Homecoming Girls (32 page)

‘I cried,’ Lorenzo said suddenly. ‘When you went away I cried for days. Pinyin was the only one who could console me.’

‘You were just a bambino,’ his mother said. ‘But we all cried when she was gone.’

They heard the door bell of the restaurant jangle and Pinyin went to answer it. ‘Tell them we serve lunch in an hour,’ Maria called after him.

He came back a few minutes later. ‘I serve them coffee,’ he said. ‘It is Larkin and a friend.’

Jewel went through into the dining room. A grey-haired man of about sixty wearing a checked shirt and heavy twill breeches and holding a large-brimmed hat stood biting his lip and looking slightly nervous. Beside him was a large woman, younger than Larkin, with dyed hair and flamboyant clothes.

‘Larkin?’ Jewel whispered. ‘Is it really you?’

‘Sure is, Miss Jewel.’ He ran his fingers round the brim of his hat and took a step towards her.

She gazed at him, trying to recall. He used to swing her up in the air, that much she remembered. He put out his hand, formally. It was rough as if he did manual work, though spotlessly clean.

‘Oh, Larkin,’ she said. ‘I can’t believe I’m seeing you after all this time.’ She held out her arms and he put his round her
waist to hug her. She knew it was him; he smelled the same, of tobacco and carbolic soap.

‘Guess you won’t know who this is,’ he said gruffly. Clearing his throat, he cast his thumb towards the woman.

‘Dolly?’ she said. ‘Is it Dolly?’

‘It sure is, m’darlin,’ Dolly said, and tears streaked her powdered face. ‘Why, I knew you’d be a looker, but I never guessed how beautiful you’d be.’

Jewel went to her and again she was given a bear hug. She instantly recognized the scent of perfume and powder and remembered too how Dolly used to let her try on her hats and scarves and totter about in her shoes.

‘I’m overwhelmed,’ she said. ‘It’s too much to take in all in one day.’

Larkin raised his bushy eyebrows enquiringly.

‘I have found out about my mother,’ she said. ‘I’ve been in Chinatown.’

They all sat down and Larkin said, ‘I met her once at the house. Tiny little thing she was. Eddie missed her a lot. Searched all over San Fran, he did, and in Chinatown, but he couldn’t find her. Never knew what happened to her till you were brought by the Chinese woman.’

‘How did you know I was here?’ Jewel asked.

‘We didn’t,’ Dolly said. ‘But we’ve been coming up here most weeks since we got your letter to say you were coming home. Jest checkin’.’

Coming home, Jewel thought? Yes, I suppose that’s how it appears. And is that so? Now that I have found out about myself and about my mother?

‘Larkin,’ she said. ‘Dolly! There’s so much more I need to know about my father.’

They talked and talked and Jewel listened. Larkin told her about meeting her father in the Mississippi Basin and their trek to California; he told her of their friend Jed, whom she barely remembered. Jed and his family had left San Francisco but still kept in touch; he’d bought some land, Larkin explained, saying, ‘I guess he wuz always a farm boy.’

Dolly told of meeting Jewel’s father when he was working in the bar in San Francisco where he had met Tsui, before he opened his own saloon. ‘He left it to me, did you know that, honey?’ Dolly wiped her eyes. ‘He was a real gentleman, your pa; I wish you could have remembered him.’

Jewel nodded. She wished she could too, but she was piecing together his life, bit by bit.

She introduced Clara to them and then they all sat down to lunch of antipasti and a steaming bowl of pasta with salad, served by Maria.

After they had finished, Larkin and Dolly stood up to take their leave. They were promising that they would meet again in a few days’ time at the downtown hotel where Jewel and Clara were staying when the restaurant door opened and Chen peered cautiously in.

‘Excuse me, please. I must speak to Pinyin and Mr Lorenzo.’ He beamed at Jewel, but then apologized. ‘I am very sorry,’ he said, on realizing she had guests. ‘But it is most urgent.’

Pinyin was summoned and Chen spoke a stream of
unintelligible sentences, while Pinyin’s usual enigmatic expression changed to a frown and a torrent of questions.

‘What is it?’ Lorenzo asked. ‘Is something wrong? Why has Chen asked for me?’

Pinyin whispered something to him. Lorenzo started, and muttered an involuntary, though hushed, curse.

Larkin bade them goodbye and ushered Dolly outside to where a pony and trap were tethered. They both gave a cheery wave as they left.

‘I’m sorry, I must go on an errand immediately,’ Lorenzo told Jewel. ‘I won’t be long. Please wait.’

Jewel said she and Clara would go back to the hotel and they would meet later in the day.

‘Come for supper,’ he urged, pulling on his jacket. ‘Please come! I must go. Pinyin, come.’

Chen rushed across to Jewel. Taking her hand, he murmured, ‘Little sister, I am so pleased to have found you again.’

‘Chen.’ Jewel pressed his hand. ‘What has happened? Something is wrong!’

‘Not for you,’ he assured her. ‘It is not a worry for you or for us. Perhaps for Mr Lorenzo. That is why I came.’ He rushed out of the door, following Lorenzo and Pinyin.

Maria watched them racing down the hill and shook her head. Then she shrugged. ‘Some Italian in trouble! They always send for my boy.’

Jewel and Clara left then, saying they would walk down the hill and that they would benefit from the exercise and the fresh air.

‘And I need to talk to you, Clara,’ Jewel said, tucking her arm into her cousin’s. ‘There is so much to discuss.’

‘Indeed there is.’ Clara smiled. ‘I too have things to tell you.’

‘What?’Jewel asked. ‘What has been happening to you? Oh, Clara,’ she sighed. ‘I am so happy! I just can’t tell you how much. Has something nice happened to you?’

‘Well, of course I was worried sick after the earthquake
when I couldn’t find you, and just as I was wondering what on earth I could do next, and where I could go for help, Federico Cavalli turned up. He’d come looking for us when he felt the quake.’

‘That was kind of him,’Jewel murmured.

‘Yes,’ Clara agreed. ‘He’s a strange man of so many temperaments. Charming – and yet arrogant too. We went back into Chinatown and he asked various people, including the stallholder whom we now know as Soong Zedung.’ Clara frowned. ‘He was quite rude about him actually,’ she added. ‘Mr Cavalli, I mean, was rude about Soong Zedung. He called him a heathen and although we know he’s not a very nice man, I don’t think he should have said that.’

Jewel shook her head. ‘I agree,’ she said. ‘So then what happened?’

They picked their way down the steep hill as Clara described what had followed, and then said, ‘But what I wanted to tell you, Jewel, was that on the same day, when I went back to the hotel, there was a letter from my mother waiting for me.’

‘Oh!’ Jewel said. ‘Perhaps there will be one waiting for me from Mama and Papa. What a great deal I have to tell them!’

‘Ye-es, indeed. But I haven’t finished telling you about my letter.’

‘Sorry,’ Jewel apologized. ‘I am so taken up with my own affairs. Please go on, Clara. I promise I won’t interrupt.’

Clara laughed. ‘There might be some who would offer a wager on that, but this is what Mama said.’ She pulled the letter from her pocket and began to read.
‘My news is that Uncle Wilhelm has left for America. He was very concerned after the fire in Yeller and to know that you were both safe . . .
Oh, here.’ She handed the letter to Jewel. ‘You’d better read it for yourself.’

She propelled Jewel to a low wall and they sat down and Clara waited for the outburst that she was sure would come when her cousin read that Dan had also come to America.

‘I can’t believe it!’Jewel exclaimed, looking up. ‘Mama and Papa have travelled all this way to be sure we’re safe!’

Clara raised her eyebrows expressively, but remained silent, and Jewel turned back to the letter.

‘What? Clara! Dan has travelled with Mama!’ Jewel hadn’t taken in the significance on the first scan of the letter. ‘Dan! He’ll be in Dreumel’s Creek! Oh, no, Clara! This will ruin everything. He’ll come here and – and – I don’t want him to. I want—’ Her pale cheeks flushed. ‘Clara – I’m very taken with Lorenzo. Is that very bad of me?’ Her voice dropped to a whisper. ‘And I think he’s—’

Clara put her arm round Jewel’s shoulder. She could sense how confused she was, probably not thinking straight after her ordeal in the earthquake and all that had followed.

‘I think that Lorenzo is totally captivated by you, Jewel. Anyone can see that! But there are many implications which you must think about and prepare for if’ – she gazed at her cousin – ‘if he should ask for you.’

‘Yes.’ Jewel’s voice trembled but there was a hint of excitement in her dark eyes. ‘Yes, of course.’

‘Let’s move on,’ Clara suggested. ‘We’ll go back to the hotel. You can bathe and change and then we’ll sit for a while in the hotel lounge and talk about the ifs and buts if such a circumstance should arise.’ She squeezed Jewel’s shoulder and beamed. ‘Which I’m sure it will!’

They were approaching St Mary’s and the entrance to Chinatown. Clara, who was looking about her, suddenly caught Jewel’s arm.

‘Wait!’ She spoke in an urgent, quivering whisper. ‘Look!’

Coming out from the Chinatown entrance and hailing a cab was Chen. Behind him were Lorenzo and Pinyin and between them, with an arm draped round each of their shoulders, they were trailing a dishevelled and unsteady Federico Cavalli.

‘Oh! He’s drunk!’Jewel exclaimed in horror.

Or worse, Clara thought, considering where he has been. Has he been in Chinatown since he came in with Lorenzo and me to look for Jewel? She recalled how she’d asked Lorenzo how Federico would find them and he’d shrugged and said that Fed knew Chinatown better than most.

She swallowed hard and took a breath as she watched them haul him into the cab. How humiliating for Lorenzo. I rather feel that Federico has been in the opium dens. And if he has, then there is little hope for him.

They hurried on to the hotel and there was a letter waiting for Jewel in Georgiana’s handwriting. She tore it open and discovered that it had been written before her mother had left Hull.

You will be surprised to discover that Dan Hanson has asked if he might travel with me and I have agreed. He will, I feel sure, be very useful to me on the voyage. Please don’t be alarmed, my dear, for I think he has other reasons for travelling apart from seeing you – I have forewarned him that you have moved on to California and that in any case you are not ready for any kind of commitment and he seemed quite content with that. It appears that he has had a disagreement with his father and wants to stretch his wings, as any young man might
.

There were other pleasantries, and Georgiana closed by saying that she was hoping to be useful in helping to rebuild Yeller and with the fervent wish that Jewel and Clara in discovering America were learning what a wonderful country it was.

‘I think Mama’s pleased to be coming back,’ Jewel said thoughtfully, ‘and I know Papa will be.’

‘Do you think they will stay?’ Clara asked. ‘It is Uncle Wilhelm’s home country, after all.’

‘I don’t know.’Jewel stretched out on her bed. ‘Clara, would you mind terribly if I rested for a while? I know we said we would chat, but—’

‘I don’t mind at all,’ Clara said at once. ‘I’ll go downstairs and write my letters there so as not to disturb you. I must send a long overdue one to Elizabeth. Come down when you feel rested. There’s no hurry at all for us to do anything strenuous.’

She felt sure that Jewel wanted to quietly mull over the events of the last few days and to consider not only her new-found family but also the prospect of a relationship with Lorenzo. I
hope I’m right in saying that he is of the same mind as she is, Clara thought as she quickly changed her dress and shoes and brushed her hair. I would hate to see her heart broken. But oh dear, it will mean that I will lose her.

The writing desk in the hotel lounge was by a window overlooking the street, and Clara looked up from her letter to see Lorenzo striding towards the door. He went to the desk clerk, who pointed to where Clara was sitting.

‘Miss Clara,’ he began. ‘I’m so pleased to see you alone. I know that you are aware of the ghastly scene outside Chinatown, for as we drove away I saw you and Jewel there. I’m so sorry that you were witness to such a degrading and shameful spectacle.’ He sat down at Clara’s request. ‘I hope that what you and Jewel saw has not soured your opinion of either our society in San Francisco or values which my family hold dear.’

Clara shook her head. ‘Please do not trouble yourself on our account,’ she said softly. ‘You are not responsible for your friend.’ She hesitated. ‘I must say that although I found Mr Cavalli very charming and, shall I say, attentive, that in itself made me rather guarded. Jewel and I are learning that manners and traditions are different here in America from what they are in England. I’m not saying that that is a bad thing by any means – in some instances it is very refreshing – but I did have some doubts about Federico’s disposition and attitude. Particularly regarding the Chinese.’ Her voice dropped. ‘He has, I think, a dark side to his nature.’