“This I hear.”
Miss Nesselrode was quiet for a few minutes, as if thinking. “Do you have money?
Will not your brother know?”
“I have money, but he does not know. It is from our mother.” Dona Elena looked down at her hands. “My mother knows I have no husband. My father and my brother think no one is good enough, so I have no one, but my mother understands and in secret she has given me money, gold money, and jewels. “The woman from the cantina. She says money can work for money. I have thought you could tell me what to do. You see, I could not appear. I am Dona Elena.” “Of course. You wish me to help. How?”
“Make my money work. I will pay.”
Miss Nesselrode changed the subject. “Your rancho? It is large?”
“Very large.”
“Your brother borrows money? Has he borrowed much?” “Very much, I think. He needs much money, and the cow skins, they do not bring much. He waves a hand, says all will be different soon, and he borrows.” “Do you know who he has borrowed from?”
“This one and that. A little here, a little there.”
“This work you want your money to do? Is it that you need money now?” “Oh, no! It is for tomorrow, for a long time off.” I saw her lift her eyes to Miss Nesselrode’s. “It is for when I am dead.”
“If you will risk losing it, I will help.” She paused. “Is there any particular thing you wish?”
“One thing, first. I wish some to work, to bring more money. I wish some to buy the old debts of my brother.”
“I see.”
“He must not know. He must never know. He would be furious. He would destroy me.
He would destroy the lender. He would destroy you.”
Miss Nesselrode smiled. “I do not destroy easily, Dona Elena.”
“If he knew I had money, he would demand it from me, and I must give it.”
“He will not know. Can you bring the money here?”
Dona Elena took up a cloth bag from the floor. “I have it here. I have some.” She placed the bag on the table and reached a hand into it, trickling gold coins to the table. Then from the bag she took a smaller bag, and opening the drawstrings, tilted something to the table that gleamed in the dim light. “I have these, also.”
“It is quite a lot. You trust me with these?”
“You are a good woman. I feel this. And you have been good to the nino.” If there was more, I did not hear, for I fell asleep and when I awakened again the room was dark and there was no sound but the soft drip of rain from the eaves, the rain for which we all had waited.
I lay awake thinking of Tia Elena. Women of her class were kept in the background, often knowing nothing of the financial circumstances of their husbands or fathers, having nothing to do with business. What led Aunt Elena to make such a move? I did not know unless she wished some independence, some security. And how had she known of Miss Nesselrode’s knowledge? Or did she know? Did she only come to the one friend she had outside her own circle? The one who would not talk?
Lying there awake with the rain falling softly, my thoughts returned to the house of Tahquitz, far off in the desert Fletcher had seen the shadow of someone in the house, a very large someone. Of course, it could have been a passerby stopping for the night, as the Indians would not go near the place at night. It might have been the mysterious exchanger of books.
Suddenly I felt guilty. There had been no new books. I had failed him … or it. Somehow I must arrange for new books to be taken to the house. So much time had gone by! Going to school, working at the shop, riding around the country, exploring … The months simply vanished.
When I opened my eyes again it was morning and I could hear Jacob talking. Dressing quickly, I went out to see him. He was drinking coffee and talking to Miss Nesselrode.
“It would take some doin’,” he was saying, “but there’s thousands of wild horses in the San Joaquin, and some mighty good stock, too. Nobody’s bothered them for years. With a trap at a water hole, a body could round up a few.” “How many men would it take?”
“Four or five, maybe.”
She turned to me. “Johannes, would your Indian friends help? I would pay them.”
“They might. I could talk to them.”
“Kelso’s in town. I think he’d like a job, and he’s a good hand with stock and he’s steady.”
“All right. You and Johannes plan it, then. I believe that soon Johannes will have learned about all Fraser can teach him, and an adventure like this would do him good.”
“How many horses you figurin’ on? A couple of dozen?” She smiled. “I was thinking of four or five hundred. Or as many as you can handle with ease.”
“Four or five hundred? Ma’am, you must be-“
“I am perfectly serious, Mr. Finney. I want several hundred horses and I want them broken to ride. If you find any mules among them, and I’ve heard escaped mules do run with the wild herds, I’d want them, too.” “Breakin’ that many horses might take a year. Months, anyway. I mean including catchin’ time.”
“Were you going someplace, Mr. Finney? We have the time. There is plenty of grass, and I believe there will be a market soon. The best stock, I’d like selected for breeding purposes, and we will keep that lot in close to town.” “If you say so, ma’am.”
She gathered the papers she had been discussing with Jacob. “I would like Mr. Kelso to work for me here, to fill in for you, Mr. Finney. People are beginning to realize that we work together, and I’d like to use somebody else for a time. You and Johannes can handle the horses.”
She stood up, holding her papers; then she looked at me. “Neither age nor size makes a man, Johannes. It is willingness to accept responsibility. Besides, I want you out of town for a while.”
She turned to glance at Finney. “Mr. Finney? Have you heard any talk of war with Mexico?”
“War? No, ma’am. I heard talk of some Anglos up north. Seems there’s some trappers, maybe soldiers, too, up at Sutler’s Fort. There’s always rumors, though.”
“It is more than a rumor, Mr. Finney. There is a war, and I am afraid there will be trouble here. If we Americans are wise, there need be no fighting.” “How do you mean?”
“Mr. Finney, most of the leaders among the Californios are intelligent men.
California is far from Mexico City, and trade is forbidden except with Mexico. The people are denied many of the things they could enjoy, and they lose the profits from foreign trade.
“If the American government is intelligent, all can be accomplished through diplomatic channels. Yet if the Californios are challenged, they will fight. It would be a matter of honor.”
“Have you talked to Abel Stearns about this?”
“Not really. Mr. Stearns is a Mexican citizen and will take no part in whatever is done. I believe he feels it is inevitable, but he is loyal and will take no part in activities against the government. Nor will I, although I am not a citizen here. Actually, I have no legal right to conduct a business. I am overlooked partly because I am a woman and partly because the local officials like what I am doing.”
“You think there will be fighting?”
“I am afraid so. The leader of one of the groups is Fremont. He is said to be ambitious.”
Finney smiled slyly. “Aren’t we all?”
Her eyes showed her amusement. “Of course, Mr. Finney, but there are ways of using ambition. One must not be rash.
“Jedediah Smith showed the way here, others followed, and they have prospered, but change can take place quietly and should be handled with discretion. Have you ever talked to General Vallejo, Mr. Finney?” “Seen him a time or two. Talked to him? No.”
“I have. Several times, in fact. General Vallejo is very intelligent, above all he is a realist He is a Californian first, everything else after. I think our Mr. Fremont or whoever is to handle the situation should sit down and talk to the general. Above all, Mr. Fremont should listen. “Or he should come south, alone, and talk to Pio Pico. After talking to Pio he should get a few of the gente de razdn together over a good meal, a bottle of wine, and their cigars. Above all, he should not attempt to dictate, but be guided by what the gente de raz6n advise. I believe everything could be arranged as something between gentlemen, do you understand?” “I do, ma’am, and you may be right. I’m afraid the Anglos are expecting a fight.”