Thurston House by Danielle Steel Read Free Book Online Page A

home and somehow that showed, even on the outside, in spite of Hannah. It was the place where Jeremiah lived, where he slept, but his mines and his land meant more to him and it showed, and Hannah's influence was only felt in the comfortable kitchen and the vegetable garden. Here in Napa, on the other hand, were homes run by devoted matrons, who saw that the lace curtains at the windows were fresh at all times, the gardens lush with flowers, and the top floors filled with children. The houses were beautiful and it always pleased Jeremiah to drive past them. He knew many of the people here, and they knew him, but his was a more rural existence than theirs here in Napa, and the hub of his life had always been business, not social life, which was far more important here in Napa.
    He stopped at the Bank of Napa on First Street before going to the boat and withdrew the money he needed for the trip to Atlanta. He left the boy outside with the carriage, and a few moments later he emerged, looking satisfied and glancing at his pocket watch. They were going to have to hurry to catch the boat to San Francisco, and the boy took special pleasure in urging on the horses for Jeremiah as he glanced at some papers. And they arrived at the boat in good time, as Jeremiah jumped down and took his bags in his hands. He smiled up at the boy for a brief moment. I'll see you on the first Saturday after my return. Come in at nine in the morning. And then suddenly he remembered the child's name, it was Danny. See you then, Dan. And take care of yourself while I'm gone. Jeremiah instantly thought of Barnaby Harte, dead of influenza, and felt something catch in his throat, as the boy beamed at him, and Jeremiah walked away and stepped onto the steamer to San Francisco. He had a small cabin reserved, as he always did on his trips to the city, and he sat down quickly and pulled a thick sheaf of papers out of his briefcase. He had plenty of work to do in the five hours it would take to reach San Francisco. The Zinfandel was a particularly nice boat, and Danny watched the paddle wheel with fascination as she left the dock.
    At dinnertime, Jeremiah emerged from his cabin and sat at a small table by himself. A woman traveling with a nurse and four children eyed him several times from across the room, but he appeared not to notice until finally the young matron gave him a haughty look when they left the dining room, embarrassed to have had no effect on the handsome giant. He stood outside on the deck for a while smoking a cigar after that, and watched the lights of the city as they docked in San Francisco. His thoughts seemed to drift back to Mary Ellen more than they usually did when he was away from her, and he felt surprisingly lonely that evening as the Zinfandel docked and he took the hotel carriage to the Palace Hotel, where his usual suite waited. From time to time he was given to visiting a house of ill repute, with a madam he particularly liked, but now he had no such inclination. Instead, tonight he stood in his room, looking out on the city, and thinking back over the years. He had been in a melancholy mood ever since his night with John Harte, and it was hard to shake off even now, although here he felt light years away from Napa, its beauty and its sorrows.
    The hotel itself was only eleven years old, and offered every possible comfort. And at last, unable to sleep, Jeremiah took a turn around the lobby. It seemed to be filled with expensively dressed people, women flashing handsome jewels, people returning from late dinners, theater parties, and evenings on the town. There was almost a holiday atmosphere downstairs, and Jeremiah went out for a brief walk down Market Street, and then returned to die hotel to sleep. He had a full day of appointments ahead of him before taking the train the following night, and he wasn't looking forward to the long confinement on the train on the way to Atlanta. Trains always bored him, and with a sensual smile