Coming to Terms, Part 2

The First Day

by doreliz

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.

On his first call at the bank, Jarrod had found the banker, Luther Kirby, in a meeting with someone else, and had made an appointment to return at two o’clock. Now Kirby looked up at him with a sympathetic expression.

“Sit down, Jarrod. Cigar?”

“Thanks, Luther, not now. Just had one.”

“Are you here to tell me about the new member of your family?”

“Ah, the news has reached you.”

“Word travels fast, especially when you give it a push. As I hear you’ve been doing.”

“And especially when it’s scandal about a prominent family.”

Kirby nodded. “People don’t mind hearing Tom Barkley made a mistake.” He watched Jarrod carefully.

“You knew my father. He wasn’t above mistakes.”

“No, he wasn’t. He was square, though. Not one to shirk a debt.”

“We don’t know the details. What he knew, or didn’t know.”

“Do you know for certain that this young man is his son?”

“It seems extremely likely. You’ll understand when you see him.”

“Ah. So you choose not to dispute his claim. You could, you know.”

Jarrod picked his words. “We choose to respect Father’s obligation, and do what we can to make good on it. We could not do anything else, and remain what we are.”

“How far do you mean to go?”

“I think we will want to put him in a position of equality with the rest of us, so far as that’s possible.”

“You’re going to make over money to him?”

“We haven’t decided all the details yet. We’ll probably open an account for him and put some money in it. Also, and this is may be a difficulty for you, since he’ll be working with Nick, we will almost certainly choose to give him signing authority on the ranch account.”

“Yes, that is a difficulty for me. You know it is! That’s one of our largest accounts, sometimes the largest. There’s a significant risk in giving a stranger free access to it – not only for your family, but for the bank as well, and all its depositors.”

“I’ve thought about that. For us, it’s important to know we can trust him. If we can’t, the sooner we find out the better. – For you, do you have any suggestions?”

Kirby answered slowly, keeping his eyes on Jarrod’s face, though it was obvious he had already considered the problem. “I would insist that all the members of your family, even those who are under age, sign an agreement that the risk is yours and not the bank’s.”

“I think we can do that.”

“You think? You’re not sure of someone?”

“We haven’t discussed all the details, as I told you.”

“Well. My second condition. Set up another account, with only your name and Nick’s, and your mother’s if you wish. Or use your trust account. Transfer some of the ranch money into it. The young man need not know. Keep the main ranch account down to not more than five thousand or so. Minimize the risk. For a year, let us say, and we can review it then.”

“I’ll discuss that with Mother and Nick. We may agree to it, or we may suggest something else. We’ll talk again, Luther.”

When he emerged from the bank he stood for a moment considering where to go next. A hand on his shoulder brought him around, to face Martin Erskine. The newspaperman drawled, “Hear you’ve been visitin’ everybody in town, Jarrod. You wouldn’t leave without visitin’ me too, would you?”

“I wasn’t sure of the correct protocol in your case, Mr. Erskine.”

“Well, no protocol says you can’t join me in a cup of coffee in my office. I want to hear your account of the railroad affair, in any case.”

The newspaper office was the usual hive of activity, but the presses were not running and Erskine’s office was quiet enough for talk. Jarrod gave his views on the battle with the railroad, finishing, “Nothing new today, as far as I know.”

Erskine puffed on his pipe. “A little bird told me – this is in confidence, if you please! – that the big money interests behind the company might’ve been scared by what happened here yesterday. Could be Crown and his pals in Frisco have new orders from the East, and they’ll pull in their horns for a while.”

“Your little bird was in a position to know?”

“I think it might be. I can’t guarantee anything, of course, and I certainly can’t print it, but I think it’s very likely.”

“That’s the best news I’ve heard today. Thank you.”

“Now you tell me about this half-brother of yours, and we’ll call it even.”

“Are you asking as a friend or as a reporter?”

Erskine sighed. “What could I print that would be news, and still be your mother’s friend? God knows what that fellow Doolin will print in his scandal sheet, but nobody with any sense will pay attention. No, I’ll ignore it unless you sue Doolin for libel, or something equally newsworthy. Tell me as a friend. What’s his name, where’s he from, what has he been doing all these years, what’s he going to do as one of the Stockton Barkleys?”

“All good reporter’s questions! I’m hoping I’ve stolen Doolin’s thunder by telling so many people in person, but we’ll see. – All right. His name is Heath – formerly called Heath Thomson, now to be Heath Barkley. He was born and grew up at Strawberry. My father did some business there, about twenty-five years ago, and never had occasion to go back – but as Jim Scanlon remarked to me at lunch, he wasn’t hiding, if Heath’s mother had wanted to find him she wouldn’t have had much difficulty. Heath’s been working here and there, I don’t know what all he’s done, but he’s been a cowboy some of the time, anyway. And our idea at present is that he’ll work with Nick, who’s complained for years he has too much to do. Does that cover it?”

“I could ask what evidence he has, but you might not choose to tell me.”

“He had enough evidence to convince him, from his dying mother. Once we took a good look at him – well, you knew Father, you can judge for yourself when you meet him. I was convinced, and so was Mother.”

“And Nick?”

“You should ask him, when you see him.” Jarrod hoped that by that time Nick would have come to his own way of thinking.

“I will. Should I also ask Heath for his view of the matter?”

“Ask him anything you like so far as I’m concerned. However, he doesn’t seem to be a very talkative individual; if he doesn’t like your questions he might possibly knock you across the room instead of answering.” Jarrod spoke lightly. In view of Erskine’s age and obvious frailties, he did not expect anything of the sort.

“I consider myself warned. Another Nick?”

“Possibly a match for Nick. – All this just happened in the last couple of days, Mr. Erskine. I can’t say I know him yet. I take him to be an honest man, but I think he has a short temper.”

“Mm. It will be interesting to see how it turns out. – As a newsman, I don’t like being privy to so much that I can’t print, but clearly I can’t print this. When opportunity occurs, I’ll put his name in the paper like anyone else’s – unless, as I said, something comes of it that really is news.”

“Thanks, Mr. Erskine. Thanks for the coffee. I’d best be going back to my labors.”

When he had done all he could do, told the news to all who had a right to hear it from him, he went back to his office, and presently to the livery stable. Ezra and his employer, Walt Paget, were rubbing down a lathered team and giving them small amounts of water while they cooled down. “Be with you soon’s we’re done here, Mr. Barkley,” called Ezra.

“No hurry. – They from the freight wagon that just came in? Hard driven!”

“See this pair regular,” said Walt, who knew almost every horse in this part of the Valley. “They’ll be fine once they rest a while. Mike Finnegan, he drives them to Sonora and back three times a week. – Whoa, there, fella. Take it easy.”

Jarrod reflected that Strawberry was somewhere the other side of Sonora, in the mountains. He would have to look at the map to see exactly where. Two days’ travel, perhaps three. – But of course Heath would know.

When the horses were settled in their stall, Ezra went to lead out Jarrod’s driver. Jarrod spoke casually to Walt, repeating what he had already said too many times. “You may have heard, there’s one more Barkley brother now.”

“Heard somethin’. So it’s true?”

“I’ll bring Heath in to meet folks, in a few days. He’s going to be working with Nick.”

“You be sure to bring him here. If he’s half the man your daddy was, he’ll be welcome to honest folks.”

Jarrod started for home feeling hopeful that most people in Stockton would be as matter-of-fact and welcoming to Heath as Walt seemed to be. But there would be some as hostile as Mrs. Travis, many as suspicious as Luther Kirby….

------------------

The bridge was finished, wide enough now for two riders to meet and solid enough to hold them both – or even to take a medium-sized wagon, which it never had before. Nick surveyed it with satisfaction. “Good work, boys.” He picked up tools to stow them in the wagon, and added in surprise, “How about that? Used up nearly every timber we brought, had just enough. You figure that out, Gene?”

“Not me. Heath, how’d you know?”

“Come out here early this mornin’ for a look.”

“So you had it all planned,” said Nick.

“Had a pretty good idea.”

“You ever build a bridge before?”

“Helped with one once.”

“You didn’t tell me that.”

“You didn’t ask me.”

“Well, it’s built,” said Gene, trying to head off harsh words.

Nick looked at the bridge and back at Heath. “It is at that. – I’m gonna go look at some horses.” He swung up on Coco and rode over the bridge and across the pasture beyond. Gene and Heath hitched the team to the wagon and headed back towards the ranch buildings.

“He’s coming around,” said Gene confidently.

“If you say so.”

“So what other hidden talents do you have?”

Heath did not answer. After a while Gene tried again. “Don’t mind me. Jarrod says I talk just to hear myself, and sometimes he’s right. You’re pretty good at not answering, aren’t you?”

“Got nothin’ to say.”

“There’s lots you can tell us. You must’ve been places, seen things, none of us has. You must know things none of us does. And the reverse of that is true too – every one of us knows something different. We can all learn by sharing what we know, what we’ve seen.”

Heath chewed on that for a while. “That your own idea?”

“An idea I picked up at college, I suppose. That knowledge isn’t like, oh, food, or land; it grows by being shared and withers by being hoarded.”

“Never thought of it that way.” He did not volunteer any of his store of knowledge, however, or ask any questions.

Gene won so little response to his own remarks that he relapsed into thinking about the battle of the day before. After a while he ventured, “Heath, yesterday, at Sample’s farm – were you afraid?”

“Yeah.”

“You didn’t show it.”

“Every man there was scared, ‘less he was crazy. Takes men different ways, I reckon. Some it hits before, some at the time. Me, it hits me after.”

“I think it hit me at the time.”

Heath looked at him at last. “Your first fight?”

“Yes. Reckon it showed.”

“You done all right.”

Gene realized that was all the help he was going to get. “Thanks.” He was relieved when their arrival at the buildings put him back in the position of guide and mentor.

They unloaded the tools, unhitched the team and looked after them, and spent a little time with their respective riding horses. Gene introduced Heath to several dogs. Heading to the house together, they came to the back door, where a bench and a boot scraper were provided. “We’re pretty muddy,” said Gene, “so we should take off our boots out here and leave them for Silas to clean, or carry them upstairs if you’d rather do it yourself.”

“Don’t have no other boots.” Heath sat down and pulled off his boots, revealing much-darned socks.

“Better take ‘em upstairs, then. Ready?” Gene set his own muddy boots on a tray inside the door as they entered the kitchen. “Afternoon, Silas. Don’t think you were introduced to my brother Heath.”

“Howdy, Silas. Thanks for the nice dinner.” Heath put out his free hand.

Silas eyed him a little nervously as he took it. “Oh, that nothing, Mr. Heath.”

Heath broke into a grin. “Silas, Gene tells me you look after everybody. Now, I never lived in no big house like this afore, so you tell me if I don’t do things the right way, all right?”

“I tell you if I can, Mr. Heath,” said Silas. “Now you go on, don’ bother me when I busy. That the first rule.”

“I’ll remember.”

“Can we have a bath, Silas? – See, Heath, whenever the fire’s on it heats this tank, and that pipe there connects to a pump in the bathroom, so you can pump hot water for a bath.” The two young men mounted the back stairs, Heath carrying his boots. Gene showed him the room with the hot water pump and the bathtub. “You can take about so much – we have to leave some hot water for Nick, or he won’t be very happy with us. This other pump over here brings cold water direct from the cistern. – You got two changes of clothes?”

“Just one, and a spare shirt.”

“Oh. Let’s see. Washing won’t be done ‘til Monday. You couldn’t get into my clothes, could you? Jarrod’s, maybe, but I think you’re broader in the shoulders and slimmer in the hips. And Nick’s a little taller than you.”

“I’ll wear my own.”

“Then you’d better put what you wore today, back in your room to wear again tomorrow morning. If you’ve got a clean outfit, put it on for the evening. Mother likes us to dress up a little, or at least be clean, in the evening.”

“Gonna need more duds, I see that.”

“You got a Sunday suit?”

“Nope.”

“Better get one. Haberdashery in Stockton’ll have something, likely. Later on, you can get a real good suit in Frisco, but no hurry about that. – How about I have my bath first, and then leave you to yours?” Gene pumped water, poured it into the tub and began undressing. He suspected that Heath might never have used a bathtub, and did not want to embarrass him.

“Go ahead.”

Gene left the bathroom a few minutes later with a towel around his waist, and heard the bolt shot on the inside. In his own room, he was half dressed when Jarrod tapped on the door.

“Hello! Didn’t know you were home.”

“I came early. – How did the day go?”

“Fine. – Nick’s coming around.”

“Where is Nick?”

“He went to look at some horses, I think he said. He had Coco, of course, and we had the wagon, so we couldn’t’ve joined him even if we’d been invited.”

“Mm. And Heath – is that him splashing in the bathroom?”

“Well, it’s not Audra. – He needs new clothes, he doesn’t have a lot.”

“Yes, I know.”

“So how did your day go?”

“Not the pleasantest day I’ve had, but I did what I meant to do.”

“The good citizens of Stockton not too sympathetic?”

“Some suspicious. Some hostile. Some just curious. Some smug.”

“Oh, and you despise smug!”

“You think I’m smug? Maybe sometimes, but not today. I was very humble.”

“Wish I’d been there to see it, big brother.”

“Gene, did anything come up today that I should know about?”

“He’s not very talkative. Didn’t tell me much. – His mother was born in 1831.”

“1831. So she was about your age, and Father was older than I am, when they were together.”

“It’s not like she was sixteen, but – ”

“A considerable difference. Mother must have been about Nick’s age then.”

“It sounds like he took advantage of her – doesn’t’ it?”

“We may never know, Gene. Better to leave it alone.” Jarrod sat on the bed, feeling and sounding tired and dejected.

Gene, doing up his cufflinks, turned suddenly to confront him. “You argued for this. But you sound like your heart isn’t in it.”

“I don’t think we have any choice. I don’t have to like it.”

“You’ve had a horrid day, haven’t you? Tell me?”

“I know damn well I’m going to have to tell Nick. Probably Mother too. Don’t make me do it another time – I’ll tell you and Nick together, I promise.”

After a pause, Gene spoke cheerfully. “We had a pretty good day. If he wasn’t who he is, just another hand, Nick’d be saying he’s a good man. Did good work, anyway – he knows something about bridge-building, so he – well, Nick was impressed. Started telling him where the waterholes are.”

“That’s something. I hope he really will be a help to Nick.”

Gene laughed. “And let you and me off, right?”

Jarrod’s attention sharpened. “What do you have in mind to do instead?”

“I’ve told you before, if Nick didn’t need me I might study medicine.”

“You serious about that? It would be a lot of work – harder work than you’d ever do on the ranch.”

“It’d be my own choice and my own way.” Gene straddled a chair opposite his brother. “Seems to me, if I stay here and work with Nick, I’ll never be my own man, I’ll always be in his shadow, second best. And as far as I’ve got, I think medicine is right for me.”

“All right. Let’s not say anything right away, but if you get good enough marks this year, and if Nick and Heath seem content to work together, I’ll support you when the time comes.” Jarrod got up, feeling more cheerful. At least there was some benefit in sight for one of the family. “Did you see Mother out riding?”

“No. Should I have?”

“She often goes for a ride in the afternoon, and she wasn’t downstairs a few minutes ago. But she might be in her room. Audra’s in the library, writing letters I think. – I’ll go wash up.”

“I’d better see how Heath’s doing.”

“Gene,” Jarrod turned back at the door, “thanks for looking after him today.”

“My pleasure. – Really. I’m starting to like him.”

“Good!”

Gene found Heath back in his room, looking at his clean shirt. “Problem?”

“Somebody been in my things. Sewed on a button.”

“Mother, or Audra. They worry about things like buttons.” He silently took note of the assortment of old scars on Heath’s arms and shoulders.

“I was gonna do it.”

“Of course, you’ve been on your own for a while. I was going to ask you if your mother sewed on your buttons, but I guess not when you weren’t at home.”

Heath did not reply to that, but put on the shirt and buttoned it up. On the night table Gene saw a crude sewing kit, an ancient pocket watch, and a few more odds and ends, among them an incongruous string of old-fashioned glass beads. “That hers?”

“Yeah.”

“You got a picture of her? A photograph, or a drawing?”

“Picture? No. Just them beads.” Heath put them away in the drawer, as if sorry he had let them be seen.

“Well. Time to show you around the house, next.”

“Reckon I won’t get lost.”

“No, but you should know what the different rooms are. Got clean socks?”

Heath put on his spare socks and his only boots, from which he had removed most of the mud, stuffed the watch back in his pocket, and followed Gene along the corridor. They looked into Gene’s room, and what he called the grand guest room, and a couple more empty bedrooms. Some closed doors they passed with only, “That’s Mother’s room …This is Audra…Nick’s here,” before they came to Jarrod’s room. Gene tapped on the door. “May we come in?”

After a moment Jarrod, in his shirtsleeves, opened the door. “Doing a tour?”

“Thought it’d be a good idea.”

“So, Heath, you had a good day?” He spoke with joviality that was a little forced.

“All right.”

“Fixing the bridge you and Nick broke the other day, is that right?”

“Yeah.”

“Fixed it better’n it was before,” said Gene.

“Glad to hear it. I go that way sometimes – the main road to town sometimes floods in the winter, and that one never does – but sometimes crossing that bridge at high water I didn’t feel very safe.”

“Safe enough now,” said Heath, “’less’n the creek comes over its banks.”

“Good. Well, get on with your tour, don’t let me keep you.” He stood in the doorway, watching them go on past the linen closet and the bathroom to climb the attic stairway. Presently he heard them come down again, Gene talking about how he and Audra used to play up there on rainy days. They went on down the back stairs to Silas’s domain.

Jarrod finished dressing and went along the hall to his mother’s door, where he tapped softly and entered at her summons. She was sitting at her desk with pen and paper, and one letter that had been finished and only needed sealing. To a stranger she would have appeared serene, but Jarrod detected traces of weariness and sorrow under her composure.

“I’ve written to your Uncle Jim,” she explained, “and I’m trying to find the words to write to some of the other Barkley relatives, the ones I don’t know so well.”

“I was going to write Uncle Jim myself,” he apologized, “but the doctor told me to keep the arm quiet for a few days. – Surely the other relatives can wait.”

“If you mail this tomorrow, he might get it as soon as Friday, and I know he keeps in regular touch with some of the family back East. I don’t want them to hear it from him before they hear it from us.”

“No, I suppose we shouldn’t offend them more than necessary. I can’t say I care much what they think, except Aunt Susan; I like her best of those I’ve met.”

“Your father would have cared.”

“No doubt; they meant something to him. May I ask what you mean to tell them?”

“Just that Tom’s son Heath has joined our family. I don’t see any need to explain, or apologize.”

“You have nothing to apologize for.”

She waved that aside. “But of course I have to write enough for a proper letter, a few more of the facts about Heath, and some general news that won’t worry them much. Jarrod is still doing well in his practice, and Eugene is entering his last year at college, and Audra is very pretty but not thinking of getting married yet. That’s what makes it a chore.”

“And when you finish writing to the Barkleys, how many more?”

“A good many, I’m afraid. – However, I don’t have to do them all tonight. Did you have something to tell me?”

“Well, you must have heard, Gene and Heath came in and cleaned up, and Gene’s showing Heath through the house. Gene says the day went well, the bridge is fixed, and Nick has come around far enough to tell Heath about the waterholes. – Gene’s been very helpful today, I think. Heath may get attached to him and Audra easier than to the rest of us.”

“But Eugene’s going away in two weeks. We can’t depend on him for long.”

“Let us hope Nick comes around soon,” Jarrod said dryly. “Preferably before that cattle drive to San Diego.”

“Yes. – And your day in town?”

He shrugged. “I spread the news. – Mrs. Travis says she won’t welcome Heath beneath her roof, and I think a few others may follow her. Her heart goes out to you, of course.”

Victoria lifted her chin. “That’s just like Amelia Travis! Anyone who condemns Heath because of his birth, without waiting to see what sort of man he is, will not be welcome in this house.”

“I thought you’d see it that way. My profoundest respect to you, Mother.”

“Did you see Luther Kirby?”

“Yes. He wants us all to sign a waiver, that Heath’s getting access to the ranch account is at our risk and not the bank’s. And he wants us to keep the account down for a while, discreetly move surplus money into the trust account or elsewhere.”

She considered. “Yes, that’s reasonable. I don’t believe Heath has any intention of robbing us, but it’s Luther’s business to take precautions.”

“Agreed. I don’t mind putting a little temptation in his way, just to be sure – but no need to make it too much. – What sort of day did you have?”

“I had a talk with Audra. She finds all this quite upsetting – she doesn’t quite understand how – ”

“I should hope not!”

“I opened her eyes a little, Jarrod. She’s at a time of life when too many girls make life choices with their eyes closed – I don’t want her to do that.”

He frowned. “If this is going to hurt Audra – that would be too high a price.”

“Audra isn’t a child any more, Jarrod.” She turned to confront him. “You were tempted to turn Heath away, to protect me and Audra. That would have been wrong.”

“At first his story didn’t sound plausible. It was only when I started to see – ”

“Don’t make excuses! You know I don’t want to be protected from the truth, ever.”

He did know it, and he had deliberately gone against her wishes. “I’m sorry,” he said, knowing he would have to say it before she would let it drop.

“There was so much happening at once,” she said, forgiving him. “It must have been hard to know what should be done first. – As for hurting Audra, it’s done. She can’t go back to what she was three days ago, any more than you or I. The only thing to do is go on from here, and do what’s right under the circumstances.”

“Yes. I agree. – But, you said Audra doesn’t quite understand – I suppose you mean, about Father. Mother, I don’t understand! Do you?”

She dropped her eyes. “No. I don’t. – But whether we understand or not doesn’t change what we must do now. We know what he was to us; if he wronged others, it’s our duty to try to make things right.”

A door slammed downstairs, a loud voice greeted Silas, heavy feet came up the back stairs. “There’s Nick,” said Jarrod. “I want a private word with him, too.”

Tracks in the hall confirmed that Nick had once again forgotten about his muddy boots. Jarrod tapped and walked into his brother’s room to find him stripping, throwing his dirtier clothes into a heap on the floor.

“Hello, lawyer! What do you want now?”

“I hear the bridge is fixed,” said Jarrod.

“Well, of course it is! You think we couldn’t do it without your help?”

“No, no, not for a moment! – I need a word with you in private.”

“I need a bath! Come and talk to me there.” Nick pulled on a well-worn dressing gown, dug out some clean underwear, and headed for the bathroom.

Jarrod obliged by scrubbing his brother’s back before perching on a chair. “Gene says it went all right with Heath.”

“He’s a good worker, I’ll say that – and I don’t mean Gene! He stood around a good part of the time, like he didn’t know what to do next. Heath did – figured it out just as well as I could myself, and always there when I needed him.”

“That sounds satisfactory.”

Nick poured water over his head. “And I can see more than I did, he does have a look of Father. Maybe it’s true – I still don’t want to believe it, but maybe I have to. Get it through my thick skull, as you used to say.”

“Did I? I have more respect for you than that, now, Brother Nick.”

“You got an odd way of showin’ it. – What happened in town? Any more trouble from the railroad?”

“Not today. No, I spent the day going up and down, spreading the story we want spread. Not the nicest day I’ve spent, but no blows were exchanged. – I promised Gene I’d tell him the details the same time as you, so later.”

“Glad it was you and not me.”

Jarrod agreed with a slow nod, and went on to tell Nick about the banker’s conditions. “Will that be too inconvenient for you?”

“Could be a hell of a nuisance. You remember the time – ? Why can’t we just trust the man?”

Jarrod chose not to comment on the change in Nick’s attitude since the morning. “Luther Kirby doesn’t have our reasons to trust him.”

“For a year, you said? Well, we can start off that way, and see how it goes.” Nick stood up in the tub and reached for a towel. “I expect to know for sure, a lot sooner than that. – How’s Mother?”

“She’s writing letters to the Barkley relations. – She scolded me for trying to keep her from knowing about Heath.”

“That’ll teach you!”

When Gene and Heath reached the library, Audra was sitting by the window, gazing moodily out into the distance. She stood up immediately with a bright smile, asking about their day.

“Jarrod said you were writing letters,” said Gene. “Where are they?”

“I started a letter to Elaine – my friend Elaine Miller, Heath, she lives in Highridge now – but I didn’t – I decided not to finish it today.”

“Wait and see what happens next? The way things’ve been happening around here lately, who knows what tomorrow might bring?”

“Who ever knows?” Something in her manner seemed odd to Gene, but he did not pursue it.

“I’m showing Heath over the house, as you can see. Heath, this is called the library, and some of us actually read here sometimes.”

Heath looked at the bookshelves, impressed. “Sure are a lot o’ books.”

“Do you like reading, Heath?” asked Audra, and then held her breath as she thought, possibly he couldn’t read at all.

“Yeah,” he answered, to her relief. “Never had many chances, though.”

“Anything you see here that you’d like to read, go ahead. Take it to your room, if you like.”

“Dunno where to start.”

“Well, what sort of books do you like?” asked Gene, and indicated various shelves. “History here … biography … novels … poetry … natural history down here … travel … books about California … practical arts … sermons … Jarrod keeps his philosophy books upstairs, and his law books in his office in town.”

Heath looked at a few volumes, but presently shook his head. “Wouldn’t wanna keep you waitin’. I’ll come back ‘nother time. Where to next?”

“We’re just about done this floor. Come and see the cellar if you like.”

Audra followed them back to the kitchen and down the back stairs, where she took over from Gene to point out to Heath shelves of pickles and preserves, hams hanging from the ceiling, stacks of firewood, and other evidence that the Barkleys were not about to go hungry or cold. He made little comment, only asking Gene to bring the candle closer to something so he could see better how it was put together. “Like knowin’ how things work,” he explained the second time.

Gene and Audra traded glances. Nick had the same curiosity about how things were made. “That’s good,” said Gene vaguely.

When they emerged from the cellar Silas was not too busy to notice them. “Better brush off them cobwebs ‘fo your mama see you, Miz Audra,” he advised.

“Oh, my, yes! In fact, I’d better get ready for dinner, hadn’t I?”

“Don’t overdo it,” muttered Gene so only she could hear, and then aloud, “Heath, you picked up a few cobwebs too, and I expect I did. Come outside and we can brush each other off.”

Outside, Heath asked anxiously, “You generally get all dressed up for evenin’ dinner?”

“Depends. We generally call the evening meal dinner, it’s when we’re most likely to all be here, and so it’s when Silas makes the biggest meal. The noon meal we call lunch. And we generally get cleaned up some, more on Sunday or if we have guests, but if the river’s flooding or something, Mother will understand we don’t have time. Last night we were so late, we only had sandwiches, so we’d call that supper. – Tonight, for dinner, we’ll do as we are.”

He had a few things to show Heath outside as well, the ice-house, the root cellar, the garden. “Don’t want you to be stuck for where something is,” he apologized as they headed back, thinking it had been a lot to take in all at once.

“I’ll remember most of it,” said Heath. “Thanks, Gene.”

They entered the house this time by the front door.

----------------

Jarrod marked his page and set his book aside as Audra came downstairs. “You’re looking quite lovely this evening,” he told her with his customary smooth courtesy.

“Thank you,” she replied with some constraint he did not understand. “How is your arm?”

“A little stiff, that’s all. Did you have a pleasant day?”

“As good as could be expected. How was your day?”

“I’ve had better. Never mind. – Ah, Mother, there you are!”

Victoria sat in her favorite chair and accepted the glass of sherry he poured her. All waiting nervously, they pretended to behave as usual, making small talk that meant nothing.

Nick clattered down the stairs and swept in to join them, and before the effect of his entrance had subsided, Gene and Heath came in the front door. Jarrod poured drinks for each of them, and raised his own glass. “Here we are,” he said. “Good health to us all, and good fortune in our various endeavors!”

“Here’s to the Barkley luck!” added Nick, downing his whiskey.

Heath sipped without joining the toast. He looked warily from one to another, until Audra’s eyes caught his. She saw that he was even more nervous than the rest of them. “Welcome to Heath,” she smiled, raising her sherry glass. “May we all be friends!”

“Yes, welcome to Heath,” Jarrod echoed.

Gene clapped Heath on the shoulder, startling him a little. “I’ve been welcoming you all day, Heath, I won’t say it again, but I join in the sentiment.”

Victoria asked, “Have you had a good day, Heath?”

“All right.”

Nick snorted. “That all you have to say?”

Heath considered a moment. “Wagon rattles too much,” he observed. “I’ll fix it tomorrow.”

Surprised, Nick rumbled, “You do that!”

“It’s true,” Gene said. “It does rattle. I noticed it too.”

“Don’t hear you offerin’ to fix it.”

“Would you trust me to do it right?”

Nick glared at him, and then grinned. “No, I wouldn’t! Heath’s better at that sort of thing, I can tell already.”

“There you go, then.”

Victoria saw Silas in the doorway, and stood up. “I believe dinner is served.” She took Heath’s arm before he could avoid her, and led the way into the dining room, where she made him sit next to her, with Gene on his other side.

During the meal Gene explained to Jarrod some preparations he wanted to make for his next term at college, Nick demanded to know what courses he would be taking, and Audra joined in to assure him that she had mended any of his clothes that needed it.

“I checked all the buttons, and all the seams and pockets. You should have enough shirts to do for a while.”

“Well, if I run short, I can always order new ones.”

“I could make you shirts, if you’d trust me to do it right.”

“The last one you made me split across the shoulders.”

“That was because you grew, it wasn’t my fault!”

Victoria said, “Perhaps you can make Heath some shirts, dear.” She turned to Heath. “If you’re short, you’d better get some in town first; it will take her a few days.”

“Reckon I better buy a couple,” he admitted. He smiled at Audra, the first real smile Victoria had seen from him. “I’d appreciate it if you’d make me some too.”

“Oh, good, I will! I enjoy sewing. – The one you’re wearing fits you well, doesn’t it? When you get new ones, give me that for a pattern. Is that your favorite colour, light blue?”

“Like it fine.” The clean shirt he had put on after his bath was quite faded, and had been mended in several places, but it became him well.

“I did a little mending for you today, by the way. I hope you don’t mind.” Victoria had checked his clothes and looked at the rest of his meager possessions without disturbing them.

“Thanks.” He did not meet her eyes.

She kept looking at him, watching him eat while the others talked, seeing how much he was like Tom, and also beginning to see how he was unlike.

In a lull of the conversation, she asked, “Are you a churchgoer, Heath?”

He seemed surprised, and hesitated a moment. “Not regular,” he answered at last.

“Are you – Catholic? or Baptist? or – ?”

“Never seen much difference ‘twixt one and another.”

“We go to the Community Church in Stockton; we like the minister there, Mr. Tebbett. I hope you’ll come with us Sunday.”

“If you want.”

Jarrod said, “All the old gossips will be looking you over if you do, Heath. Be warned. – I spoke to at least one today who won’t be friendly to you: Mrs. Travis.”

“Oh, no, not Mrs. Travis!” exclaimed Audra. “Jarrod, you – ”

He shook his head, just enough to silence her.

Victoria said crisply, “If Mrs. Travis thinks she can tell us how to conduct ourselves, she doesn’t know us as well as she likes to think.”

“She may change her mind,” suggested Gene mischievously, “when she thinks over the implications.”

“Implications? What implications?” demanded Nick.

“Well, you know, she’d like to be the mother-in-law of at least one of us. Now she has one more chance.”

“Eugene,” said his mother. He flushed and looked at his plate.

Heath said flatly, “Reckon she won’t be after me.”

“People like that – it’s not fair!” exclaimed Audra. “Judging you before she’s so much as seen you!”

Nick, unexpectedly, pounded his fist on the table. “Well, she needn’t come after me either. If one Barkley isn’t good enough for her, neither is another.” His family looked at him with astonishment.

Gene nudged Heath and muttered, “What did I tell you?”

Heath seemed caught for a moment between doubt and amazement. Collecting himself, he said, “Better get used to it. Nothin’ them folks say’ll be new to me, likely, but it’ll be new to you, and some of it’ll be ugly.”

“Then we will treat it as it deserves,” Victoria responded at once. “You are one of us now; an attack on you is an attack on us all.”

He looked at her, shocked. “I never meant – ”

Silas came in to clear away the main course, and he did not try to finish his sentence. The strawberry pies that appeared next drew admiration from around the table and distracted everyone’s attention until they had been consumed.

“Mother, that was one of your finest,” was Jarrod’s verdict. He looked around to be sure all of them had finished eating. “May I suggest we have our coffee in the library? I’m afraid we have business to discuss, which may take some time.”

----------------

In the library Jarrod and Nick moved the big desk back against the wall while Gene brought in extra chairs so that they could all sit comfortably in a circle. Heath sat opposite Jarrod, with Gene on one side of him and Nick on the other. Audra poured coffee and handed it around.

“We agreed last night that Heath is part of our family and has a right to be here. Before we get into how that will work in practice, I have one question for all of you. After having a day to think it over, does anyone want to reconsider last night’s decision?”

“I spoke against it then,” said Nick after a brief silence, “but I’ve changed my mind since. I say Heath should be here.”

“Good for you!” Audra applauded. “There, Heath, you can’t leave after that!”

“Don’t figure on leavin’.”

“I’m glad my efforts on your behalf today weren’t wasted.” Jarrod looked round for other comments. “I’ll begin, then, by explaining just how the family property is held, and then go on to talk about your share of it. Being a lawyer, I believe things work out better if the legalities are settled first.”

“This gonna be complicated?”

“Stop me, ask questions, if you don’t understand. I can be long-winded at times. – First, then, before Father’s death almost all the property was in his name, except for about a thousand acres, including the buildings and the land immediately around them, which were in Mother’s name, as they still are. At that time I was already practicing law, I had my professional income, and Father had bought and given me the building in Stockton where I have my office. Nick had some horses and whatever income they brought in, and Gene and Audra were children. Father’s will left his estate in a trust that can’t be wound up before Audra’s twenty-fifth birthday – still over six years from now – and could, if we and our heirs chose, go on for ninety-nine years. I expect we will want to wind it up sometime in the next twenty years or so, but we haven’t given a great deal of thought to how we’ll do it, it’s too soon.”

“A trust. How does that work?”

“There are three trustees – Mother, Nick, and myself; I don’t propose to change that while we’re all able to act. We look after the estate – for some things each of us is empowered to act alone, but for anything big two of us have to sign, and often we make it three. The trust pays me a retainer to handle the legal business. It also pays Nick a salary to run the ranch, and lets him keep his horses on the property, but the profits from the ranch go back into the trust. When Gene is here the trust pays him for whatever ranch work he does, Audra too sometimes, and now you’re here it should also pay you a salary for what you do – which I imagine will be rather more than Gene. Considering what we pay Nick and what we pay Gene – what do you think, Nick, would fifty dollars a month be fair to start?”

“To start,” Nick agreed. “We’ll see after a while if you’re worth more.”

“It’s a lot more’n the twelve you pay top hands.”

“I expect you to be more than a top hand. McColl gets forty, and you’ll be his boss.”

“Well, be more money’n I ever had afore.”

“Be harder work, too.”

“After a while,” Jarrod continued, “we may agree on another arrangement, you might run some part of the estate yourself. You grew up in a mining town, you probably know more about mines than any of us, maybe you could run the mines for us.”

“Mm.” No eagerness to catch on to that suggestion.

“That’s only one idea. In any case, that’s for the future. For the present, we need to know you and you need to know us, so, as I said this morning, working with Nick makes most sense.”

“Besides,” said Audra, “Nick’s always complaining he has too much to do.”

“That part’s all right.” Heath still seemed to have some private doubts.

Jarrod cleared his throat. “Going back to the trust, it also pays an allowance to each of us in keeping with our needs. Gene gets enough for his expenses at college, for instance, and Audra uses hers to buy clothes.”

Audra punched his good arm. “Not all of it!”

“I stand corrected. – Mother gets a housekeeping allowance and a personal allowance. Nick’s allowance is small, and I don’t get one because I have a good income from my law practice. But if one of us were to get married, say, we’d review the arrangement. – Now, you haven’t had an allowance in the past. I suggest we allow you a thousand right away, to make up some arrears, and two hundred a year besides your pay.”

Heath looked stunned. “That’s a lot o’ money,” he said when he had taken it in. “A lot more’n you offered me two days ago, to go away and not come back.”

“That was my mistake, Heath. I apologize for making that offer.”

“You didn’t believe me then. How come you believe me now?”

“Speaking for myself, the first time I thought there might be something in your story was when you mentioned Strawberry. How could you have known Father was there about that time? it had to be accounted for. And when you refused the money, that made me wonder too. But I was protecting Mother, you see – I didn’t want her to know anything about you. When she found out, she wasn’t happy with me. – When you joined us at Sample’s farm yesterday, that wasn’t the act of a con man. But most of all, I started to see that you look quite a bit like Father – and Mother says she saw it right away. That’s what made me believe you’re my brother.”

Nick said, “I didn’t see it at first, but I do now.”

The portrait of Tom Barkley hung out in the living room; Heath might have looked at it there, but no one had seen him do so. He was silent now, looking into his coffee cup as if he might find answers there. Audra jumped up and went out of the room, and presently returned with a plush album of family photographs.

“Don’t look at the painting,” she advised. “He was getting on when that was done, and the painter made his beard whiter than it was, which made him look even older. Here,” she opened at the first page, “here he is in 1856, with Mother – that was one of the first photographers to come to Stockton, wasn’t it? and wouldn’t take children because they couldn’t sit still long enough, that’s why the boys aren’t in it – I wasn’t born yet. I can see you look something like he did then.”

Heath looked at the stiffly formal picture, and across at Victoria, connecting her with the younger woman in the photograph. She smiled at him. “It’s hard to see a resemblance between yourself and another person, I know, especially with so little to go on. Take our word for it, the resemblance is there. It convinced me, when I first saw you.”

“If you say so, ma’am.” He closed the album and handed it back to Audra.

Victoria’s children expected her to object to the “ma’am”, a title she disliked, but she bit her lip and deferred that for another time.

Jarrod returned to business. “Shall I proceed with the allowance as I suggested, then? Heath, that money will be for your personal use, however you see fit – if you lose it at poker, as Nick sometimes does, it’s your loss.”

Heath almost smiled at that. “Maybe I will.”

“You’ll need new clothes, as we said,” Audra suggested tentatively.

“I ain’t broke. I can buy clothes. – Don’t feel right about takin’ so much.”

Victoria said, “Please accept this, Heath. We can never make up for all you should have had, and money is the least part of that, but let us give you this much at least.”

“Do, Heath, please!” begged Audra.

“It’s not too much,” Gene added. “Just what’s fair.”

“Go ahead,” said Nick when Heath seemed to be waiting for his opinion. “We’ll all feel better if you do.”

“Well, if you all agree on it – ”

“If you’re going to be one of us, you have to get used to having money,” Jarrod declared. “Is that settled? Back to the trust, then. It’s with us for another six years at least, but in due course we probably will choose to end it, before any children still unborn are old enough to complicate the issue. Under Father’s will, the estate is to be, quote, equitably divided by agreement among all adult members of the Barkley family, unquote. The wording is less than precise, as is often done when arranging such matters a long way ahead. It would allow – let us say, if I were to marry and have children, and then die before the trust was wound up, it would mean my widow would have to concur in the decision as a family member. In my view, it also allows you to have a voice in the decision, and a share if we all agree on it.”

“I wasn’t expectin’ that.”

“Note the word ‘equitable’. That means the shares don’t have to be equal, only fair enough that we can all agree. And I assure you, barring disaster, there will be enough to give each of us a very comfortable share when the time comes. But the details must wait.”

Gene, taking the role of Heath’s advocate, said, “That’s all very well, but shouldn’t we put something on paper now, that that’s what we intend?”

“I did think about that. We could all sign something to say we recognize Heath as one of the Barkley family, with the same rights and responsibilities as other family members, including a right to share in the division of the estate. Would everyone agree to that?”

“I would,” said Victoria at once. Her younger children echoed her, but Nick was silent.

Heath frowned. “Ain’t it too soon to think about that? Maybe we won’t get along, maybe I won’t stay, maybe you won’t want me when you get to know me.”

“You don’t have to live here to be a member of the family, or to have rights. We could agree to something else, once we know each other – ”

Nick’s loud voice cut across Jarrod’s. “That’s enough, Jarrod! We don’t need all this legal nonsense tonight!” He saw, more than the others seemed to, that Heath was overwhelmed and bewildered, trying valiantly to keep up but more and more out of his depth.

Jarrod looked sharply from one to the other, and smiled. “You’re right, Nick. I’m talking too much again. – Though we probably should do something of the sort before long, in case of accidents. – Heath, is there anything you want to ask about at this point?”

“About the name,” Heath asked after a pause, “do I have to do anythin’ special to change it?”

“Not unless you want to. You can call yourself by any name you like as long as it’s not for fraudulent purposes. There is a legal process, that involves advertising in newspapers, but it shouldn’t be necessary.”

“I reckon there’ll be plenty of talk without that.”

Jarrod nodded. “Our family’s too well known to avoid gossip.”

“Sorry if you’re embarrassed.”

Victoria said firmly, “We don’t care about embarrassment when we are doing right.”

“You’ll probably get the worst of it, I’m afraid, Heath.”

“Figured that.”

“It’s so unfair!” cried Audra.

“We will try to be fair ourselves, Audra,” her mother told her. “To do all the justice we can, in this case to Heath, whatever other people do.”

“Well, of course we will!”

Jarrod continued, “Granted I’ve talked too much, there is one other piece of business I have to mention. Heath, besides the money which is your own, you’ll need to have signing power on the ranch bank account, and at the places in town where we have a credit account. Nick or I will introduce you, and some places will ask you for a specimen signature, but the bank will want more than that. In fact, I spoke with the banker today. He wants every one of us to sign that we agree to you signing on the ranch account.”

“I need this?” Heath questioned.

“You need it,” Nick assured him. “Can’t have you not able to do business for the ranch; that could be a real nuisance.”

“But why?” asked Audra. “Why should Mr. Kirby have anything to say about it?”

“Heath’s a stranger to him, Audra. It could be bad for the bank if anything happened to the money in that account. So we’re going to sign that the risk is ours, not his. To show that we trust Heath.”

“Dunno why you should trust me,” Heath muttered.

“Is there a reason we shouldn’t?”

He took his time, as he so often did. “Seems to me, you’re doin’ all this ‘cause you think I shoulda been here all along. Just ‘cause wrong was done to me and my mama, ain’t no reason I wouldn’t wanna do wrong to you.”

“But if you did, would you be pointing that out to us?”

“Heath,” said Victoria, “listen to me. I don’t know much about your mother, but I know she was an honorable woman. If she weren’t, we surely would have known about you a long time ago. I don’t think she raised her son to be dishonorable.” There were some holes in her logic, no doubt, but she believed what she said, and it had its effect on Heath.

“Are you done, lawyer?” asked Nick.

“For the present, I think that’s enough,” Jarrod conceded. “Do you have anything to add?”

“Just one thing.” Nick stood up and tried to pace in the small floor space remaining. “We’ve tried to keep our name clean all these years, clean and bright, something men can respect and count on. The way Father left it to us, so we thought. What hurts me in all this business is, it’s like there was a smudge on our good name all along, that we didn’t know about. And the only way to make it clean again is to make good on what Father should’ve done. That’s why we’re doin’ this – why I am, anyhow – and I tell you, Heath, you better be one of those doin’ the polishin’ from now on.” He sat down again.

“Hear, hear!” said Gene under his breath.

“Don’t aim to add any more smudges,” Heath replied in his slow way. “Might see some you never noticed.”

“That’s good too,” said Victoria. “I expect we’ll learn something about ourselves, as well as about you.”

Jarrod found more to say after all. “Nick has a point. Heath, we do have an obligation to you, and I think we’d still have it no matter what you were like personally. But we also have an obligation to our neighbors. We wouldn’t knowingly bring a crook or a troublemaker among them, we wouldn’t protect you at their expense.”

“So I’m warned.”

Gene, feeling that Jarrod had overstepped, tried to turn it off lightly. “But remember, Nick hasn’t crossed that line yet. You’re allowed to drink and gamble and get into fights. Even to kiss a girl now and then, if she’s willing.”

“Oh, and where is the line, exactly?” asked Audra with uncharacteristic sarcasm.

“Audra,” said Victoria.

Nick said, “You’re allowed to make mistakes. We all do that! But don’t use our name as a cover, if you do anyone harm, that’s all.”

“Don’t plan on it. – You startin’ to wonder what you’re in for?”

“All of us wonder how it will turn out,” said Victoria. “We’ll all have to make an effort, to make it succeed – and I very much hope it does. – And now that Jarrod has been thorough, and Nick has been eloquent, shall we adjourn this meeting?”

----------------

The ladies moved into the living room while the men replaced the furniture. Audra sat down at the piano. “Do you sing, Heath? Or play anything?”

“Not really.”

“I’m afraid there’s not much musical talent in the Barkley family. But we can all enjoy the songs everybody knows.” She began a Stephen Foster tune, and her brothers obediently gathered around. The musical results left much to be desired; after three or four songs she picked up her sewing and went to sit in the best light.

Victoria had not joined in the singing. She patted the space beside her. “Sit here, Heath.” He sat, eyeing her sideways. “Will you tell me more about yourself?”

Jarrod took up his book, and Nick and Gene started a game of checkers, and all of them listened.

“Dunno where to start.”

“Well, then, I’ll try asking questions. If I ask any you’d rather not answer, you don’t have to, just shake your head. Is that all right?”

“All right.”

“Did you go to school in Strawberry?”

“For a while. Three or four years.”

“So you can read and write and cipher?”

“Some. Ain’t had too much practice, though.”

“I taught school once. When you have time, I’ll be happy to work with you if you want to improve.”

“Don’t wanna be no trouble.”

“It will be a pleasure.” I hope, she added to herself. “So you’ve been working since you were quite young?”

“One way or another.”

“In Strawberry?”

“Not since I was a kid. Nothin’ there anymore.”

“You left home when you were a boy, then?”

“’Bout fifteen.”

“But your mother stayed on there? You must have gone back sometimes.”

“Not often enough. – She still had some work, ‘til the last year, and a garden and a cow, and friends; she wouldn’t move.”

“Mm.” Victoria wanted to know more about Leah Thomson, but she sensed Heath was not ready to tell her. “You must have had quite a variety of jobs.”

“Yeah.”

“And not only in California?”

“Nope. Nevada, New Mexico, Colorado, Texas, Oregon – you name it. Old Mexico, too.”

“¿Habla español?”

“Enough to get by.” He did not demonstrate.

“That’s good. We have some property in Mexico; sometimes one of us has to go down there.”

“Seems there’s property all over.”

“It needs a good deal of looking after. You can be a great help.”

Jarrod stopped pretending to read. “Heath, I forgot something I was going to ask you. Were you ever a law officer?”

“Once. Was just a kid then.”

“Mind if I asked who you worked for?”

“Man named Frank Sawyer. Taught me a lot.”

“Ah.”

“Why you askin’, Jarrod?” Nick demanded.

“The Sheriff thought Heath’s name was familiar. Seems Frank Sawyer thought quite a bit of you, Heath; he was bragging about his deputy.”

“That so?”

“I’ll tell the Sheriff he was right.”

“So you were checkin’ on me.”

“I was telling folks you’re here, as I said I would. If somebody volunteers information, what do you expect me to do, refuse to listen?”

“Do all the checkin’ you like. You got a right.”

“Even you think we’re being too trusting? A lot of people in town seemed to think so.”

“What business is it of theirs?” asked Nick.

“The Sheriff has a right to ask about any newcomers. The banker has a right to ask about the security of accounts. Some of the others have legitimate interests too. And they know Heath even less than we do.”

“Well, I trust Heath!” declared Audra. “I don’t care what anybody says!”

“Trust has to go both ways,” said Victoria. “Heath, have any of us given you reason not to trust us?”

“No, ma’am. None of you.”

“Then that leaves what happened in the past. We can’t change the past, but we’ll do what we can for the future. I trust you with what is most precious to me, the lives and happiness of my children.” She felt sure now, as she had guessed earlier, that the way to win Heath’s loyalty was to make a gesture of trust that was even excessive.

“Thanks,” was all he said, but she knew he meant much more.

Gene won the game of checkers, and Nick declined another. He stood up, stretching, dominating the room with his size and energy. “You ever break horses, Heath?”

“Yeah.” Heath sat still on the sofa, only turning his head a little to watch this most challenging of his brothers.

“I brought a couple of colts into the corral. In the morning we’ll have a go at them.”

“Any o’ the hands good breakers?”

“A couple. I wanna see what you can do, first.”

Jarrod and Gene traded glances, confirming that neither one of them wanted any part of breaking horses. Audra asked eagerly, “May I watch?”

“If you like,” said Heath, not waiting for Nick.

Victoria suppressed a yawn. “I think I’ll go to bed,” she announced. “Audra, are you ready?”

Audra considered saying no for just a moment, and said yes. They said goodnight and went upstairs together, leaving the four brothers behind. It was the normal family custom that if the ladies went up early, the men would allow them some private time before following, and vice versa.

Audra lingered in the corridor, in case there were loud noises from below; Nick’s voice was often easily heard from up here, as it had been the night of the first confrontation with Heath. But tonight there were only indistinct murmurs, and she went on to her own room. Her mother tapped on her door while she was brushing her hair.

“How did you feel it went this evening, dear?”

“Well enough, I suppose. I’m glad Nick’s with the rest of us now. But it will take a while before we’re quite comfortable with Heath, won’t it? – it’s like having a house guest we don’t really know or have much in common with.”

“I would put it the other way. It will take a while before he’s quite comfortable with us. Both are true, but it’s harder for him than for us.”

“Yes, I see. After a few months it may seem as if he’s always been here, to us, but he’ll never forget his other life. – He’s more awkward with you than with anyone else, I think.”

“I’m glad to hear you think that – I hoped he was more at ease with you and the boys. The situation is – more awkward. But I think I could become quite fond of him, if he’d only relax around me. – Well, it’s too soon to know. He seemed to be getting on nicely with Eugene, at least.”

“Gene showed him over the house, and I went with them down cellar. He was looking at the cistern, trying to see how it’s made. I think he’s probably handy with tools, fixing things.”

“Your father was.”

“Why should Heath be anything like Father? Why would he want to be?”

“I can’t tell you why. I only know it’s so.”

Audra put down the brush and began braiding her hair for the night, but her mother came to do it for her as when she was a little girl. “Mother, what do you think she was like? Heath’s mother, I mean. When he told you about her having a garden and a cow, and not wanting to leave Strawberry – she sounded so ordinary, just like anybody.”

“Don’t picture her as a romantic heroine, dear. I dare say she was just trying to do her best and make ends meet, with not very much to do it with. – He said she had friends there. Someday I’d like to speak with her friends, to see if they could tell me why she kept silent – why she didn’t let your father know.”

“Maybe she never wanted to see him again.”

“Maybe. – But I don’t suppose there’s any hurry to try to find out. It can wait until Heath’s more comfortable here.”

Downstairs, Heath was investigating the books in the library, scarcely responding to Gene’s stream of commentary. Jarrod and Nick went out into the rose garden.

“He don’t have much to say,” Nick grumbled.

“Just the opposite of you, Nicholas. Maybe a little of each of you will rub off on the other and improve you both.”

“Me? I don’t talk too much. You talk too much, Jarrod.”

“No doubt I do, at times. Heath may go on being quiet because he can’t get a word in edgewise.”

“Naw. It’s just the way he is. Likely had folks givin’ him a hard time when he was a kid.”

“I’m afraid so. I hope that won’t happen much here.”

“Not when I’m around it won’t!”

Jarrod noted that Nick was now ready to protect Heath against all criticism but his own. “No. Not when you’re around, or me either. But it will happen. We couldn’t hide the facts – or at least, it’s too late now.”

Nick cleared his throat. “You saw Mrs. Travis. But not Meg?”

“No, I didn’t see Meg.”

“You’re gonna have a hard time courtin’ her, the way things are.”

“I wasn’t courting her, I was just enjoying her company when we met, and thinking it might come to more. – This is probably the end of it, sure enough, unless she chooses to defy her mother and be nice to Heath.”

“Damn it, Jarrod – !”

“Never mind, Nick. My heart won’t break.”

They became aware of someone approaching in the dim light, and recognized Gene.

“Heard your voices,” he said, “at least Nick’s. – Heath’s got a book, and he’s sitting there reading, slowly and carefully. That seems to be his style, don’t you think?”

“What did he pick out?” asked Jarrod curiously.

“Natural Wealth of California. I tried to read it a few years back – seems to me I thought it was dull stuff – but you may think better of it.”

“Useful knowledge!” commented Jarrod.

“A great deal of useful knowledge! – Never mind that. What happened in town?”

“Yeah, tell us about it,” Nick echoed.

He told them, in some detail, about Mr. Trim’s eagerness to investigate, and the sheriff’s not being surprised, and Jim Scanlon’s professional caution, about Dr. Merar’s amusement, and Dave Wallace’s promise to stand by them, and Mrs. Travis’s hostility, and others. He went into more detail about Luther Kirby’s concerns, and explained what Martin Erskine would and would not put in his newspaper, though he left out Erskine’s confidential information about the railroad’s intentions.

“You had a hell of a day,” said Nick when he finished.

“Not my best. But I still believe it’s the right thing to do, and may even be to our benefit in the long run.”

“If Heath’s as good a man as he looks to be, likely it will,” Gene agreed. “All the same, there’s a price to pay, and you paid part of it today.”

“A price for Father’s fault. Yes.”

“We might consider ourselves lucky. He could’ve been somebody we wouldn’t want anything to do with.”

“He’s a Barkley!” objected Nick.

“He could be a Barkley and still be a bad man. It’s not impossible.”

“If he had the wrong sort of mother, certainly he could,” Jarrod interposed. “We can believe, if we like, that Father’s taste in women stayed good even when his morals didn’t. More likely Gene’s right, we’re lucky.” After a moment he repeated, “Lucky,” in a different tone, heavy with irony.

Gene offered another idea. “My notion is – it’s no more than a guess, of course – that Father found her much too fascinating, he wouldn’t go back because she was a danger to his marriage.”

“Possibly. We’ll never know what his true feelings were, I suppose.”

“He loved Mother to the day he died!” declared Nick. “Whatever happened up there, he never stopped loving Mother!”

“Yes, I believe that. I would never suggest otherwise. But he might have had strong feelings for Heath’s mother at the same time. I think that’s possible, at least for a short while.”

Nick began another explosive protest, and stopped himself. After a moment he said, thoughtfully, “Could be you’re right.”

Gene attempted sarcasm. “I don’t pretend to your extensive experience of love. I’ll withhold judgment on that one.”

“You do that, baby brother.”

“Baby? Now you have two younger brothers, that makes me baby?”

“’Tain’t long since I called you that all the time.”

“You did not!”

Jarrod extinguished his cigar. “I’m going in. Coming?”

“Gotta check the corral,” said Nick, and walked off into the moonlit darkness.

Gene hung back. “Before you go in, Jarrod, one more thing I wouldn’t say in front of Heath.”

“What’s that?”

“When the word gets around, what’s to stop some con artist from showing up with the same kind of story? If we’d take in one, why not two?”

“Might look suspicious, though, mightn’t it? – Think back to the other day. Our first reaction was to treat Heath like a con artist, by asking how much he wanted to go away. After that didn’t work, we considered plausibility of dates and places. And, over the next day or so, looked at him and saw the resemblance. Most of all, we found out something about the kind of man he is, when he stood with us against the railroad thugs. If a con artist could pass all those tests, I suppose we might be fooled, at least for a while.”

“And, like we said last night, he was pretty convincing. – But if somebody tries it, even if we don’t believe him, how will Heath feel about it?”

“I don’t know, Gene. I suggest we have quite enough to think about without that.”

“Am I being a nuisance?”

“You’ve been helpful today. But don’t let it go to your head – baby brother.”

They returned to the house squabbling, to find Heath nodding over the large book’s small print. He woke with a start when they entered.

“Did Gene put you on reading that? Slow going.”

Heath’s lips twitched with amusement. “Take me a good few years, at this rate.”

“Here.” Jarrod handed him a thin strip of leather. “Put a bookmark in it, and you can come back whenever you like. Or take it with you.”

“All right. – Where’s Nick?”

“Checking the corral, he said. He likes being out at night, as a matter of fact. Just as happy sleeping under the stars as in his own bed. You the same?”

“Not used to havin’ such a fine bed o’ my own.”

“I suppose not.” Jarrod felt dejectedly that it was going to be very difficult, integrating Heath into the life of the family. I’ve done enough today, he told himself, and then, No, it’s never enough. “Heath, is there anything else you want to ask me, or tell me, tonight?”

“Can’t think o’ nothin’.” Heath stood and stretched, rippling his powerful muscles. “Been a long day. I’m ready for bed, if that’s all right.”

“Go ahead. I’ll wait for Nick.”

“I’m ready,” said Gene, and they went up together.

Nick found Jarrod reading by a single light. “They go to bed?”

“Heath took that book up with him. He got through three or four pages, I think.”

“So he can read. – I brought in two colts, like I said. One’s a good one, and one not so good. I’ll start him on the one that’s not so good, and see how he does before I let him at the other one.”

“And who’s going to carry on working with them when you go on the drive south and take every able-bodied man with you? Not me, and not Gene.”

“Audra, then. She can train any horse, once it’s broke.”

“Better see what she thinks about that. Ask her in the morning. – And don’t let her ride anything that’s not broken. Remember the time – ?”

“Yeah, yeah, I remember.”

“We can’t say that in Heath’s hearing, you know. We’d be shutting him out.”

“So we tell him. ‘Heath, three years ago I was a damned fool, I let Audra ride a horse that wasn’t gentled enough, and she was thrown, she nearly died.’”

“She didn’t really, Nick, you only thought so for a minute. Way I heard, she sat up before you got to her.”

“Well, it was a close thing!”

“It scared you, I know.”

Nick poured himself a drink and tasted it. “Think I’ll play a little poker with Heath, one of these days,” he remarked.

“Trying to get some of that money back?”

“Of course if I play I’m tryin’ to win! I was thinkin’ of how old Jed MacGregor used to say, if you want to know a man, play poker with him.”

“I remember that too. I’d like to join in the game, Nick, if I won’t be in the way.”

“I never mind takin’ your money, lawyer.”

“Keep the stakes low, that’s all. What would he think, if we gave him money with one hand and took it away with the other? – But then, he might take ours instead. I expect he’s played some, here and there.”

“We’ll find out, then. Lotsa things to find out about him.” He finished his drink. “I’m ready for bed too. See you in the morning.”

“I might as well go too. I’m not doing anything here.” When he was in the mood, Jarrod could stay up half the night reading and writing, but tonight he could not fix his mind on his book or his work. For two days now, even in yesterday’s crisis, his thoughts had centred on Heath, and what was to be done about him. He knew he would have to complete the turn to full acceptance before he could be at peace, he knew he had come most of the way, but he was not yet there. Nick, who had been so reluctant at the start, was abreast of him now.

They put out the remaining lights and climbed the stairs together. Soon the house was quiet in the moonlight.

Continued …