Charles selected the chair across from McKenna and smiled. "My father will be pleased to bore you with it."
Claymore chuckled. "Admit it. Charles, you never tire of the story."
Charles kept his eyes on McKenna as he answered, "I do admit it. Nothing pleases me more than glittering gold…except perhaps a beautiful woman. My, but you are splendid."
McKenna squirmed a little and lowered her eyes. "I thank you, Sir." She glanced at Hannish and knew he was not pleased with the way Charles was gawking at her. "Mr. Whitfield, perhaps you have not heard, I am nearly engaged." It came as a surprise to Hannish, but he did not react, much to McKenna's relief.
Charles grinned at her anyway. "But not yet formally engaged, Miss MacGreagor? I am encouraged."
Claymore waited for his wife to finish, helped himself to peas from a bowl Keith held, and cleared his throat. "You asked about the gold rush, Miss MacGreagor. I dare say many a prospector walked right over the largest gold vein in the world. It is called the Mount Pisgah hoax , someone salted the rocks, you see."
"Salted them?" McKenna asked, helping herself to potatoes from the platter Dugan held.
"It means," Charles said, "Someone put flakes of gold in worthless rocks. Once the hoax was discovered, the prospectors ignored the area altogether."
"But who would do such a thing?" McKenna asked.
"That," Claymore answered, "no one has managed to find out. At any rate, once Bob Womack found the real gold, word spread quickly and the rush was on. I myself set out from Kansas City."
Abigail shook her head at the platter of potatoes, but graciously smiled at Dugan. "In less than three years, we were surrounded by thousands of men, and some even brought whole families. They were certain they would easily strike it rich and hoped to start a new life. Oh, but the sad tales I could tell," Abigail said, putting a hand on her chest. "The camps were miserable and many of the children died of disease. One woman, as I recall, refused to leave her three dead children in this 'God forsaken land,' and made her husband take the whole family, including the bodies, all the way back to Iowa. I think of that poor woman often."
McKenna bowed her head and except for the clinking of spoons on platters, and then on dishes, the room fell silent. At last, Claymore spoke, "There is trouble in the mines again, Hannish. You are fortunate to have got out of the business. I see bad workings on the horizon and I might just sell out myself. I would…"