The Wager

by CamRose

Disclaimer: The characters and situations of the TV program "Big Valley" are the creations of Four Star/Republic Pictures and have been used without permission. No copyright infringement is intended by the author. The ideas expressed in this story are copyrighted to the author.

“Mrs. Barkley! Mrs. Barkley!!!!!”

With a deep sigh, Victoria Barkley lay down the quill pen she had been writing with and gazed regretfully down at the letter she had been trying to write for the past half an hour. She had dared to hope that she would have at least an hour respite from the man who knocked so desperately and insistently on her study door, but apparently that wasn’t to be the case. Her gaze swept over the meager pile of letters to her left, letters which she should have mailed out days ago. If she didn’t get the invitations out within the next few days, she’d likely have to cancel the reading with Oscar Wilde, the celebrated author and talk of San Francisco, which she had painstakingly arranged for the Stockton Ladies Society.

“Mrs. Barkley!!!” The voice on the other side of the door was even more plaintive than it had been a moment before. She rolled her eyes to heaven, praying for patience. Then, with a sigh, she rose gracefully from her chair, patting down her gown at the same time and made her way over to the study door, determined to deal with the man as quickly as possible so she could return to her work.

“I’m coming, Sun Li.” Just before she opened the door, she made a silent resolution to herself that she would NEVER allow Silas to ever take an extended leave again for as long as she lived. And she would also never, EVER accept Jarrod’s offer of his manservant’s services again, no matter how desperate she was.

Victoria opened the door and took in the appearance of the hapless Chinaman who stood contritely before her. Her annoyance at him faded as she could see that he was truly distressed, and she berated herself for her lack of understanding a moment earlier. After all, Sun Li was used to working for only one Barkley family member, her son Jarrod, in a small but elegant house in the city. Dealing with three Barkley family members in a large and unfamiliar mansion in the country couldn’t be easy. Luckily for Sun Li, Audra was away for a week, visiting friends in San Francisco, while Heath had opted to spend a few days out on the spread, so he could complete some fence repairs. However, even with two members of her family away, it was undoubtedly difficult to step into Silas’ shoes on such a short notice.

“What is it, Sun Li?”

Sun Li bowed before her. “Excuse me, Mrs. Barkley, but I am having difficulty with clearing the table from dinner.”

Difficulty clearing the dinner table? That made no sense to her. “Why is it difficult, Sun Li? You cleared the dishes away from the table yesterday, didn’t you?”

Sun Li bowed even lower before her. “Yes, Honorable lady. But today is more difficult. Today I need help.”

Victoria had the sense she was missing something in the conversation, and tried once more. “I don’t understand, Sun Li….what kind of help do you need?”

Sun Li straightened up, and clasped his hands in front of his chest……..if she didn’t know better, she’d think he was praying to some Oriental deity.

“I need Mister Jarrod and Mister Nick to leave the room.”

* * * * * * * *

Victoria swept down the elegant staircase, heedless of her gown, her irritation rising with every step, while Sun Li slowly followed behind her. Before she reached the bottom of the staircase, she could see why Sun Li was so distressed. Loud voices emanated from the confines of the dining room.

“Nick, you must be out of your mind! You can’t be serious about this!” Jarrod’s deep baritone held a note of incredulity, as if he couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

“Oh, believe me, Big Brother, I have never been more serious in my life!!”

Entering the dining room, Victoria took in the scene before her. Her sons sat directly across from each other, on either side of the dining room table, ignoring the dirty dishes that lay on the table between them. Jarrod was leaning forward with both elbows resting on the table, his hands spread and facing upwards as if entreating his younger brother. Nick, on the other hand, was leaning back in his chair, hands folded contently on his stomach, looking like the cat that swallowed the canary. They were so intent on each other, that neither noticed their mother standing in the doorway of the dining room, with Sun Li standing behind her, peering over her shoulder.

Nick turned his head in the direction of the kitchen. “Sun, you ugly Mandarin”, he bellowed. “Where’s my coffee!?”

“Nicholas!!!”

Victoria’s shout startled Nick and he jumped up out of his chair as if he’d been pole axed. On the other side of the table, Jarrod leaned wearily back on one elbow and turned to face his mother.

Victoria advanced into the room, wagging her finger warningly at her son. “Nicholas, you know better than to yell like that at the dinner table. And such language!!! I expect you to be more courteous towards Sun Li!” Stepping aside, she tugged on the Chinaman’s arm and brought him up to stand beside her. “Now, apologize to him.”

“Aw, Mother, Sun Li knows I didn’t mean any harm by it…..don’t you, Sun?”

Victoria was not in the mood to be placated. “Nicholas, I said!” She heard a chuckle to her left, and rounded on her oldest son. “And you apologize too, Jarrod, for letting your brother talk to your manservant that way.” Her glare brooked no disobedience. Jarrod at least had the grace to look chagrined at her rebuke.

Embarrassed, Sun Li accepted the apologies of both men, and then turned to Nick. “Mister Nick, I am sorry, but I did not hear you ask for coffee.” Looking sideways at his employer’s mother, inspiration struck. “Perhaps I can bring it to you in the parlor instead? Mister Jarrod, would you like a cup of coffee in there as well?”

“No thank you, Sun Li. I’ll pass on the coffee. However…,” Jarrod looked appraisingly at Nick and then his mother, “I think it’s an excellent idea, Nick, to move our conversation to the parlor.” Rising to his feet, he put both hands on the table and leaned in the direction of his mother. “Mother, will you join us there? I feel in need of a sherry, and besides, there’s something I think you and Nick and I should discuss together.” He glanced at Nick and Nick scowled back at him.

Victoria watched the interplay between her two sons and considered Jarrod’s request. Clearly, something was up with Nick. Jarrod almost had a sixth sense where his brother was concerned and her middle son did have a propensity to get into trouble. Even though he was new to the family, Heath had noted it also, remarking once that Nick never had to worry about finding a needle in a haystack, because the needle would always find him!

She thought about the work that awaited her in her upstairs study, and realized she’d never be able to concentrate on it now. Shaking her head ruefully, she accepted the arm Jarrod now offered her and simply said, “Sun Li, we’ll be in the parlor. Please bring my son his coffee in there."

* * * * * * * *

Victoria and Jarrod were seated comfortably in chairs flanking the fireplace, each with a small glass of sherry, watching Nick as he nervously paced in front of the fireplace while rubbing his two hands together. Taking a small sip from her glass, Victoria glanced over at Jarrod, who was clearly enjoying Nick’s discomfort. Taking pity on her middle son, she gently prodded him.

“Nick, why don’t you tell me what this is all about?”

Nick paused, and ran the fingers of both hands through his hair as he turned to look at her. “Mother, I’m not sure exactly where to start.” He glared at Jarrod, who chuckled softly.

Victoria drew his attention back to her. “Why don’t you start at the beginning, Nick? And Jarrod, hush,” promptly silencing her oldest son.

Nick took a deep breath and plunged right in. “Mother, do you remember the Patterson’s party? The party they held last spring?”

Victoria thought back. The Pattersons had moved to the San Joaquin Valley last year and had settled in Stockton, purchasing Captain Weber’s former home. Once they were settled in, Mr. and Mrs. Patterson had held a party, to introduce themselves to Stockton society. Lillian Patterson had made it a point to issue a special invitation to Victoria Barkley and her family, as Victoria had just become the Chairwoman of the Stockton Ladies Society. But what did this have to do with their current discussion?

Her confusion must have shone in her face. Nick went on. “Mother, do you remember meeting Colonel Bowles? You talked to him for quite a while.”

Victoria thought back. She had gone to get another glass of punch, and when she had turned around, there was a rather portly man standing behind her, who had a large graying mustache which reminded her of a walrus. He had engaged her in conversation for at least fifteen minutes, going on about some kind of a device that he was working on….apparently, he was an inventor as well as a traveler. What had he called it? A submarine?

She had tried to end their discussion but he followed her away from the punch bowl. Finally, in desperation, she looked for someone to foist him on and spotted Nick, who had just come off of the dance floor with one of the Patterson’s daughters on his arm. Before the Colonel could take another breath, she introduced him to Nick and spirited Julia Patterson away, leaving Nick in conversation with Colonel Bowles. Victoria hadn’t thought twice about it after that, although she was surprised to see Nick and the Colonel still talking in earnest an hour later. Now that she thought about it, warning bells should have gone off in her head.

“Yes, I do, Nick………go ahead.”

“Well, I’ve been in contact with the Colonel……he’s an inventor, you know.” At Victoria’s head nod, he continued, ignoring Jarrod’s snort. “I’ve been in contact with him off and on since the party, and he’s been working on an underwater machine he calls a submarine.”

The warning bells that should have gone off before were now deafening her. While Jarrod found passion in the law, Nick found passion in new ideas………..he was her dreamer after all. And while she wouldn’t have changed that for the world, it did sometimes lead Nick into the path of trouble.

“I think I know where this is going, Nick” ….I just hope I’m wrong, she thought to herself. “Continue please.”

“Well, the Colonel has completed…….a pro-to-type,” Nick stumbled over the unfamiliar word. “He’s going to give a demonstration of it on Sunday in Stockton harbor, and he’s invited me to come see it.

Victoria sighed in relief; was that all there was too it? But then Nick continued. “And I’ve told Colonel Bowles that if it goes well, that I’d help him by investing Barkley money in any plans he has to develop it further.”

* * * * * * * *

Jarrod sat back and watched his mother's facial expressions as Nick shared with her what he and Jarrod had discussed earlier. As a lawyer, and a darn good one at that, he had learned over the years and through many court trials how to school his expression so as to not give away any strategy he had planned out. His mother, on the other hand, had no such training; he could read her like a book. Jarrod waited for the explosion and wasn’t disappointed when it came.

“Absolutely not, Nicholas!”

At that moment, Sun Li entered the parlor with a cup of coffee for Nick. He stood by, waiting patiently to be told where to put it, but was ignored by all three people in the room. So he waited.

“Aw, Mother…..how can you say no? This is a great opportunity to get in on something big! Why, the submarine is going to revolutionize the world!” Nick went back to his pacing, ignoring his mother’s objections as he warmed to his subject. “Just think about it! Folks will be able to travel to Europe in half the time……typhoons and hurricanes won’t even stop them! And while you travel, you’ll be able to look outside and see what’s under the ocean. And it won’t need fuel…it’ll move by displacing the sea weather that surrounds it.” He paused and turned towards her. “And Mother, Colonel Bowles has promised to name the first commercial submarine ‘Victoria’, after you.” Nick beamed at her.

Victoria looked at him, speechless and unsure how to continue. She looked over to Jarrod, but there was no help there. Her son, the dignified lawyer, had lapsed into helpless laughter in his chair. Looking about, she spotted Sun Li. An idea came to her.

“Sun Li, did you hear any of this conversation?”

Slowly, the Chinaman nodded at her; it was hard not to hear it, since Mister Nick’s voice traveled like the sound of a horn in fog.

“Sun Li, you can put the coffee down there,” Victoria pointed to the table next to Jarrod. “And then I’d like to ask you what you think about the idea of a craft that travels under water.” She wished that Heath were there, for her newest son displayed a kind of wisdom that belied his young years. Heath and Nick had also developed a special bond; she knew Nick listened seriously to Heath’s advice. In Heath’s absence, she hoped that the Chinaman would be able to offer an unbiased opinion that Nick would listen to.

Sun Li slowly put the coffee down and then clasped his hands together, his face taking on a serene appearance, projecting calmness into the room. It was a technique that often worked with his employer, Mister Jarrod, when Sun Li needed his attention, and it didn’t fail him now. Victoria, Nick and Jarrod waited expectantly.

After a minute, Sun Li spoke. “There is old Chinese saying …very wise …..It is better to eat fish on the plate than sleep with it in the ocean.” Then he bowed and waited.

* * * * * * * *

Nick spoke first.

“What the hell does that mean!?”

Sun Li looked at the expressions of the other people in the room. Mister Nick looked angry and Mistress Barkley looked confused. Only Mister Jarrod had a thoughtful expression on his face at Sun Li’s words. Sun Li hesitated, unsure of how to respond, but Mister Jarrod came to his rescue.

“Wait a minute, Nick. I think Sun Li has an idea there.” Jarrod put his drink down and then stood up, facing Nick. “I propose a wager.”

“A wager?” Nick studied his older brother suspiciously. That last time he had made a wager with Jarrod, he had ended up in the jail in Stockton, wearing nothing but a loin cloth. But Nick was a betting man at heart. “What kind of wager?”

Jarrod turned back to Sun Li. “Sun, what do you call that dish that you like to eat? The one that you say is a Chinese delicacy?”

“Sushi, Mister Jarrod.”

‘Ah, right…sushi.” Jarrod turned back to his brother. “Brother Nick, I’ll bet you that the Colonel’s invention won’t even make it to the other side of the harbor.” He waited to see if Nick would take the bait he had just cast out.

Nick’s face took on an unholy grin. “Well, Big Brother, I do believe that you are wrong about that and the Colonel and I will prove it to you. The submarine will not only make it to the other side of the harbor, but will return to the starting point and rise triumphantly out of the water.” He then looked at Jarrod suspiciously. “What are your terms?” Jarrod could be a sneaky cuss.

Jarrod smiled at him sweetly. “Just this, Nick; if you lose, you have to eat sushi for dinner, for a week.” He turned back to Sun Li and winked.

Nick looked at Sun Li too. “Sun, what’s sushi made out of?”

“Fish, Mister Nick.”

“Fish?” Nick considered Sun Li carefully. He had eaten fish before, at a fancy restaurant in San Francisco that Jarrod had taken the whole family to. It wasn’t to his liking, but neither was the smirk on Jarrod’s face. If Nick could wipe that expression off of his big brother’s face, and get his mother to agree to contribute money to the Colonel’s project, it’d be worth it. Nick smiled back slyly at Jarrod.

“All right, Jarrod, but I get to set the other term of the wager.”

Bait taken, Jarrod thought. There’s no way that I can lose this, so I might as well hear what his term is. “And that is, Brother Nick?”

Nick thought furiously….then it occurred to him. “You know that Christmas present that you received from Aunt Dahlia this year? The one you keep hidden in the back of your closet?”

Jarrod suppressed a sudden shudder, thinking about the puce colored shirt that his godmother had given to him as a present this year. She had gotten it in Paris during her and Uncle Jim’s trip there in the fall and had brought it especially for him. Jarrod hadn’t wanted to hurt her feelings so he accepted it graciously, assuring her that he would wear it. The day she and Uncle Jim had left, he had hidden it deep in the recesses of his closet planning to never let it see the light of day again. Damn Nick for thinking of that!

Jarrod kept his expression neutral. “What about it, Nick?”

Got you, Nick thought gleefully to himself. He knew how vain his older brother could be about his appearance. “Well, if I win, you have to wear that shirt every day, for a week.”

Jarrod carefully considered Nick’s condition. Was he really that sure that the submarine would fail? He suddenly remembered that the Navy had launched something similar during the Civil War, something called a submersible that Jarrod thought had gone under, literally and figuratively. Suddenly, he felt much better.

“All right, Brother Nick, I accept those terms. Are we agreed then?”

Nick nodded his head, yes. Jarrod turned to his mother who had remained silent during throughout their conversation.

“Mother, you’re our witness to this, unless you say otherwise.”

Victoria studied her sons. She didn’t like it when her boys made bets with each other, but they were both grown men and the bets seemed harmless enough. “You’re both sure about this, boys? And despite what Jarrod said, Nick, it doesn’t mean that I agree to put any Barkley funds into the Colonel’s project. I want to make sure you understand that.” Victoria waited.

“I understand, Mother…. I only ask that you at least consider it.”

Victoria could do that for her dreamer. “All right, Nick. I’ll be witness for you both.”

The brothers solemnly shook hands, sealing the wager, when Nick had a sudden thought. “Say, Sun Li…just what kind of fish goes into sushi? Anything dangerous?”

Sun Li shook his head. “Sometimes, Master Nick, but if you wish, I will make it for you with fish you will like.” Nick nodded his head, but then Sun Li added, “Hopefully, raw fish will be easy to find in Stockton.”

“Raw????”

“Yes, Master Nick.”

Nick swallowed hard, his face taking on a color of green. “You mean it isn’t cooked????”

Sun Li bowed again. “Yes, Master Nick.”

Nick looked murderously at Jarrod, who smiled back wickedly at him. “If I lose," Nick grounded out between clenched teeth," you better be prepared to watch your back for the rest of your life, Big Brother!”

* * * * * * * *

The next day, Nick and Jarrod found themselves on a deck in Stockton’s harbor, standing with Colonel Bowles in front of his proto-type submarine. Jarrod looked at it in horrified fascination; somehow, he had thought the thing would be bigger. Its shape reminded him of a lemon and the metal it was made out of was rough and irregular. The submarine apparently ran by the force of a propeller….so much for its being powered by seawater, Jarrod thought wryly. He imagined what Nick’s expression would be at his first bite of sushi, and chuckled softly to himself.

Standing next to him, Nick ignored Jarrod’s chuckle and gazed rapturously at the submarine before them. It was, next to the iron horse, the most amazing thing he had ever seen. The metal it was made out of gleamed brilliantly in the sun, and he stared at it, transfixed by its curves. He now understood why the Colonel referred to it as “she.” He wished he could be aboard it for its trial today, but the Colonel had assured him that only men trained in how to control it could be aboard. In his mind, Nick saw Jarrod standing in the courtroom, wearing that ridiculous shirt, and laughed out loud, drawing a suspicious look from Jarrod.

At last, the trial was ready to begin. The Barkley brothers watched in silence as the submarine slid into the ocean and disappeared from view. Minutes went by, and when it didn’t resurface, Jarrod suddenly started to worry. He hadn’t thought to ask the Colonel how fast the thing moved……..was it possible that the submarine had made it over to the other side of the harbor already?

“Uh, Colonel, how will we know when it reaches the other side of the harbor?”

In a proud voice, Colonel Bowles answered him. “Well, Mister Barkley, see that flagpole on the other side of the harbor?” He pointed off across the expanse of water and Jarrod could just make out a tall pole.

“Well, when it reaches the other side and makes its turn, the signalman inside will send a signal, via telegraph, to one of my crew waiting there. He, in turn, will send a red flag up that pole.” Colonel Bowles beamed at Jarrod.

Nick leaned over to Jarrod, who was now staring at the distant pole anxiously.

“Have you figured out which suit you’re going to wear that shirt with yet, Big Brother?,” he said to him in a low voice, just out of the Colonel’s hearing range.

Jarrod glared at him. “Don’t be too sure of a win just yet, Nick,” he warned. Suddenly, there was a shout from the Colonel standing next to them and Jarrod watched in dread as a red flag slowly advanced up the pole on the far side.

Nick whooped and smacked his older brother on the back, almost knocking him into the water below the deck. “What did I tell you, Big Brother?! By God, I can hardly wait to see Heath’s face when he comes home and you’re wearing that silly shirt!”

Jarrod’s heart started to race a little and he was about to say something back to Nick, when suddenly there was another shout from the Colonel. They both turned and watched as he pointed out across the harbor. Now it was Nick’s turn to watch in dread and disbelief as small specks appeared in the water. He swung his field glasses up to his eyes, focused the lens….and saw the five crew members of the submarine floating in the water. As he watched, the crew began to swim towards a boat that was moored nearby. Nick anxiously scanned the area where the crew had popped up, but saw nothing except the dull water of the harbor. There was no glistening metal, no propeller, nothing! Beside him, Colonel Bowles cursed; then Nick heard Jarrod’s gasp.

The Barkley brothers looked at each other in dawning horror, as realization set in.

* * * * * * * *

Heath Barkley led his horse Gal into the barn and proceeded to rub her down. The journey home had been a long one, and they had arrived back home just before sunset.

As he brushed Gal down, he thought longingly of the hot bath and meal that awaited him. It had taken longer to repair the fences in the north pasture than he anticipated; he had ended up sleeping in the line shack for three nights instead of two.

Heath finished with Gal, set her up with a feedbag of oats before exiting the barn and headed towards the house. At the last minute, he decided to enter by way of the kitchen door; he’d go up the back stairs, take a quick bath and then surprise the family at dinner.

Heath peeked into the kitchen. Good, the path was clear; Silas wasn’t anywhere to be seen. He noticed an odd smell, and then grinned as he realized it was likely him. With haste, he headed up the stairs.

Thirty minutes later, Heath felt refreshed and headed down the front stairs for dinner. He could hardly wait to see the expressions on the face of his family when he showed up in the dining room unannounced.

Heath entered the room, eagerly anticipating the reaction of his family. “Hello, everyone, I’m……..,” his voice trailed off and he stopped dead in his tracks. He stared at Jarrod; his oldest brother was wearing the most god-awful shirt he had ever seen. The color of the shirt matched the lawyer’s face at the moment. He turned to Nick to ask him about Jarrod’s shirt, and stared at the fork Nick held in his hand, or rather what was on the fork. It looked like a piece of raw fish, from what Heath could see, and more of the stuff covered Nick’s plate. Confused, he turned towards his mother, but she was laughing so hard she couldn’t answer him. He looked at one brother and then the other…..when had his home turned into a lunatic asylum? Heath opened his mouth to ask what was going on, but didn’t get to utter one word because Jarrod and Nick spoke in unison.

"Heath, don't ask!!"

THE END