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.
This is the storyline that was supposed to form the core of Interlude
Sixteen (the story where Heath and
Audra spend the night in the cave) and I never got around to including it in
the story! So I have made it the third and final part of Interlude Seventeen
instead.
Audra, Heath and Nick
Part 1
From the moment they crested the steep ridge and gazed into
the distance across the upland range which spread all the way to the foothills
that denoted the start of the high country, Heath knew they were in trouble.
The ominous thunderheads had been visible lower down, but from this vantage
point, one could see into the far distance and Heath's experienced cowboy's eye
detected one hell of a storm brewing. It was as unwelcome as it was unexpected,
for the weather had been beautiful for over a month now. If it was just himself
that he had to worry about, Heath wouldn't have minded so much, but the coming
storm was going to be vicious, he knew that, knew it with the certainty of long
and bitter experience and he was not alone.
Heath turned in the saddle slightly to look at his companion, she had a hand up
to shield her eyes from the slanting sun that still sliced through the
gathering clouds and she too was staring out over the high range. She became
aware of his eyes upon her and dropped her hand, turning to smile at him.
"Something tells me we're going to get wet on our way home, am I
right?"
Heath returned the smile, thinking for perhaps the hundredth time since he had
first met her three months ago, how very pretty she was. Long blonde hair, eyes
as blue as the ocean and a voice like a peal of bells it was so sweetly
musical. His sister, sometimes he still couldn't quite credit that he was
related to the beautiful girl beside him. Indeed, after three hectic,
action-packed months as a member of the Barkley family, he was still coming to
terms with having a sister, three brothers and a second gracious lady in his
life that he was proud to call ‘Mother'.
He said quietly, "‘fraid it's a little worse than that Sis, I doubt we can
get home at all by this route today."
Audra Barkley frowned and looked again at the ominously clear and sharp
horizon.
"It does look like a bad one, doesn't it, you think the horses might
spook?"
"I'm sure of it Sis and depending how soon the rain starts, that creek
back there'll be too swollen to cross."
Audra thought for a moment, then said, "it's my fault, I was so determined
to show you all my favourite spots on the ranch, we've come a lot further than
we should."
Heath looked at the sun, low in the sky now, Audra was right, it was already
past mid-afternoon and would be dark in three more hours.
"We need another route home," he murmured, more to himself than to
Audra.
She nodded thinking hard, "the only other obvious route home is to skirt
right around the northern edge of this ridge and go home through the north
range." Her expression clouded with worry, "but it adds about four
hours to the travelling time and it's rocky, we could never get through it
before dark."
Her new brother nodded, frowning into the distance, "not an option,"
he said firmly, "too easy for a horse to put a leg into a pot- hole, we'll
have to find shelter and wait this monster out somewhere."
Heath concentrated on the map of the ranch that he had been constructing in his
head for the last three months, there were no caves in this area and as they
were slap bang in the centre of their own land, there were no other homes where
they could seek shelter. Mentally reviewing the miles and miles of line that he
had purposely ridden, to consolidate his knowledge of his new domain, Heath
tried to think of anywhere that might afford a refuge from the fury of the
impending storm. With a sinking heart, he realized that there were no line
shacks near enough to offer a haven either. Heath beat down a stab of unease,
he was a tough, resourceful man and he had the responsibility of caring for his
sister, if necessary he would build a makeshift shelter for them both, but if
the storm was as bad as he feared it might be, he would prefer a more solid
bolt-hole.
As if she read his mind, Audra turned eagerly to her new brother, her sparkling
smile lit her face, "there's a line shack, about eight miles from here,
will that do."
Heath shook his head, "there's no line shack in this area Sis, I've
visited every one of them in the last three months."
Audra was already setting her horse in motion, "I know Heath, this one
isn't in use any more, but I know exactly where it is, follow me."
Heath obediently turned his horse to follow his sister, after all the girl had
grown up in this place and no doubt knew every inch of it. If she said there
was an old line shack hereabouts, then she was probably right. The cowboy hoped
that the shack would not be found to have fallen into disrepair, it should at
all events be easier to make a shelter from an existing building, whatever it's
condition.
Heath had hoped that their luck might hold and they would reach shelter before
the rain came, but it was not to be. A soft misty rain began to fall, gradually
increasing in it's intensity until it was hammering down forcefully enough to
be uncomfortable against the skin. The pair had only light jackets to protect
them and soon they were wet through, Audra's long hair was plastered down her
back in a wet tangle and she was shivering with cold, her hands gripping her
reins, so numb she could scarcely feel them.
Heath glanced anxiously at her and she grinned back at him, her teeth
chattering as she did so. She hadn't uttered a single word of complaint and
Heath looked at her with new respect, Audra Barkley might be the petted darling
of her family, but she was no spoiled brat and no coward either.
"Not too far now," she shouted above the rising wind and torrents of
rain and Heath nodded, urging his horse forward to match his sister's pace.
A few minutes later, Audra pointed excitedly ahead of her, exclaiming,
"there, there it is, oh I knew I could find it!"
Heath felt a surge of relief as he peered ahead through the driving rain, it
looked as though the shack was pretty intact, at least from a distance. The
blond cowboy felt a lot more confident now about his ability to look after his
sister properly. He knew the other members of his family would expect no less
of him and as he and Audra closed the distance between themselves and their
chosen refuge, images of his new family floated through his mind's eye.
Victoria Barkley's concerned face, her light hazel eyes pleading with him to
protect her baby girl. The lawyer Jarrod's vivid blue gaze, his face grave to
the point of sternness, telling Heath that the family depended upon him to look
after Audra, that her safety was his responsibility now. Nick Barkley's strong
handsome face, eyes warm with encouragement, he seemed to be saying you can
handle this Boy! Take care of yourself and Sis, you hear? Heath grinned into
the gathering gloom, Boy Howdy, he wouldn't want to have to face any one of
them if he let Audra come to harm!
The last half mile to shelter seemed to take an age but at length brother and
sister rode up to the overgrown area outside the shack. Heath had swiftly
circled the building on horseback and was pleased to find his initial
impression confirmed, the roof was intact and so were all four walls. Heath
came out of the saddle and held Audra's stirrup for her, as she dismounted. She
smiled to herself, her brothers always did this, even though she was an
excellent horsewoman, it was just a part of the natural good manners that
defined them. It was the same thing as coming courteously to their feet
whenever their mother entered a room, a thing they also always did. One of the
first things Audra had noticed about Heath, well before she found out he was
her brother, was that he had that same innate and natural courtesy as Jarrod,
Nick and Gene. He was a gentleman, in every sense, she had felt an instant tug
of attraction to him and was almost disappointed when she learned that they
were actually siblings.
Brother and sister gazed around, there was a small corral, but no sort of barn
where they could stable the horses overnight. Audra said she had feared it
might be so but Heath said it hardly mattered, the horses would not stand for
being cooped up in bad weather anyway. Telling his sister firmly that he would
see to the horses, Heath insisted on her getting in out of the rain
immediately. The shack door was securely locked but it was a Barkley line shack
and Heath's key opened it after a short struggle, for the lock was a little
rusty. He let Audra go in and shut the door behind her to keep the rain and the
howling wind out. There was grass in the corral so the horses would at least be
able to graze.
Briefly, Heath considered hobbling the animals but decided against it. If there
were thunder and lightning, both of which Heath was expecting, the horses would
want to run free. A hobbled horse might well cripple itself if it plunged and
bucked, desiring it's freedom. It was possible that the rickety corral would
not hold the horses, in which case they would run off in the night. This didn't
concern Heath, he would track and retrieve them if need be.
He ensured that the water trough in the corral was filled, though he need not
have bothered, the rain had done the job adequately. Sprinting for the house
with both saddles, Heath kicked the door with his foot. Audra let him in,
closing the door behind him again. It was surprisingly still and peaceful
within, as the fierce wind was no longer howling about their ears.
Audra hadn't been idle, in the few minutes she had been in the shack, she had
used some old canvas tarpaulins in the corner to plug several draughty gaps in
the door and single window. She had also built up a fire in the low grate,
using the small amount of dry wood she had found inside the shack to do so.
Heath felt another small wave of relief, he had hardly dared to hope that they
would find a wood supply beside the fireplace, not in an abandoned cabin like
this, but there it was, the Barkley luck was holding still.
He lit the fire at once, it would not last the night, but it would serve to
warm them up and dry their clothes a little. They must huddle together for
warmth after that and while they might be uncomfortably chilled, they would be
in no danger of freezing. The weather was cold but not cold enough to kill and
they were blessedly out of the wind now. Heath had made sure that his bedroll
was dry in it's canvas wrapping before ever the rain had started, so he had two
dry blankets fit for use. He handed one of these to his sister and smiled at
her.
"Sis, I'm going to turn my back and I want you to get out of your wet
things and let me hang them up to dry by the fire here, you can wrap yourself
up in the blanket while your clothes dry, it won't take long."
Audra nodded, her teeth still chattering from the cold, "all right Heath,
I'll do that."
Heath turned away and his sister made haste out of her wet jacket and riding
pants, her shirt was saturated too, but her underclothes were mercifully dry,
so she didn't have to strip to the skin. She dutifully wrapped the blanket
around her, it smelled of cows, but Audra was a rancher's daughter and paid the
aroma no heed. Heath took her discarded clothing and draped it on one of the
two chairs the shack boasted then he pulled off his sister's boots for her.
Audra turned her back on Heath to enable him to strip off his wet jacket, pants
and shirt, his long underwear was dry, so he retained it and draped the second
blanket around himself. He had already pulled off his boots and soon his
clothes were drying on the other chair before the burgeoning fire. Heath had
placed the chairs at slight right-angles to the fire, letting the growing
warmth come out through the centre and take the chill off the air in the little
shack.
Heath produced a small, battered coffee pot and one tin mug from his saddle
bags and filled the little pot from his canteen. Audra added coffee and set the
pot on the hearth to heat up. She rummaged in her own saddle bags and
triumphantly produced two sandwiches left from the pack Silas had sent them off
with that morning.
"Supper!" she beamed.
Heath had two apples in his saddle bag and set these down on the tiny table
beside the sandwiches. "Well I guess we won't starve," he agreed.
Audra giggled, "Nick would call it starving," she commented.
Heath laughed, "you know him too well Sis."
Brother and sister sat on the floor, bathed in the growing warmth of the fire
and ate their modest repast gratefully. The food and the warm coffee restored
the circulation in their chilly limbs and slowly they began to regain their
body heat. They talked companionably, about many different things and Heath marveled
as he had several times before at the completeness of this girl's acceptance of
him. From the first, she had treated him with as much familiarity and warmth as
though she had known him all her life. He had been learning about her
continuously for the three months that he had known her and had discovered that
her nature was as lovely as her face. She was kind, caring and compassionate,
had a formidable temper when roused and loved new clothes. Today he had learned
that she was also level-headed, practical and gallant, she had coped bravely
with their predicament and she had earned her new brother's admiration for her
calm behaviour and knowledgeable help.
The fire lasted well, considering how little wood they had to feed it with and
the air in the small room was much warmer than when they had entered it, hours
earlier. Their garments were drying but would need to hang overnight to banish
the damp from them sufficiently to enable them to be worn again. Heath arranged
the two saddles to make a slope Audra could rest against and spread his blanket
over the makeshift bed of tarps he had found for her to lie on. He smiled at
his sister who was giggling at his long underwear.
"You cut that out Miss Barkley," He indicated the bed in front of the
fire, you'd best get under the blanket and try to get to sleep Honey, the fire
won't last much longer and you'll get cold."
Audra blinked at him, "what are you going to do?"
Heath looked sheepish, "well, rightly speaking, I should be outside, but
there's nowhere to shelter so with your permission I'm going to stay in here,
but I'll go over there and sit by the table or something." He looked
apologetically at Audra, "I know it ain't fitting, but I don't see what
else we can do."
The angry fire that snapped in Audra's eyes surprised and startled him,
"Not fitting? Heath Barkley you amaze me at times, if you don't know what
else we can do, I certainly do know! So just you listen to me!"
Heath looked at his sister with hurt blue eyes and said
quietly, "I guess you're right, I should go outside" and he crossed
to the chair where his clothes were slowly drying by the ebbing warmth of the
fire.
Audra came swiftly to his side and placed both of her hands on one of his
muscular forearms, "no you silly thing, I didn't mean I agreed with you
that it isn't fitting your being in here with me! Of course it is, why wouldn't
it be?"
He didn't meet her gaze, "well...we haven't known one another all that
long..." he said, his voice trailing uncomfortably away.
Audra sought for words to lighten the atmosphere and relax the rigid tension
she felt in Heath, "now me coming to your hotel room," she smiled,
"that wasn't fitting!"
Heath laughed, "I guess not, I'm sorry Sis, I just didn't want you to feel
uncomfortable...or...afraid."
Audra kissed his cheek, "Heath, you're my brother, why should I feel
uncomfortable or afraid with you here to take care of me?"
She pulled her brother over to the makeshift bed and sat down in the dying glow
from the fire looking up at him. "Heath, you are my brother, just as
Jarrod, Nick and Gene are my brothers and if any one of them were here with me
now, they would lay down here beside me and hold me, share their warmth with me
and take care of me."
For a long moment, Heath looked down into her earnest face and she stared back,
her china blue eyes clear and honest. Heath's slow smile lit his face,
"All right Audra," he said softly, "if you trust me, then that's
what we'll do."
Heath lay down beside his sister, ensuring she was nearest the fire and covered
them both with the two blankets. She snuggled back against him and he
hesitantly laid a protective arm over her shoulders.
"Of course I trust you," whispered Audra, "besides, this way I
get two blankets instead of one."
Their mutual laughter banished all Heath's constraint and brother and sister
nestled together in the residual glow of the dying firelight. They were
exhausted and as their shared body warmth enfolded them, sleep came quickly to
both Audra and Heath. Outside the terrible storm raged and roared, but the
sleepers within the tiny shack slept deeply and dreamlessly.
Victoria Barkley stood at the french windows in the library of the Barkley mansion,
the long-case clock beside the stairs in the foyer sonorously chimed the hour
and the Barkley matriarch realized with a shock that it was midnight. She had
been standing here for hours, peering out into the pitch dark, storm-lashed
night, the impenetrable blackness pierced only by the forked flashes of
lightning that split the sky.
A cold fist of dread was closed around Victoria's heart, her beloved daughter,
her little girl was lost somewhere out in that shrieking frenzy and so was the
newest member of the Barkley family, the troubled young man who had found a
place in his new mother's heart so quickly. For Victoria already loved Heath,
even though he had been living with the family for just three short months, he
had more than proved himself a worthy son and she hoped with all her heart that
both he and Audra were surviving the raging tempest and would come safely home.
Victoria felt a slight movement behind her and smiled as Nick Barkley's gentle
hands dropped onto her shoulders. She leaned gratefully back against him and
felt his kiss in her hair.
Nick's voice was gentle, "Time you got some sleep Duchess, staring out at
the rain isn't going to bring them home any faster you know."
She turned in his arms, her small hands on his chest as she looked up at him
with beseeching hazel eyes, "do you really think they've found shelter and
they're safe Nick?"
He smiled down at her, it was a smile he kept for her alone and it cheered her
heart, "that's the fourth time you've asked me and yes I do. Heath would
no more try running for home through a storm like this than I would. He'll find
a bolt-hole somewhere and wait it out and he'll take good care of Audra
too."
His warm certainty was reassuring, but Victoria said worriedly, "but Heath
doesn't know the ranch, what if they can't find shelter?"
Nick flickered a glance in the direction of his eldest brother, a clear request
for help and Jarrod came to stand beside them.
"Well Mother, Nick tells me that Heath has made it his business to learn
about the ranch ever since he got here," said the lawyer soothingly.
"That's right," concurred Nick, "and besides, Audra knows the
ranch like the back of her hand, if he couldn't find a shelter, I bet she
could."
Victoria pulled herself together, she detached herself from Nick's embrace and
laid a hand on the arm of both her sons, "I'm sure you're both right and
they have taken shelter, I just can't help worrying about my children
though."
Both men knew that Victoria was including Heath in that statement and Nick smiled
tenderly at her, "Audra will be just fine, Heath'll take good care of
her."
"Indeed he will," smiled Jarrod, "my short acquaintance with
that young man has taught me never to under-estimate him."
Nick took his mother's hand from his arm and raising it to his lips, he gently
kissed it. "Will you go and lie down Mother?"
Victoria shook her head, "I can't Nick, I wouldn't sleep a wink
anyway."
Jarrod slipped a comforting arm around her, "all right then lovely Lady,
we'll all sit here together and wait for the truants to get home."
Mother and sons moved to the chairs beside the bright fire and their houseman
Silas brought in a tray of coffee. Nick Barkley glanced towards the window once
more and sighed, it was going to a long night's vigil.
Soon after dawn, and after they had eaten a light early breakfast, Nick and
Jarrod Barkley despatched two teams of ranch hands to scour the ranch and set
out with a third team headed for the area they considered most likely to reveal
some trace of the truants.
When Audra Barkley awoke, she stretched herself like a cat, she was aware that
she was suffused with a glowing warmth, which surprised her slightly, for
surely the fire must have died long ago. No, the fire was crackling merrily and
as she sat up Audra could see why. Heath had sacrificed the table for fuel. She
wondered how he had managed to do it so quietly as not to wake her. Her sleepy
eyes searched the small cabin, but there was no sign of her resourceful
brother. There were no weather noises now, the storm had blown itself out and
all was peaceful.
Audra clambered to her feet and went to the tiny window of the shack, it had
stopped raining now thank goodness. She looked outside and saw at once that the
rickety corral had a sizeable area of broken fencing, of the two horses there
was no sign. Which explained where Heath had gone, he was no doubt tracking
them down. Audra crossed to the chair set beside the fire, over which her
clothes were draped, they felt pretty dry now so she dressed herself again.
Audra poured the rest of the water in the canteens into the little coffee pot
and set coffee on to boil. Their small food supply had been eaten last night so
they would have to go hungry this morning, which didn't trouble her anymore
than it would Heath. Once he had found the horses, which Audra didn't doubt he
would, they could head for home and Silas would feed them right royally.
She heard the sound of hoof-beats and went to the cabin door and opened it.
Heath was astride his own horse bare-back and was leading hers, he grinned at
the sight of her tousled head.
"Boy Howdy, you look like you're wearing a straw wig this morning
Sis!"
"Thank you kind sir, my hair rough dried last night and I don't have a
comb," laughed Audra.
Heath secured the two horses and brother and sister went inside the shack
again. Heath produced his own comb from his saddle bag, "well if you're
not too fussy I'll untangle you with this," he offered.
"I could use the help," said Audra ruefully. She sat on the chair in
front of the fire and Heath set about combing her long tangled blonde hair.
She was surprised at his gentleness and skill and she twinkled at him,
"Heath Barkley! I think you've combed a lady's hair before."
"Never a lady as pretty as you," said Heath gallantly.
"Smooth-talker!"
He was as gentle as he could be but even so, by the time he had finished
Audra's eyes were watering. Her hair was restored to order though and she
thanked her brother. They drank their coffee and Heath put out the fire and
locked the cabin up securely again. Heath held his hands for Audra to place her
foot in and he put her up into the saddle. He vaulted into his own saddle and
with a last glance at their overnight refuge, brother and sister headed for
home.
As they rode homeward, Audra glanced at her brother, "Heath?"
"Yeah Sis."
"Thanks for looking after me last night."
Heath's twisted smile lit his face, "thanks for not kicking me out in the
rain!"
Heath spotted the riders approaching them from the distance and had no
difficulty in recognizing the tall, commanding figure of Nick Barkley in the
lead, "look out Sis, here comes big brother, now we're going to get
it!"
"Lord above the lecture will probably last a week," sighed Audra.
But when Heath and Audra rode up to meet the approaching riders, Nick Barkley's
face was wreathed in smiles.
"Well now, here they are, Hansel and Gretel, are you two all right?
Her brother's voice sounded jovial but Audra wasn't taking any chances,
"it was my fault Nick, I wanted to show Heath all my favourite spots on
the ranch and we went further than we should have done."
Sitting their horses near by, Riley, a burly ranch hand turned to the man next
to him and murmured, "I bet they went too far all right!"
Jarrod Barkley stiffened and turned furious eyes on Riley, but said nothing.
The man Riley had addressed caught the stern look from Counselor Barkley and
edged his horse away from the loud- mouthed hand.
Nick was smiling at his sister, "Honey, that storm came from nowhere,
nobody could have predicted it, I'm just glad you two had the sense to find
shelter last night." Nick glanced at Heath, "where did you hole
up?"
Heath indicated Audra, "thanks to the little lady here we were safe and
snug, she knew about that old line shack back yonder, which is more than I
did."
Heath had sounded rueful, and Nick gave him a friendly slap on the back,
"well you've been making it your business to learn all the ones in use, no
reason you would have known about the other one Boy!" He grinned at his
sister, "I told Mother there was no need for her to worry, I said you'd
know a good bolt-hole even if Heath didn't, good girl!"
Audra smiled dazzlingly, she had always adored Nick and his good opinion
mattered a great deal to her.
Jarrod turned a fatherly smile on Audra, "are you all right Honey?"
"Perfectly all right, thank you Jarrod, Heath took excellent care of
me," smiled Audra.
Riley snickered, "I'll just bet he did!"
Jarrod's glance flickered in Nick's direction but Nick and Heath were laughing
and talking about something and had missed Riley's words. Jarrod rode up to the
ranch hand.
"Riley do you want to keep your job?"
Only Riley himself had heard the lawyer's soft voiced words. "Well, yeah,
sure I do, I was only..."
"If you want to keep your job, keep your tongue too," snapped Jarrod.
"Yessir," said Riley, recognizing the voice of
authority.
Nick clapped Heath on the shoulder again, "well I bet you two are starved,
let's get you both home for breakfast huh?"
"Yes please and a bath!" laughed Audra.
The cavalcade headed back to the house and as he rode Jarrod Barkley wondered
how many more such comments the family might have to endure, he could only hope
that they wouldn't come to the ears of his new brother, Heath had endured a
lifetime of such slights and slurs, Jarrod had hoped those days might be over,
well if he had his way they would be!
Victoria was delighted to see her daughter and son safe and sound and she and
Silas put a delicious breakfast on the table in short order. The family sat and
ate together and then Victoria swept Audra off for a hot bath and a rest,
leaving the three men still sitting around the table.
Jarrod smiled at Heath, "well done Heath, Nick said we didn't need to
worry with you taking care of Audra, it looks to me like you did an excellent
job."
Heath blushed readily, "I only did what you or Nick would have done."
"Of course he did," agreed Nick, "I don't know what all the fuss
is about, I told you Heath would handle the situation." He grinned at his
younger brother, "are you planning on working today or do you think
playing truant buys you a day off?"
Heath grinned back, "give me twenty minutes to shave and change."
He went out of the room and Jarrod spoke quietly to Nick. "That hand Riley
was shooting his mouth off before."
Nick's brows contracted into a frown, "about what?"
"About Heath and Audra spending the night unchaperoned."
"Why that foul-mouthed barrel of lard, I'll knock his block off!"
"That brother Nick is exactly what you will not do! Unless you want to
draw down more talk on Heath and Audra."
"Yeah but..."
"I mean it Nick, if this story spreads there are going to be more such
remarks and the more you react the harder you'll make it for Heath. I don't
think you want that do you."
Nick opened his mouth to argue, encountered a penetrating glare from the
lawyer's vivid eyes and after a brief struggle with himself he nodded
reluctantly.
"I guess you're right Jarrod, Heath's put up with enough of that in his
life."
"That he has Nick, that he has."
Jarrod's threat to the ranch hand Riley had served its purpose and there were
no further wisecracks about Heath and Audra amongst the Barkley hands. Jarrod
knew that would not be the end of it though and he warned Nick to expect more
of the same from other sources before too long. It took a day or two for news
of Heath and Audra's adventure to permeate through Stockton society but once
the news got about Jarrod's prediction was proved correct.
After church on Sunday, Victoria was accosted by Beulah Park, a gossipy woman
she didn't much care for. Mrs Park squeezed Victoria's hand comfortingly and
told her she had heard about Audra's misfortune.
Victoria stared at her blankly, "my daughter's misfortune?"
"My poor dear Victoria, out all night in that dreadful weather, you must
have been so worried!"
"Oh no, Audra was just fine," said Victoria lightly, "she had
her brother to protect her."
Mrs Park failed to spot the martial light that had begun to kindle in
Victoria's eyes and she unwisely continued, "well yes Victoria, but...I
mean...a young man like that..."
"A young man like what?" Victoria's tone was dangerously quiet.
Beulah Park was becoming flustered by Victoria's refusal to take a hint,
"well...I...I...just wondered if you felt you could trust him with dear
Audra."
The flash from Victoria's hazel eyes turned Mrs Park's legs to jelly and she
positively quailed at the Barkley matriarch's voice of icy rage. "If by
‘him' you mean my son Heath, I would trust him with my daughter's life, let
alone her honour, good morning to you!"
Nick, who had been an appreciative spectator of this scene, strolled up to his
mother and followed her indignant gaze as she glared at the fleeing Beulah
Park. "Poor woman," he said.
"I beg your pardon?"
"I don't suppose she's ever heard the dragon voice before," said Nick
conversationally.
"Nicholas Jonathan Barkley, I do not have a dragon voice," declared
Victoria wrathfully.
Her tall son looked down at her with his glinting grin, "sure you do, only
I don't often get the chance to enjoy it, because I'm usually on the receiving
end of it."
"Nicholas!"
"There you go again," said Nick.
Victoria couldn't help but laugh, as Nick had intended she should, but she
quickly sobered, "oh dear, I never thought about the gossip, I shouldn't
have ripped into Beulah Park like that."
Nick smiled, "Jarrod put me on my guard, I guess he should have read you
the lawyerly lecture too huh?"
"Will you stop teasing me Nick!"
"Yes Ma'am."
Reverend Stacey came up and said gravely to Victoria, "I shall speak to
Mrs Parks about the evils of spiteful gossip." His eyes twinkled as he
murmured to his old friend Victoria, "I don't need to speak to you
concerning the sin of anger do I Victoria?"
Victoria laughed, "no Edward, I'll behave myself in future, I
promise."
Jarrod encountered the talk circulating in Stockton over brandy and cigars at a
businessmen's lunch. A mine-owner called James Caldy, recently bested by Jarrod
in a deal and looking to get even, enjoyed himself at the lunch by carrying on
a conversation at the table next to Jarrod. Caldy's voice had a penetrating
quality and the men at Jarrod's table and others adjacent had no difficulty
hearing what the florid, slightly drunk Caldy said.
"Yes indeed," Caldy winked at the men seated around his table,
"what I say is, you can't be too careful with a girl's reputation, it
doesn't take but one thing to taint it and taint it for good at that. Now me, I
never let my daughters step one foot beyond the door without a
chaperone...otherwise...well who knows what kind of a...mongrel they might wind
up spending the night with!"
Every man in the room understood what Caldy was referring to and there were
many glances in Counselor Barkley's direction to see what he would do about it.
Several men also tried to frown Caldy down and shut him up but the man was too
stupid or too spiteful to take the hints.
Jarrod was aware of a deeply felt, icy cold rage within himself and the depth
of his own anger shocked him slightly. He knew an urge to deal with Caldy's spite
as his brother Nick would deal with it and slightly to his own amazement he
yielded to the violent impulse in his own stylish way.
Pushing back his chair and standing up, Jarrod picked up his brandy glass and
strolled unhurriedly to Caldy's table, the florid and portly mine owner looked
up to see who was standing over him, just in time to receive the contents of
Jarrod's glass full in his face. Caldy gasped with shock and sat stunned as the
brandy trickled over his face, stinging his eyes and dripping off the end of
his nose.
The President of the Commerce Association, Jarrod's friend Adam Thornton, the
host of the lunch, plucked urgently at Jarrod's sleeve.
"Have a care Jarrod, you don't want your sister's good name bandied about
over this!"
Jarrod deliberately raised his voice, "a lady's good name? This has
nothing to do with a lady's good name, I'm sure that no GENTLEMAN in this room
would do anything so despicable as to try and besmirch a lady's name."
There was a ripple of approval round the room, for Caldy was not much liked,
while Jarrod was held in high regard.
Adam Thornton was puzzled, "then...why are you calling Caldy out
Jarrod?"
The lawyer's vivid eyes gleamed with amusement as he scrutinized the blustering
Caldy, the mine owner's face wasn't the only florid thing about him, he wore a
brightly coloured satin vest that made a garish contrast to his dark suit.
Jarrod said loudly, "why am I calling this excuse for a man out?" He
timed his pause perfectly to ensure he had the full attention of every man in
the room, "because I don't like his vest that's why!"
The whole room erupted into laughter and Caldy's face darkened with rage, for
he was a vain man and valued his dignity. He sprang to his feet and lunged at
Jarrod, who moved smoothly backward out of reach.
"Oh no Caldy, not a vulgar brawl, you may not be a gentleman but I am,
I'll box you properly, if you're man enough that is."
Caldy swept a bleary eye around the assembled faces, their appreciative grins
told him all he needed to know, not a man in the room was behind him.
He resorted to bluster, "well for heaven's sake Barkley, I don't know what
I could have said that you've taken exception to..."
Jarrod's rigid index finger jabbed his shoulder, "you're not listening
Caldy, you haven't SAID anything, it's your pretty pink and green vest to which
I've taken exception, now are we boxing or are you apologizing?"
James Caldy looked into Counselor Barkley's ruthless eyes, there was no hint of
compromise in Jarrod's implacable face and the mine owner knew himself beaten.
"I don't choose to lower myself by fighting in public, so...I apologize
for saying..."
The flash of blue fire from Jarrod's eyes stopped him. He gulped and continued,
"I apologize for...for wearing this vest."
There was a roar of laughter from the assembled businessmen, bringing an angry
flush to Caldy's cheeks.
Jarrod inclined his head graciously, "I accept your apology Mr Caldy,
close the door on your way out!"
He turned contemptuously away as he spoke and strolled back to his table, with
the applause and praise of his peers following him.
James Caldy could do nothing but stalk from the room, with what dignity he
could muster amid the derisive laughter of his peers which trailed in his wake
as he left the room, a humiliated and bitterly resentful man.
Driving his buggy home to the ranch after the lengthy lunch,
Jarrod mentally chastised himself for giving in to temptation and going for
James Caldy. The lawyer inwardly grimaced, he had laid down the law with Nick,
fearing that his rancher brother's hot-headedness would lead him to defend
Audra or indeed Heath with too much vigour and so fuel the talk still further.
Pity I didn't pay attention to my own speech, he thought.
The device of ostensibly challenging Caldy over the colour of his vest had
fooled no-one, but then it had not been intended to do so. Jarrod hoped to send
a clear signal to his fellow businessmen that he would not tolerate any talk
about his sister and would extract his revenge on some other pretext, rather
than permit Audra's name to be dragged into it. He had reason to believe that
his message had been clearly understood and was reasonably confident that there
would be no loose talk in his particular circle on the subject.
The lawyer frowned into the distance, there were unfortunately other circles in
which the gossip was likely to be circulating and there was little he could do
to prevent that from happening.
Jarrod arrived home to find his mother and Nick playing checkers together. He kissed
Victoria and asked where Heath and Audra were.
Victoria smiled, "Audra is at Sally Thornton's house, a group of the girls
are working on a quilt for Sally's sister's new baby, she should be home soon,
Silas was calling to collect her on his way home from Stockton."
Nick said, "as for old Heath, he's up at that line shack he and Audra
sheltered in, he wants to fix the corral fence and replace the table in the
cabin, he said he was going to chop more wood too and leave the place
ship-shape. I swear Jarrod, I have always believed in hard work, but that boy
just doesn't know when to stop!"
Jarrod was thoughtful, "I think he has a point Nick, that area of the
ranch is a little remote, the old shack could be a life-saver on a future
occasion, it certainly was for Heath and Audra."
Just then, the front door was opened violently and Audra stalked into the
house, she ignored her family in the living room and headed straight for the
stairs, not stopping or so much as turning her head when her mother called to
her. She stamped her way upstairs and a second later, the family heard her
bedroom door slam shut. Silas came in closing the front door behind him and
came to stand before his mistress in the living room.
"Silas what on earth is wrong with Audra?" Victoria's tone was
anxious.
"She slapped her friend Miss Sally across the face and then stormed out of
the quilting," said Silas shaking his head at such unladylike conduct.
"But Silas, she has blood all over the sleeve of her dress, I saw it just
now as she ran upstairs," said Victoria urgently.
The houseman rolled his eyes, "yes Ma'am I know she has, but don't you
worry none, it ain't hers!"
Victoria's eyes widened in horror and she turned to Jarrod putting a hand on
his sleeve. The lawyer covered it reassuringly with his own and said to Silas,
"well if the blood isn't Audra's, might one enquire whose blood it
is?"
Silas smiled, "it's Miss Ernestine's blood, she said something Miss Audra
took exception to and Miss Audra stabbed her with a big needle and Miss Ernestine
jerked her hand away and the needle tore her skin up some and it bled a
lot." The houseman seemed to draw considerable satisfaction from the
damage inflicted on one of Audra's acquaintances.
Jarrod turned to his mother, "Ernestine?"
Victoria was looking rather guilty, "Ernestine Park, she's the daughter of
Beulah Park."
Nick burst out laughing and his mother turned reproachful eyes upon him,
"it isn't funny Nick! Poor Audra, I'd better go up to her, you'd better
tell Jarrod what happened at church this morning."
Silas and Victoria left the room together and Jarrod turned enquiring eyes on
Nick, "did someone upset Audra at church this morning?"
Nick grinned at him, "nope, something much more dangerous, Beulah Park
made the mistake of upsetting Mother!"
"Really, where did you hide the body?"
Nick laughed, "well it didn't quite come to blood-letting but if you ask
me Mrs Park was lucky she retreated when she did! I've never seen Mother so
mad."
Jarrod's eyes twinkled, "the dragon voice?"
"Oh yeah!"
Jarrod cast an appraising eye over Nick, "did you get involved?"
Nick assumed a virtuous expression. "No Counselor I did not, I was a good
boy and heeded your lecture, I just held Mother's coat while she got stuck in
is all."
Jarrod's answering smile was rueful, "in that case Nick you're doing
better than me! Maybe you should give me a lecture."
Nick chuckled delightedly, "I smell a story big Brother, sit down and I'll
get you a drink and you can tell me all about it."
Over a scotch, Jarrod told Nick about his challenge to James Caldy at the
Commerce lunch and watched resignedly as Nick laughed himself silly.
The lawyer smiled ruefully, "go ahead and enjoy yourself Nick, I don't
begrudge you, but I shouldn't have done it!"
Nick recovered from his amusement and pointed a finger at his brother,
"You did the right thing Counselor, I don't see that you had any choice.
If you'd just let him make his wisecracks, everyone would have assumed there
was something in what he was saying. As it is you called him on it, but in such
a way that he looked ridiculous and people will think his slurs were ridiculous
too."
"I hope you're right Nick and I'd love to tell you that I planned it that
way but the truth is that I just saw red and went for him!"
Nick grinned at him, "well I'm the last man in the world to criticize you
for that big Brother!"
Victoria came downstairs accompanied by a slightly tear-stained Audra. The
blonde girl had changed her dress so there was no blood to be seen but she was
clearly still very angry and upset. Jarrod smiled and held out his arms and she
came to him at the run, wrapping her arms around him and saying brokenly,
"I'm sorry Jarrod please don't be mad at me."
The lawyer dropped a kiss on his sister's head, "I'm not Darling," he
assured her, "I'm only sorry that all this stupid gossip has affected you
directly. Are you all right?"
Audra released him and smiled mistily up at him, "oh I'm all right it was
just so...so horrible, they talked about Heath as though...as though..."
"I understand Honey," said Jarrod gently, crossing with his sister to
the settee and sitting beside her holding her hand.
Audra's spirit reasserted itself, "I was just so angry, half of those
girls go weak at the knees whenever they so much as see Heath and then to be so
spiteful about him, I was furious."
Victoria's hazel eyes were full of concern, she wondered how widespread the
talk had become. "Was it all of them Audra, all the other girls?"
"No Mother, it was mostly that hateful Ernestine Park, she went on and on
and then she accused me...me and Heath of...of...well I picked up my biggest
sewing needle and I stuck it right in her hand!" Audra looked sheepishly
at her mother and then at Jarrod too, "she pulled her hand away and it
tore the skin quite...quite badly, it bled all over the place."
Nick laughed and said brightly, "good for you Sis!"
Victoria frowned him down and he subsided, though his eyes still gleamed with
amusement.
Audra said, "I'm sorry Mother, I know I've let you down, please forgive
me." Her eyes flickered to Jarrod too, for he was her guardian and mentor
as well as her eldest brother.
The irrepressible Nick chimed in again, "You don't have to worry about
Mother and Jarrod Sis, they're in at least as much trouble as you!"
His mother and brother both glared at Nick but the rancher was unrepentant,
"well if you want to know what I think..."
"We don't," said Jarrod trenchantly.
"Nick went on, "I think you're all worrying far too much about this,
in a week, two at the most, the whole thing will have blown over, something
else will have come along and everyone will have forgotten all about
this."
"I suppose you're right," sighed Victoria, adding ruefully, "of
course it will all blow over a lot faster if all of us don't over-react."
"Don't look at me," said Nick with a saintly air, "I haven't
done anything."
"Well that's a first," retorted Jarrod with a grin.
Audra had blushed and hung her head, "I know I shouldn't have done it
Mother, I beg your pardon." Victoria smiled at her daughter, "I
wasn't just referring to you Sweetheart, I'm afraid I've been a little
over-zealous on behalf of you and Heath myself today."
"A little!" Nick snorted with laughter again and his mother turned
her irate gaze on him. "Nicholas, if you say one more word!"
Audra was amazed, "who did you confront about it Mother?"
"Ernestine's mother."
Jarrod squeezed Audra's hand, "me too Honey, I had to scotch some talk at
the Commerce Association, but I don't want you to worry, Nick is right, this
will blow over soon enough, especially if we ignore it, treat it with the
contempt it deserves."
Audra nodded, "I suppose you're right Jarrod but..." She peeped up at
Jarrod and said in a small voice, "there's just one other thing Jarrod, I
slapped Sally Thornton's face this afternoon. She's the daughter of the
Commerce Association president isn't she? He...well he may complain to you
about...about my behaviour."
"What made you hit her Honey?" Jarrod's question was gentle.
Audra's voice became indignant "she smirked at me and she...she said there
was no smoke without fire...so I hit her!"
"Good girl!" Nick grinned at Audra.
Jarrod smiled reassuringly, "Adam Thornton is a good friend of mine and he
was very supportive today. I suspect that if Sally is unwise enough to mention
the matter to her father she's more likely to find herself in his bad books
than get you in any trouble. All I will say Audra is this, I lost my temper
today just as you did and so did Mother but that mustn't happen again. The
person who matters in all this is Heath, for his sake we must all try to
restrain our indignation, so that it blows over as soon as possible. He's done
so well settling down here, I don't want anything to damage that process, I
don't think any of us do."
"You're quite right Jarrod," concurred Victoria.
"I'll remember that Jarrod, I promise," said Audra.
Victoria, Jarrod and Audra all looked at Nick expectantly, waiting for him to
agree.
Nick's hazel eyes gleamed with amusement, "I don't know what you're
looking at me for, I'm the level-headed, responsible one, you can rely on me to
keep a cool head!"
His mother and siblings all burst out laughing as Nick had intended they
should. All the same, he reflected, as he rode up to the north pasture to
rendezvous with Heath, they were all worrying about the matter far too much. In
Nick's opinion, Heath was way too sharp not to have picked up on all the talk
flying around, yet he had not reacted at all. Nick decided that he and his new
brother had a pretty good understanding these days, good enough for him to
discuss the situation with Heath.
Nick lost no time in broaching the matter, as soon as he and
Heath found themselves alone and told Heath with his customary frankness
exactly what had occurred. Heath's reaction didn't surprise Nick in the least.
The blond rancher shook his head and said mildly, "no sense in anyone
getting riled about it, it'll die down soon enough."
"That's what I told them," said Nick with satisfaction, "it's
you they're worried about, they're all fretting in case you overhear the talk
too."
Heath grinned at him, "I've heard it, I just don't pay it any mind that's
all."
Nick punched him in the shoulder in friendly fashion, "somehow I knew you
wouldn't, you only want to stand well with the people that matter to you don't
you? My feeling is you don't care what anyone else thinks of you."
The two men took a brief respite from their labours and sat companionably on a
flat rock, sharing the water in Nick's canteen.
Heath stared off into the distance smiling at a memory, "I guess I learned
to roll with the punches a long time ago. Mama used to clean me up after I got
in fights because someone called me a bastard or whatever and she always said,
what does it matter if somebody stupid calls you a bad name. They can't help
their ignorance, you should feel sorry for them."
"I don't imagine that was very easy to do," said Nick quietly.
Heath thought of his older brother's fiercely proud nature, old Nick would have
fought all right!
"It wasn't easy I guess, but I learned eventually that so long as the
folks who really know you think well of you, the rest doesn't matter worth a
light."
Heath's shrewd eyes appraised Nick, "is there a part of this story you
haven't told me yet?"
"Huh?"
"Well you've told me how Mother scarified Beulah Park and how Sis turned
the sewing circle into a bloodbath and about Jarrod's duel over Caldy's vest,
but what about you. How many scraps have you gotten into over all this?"
Nick smiled at his brother, "not a one," he answered with simple
pride.
Heath's slow smile crossed his face, "and why's that?"
Nick's honest hazel eyes met Heath's gaze frankly, "I didn't think you'd
want me to."
Heath nodded as though something he already knew had been confirmed for him,
"thanks Nick," he said quietly, "that means a lot to me."
Nick had said that the talk would die down fast and he was proved right, in the
face of the Barkley family's seeming indifference to it, the subject was mostly
allowed to drop. Audra made up with her friend Sally Thornton and heard from
Sally that her father had been furious with her about the incident at the
sewing circle.
Beulah Park, much chastened by a homily from the Reverend Stacey on the evils
of gossip, did her best to ingratiate herself with Victoria Barkley. She was
treated with courtesy but a certain coldly distant civility in Victoria's
manner made it clear that she was not forgiven and the woman was livid with
herself for getting on the wrong side of the most influential lady in the
valley.
Jarrod heard through his friends at the Commerce Association that James Caldy
was harbouring a deeply felt sense of grievance at his all too public
humiliation and had, whilst drunk, threatened revenge against the Barkley clan.
The lawyer's only reaction to this news was a lurking gleam in his vivid blue
eyes. He knew himself to be more than capable of dealing with any business move
Caldy might make, indeed he almost hoped the bombastic mine-owner would try
something, so he could have the satisfaction of besting him.
Jarrod wasn't concerned that Caldy's desire for vengeance might manifest itself
in a more violent form, the man was a physical coward, he had already
demonstrated that. It seemed unlikely that he would try anything desperate
against the other members of the family either, he would be too fearful of the
wrath of Nick Barkley for that.
Nick and Heath encountered only one more slight because of the gossip and that
occurred when they drove into Stockton to buy supplies for the ranch. The
particular store the Barkleys did business with was owned by a man called
Becker and the family had traded with him for several years. Josh Becker had a
daughter called Ruth who was a great friend of Ernestine Park. Ruth had heard
all about the night in the line shack from Ernestine and she decided to plant a
few verbal barbs in Heath Barkley as he and his brother loaded their wagon
outside her Papa's store.
Ernestine was visiting with Ruth and in full view of the Barkleys and in their
earshot, the two girls carried on a conversation which made thinly veiled
references to the night of the storm and Ruth even went so far as to make an
unsubtle reference to Heath's parentage.
Heath didn't betray himself at all, his face was blandly indifferent to what he
was hearing, but he was aware of Nick stiffening with rage beside him and a
glance at Nick's handsome face showed it wouldn't be long before his anger
boiled over. Heath stared Nick down, his own eyes signaling his wishes and he
felt a rush of emotion when he received a reluctant nod from Nick, he wouldn't
create a scene, because his brother didn't wish him to.
For Heath it was an affirmation of all that had transpired between himself and
Nick over the last three months, as they had learned each other's ways and
gotten to know one another better. He felt now a deep fraternal bond with his
older brother and it was pleasing to know that he could influence him.
Inwardly, Nick was seething, he wanted nothing better than to let rip, tell
Josh Becker to keep his daughter in line and extract an apology from the little
brat herself but Heath didn't want that and Heath's wishes were paramount. With
a slight shock, Nick realized just how much he cared about the quiet young man
who had made such an impact on Nick's own life in the time he had been living
as a member of the Barkley family.
Well, thought Nick, I'll emulate Counselor Barkley, settle this without fists,
but I'll settle it all the same!
He looked at Heath, "I don't think I want to do business here any more,
didn't you tell me about a store on the riverfront that undercuts this
place?"
Heath could not remember saying any such thing, but he was smart enough to play
to Nick's lead, "yeah, I could show you if you like Nick."
"Good! Help me unload this wagon will you Heath?"
Under the consternated gaze of Josh Becker, the valuable load of goods was
toted back into the store and the transaction cancelled. The store owner was at
a loss as to how to appease the glowering Nick Barkley and with a sinking heart
he contemplated the damage to his business were he to lose the custom of the
richest ranch in the valley for good. Becker cast his erring daughter a glance
that boded ill for her and spoke sharply to Ernestine Park.
"Time you went home Ernestine and I'll be speaking to your Pa about you
young lady, don't think I won't!" He glanced at Ruth, "you get
indoors Missy, if you thought you were too old to get a good strapping you're
about to realize your mistake!"
Ruth started to whine but her father cut short her tearful protests and sent
her peremptorily indoors. He spoke humbly to Nick, "I sure hope you'll
reconsider taking away your business Mr Barkley, I'll make that girl of mine
smart for her words I can assure you of that!"
Nick's eyes were gleaming with satisfaction but he kept a straight face and his
voice was terse, "this has nothing to do with your daughter Becker, this
is a business decision. My brother and I like to run a tight outfit and if we
can get better goods elsewhere then that's what we'll do."
"Yes Sir," said a crestfallen Becker, "I just wondered if you'd
give me another chance."
Nick looked sharply at the man, Becker had failed to prevent Ruth's insolence
and he deserved a fright, but the point had been made adequately now.
"That'll be up to my brother, you'd better talk to him about it, I need a
beer!"
Nick strode away on the words, leaving the store owner confronting the newest
member of the Barkley clan. Heath smiled pleasantly at the anxious man, "I
understand you've done business with my family for a long time Mr Becker."
"Yes Sir, I sure have and I'm real sorry if..."
"Forget it," said Heath, "I'll talk to my brother and see you
don't lose our business."
Becker wiped his brow, "that's real nice of you Mr Barkley, how about I
get this wagon loaded up again while you join your brother in a beer?"
"That'd be just fine," smiled Heath and started to follow Nick, He
stopped and turned back, "Mr Becker?"
"Call me Josh please."
"I'm Heath, Josh please don't feel you have to take a strap to young Ruth
on my account, there's no need."
Josh Becker smiled grimly, "it'd do her good, might teach her to be a
young lady. One thing's for dead sure though Son, you don't need no lessons in
being a gentleman, I'm obliged to you Heath!"
Late the same evening, Heath and Jarrod Barkley shared a nightcap before
turning in, Victoria and Audra had gone to bed hours earlier and a yawning Nick
Barkley had gone off to bed a few minutes ago, taking his nightcap with him.
Nick had told Jarrod all about the incident in town and the eldest Barkley
brother smiled at Heath, "I gather we're still trading with Josh
Becker?"
Heath's intelligent eyes met Jarrod's gaze, "well I wasn't about to injure
a man's livelihood over something so petty." He smiled at Jarrod,
"which I'm willing to bet Nick knew all along right?"
Jarrod leaned back in his chair, laughing, "yes, I think you're getting to
know Nick pretty well!"
The lawyer looked at his newest brother, it was hard to gauge how much the
recent gossip had really touched this self-contained slightly enigmatic young
man and Jarrod was deeply curious to know the answer.
"Heath I'm very sorry about all this unpleasantness, it's been my
impression in recent months that you've been happy here and that you've settled
in well, I wouldn't want that to change because of anything that's
happened."
Heath smiled and for a moment he didn't reply as he sought for the right words
to tell Jarrod, whom he greatly respected, how he truly felt.
Eventually he began to speak in a low voice, "when we were bedding down in
the line shack, I told Audra I'd stay over by the door, I even offered to go
out in the rain, I didn't want her to feel frightened." He smiled,
"She was mad at me, told me I was her brother and she trusted me, so we
bedded down snug together in front of the fire.
Then when we met up with you and Nick the next day, you both made as little of
it as Sis had, as though it was the sort of thing that happened every day. I
had looked after Audra and that was just what you had expected of me, just what
you would have done yourselves. Your attitude, well it made me feel like I
belonged here, that I was really one of you."
Jarrod's soft voice intervened, "you do belong here and you are one of us
Heath."
Heath produced a handsome gold pocket watch from his vest pocket, "did I
show you this?"
He handed the watch to Jarrod and the lawyer examined it, turning it over in
his hands. It was engraved on the back, For Heath, Love Mother.
"She'd got it for my birthday next month but she gave it to me the day we
got home, not as a reward for proving myself trustworthy, just as a thank you
she said, a thank you for taking such good care of my sister."
Heath looked earnestly at Jarrod, "I realized something then, you all
trusted me and had faith in me. You were all pleased I had brought Audra home
safe and sound, but none of you expected any less of me. It brought it home to
me that I truly belonged here, that I had a family and that I was as much a
part of that family as any one of you. Knowing that, well it made me feel ten
feet tall, I didn't give a damn what the rest of the world had to say, my
family knew what kind of a man I was and if they thought well of me then that
was all that mattered."
Jarrod handed back the beautiful watch, "it's lovely and thank you for
telling me how you feel. It makes me very happy to know that you truly feel
yourself to be a member of the family now, because that's exactly what you are
Heath, a much-loved member at that."
The lawyer stood up, "come along Brother, time we hit the hay, if we show
up late to breakfast we'll bring down on ourselves one of Nick's tirades about
working ranches!"
Heath laughed and got to his feet and the two brothers went companionably
upstairs together. As Jarrod prepared for bed, he thought over the whole
sequence of events since Heath and Audra had spent the night in the line shack.
It seemed to Jarrod that the rest of the family had learned a great deal about
their newest member. Heath was a resourceful, intelligent, gentle young man and
perhaps they had already known these traits of his character from the time he
had lived here, but his conduct through this affair showed that he was also
innately courteous, a natural gentleman, with a dry wit and a kind heart.
Jarrod reached for the silver framed photograph of his father that he kept on
the mantelshelf. He looked into Tom Barkley's strong, smiling face, God Heath
was like him to look at thought Jarrod and he was more like him in personality
than he had previously supposed. Tom had always had an inner strength, a sense
of self that gave him enormous confidence in himself and his abilities. Jarrod
could discern the same inner strength in Heath, if his new brother could
reconcile his own actions with his personal values and if he had the good
opinion of his family, then he needed nothing more. The pettiness of others
left him unaffected.
Jarrod smiled, the family had learned things about themselves too.
That they had faith in Heath and in each other. That Audra, spoiled and
pampered darling of the family, could when necessary act with courage and good
humour when faced with adversity. That Nick, volatile and impulsive Nick, could
keep in check his formidable temper and act with restraint and cleverness,
because it was what his new brother wanted him to do. That he, Jarrod, the
cool, calm and collected one, was capable of losing his temper, as was his
mother.
An interesting few days, he thought as sleep claimed him, Heath my boy, you are
every inch a Barkley and I'm proud to be your brother.