Rest In Peace

Chapters 1-13

by Kashkow1

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.

Chapter 1

Victoria Barkley shook her head as she heard the upstairs door slam. For all her daughter’s delicate beauty and refinement, the Barkley temper flared just as hot in her veins as it did in the veins of her brothers. Victoria looked around the room at her sons, who were variously frowning or shaking their heads. Her heart felt heavy at the news they had just received. She had looked upon the girl as almost another daughter, and to hear she had been killed, especially in such a manner, was devastating. She could understand Audra’s desire for revenge, but cooler heads must prevail. Victoria had felt the same way when Tom, her husband, had been gunned down by an assassin, and would have perhaps taken revenge herself if she had known the identity of the killer for sure. That was the part that Audra had to understand, no one knew for sure who had killed the young woman, and it wasn’t as if you could just go and accuse someone out of hand. She looked around the parlor at her sons, knowing that they too would feel the injustice, but also knowing that justice couldn’t always be swift.

Jarrod, her eldest at 30, was slim and handsome with dark hair and deep blue eyes. His clothes were those of the city, finely cut and made of the finest material. But she knew that the clothes hid a fit body able to handle the hard work of a ranch as well as the rigors of the successful law offices he ran in both Stockton, the town nearest their ranch, and in San Francisco, to the North. That he was so successful as a lawyer was no surprise to her. She had seen the light of justice burning in his eyes from the first time he had been faced with the unfairness that life sometimes produced. He had been determined to make it right, and remained so in his impassioned defense of his clients. He sat now, in the parlor of their home, rereading the letter that had caused all the furor moments ago, a calm and cool presence with no indication that any upset had gone on. But she knew that inside he would have wished to help, if there had been something he could do that no one there could have done.

Nicholas, her second son, at 26, was another matter all together. He stood, dressed in his habitual black pants, dark shirt, and black boots, leaning on the back of Jarrod’s chair with his usual indolent grace. He was tall, and had the well-muscled form of a man who was used to hard physical labor. He was tanned and handsome, and was currently reading the letter over his brother’s shoulder. He was shaking his head at the antics of his younger sister, seemingly oblivious to the fact that she had probably learned it from him. Nick was never quiet, never unobtrusive. When he was present you knew it often through sheer force of personality, and there was seldom any doubt regarding his feelings on any given subject. He was the king of the Barkley ranch, and answered to no one. But like a good king, justice was a main concern of Nick’s, and he wasn’t afraid to take it into his own hands if necessary. But he knew that there needed to be proof before he acted.

Victoria turned her eyes to the other male occupant of the room, leaning against the mantle. He seemed at first glance to be the complete opposite of Nick. Blond, blue eyed, and seemingly trying to do his best to make himself blend in with the surroundings. Only when you looked into the sky colored eyes did you really see the true man. The slim, narrow-hipped build of a horseman hid whipcord strength, and every bit as much will and determination as his dark haired brothers. The 22 year old Heath was not her son by birth, being instead the son of her husband by another woman, but in the three months since he had come to them, he had become her son too, and in him she saw the same passion and fire as was in the other of Tom Barkley’s offspring. He was frowning into his drink, not lifting his eyes from the glass. That he was just as devoted to justice and fairness as his brothers were she had no doubt, but what his feeling were on this matter she didn’t know, and doubted she would anytime soon. She had noticed that Heath seldom involved himself in discussions between the family members unless directly addressed, and then he replied in the shortest possible manner. He wasn’t rude. He was simply succinct. He also had yet to voice an opinion regarding much of anything. Once he had established that he WAS a true son of Tom Barkley, at least in the mind of his new family, he had simply seemed to go along with the flow. She saw him cast a glance in the direction of the stairs, and sensed that he wanted to follow his sister, but was holding back, perhaps not believing that his presence would be welcome, or, and this idea was distasteful to her, he felt it wasn’t his place to try to comfort her since he was not her “real” brother. Victoria glanced at the clock.

“Heath, would you be so kind as to go see if your sister means to join us for dinner? I believe she will not, but I would like it if you would ask.” She requested to her newest and quietest son. He cast a quick glance at Nick and Jarrod, as if to see if they were put out by her request, but they paid no mind, going on with the reading. He put down his glass, and with a small crooked smile at her that told her that he was aware of being handled, went quietly out of the room and up the stairs. Victoria noted that Nick raised his head and watched him go, then glanced at her before going back to reading.

Nick and Heath had reached something of an uneasy truce of late. Nick had come to see the value of having a brother that loved the land and ranching as much as he did, but it was difficult for him to share the control of the ranch that he and his father had built from nothing. He had come to realize that Heath didn’t want to take over as the boss. He was content to let Nick be the ultimate boss. The only thing he seemed to want from Nick, or anyone, was an acknowledgment that that he deserved to be there, that he deserved the right to be called Barkley. He was a hard worker, and never complained about any job he was assigned. Nick had just recently come to understand how difficult it was for this newest brother to be who he was. An illegitimate child was looked down upon with scorn even in humble circumstances. The fact that the Barkley’s were a well-known and wealthy family had made it that much worse for Heath. It was with some amusement that Victoria had noted that Nick now bristled like an angry dog when someone else said the same things about Heath that he had said himself only a month or so earlier. Victoria was one of the few privileged to know the depth of heart in her second son, a heart that was evidently beginning to open up to Heath. And she had noted that it was not just Nick who was changing.

Heath had been an angry young man when he came to them, rightfully so it had seemed. He had known an incredibly hard life growing up in a dying mining town in the mountains to the east of the valley. His mother, unmarried, had scrapped by with barely enough to keep them both alive, and the young man had been forced to work at dangerous jobs from the age of six. The fact that his father had been so wealthy, that his siblings had known no such poverty, had made it all the worse. Over the months that anger had gone, leaving them with a man that they were all coming to admire, to love. Beneath the veneer of toughness there was a gentle heart, and an intelligent mind.

A half hour later as they went into dinner Heath came down the stairs to join them, alone. They sat down to dinner, with Nick and Jarrod discussing a contract for the lumber camp, and what would be necessary in the way of hiring to make the contact viable. Heath ate quietly, listening to his brothers talk, but not adding anything. Victoria looked at him silently for a moment, and then put her hand gently on his left arm. His eyes swung to her.

“How was your sister?” she asked quietly.

He quirked that little smile again. “She wasn’t ‘zactly inclined to talk much. She allowed as how she wasn’t hungry and that she hoped we all choked on it.” Victoria shared his smile.

“Audra is very much your brother’s sister sometimes.” She agreed with a sideways glance at Nick.

The smile flashed a little more, and a twinkle came into the blue eyes. “Reckon she’ll calm down after a bit. She’d been crying some, did a little more while I sat with her. Seemed to make her feel some better by the time I left. Somethin’ like that, the only thing that makes it better is time. Don’t figure she’ll be none too happy for the next while.”

“Yes, I’m sure that you are right. Maddie was her friend. They grew up together. When Maddie went back to Virginia City to visit her brother it was the first time they had been apart more than a few days. I’m not sure that they could have been any closer if they had been sisters. It is unfortunate that they had to bury her there in Virginia City. I think if Audra had been able to attend the services it would have been better somehow.”

Heath nodded in agreement, and moved his fork aimlessly through his food. Victoria noted he hadn’t eaten much. Since he had come to them she had managed, with Silas’ able help, to put some weight on the boy, who had been too skinny for his frame in her opinion. His shoulders were already starting to fill out, and usually his appetite rivaled Nick’s. However, tonight evidently his empathy for his sister’s pain made his appetite disappear.

Heath noticed her glance at the plate, and tried to make a show of eating some of the good food. Silas was a great cook, and he could truthfully say that he had yet to have anything put before him at his table that he didn’t like. He just didn’t have much of an appetite after seeing his sister in such distress. That it was something, for which he could offer her no ease, made it all the more difficult for him. Of all of the Barkley’s he had been most comfortable with Audra from the first. She didn’t seem to expect anything from him, accepted him as he was, and didn’t want to change him in any way. Now, she was in pain and he couldn’t help her. It was a bitter pill. He thought of the last he had seen of her. Curled on her bed, golden hair spread around her as she lay there crying into her pillow. Heath had thought that his sister was one of the most beautiful women he had ever seen from the first time he had seen her. A mixture of tomboy and woman, she glowed with health and spirit. Upstairs she had turned a red, tear stained face to him as he had sat on the edge of the bed, then threw herself into his arms, sobbing her grief against his shoulder. He had felt his heart grow larger as he realized the ease with which she turned to him for comfort. It was an affirmation of sorts to his position in the family, at least in the mind of his little sister.

For a man not used to doubting himself about anything, the last few months had been a new experience to Heath. He had not known what exactly he wanted when he came here, but the family that he had found himself with was not anything he had considered. Now he had a sister, two brothers, and a woman who was rapidly becoming a second mother to him. He just wasn’t sure that he fit in here. Everything was too….. He couldn’t even describe it: Too rich, to intense, too close, too much. It was overwhelming. Often he eagerly accepted jobs that would require him to spend at least one night out at the line shacks. It gave him a chance to get away, to be alone, to not be surrounded by the family and the pressure of being Barkley. He was just now beginning to be more comfortable with the rest of his new family. He put down his fork and looked at Victoria.

“May I be excused? I just ain’t very hungry right now.” He said as he rose. She nodded and patted his arm. He suspected that she knew where he was going, but was grateful when nothing was said. Jarrod and Nick, deep in their discussion about the lumber didn’t even seem to notice as he left.

Chapter 2

Audra Barkley lay on her bed, clutching a pillow to her chest, as tears leaked slowly from her closed eyes. She didn’t know how much time had passed since she had come here to her room. Her brother, Heath had come to her, and she had cried on his broad shoulder for several minutes before he had left, but then she had simply lain there, feeling the pain in her chest as she thought about her best friend. Maddie had been the same age as Audra, started school at the same time, had loved horses, dogs, cats and just about everything else that Audra had loved. They had done everything together since they had first met at the small school in Stockton so many years ago.

Where Audra was fair, Maddie had been dark. Both had been attractive, and popular among their schoolmates. They had gone to parties together, had learned about boys together, and each had come to expect that the other would always be there. They had fought, as any close friends occasionally do, but had always made up. Audra had always known that Maddie, the daughter of the town banker, was not just being friendly because Audra was a Barkley. Now there would be no more chance for Audra to know the joy of Maddie’s friendship.

Her friend had been brutally attacked and murdered while visiting her brother in Virginia City. Audra was aware that the Nevada town was quite different than the sedate Stockton even now many years after the silver lode had been discovered. The town was in the middle of a second rush as another, though smaller lode had been found to the south of town. The two girls had read with interest of the thousands of miners, gamblers, women of ill repute, and other people seeking to make their fortunes, that had descend on the town. While not the rush of 1859 with the first silver lode, it had seemed very exciting to the two girls as they planned for Maddie’s trip to visit her elder brother who was a banker there in Virginia City. It had all seemed so very exciting and romantic.

Now Audra had to face the fact that her friend would not be returning. In the letter from Maddie’s father he had said that the girl had been walking between her brother’s house and the bank, in broad daylight when she had been abducted. Her body had been found a day later outside of town. She had been the fifth girl killed there in the same manner in the last month. The local sheriff had several suspects, but was unable to produce proof. Maddie’s father had gone on to say that one of the suspects, the one the sheriff put the most money on, was a local man by the name of Edwards, a rich mine owner with a reputed history of assaulting women, who had managed to avoid prosecution due to lack of witnesses. The family held out little hope for the person responsible to be brought to justice.

That was perhaps the thing that had made her the saddest, and the angriest. It looked there would be no justice for Maddie. She must have been terrified, and her last time on Earth must have been horrific, and now there was nothing to be done to make sure that she rested in peace. Audra was not used to there being something that she couldn’t fix herself, or call on her brothers to fix. The first time she had come to realize that the world was not going to always give her what she wanted if she just put her mind to it was when her father had been killed. She had been younger then, and even though she understood that he was dead, she had found herself wishing against all logic and possibility that it was some kind of bad dream and that he would come back. Now, once again she was faced with something that she couldn’t change, and she had gotten no sympathy from anyone in her family, at least as far as she was concerned. In her righteous indignation that some man was going to get away with something like this with out someone taking action, she had expected her lawyer brother to take up the cause of justice and be ready to go prosecute the man. Barring that she had expected Nick to be ready to ride to Virginia City and take the man on with fist or gun. Neither thing was going to happen. Mother had shed a tear, and been appropriately upset, Jarrod had shaken his head and said it was regrettable that no proof was to be had against the prime suspect. Nick had agreed with Jarrod and voiced his opinion regarding letting young women walk alone in a town such as Virginia City. Everyone had been sad to know that the young woman who had spent so much time in their home had been killed, but no one seemed to want to do anything about it! For not the first time in her life Audra had once again wished she had been born a male. Then she could have ridden forth and took revenge on her own. As it was, she was left with nothing.

Then Heath had come to her. She had not expected this new brother of hers to feel anything about this. He had only met Maddie in passing, and then only a few times. But when he had come to her earlier and allowed her to cry on his shoulder he had murmured words of comfort to her. Letting her know that it was all right to cry, and at the same time to be angry with the man or men who had done such a thing. He had said he understood her anger at their family, but had gently pointed out that while she wanted revenge, Jarrod concerned himself with justice, and couldn’t be expected to compromise the principles that made him the man he was. As to Nick, Heath had said that their louder brother would be quicker than anyone to do what had to be done if there was proof, but that was the sticking point, the lack of proof. He had asked her if she wanted the death of an innocent man on her hands, or wanted someone to spend years, possibly a lifetime behind bars for a crime they didn’t commit. She had been forced to admit she did not, and had quickly forgiven her family the hurt she had imagined. But it left her with the anger still.

A soft knock came at her door, and she heard Heath’s voice asking for entry. She brushed at the tears on her cheeks and sniffed, then called for him to enter. He came in, closing the door behind him. He then came over and sat beside her on the bed again. He gave her a small smile, and reached a hand to brush at her cheek.

“Thought I’d come see if you was hungry at all. If you are I can bring you up a sandwich of something.” He said.

She looked into his soft blue eyes and shook her head. She couldn’t even think of eating. She sat up and once again allowed herself to be held in his arms. He didn’t speak, only held her tightly, and rocked her gently. After a while he started to hum a tune that she recognized as a gospel hymn. They stayed that way for what seemed a long time, Audra allowing herself to draw comfort from her quiet brother’s presence. She realized even in her grief what a gift he was giving her. While any of her brothers, even including the absent Eugene, would have comforted her, they all would have been quick to try to talk to her, tell her how she would soon get over it, and how things would get better. Heath simply comforted in silence. She pulled back from him, and met his sky blue eyes with her own.

“Heath, if it had been your friend, someone you had known all your life almost, and something like this happened to them, what would you do?” she asked. She had often wondered about the life her new brother had led up until he come to them. She knew that Mother, Jarrod, and probably Nick, knew things about Heath that he hadn’t spoken of, probably from a Pinkerton report. She and Gene had been kept in the dark regarding that, and for the most part she was just as happy, wanting to learn about Heath FROM Heath. She knew it had not been an easy life, and knew that her brother was fast with his fists, knife and gun. She also knew that he was just as dedicated to the idea of fairness and justice as her other older brothers were. She was anxious to hear what he said. She could see that he was thinking about it, and appreciated that he would actually give the question consideration and not throw her some flip answer.

“Well, I’d like to tell you that I would have let the law handle it. But that wouldn’t have always been so. I never had me a friend like you had Maddie. Most of the friends I knew were only for a few years at the most, and I didn’t see them all that often, but there were some…..some special men and a few women that I would have done anything for, gone anywhere to help. And if something had happened to them, something like what happened to your Maddie, I would have moved heaven and earth to find out who done it, and I don’t think I woulda waited to consider what the law said was right.” Heath said, and she could see the truth in his eyes. She gave him a small sad smile. Someone DID understand how she felt. It helped in a way.

“I wish I were a man. I would saddle up and ride to Virginia City. I would find out who was killing those women, and I’d make sure that he didn’t do it ever again. That no one else lost a friend, a daughter, a wife or girlfriend. It’s just not fair that I can’t.”

Heath returned her smile, and brushed her hair out of her face with a work-roughened but gentle hand. “I know. And I can sympathize. Like I said there was definitely a time I woulda done it myself, gone off half- cocked. But now I come to know that just because you can, it ain’t always right. You just might be very wrong, and that’s something I don’t want on my soul come judgment day, and you wouldn’t either. Bein’ that wrong would kill ya inside, and your friend wouldna wanted that.”

Audra had to nod reluctantly before this speech. She could see what he meant. She smiled again and lay back on the pillow, closing her eyes. It suddenly became too much to bear. The gentle hand stroked her hair for a few moments, and she felt a pleasant lassitude fill her. She suddenly felt a need to escape into sleep, where she could see her friend as she had been, and not the ugly pictures that had been in her mind since reading the letter. She turned on her side and hugged the pillow to her again, getting comfortable. She was vaguely aware of the lamp being lowered and that the comforting hand returned to hold her hand as she allowed the darkness to close around her, and she felt safe.

Chapter 3

Victoria climbed the stair almost an hour later and went to the door of her daughter’s room. She could see that the light within had been turned down very low. She gently knocked and then entered. She smiled to herself at the sight before her. Audra lay on the bed, deeply asleep, tear tracks still evident on her cheeks. Beside the bed, leaning awkwardly in a small arm chair was Heath, one hand supporting his head in sleep, and the other clasping the hand of his sister as she slept. In sleep, with the world-weary, and sometimes wary, blue eyes of the young cowboy hidden she could once again see the incredible resemblance between the two. They could have been twins, the four years between their ages not withstanding.

As she approached Heath the instincts that had kept him alive through a highly adventurous life alerted him to the presence of another person nearby, and he woke with a start, turning to look at her as he straightened in the chair. She smiled gently and brushed a hand down his tanned cheek.

“I believe your brothers would like to try to beat you at pool. I’ll sit with her to make sure she’s settled for the night if you would like to join them.” She said softly, allowing herself the freedom to stroke the short blond hair. He cast a small smile at her, and after seeming to enjoy the stroke of her hand over is hair rose to allow her to sit in the chair.

“I can’t let them down now can I? After all I need me some pocket money for Saturday night.” Heath said also keeping his voice low. He had been beating his brothers at pool consistently for the last three weeks. The two had ganged up on him recently, and he knew his streak couldn’t go on forever, but he was prepared to take full advantage of it while it went on. He bent and placed a soft kiss on Audra’s temple, and with a smile at Victoria left the room. She smiled after him and then turned her attention to her daughter. She caressed the pale cheek that still showed signs of tears, and picked up the hand Heath had gently laid on the bed.

She was glad that Heath had wanted to comfort the girl. While either Jarrod or Nick would have done so, Heath and Audra seemed to be much more in tune with each other. Perhaps it was because they were closer in age, or perhaps it was the way that Heath treated her as an equal and not a little sister that needed to be told how to act. Whatever the cause, the two had gotten on from the start, and obviously Heath had been a great comfort to the girl in her grief.

She sat there for another hour, only once having to sooth a rising nightmare from her daughter’s sleep. She then lowered the lamp to a soft glow, and left the room. She left the door slightly open, and then did the same to her own so she could hear in the night if Audra should call out. Heath was right when he said that Audra would be unhappy for some time to come. Perhaps if she would allow herself to participate in some of her regular habits it would be better. Victoria would have to think about it.

The next morning at the breakfast table, Victoria found that Audra was not going to be persuaded to keep busy, and to not brood. Jarrod had requested the previous week that Victoria and Nick accompany him to San Francisco to sign the documents necessary for the new lumber contract. They needed to be done quickly so that the contract would not be lost. Heath had brushed aside any suggestion that he could go along, saying that his signature certainly wasn’t required, and that he had seen more of San Francisco than he ever wanted to. Audra had been looking forward to going along for the shopping, but now had decided she would not go. Victoria did not have any qualms about leaving her daughter at the ranch with Heath under normal circumstances, but it did not seem fair to the young man to saddle him with not only the full responsibility for the ranch, but also for a sullen, grieving sister. She tried to persuade Audra to change her mind, and then when that proved impossible, asked Jarrod if there was any way for the contract to be completed with only two signatures, thinking she would stay behind with Audra. Jarrod had demurred, saying three signatures was a requirement of the buyer, and even if he had a proxy to sign for her, the buyer would probably not agree.

Short of dragging the girl to the train and tying her down, there seemed little choice. Heath, who had watched silently as the others debated the possibilities, and as Audra stated her refusal in no uncertain terms, simply sat and waited for a decision to be made. He felt bad for Audra, and for the others. They obviously only wanted to help her get away and take her mind off her friend, but she was having none of it. As the brooding type himself, he couldn’t exactly fault her for it. Maybe it ran in the Barkley blood. As the discussion came to a standstill, with the immoveable object, Audra, meeting the combined pressure of her family head on, Health sighed.

“I don’t see why you all don’t just go on and go to San Francisco tomorrow and get it over with. Me and Audra will be fine. I’ll put her to work cleanin’ out the water hole over on the East side of the North pasture. Silas will be here to feed us, and there ain’t too much trouble we can get into around here in the two days you’ll be gone.” Heath finally said as it looked like the deadlock would continue. Nick Jarrod and Victoria exchanged looks, and Audra cast a small smile of gratitude at Heath. After several more minutes of debate, Victoria agreed, as did Jarrod. Nick made several comments regarding how Heath would be busy, this being a working ranch and all, and Audra should remember that he would not be dancing attendance on her all day long, but he finally agreed, wanting to get the contract done. After all, he finally said, it was only two days.

So they all went up early that night. Victoria and Nick to pack, and Jarrod to complete a book he had wanted to finish. Audra had pulled Heath aside after dinner, where she had only played with the food on her plate, and thanked him for taking her side. He had smiled gently at her, and nodded, a faint blush rising in his cheeks. Even in her grief, and with the heavy heart, which never seemed to leave her, Audra was amused at the ease with which her tough new brother blushed. She decided that since he had stood up for her she would not be a burden to him in the following days. They would have two full days alone, after the rest of the family left on the 6:00 am train in the morning, and she determined that she would try to stay out of his way, and help if she could. She realized that she couldn’t just sit in her room and brood, but she had been unable to bear the thought of going to San Francisco and trying to appear happy. Even the idea of shopping was distasteful to her. She retired to her room when the rest had and pulled out the bundle of letters she had kept that Maddie had sent her over the years.

At first she had been unable to even think of rereading them, but in an effort to keep Maddie as close as possible she now eagerly untied the blue bow in which they were bundled. She sorted them by date, happy to see that she had letters from almost every year that she had known Maddie. The first was written in the awkward, messy hand of a five year old who had just learned her letters, and was just a short note saying “I Like you!” but it was as good as a novel to Audra who lay back on her bed with the letter clutched to her chest, and remembered those days so long ago when she had first met her friend. She went to sleep that night and dreamed of the time she and Maddie, at age seven, had attempted to bake a cake in the kitchen of Maddie’s home.

The mixing had been messy, but they had completed it to their satisfaction. The problem had come when it came to the baking. They had put it in the oven, and then gotten involved in a tea party with their dolls on the front lawn. Maddie’s mother, who had been shopping down the street, had arrived back at home in time to find the kitchen filled with black smoke from the burning mass in the oven. It had taken a week to air out the house, and Nick swore that Audra had never improved on her cooking technique. It was a pleasant dream, and she woke the next morning feeling that Maddie was not lost to her all the way.

Heath had taken the rest of the family to the train station, and then had returned to go out to do the day’s work. Audra found herself with a lot of time on her hands, something that would have usually driven her to go for a ride, or to visit…..She couldn’t even complete that thought. Instead she was grateful for the time, and sat in the parlor with the doors open allowing the spring breezes to enter, and read through one letter after another. Heath stopped by for lunch, and he listened as she shared some of what she had been reading, telling him about some of the things that she and Maddie had done. He seemed to be interested to hear it, and she felt better talking about Maddie, rather than keeping it to herself. In telling Heath about Maddie her memories were becoming all the clearer, and she related several things she had forgotten until that moment. She found herself laughing with him over the antics of two young girls, and was in a better frame of mind after he went back to work.

It was later that afternoon when she picked up the last letter she had from Maddie, and realized that it had been written only days before her friend had been killed, and had been mailed form Virginia city. Audra glanced at the clock. Heath would be coming in soon for dinner, but Silas had already said he was doing a simple dinner for them to have there in the parlor, rather than having them alone at the formal table. Since there was nothing for her to do to prepare, she opened the letter and lost herself in the last words of her friend.

Chapter 4

Heath came in from working and headed directly upstairs to take a bath. It was kind of nice to get to the bathtub without having to race Nick for it, but he had found himself missing his loud big brother through out the day. He had tried to tell himself that it wasn’t any different than when he was off on his own doing something, but still he had found himself looking around for Nick as he worked. He had even stopped to give Coco, Nick’s favorite cutting horse, a swift curry and talking to, after taking care of his own horse, Gal. The horse had appreciated the attention, and Heath had felt somehow closer to his brother. He had never really contemplated the idea of being lonely before.

He had always been a loner, of necessity more than temperament, since there were more people than not who wouldn’t associate with a bastard. He had listened with envy as Audra had talked about the hijinks she and her friend had gotten into growing up, and Heath had found himself wishing he had been allowed the gift of a best friend as he grew up. He had imagined what it would have been like, and to his astonishment, when he thought about what he would have wanted in a best friend, his thoughts had turned to Nick. He had come to respect Nick over the last month, it was obvious that the man was trying to overcome the initial dislike they had both been dealing with, and Health could respect that in a man. He saw many things in Nick that he liked, not the least of which was the fact the Nick valued his family above all other things, even the ranch and money. He was still dealing with the idea that he wanted Nick for a best friend as he came down the stairs a while later, and looked for Audra.

Silas had told him on the way up to bathe that dinner would be in the parlor, so he started there, and found her sitting in a chair by the fireplace. What concerned him was that she was just sitting there, staring into the fire, her face pale white, and a blank look in her eye. It was such a large change from the girl who had shared such fond memories with him during lunch that he felt a thrill of fear run through him as he went quickly to kneel at the side of the chair.

“Audra?” he said and took her hand. He noticed that in her other hand was a letter that she was clutching so hard that the knuckles of that hand were white. There was no response to his voice, so he reached up and turned her face toward him, and tried to look into her eyes. “Audra!” he said more firmly, trying for the tone he had heard Jarrod use when he was particularly displeased about something. There wasn’t any ignoring that. He was please to see his sister blink and focus on him with a frown. “Are you all right? What is it?” he asked her as he saw that she was actually seeing him now.

She blinked a few times and then he saw tears fill the blue depths of her eyes. He was barely able to brace himself before she threw herself into his arms, sobbing. He crouched there, the sobbing girl in his arms for several minutes before his legs started to scream in protest. He rose to his feet, taking her with him. With a sweep of his arms he scooped her up like a child and sat down in the chair she had been in with her in his lap. She burrowed against his chest, and continued to cry. Over her shoulder Heath saw Silas start into the room with a tray, but the canny houseman turned swiftly around and disappeared, only to reappear several minutes later with a clean handkerchief that he placed in Heath’s free hand. He also put a small tray with a sandwich and a glass of milk down on the table beside the chair. The older black man cast a sympathetic look at Audra and left as quietly as he had come.

It was almost thirty minutes later before the storm seemed to pass, and Heath could use the handkerchief to wipe the tears form Audra’s face. She allowed him to do so, like a child, and snuggled back against his chest, staring once again into the fire. Heath stroked her hair. And tried to look into her face. “You want to tell me what it was that set you off? You seemed pretty happy with rememberin’ your times with Maddie earlier.” He asked. The girl in his arms sniffed and used the soaked handkerchief to dab at another tear.

“I….I read the last letter that M..Maddie had written to me. It was m…mailed just two days before…..” Audra started, then stopped to dab at more tears. She sat up a little more in Heath’s lap, where she had felt so safe and loved as she cried, and looked into the concerned blue eyes of her brother. “She knew him Heath, she knew that man that her father said was the prime suspect. She wrote me about him.” She raised her other hand that still clutched the letter. She didn’t need to read it the words were emblazoned in her mind.

“She said he had been romancing her. Bringing her flowers and…and candy, and asking her to ride out in his c..carriage. She said he was handsome and… and….and rich, and attentive to her. Everywhere she went he always seemed to turn up. She said she thought it was okay, saying he was so rich and everyone knew him. Oh Heath, that’s why she disappeared in the middle of the daytime. She went with him and he.. he..” she couldn’t continue. She buried her face in his dampened shirtfront again.

Heath pulled the crumpled letter from her hand and after smoothing it out read through the pages. Heath had little experience with reading letters from teenage girls, never having gotten any, but he had to smile at the way the girl had rambled on about what the women of Virginia City were wearing, and how so many of the men looked rough and dirty. She talked about the opera house, and the theater, and how the ladies society was having a social on Saturday. Obviously Virginia City had become a bit more civilized since Heath had been there at sixteen. Then, even years after the initial silver rush, Virginia City had been a raucous, freewheelin’ place where a Ladies Society would have been scandalized to set foot. Boot Hill, the local cemetery had been getting daily new customers as guns and knives were readily used to settle differences. The men wouldn’t have known what to do at an opera, much less a Saturday afternoon social.

Then he found where the girl had written about Carl Edwards. She had praised his looks, his wealth, his suave manner. The fact he was almost ten years her senior made it all the more exciting it seemed. She told how he had come around to see her brother one day, and she had been the only one at the house. The man ha stayed the afternoon, drinking lemonade and talking sweet to Maddie. Heath felt a chill go down his spine as he read about the man’s love talking. No honorable grown man would have been makin’ up to a young girl not yet eighteen with out the knowledge of her kinfolk.

Maddie had gone on to say how she had secretly met the man for a picnic, out away from the town, near an abandoned mine. The girl had obviously been quite taken by the older man, and Heath could easily see how Audra could draw the conclusion that she had. Otherwise why would Maddie have gone so quietly with someone in the middle of the day, when a scream would have brought help running if an unknown person had attacked her? Heath folded the crumpled paper as well as he could and placed on the table next to the sandwich and milk. He ran a hand through Audra’s silky hair, as she lay there against his chest, seemingly too tired to move anymore. That kind of crying took a lot out of you, Heath knew. He had cried that way when his mama had died, and was glad he could be there to hold Audra as she cried just as he had wished someone had been there for him.

She turned her tear stained face to him, her eyes still swimming with un-spilled tears. “They can arrest him now can’t they Heath, make him pay for what he did to her?” she asked.

He reluctantly shook his head. “No, I’m afraid not. I was a deputy for a while in a small town in Nevada as a matter of fact, and this is what they called circumstantial evidence. It certainly points a mighty strong finger in his direction, but it don’t put a noose around his neck.” At the disappointed look that came over her face and the drop of her head he reached out and lifted her head with a finger under her chin. “But it will give them something to work with. We’ll send a copy of this to the Sheriff there. He’s already a suspect, and this will make them look harder.”

“They’ve looked at him before, but Maddie’s father said that they couldn’t prove anything. This is just going to end up like that isn’t it? Another woman killed, another suspicion to be added to his trail, but he just keeps on going free and killing women, and….and..” she was nearly inarticulate with anger by that time. She forced herself out of his lap and ran from the room. Leaving him sitting there, looking after her.

Heath sighed. She was probably right. There was only so much the Sheriff and the prosecuting attorney in Storey County, where Virginia City was, could do. The information would be good if they could come up with some other more direct evidence, but even Heath, who had little truck with lawyers before acquiring one as a brother, knew that a good defense attorney could get the letter dismissed as hearsay, as the ramblings of a delusional young girl making something out of nothing about an older man. Heath had noted that the man had been careful to be sure that the affair was kept secret from everyone, playing on the romantic notions of the inexperienced young girl. Flowers and candy brought to the house, picnics near abandoned mines outside of town, no doubt clandestine meetings in crowded places where no one would take note of a pair of people talking. Heath felt his own anger rise at the thought of such a man being allowed to continue to hunt his victims without someone stopping him. Not only did it anger him as a man, it was against his experience as a rancher to allow such a predator to continue stalking, as a mountain lion might stalk a herd of cattle looking for the weakest members to prey on. He shook his head. There wasn’t nothing to be done though. He would ride in tomorrow and have Stockton’s Sheriff contact the Sheriff in Virginia City with this information. It would mean more coming from another lawman he knew.

He sighed again, and glanced at the stairs. Audra would not be coming back down, so he went ahead and ate the sandwich that Silas had left, draining the glass of milk. He brought the dishes back to the kitchen, washing and putting them to drain. Weren’t no call to leave a mess for Silas in the morning, he thought to himself, and went up the back stairs to his room.

Chapter 5

Heath wasn’t sure what awakened him, but he was instantly wide-awake and sitting up in his bed, his pistol, which he kept under his second pillow was in his hand. He could see that it was still full dark, and his usual time sense told him it was somewhere around two or three in the morning. He got quietly out of bed and padded barefoot to the window. The full moon was shining down on the ranch yard and he could clearly see the figure that was moving away from the house toward the barn. He had no trouble recognizing his sister’s slim form, dressed in a split skirt, and carrying saddlebags. He watched as she disappeared into the barn, and leaned against the window sash for a moment, unsure of what he should do. He could go out to the barn right now before she could get saddled and drag her back to the house, kicking and screaming bloody murder he was sure. He could lock her in her room, or stay with her round the clock until the others returned, but that would be just delaying the problem.

He had come to know his younger sister better than any of his siblings over the last several months. He saw in her the same spirit that was in all of them, himself included it seemed, the same willingness to take on any problem, and the determination to see it through despite the protests of those around her. He didn’t think that stopping her now would stop her for good. She would find a way to get away from the family, and would still go. He would. And he couldn’t fault her for her desire to find justice. Even though he hadn’t known the girl well, he could still feel the desire to bring her killer to justice, if only to bring comfort to Audra. He stood away from the window, coming to a decision.

He moved quickly to dress himself, and gathered the clothes he thought he would need. He always had a set of saddlebags handy, and he was downstairs and into the kitchen in just over five minutes. He tried not to think about what the other members of his family would think about his decision as he grabbed a burlap sack and filled it with food that they could eat on the trail. He smiled to himself, looked like Audra was gonna get a taste of those beans that Nick had quickly come to dislike so much. He spotted some paper and a pencil that Silas used to make his grocery list. Heath hesitated for a moment before he began to write. He couldn’t explain everything, and e was sure what ever he did write wouldn’t be enough, so he simply wrote the minimum necessary to let the family know where they had gone, and why.

He went quietly out the kitchen door, and was approaching the barn as the door was swung open. He stood there, saddlebags thrown over his shoulder, the burlap bag of food in one hand and his rifle in the other, as Audra backed out the door leading her mare by the reins. Audra looked back around as she led the horse forward, and jumped back in shock at the appearance of her brother there in her way. She started to explode at him, to say she wouldn’t be stopped, that she would find a way to go, if not now later, then, she took a moment and really looked at him and a smile spread over her face.

“Oh Heath. You’re not going to try to stop me?” she asked, hardly believing it.

He shook his head and took the reins out of her hands and wrapped them around the hitch rail. Then he led her inside the barn where a lantern gave out a weak beam of light. He began to tack up Gal, speaking as he worked. “If I was to drag you back in the house, and say sit on you until the folks came back, what do you reckon would happen?” he asked her.

She smiled at the picture he painted then thought for a moment. “I would get a lecture from Mother and Jarrod, and Nick would yell for a while. I’d probably be sent to my room and told to stay there. But I’d find a way to get out.” She assured him earnestly. “I would get out and head for Virginia City. They could bring me back a hundred times if they wanted, but I WOULD get there. I’m going to make sure that man doesn’t kill anyone else. That’s what our father would have done. I know it!”

Heath nodded, as if his suspicions had been confirmed. “Yeah, that’s what I figured. And through it all everyone would be unhappy and upset, and in the end you’d figure out a way to get gone some night and you’d end up on the road alone somewhere, and I can’t have that. Seems to me that the best idea would be for me to go along with you.”

“What about the ranch?” Audra asked. She knew the ranch was important to Heath, just as it was to Nick. She was grateful beyond words that Heath was willing to go with her, but she didn’t want to take him away from the ranch that had come to mean so much to him. She had planned to do this alone, and she would if she had to.

“I left a note for Silas to have Duke take over for tomorrow, today I guess, and in the morning until Nick gets back. The ranch will be fine. Of course you realize that we ain’t gonna be so fine when they catch up to us, the family I mean.”

Audra nodded, and shrugged. “Father knew that fighting the railroad could be dangerous, and there were people he had known for many years that wouldn’t talk to him anymore because of the stand he took, people he thought of as close friends. It didn’t stop him. He just did what HE thought was right. Nick or Jarrod would do the same thing, and you said you would too, why should it be different because I’m a girl? Anyway, I don’t want you to get into trouble too. As nice as it would be to have you along, I….I can go alone.” Suddenly the idea of going alone seemed a lot scarier than it had before, though she was undaunted in her determination.

Heath shrugged and tightened the cinch on Gal. “I did say that yes. I also said I probably wouldn’t now. As to you being a girl, I don’t know why it’s different. It just is, and maybe it shouldn’t be. Maybe you should be able to do anything a man your age can, but that just ain’t the way it is. But I think that what you feel is just as real as what a man would feel, and if you’re set on this, then I’m goin’ along. I can take the heat when we get back, or when they catch up with us, which ever comes first. What’s the worst they can do, throw me out? I been there before.”

“Oh Heath it would never…….they would never…Oh you haven’t thought that all along have you? That if you make someone mad enough we’ll just throw you out?” Audra was almost speechless as she realized the uneasy manner in which her newest brother had been living among them. And also the depth of what he was offering her, if that was how he felt. He thought that the family would throw him out, drive him away, if he went against them, if he ‘messed up’, yet he was willing to go with her. She rushed to his side, and despite the fact he was trying to tie the burlap sack to his saddle threw her arms around him. “That’s never going to happen Heath Barkley. You are part of us, and no matter what, you always will be.” She said.

He gave her an awkward one-arm hug, and nodded with a small smile. She saw by his eyes, those revealing windows to his soul that he didn’t really believe her, but that was okay. She would prove it to him, after they did what had to be done in Virginia City. She stepped back and moved out of the way as he backed Gal out of the stall. He blew out the lantern, and led Gal outside. In moments they were mounted, and ready to go.

“I kinda assumed that you had left a long letter telling everyone where you were goin’, guess I better ask before we go to be sure that was so.” Heath said, and Audra was glad that the silver light of the moon would hide her blush. She had indeed written a long, impassioned note about where she was going and why, leaving it on her bed. She had assumed Heath would find it later this morning, but now it seemed that the rest of the family would be the ones to read it. Thinking how Heath had simply left a note to Silas about having the ranch taken care of she thought perhaps she could have opted for something a little simpler, and been taken more seriously by her family, but it was too late to go back and change it now. She nodded her head. Heath grinned at her, and with a nod toward the east, he headed out of the yard. Audra turned her mare to follow.

They rode for several minutes without speaking, and then Heath pulled up Gal and looked at Audra. “I figure you musta had a plan. You want to share it with me now, or you want me to just follow along and learn as I go?”

She smiled at him. “I thought I would go to Belton and catch the 5:00 AM train there headed east. I didn’t think much past that. I thought I could make further plans while I was on the train headed to Reno.”

Heath nodded in approval. “That should get us into Reno around four o’clock. That should give up plenty of time to plan somethin’. It about three hours from Reno to Virginia City riding, or we can take the Washoe line down in about an hour and a half. Might be better that way. Cost a little extra with the horses and all but….” He stopped as Audra lifted a hand to her mouth to cover a gasp. “What?” he asked.

“I…I…only have enough money for the train for me and Cupcake,” she said, meaning her horse. She bit her lip and continued as he looked at her with what seemed to be amusement. “And I brought some extra for food and hotels when I got there. I didn’t think…”she was frantically trying to think of what they could do. They could wait for a bank to open, but that would mean waiting for a later train, and that meant that Nick and Jarrod would be that much closer behind them. This HAD to work. She HAD to get there. Once she was there, once she had seen the man, once she figured out how to be sure that he paid for what he had done, THEN they could come, THEN she would know how to get them to help her, as Heat was helping her now.

She heard a soft chuckle from her brother. “I got me enough for the both of us. Kinda figured that money I was saving up in my drawer would come in handy one day, just didn’t expect it would be for somethin’ like this.” He said, and nudged Gal ahead. She followed along, and thought about what he had said. She suspected he had been keeping the money in the drawer so that when the time came that the family threw him out he would have something. She knew that the had been in several of the poker games in the bunkhouse, and that he often won when playing pool with Jarrod and Nick, who were not above betting money on a game. Along with the monthly wages that Heath had collected as a ranch worker, those winnings probably added up to a pretty large amount.

Audra had often heard her mother complaining that Heath didn’t seem to want to buy himself anything new to wear beyond the bare necessities. Heath had protested that he didn’t need no large wardrobe to work the ranch. He had bowed to their mother’s pressure and had ordered a suit for Sundays, and had gotten a new pair of boots when Nick had pointed out the hole in the bottom of the pair he had been wearing. Other than that, and the occasional beer in town, Audra could think of nothing else she had seen her brother spend money on. Like the other Barkley’s she had become used to keeping her money in the bank, and signing for anything she wanted in town. She kept some cash on hand, mostly so she would have something to give the padre at the orphanage when they needed a little something to make it to the end of the month when the church stipend came. That was the money she was using now. She tried to remember when, if ever she had seen Heath sign for anything, and she could not. Another way he had set himself apart from them.

She made another mental note about things she needed to discuss with the rest of her family when this was over. They had been doing this gentle, loving man that she had taken to her heart as a brother, a great disservice. If he could believe that they could dispose of him like some unwanted furniture, or fire him like an unsatisfactory hired hand, then they were not doing something right. He had to know where he stood. He had to know how they loved him. She lifted her chin in determination, not realizing how similar the expression was to her brother Nick, and urged her mare forward to ride at Heath’s side. He gave her a small crooked smile that she returned. She was glad he was coming with her, and not just because of the company. Whatever they ran into on this trip for justice, however it turned out, she would at least be able to show him how much SHE valued him. Together they rode on into the night.

Chapter 6

Heath had been dead on in his estimate of the time they would get into Reno. After a long hard pull up the western face of the Sierra’s, surrounded by some of the prettiest country either one had ever seen, the ride down to the small rail town of Reno was swift. They stepped down off the train, and stretched their backs and legs. Heath went to the livestock car and unloaded Gal and Cupcake. They had decided on the way up to take the Washoe line into Virginia City, but there was a few things they had to do first, as part of the plan they had come up with on the way here. Heath had put a lot of thought into the plan, and was satisfied that they would be able to do what was necessary, and not get arrested themselves. There were some things he wasn’t too fond of about it, mostly those parts that required Audra to come in contact with this Edwards fellow, but he would be sure that while Edwards thought they were alone, there would be no time that Audra was not protected by her brother.

The tricky part was going to be setting up the bait so that the man was drawn in quickly. It had appeared from Maddie’s letters that she had known Edwards just a little over a month before she was killed. Since Heath had an idea that the rest of the family, either all or part of them, would be descending on them sooner rather than later, he and Audra had to be in a position to persuade them to play along with the plan when they did arrive. He had to admit, if only to himself, that he was kind of anxious about that. He had to believe that once they were there, and saw what Audra and Heath were doing, their sense of fairness would allow them to see past their natural anger and help to bring some justice to dead friend. Heath had already determined that this would sorta be a make-or-break time as far as he was concerned.

He was not really sure he believed Audra when she said that the family would never discard him. He knew she tended to look at things in an innocent way. She just didn’t know how people could be, and he was glad to know that such people still existed. It renewed his faith in his fellow humans. He had known people before that had said that they didn’t care about his birth, and then in the end, it had turned out they really did. It always came back to that. He hated that no matter what he did, where he went, what he made of himself, it would always be about that, the one thing he couldn’t change. Why should these people, the offspring of his father, the wife of that same father, care about him as a person? Why should they subject themselves endlessly to the ridicule that had resulted from the announcement that he existed? He couldn’t count on them actually wanting him. It would hurt too much when he found out different. Of course he would always have Audra he knew that now. She would be faithful to him, despite what the others might do, not that he would ever make her suffer the displeasure of her family over him. It was just nice to know, and it warmed a part of his heart that had gone cold when he had placed his mother in that pauper’s grave outside a dead mining town. In fact, that was why he had just jumped in with both feet when he realized what Audra was up to. Such a gift as she had given him deserved nothing less in return.

Audra came to him carrying the saddlebags, and they looked around. There wasn’t much to Reno. It was really just a place along the east/west line where you could switch over to the Washoe line that headed down to the silver mines around Virginia City and the state capital of Carson City where the smelters were. They would not be able to do much here, but Heath knew about a certain store that he wanted to visit. It would help them set up their story before they got to Virginia City. Of course they would need some more props, and that was something they would be getting in Carson City when they arrived tonight. Audra had purchased the tickets as he was unloading the animals from the union pacific cars. She had arranged for them to load them right onto the Washoe line cars immediately, and Heath gave her a big grin in appreciation. That was thinking.

They loaded the animals, and left the baggage with the porter who, for a dollar tip, promised to see that it got on the train with them. They strolled arm in arm down the dusty street until Heath indicated the storefront they wanted. It was a seedy looking place, certainly not one Audra would have entered on her own but being with her brother gave her courage. They had gone over the plan in detail as they had rode the train, and she could see that if Heath had not come along she would have rode head long into danger, with no plan whatsoever to protect herself. The entered the store, and Audra looked around in astonishment. The store was packed from floor to ceiling with every item a miner could want, from overalls to coffee pots, to sluice boxes. All the items appeared to be used, and she looked at Heath in puzzlement. Heath smiled at her. Obviously she had never been in a pawnshop.

“It’s all stuff that the miners sold on their way out. After spending their last dollar trying to make it big they had to have somethin’ to get ‘em back wherever they come from, and this is the only chance they got. People like this will buy anything at a bottom dollar from those leavin’ and then they save it up and sell it at top dollar to the next poor soul who thinks that the silver is just waitin’ to be picked up off the ground down near Virginia City.” Heath explained. They both jumped as a voice spoke from beside them.

“Just good business principles little lady. Buy cheap and sell high. Simply good urk…” the jolly voice broke off as the speaker found himself looking down the barrel of Heath’s gun. Heath quirked a smile and holstered the weapon.

“Done told you that habit of yours would get you killed out here some time. You’re just lucky I don’t shoot first and ask questions later like some would.” He said to the thin, short, middle-aged man who was standing beside and slightly behind them. He must have come from behind the screen that was near the door.

“There aren’t any around here that are as fast as you my young friend, and I have learned to doge the other quite well. One doesn’t stay alive long in this business with out learning that essential skill.” The man said cheerfully, now over his initial fright. He came forward and shook hands with Heath. He looked him over closely. “Well now. I guess those rumors I’ve been hearing are not true. Word had it you had found your long lost family, and it was a wealthy one. You look no different then the last time I saw you. Though I do believe that those are new boots. I bet you paid a pretty penny for those. I could have made you a better deal.”

Heath smiled. “Shouldn’t believe everything you hear Two-bit, and most of what you see ain’t too reliable either. But then it’s what you been hearing that brings me here. I know you got all the gossip from the silver diggings. You got time to talk?”

The man that Heath had referred to as Two-bit smiled a smooth grin and gestured elegantly toward the back of his establishment. As they passed through the door, it was as if they had entered another building all together. Gone were the piles of used merchandise. Here there were elegant rugs, plush velvet chairs, rich window hangings and painted walls. Audra stood for a moment in amazement and the proprietor smiled. “I see my friend Heath has not shared my secret with you young lady. What can one expect from a man with so little manners as to leave a lady un-introduced for so long.”

Heath smiled, and bowed formally to the man. “Well forgive me my manners. Audra, this here is Stanislav “Two-bit” Thubitski, finest pawn broker this side of Denver. Two-bit this is my sister, Audra.” He said in introduction. Both Audra and the pawnbroker both noticed that he did not use a last name.

‘Call me Stan, young lady.” The man said, and seated her in one of the chairs. He turned toward a second door that seemed to lead down a hallway. “Elsa,” he called out. “Come see who has come calling.”

There was the sound of footsteps in the hall, and a large woman, easily six inches taller, and a hundred pounds heavier than the man who had called her came into the room. She wasn’t fat; she was just the tallest and sturdiest looking woman that Audra had ever seen. The woman, Elsa, Audra supposed, took one look at Heath and broke into a large grin. She almost ran across the room and wrapped her arms around the cowboy. Audra had to stifle a giggle as she saw her brother lifted off his feet by the woman who stood an inch taller than himself. The woman lowered him to the ground, and released him only to stand back and look at his face. She raised her big hands and cupped his cheeks.

“I knew we would see you again, I told Stan so. And I have made the pie for you! Something told me this morning to cook the apple pie, and I just took it from the oven. You will sit and have a slice with some milk.” The woman said with a heavy Norwegian accent. She patted Heath’s now blushing cheeks, and caught sight of Audra sitting quietly n the chair, smiling at the sight before her. “Oh and you have brought someone else. Is this your wife?” the woman asked then answered herself before Heath could speak, “But no, you are as alike as two peas. This is your sister, yes?”

Heath introduced Audra to Two-bit’s wife Elsa, and the woman bustled happily back to the kitchen to get everyone some pie. Two-bit rolled his eyes as she went, seating himself and waving Heath to another chair. “She’ll feed you till you burst now, my friend. You best tell me what you want before she starts forcing food down you.”

Heath smiled and then became serious. “I want to know if you’ve heard any rumors coming out of Virginia City about a man name of Edwards, Carl Edwards.”

Thubitski narrowed his eyes at the sound of the name. “That isn’t someone I would have thought someone you would be dealing with.” He finally said.

Heath smiled with no humor. “Then you do know something about him. Good. Tell me what you’ve heard.” He leaned forward.

Thubitski looked from Heath to Audra who was watching him with equal interest. “Not exactly the best subject for mixed company if you know what I mean. Perhaps the young lady could help Elsa…”

“No, I’m staying.” “No, She stays.” The two voices overlapped, as both Audra and Heath interrupted at the same time. Thubitski shrugged.

“Very well. I have heard of him, and I’ve met him. Frankly, I wouldn’t trust him to give me a glass of water if I was dying of thirst. The man is as crooked as a dog’s hind leg, and has the soul of a rattlesnake. He’s a greedy, murdering, black-hearted stain on the human existence. Proof that the devil is alive and well and living among us.” He said baldly. Both Heath and Audra were taken aback by the vehemence in the little man’s voice.

Heath recovered first and shook his head. “If you’re gonna hold back like that, it ain’t gonna do me no good. Heck, one would think you was brothers or something you seem to know him so well.” He said lightly with a glance as his sister. Thubitski gave him a wan smile and shook his head.

“You jest, my friend. But I mean every word. I met the man once, for about ten minutes, and that was just over nine minutes too long. If I never have to be in the same town with him again I will leave this life satisfied.”

“What kind of dealing did you have with him? If you don’t mind me askin’.” Heath said.

“I had… acquired a few claims he was interested in. You understand that sometimes all a person may have is the claim he took up when he got here. It is one of the things I buy.” He explained to Audra. “I was in Virginia City to register the claims and one of his people came and told me that Mr. Edwards wished to see me. Quite the royal summons it was, like there was no choice but to go when he called. I went along and Edwards made me an offer I couldn’t really refuse in all good business sense, and I signed the claims over to him immediately. As I said, it took about ten minutes. Up until that time I had only heard about the man.”

Both Heath and Audra moved to the ends of their seats. “Tell us everything you’ve heard Two-bit. It’s important.” Heath said. The small man looked at them in puzzlement then started to tell them what he knew about Carl Edwards.

Chapter 7

Two hours later, full of not only pie but a good dinner as well, the two Barkley’s boarded the train heading to Carson City, from where they would travel to Virginia City. Heath was pleased with the information they had received from Thubitski, and also with the items they had purchased from the store, Two-bit had been able to provide exactly what Heath had wanted most, and the one thing that would make his plan work. As they settled into a seat side by side, Heath had to hide a smile as Audra twitched the long black velvet skirt she was wearing, and tried to rearrange the black lace that lined the low décolletage.

The dress fit her like a glove, and was not like anything she would have ever picked out for herself, even if her mother had allowed her to be seen in public in it. It wasn’t that the dress was indecent; it was just that it was very……suggestive, especially for something in basic black. When Heath had held it up against her and nodded she had thought he was kidding. She had seen the little twinkle that he got in his eyes sometimes when he would kid Nick, and thought that he might have been trying to cheer her up a little. But he had been serious. She had tried on the dress, and had stood still while Elsa had made some quick adjustments to the fit. Two other similar dresses had been fitted, and she would do the sewing that night to make sure they were ready to wear. She had known what Heath had planned for them, but somehow she hadn’t quite put it together in her mind, what she would have to do. She cast a glance at Heath sitting beside her. She had to admit, even if he was her brother, that while he was normally a very handsome man, he was now spectacular. He was wearing clothes that would have put Jarrod to shame. From the expensive black hat to the shined spat-covered shoes he was the epitome of a wealthy gentleman. A black broadcloth coat fit his wide shoulders exquisitely, and emphasized his narrow waist. A bright white shirt and a black string tie completed the picture of someone who spent a lot of money on the best clothes. Audra was aware that the two of them together made a striking picture with the contrast between their blond fairness and the dark clothes. They had been getting glances since they had entered the depot in Reno. Trains from the East and North had just arrived, and they had mingled with those transferring to the southbound line. Among the purchases they had made from the pawnshop were two trunks, leather bound and sporting large locks that they had the porter wheel behind them as they approached the train arm in arm. The fact that they were nearly empty, no one needed to know.

The train car was packed with people from every station in life. A small huddle of Chinese workers occupied one corner. Rough clothed miners were playing poker in another. A woman wearing a very tight, very colorful dress was entertaining all comers in the foremost seat, and a man and wife easily in their seventies sat across from Heath and Audra. After about thirty minutes, the old lady leaned forward and patted Audra’s knee.

“Are you two twins, dear?” she asked in a creaky voice.

“Yes, we are.” Audra said, with a sidelong look at Heath. Dressed as they were, and sitting beside each other, she knew that their resemblance was startling. It had been decided that they would present themselves as such.

“Oh, how nice. You see so few. Are you and your brother going to Carson City?” the older woman asked.

“Actually we are going to Virginia City. I….We have some business there.” Audra said. She cast a quick glance at Heath who was looking out the window, seemingly ignoring the conversation. But she knew he wasn’t, because she could feel his tenseness where their bodies came in contact.. She decided that she needed to practice the story they had come up with. “My Name is Victoria, Victoria Pritchard, and is my brother is Zachary.” She held out one black-gloved hand.

The older woman shook it, and introduced herself and her dozing husband as Rose and Henry Burroughs. “We’re going to Carson City. I must say, the both of you seem very young to be going to such a place as Virginia City. It was getting civilized in the last few years, but with this new strike there all kinds of……unsavory characters going there.” The lady glanced toward where the brightly dressed woman sat, and gave a sniff.

“Yes, well we hope to have our business done quickly. We’re dealing with our late father’s estate you see. He had several large interests there.”

“Oh my dear. I could see you were in mourning. You have my sympathy; I remember well when my father passed many years ago. Will you be staying in Carson City overnight, or are you taking the late train up to Virginia City?”

Audra cast another glance at Heath who had relaxed, and was still staring out the window. “We’re staying in Carson City. We have some business there as well, that we need to take care of in the morning. Do you know of a good place to stay?”

The old woman cast a swift look over their clothes and obviously drew the conclusion that they had plenty of money. “You’ll be wanting to stay at the Ormsby House. It is the finest place in town, caters to all the mine owners and such, perfectly respectable. It’s about three blocks from the station. The porters there will be able to show you the way.” She cast a quick glance at her husband, who seemed oblivious to the conversation. She leaned forward. “Tell me my dear. There was a man by the name of Pritchard who owned several large mines near Virginia City. He had gone back east for some reason, and we just heard that he had been killed. Was that your father?” Audra could feel Heath tensing again, but she played her part as well as she could. She dabbed at the corner of her eye with the small black lace edged piece of cloth she clutched in her hand. She nodded.

“Oh, I am so sorry. We knew him in passing only I’m afraid. I’m sure that you and your brother are devastated. Once you finish your business and before you return east you must come and have tea with my friends and I. Surely some of them knew your father and can share some stories with you.”

“I’ll be sure to do that.” Audra said as the older woman spotted a friend and rose to go greet her. Audra leaned against Heath and closed her eyes as if she wanted to rest, but her mind was in too much of a whirl to rest. Heath’s friend Mr. Thubitski had been a font of information about people in Virginia City. He had given them all the information he could on Edwards, and had provided them with the name they now went by. He had told Heath that ‘Old Man Pritchard’, whom it seemed to Audra that Heath had known, had been killed in a carriage accident back in Boston where he had gone to see his family, and Heath had modified the plan right then.

It seemed that Pritchard owned one of the richer mines in the area, and his heirs had not yet come to deal with the estate. It was an opportunity that Heath felt was too good to pass up. It would give them an attractive background for a man like Edwards, and would also give them a reason to be anxious to move quickly. There was too much of a chance that Maddie had mentioned her friend, and her distinctive name, to Edwards. They couldn’t simply be Barkley’s. Thubitski had heard about the women who had been killed, and they had all been young woman, of wealthy families. Heath and Thubitski, who Heath had let in on why they were there, had worked out the plan. The pawnbroker was going to make sure that if any inquires were made in Reno, reports would be only of the two young people getting off the train from back East. He had also given them the name of a banker in Carson City, to whom he wrote a short note; that they could count on to back their story. They would be able to draw on Audra’s funds to use for the charade, and no one would know it wasn’t Pritchard money. Heath had protested the use of Audra’s money, but she had quelled it with a look that reminded him of Victoria Barkley. She had pointed out that this was for HER friend, and since he had offered his money for their use, why couldn’t she offer hers? With no answer he had agreed. Now it only remained for them to get a few more items at the stores in Carson City, and to speak with the Banker. Audra sighed. The day had been long, and while the events of the day ran over and over in her head, she never realized when her pretense of sleep actually became reality.

Heath felt Audra’s head become heavy against his shoulder and put his arm around her. He too was tired, but he could not sleep. He watched out the window as the last of the light faded from the landscape, leaving them traveling through darkness. But he was familiar with the terrain here, and he didn’t need to see it to know where they were. It was another hour to Carson City, and then they would take the next step. Heath was satisfied with the current state of his plan. Much would depend on Audra’s ability to playact, but so far she had been perfect. She had played the part to a T, and he felt they would succeed. The only problem was the time limit. They had to hook Edwards quickly because he could practically feel their family coming. He was sure that Silas, or Duke, would have sent a telegram to the others in San Francisco, and it would not be long until they were on the trail.

Heath had spoken with Thubitski about it, while Elsa and Audra were taking care of the alterations on her dress. Two-bits had promised to meet any incoming eastbound trains and to corral whoever showed up, and share the plan. Whether the family would go along was another matter all together. Heath doubted if even Two-bit’s smooth patter would sooth Nick in full angry mode, Heath had a lot of experience dealing with that. He kinda hoped Jarrod would be along to be a calming influence, even if he would be less likely than Nick, at least in Heath’s opinion, to go along with something like this. Heath wasn’t sure why, but he thought he could count on Nick to help out, once he got over being mad about how they had gone about it. He wasn’t so sure about Jarrod. In the months that Health had been with them, he had found Jarrod to be one of the most intelligent men he had ever known. He had read more books than Heath had known existed, and Heath envied him the years of schooling that he had gone through. But Heath had found out something that had puzzled him at first. Jarrod was a man of passion, just as much as Nick, but it was hidden behind that intellect. Jarrod sometimes let his book learning get in the way of what his gut told him to do, what he felt was right. It wasn’t a bad thing, caution. Heath was learning to choose his battles from Jarrod’s example, but he had learned something else, too.

He had come to understand that, while he had always thought that he had lost something because he hadn’t the book learning that other people did, maybe he had something better. He had thought that his lack of learning, rough speech, and general backwoods upbringing had made him less of a person than those who benefited from all the fancy education. He had found that instead, his education had come from other places, from the people he had grown up with, the people he had met in his wonderings looking for a place to call home. He had been places and seen things that Jarrod and his like would never see. Heath had seen country that only a few white men had had the pleasure of seeing before. He had met men the likes of who would never be born again. He had done things, some of them good, some of them bad, that taught a man what life was REALLY about, what was REALLY important. In that learning he had something that all of Jarrod’s books could never give him. He also had an appreciation for the things that drove someone to do what they felt was right, and how that kind of feeling was what made a person what they were. To have stopped Audra from doing what she felt was right would have been to take from her something that Heath valued in himself, and it would have made him as much a criminal as Edwards. He wasn’t sure that Jarrod would understand that.

Nick would. How he knew that, Heath didn’t know, but he did. To Nick doing what you felt was right was a way of life. With some persuasion Nick would see that Audra deserved the chance to do it too, since he was nothing if not fair. Heath just hoped that his brother came to the realization sometime before they met, Heath wasn’t too positive that he was the one to try to talk Nick into it. They had gotten along better recently, but he suspected this escapade was going to lower his stock with his older brothers. They were very protective of Audra, and somehow he suspected that his arguments regarding the necessity of a person doing what they felt to be right were going to fall on deaf ears at first. If it wasn’t that it went against his grain he would set Audra on them first. That girl could talk just about anyone into anything given time and a good cause. But that would seem like he wasn’t able to take his own trouble, hiding behind his little sister and all. No, he’d take it like a man, even if it meant the end of…....He didn’t want to think about it. Should it come to that he figured there wasn’t anything they could do about what he did with his time, and even if they came and dragged Audra home, he would complete this for her sake.

The one thing he really feared was if Victoria Barkley came with her sons. He could deal with his brothers either singly or as a pair, one way or another. But her…..He couldn’t face her disapproval. It would be bad enough if his brothers gave him the boot, if she was to tell him it was over…… He figured it would just about kill him. He didn’t know when that had happened, but now when he thought about his mother, there were two women he saw in his mind’s eye. His beautiful mama, Leah Thomson, young, vital, and full of laughter despite the hard time that was their lot, and Victoria Barkley, regally lovely, and a force to be reckoned with. He had counted himself so very lucky to be given such a gift as to have two such women care for him, but now through one rash action, he may have lost it. He couldn’t begrudge the action, but he would mourn the loss till his dying day.

He shook his head, deciding to stop borrowing trouble. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof, as Hannah used to say, a favorite quote from Matthew. That would be a problem for tomorrow, or more likely the day after. Tomorrow he and Audra would be in Virginia City by noon, and if things went according to plan they would be dining with Carl Edwards tomorrow night. Heath thought about the wire that should even now be reaching Virginia City, ostensibly from Zachary Pritchard. Two-bits had promised to send it to Virginia City addressed to the land office, where he knew Edwards had a contact that kept him abreast of any claims changing hands. Heath had composed the telegram carefully, and suspected it might make quite a splash among Edwards and his crowd. The wire had requested that the recorders office have all papers pertaining to properties formally owned by Zachary Pritchard, Sr. ready for inspection of his heirs pending the sale of said properties. Since Two-bits had assured him that Edwards would be anxious to get his hands on the property, they should have no problem meeting the man soon after they arrived.

Heath looked down at his sister, sleeping against his shoulder. Her face looked so innocent in sleep. He wished he could have figured out how to do this without putting her in harms way, but the short time and the fact she WANTED to be involved meant he didn’t have a choice. He leaned his head against hers gently for a moment feeling closer to her than he had felt to anyone since his mother had died. His pondering had brought them another fifteen minutes closer to Carson City. Since he planned on making a few contacts before retiring for the night it was going to be a while before he could really sleep, which was just as well. He had a feeling that his dreams were not going to be very pleasant until he knew the final outcome of all of this. There being nothing more to do until they reached Carson City, and since he was tired of going over and over the plan looking for flaws, he closed his eyes and leaned his head against the cool glass of the window. He let his thoughts drift to the past, seeing the faces of the people he had known, the people he had counted as friends or enemies. He thought about the places he had been, looking, searching for what, he hadn’t known, until he had found that article in his mama’s Bible, the one about Tom Barkley’s funeral. It had brought him to the Barkley ranch, to his family, to everything he had never knew he so desperately wanted. Was Audra right about the family? God he hoped so.

Chapter 8

Nick Barkley charged into the Barkley mansion the next morning with a bang, yelling for Silas before the slamming of the door against the wall finished ringing through the house. Silas came out of the dining room at a quick pace.

“I’s glad to see you Mr. Nick. I didn’t know what to think when I found that note from Mr. Heath, and then the one from Miss Audra.” He turned his attention to Jarrod and Victoria who strolled sedately through the open door. Nick paced around the foyer, waving his arms.

“What the hell was Heath thinking? Audra I can see going off on some hair-brained wild goose chase, but Heath should know better. And to let her go along with him, I’ll beat her backside so hard she won’t sit down for a month and I’ll just beat him. Ain’t neither of them too old for it if they can do this!”

“Nicholas!” Victoria finally said, giving Silas, who had closed the door during Nick’s tirade, her purse and shawl, and going toward the parlor. “You will not raise a hand to either your sister or your brother. Now, perhaps we could see the notes that were left. Silas could you bring them?”

“Yes ma’am. I puts them on Mr. Jarrod’s desk in the library. I’ll gets them straight away.” He went off toward the library.

Jarrod seated his mother in one of the chairs before the fireplace, and settled in the other, watching Nick pace around the room. The level of energy that his brother was able to manifest this early in the morning was amazing to Jarrod. Of course he would be the same in the evening. It wasn’t that Jarrod didn’t sympathize with the anger and worry that he knew had his brother pacing, but he was more able to contain it, and turn his thoughts to what could have prompted his usually level headed younger brother to take such a step. He had no problem believing that Audra would have taken off on a quest for justice, and that Heath would follow when he found out. To be told however, that Heath had evidently gone along with the plan was a revelation to the young man’s character that Jarrod had not previously considered. He knew enough of Heath to know that he valued Audra just as much as he or Nick did, even after the short time he had been with them, and would not allow any harm to come to her. Jarrod considered the problem a little more, thinking about what he knew of his newest younger brother.

Heath was a man molded by forces that Jarrod could barely comprehend. He had found, to his embarrassment, that knowing something intellectually didn’t necessarily mean that one understood. He had known that young boys worked in the mines for a pittance, he had known that there were people who didn’t get three meals a day, and sometimes didn’t even get what he would call one meal a day. He had known that people who were different, whose circumstances were not of their making even, often were ridiculed, discriminated against, even occasionally assaulted because of that difference. He had believed that the rules and regulations that he had come to know from his law books could cover any given situation, and everything could be settled in a civilized manner, the right manner. While he knew the world could be unfair, if one stuck to the rules, it could be made less unfair. Backed by his own skill, and the Barkley funds, Jarrod had seldom found a fight that he couldn’t win, or a cause that he couldn’t bring to a successful conclusion.

Heath had shown him that it wasn’t necessarily always so. His brother had done everything right. He was an honorable, intelligent, skilled man, young, handsome, and eager to help anyone who needed it, who would always be painted by the brush of what his parents had done. Nothing Jarrod could do would make that any different. Any amount of money could be thrown at the problem to no avail. The Barkley name would not sway the detractors of his birth. No demonstration of his character or kindness would bring those determined to dislike him for the circumstances of his coming into the world around. It had been a blow to Jarrod’s ego in a way. A problem he couldn’t solve, right in his own family.

That one of his younger brothers had known that poverty, had gone to bed hungry Lord knew how many nights, had stood alone in the face of name calling and hatred, was a pain to Jarrod. He was ‘Pappy’. He was supposed to fix things for his younger siblings, and he couldn’t fix anything for Heath, not in his past, and not in the present. Jarrod had hopes for the future though. He couldn’t change the other people around them he knew, but he had seen how having a family had taken some of the pain from those light colored eyes, and he had been determined to make sure that Heath always knew that he had that behind him. It wasn’t much, and Jarrod wished with all his heart that there was more he could do than just be a brother to Heath, but in the end it looked as if that was all he had to offer despite all his book learning, and for Heath it seemed to be enough.

Looking at what had happened in the light of his brother’s past, and in his present character, Jarrod thought he understood why Heath had gone along with Audra. The question now was could he make Nick and his mother understand, and what could they do to help their impetuous family members in their quest? He was jarred from his musing as Silas handed him the two notes that had been left. He looked with some amusement at the two very different styles. Audra’s looked to be several pages in length, written in her neat handwriting on colored notepaper. Heath’s was one page, torn from a rough notepad, and in the cramped but neat printing that Heath used. Jarrod skimmed through Audra’s note, his lawyers mind picking out the pertinent parts and discarding the extraneous emotional additions she had added. He got the picture of a determined girl, who would not be dissuaded in her goal, who regretted that she had to take this course. She explained what had been in the last letter from Maddie, and the conclusion that she and Heath had reached. She asked them not to blame Heath for her sneaking out, as he had tried to convince her to allow the law to handle it, but she could not in good conscious do so.

He turned his attention to Heath’s note, one portion of his brain noting the rising impatience of his brother Nick. Once again he was struck by the ability of his new younger brother to put so much meaning into so few words. The note merely said, “Silas, have Duke assign the men this morning and tomorrow, Nick will be back then. Audra has bolted for Virginia City, and I’m going along. Heath.” Jarrod sighed and put the notes on his lap. He wondered if the terminology of his brother’s note might not give him an insight as to why he had allowed Audra to go.

“Well?!” said Nick, coming to tower over his seated brother. He looked at the two notes. “What do they say?”

“Audra’s says that she found information in the last letter from Maddie that lead her to believe that Edwards was making advances on Maddie before she was killed. She says the man was insisting on keeping it quiet, and thinks that there must be some way to prove him guilty. She says she plans to go to Virginia City and figure out how. She asks that we don’t blame Heath for her going as he tried to talk her out of it.”

“Well he didn’t try very hard did he? Why didn’t he just lock her in her room and….”

“Nicholas.” His mother said in that tone which left no doubt as to what she wanted. He scowled and went to lean on the mantle. Victoria looked at Jarrod. “What does Heath’s message say?” she asked.

Jarrod smiled. “Brother Heath was somewhat more succinct than Audra. He simply asks Silas to have Duke assign the men and says that Audra has bolted to Virginia City and he is going along.”

“Interesting. Do you believe he used the term advisedly?” Victoria asked, and reached out to take the two letters that Jarrod handed her.

Jarrod smiled at her. He should have known that his mother would pick up on the same thing he did. He had always known that his analytical mind had come from her. “Yes. I believe he did. And he may have been right.”

“What the he….” Nick started to bellow, only to be stopped by another of those looks. “What are you two talking about? Are you saying you approve of them going off?”

“No Brother Nick. We are not saying that. What we are saying is that Heath obviously realized that Audra had her mind set on going to Virginia City, and he realized that she wouldn’t be talked out of it. I believe, and Mother obviously agrees that he believed that even if he locked her up that night, she would have just gone at the first opportunity, maybe at a time when he couldn’t be there to save her from herself. He took what I believe to him was the only possible action.”

Nick glared at him for a moment, chewing over the information. He looked over his mother’s shoulder at the note Heath had left. “How the….” He stopped again. “There’s two lines there.” He started again, jabbing a finger at the note. “How did you get all that out of it?”

“I, we,” Jarrod said with another smile at his mother, “simply remembered that Heath has dealt with a lot of headstrong filly’s in his time. He certainly learned that it is often best to let them run when they decided to bolt. They would eventually tire themselves out, and would be able to be handled. I think that Heath felt he had to allow our sister enough reins to run, but went along for the ride to make sure she doesn’t get hurt.”

Nick stared at Jarrod for a moment, then snorted and stamped over to French window and stared out. He wasn’t sure what he was feeling. He was angry that Audra and Heath had gone. Afraid for both of them going up against a man that reportedly had killed numerous times before, and slightly put out that they hadn’t included him. He also recognized two other feelings that he wasn’t too proud of. The first was a bit of jealousy at Heath taking over his position of big brother with Audra. He should have been the one to guide the headstrong young woman. Not really very surprising he guessed. He had a lot of issues with Heath taking over various parts of his life.

It was the second strange feeling that made him want to be away from the too knowing eyes of his older brother and Mother. It was envy, and this time it was aimed at Jarrod and even at his mother. He found himself envious that they could evidently understand this new brother that had been dropped into their family. They seemed to understand the depths of things where he could only see the surface. He had recently found himself wanting to know Heath. What made him tick, why he did what he did the way he did it, what he was thinking behind those shuttered sky blue eyes that now reminded Nick so much of their father. He knew that Audra understood Heath, and that even Eugene seemed to have reached an understanding of his new older brother, only Nick had been left out in the cold it seemed, and he suspected it was his own fault. Heath had had a hard life. Nick had read the report, though he wished he hadn’t. You couldn’t tell the worth of a man by words on a paper anyway, he knew that. The worth of his brother showed in the work he did, the light in those blue eyes as he completed a job, in the quiet competence that he brought to everything he did. And hidden behind that envy was a fear that Nick didn’t want to acknowledge even to himself. A fear that maybe he never would get to know Heath, that Heath wasn’t interested in knowing Nick, that his response when Heath had first come to them had driven a permanent wedge in between them.

Nick smacked his fist into the doorjamb and turned back around to meet the curious gazes of his brother and Mother, who had finished reading Audra’s letter. He shrugged, and waved a hand at the notes. ‘Well, I don’t care what they say. We need to get after ‘em. They’re going after a murderer and I don’t care how fast that boy is with a gun. A knife in the back will kill him just as dead. If that guy has been killing women then he isn’t going to have any problem at all killing Heath too. And where would that leave Audra? I say we get the next train east and go get ‘em!

“As far as taking the train East, I agree with you Brother Nick. As to ‘getting’ them, if you mean bringing them back here without letting them do what they set out to do, I’m starting to revise my opinion. I believe they may be on to something, and that we need to speak to the local Sheriff, in person, and see if he will focus his investigation on this Edwards. Unfortunately I don’t believe he’ll be able to do anything based on the evidence so far. It is circumstantially damaging, but there is nothing concrete enough for an arrest warrant. I also imagine that given the current conditions that the Sheriff and his deputies are rather busy keeping the peace in a town overran by miners and those who prey on them.” Jarrod said.

“You want to help them trap Edwards?” Victoria said with an inquisitive tilt of her head.

“What!” Nick yelled. You want to go along with this harebrained…”

“Nicholas…...” Victoria began.

“No, Mother, not this time. I won’t be quiet. Big brother here, the big time lawyer, has just suggested that we let my sister and brother continue to poke their noses into a very dangerous situation. This is the same man that refused to let me go after the man that killed father because it was ‘wrong’. I want to know why!”

“You suspected that you knew who had killed father, you didn’t know for sure. You didn’t have anything BUT suspicion. Heath and Audra aren’t going to stomp up to Edwards and call him out for a shootout. I have a feeling that our younger brother has something more on his side than that fast gun you say he has. I have a feeling that they are going to be attempting to get Edwards to implicate himself.”

“And that makes it better?!” Nick bellowed, ignoring the look form his mother. He started pacing again. He waved a hand through the air. “Fine, you have your view and I have mine. What do you say to Jarrod’s sudden turnaround, Mother?” He asked, obviously expecting his mother to agree with him.

She looked at him, and smiled gently. ‘I’m afraid I agree with your brother. I believe that Heath has by now devised a plan, no doubt one that involves your sister since I do not believe she would willingly be left out, and that they are attempting to bring the man to justice.” She became serious. “I also believe that you are correct that it is very dangerous. Unfortunately doing what is right can often be dangerous. I have learned that over the years as I have watched your father, Jarrod, and you yourself do what is right despite that danger. It got your father killed, and I do not want it to get your sister and brother killed. I believe that we should go and help them, and be there to keep that knife out of your brother’s back.”

Nick could only stare at his mother for a long moment. Then it hit him, “We?” he asked.

“Yes, I intend to go with you. Audra might need me there.” Victoria said as she rose to her feet in preparation of going up to her room to pack. Jarrod rose to his feet and joined Nick, a formidable wall between the small silver haired woman and the doorway.

“Mother I didn’t intend for you to come. Nick and I can take care of everything. We’ll look after Audra, as I am sure Heath already is.” Jarrod said smoothly. He had not expected this from his mother.

She shook her head. “I am very sure that heath is taking very good care of Audra, and that you would do the same, however that does not change the fact that I am going along. Audra is my daughter, and Heath…. Heath is my son, maybe not by blood, but I find myself thinking of him in that way. I will be going.” She stated, and started forward. Her sons did not give way. She looked at them serenely.

“You can’t go mother. You need to stay here…”

“With you or behind you.” She said with a smile. “It is your choice. I intend to leave within the half- hour. Perhaps YOU will be behind me. Excuse me.” With that she pushed past them and swept up the stairs, already mentally reviewing what she would pack. It would need to be light, as she intended to ride to the station, a small valise then perhaps.

Behind her Jarrod and Nick exchanged looks. Jarrod, accepting what he knew he couldn’t change, shrugged. “We can’t exactly forbid her to go Brother Nick. I suggest that you get to packing. I expect she’ll be on time.” He headed out of the room and up the stairs, leaving Nick to fume in solitude. He finally cursed and followed the rest of his obviously unbalanced family up the stairs.

Eleven hours later Jarrod climbed down off the train and turned to offer his hand to his mother after a swift glance around at what he could see of Reno, Nevada. He had been past the small town on several occasions, but had never gotten off the train. It did not look any better from the ground then it had from the train. It had grown dark, and the main street was unlit except where patches of light came through the windows of the buildings that lined it. It had been a long trip over the Sierra’s especially with Nick pacing up and down the aisle every 10 minutes as if his pacing would move the train quicker. Jarrod had actually visualized his brother getting off and pushing as they had reached a particularly steep grade that had the train moving at a snail’s pace up the western side of the mountains. Victoria had unpacked a book from the small valise she had packed, and had ignored her second son’s impatience. Jarrod, encouraged by his mother’s example, also unlimbered a book from the saddlebags he had packed. It had only served to irritate Nick further. Eventually he had become involved in a poker game in the back of the car, and was happy to have come out the winner by five dollars.

Nick climbed down the stairs after Victoria, carrying her bag and his saddlebags, and stood surveying Reno. “From what I can recall the last time I was here, we got a choice of two hotels. One of them I wouldn’t be caught dead in.”

Jarrod raised an eyebrow. “And how did you come to that conclusion Nick.” He asked, seeing his mother’s quick smile at the teasing. He was glad to see it. While she appeared cool, and collected, he knew she couldn’t help but be concerned about her two missing children. He had been both surprised and gratified to hear how she had described Heath. He knew that she had accepted Heath because it was the right thing to do, but he had feared that she had merely hidden the pain behind the calm façade. Now it seemed that Heath had come to mean as much to her as he had come to mean to his siblings.

“We’ll if you must know, counselor. I ALMOST stayed there one night when I was on my way to Carson City for the cattle-buying auction, because the other one was full. If it gives you a hint, I ended up sleeping in the stall with Coco that night, and had better companions.”

Jarrod and Victoria laughed. “The other one it is. I’ll check the train schedule for Carson City in the morning. Perhaps you can arrange to transfer the horses Nick then we can go to the hotel together.

Nick was about to agree when a voice spoke out of the darkness. Nick’s hand went for his gun.

Chapter 9

Heath and Audra stepped out of the hotel and started down the boardwalk toward the restaurant several doors down. They had arrived here in Virginia City less than half an hour ago, and had checked into the most expensive hotel. They were both hungry having not had breakfast before leaving Carson City. With the train leaving for Virginia City at 9:00 am, and most of the stores and banks not opening until 8:00 am, It left little time for heath to do what he needed, and Audra had been to several dress shops and had been just as busy.

Heath had spent the previous evening after they had arrived at Carson City looking up some old friends. He had arranged for the boarding of their horses, and he had managed to find the various men he had been hoping to speak with. He was also pleased with the outcome of his meeting with the banker that Thubitsky had directed him to. It turned out that the man was another who had seen Edwards for the dangerous man he was. He assured Heath that anything they needed would be made available. In fact he planned to go up to his Virginia City branch to be on hand so that he could help as needed. It wouldn’t be suspicious since he regularly went there to check the books.

Audra wrote a voucher for several hundred dollars on her funds, so that they would have plenty of money to flash. Heath still had a good portion of the money that he had been saving as well. They both aquired as many pieces of wardrobe as they could find in Carson City to fill the trunks they had bought. Audra had stayed up the night before while Heath was out sewing the two dresses that Elsa had pinned for her. Heath really hated the broadcloth jackets and shiney town shoes. He missed his boots and regular work clothes. Audra had pointed out that he needed to wear gloves to hide the work roughened hands that anyone would notice at first aquiaitance, and he had found a pair of fine black leather gloves that remineded him of Nick. He felt awkward though Audra assured him he looked the rich gentleman. He practiced his speech on her, speaking as he had heard Jarrod talk. It was all awkward, but they had obviously made an impression on the staff of the Ormsby house as their every desire was quickly fullfilled to Heath’s amusement. He remembered the last time he had been there in Carson City.

He had been a dusty young cowhand of just barely 18, there to help with a herd for the cattle auction. He had spotted the Ormsby house right off, and had wondered in the doors to end up standing there staring around him, no doubt looking like the back country boy he still was . The floors had been covered in thick, padded, red carpet the likes of which the young man had never walked on. The walls were colored with gold brocaded fabric, and a staircase of polished wood seemed to curl up one side of the room. Elegant people in rich clothes sat about on expensive leather furniture, and workers in what Heath later learned was the hotel uniform moved among them with trays of pastries and coffee. He had barely set foot beyond the door when a large man had grabbed his arm and demanded to know what he was doing. Heath had shook off the hand, and said he was looking for a room. The large man had laughed and told him how much a room at the Ormsby house cost. Heath could still feel the heat that his blush had generated when he realized that one night would have taken almost two weeks wages. He had pushed his way out of the place, and had slunk off to a much cheaper hotel down near the cattle pens. He had never mentioned his experience to anyone, but he remembered it well, and found it amusing that a short four years later he was staying there, and was being kowtowed to like the people he had seen there that day so long ago.

Now they were at the Riggsby Hotel in Virginia City, and were enjoying similar surroundings. Two-bits had said it was the best place in town, and it would have been expected that they would stay there. Pritchard had stayed there when he was in town, preferring it to having his own home that he would have to staff. They entered the restaurant and were seated immediately as it was still early for the lunch crowd; also the prices displayed on the menu were not those that would have attracted the average miner. They ate mostly in silence, speaking only of the surrounding countryside they had seen on the way in on the train. Audra was taken aback by the ugliness of the country. There were no trees to be seen anywhere. Heath had told her that they had all been used for buildings, heating, or mine shoring during the first rush. All lumber now was brought in from the Sierras to the west, and at a high cost. The high desert landscape was stark, and the town was not at all what she had expected. She had never seen a rush town he realized.

Virginia City was nestled at the base of a large mountain, the interior of which was being mined out. All along the slopes, in every direction from the town proper, were small claims, each with small cabins, if you could call them such. In some cases the men had arrived too late to find any second hand lumber to hammer together, and had dug into the hard-packed ground to make the caves that they called home. The tall skeletons of the deep lode-mine towers stood out among the smaller claims, marking the areas controlled by the silver barons who had built the town years earlier. Polluted streams ran in a few places, and the main street of the town was still rutted and muddy from the last of the spring rains.

To Heath, mining towns had always been the worst of what man had done to the wild country he loved so much. It was as if the land had been assaulted, raped of all the wealth it held, and left to recover as it could. Heath had seen the results around the small town of Strawberry where he had grown up. He had watched as the earth had slowly reclaimed the damaged areas left behind when the human tide had left, had seen the grasses and brush return where tall trees had once stood, had seen animals using the old mines and test digs for homes. Had seen blackberry bushes grow over the small cabins that were left abandoned, some with tables, chairs, stoves, plates and cups still in place. He knew it would be the same here in Virginia City when the silver was gone. It couldn’t be too soon as far as he was concerned, but he knew that with the end of the boom, so many men would be left just as poor as the land.

Audra had looked with shock upon the masses of men wondering the streets of the town in droves. Unwashed, rough men, who eyed her in ways she was unused to, and that made her very uncomfortable. She had clung to Heath’s arm, feeling safe at his side. His cold blue gaze and the gun hung low on his leg had kept the men from making any advances. She had protested when she saw him putting it on as the train approached Virginia City, but he had merely smiled and shook his head. She had been glad of it within a hundred feet of the station, as she was sure that only Heath’s presence kept her safe from the leering mob of men. They had gone to their rooms and freshened up, and had met to go over their story one last time. As they had gotten ready to go out Audra had noted that Heath wasn’t wearing his gun this time. When she asked about it he only smiled his crooked smile and said that there were times that you didn’t advertise that you had a gun. After they ate they would make their way to the land office, and the act would begin for sure. Heath had pointed out that they had been followed from the station, though how he could have told in the crush of men she didn’t know. However she had no doubt he was right. She had come to realize that this new brother was very able at the game they were playing, and wondered at what his life had been like before he came to them. She dabbed at her lips with her napkin and glanced around.

“Don’t” Heath said quietly. She looked at him in puzzlement. “Don’t try to figure out who’s watching. If they are any good they’ll notice and wonder why you care. Right now the guy that was following us is outside. He don’t exactly fit in to this place.”

“Doesn’t fit in.” she corrected equally quietly. He smiled at her. He had asked her to correct him when he let his language return to it regular patterns. She smiled back at him and they finished their meals. Heath paid the bill and they left the restaurant. Heath steered them down the street toward the land office. He had asked at the hotel for the location in a loud voice before they left, though he had already known its location, wanting to be sure that the lurker heard. Heath smiled to himself as he saw Audra’s eyes grow big as they passed saloon after saloon, all doing a roaring business even at this early time. She would find out tonight that they never stopped, even in the depths of the night. Men as desperate for any hint of color as theses men took their pleasures seriously. The large lode mines were working crews around the clock so every eight hours a new influx of men went into the saloons and other entertainments, anxious to spend the money they had just earned.

They stopped, just short of the land office door, and looked at each other. Nearly identical blue eyes assessed the readiness of the other, and were pleased at what they saw. Heath stepped forward and opened the door for Audra, who put on her most supercilious look. Heath followed her in, concentrating on making his facial expression one of petulant boredom. He allowed himself to drop into the nearest chair as Audra stepped forward, casting a look of disdain around the room at the sparse furnishings and numerous ledgers that filled the small room, and the thin clerk who occupied the desk that faced the door. She sniffed.

“This is the land office is it not?” she inquired in unbelieving tones as if she had expected something more.

The thin clerk rose to his feet, blushing slightly under her cool look. Heath had to fake a cough to hide a smile. It seemed that there was a lot of Victoria Barkley in Audra. He recognized that regal look. The Clerk dragged a chair forward and held it while Audra seated herself. The clerk glanced at Heath who sneered at him. “Uh, yes ma’am, uh Miss, it is the land office. Horace Green at your service.” He finally said realizing he hadn’t answered the question.

Audra sniffed again. “I am Victoria Pritchard, daughter of Zachary Pritchard, Senior. My brother and I are here to settle my father’s estate. I am sure that you have heard that he was killed recently when he was visiting me back East. As the executor of his estate I will be needing to see a record of all deeds that he had recorded here in Storey County. A telegram was sent requesting the information be ready, did you not receive it?” Audra delivered in an authoritative manner.

The little clerk hemmed and hawed for several moments, obviously nervous. He kept glancing at Heath who ignored him. ”You…you understand that I need to be sure that you are who you say…” he started to say. When Audra interrupted.

“There are people to whom I must and will prove my identity, however, you are not one of them. Deeds are public record, and I have made a legal request, my identity is not a matter for your concern.” She said with a raised eyebrow. Heath had to fight off that hacking cough again. He saw Audra cast him a quelling glance that he just knew he had seen Victoria Barkley use on Nick.

The clerk colored up again, and started looking through his ledgers. He eventually presented them with a list of properties that had been recorded in Pritchard’s name, and they left shortly there after. Heath made a point of asking if the clerk knew the location of Pritchard’s lawyer. He timed another cough just right to get the clerk to fill in the name himself. They were soon on their way down the wooden sidewalk toward the lawyer’s office. This was one area that Heath was not sure about his plan. They had to visit the lawyer, but they obviously couldn’t claim to be Pritchard’s heirs without being accused of fraud. He had drawn the line with Audra there. He wasn’t going to get them arrested for claiming to be who they weren’t. He had finally decided to meet with the lawyer and decide what they would do from there.

They entered the office and found themselves in a series of rooms very like Jarrod’s office in Stockton. Though neither said anything they both felt comfort in that remembrance of their brother. They found themselves being studied by a prim, portly woman seated behind the reception desk.

“May I help you?” She asked.

Audra once again took the forefront, as was planned. “I am Victoria Pritchard, here to see Mr. Smythe regarding my late father’s estate. Would he be available?” she asked. The woman asked them to wait and went into the back office. Audra and Heath looked at each other. There was a wicked twinkle in Heath’s eyes, and Audra had to fight down a smile. The door to the inner office opened to reveal a man in his fifties with graying dark hair and sharp, dark eyes. A thin face with a close cut graying beard made the man look very intelligent, and Heath instantly knew this wasn’t going to be a man they could fool. It was going to be a question of if he would work with them, or if he would betray them to Edwards. Heath prided himself of being able to read men, and he hoped that skill didn’t fail him now. A wrong move here could mean the difference between trapping Edwards and getting trapped themselves. The man he assumed to be J. Templeton Smythe, Esquire smiled at them and spoke.

“Miss Pritchard is it, and Mr. Pritchard? Please, come back into my office.” He motioned them into the inner office. They went in, and took seats in front of the large desk. There were pictures of Smythe on the desk with a woman of his own age, and another, younger woman of Audra’s age. Heath looked up from the picture to find himself being studied by Smythe. They held each other’s gaze for a few moments then the lawyer turned his gaze to Audra. After studying her for a moment he leaned back in his chair and smiled slightly. “Well, I will admit that you both COULD be Zachary Pritchard’s children. He did indeed have a twin daughter and son, of about your ages, though I perceive that you are not as similar in ages as one might believe at first glance. Since he never mentioned his personal life to anyone beyond myself, I can only assume you did some impressive research. You are to be commended for that. I do hold his will and would like to see the estate distributed as he wished, however there are some circumstances of which you are obviously not aware….”

Heath interrupted, “You mean because his daughter died of scarlet fever at the age of five.” He said. He then sat back to see what the lawyer would do with the tacit admission that they were not who they said they were.

Both of the man’s bushy eyebrows disappeared into his hairline. “Indeed.” He said thoughtfully. He once again studied the two of them. He then sat forward, leaning on his elbows on the desk. “Perhaps you would care to tell me why you are here. I don’t believe it is to claim Zachary Pritchard’s estate. I can assure you that whatever you tell me will not go beyond these walls.”

Heath and Audra exchanged glances. Once again finding that silent communication that seemed to have solidified in the last few days. Audra nodded slightly and Heath turned to Smythe. “My name is Heath Barkley, and this is my sister Audra. We’re here to find out who killed my sister’s friend, Maddie, just over three weeks ago here in Virginia City. We think we know who did it, and we have come here to prove it. We could use your help. We can make it worth your while if you really want to see that Pritchard’s heir gets what’s coming to him.

A light of speculation and interest grew in the dark eyes, and the lawyer nodded for Heath to continue.

Almost two hours later Heath and Audra emerged from the lawyer’s office. They headed back toward the hotel, where they meant to retreat to their rooms and discuss what had happened that day. Heath was happy with the outcome of the day so far though he was somewhat put out that they had not yet been approached by Edwards. They were still being followed, but no attempt had been made to contact them yet. Things needed to get moving. The family, whichever combination that showed up, would be coming, and they needed to have something to show them, some progress made. Two-bits had promised to send them a telegram when he spotted whichever of their brothers came, so they would have some warning. Heath led Audra to his room and started to open the door to allow her to enter when he suddenly stopped.

Audra looked at Heath who seemed to have frozen in the act of opening the door. She started to speak when he caught her eye and shook his head sharply. He pointed to his nose and wrinkled it up like he was sniffing something nasty. She took a deep breath and smelled it. The smell of cigar smoke, expensive cigars at that, hung heavy in the air. Both of them had been exposed to that exact smell two weeks previously when a state senator of Jarrod’s acquaintance had been at the house to discuss a legal matter that he wanted Jarrod to handle for him discreetly. The two men had taken to Jarrod’s study for cigars and brandy. Both Audra and Heath, playing a game of checkers in the parlor, had heard the senator complaining about the cost of the cigars, made in Cuba, rising from a dollar each to almost three dollars each. Heath had shaken his head in disgust and made a comment about it being a lot of money for something that smelled like someone had lit a pile of horse manure. Audra looked a question at Heath who nodded his head toward her room. They moved quietly to the door and sniffed the air. Audra noticed that a double-edged knife had appeared in Heath’s hand, from where she didn’t know. Heath opened the door slowly, and slipped into the room.

When he had established that there was no one there he motioned for Audra to enter. He pulled her close and whispered that she should look at her things and see if they had been searched. She did so quickly, and nodded to him to let him know that things had indeed been moved. He had told her last night to be sure to remember where everything was so she would know if someone had been in her things. Heath nodded, and looked at the connecting door. If he had been acting as himself he would have gone through the door, gun drawn and surprise whomever was there, but he had to remember he wasn’t Heath Barkley now. He motioned for Audra to go back into the corridor, and they retreated to the end of the hall. Heath told her what he wanted to do and she nodded in understanding. They walked along the corridor, making no effort to be quiet. At Heath’s nod Audra spoke loudly.

“I find it hard to believe that we will be forced to stay in this town for an entire week because the judge who probates the estate is FISHING. I mean really! Don’t they have more than one judge? What am I supposed to do for a week here? There are no shops of any distinction, and I really do not relish the thought of taking a train down to Carson City every day to shop there, even if they had anything appropriate. Have you seen the fashion? Everything is at least a year out of date. I would be laughed out of the Ladies Society if I wore any of those back home.”

“I’m sure you will find SOMETHING to keep you busy. I might try my hand at some hunting. I saw a nice shotgun in the window of that store down the block, surely they must have something worth hunting here, and I should be able to rent an acceptable horse at the stables.” Heath replied loudly, trying to sound bored. He opened the door and preceded Audra into the room. Not for anything, even their masquerade, would he allow her to enter first. He went in and came to a sudden stop as if startled by the man sitting in the chair by the small desk.

‘Hunting and horses that’s all you think……” Audra started to say then gasped and jumped back as she noticed the man.

Heath tried to pretend to bluster. “What are you doing in my room? I will call the manager immediately, if you do not remove yourself!”

The man, dressed much as Heath was, rose calmly from the chair. He raised a placating hand. “Don’t be upset. I just wanted to meet you in private, away from prying eyes. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Carl Edwards.” He shook hands with Heath and then stepped forward to bow over Audra’s hand as Heath responded by introducing himself and Audra by their assumed names.

Audra studied the man, trying to see what had attracted Maddie to him. He looked his age, was well dressed, and seemed to present a suave front. She supposed he was handsome enough if you liked the thin, dark type, but she felt no attraction for him herself. Of course if Maddie had only known what she knew…. Audra sidled around until she was beside Heath. It made her feel better to be near him with this man so close.

Heath for his part was looking at the man’s eyes. They were dark, hooded, and as cold as those of a rattlesnake. The cowboy noticed that they kept straying to Audra, though he addressed himself to Heath. The young man had seen eyes like that before, eyes that held no mercy, no quarter. This was an evil man. He knew it. That he was the man that had killed Maddie Heath had no doubt. Someone with eyes like that held no value for human life.

“I understand that you are the heirs of the late Zachary Pritchard. I wanted to give you my condolences and invite you to dine with me tonight. I was a close friend of your father’s and I would like to share some stories with you, and I might also be able to help you deal with the intricacies of settling an estate. It can be so difficult when one is bereaved to have to make business decisions about things one is not versed in. Can I count on you to join me at the Malmaison, a fine French restaurant down the block near the opera house? It is really quite exceptional, even for someone more used to the refinements of the East.” He addressed this last to Aura who was watching him from behind Heath. She forced herself to simper at him in a manner that she would never have done.

‘Oh that sounds lovely. The food out here has been so…..country, since we left St. Louis. I would appreciate a good meal. We will meet you won’t we Zachary?” she said with just the right amount of command in her voice, Heath thought. He frowned a little, trying to appear put out at the tone. He shrugged.

“If you want to go. We have to eat I guess. It’ll be more entertaining than anything else around here I’m sure.” He said.

Edwards seemed to ignore the lack of enthusiasm on Heath’s part and gave a smile. “Good. The clerk can give you directions. I’ll meet you there at say 8:00? I understand that you eat later on the East coast, but they only serve until 10:00 and I would like to have time to enjoy the meal and the company.” Once again the last was addressed to Audra, who was glad that her flush of anger would be taken as a blush. The man left quickly.

Heath walked quietly to the door, and listened for a moment, then opened the door to look down the hall in both directions. Satisfied that the man was gone he turned to Audra who had sat down on the bed. Her eyes were filled with tears.

“Oh Heath.” She said, “How, could she have been taken in by that man? He’s so…….” She couldn’t even find a word in her vocabulary to describe the feeling those dark eyes gave her. Heath crooked a smile at her and sat beside her, offering a handkerchief. He had several words to describe the man, but had no intention of using any of them in front of his sister. He hoped he’d have the opportunity to use them to Edwards’ face sometime soon though.

“I know. He’s pretty slimy. But there’s no accounting for taste, and I can guarantee Maddie hadn’t ever seen nothing like him. I bet he can be all pretty words and actions when he wants somethin’.” Heath looked around the room, then rose and checked the place he had hidden his saddlebags and pistol. He had pried up a board in the corner of the room where the rug covered it, and had dropped them in the empty space beneath. They hadn’t been disturbed. He dug around in his bag for a moment and came back to the bed holding two strips of jerky, one of which he offered to Audra. She shook her head puzzled.

He smiled at her, and gnawed off a piece of the dried meat. “I reckon I better get something to eat now since we gotta wait until some ungodly hour to eat, and then it’s gonna be some prissy little piece a nothin’ with some sauce on it that some Frenchman calls a meal. And I gotta pretend to like it. Man needs beef, as Nick is always sayin’.”

Audra smiled, knowing that Heath was playing the clown a bit to lighten the moment. They sat for a while, Heath munching the jerky, and Audra thinking of the man they had an appointment to dine with. She looked at Heath. “He’s not going to be easy to fool is he?” she asked.

Heath met her eyes and shook his head. “No. He’s slick and he’s mean, and he’s been doin’ this for a long time. Unless we are real careful he’ll see through us. We’ve been really lucky, we’ve met the right people, and they want to help. I think we can do it, but it’s up to you. Remember anytime you want out you say the word and we go home. Justice has a way of catching up with people like Edwards, we don’t have to be the ones to bring him down.’

Audra straightened. ‘Yes, yes we do. I can’t bear to think about him….hurting someone else the way he hurt Maddie. I can do it Heath. Please.”

They stared into each other’s eyes for several seconds, one set searching, the other pleading, and then Heath nodded. “Okay. Here’s what we do tonight….”

Chapter 10

Nick’s gun was coming to bear as he realized that the man standing behind him was not making any threatening moves, in fact he had his hands raised in the air. Nick kept the gun out, and turned around all the way to face the man. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Jarrod stepping in front of their mother, in case something should occur. Jarrod’s gun was also out.

“That’s a good way to get yourself killed!” Nick growled at the short, thin man who stood there grinning like a fool.

“So I’ve been told.” Said the small man. “Should have known that it ran in the family. You’d be the Barkleys I would guess. Didn’t expect so many. He said one or two, not three, and he didn’t mention you at all ma’am?” the man tipped his bowler hat at Victoria.

Jarrod had been listening carefully, all the while searching the darkness in case the man was a distraction for others. He was slightly taken aback to notice that his mother had produced a small pistol from somewhere, and was also watching. He found two parts of the man’s speech interesting. “ Who are you, and who exactly would HE be?” Jarrod asked, pretty sure of the answer.

“Forgive me, my manners have suffered here. I am Stan Thubitski. I own a small shop here in town and I was requested to meet you by the man I believe to be your brother, Heath.”

“Heath! Was our sister with him?” Nick asked at his usual volume. The small man looked around, and all three Barkleys got the idea he was concerned that they might be overheard. He motioned them down the main street.

“Perhaps we could go to my home. My wife has dinner ready. She always cooks for a crowd, even if it is just the two of us. You can stay with us tonight and catch the train south in the morning. Nothing is going tonight, you’ve missed the last train south for the day.” He added the last as he saw Nick and Jarrod exchange glances and look at the station.

The three Barkley’s conferred silently with their eyes, and agreed. Jarrod nodded to the man. “I’m Jarrod Barkley. This is my mother, Victoria Barkley, and my brother Nick. It seems you have met my younger brother Heath and Audra my sister.”

“Indeed, met and spoken with at length. Of course I had known Heath for some time. I had not seen him since…..well, since he became a Barkley.” As Thubitski spoke he was headed down the main street, with the Barkley’s following. All of them noticed that the man was watching the shadows, and speaking quietly. Nick and Jarrod exchanged looks, and remained on guard themselves. Thubitski took them to the door of a shop, and let them in using a key. They entered a store crammed full of used merchandise. The man led them through the store, and back into the surprisingly well-appointed living quarters, where a large woman greeted them. “This is my wife Elsa.” He introduced her. “Elsa. These are Heath’s family. Mrs. Victoria Barkley, Jarrod, and Nick Barkley.”

The woman threw up her hands then clasped them over her ample breast. “The family. They said you might come. I am so glad to meet you. Dinner is on the table. I will set more places. Come you must be tired and hungry.” She hustled them all into the dining room. Once they were seated and served, Victoria put down her fork and looked at Stan Thubitski.

“You seem to be aware of why we are here, and have said that Heath asked you to meet whomever came after them. Can you explain?”

Thubitski nodded. ‘Yes ma’am, he did. He told me about why they had come, him and your daughter. A beautiful young girl by the way.” He said, and shook his head. “I don’t blame you for coming after them. Edwards is a nasty character, one of the worst I have met, and I can believe of him everything that your daughter thinks him guilty. I must say though Ma’am he didn’t expect you to come along.”

“My brother has not yet come to realize that my Mother is a force to be reckoned with. You say that Heath spoke to you of their plans?”

“Yes, and asked for my help. Which I gave him.”

“Why?!” Nick demanded, tired of all this chattering. As far as he was concerned they should have rented some horses and headed south. “If this man is so dangerous, why didn’t you try to talk them out of it?” He pushed away his plate. Once he had heard the man’s opinion of Edwards, he had felt his appetite wane. What had Heath and Audra walked into?

Thubitski raised and eyebrow. “You don’t know your brother very well do you Mr. Barkley? I’ve only met him three or four times since I first made his acquaintance, and even I know that once he is set on something there’s little chance of stopping him. I got the impression it was the girl who was the one that had decided though.” Thubitski said thoughtfully. “He just seemed to be set on keeping her as safe as possible while they did what they set out to do.” He looked around at them. “ I hope you have come to help, not to try to stop them. Edwards needs to be stopped.”

“Not by my sister and brother!” Nick said and started to stand, only to be stopped by his mother’s hand on his arm.

‘Please excuse my son’s manners. Perhaps we should wait until after the meal to finish this discussion?” Victoria suggested. She was worried about Audra and Heath. This man, who she had ascertained was a pawnbroker, had obviously dealt with all levels of society, and if he felt that this Edwards was dangerous….

Nick cast a look at his mother, but settled back down. He didn’t mean to offend the woman, but he really wasn’t inclined to finish the food. He wanted ACTION. To be doing something, anything. He glanced around the room, and his eyes come to rest on a painting that was above the mantle of the fireplace. It was not a painting that he would have thought would have been the choice of the occupants, given how the furnishings were very high class. It was in a simple frame, and depicted a rider on a black horse at full gallop, evidently set at twilight or on an exceptionally cloudy day. As Nick studied the painting, ignoring the others finishing their meals around him, he came to realize that the painting was very good. The artist seemed to have caught the essence of the horse and rider. From where he sat he could see the muscles straining in the quarters of the horse. It was a small horse, now that he thought of it. Probably a mare his horseman’s mind idly cataloged it. He focused a little closer.

The mare was stretched out in a full gallop, head stretched forward on a proud neck, dark tail and mane streaming back in the wind of it’s passing. Nick could almost hear the pounding hooves, and feel the effort of that gallop. He shifted his focus to the rider who was balanced up in his stirrups, weight forward over the horse’s withers, giving the horse every advantage. Nick couldn’t make any detail from where he sat, but he could see the rider was dressed in tan pants and a blue shirt, his face partially hidden by the flying mane as he bent forward, moving with the stride of the horse. The brim of a tan hat was blown back by the force of the wind and a brown duster coat flapped behind the rider, almost torn off the shoulders at the speed of the gallop. There was something familiar about that rider, that horse.

His attention was suddenly returned to the table as he heard chairs scraping on the polished hardwood floor. Everyone was rising, and Thubitski was saying something about going into the parlor. Jarrod offered his mother his arm, and started after Thubitski. Nick rose to his feet, and started after them, but then stepped over to the fireplace to look closely at the painting that had held his attention. That small, powerful horse, that balanced rider, moving as one with the horse, he had seen it before…..

“My younger brother Hans, he saw Heath as he was coming in with the vaccine. He said he had never seen such a sight, man and horse moving as one. They had come so far, and still the little horse ran like that. We had no such horses or men in Holland where we came from. To have them save all our lives was something he had to paint he said. If the painting was not in his blood he would have become a cowboy like Heath he always says.” Nick, who had turned at the sound of Elsa’s voice behind him, jerked his eyes back to the painting as he realized what she had said.

He looked closely, and he realized why it had been so familiar. The small black horse, petite but powerful as her Modoc breeding had made her, and the tall, lithe figure of his younger brother, slightly slimmer than now, carefully balanced in the saddle, as Nick had seen him once before when he had caught the two skylarking in the north pasture one night after the work was done. Heath had separated from the rest of the men, and Nick, who had stayed behind to check the shoring in the well that they had been digging had wondered where he was off too. He had dawdled along behind, keeping well back, and had stopped in a grove of trees as he saw that Heath was heading for the slightly rolling North pasture where cattle had been grazing until recently. As he had watched, Heath had urged the small horse to a trot, then a canter, then a full gallop, moving easily with her, as if born to ride her that way, They had flown across the open space until they had disappeared from Nick’s sight over a rolling hill. A yell of joy had echoed over the pasture as they went out of sight. Running for the pure joy of it. Nick had been reminded of the story that Jarrod had told of the small black horse and the cowboy who rode her, that dared to defy the railroad iron by racing the train to the crossing, and winning. Now Nick had seen it for himself. Who would have thought it of the runty little horse, and how that boy could ride! Nick had felt a swelling of pride that he had quickly quashed down, and had ridden back to the house, never saying a word about what he had seen.

Now as he stood there looking at the picture, he could see them again in the twilight, moving across the grassland, just as they were in the painting. He became aware of Jarrod and Victoria standing at his side, also looking at the painting, obviously having heard Elsa’s words. Victoria was the first to speak.

“Your brother is a masterful painter. He caught the spirit of both the horse and Heath in his painting. If he would be willing to make a copy of the painting I would gladly pay him whatever price he might set.” She said to Elsa who blushed with pleasure.

“I am so proud of him. He is at art school, in Boston. He will be famous some day. I will ask him, about the copy when I next write to him.”

“Jarrod was nodding his head in agreement. “I agree. If this is a sample of his work before he even went to school, then he will be famous some day. I have seen Heath and Gal in similar circumstances, and he caught them perfectly.” They all looked at the painting for a moment longer, and then retreated to the parlor where they took seats near the fire there.

Thubitski looked at them all, and began immediately with what Heath had told him to say. He told them about the plan that had been developed, and what steps had been taken to assure that Edwards would be taken in by the act. The Barkley’s listened in silence, though Nick rose and began pacing halfway through the recitation. When Thubitski stopped they exchanged glances.

‘I must admit I am impressed by my brother’s capacity for plotting.” Jarrod said trying to lighten the mood. “I can see that I for one have underestimated his abilities, and the competence with which he is handling this difficult matter. I believe that given what he has to work with He has come up with a very workable plan. The question is are we going to support him or are we going to go and get Audra and drag her home, and hope that Heath comes as well.”

“He’ll come too.” Nick growled. Stopping his pacing at the mantel, but finding it the wrong height to lean on comfortably, he stood with his arms crossed across his chest in his regular impatient stance. He too was impressed with the evidently well thought out plan, but he wasn’t going to let that change his mind about getting Audra, and Heath, out of harm’s way.

“And how exactly do you propose to do that, brother Heath? He is over twenty-one, and legally able to make his own decisions. If he wants to stay in Virginia City, then he can.” Jarrod reminded his brother.

“We’ll just see about that!” Nick said.

“I believe that even if we decided to go and bring Audra home, Heath would decided to stay. He seems to have taken this on as if Maddie was HIS friend, instead of Audra’s. I believe that Mr. Thubitski’s information regarding Mr. Edward’s character have convinced him that what they are doing is right, no matter what he might have felt when he left the ranch with Audra.” Victoria observed.

“Yes, I believe you are right Mother. And despite Nick’s unrealistic view of his persuasive powers, I also think Heath will stay on the trail. The question then becomes, what will he have to do to overcome the loss of Audra as a player in his plan? It seems to me that he will have to take even greater chances, with no support at all. While I cannot condone their method, I can’t say that I don’t sympathize with the idea behind it, now that we have more facts. Evidently they are trying to get legal proof of the man’s guilt, not revenge, and I believe that in the interest of keeping them both alive that we should help them in their pursuit of justice.” Jarrod said, and then smiled as Nick stared at him in astonishment.

“What?!” the tall cowboy bellowed.

“Nicholas! We are guest’s in the Thubitski’s home, please act as such.” Victoria reminded him with a quelling glance. She then looked at Jarrod. “My first instinct as a mother is to go and simply get Audra and ask Heath to come home. But like you, I am concerned that it would not be the best way.” She held up a hand as Nick started to erupt again. “I do not like to think of my daughter and son anywhere near such a person, but I also do not like to think of such a man walking free, and harming other women. While we could drag Audra home, and it would not be an easy task, even for you Nick, we could not make her stay, and I am afraid she would try to return to help Heath. I do not believe that at this point Heath would leave, having set his mind to the task. I watched your father do it over and over through the years that we were married. He would set his mind on a particular outcome, and then would not rest until he had reached it. I see that same determination in all of you, perhaps even more so in Heath. He had had many years of hardship, that he has survived surprisingly intact, due in part I am sure to that very determination. He will not stop, and if necessary will go on alone, even, as Jarrod has suggested, should there be greater danger in it. He would perhaps even welcome the opportunity to get Audra to safety.” She stopped, and as Nick was about to speak she spoke again. “And if you are about to suggest that we leave your brother to it, and take your sister home Nicholas, I would prefer that you keep such feelings to yourself, as I would like to believe you would not wish your brother harm any more than you would wish to see ANY of your siblings hurt.”

“Well now thanks for the vote of confidence Mother!” Nick said, a blush rising in his tanned cheeks. He hadn’t been going to say it out right, but his honest nature made him admit, at least to himself, that the thought had crossed his mind. His mother’s words made him realize how very petty the thought had been, and he was slightly taken aback that he had let his jealousy and bitterness about Heath’s joining the family drive him to such thoughts. Of course he wasn’t going to let that thought keep him from expressing his views. ‘I say we hand everything over to the county sheriff up there and let HIM handle it. I don’t imagine he’ll be any too excite about having people poking their noses into his investigation. If Jarrod says the evidence is looking better, then he should be happy to take over.”

‘That’s not going to happen Nick. The sheriff can only do so much. I am sure that this Edwards is well aware of the sheriff’s suspicions, and has taken steps to circumvent any investigation on the sheriff’s part, which by nature must be out in the open. Heath and Audra are going at it in another way that may just get the information that is needed by the Sheriff to make the arrest. Then he can take it over, and gladly I am sure.” Jarrod said

Thubitski, who had been listening to the talk stood up and cleared his throat. “Heath knew that you’d be coming. Or at least that some of you would,” he said with a glance at Victoria, who smiled serenely at him, “and he was pretty sure that you wouldn’t just stay out of it. He had a plan to include you, to add to the story.” He looked at Jarrod and then at Nick. “Are you going to help him, or are you just going to take your sister and leave him twisting in the wind? Because once he meets Edwards I can tell you he won’t quit. The two are about as opposite as you can get, and it won’t end until one is locked up or dead. As I said, I haven’t known Heath a long time, but I have known him in a time that gives you the measure of a man’s soul, and he won’t leave this alone. I think you should know that if you folks leave him alone, I’ll still do everything I can to help him.”

Jarrod and Nick exchanged glances, blue and hazel eyes meeting and locking. Nick tightened his jaw. He wasn’t against making the man pay for his crimes he just didn’t see why HIS family had to be involved. He was aware that he was taking something of an opposite stand than he usually would. It was more often he that rushed in regardless of the law rather than Jarrod but his feelings were so up in the air about Heath, that everything else seemed to be upset. He looked away form Jarrod, and at his mother then at Thubitski who stood there watching to find out what the decision was. He had made it clear that HE was going to support Heath, and Nick’s Barkley blood cried out at the idea of a stranger doing more for one of his own than he did. One of his own? When had Heath become his? Nick threw up his hands.

“Fine! So we go and play along and make sure they don’t get themselves killed. What are we supposed to do?” The last he aimed at Thubitski, who smiled.

“He said he figured you would go along with it. Wasn’t so sure about your brother though, and he didn’t make any plans for you ma’am, I’m afraid.”

“Perhaps a distant relative seeking a portion of the estate. I believe you would have the necessary clothing for someone of recently reduced means that would be appropriate.” Victoria suggested, showing how she had been considering the problem. Thubitski mentally reviewed his inventory and nodded, he should be able to outfit her in a variety of expensively made yet shabby clothes from several years past. It would actually be easier than it had been to get the newer

Jarrod looked at his mother. “Perhaps since Heath did not consider you in the plan, Mother, it would be best if you remained in Carson City. We wouldn’t want to throw it off.” He said hopefully, not really believing that it would work.

Victoria looked at him seriously, “ As you have noted Heath seems to be skilled in planning. I am sure that he has left room to take the unexpected into consideration. I am going.” There was no doubt as to her determination. Jarrod bowed his head to her, acknowledging the message gracefully. He turned to Thubitski. “What exactly did my brother have planned for Nick and myself, Mr. Thubitski? I must admit I am somewhat anxious to find out.

Thubitski smiled in a way that made Jarrod slightly nervous, and motioned them to follow. “He said that he figured you would be most comfortable in something that was close to your normal occupations, but he had to make some changes to fit the act. I have just the things…..”

Chapter 11

Heath rolled over and looked toward the window. It was still dark though his internal clock was informing him that sunrise wasn’t far away. He yawned, still tired since he had not gotten to sleep until the unaccustomed time of midnight the previous evening. He was used to earlier nights back at the ranch. He allowed himself to lie in the bed and think about those nights at the ranch. It had taken him some time to get used to going from dinner to spending the evening in the presence of his siblings and step mother, engaging in friendly, or not so friendly, game of pool, cards, or checkers. He was used to years of being in the bunkhouse, playing a couple of hands of poker, and going to bed on those nights that no trip to town was possible. It had been a strange thing to get used to, but he found he had liked it. He truly enjoyed playing cards or checkers with Audra, and he had to admit he liked beating Nick at pool. Jarrod had proven more of a challenge, though he wasn’t there as often as Heath would have preferred to be a buffer between him and Nick.

Jarrod and Nick. They would be here today most likely. It remained to be seen exactly how that might be. If they were there to drag Audra home, and tell him that he didn’t need to bother coming back, or if they were there to help. He thought with some amusement of the two men and the plans he had made for them if they had agreed to work within the plan. He knew at least one of them wasn’t gonna be to happy with him, but then he imagined they weren’t all that fond of him anyway.

He rolled over and sat up, running his hand through his hair. He doubted if anyone else was up at this time of the morning, and he suspected the bathroom at the end of the hall would be available. He got some clean clothes, frowning at the idea of having to wear the fancy stuff for another day, and went to perform his morning rituals. If he hurried he could get out and watch the sunrise over the hills to the East. It wasn’t as pretty as on the Ranch, but he enjoyed it anyway.

Three hours later he was knocking on the door that his room shared with Audra’s. It took several minutes, and then she came and opened it wearing her robe, her golden hair still in its nighttime braid. Heath had a sudden flash of his mother sitting before the fire in her plain flannel nightgown, brushing and braiding her long brown hair before going to bed. He had loved to watch her as he lay in his small bed. Sometimes she had a soft smile on her face as if she was remembering better times, and sometimes she looked so very sad. He shook his head a little to dislodge the past and looked at his sister who had retreated to the small vanity mirror to begin brushing out her hair.

“Do you think the dinner went well last night?” she asked as he went and sat in another chair near the window, where the warm morning sun lit his hair like a flame. They were so alike she thought as she watched him in the mirror. It felt good to know that one of her siblings had her same coloring. She had felt quite the odd man out over the years being the only one with the true Barkley coloring except for her father, and even his hair had darkened over the years until he was more like Eugene in coloring. Heath turned to meet her eyes in the mirror.

“You did a great job last night. Edwards couldn’t take his eyes off you, even when he was talking to me. I think you have him hooked like one of them big salmon that Nick was claiming he had caught on the Sacramento last year. I made sure I told him I wasn’t going to be around today, what with going off hunting with my new shotgun and all, and I expect you might be getting’ a visitor.” Heath said. There was silence for a moment as Audra brushed out her hair, and then she saw him lean forward, and once again their eyes met. “You be sure that whatever he wants, you only meet him in a public place. You don’t let him get you alone anywhere. Is that understood?”

‘Heath…” she started, turning to face him.

“No!” he said firmly, rising to his feet and crossing to stand before her. “ If you don’t do it the way I laid it out, we get on that train and head on home, and don’t think for a minute that I can’t get you on it.” His blue eyes, usually so soft when they looked at her were hard and the lightest blue she had ever seen them, almost like ice. She had no doubt he would carry out his threat.

“All right. I‘ll do what you say. Are you sure he won’t notice you hanging around?” she conceded.

He shook his head. He won’t be looking for me, and I won’t be dressed up like a dandy. I’ll ride out and change then come back in. Smythe said I could use his place to stable the horse and to change since they are out past the edge of town. You don’t leave this room until I have a chance to get back here. You watch out the window until I show up in front of the Bucket of Blood,” Heath instructed, mentioning the highly active saloon across the wide street that was visible from her window. Audra nodded, and went back to doing her hair.

“Do you think that Jarrod and Nick will be here today? You thought they might be if they left directly after they got back from San Francisco.”

Heath shook his head and wondered back toward the window. ‘I don’t know. I figure they probably were on our trail right off, don’t expect that they could exactly leave it alone. If so they could be on the morning train today. Depends on how much Two-bits can convince them to do. Might be they just show up and haul you off home.” He didn’t mention the part about telling him not to bother coming along.

“Oh, they just can’t do that!” Audra cried, throwing down her brush and standing up to pace the room. “I’ll come back, no matter how long it takes, by myself if necessary. We’re so close I feel it. We can do this. You have to convince them, Heath. Nick will listen to you.” She broke off as Heath looked at her in amazement. She felt that same twist in her heart that she had felt when he said he had just been waiting for them to throw him out. She rushed over to him and put her hand on his arm. “Nick does listen to you Heath, ever since the cattle drive. He started to listen then I think, and I believe he liked what he heard. He knows that you’re a good rancher, and that no one is better with horses. If you tell him about this he’ll listen, I know he will. Then all three of us can work on Jarrod. You’ve made the plan, and it’s a good one if they will just let us do it.” She spoke with earnestly, her eyes locked with his. That she believed everything she said he couldn’t help but know. Now if that only made it true.

He sighed and patted her hand. “We’ll find out soon. My jaw is already achin’ from the poundin’ I suspect it’s gonna get when they get here regardless of what they do after. They ain’t gonna be best pleased with you neither.” She shrugged and started to speak only to be interrupted by a knock on Heath’s door. He went through to his room, closing the door behind him, and answered the door. It was a boy with a telegram. Heath handed the boy a dollar, smiling a little at the wide-eyed look he received. He remembered when such a tip had felt like a hundred dollars to another small boy in another boomtown.

Audra came into the room as she heard the door close. Heath opened the telegram and read it through. She saw him give a crooked smile with no humor in it, and stepped forward. “What is it?” Who could be sending them a telegram?

Heath closed the telegram and looked at her. “It’s from Two-bits. Says he had some visitors yesterday. THREE of them.”

“MOTHER came along too?” Audra said, astounded.

“Looks like it. Reckon she wanted to come along to make sure you was okay. He says they decided to go along with the plan. They’ll be here later this morning on the train. Reckon I better meet up with them one at a time. Don’t know what I’m gonna do about Mrs….Mother.”

Audra smiled as she noticed his correction. Their mother had very firmly expressed her dislike of being called Mrs. Barkley by her stepson, and he had most reluctantly begun using the same term as the other Barkley offspring had always used. She had seen the quiet glow of satisfaction in her mother’s eyes, and the shy happiness in the eyes of her new brother when he had first used the familiar term. She patted his arm. ‘I think mother will take care of that for you. I have never known her to not be up to any challenge. After all, she raised Nick.” Audra said lightly. She enjoyed her brother’s laughter for a moment. Then started back to her room. “I better start getting ready. Are you going out now, or will you join me for breakfast?”

He shook his head. “I had breakfast earlier. I’ll go ahead and ride out now, and be back by the time you’ve finished dollin’ yourself up. Then I can follow you to wherever you might want to go. Just remember, you go nowhere with him where there aren’t people, lots of them.”

“I’ll have you know I do not ‘doll up’. I simply present myself as any lady should.” Audra said haughtily. Pleased she had got him to tease her.

“ Yeah, I’ll tell that to Nick next time it comes time to leave for church and you’re still messing with your hair.”

“Oh you.” She said with a swat at his arm, and she retreated to her room. She heard him leave several minutes later and set about getting ready to appear for the day. She was anxious to find out if Edwards was really as enchanted, as Heath seemed to think. She had of course noted the looks the man had been casting her, but was afraid she wasn’t…..experienced enough to entice a man of his taste. When she had shared that thought with Heath before they parted to their rooms, he had smiled sadly and brushed her hair back from her face. He told her that he thought that was just the thing that would entice such a man. She wasn’t exactly sure of what he had meant, but she trusted that he knew what he was talking about.

A half hour later she was ready to go and see about breakfast, and she went to the window to see if she could spot Heath. Her eyes scanned the busy sidewalk in front of the saloon, and didn’t see anyone that looked like Heath. Then she noticed someone moving to the edge of the boardwalk. It was the walk that tipped her off. He moved like her father had, a horseman born. But the rest was completely different. The cloths were the rough dirty ones of a miner just off shift. She could see that even his hands were dirty. His head was covered by a tam, the flat cloth hat worn by many of the miners. As she watched he swept it off and proceeded to beat what looked like a shift’s worth of dust off his clothes, in the process of which he looked up at her window and winked at her. She saw a flash of his smile in a dirty face before he put his tam back on and retreated toward the bat-wing barroom doors. She turned and taking her small purse. Left the room.

She swept through the lobby and started down the sidewalk toward the restaurant. She followed Heath’s instructions and didn’t look for him, or for the other men that he had said were still watching them. It made her nervous that they were still being watched. She had supposed when Edwards met them that there would be no need for the man to have them followed anymore, but Heath said the man had followed them back to the hotel. He had seemed to be unsurprised, saying only that it looked like Edwards was the type that wanted to control the situation as best he could, and felt that knowing everything that went on, somehow gave him power over the ones he was watching.

As Audra entered the small restaurant she was shown to a table. She was reading the menu when she became aware of someone standing near the table. She lowered the menu to see Edwards standing before her, looking very neat and rich in a dark suit and brilliantly white shirt. He smiled at her. A smile she noticed didn’t reach his eyes. She asked him to sit, and he pulled up a chair, sitting down so close to her that she felt like moving her own chair. She quelled the urge and smiled at the man.

“How nice to see you. I thought I would have to have my breakfast alone since Zachary decided to go hunting.”

“A true gentleman would never leave a lady in such straits. I will be happy to have breakfast with you. In fact if you do not have any plans for the day I would be pleased to show you around. Perhaps introduce you to a few people who knew your father as I did.” Said Edwards.

Audra kept her smile and hoped she sounded enthusiastic with her acceptance. They made small talk over their breakfast, and when the check came Edwards graciously paid both checks. She allowed him to take her arm, and managed with some difficultly to not shudder at his touch. They strolled down the sidewalk with Edwards pointing out the various points of interest. She noted that everyone seemed to give Edwards a lot of room. There were no accidental bumps. She noted that some men even crossed the street rather than passing Edwards on the sidewalk.

They visited several shops, and Audra made a few purchases to keep up the charade. She was sure to pretend to hang on Edwards’ every word, and cast what she hoped would be taken as admiring glances at his profile, blushing prettily when caught. He didn’t need to know that the blush was really a flush of anger as she thought of Maddie, hopelessly besotted with the man, leading her to her death. She noted Edwards watching her closely as she looked at some jewelry made from local silver. She made a point to pick up and study a particularly expensive piece that she personally thought of as being ostentatious. She asked the shop owner several questions about it, but finally put it down and signaled to Edwards she was ready to go. She saw Edwards gesture to the shopkeeper just as they were going out the door, and wondered if she would soon be offered the piece. The shop they were in was near the train station and she noticed that the train had come in as they had been in the shop. People were moving away from the station with baggage, and Audra was glad that she was in front of Edwards and he could not see her face as she came face to face with her mother, dressed in a manner that Audra had never seen her.

She was dressed in a black wool dress that at one time had been quite expensive and fashionable, but was now faded to a dark gray, and showed signs of being patched in several places to cover moth holes. A badly crocheted black shawl completed the disreputable look. An incredibly hideous hat of black dyed feathers and tulle was on her head, with a dark veil covering part of her face. Audra caught a quick spark of humor in her mother’s eyes before the gray gaze turned to take in Edwards moving up beside her. Audra was lost as to what she should do, but was saved by her mother who dropped the shabby carpetbag she was carrying and dramatically spread her arms.

“Cousin Victoria! How wonderful you look for someone who must be nearly prostrate with grief at the loss of your dear father. I cannot tell you how horrified I was to hear of my beloved cousin’s demise. You know he was always my favorite after you and your brother. I RUSHED here from Philadelphia to be at your side so that I could offer you support in your time of need. I heard of dear Zachary’s death from a mutual acquaintance and packed immediately. I am sure that I must have just missed your telegram.”

Audra, overwhelmed in the face of that information being offered to her, thought quickly. She stepped forward with a forced smile, and kissed the air beside he Mother’s cheek. As she did so she heard her mother whisper “Lucinda”. Audra took that to mean that she was to address her Mother as Lucinda and stepped back. “Why cousin Lucinda. How nice of you to come all this way.” She said, making her statement sound as insincere as was possible without being downright rude. “I certainly wasn’t expecting you.”

“Well, that’s what family is for, dear. I’m sure that you would do the same for me. After all it wasn’t TOO expensive and I had my small savings to see me here.” Victoria said, and faked a yawn. “It was such a long trip, and at my age, one gets tired so easily, perhaps you could show me to your hotel and help me get a room. These monetary transactions are so difficult to understand. That’s why I always let my dear Stanley take care of everything, god rest his soul. But then you’re so clever dear, just like Zachary was. And your dear brother,” she stopped and peered at Edwards, then turned back to Audra, “I must say I expected him to be with you.”

Audra frowned in pretend anger and introduced Edwards to her ‘cousin Lucinda’ from Philadelphia. The man bowed over Victoria’s hand, and she simpered at him. Audra had to turn slightly to hide a smile. As she did so she noticed a figure standing in the alley near them. She caught sight of the clothes she had seen Heath wearing earlier, and noted that the figure seemed to be bent over laughing silently. She cast a nasty gaze in his direction, and turned back to Edwards. She flashed him what she hoped was an exasperated look, and asked if he would mind escorting them back to the hotel. He bowed to her, and seemed pleased that he could offer help. They were soon at the hotel, and Audra got a room for ‘cousin Lucinda’ down the hall from her own. The bellboy took the seedy carpetbag and led Victoria upstairs. Audra watched her out of sight and turned to Edwards.

“I am so sorry that you had to be exposed to cousin Lucinda. She’s something of a family joke. She married young and badly, and insists on acting as if it had never happened. I had hoped she wouldn’t find out father died until after the estate was settled. Now she’ll be trying to get anything she can out of that lawyer Smythe. Another delay.” She sighed.

Edwards took her hand and stroked her wrist in a familiar manner. She fought the urge to yank her hand from his, and smiled at him. “We all have skeletons in our family closets that come out and rattle around at the worst of times. I certainly won’t hold yours against you. You mustn’t let her ruin your time here. Please, you, your brother, and your cousin must dine with me tonight.”

She forced an eager acceptance of his offer and bid a falsely disappointed goodbye. After smiling him out the door of the hotel she went upstairs to face her mother.

Heath watched as Victoria Barkley, regal even in her dowdy, shabby, finery, went down the sidewalk following Audra and Edwards. Heath smiled to himself and shook his head. The woman was amazing. He looked back toward the train station and the smile faded from his face. He sighed. It was time to go face the music with his brothers. He had seen them both get off the train, along with Victoria Barkley, as he had waited outside the shop for Audra and Edwards to exit. So far his disguise had worked well. No one noticed another miner in a town full of them, and he had moved freely through the throng. It had been easy to keep Edwards in sight as the crowd tended to clear out from around him. Heath had had a very enlightening conversation with miner about why that was as he had waited for the two to come out of the opera house.

He pushed away from the wall where he had sagged when he had started laughing at the look on Audra’s face when faced with her mother. He had a suspicion that his own meeting with that formidable woman would not be a laughing matter. He went in the direction he had seen one of his brother go, and thought he might as well get it over with. He watched as his dark haired older brother, dressed in the clothes that Two-bits would have supplied went into a hotel, one of a lot less distinction than the Riggsby. He gave him time to sign in and went into the small lobby. He got the room number from the clerk and went upstairs. He knocked on the door and entered when he heard the call to come in.

He slipped inside the room, and closed the door. As he turned to face the other man he felt something like a train suddenly plow into his jaw, and he was flung against the wall of the room. He slid down the wall, and sat there looking up at his brother, standing over him with hands on his hips, glaring at him in anger. He was dressed in a black pants and a black broadcloth coat with long tails. A fancy curled-brim hat with a silver coin hatband sat on the bed next to a leather valise. Highly polished black boots were on the feet, and a fancy tooled gun belt hung low on the right thigh. A white shirt, not quite as white as those he had recently been wearing, and with a frill down the front under a black string tie completed the look, before him stood a professional gambler. Here in the boomtown to fleece the men of their money. Heath rubbed at his jaw.

‘Boy Howdy, Jarrod. I thought Nick was the only Barkley that packed a punch like that.” He drawled as he met his brother’s angry eyes.

Chapter 12

Audra knocked on the door to the room her mother had been assigned to. She prepared herself to face her parent as the door opened to reveal Victoria Barkley, minus her hat and shawl. She stepped back form the door, allowing Audra to enter. Audra removed her wrap, and stood as her mother looked over her dress with its lace-covered décolletage, and tight cut. Her mother’s gray eyes rose to meet hers, and she bit her lower lip.

“I’m..” she started only to be stopped by her mother’s raised hand.

“I do not wish to hear it young lady. You have caused your brothers and I a lot of trouble and worry. Even worse, you have involved your other brother in your escapade, endangering his new relationship with his brothers. Do you realize how much harder this will make it for him to gain their trust, to convince them, convince Nick, that he can make the decisions necessary to help to run the ranch and be depended upon?”

Audra gasped as the implications of what her mother was saying hit her. Could she really mean what it sounded like? Could she be saying that because Heath had chosen to help her that he would be turned away? That he would not be allowed to participate on the ranch that was his birthright as much as it was any of theirs? She had come to her mother’s room prepared to be penitent for her impetuousness, and grateful that they had decided to go along with the act, but she had not been prepared for this! As sorry as she was to have worried her family, her mother, she could not let this pass. No matter what it cost, she could not let her desire for justice cost Heath so much. Perhaps if she had not been so nervous about her mother’s response, she would have thought before she spoke. She raised her chin and looked down at her mother, her face flushing in anger.

“I told him it wouldn’t matter! That you all might be angry with us but that you wouldn’t think of not letting him stay. I thought I was right, I thought I knew you all better than he did, that you were fair and that you were growing to love him as much as I do. Well I won’t have it! I he goes I will go with him! If I have learned anything from this time I have spent with him, it’s that you do what you can for those you love, as long as its right, and you don’t care about the consequences to yourself. I you all don’t want him, I do, and I trust him with my life.” She hardly paused for breath as she grabbed her wrap and started for the door. “I thought you coming to help meant that you understood what I had to do and were supporting me. I now I see that it’s just that you didn’t trust Heath and I to take care of each other. Well we can, and I think you should all just go home!” With out waiting to heart her mother’s response she jerked open the door and fled down the hall to her own room, where she let herself in and then flung herself on the bed in tears. What was she going to tell Heath? He would be so hurt to know that her crusade for justice for Maddie had cost him the things he had been coming to value so much, the things she had assured him would never be taken away.

She didn’t hear the door open, and didn’t feel the bed dip under the weight of another body, but she did feel the hand that brushed through her hair, a hand she recognized. This was the hand that had soothed her through all her life. It had been both comforter and corrector, but had always been loving, and she felt that love now. She sniffed, and sitting up, threw herself into her mother’s arms. Victoria held her, as she had since before she could remember, and rocked her gently as she cried.

After several minutes she pulled her self together and moved back. She looked into her mother’s gray eyes and felt suddenly very foolish.

“I’m…..I’m sorry mother. I didn’t mean…”she wasn’t sure how to apologize for her outburst. As she thought about it, she didn’t know how she could have misread her mother’s affection for Heath so wrongly, and looking into her eyes, she began to suspect that she hadn’t been wrong.

Victoria Barkley offered her daughter a handkerchief, and watched as the girl wiped away her tears. The stark blackness of the dress, a dress that would have been marginally scandalous in Stockton where fashion was several months, at the least, behind the East coast, made Audra’s skin look even more pale than usual. That and the tear-swollen eyes made her look even younger than she was. As Audra tried to pull herself together Victoria reviewed the days rather unusual proceedings.

She and her sons had boarded the early train from Reno, loaded down with the props they would need for the charade. They had arrived in Carson City with a little less than an hour to wait before taking the train up to Virginia City. They had rented a hotel room, and each had changed into their costume. Not with out a good deal of grumbling from her sons. She had wondered at the parts that Heath had assigned his brothers, but as she considered them after the change, and thought of the stories that were to be their parts, she could see the cleverness of her new son. It had been something of a trip to the past for her, riding the train into Virginia City. Not for the landscape, but for the people. She still remembered the rush of 49 when the then territory of California had been overrun with men searching for their fortunes. The Barkley ranch, much smaller but showing so much promise, had flourished in the years that followed that rush, as Tom Barkley rode the wave of fortune to the very top and seized the opportunity it offered to build the ranch and future that he wanted for his family.

The mix of people from all stations in life that shared the train car with them reminded her of that time. She had stepped down into Virginia City and had seen Stockton, grown from a small group of four buildings on a bend in the river to a teeming boomtown overnight it seemed. She had collected her small carpetbag, and started toward the hotel that Mr. Thubitski had mentioned. She had gone only a few yards when she recognized the young lady coming toward her on the sidewalk. It was Audra! But she didn’t look like the young woman who less than a week ago had run upstairs crying. This was a young woman who wanted to be noticed. She wore a fashionable black dress, cut to show her fine figure, and with a décolletage only made decent by the application of expensive black lace at the edges. She wore a fine silk wrap over it, and was wearing an expensive and attractive small; black hat. Victoria had to admit, she made a very attractive picture. As she approached she saw Audra’s eyes widen in recognition, then saw the confusion as the girl realized she didn’t know how to address the newcomer to the scene. Victoria, having though about how she would introduce herself in front of others should the need arise, had gone through her script, happy when the girl caught on quickly and seemed to understand what was required.

Upon being introduced to Carl Edwards, She quickly came to understand the enmity felt by Stan Thubitsky. Victoria had dealt with a wide variety of people over the years. While now the Barkley money and reputation insulated her from the more unsavory types of people, it had not always been so. She had me people she new to be truly evil, and others that were truly saints on earth. This man very clearly fell to the former class. His eyes were dead black, with no feeling in them beyond a deep and abiding hunger. It had troubled Victoria that the object of that hunger for the moment seemed to be Audra, but then that was why they were there. As she had progressed in her story she almost came to enjoy the freedom that the part allowed her. One couldn’t very well test ones acting skills at the local ladies society tea, but here she felt she could expend herself. She had gone up to the room, sniffing in disdain at the slowness of the bellboy, and had waited for Audra to join her.

It had not quite been the reunion that she had envisioned. She of course had planned to chastise her daughter for her impetuousness and the worry that she had caused. She had wanted to be sure that the girl understood the consequences of her actions, not only to herself, but also for all her brothers. The first inkling that something she had said had been taken badly by her daughter was when the delicate chin had risen, and color had flooded the pale cheeks. How often she had seen that passionate response in Tom when faced with what he believed to be injustice. She had felt a twist in her heart at this bit of her husband in her daughter, but as she listened to her impassioned words, she felt her heart break. Could Audra really believe that they would force Heath to leave? And if Audra believed it, did Heath?

Victoria Barkley considered her words. She could see how they could have been misinterpreted to mean that Heath would not be allowed to stay on the ranch due to his actions. But that was not what she had meant. She had only wanted Audra to understand that Heath had been making progress with becoming fully integrated into the family, and this would be a setback, not a permanent one, but it would ad to the difficulty. She saw that Audra was looking at her, and she smiled slightly, brushing back the tangled blond hair. She had not really spoken with her children about her personal feeling regarding Heath. Perhaps because she often found herself conflicted. It wasn’t that she didn’t want him there. Didn’t believe to her soul that he belonged there, but it was so very painful sometimes. She could see Tom Barkley in the younger man. His walk, his crooked smile, his eyes, even the spirit that burned in them echoed his father. She knew that as they got to know the boy, he would become more his own man, and less a reminder to her of the man she had loved and lost, but at times…..at times it was an agony unlike any she had known. But out of that agony had come something else. Just as the pain of childbirth yielded a new life, it seemed that the agony of Heath’s coming had also brought joy. She had found a new son, a new part of her husband, it was an incredible, unexpected, gift, and she had come to accept that pain as the cost of the joy. It was time to share that joy she felt with her daughter.

“I would never allow anyone in this family to be driven away, and that includes your brother. In the time that he has been with us, I have come to think of him as MY son, just as your brothers are my sons. I have come to love him as such. I cannot say that I am pleased with his actions, but you and your brothers have done things before that had displeased me. I will discuss that with him, when the opportunity presents itself. Am I to understand from your response that he is under the impression that if he…missteps, he will be asked to leave?”

Audra sniffed and Victoria could see the blush that had been building reach it’s peak. “I’m sorry Mother. I jumped to conclusions. I…I..It’s just that he’s been so good to me, helping me do what I had to do. Mother, I would have come anyway, even if Heath hadn’t come along. He just seemed to understand what I felt, and it didn’t matter to him that I was a girl. He didn’t just shrug off my feelings like Nick and Jarrod did. And when you said what you did…I…just…I should have known you would never do that, but you hadn’t said….” Audra stopped, not knowing how to continue.

Victoria nodded. “No. I hadn’t said, and I regret that, now that I understand that Heath believes that we would, could, force him to leave. I had thought he understood, but now I realize that he had no basis on which to understand. He grew up in a very different type of family. That his mother and her friends loved him, he never doubted, but once he came here he was in different territory. You have been the only one to openly show what he would understand as love and acceptance. Your brothers, being men would be reluctant to openly show any such feeling, and I…..I can only say that I should have considered his upbringing, and perhaps been more forthcoming. I will not make that mistake again.” As she finished speaking she found herself wrapped in her daughter’s arms.

“Oh Mother. I knew you would understand the problem, and know how to solve it!” she cried.

Victoria returned the hug and then held her daughter at arms length, and cast a look over the dress. She raised an eyebrow. “Now, I believe it is time for you to tell me what has happened with Carl Edwards, and what Heath’s plan is. I would be most interested to know exactly why you needed to be dressed in such a manner, and exactly where is your brother?”

Audra smiled, and began to tell her mother what had happened in the days since they had arrived in Virginia City.

Chapter 13

Heath leaned back against the wall and looked up at Jarrod who stood over him, rubbing his right hand with the left. “Are you done, or should I just stay down here?” he asked, in a serious tone.

Jarrod frowned at him a moment and then offered his hand to help Heath to his feet. When they were standing eye to eye, Jarrod looked into the eyes that reminded him so much of his father, and what he saw made the anger that had flared on Heath’s appearance fade away. In fact it made it all the worse was that he realized that not all the anger was, or should have been, directed at Heath. Jarrod had really believed what he told Nick back at the ranch, that Heath had been acting in a very logical way to deal with their headstrong sister. In fact it was probably a better way than either of her other elder brothers would have come up with. Jarrod would have lectured her on the propriety of a lady of her station, and what her family expected of her. Nick on the other hand would have simply ordered her not to go and thought no more of it, and in the end, they both would have ended up with the same result. Audra would have snuck out to do what she thought was right, and would have been alone, at least for some amount of time, maybe too long. Heath had simply chosen the way that seemed right to him. Jarrod could not be really angry with him about that. Jarrod should have been, and was, angry with Audra, though he was beginning to understand her desire for justice was simply part of that same thing that made him the lawyer that he was. He would of course never dream of striking his sister. Why had he then struck out at this new brother? Was this anger from somewhere else, maybe from the circumstances that had brought this brother? Jarrod had made every effort, after the first overly emotional meeting of course when none of them had been at their most logical or best, to think of Heath as simply another brother, and treat him as such.

As he stood there eye to eye with Heath, he found himself looking away in shame, and he realized that maybe that had been an error. Heath was not simply anything, just as his other brothers Gene and Nick were not simply his brothers. He had a different relationship with each brother built up over the years they had spent together. With Health he had only the last few months. Yes, that was where he had erred. He had tried to simply include Heath in the “brother” category of his life, with out examining his, Jarrod’s, own feelings for the boy. A type of avoidance he supposed. He hadn’t felt comfortable with the feelings that Heath’s existence had engendered and therefore had not dealt with them. He DID believe that Heath belonged with the family. He did believe that he was the son of Tom Barkley. He had found that the young man was likable and knowledgeable about a wide range of things. He had experience that even Jarrod, at eight years his senior, had never had. But Jarrod hadn’t gotten to FEEL for Heath as he had his brothers, it was all still just in his mind. There hadn’t been time for that to develop. He didn’t have the facility that Audra had to simply open her heart and let in a new brother. That ‘brother’ feeling just wasn’t there, with all it’s complex mix of feelings that the term meant.

Evidently however there was some anger, left over from that first day or maybe from the long ago memories of the raised voices of his father and mother all those years ago after his father’s return from Strawberry. He wasn’t consciously aware of what those fights had been about, but perhaps now that he understood, the fear he had felt at those raised voices and the silence that had fallen after, had developed into anger. It wasn’t hard to understand how he could have directed it at Heath, but it was disappointing that he would do in secret the same thing he had castigated Nick for doing openly for the first month that Heath had been with them. Nick’s anger at their father for the unfaithfulness had been a potent force, faced by their new brother with a maturity that had impressed Jarrod for the most part, and with iron hard fists in those moments when even a brother could not forgive the words spoken. Now, Jarrod found himself in the same position as his more volatile brother, possibly for the same reason, and wondered why he wasn’t the victim of one of those fists himself. He met his brother’s eyes again.

“I’m sorry Heath. I should have never done that.” He said sincerely.

Heath shrugged. “I don’t blame you for it, was expecting it from one or both of ya. Guess I’m just glad you didn’t gang up on me.” He replied.

“Like you we did before.” Jarrod wondered if he was the only one that added that thought. He gestured to the bed, the only available place to sit. “Why don’t you have a seat? I’m afraid MY accommodations don’t run to a visitor’s chair, or one for me for that matter.” He knew that Heath and Audra were in the most expensive hotel in town to bolster their story.

Heath smiled a little. “At least you ain’t got to share the bed with no one. In some of the boarding houses they’re hot bunking.” At Jarrod’s puzzled look he explained the term. “It means that they rent the cot to a man for eight hours at a time. One man gets out and another man moves in. It don’t have no chance to get cold. If you’re lucky the man in before you didn’t have no livestock, if you know what I mean.”

Jarrod suppressed a shudder at the idea. He shook his head. ‘I’ll stick with this thank you. You didn’t happen to book Nick into one of those did you? My powers of persuasion are not good enough to save you if you did.” He smiled, trying to put a little humor in the situation. He had been amused at the parts that Heath had picked out for them, though somewhat startled. Thubitski had said that Heath had tried to suit personality and abilities to the parts, and Jarrod wondered at the thought behind the decisions. Were these persona how Heath saw them?

Again the crooked smile flashed. “I don’t think there’s enough persuadin’ available to make things good with Nick anyway. This should just about do it all up. I got to go see him next, so let me tell you what I’ve found out while I was here……”

Fifteen minutes later Jarrod watched from the window as his younger brother slipped into the crowd of miners on the street. The shift had just changed, and Heath was quickly lost among the crowds of men. Jarrod very thoughtfully watched the tide of men move through the street, and thought over what his brother had just shared. As an attorney, Jarrod was very pleased with the depth of information that Heath had gathered in such a short time. As a brother he was disturbed by the chances the younger man seemed to be taking, not with Audra’s safety he noted, but with his own. Heath had spoken with a wide range of people in his time there in Virginia City, everyone from lawyers to miners, and up to the Sheriff himself. The most interesting part was that he thought that Heath might have found the very thing that would successfully put a noose around Edwards’ neck. A few telegrams to a few people that Jarrod knew in San Francisco, and they would see. The thing now was to keep Edwards occupied, and hope that he might incriminate himself further and at the same time make sure that Audra remained safe. Even with Heath’s detective work, that might prove difficult if the man was as sick as it seemed he was.

Jarrod also found himself worrying about Heath. Not for his physical safety, though being the one closest to Audra he was in danger, a fact the younger man shrugged off like the sock to the jaw earlier, but something else made Jarrod nervous. There was something in those eyes. Over the last two months the anger and resentment that had first burned coldly in those eyes had started to fade, and the shutters that hid so much of what went on in his mind had started to come down. Now they were back, and Jarrod had a bad feeling about his brother’s attitude. It was….fatalistic…that was the word that Jarrod felt best described what he felt from Heath. He somehow had an idea that his greeting to his brother had not helped out that attitude either. He hoped Heath had better luck with Nick, but he had a feeling that it wasn’t going to be a pleasant meeting. He had patted the broad shoulder as Heath had slipped out the door and had tried to let his brother know that he wanted to help with a last few words, but it had seemed to have the opposite effect as he had seen the shutters come down over the blue eyes. Jarrod wished he knew why the words ‘We’ll talk when this is over.’ had that effect.

Heath moved down the street, absently rubbing his jaw. Boy Howdy, old Tom Barkley done bred him sons with a strong right hand, that was for sure. Guess the only brother left that hadn’t decked him was Gene, and he hadn’t exactly been around to do it. His greeting from Jarrod hadn’t surprised Heath, not really. He had allowed Audra to be put into danger, he had left the ranch to the hands, and he had embroiled the whole family with a man that had most likely killed a number of women. What was there to bring anything but wrath down on his head? If the fist to the jaw was the only consequence then he was more than prepared to take it. He had been hit before. By men who knew how and where to hit you to make you HURT. Even Nick with his powerful shoulders and years of experience brawling couldn’t match them for mean. But Heath knew it wasn’t going to end with the punch, otherwise why would Jarrod have mentioned that they would talk? So far, since Heath had been at the ranch, Jarrod had spoken to him as he had any of the other Barkley’s, but no effort had been made for any special ‘talks’. Heath could only draw the conclusion that his actions had finally pushed it too far. He stopped in front of the hotel where Nick was supposed to be staying. Time to face the next bit of music.

He went into the hotel and asked after a Mr. Hanson. He was directed to a room on the second floor. He knocked on the door, and waited.

“Yeah, who is it?” came a growl.

Heath sighed to himself. That sounded real bad. “About who you’d expect.” He answered. He didn’t want to use any names here where people could overhear. As he finished speaking the door was wrenched open, and a large hand reached out and grabbed the front of his shirt. He was dragged into the room and the door was slammed shut as he was violently pushed up against it. Nick’s angry face was about an inch from his.

“Well, it’s about time you showed up. I oughta rip a strip offa you and feed it to ya! Where’s Audra? Is she okay?” Nick growled.

Heath met the hazel gaze head on. “She’s at the hotel with Mother. She’s fine. I been keepin’ a real close eye on her. I made it plain that she wasn’t to go anywhere without me bein’ around somewhere.”

“Well, it’s nice to know that you finally got some sense into that head of yours! What the hell were you thinking? You and Audra go off on some wild goose chase leaving the ranch without hardly a word.” Nick said with a shake of his fist that was clenched in Heath’s shirt. Heath was finding this greeting a little bit of a puzzle. After Jarrod had unloaded on him, he had expected Nick to just about rip his head off, but so far this up close and personal chat seemed to be the extent of the ‘punishment’. He forgot that thought as he heard Nick’s next words, and his heart sank. “You obviously don’t understand the idea of family boy, and I don’t have time to be teaching it to you. After this you are on your own.”

Nick had felt a wave of relief when he had heard the soft words from the other side of the door. That had to be Heath, the smart alec. He tried to tell himself that it was just because he wanted to get this over with, and wanted to know how Audra was, but that wouldn’t have been completely true. On the train ride from Reno that morning he had found himself with time to think. His mother was in the front of the car, sitting with another unescorted lady, and Jarrod had been engaged in a friendly game of cards as suited his new look. Nick had almost broke a rib laughing when Thubitski had revealed Jarrod’s part in this little drama. The look on the lawyer’s face had been priceless, and even Mother had a twinkle in her eyes and a small smile. Nick had made a comment about Heath having found the perfect job for someone with soft hands, and Jarrod had scowled at him, playing with the hat.

Of course Nick hadn’t been too pleased with his own part. He had growled like a bear when Thubitski had handed him the suit and bowler. He wasn’t going to be caught dead in some wool suit and some stupid citified hat! He had raved on for several minutes before his mother had put her hand on his arm and gave it a pat. He had given up then, and accepted the inevitable. But he hadn’t liked it. The suit fit well enough, and the bowler was the right size, but Nick felt like an idiot. What if someone he knew saw him dressed this way? And his job! He had a bone to pick with Heath about that. He was gonna be about as popular as a sheep man at a cattle auction.

On the train he had been surrounded by people, but had felt very alone. It was if they already knew what he was supposed to be, and most of them were avoiding him. He had used the time to consider the feelings that had snuck up on him over the last day. He was of course concerned about Audra. The girl needed to have her butt tanned and be sent to her room for a few weeks. She wasn’t too old for it obviously. But he could understand why she wanted to do what she had done. He would have felt the same he guessed, and was a little bit ashamed that he hadn’t given her feelings on it a little more consideration. Obviously Heath had. That was something that really got him thinking, and he wasn’t sure that he liked where his thoughts were going. He had been puzzled by the boy right from the start. First off he had been so familiar. Not that Nick had known why, just that something about the boy had set alarm bells to ringing in his head. At first he had thought the boy was a hired gun, but he had turned out to be something much more damaging, at least as far as Nick was concerned, at first.

Nick had worshipped his father. Tom Barkley could do no wrong, and Nick Barkley was there to tell you about it. Everything Nick had become, that he valued the most, he had learned at his father’s side. Now this boy was there, claiming to be another son, a son born out of wedlock, and raised in poverty due to their father’s neglect of his responsibility. It had been intolerable at first, and Nick had been equally intolerable to everyone around voicing his opinion of the boy. They had fought, and argued, and fought some more, but had finally reached a peace. Nick had slowly become accustomed to having the boy there. He was a hell of a worker, and knew everything there was to know about ranching it seemed, having done each job at one time or another in his short life. Nick had come to….enjoy…..the chance to work once again with someone who was obviously as much a rancher as he was, as his father had been. Heath was still touchy about some things, but then so was Nick. They had been working it out though, and Nick was starting to…..like… the boy. That was the thing he couldn’t quite get his mind around. How in the course of a few short months, he had gone from pretty much hating the ground the boy walked on, to….liking him. He had even, in the moments he wasn’t worried about Audra, been worried about Heath. Somehow he knew that Audra meant just as much to Heath as she did to him, and that Heath wouldn’t let anything happen to her, even if it meant being hurt himself. That was it! That right there was what REALLY got to him. The boy had come to love Nick’s sister like….well a sister. He called Nick’s mother, ‘Mother’, a fact that seemed to bring both of them a sort of quiet joy. He lived in Nick’s house and helped run Nick’s ranch, and Nick……Nick was afraid to do more than admit, even to himself, that he more than liked the boy. It was as if he admitted that he loved Heath, that he had come to once more count on having someone else to work the ranch with him, that it would all be taken away, as his father had been taken away.

Nick Barkley was not a man for introspection. He had always felt that there was no need to hide anything that he felt, to do any less with those that you cared about was to be dishonest, it seemed to him. But here he was hiding how he was feeling about Heath. Oh he made nice in front of the ladies and Jarrod, and he had shared out the workload as if he had grudgingly come to accept the boy. All in all he had put on a great face of reluctantly coming to terms. But he hadn’t been all that reluctant. Now he was up against something of a rock and a hard place. He could admit his feeling for Heath, and just move on. Which of course meant he would have to get an ‘I told you so’ from Jarrod, Audra, and Gene, and that knowing look from his mother. Or he could keep playing at the acceptance thing, and look even sillier when it all came to a head sometime in the future, as it was sure to do. He had decided to put off the decision until after this fiasco was over. But he wasn’t going to let the boy off the hook for taking off with only a few words. In families you learned to communicate!

Nick almost stepped back from where he held Heath against the door as he looked into his brother’s eyes. He frowned, trying to figure out what had caused that flash of pain in the light blue eyes, quickly gone but recognized by the brother who had been spending day after day with him for the last three months. Nick knew that while the hold he had on Heath might be uncomfortable, it wasn’t painful, and he was well aware that Heath was more than capable of getting out of the hold if he wished. The boy was quick with his fists and even if he wasn’t as large as Nick, he was just as tough, maybe tougher. If he wasn’t to be free, Nick would know about it damn quick. Nick felt an almost overwhelming urge to ask what was wrong, but he now found himself gazing into the shuttered gaze of the angry young man who had ridden into the ranch those months ago. He would simply employ the technique he had found that worked best. He would swallow his impatience and let the boy get it out in his own time. He backed away from Heath and went to sit on the bed. He frowned at the squeak of the springs beneath the mattress. He looked at Heath who was putting his shirt to right. When in doubt try a little humor.

“You couldn’t have found anything better for me to be could ya? Like maybe a leper or something? Did it have to be a labor organizer?” He asked. The labor unions out of Chicago and the industrial cities of the east were starting to try to organize the miners at the larger mines. The men were tough, and had to be so since the owners were very definitely against organization, and more than one man had been run out of town wearing feathers and riding a rail. Even the miners, fearing the backlash of being seen by the management as dissatisfied when there were others waiting for their jobs, tended to not react well to their presence.

Heath crooked a smile at him, though Nick noticed it didn’t reach his eyes. “Would a been more popular that way, sure, but Edwards wouldn’t have wanted to talk to ya then.” He quipped.

Nick growled and nodded for Heath to take a seat on the bed. “Ya want to tell me what’s going on so that I don’t go sticking my foot in it somehow?”

Heath looked at the man who had rapidly been becoming one of the most important people in his life, and felt like his guts had been pulled out and tied in a knot. He had been coming to respect, and yes even feel something that he reluctantly had to label as love for this loud, pushy, man. Nick represented everything that Heath wanted to be: honorable, knowledgeable, accepted, and comfortable in his own skin. It seemed that was over now. Well, no use cryin’ over spilled milk he thought and shrugged the pain away mentally. Weren’t nothing to do but go on, as he had gone on before in the face of losing everything. He just got damn tired of it, and he had allowed himself to hope this time. With a shake of his head he began filling Nick in on what had happened.

Continued…