Running a finger along a chair arm, Victoria again had to wonder: had Jarrod shopped in one store for their entire ground floor furnishings? The designs were so similar, it gave the place a rather uniform look. She mentally shrugged and smiled. Time would soon take care of any uniformity.

She sat down and smiled over at Audra who was sewing up a pair of britches. The two of them were waiting for the men to arrive for dinner. 'Well,' Victoria thought, 'I did tell her that they would shrink when they were washed!'

Eugene, her youngest boy, burst into the room. "Mother!" he exclaimed. "I've found just the thing!" He disappeared from view for a moment and then returned, lugging a large, brown-paper covered rectangle.

Audra turned around. "What is it, Gene?" she asked eagerly.

Eugene tore at the paper and revealed all: It was a proud portrait of a stallion, standing tall in a field. "Isn't it just like the one Pa had in the study?"

Victoria smiled, rising to take a closer look. "Why, yes. Yes, I believe it is." She gave her son a quick one-armed hug. He was at that age where hugs weren't quite permitted from a mother.

He squirmed and blushed a little under her attention. "I knew it was one of Pa's favourites and when we lost it in the flood ..."

"Very thoughtful of you, Eugene. Why don't you go set it by the wall over there and come tell me how you found it." Victoria resumed her place on the brand-new sofa.

Eugene did as he was told and had barely started when his elder brother Nick charged into the room, being preceded by the slamming of the front door and the ringing thuds of spurred boots. "Mother!" he exclaimed as he came into view.

The Barkleys present eyed the brown-paper-wrapped object that barely fit under Nick's arm.

"There's a man in town today selling prints of original portraits." Nick sat what was obviously a picture frame down on the floor and methodically began undoing the various bits of string and tape that covered the picture. "They're so good, you can hardly tell they're reproductions."

He finished his unwrapping and displayed his prize proudly. It took him but a moment to recognise the odd looks his family were directing at the portrait. "What?" He looked down at it and back at them. "Is there something wrong with it? It's just like the one Pa had in the--" Victoria pointed and his eyes followed the direction. "Oh." The portrait of a horse he held in his hands was identical to the one that now leant against the wall. "Well, why didn't you say something?"

Victoria managed to recover first. "Eugene just brought that in."

"I guess we visited the same guy," Eugene said apologectically.

"Can you take it back?" Audra asked.

Nick shook his head, his straight black hair flying wildly. "Nah. No refunds, he said." He turned the picture over to examine it. "Well, we could put one in the study, one in the hall perhaps ..."

Victoria smiled and nodded. "Perhaps. Nick, if you could pour me a sherry?"

Nick nodded. "Sure. I could do with one myself." He went over to the table that held the drinks tray and poured them both a drink, giving himself something a little stronger.

"I wonder what's keeping Jarrod?" Audra asked, ignoring Nick's smirk as he spotted the object of her needlework.

Nick lounged back in a chair. "He looked pretty busy when I saw him in town. Perhaps we should start without him?" He looked over at Victoria.

She smiled. "We can wait a few more minutes, Nick. It's not often we get to sit and talk together. Tell me, how is the reseeding of the south pasture going?"

"It's goin' great. The flood actually deposited a nice fresh bed of silt, so we should have some first class acreage there in a couple of weeks!"

Victoria nodded her approval. "That's good news."

Jarrod made his appearance. "Evening, everybody. Sorry to keep you all waiting."

Victoria rose. "Shall we go straight into dinner?"

"Just one moment, mother." Jarrod raised a halting finger and disappeared from view. Curious, the family followed him, only to see him cart a large brown-paper covered picture frame through the front door. "Mother, I have bought the piece de resistance to this fair homestead." He noticed Audra conceal a giggle. "What's so funny?"

"So, big brother, what did you get a picture of?" Nick leant against a wall, successfully keeping a straight face.

For once, Jarrod didn't notice Nick's twinkling eyes. He grinned. "You'll never guess."

"I bet I can," Victoria murmured under her breath. Eugene hid his smile with his hand.

Jarrod removed a penknife from his pocket and carefully slit the paper away from the top of the frame, the brown paper falling back to reveal -- a portrait of a horse. The Barkleys erupted into howls of laughter. Jarrod looked up from his handiwork, astonished.

"Jarrod," said Victoria. "Leave that there. I have something to show you."

Jarrod stepped forward and took her arm and she led him into the sitting room. Leaning up against the wall, next to each other, were two identical pictures, twins to the one Jarrod had just purchased. He covered his face. "Oh no," he groaned, his voice thick with amusement. Nick slapped him on the back, still laughing himself.

"What are we going to do with them all, mother?" Audra asked.

Victoria smiled. "I'm sure we can think of something."