by Lindabrit
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.
Victoria Barkley could not now remember exactly how she had come to discover that her youngest son Eugene had become involved in a relationship with one of her friends. Doubtless one of the more poison-tongued members of the Stockton ladies sewing circle had let it slip, or had her dear friend Minnie broken it to her more gently? She simply couldn't remember now, but it was unimportant, what mattered was that she should do something about it, before the situation got any worse.
It would perhaps be more accurate to say that the woman involved was the wife of one of her friends, George Upton had been a business friend of Tom Barkley's and Tom and Victoria had socialized with George and his first wife Ellen for many years. A year or so after Ellen's death from tuberculosis, George had married again to a woman some twelve years his junior. Victoria didn't know Celia Upton particularly well, though she had always gotten along with her, until now that is.
It had come as a shock to learn that Eugene, who was only just turned nineteen, had become entangled in a clandestine love affair with Celia and Victoria wasn't sure what to do for the best. Since Tom Barkley's death eight years earlier, she had relied upon the help of her two older sons, Jarrod the lawyer and Nick the rancher in raising her two youngest children.
Eugene had been eleven when he had witnessed his father's murder and his sister Audra just a year older. Both children had been bereft without their adored father and Victoria, herself heart broken, had found it hard to emerge from her own grief to comfort the little ones. Jarrod had assumed legal guardianship of both children and he and Nick had done all they could to help their mother cope in the aftermath of Tom's death.
Slowly, she had shaken off her loneliness and despair and gradually she had felt more able to deal with the needs of her youngest son and daughter. Throughout it all, Jarrod and Nick had been an unfailing source of support and help. The two young men had managed to pick up the reins of Tom's business and ranching interests and both had done their best to play the role of mentor to their younger siblings as well.
Victoria's first instinct in this situation had been to lay the whole affair before Jarrod and let him take Eugene to task. She had not done so, partly because of Eugene's rather chequered career in his first year at college. He had plunged into one scrape after another at Berkeley, drinking heavily, gambling recklessly and neglecting his studies. Jarrod had been forced to play the heavy father on a number of occasions and it didn't seem fair to Victoria to make Jarrod deal with this as well.
After reflecting on the problem at length, Victoria had decided to have a motherly talk with her son, she had intended to be gentle and sympathetic and was hopeful that she could prevail upon the boy to abandon his unsuitable liaison with Celia Upton. This optimism had not survived the first few seconds of her attempt to reason with Gene, for as soon as she mentioned Celia's name he flew off the handle in spectacular fashion and was now standing angrily confronting her, shouting her down whenever she tried to say anything. Fighting to control her growing distress, Victoria strove to stay calm and wondered desperately what to do now.
Victoria was not a weak woman and she had broken up enough arguments between her older sons Nick and Jarrod to be unmoved by displays of male rage. She drew a deep breath and tried once more to reason with Gene,
"Gene, listen to me Darling, I know Celia Upton and I know what kind of a woman she is, she's trifling with you, flattered by the attentions of a young man, she isn't serious, she has no real affection for you."
"Yes she does! You don't understand, it...it isn't like that, I...love her," said Gene a little more calmly.
Victoria pressed him, I don't doubt that you entered into this relationship with an honest heart, but Celia did not, she's using you Gene, please try to believe that."
He strode away from her, angry again, then turned and came to stand right in front of her, jabbing a finger at his mother "I'm not listening to this, Celia loves me and I love her, that's all that matters!"
Victoria's control over her temper was fast evaporating "for goodness sake Gene, face the truth! Celia is married to one of your father's friends, do you really believe she is sincere about you, you are a mere boy to her!"
Gene hunched a defensive shoulder "she's years younger than him," he muttered.
"And she's years older than you," countered Victoria.
The youngest Barkley stood irresolute, shamed and hurt by his mother's discovery of his love affair and embarrassed by this wrangling discussion, all he wanted to do now was hit out, hurt his mother anyway he could. His normally amiable blue eyes were arctic now and he suddenly found himself saying the one thing he knew could wound Victoria the most.
"What's up Mother, I'm just following in the family tradition aren't I? Isn't this what Father did to you?"
Before she could stop herself, Victoria's hand flashed out in a backhanded slap to Eugene's face that nearly knocked him off his feet. The bitter, wounding words of her youngest son hurt her with a sharply physically pain that was making it hard for her to breathe. She managed to say brokenly "get out, out of this house, out of my sight!"
This Gene had no intention of doing, he was as hurt as she was, hurt in his youthful male pride and what he perceived as the belittling of his devotion to his lover and so he stood his ground.
"I'm not going anywhere Mother! I'm going to stay here and make you listen to me..."
He broke off as the front door opened and his eldest brother and guardian Jarrod Barkley entered, together with both of Gene's other older brothers, Nick and Heath.
The piercing eyes of Jarrod Barkley took in the scene, his mother standing in the centre of the foyer, a small, forlorn figure, shaking with distress as she dashed a hand across her eyes, ineffectually trying to wipe away the tears that coursed down her face. Youngest brother Gene, clearly in a rage and quite obviously the cause of his mother's current state.
Jarrod glared at the youngest Barkley, "what the devil is going on here?"
Gene shot an angry look at the lawyer but made no answer. He turned away from his mother and stood facing all three of his brothers, arms folded aggressively across his chest, jaw jutting pugnaciously. Victoria reached rather blindly towards Jarrod and he moved to her at once, frowning with concern as he held her hands in a comforting clasp.
"Are you all right Mother?" Jarrod's gentle question went unanswered but Victoria managed to say, "get...get him out of this house Jarrod...please?"
Jarrod's glacial gaze nearly pinned Eugene to the wall, "out," he ordered briefly.
"Like hell I will," Gene immediately flashed back, "I'm not going anywhere!"
"You'll do as you're told Young Man," said Jarrod crisply.
"No!" Eugene had a red mist before the eyes and wasn't about to give in. "I'm not leaving and you can't make me."
Jarrod's eyes met Nick's and the rancher nodded imperceptibly, in one long stride he was beside his youngest brother and took him firmly by the scruff of the neck. He smiled grimly at Gene, "oh no?"
He marched the boy inexorably to the front door and out, Heath followed in their wake, shutting the door on his mother and Jarrod.
The lawyer put a supporting hand under his mother's elbow and guided her gently to the settee, then he insisted upon her drinking a small glass of brandy before she tried to tell him what had occurred. The fiery spirit did much to soothe Victoria's jangled nerves and she was soon able to give her eldest son a fairly coherent account of events. When he heard about his youngest brother's affair with the glamorous Celia Upton, the lawyer was inclined to take an optimistic view of the matter.
"First love, or as I suspect in this case, first infatuation, tends to be brief, desperate and pretty painful, but Gene will recover you know."
Victoria wasn't convinced, "I'm not so sure Jarrod, he's bowled over by her, devoted to her, I told him she wasn't serious about him and he was so...so angry that he said something quite dreadful to me."
Victoria had not intended to tell Jarrod of Eugene's incredibly hurtful words, fearing that he would be deeply angry with the boy, but she found the impulse to confide in her intelligent and resourceful oldest son too strong to resist and she repeated Gene's accusation about his father to Jarrod. He was, at first, as angry as she had feared he might be, his handsome face frowning grimly as he promised his mother that he would deal with his ward and youngest sibling as he deserved.
Victoria shook her head, "no Jarrod, I'm in the wrong, he's a boy still but he thinks he's a man. I embarrassed him, dented his pride, I should have left it to you and his brothers to tackle him about Celia, I feel at least partially to blame for his outburst. I want you and the other boys to try and convince him to give up this disastrous liaison, but please don't punish him, it isn't what I want."
Jarrod regarded his mother affectionately, "very well Mother, as you wish but if Nick has managed to extract this tale from Eugene then he's probably already administered all the retribution I could possibly hope for!"
Once outside the front door of the mansion Nick Barkley quelled the vociferous protests of Eugene by the simple expedient of cuffing him round the head hard enough to make the boy's eyes water and he unceremoniously hauled his youngest brother off to the comparative privacy of the big barn. Heath went too, he wasn't sure yet precisely what his role was to be, probably that of Gene's protector if Nick got good and mad with the boy!
It would not be the first time that Heath had come to the aid of his younger sibling after Gene had gotten himself in hot water with one or other of his two mentors. Jarrod had acted as Gene's guardian since Tom Barkley's death and whenever Jarrod wasn't around the task had devolved upon Nick. Both young men did their best for their youngest brother, seeing it as their duty to raise him in the way their father would have wished and in general they did pretty well. There could be no denying though, that their changed role in his life also changed the nature of their relationship with the boy. The two men were no longer just his brothers, they were also his mentors and the easy friendship of yesteryear would never be the same again.
This situation had left a gap in young Eugene's life, one that Heath Barkley had gradually filled for his younger brother. For some time after Heath's inclusion in the family, Gene had treated the newcomer with thinly veiled hostility. Heath had not had time to deal with this as he was already coping with the much more palpable hostility of his ranching partner Nick. The rest of the family might have decided to accept Heath and offer him his birthright but Nick Barkley wanted to see what the newest member of the family was made of before he shared his authority freely.
It had not taken Heath long to demonstrate in emphatic fashion that his arrival in the Barkley midst was the greatest blessing that had ever befallen the family. After his triumphant captainship of the most risky trail-drive the Barkleys had ever undertaken, Nick Barkley was not slow to realize that his own life had changed for ever. His reign over the ranch had given him much satisfaction but many lonely days and nights, these were now at an end because he had a partner. He and Heath worked together, rode shoulder to shoulder and learned to work as a team.
Eugene's resentment of the newcomer was fuelled by the growing friendship between Nick and Heath, as a student Gene was often absent, but whenever he was around, he lost no opportunity to rile Heath. The newest Barkley took this in his stride, countered the hostility where and when he could and waited patiently. It had taken time and a trip to the Barkley hunting lodge, just the two of them, but, just as Nick had done, Gene realized that he had found not only another brother, but a friend as well.
Gene was quick to understand that he could have a different kind of relationship with Heath, for this man had no part in his mentoring, he was just an amiable, wise and kind big brother, a good listener and a staunch friend. Heath had many times provided a very necessary sounding board for Gene and their relationship had gone from strength to strength. Heath didn't know what had transpired between Gene and his mother, but clearly something was very wrong and he hoped he could help his little brother to cope with this crisis in his youthful life.
Eugene struggled in Nick's iron grip all the way to the barn and once there, Nick at last allowed him to angrily shake himself free. As yet unaware of what Gene had done, Nick was more inclined to be amused than angry and stood calmly in the centre of the barn, arms folded across his chest as Gene sat moodily on the edge of the tack table, glowering at Nick. The dark haired rancher waited a few minutes to let his kid brother calm down, he glanced at Heath and the two exchanged grins, each of them could remember being Eugene's age themselves.
"Eventually, Nick's patience wore thin and he fixed a stern gaze on Gene, "well?"
"Well what!"
Nick's lips twitched with amusement, but he kept his voice serious,
"You know perfectly well what Boy! Heath and I want to know what you think you were doing upsetting Mother that way and we want to know now."
"Me upsetting her? That's a good one," said Gene bitterly.
Perceiving that the boy was genuinely distressed, Nick put a placating hand on Gene's shoulder and said in a much more gentle tone, "all right Kid, take it easy , now why don't you tell us what all this is about, me and Heath have been around a bit you know, who knows, maybe we can help you out huh?"
A sigh of near despair escaped Gene as he sorrowfully regarded his two brothers, "if I tell you two what I'm feeling, you'll both laugh your heads off," he said in a defeated tone.
Nick's smile was gentle, so was his voice, "well now, don't you be so sure about that, first love and the pain it puts you in is something I remember very well, I bet it's the same for Heath too, right Heath?"
"Dead right," confirmed Heath with a smile.
Gene stared hard at Nick, "how did you know I was in love?"
It was Heath who answered, "we kind of recognize the signs, I guess."
Nick added, "and judging by Mother's reaction, she considers the woman you love to be unsuitable does she?"
Gene nodded wordlessly.
Heath looked searchingly at Gene, "how did Mother get to hear about it?"
There was a world of trouble in Gene's face, but he hung his head and didn't reply.
Nick had a sudden inspiration, "is this woman...is she a little older than you Kid?"
Gene's rage flared anew, "who told you?"
Nick laughed, dropping a friendly hand on Gene's shoulder, "let's just say I may have been through something similar when I was your age." He paused looking at Gene with shrewd hazel eyes, "in fact Kid, I bet I can put a name to your lady-love."
Gene shot him a glance, "you...you can?"
Nick was convinced he was right now, "it's Celia Upton isn't it?"
Gene turned away from the gentle question, "how...did you know?" his voice was a miserable whisper.
Heath was looking curiously at Nick, "yeah Big Brother, how did you know that?"
Nick smiled ruefully at Heath, "well let's just say that seducing young scions of the house of Barkley isn't exactly a new pastime of Celia's!"
Eugene had expected pretty rough treatment from his formidable elder brother when Nick dragged him off to the barn, it had not been forthcoming and now all the violence and rage that he had exhibited toward his mother had ebbed out of the stricken boy. He bore no ill-will to either of his two brothers, he was even grateful for their kindly understanding and he was able now to derive a small degree of comfort by opening his heart to the two ranchers.
Slowly and bashfully he confided the circumstances of his entanglement with Celia and when he had told his tale, he listened as Nick told him of the lady's efforts to seduce him, when Nick was Gene's age. The boy's face was sombre as he digested the unpalatable facts, but he had given his heart sincerely and was reluctant to abandon his relationship lightly. Nick was becoming frustrated by Gene's refusal to acknowledge that he had been misled and Heath watched as the unmistakable warning signs of the imminent loss of Nick's temper began to show.
Heath decided to intervene before the cordial atmosphere in the barn dissipated any more, he punched Eugene's arm in friendly fashion and said, "tell you what Gene, if you're so convinced that Celia's really in love with you, why not put it to the test?"
Gene looked warily at his brother, "how do you mean Heath?"
"Ask her," said Heath simply. "Go and tell her that it's all out in the open now and see how she reacts."
Nick interrupted wrathfully, "now hold it! If George Upton gets wind of this, he'll want blood, I'm not letting this boy walk into the lion's den just like that!"
Heath smiled, saying pacifically, "he's not going to do that Nick, I'm going to go along with him."
Eugene's face had brightened at Heath's suggestion but as he recalled his cruel words to his mother and their implications for his future relationship with Heath, the light died from the boy's eyes and he stood shame-faced, totally lost for words.
Heath's eyes flickered in Nick's direction and Nick nodded briefly, it was plain to both brothers that Gene was holding something back and Heath's silent signal told Nick to probe the matter. The dark haired rancher walked up to his youngest brother and stood over him, arms folded and a mock-stern frown on his face. His deep gravelly voice brought Eugene's head up.
"All right Brat, out with it, it's as plain as day there's something you haven't told us, I take it that it has something to do with how upset Mother was back there?"
Gene's voice was so low they could hardly hear him as he answered, "I said something terrible, something unforgivable to Mother, I didn't mean it and I'd give anything to unsay it but...but I can't."
Nick's shrewd eyes noted the pain in the boy's face and he moved slightly away, giving Gene a breathing space. He glanced at Heath who took the cue and said gently to Gene, "why don't you tell us, might make you feel better?"
Gene's eyes were wet with unshed tears, "I...can't Heath," he said brokenly.
Nick tried to sound unconcerned, "come on Kid, we haven't killed you yet have we? Spill the beans."
Gene could only shake his head and look more miserable than ever.
Nick looked puzzled but Heath was beginning to see the light, he kept his voice gentle, "you threw your father's past conduct in her face didn't you?"
Gene nodded, his agonized eyes fixed on Heath's face.
Nick's wrathful voice growled, "you did what?" He took an angry step in Gene's direction, but Heath's muscular forearm blocked his path.
"Take it easy Nick, hear him out."
"Take it easy! Did you hear what he did?"
Heath's hard gaze nailed Nick to the wall, "yeah I heard, it was only a matter of time before one of you did it."
Nick glared at Heath for long seconds, then in an ominously quiet tone he asked, "what the devil does that mean?"
Heath tried to explain, "you know how it goes Nick, in the heat of an argument, you say the worst thing you can, the thing you know will hurt most, it was bound to happen one day, don't take it out on Gene, he feels bad enough already."
Looking at his stricken brother, Nick could see that Heath was right, he drilled Gene with a fiery glance, "if you ever cast that up at Mother...or Heath...ever again, ever! You'll have me to deal with, you got that Boy?"
"Yes Sir," Gene murmured, tremulously smiling with relief.
Nick squeezed the boy's shoulder, "you do like Heath says Kid, you go along with him and have it out with Celia, it's the only way you're going to get past this."
Gene's eyes were clouded once more, "and Mother? Will she forgive me too?"
Nick grinned, "you leave the Duchess to me!"
By the time Nick joined his mother and brother in the living room, Jarrod had largely managed to calm and soothe away the worst of Victoria's distress. He had sent for coffee and as Nick entered the room, she was pouring the welcome refreshment into china cups. Jarrod smiled at Nick, "where have you hidden the body?"
Nick grinned, "haven't laid a finger on him."
Jarrod was surprised, "no?"
Nick dropped into a chair, "he's upset, this isn't a game to him, he's lost his head pretty badly over that witch." He took the cup and saucer his mother was offering him and met her eyes, "he'd sooner have cut out his tongue than say what he said to you, I hope you can believe that."
Victoria smiled and nodded, "yes I do believe it and it's already forgotten on my side, I just hope Heath isn't too upset, I take it he knows?"
"Yeah, he does and he was fine about it, very understanding, he said
it was only a matter of time before one of us said it. I thought he'd be hurt but he just took it in his stride."
Victoria was relieved, "bless him," she said softly, picking up her cup.
Jarrod smiled, "Heath is a very intelligent young man, wise beyond his years in many ways."
Victoria looked at Nick, "where is Eugene now, I hope he doesn't think I've thrown him out for good."
Nick laughed, "no, he still needs a little convincing that Celia isn't as sincere as he is, so he's ridden over to see her."
Jarrod set his cup down with a crash, "and you let him go? If we've managed to find out about the affair what are the odds that George Upton hasn't? You should have stopped him Nick!"
"Relax Counselor, Heath went with him, there won't be any trouble. The boy isn't going to give up on that woman until she shows him her true colours, Heath suggested going over to see her and he'll take care of the kid."
Victoria looked curiously at Nick, "didn't you want to go too?"
Nick had a certain grin, a brief flash of his white teeth, accompanied by a specially loving light in his eyes, it was a smile he kept for Victoria alone and he caressed her with it now. "No, I wanted to talk to you, to tell you something I ought to have mentioned a long, long time ago."
Jarrod wondered what was about to be revealed, "would you like me to leave Nick?"
His brother shook his head, "no you should hear this too, it kind of explains what's happened to Gene a little bit."
Heath and Gene rode along the road that led to Stockton in companionable silence. The Upton house was reached along a narrow dirt road that branched off the Stockton road to the left about half way to the town. As they took the fork in the road, Gene broke the long silence, glancing in his brother's direction, "Heath I sure am sorry about what I said to Mother, I know I need to say that to her, but...but I want to apologize to you too."
"Forget it Gene, you and I get along pretty good these days, I'm not about to lose all that for a few words spoken in anger."
Gene looked wonderingly at Heath, "much obliged Heath, it's more than I deserve."
Heath's familiar twisted smile dawned, "Ask yourself something Gene, if I was the kind of man who got riled by angry words uttered in haste how long do you think it would have been before Nick and I killed each other?"
Despite his underlying heartache Gene had to laugh, inwardly acknowledging that he was fortunate to have a brother like Heath.
They gained admittance to the Upton house without difficulty and asked to see Celia. The servant showed them into the parlour and Celia rose from her chair to greet the unexpected guests. She was an elegant woman of about forty, though she wore her years lightly. Her hair was a rich auburn and her eyes were a subtle hazel green. She was an attractive woman, though Heath Barkley had noted the first time he met her that her lilting smile never reached her eyes.
She was looking at her young lover now and addressed him in caressing tones, "Gene Dear, you haven't been to see me for days, it's lovely to see you." She held out her hand and the youngest Barkley caught it to his lips kissing it fervently. Over the boy's head, Celia's eyes rested on Heath with a look of triumphant satisfaction, her lips curving in a self-satisfied little smile. The smile rapidly faded as she read the unmistakable contempt in Heath's cold eyes.
Displeased, she jerked her hand away from Gene and said pettishly, "you don't usually need an escort from one of your elder brothers to visit me Gene, what's going on?"
"I wanted to see you, to tell you that my mother has found out about us, I don't know how."
Celia's eyes glittered with temper, "that was very careless of you," she chided Gene.
"Or careless of you perhaps?" Heath's tone was quiet but cutting.
Celia glared at him but turned away to say to her young lover, "Gene I need a measure of discretion from you and from your mother also, George would be most annoyed if this little...flirtation were to come out."
The boy stood rooted to the spot, staring at the woman he had thought he loved in horror. "Flirtation?" His voice was hurt and his hands trembled at his sides with the power of his feelings.
Celia laughed unmusically, "well of course it was mere flirtation you foolish boy, what else did you imagine it was?"
He stammered in his haste to express the depth of his feelings for her, "I...th...thought...th...that is you said...w...we were made for one another."
She shrugged, saying cruelly, "if you aren't grown up enough for adult games Eugene, you'd best not play!"
He backed away from her, shaking his head, slowly absorbing the fact that his brothers had been right, Celia had been using him as a plaything and he meant nothing more to her than that.
There was a long silence and then Heath touched his brother's arm saying gently, "I think we should leave now Gene."
It was too late though, there was the sound of a commotion in the hall and then the parlour door crashed open. Heath sighed inwardly as the tall, distinguished figure of George Upton came into the room.
In the Barkley living room, Nick had come to the end of his tale and he sat back in his chair with a rueful smile. He said apologetically to his mother, "that's about the size of it, I thought if you knew, you'd understand about Gene a little better."
Victoria was speechless for a long moment, she just sat staring at Nick. When she eventually found her voice again she said faintly, "Nick, have I got this right. Celia tried to seduce you when you were the same age as Gene?"
Her middle son nodded, "I remember being flattered and more than willing to oblige her, but fortunately for me Father got wind of it."
Victoria shook her head in amazement, "your father never said a word of this to me."
Nick grinned, "he told me not to either, he said if you knew you'd find it hard to stay on civil terms with Celia and George was a pretty good friend of his wasn't he?"
"Yes he was, I can understand why he kept it from me. Did you tell Gene about it?"
Nick laughed, "yeah, for all the good it did me! He isn't going to believe his love isn't returned until that witch tells him so herself."
Jarrod frowned slightly, "I hope Heath and Gene's visit to the Upton household passes off peacefully. If George Upton finds out about Celia's antics he isn't going to take it well."
Victoria said, "yes indeed, George has quite a temper, Celia may be in very hot water!"
Jarrod's eyes were glacial, "frankly Mother I don't give a damn about his wife but I don't want George venting his rage on Eugene!"
Nick shrugged, "no cause to worry over that, Heath's with him, he can more than handle George Upton."
Victoria hid a smile, was it really only a little over a year ago that Heath had joined the Barkley family? Then Nick had needed a lot of persuading to accept his new brother or to admit that Heath had any merit at all. How far they had come since then, now it seemed Nick's faith and trust in Heath was absolute and boundless.
Jarrod caught his mother's eye, he knew what she was thinking and smiled to show her he understood. He too was aware of how strong a bond there now was between Nick and Heath. He didn't begrudge either brother their closeness, though he and Nick had been friends from childhood, they were very different men and besides this, Jarrod was frequently away, attending to his law practice in San Francisco. He was happy to know that his volatile and much-loved brother had a companion to share his daily life here on the ranch. Particularly when that companion was the quiet, self-possessed and rational Heath. Jarrod watched as his mother's amusement ebbed away and the trouble returned to her face, he spoke gently to her, "now don't you fret Mother, I know you want to make your peace with Gene, but Nick's right, he needs to clear the air with Celia and Heath will look after him."
Victoria smiled wanly, "I'm sure you and Nick are both right, I just hate to be at odds with my children over anything, I won't be happy until I've made it up with Eugene." She sighed and added, "even so, I think it will take the poor boy a long time to get over her." She smiled at Nick lovingly, "it was kind of you to share your own history with Celia with him Nick, thank you Darling."
Nick grinned at his mother and brother, "I may be able to help him get over Celia too, I was thinking of telling him another story when he gets home." He caught Jarrod's eye as the lawyer was draining his coffee. Nick went on, "I thought I'd tell him about Monimia Moreton."
Jarrod choked over his coffee, glaring at Nick, and flickering a warning glance in Victoria's direction. His brother laughed at him, "Mother's a woman of the world Counselor, she'll understand."
Victoria looked at both of her sons, "Monimia Moreton? What an extraordinary name, who on earth was she?"
Nick grinned at Jarrod, "will you tell her, or should I?"
George Upton kicked the door of the parlour shut behind him and surveyed the room with a sardonic expression on his aristocratic face. His cold gaze came to rest on the youngest Barkley, "well, how nice to see you here in my home young Eugene, I've just been hearing the most interesting things about you and my wife in Stockton, perhaps you'd care to explain your conduct to me!"
Heath Barkley stepped quickly forward saying quietly, "George we didn't come here looking to cause any trouble, my brother's aware that he's done wrong but your wife led him on, I brought him here to prove that to him, I hope you can understand and believe that." Upton's gaze burned with contempt, "Why would I believe anything a filthy half-breed like you had to say?" He fairly spat the hurtful words at Heath. Heath Barkley had more than half expected the hostile response and he didn't move, speak or retaliate in any way, reasoning that there was no point in making a bad situation worse still. Gene however had other ideas, even as George Upton finishing insulting Heath, the youngest Barkley stepped forward and unleashed a powerful; right hook of a punch to the older man's jaw, sending him crashing to the expensive persian carpet.
George Upton kicked the door of the parlour shut behind him and surveyed the room with a sardonic expression on his aristocratic face. His cold gaze came to rest on the youngest Barkley, "well, how nice to see you here in my home young Eugene, I've just been hearing the most interesting things about you and my wife in Stockton, perhaps you'd care to explain your conduct to me!"
Heath Barkley stepped quickly forward saying quietly, "George we didn't come here looking to cause any trouble, my brother's aware that he's done wrong but your wife led him on, I brought him here to prove that to him, I hope you can understand and believe that." Upton's gaze burned with contempt, "Why would I believe anything the likes of you had to say? After all, you're the living proof that this sort of behaviour runs in the family!" He fairly spat the hurtful words at Heath. Heath Barkley had more than half expected the hostile response and he didn't move, speak or retaliate in any way, reasoning that there was no point in making a bad situation worse still. Gene however had other ideas, even as George Upton finished insulting Heath, the youngest Barkley stepped forward and unleashed a powerful right hook of a punch to the older man's jaw, sending him crashing to the expensive persian carpet.
Heath sighed and turned a stern face to Gene, "that's enough out of you! You hear? That isn't why we came here and anyway it ain't your fight!" His voice was quiet but it carried the whiplash note of command.
"It is my fight," retorted his brother. He shook his head as Heath tried to interrupt, "I know what you're going to say, that you've suffered this way many times before and I guess I know that, but...but this time it was because of me, I'm sorry Heath!"
"Forget it," said Heath in a much gentler tone, he touched his brother's arm, "help me get him on his feet will you?"
They moved to the semi-conscious Upton and he revived slightly as the two powerfully built young men assisted him to rise. As Upton stood propped between Eugene and Heath, Celia sank theatrically into her chair and produced a lace edged handkerchief in which she buried half of her face, carefully observing her husband's every move with watchful eyes that were as hard as agates.
"Celia's voice was breathless as though she were afraid, "oh George, thank the Lord you came home, these two were forcing their attentions on me, I didn't know what to do,"
Heath Barkley's eyes flicked her contemptuously, he thought she had probably never been afraid in her whole life, but damn she was a good actress! Eugene was staring at her in undisguised horror, as though she were a stranger, which indeed at this moment was precisely what she was to him. Upton's patrician eyes rested on her with cold indifference, a fact she noted with unease. He allowed Heath and Eugene to assist him to a chair and sank into it, leaning back and closing his eyes for a moment.
Heath didn't like the pallor of the older man's face and the blue shade about his mouth. He caught his brother's eye, "is he all right?"
Gene looked at Heath in alarm, "I'm not a doctor yet you know," he said hastily.
"No and you're not likely to become one if you spend your time dallying after women instead of attending to your studies," said George Upton drily.
"Yes Sir...I mean no Sir," stammered Eugene, acutely uncomfortable under the gaze of the older man, a dear friend of his late father's.
George Upton withdrew his stern scrutiny from Gene and smiled faintly at Heath, "I'm all right Heath, I have a slight heart problem and I'm too old to be getting into fights. I'd be obliged for a small glass of brandy."
"I'll get it," offered Gene hastily, crossing to the decanters on the sideboard. He returned with a glass and handed it to Upton who drank it slowly. To Gene's immense relief, the colour returned to Upton's cheeks and the blue shade vanished from around his mouth. "Do...do you have medication for your condition Sir?" asked the youngest Barkley respectfully.
"In that cabinet, the bottle of liquid," said George.
Gene returned with it and a spoon and measured the required dose out, he proffered the spoon and George took the medicine without argument. He smiled slightly, "are you sure you want to give me my medicine Gene?"
Eugene was at a loss, "Sir?"
Upton's eyes twinkled, "wouldn't it be better to let me die, then your way to your heart's desire would be clear I'd have thought?"
Gene's eyes widened in horror and he said with more haste than courtesy, "no Sir! I don't want her...that is...I mean..."
He broke off in embarrassment and George laughed, "All right Young Man, I know what you mean."
Heath had to hastily swallow a grin before his brother saw it, he had liked George Upton from their first meeting, appreciating the man's dry humour and sparkling wit. He looked at him now, "feeling better George?"
"Better than I deserve thank you Heath, if you can bring yourself to forget what I said before, I'll be in your debt."
Heath smiled, "already forgotten," he assured the older man.
Upton surveyed him approvingly, "there's a great deal of your father in you Heath Barkley and that is as fine a compliment as I can give you." He looked at Eugene, standing shame-faced nearby and gingerly felt his jaw where Gene's punch had landed, "that was a good punch Eugene, that too was reminiscent of Tom in it's way."
"I'm sorry Sir," said Gene remorsefully.
"For what? For defending your brother, that's a rather more creditable thing to have done than the rest of your recent behaviour don't you think?"
"I...I guess so," said Gene in a humiliated tone.
George looked at him with slightly softened eyes, "these things hurt but they pass, you'll recover in time I don't doubt." His eyes traveled to his wife, "now if you two have no further business here, I should like to be private with my wife, she and I have...quite a lot to discuss."
Celia didn't like the way this situation was unfolding, she had watched with growing displeasure as the atmosphere between her husband and the two Barkley men had grown steadily more cordial. She had recourse to her handkerchief again, "oh George, he misled me, trifled with my feelings, can you ever forgive me?"
"I fear not my Dear, I forgave the last few but I really cannot allow you to make me look ridiculous you know."
She stared at him, his stern expression caused a sudden stab of fear to cut through her, there was something implacable and final in her husband's tone.
Heath signaled to Gene that it was time they took their leave. With considerable dignity Eugene spoke with quiet humility to George Upton, "I've behaved very badly Sir, I'm glad my father isn't here to be ashamed of me, I hope what I've done won't mean the end of your friendship with my family, I would hate to be the cause of that."
George rose and offered his hand, "well said Boy! I knew Tom Barkley better than most, he'd have been proud to hear what you just said, goodbye and good luck with your studies."
Gene shook hands gratefully and stammered his thanks. He stood aside as Upton turned and shook hands with Heath, "I'll see you at the Cattlemen's poker game Heath, give my regards to your dear mother and tell her I'll call in the next few days will you?"
When the big front door had closed behind the departing men, Upton crossed to the decanters and poured himself a refill. Celia stood and came to him laying a beseeching hand on his arm, "George Darling, we can put this behind us, we can go away, away from those hateful Barkleys, I'll make it up to you, please George?"
With gentle austerity he removed her clutch from his sleeve, "you will certainly be going away, I never want to see you again. But I shall need my friends around me and the Barkleys are my friends."
She uttered a harsh unmusical laugh, "they were your friends you mean, do you seriously think Heath Barkley will ever trust you again after the way you insulted him?"
He looked at her scornfully, "you are not a clever woman Celia, oh you're devious and cunning, but definitely not clever. Now young Heath Barkley, if I'm any judge, may well turn out to be as clever as his father." He could see that his wife did not understand the point he was trying to make and explained, "my purpose in baiting Heath was to satisfy myself that I wasn't mistaken in young Eugene. I've always thought him a decent boy, until his dealings with you. I decided to put his family loyalty to the test and I must say he passed with flying colours!" Upton rubbed his aching jaw, "I must be slowing up in my old age, time was I would have blocked that punch."
Still Celia persisted, "and how is Heath Barkley supposed to know that? What's to stop him taking your insult to heart?"
"His natural intelligence, Heath knows me a good deal better than that. When he came here, I was the first of his father's friends to welcome him whole-heartedly. He knows I would never cast his antecedents up at him as I did, don't you worry, he'll figure it out."
He gazed mockingly down at his wife, "I shall keep my friends my Dear, they will comfort my loneliness after you leave this house."
She gazed at him stricken and he relented as he saw the shadow of fear in her eyes, "I shall make suitable financial provision for you Celia, but I want no more of you, do you understand me?"
She cast herself onto the settee crying again, this time with very genuine tears indeed.
Victoria Barkley was laughing so hard she had put down her coffee cup fearing she would drop it. She wiped tears of mirth from her face and held a hand to her aching sides, Jarrod was a masterly story teller and Nick had thrown lots of comical asides into the narrative too. She was grateful to her two boys, she had been dreadfully upset by her encounter with Eugene but their combined effort to relate the history of their involvement with the celebrated musical actress Miss Monimia Moreton to her had effectively banished the trouble from her face, which was now alight with laughter.
As soon as she could draw sufficient breath to speak, Victoria asked "but when was this? I don't remember your father taking you both to San Francisco at Christmas?"
Nick shook his head "it was that winter I broke my arm, remember the darned thing just wouldn't heal right and he took me to the hospital?"
"Oh yes of course, you were away a week or so and Jarrod joined you from college for a few days, I do recall it now. Though this is the FIRST I have heard about your father leaving the pair of you to run wild in San Francisco!"
Jarrod looked at her with laughter filled eyes but spoke apologetically "Father got this telegram about a deal he was finalizing and left us just for a couple of nights. He said he knew he could trust me to look after Nick and I promised him we wouldn't get into hot water while he was away. I was very fond of the musical theatre near the wharf and Nicholas nagged me to take him, so fool that I am, I did!"
Nick laughed at him, "It was HIS fault," he said to his mother. "He kept talking about her, Monimia Moreton this and Monimia Moreton that until I was wild to see her too."
Victoria's eyes were streaming again, "how old were the two of you?"
Jarrod said with asperity, "as it happens I was nineteen and the pest here was fifteen, but what matters is how old SHE was!"
Nick hooted with derision, "according to Jarrod she was the most lovely creature in the city, he had lost his heart to her a few years before when Father took him to the theatre. So we gussied ourselves up and sent in three dozen red roses, to see if we could get backstage to see her."
"And she let you?" Victoria's face was cleansed of care and Jarrod silently blessed Nick for dredging up this long-forgotten tale. His outrage at the revelation was entirely feigned for his mother's benefit.
"Yes," said the lawyer, "we thought we were the great men about town, sending in flowers and going in to visit the Beautiful Monimia Moreton, heaven preserve us!"
Nick smiled reminiscently, "she WAS lovely though, we sat in the front row, all the way through her act and she was..." He looked at Jarrod for the right word and the lawyer supplied it for him "entrancing Nick, she was entrancing."
"You're right Counselor, she was...then we went backstage."
Victoria was loving the story, "tell me again," she begged them.
Nick took up the tale, "she had her back to us when we went in and then she turned around, I almost squealed with fright and hid behind Jarrod, she was sixty if she was a day! I've never seen that many wrinkles in one place in my life!"
Jarrod shook his head in bewilderment, I know the lights are low in a theatre and the actresses are clever with make-up but you wouldn't credit the contrast between the stage version and the decrepit old lady we found in person."
Nick grinned, "we had sent this note," he indicated Jarrod, "he wrote it of course! It declared our undying devotion to her and she BELIEVED it, so of course we had to kiss her and hang around there while she showed us off to all and sundry for the next three hours."
Victoria laughed without restraint, she could picture the two of them dressed to kill and trying to act like young men of the world with their aging actress. She smiled, "I assume the reason I never heard about this from your father is that you managed to keep it from him."
The two men burst out laughing, "well we thought we had," said Jarrod, "until he took us to the theatre the night he got back as a reward for behaving while he was gone."
Nick broke in, "Monimia spotted us in the audience and dedicated a song to her young lovers! Father's face was a picture."
Jarrod tossed a cushion at Nick, "it took ALL my lawyerly eloquence to get us off the hook and the only reason he didn't have our hides was because he couldn't stop laughing!"
Victoria shook her head, "and because he knew I wouldn't take too kindly to his having left you alone in the big bad city."
Jarrod said in mock outrage, "and he made me pay for the damn roses!"
This was too much for his mother and brother and fresh gales of mirth engulfed them all three.
When Heath and Gene got back they found only Nick and Jarrod in the big living room and Nick poured drinks for all four men. Heath quietly told his brothers that their mission had been satisfactorily accomplished and that George Upton had sent his compliments to Victoria with a promise to visit soon.
"Good," said Jarrod sharply, "George is one of Father's oldest friends!" He looked austerely at his youngest brother as he spoke and Eugene blushed hotly.
Gene met his guardian's stern gaze, "I know I've behaved very badly, I've apologized to everyone concerned...well...except Mother that is. There isn't anything else I can do...is there?"
"Yes," said Jarrod crisply, "there is! You will in due course apologize to Mother and aside from that you can learn from this experience and there had better be no repetition of it, am I understood?"
"Yes Sir."
Nick intervened, "all right Counselor, the boy knows he's in the wrong, we've all been that age. How about letting him down easy now?"
The four men sat sipping their drinks and Nick told Gene his mother was resting and would see him a little later.
"Is...is she all right Nick?"
Nick squeezed the boy's shoulder, "the Duchess is fine Kid, relax, she understands, all you have to do is say sorry and everything's going to be all right."
Gene's trembling smile was grateful, "I...I really loved her you know Nick."
"You thought you did Gene," said Nick gently.
His brother nodded, "she...wasn't who I thought she was Nick," he said softly and sadly.
Nick's hazel eyes flickered to Jarrod and the lawyer nodded and smiled.
Nick grinned and slapped Eugene on the back, "Jarrod and I have a story to tell you Kid, Heath hasn't heard it either, it...well it shows how things aren't always what they seem."
Refreshed after a short sleep, Victoria tidied her hair and came slowly downstairs. From the living room there came a hearty burst of male laughter, her own eyes crinkled in genuine amusement. She hadn't been at all dismayed by Jarrod and Nick's tale of their dalliance with the elderly Monimia. She was a woman of experience and was wise enough to know her adult sons weren't saints. It had been a harmless enough encounter for both boys anyway. It was kind of them share the tale with her and now again with the heart- sick Eugene. It would help to ease his pain and she was eager to heal any rift she had with the youngest of her children too. His ‘sins of the father' sneer had hurt but they were words spoken in haste and born of anguish, she was not about to permit them to come between her and her baby boy.
She entered the living room and at once all four men came to their feet. Her smile embraced them all and with a smile of reassurance at her, Jarrod gently excused himself, sweeping Nick and Heath out of the room with him. Eugene was watching Victoria, his eyes fixed on her with painful intensity, a world of remorse and sorrow in his expression. His mother opened her arms to him, a smile of great tenderness on her face "don't say a word my Darling, there isn't any need, just come here to me."
In one stride he was with her, gathering her into a painfully fervent hug, murmuring his regret into her neck. Victoria clung to him, soothing and gentling him and holding him closer still. Her eyes strayed to a photograph of her husband, the last ever taken of him, it was on the piano in a heavy silver frame in pride of place. Victoria Barkley smiled into Tom Barkley's extraordinary eyes. Her smile told him she had forgiven Eugene, just as she had forgiven Tom himself, life was surely too short for the bitterness of harboured grievances. She stared at the photograph, Jarrod had those same vivid eyes and his father's calm, cool wisdom too. Nick had Tom's mighty voice, his forthright courage and his indomitable endurance. Heath, the son to whom she had not given birth, he was so like Tom physically that sometimes her heart skipped a beat at the site of him, he had his father's compassion and kindness, it was one of the reasons he had endeared himself to the people of this valley in so short a time. Her baby, her Eugene, he had his father's honesty and his impulsiveness too. It was not surprising that he had given his heart so earnestly and so unwisely. But that was all at an end now, life tasted very sweet to Victoria at this moment and she mentally thanked Tom Barkley for all four of his wonderful sons.