. Baker," Mary protested.
"No, I don't," Silver answered, as she took Mary by the arm and ushered her away from the Western Union office and Carl Baker's hearing, and out the front door of the depot. "I came here looking for you."
"Why?" Mary asked.
"I left Sherman's a few minutes ago. But while I was there, Jed Buford mentioned you were going to start a school over at the Ettinger House."
"Yes, I am," Mary answered.
"Well, Mrs. Kincaid, I'd like to talk to you about taking on a few of my girls as students."
"Your girls? You mean your daughters?"
"No, ma'am," Silver replied, "I mean my girls… my employees. You see, I own and operate the Silver Bear Saloon."
"The Silver Bear?" Mary thought for a moment. "That's where Judah said the young unmarried men go for—for companionship." She blushed.
"That's right," Silver said. "Look, Mrs. Kincaid, I'll be frank with you. I'm what some people call a madam. I employ young women who provide sexual services for the men in town."
"I see." Mary felt her face turn even redder as she struggled to pretend a sophistication she didn't feel.
"Business is off at the saloon," Silver continued. "It's like Mr. Crane said, except that there aren't enough young unmarried men in Utopia anymore. Or any men—young, old, married, or unmarried."
"Why have you stayed?" Mary asked as they walked down the street toward the Ajax Saloon.
"It's my home," Silver replied honestly. "The Silver Bear isn't much, but it's mine. I worked hard and saved my money and I bought it. I thought about moving on, but it isn't as easy as one would think for a woman like me to start over in another town. At least in Utopia, I know my customers. I know what to expect and how to protect my girls. In another town…" She shrugged her shoulders. "If it was just me, I might leave, but I've got the girls to consider."
"How?"
"Let's just say that in another town things would be different. My business can be dangerous if you don't know who you're dealing with, and if I left Utopia, I'd be starting from scratch, building my clientele, learning my customers' likes and dislikes along with the girls. When I heard that the late Mrs. Gray's brother and his wife had come to take over the mine, I decided to stick it out and see if there was any chance of the mine reopening."