Reclaiming Her Past

Chapter 1

Audra vaguely remembered Michael Lee as the older brother of her friend, Martha Lee, but only vaguely. She did not remember why, but the Lees left the Stockton area when she was only five. Maybe it had something to do with the war, maybe because the family was named Lee. She didn't know, and she had completely lost all memory of whatever it might have been over the years. She had pretty much lost all memory of Michael and Martha, except that she remembered her mother would often take her to the Lees' home in town when Victoria was helping with something at church and being with Martha was fun, even though Michael, being eight years older, loved to torment the girls.

In fact, no one at the Barkley house had given much thought to the Lees until the morning at breakfast some fifteen years after they had left town, when Jarrod up and said, "Oh, by the way, do you remember David and Margaret Lee, the people that used to live near the church in town?"

Jarrod was startled to see his mother's eyes come up in a flash and stare at him, and then he noticed Nick's had, too. Heath also noticed it, and he looked at Jarrod too, but with a big question mark in his eyes. Audra just smiled and said, "Oh, yes, I remember them! I used to play with their daughter Martha. Remember, Mother? You'd be at the church and you'd take me by their house."

Jarrod's eyes were riveted on his mother's as she simply said, "Yes, I remember," but kept her gaze on Jarrod.

Jarrod said, "David will be coming back to town," and kept his gaze as firmly on his mother's eyes as her gaze was on him.

"Why?" Victoria asked flatly.

Jarrod took a quick look at Nick, who was scowling but eating again. Jarrod looked back at his mother and said, "They never did sell their property. They've been renting it out all these years. Now there's a property line dispute with my clients, the Burlingames – you know them, they live next door. They're – well, David, Margaret passed away about ten years ago or so – he's coming back because of the lawsuit. Phil Archer is his lawyer."

"I hope he plans to lose," Heath said, and he looked at Victoria and Nick and again at Jarrod, then at Audra, who was still smiling as she ate her breakfast. He knew something was going on around here. Victoria and Nick were bothered, Jarrod was clueless, and Audra didn't care.

"Will you be seeing David?" Victoria asked and returned to eating her food.

Jarrod kept his eyes on her. "I'm taking his deposition tomorrow. Phil says he's been living in Medford and he'll arrive on the afternoon train from Sacramento today." Then Jarrod decided he had a vested interest in what was going on here with his mother and middle brother. "Is there something I need to know about before I see him?"

"No," Victoria said.

And Nick looked up at her fast, then back at his meal. Jarrod didn't miss that.

Nick wiped his mouth and stood up. "Heath, I think we better be getting out to the herd." He kissed his mother's cheek as Heath took his last swallow of coffee and got up. "See you at dinner, Mother," Nick said as Heath kissed Victoria.

Nick and Heath were out of the room quickly, and when they stopped at the rack in the hallway and put on their guns and hats, Heath said, "You wanna tell me what that was all about in there with Jarrod?"

Nick said, "No, I don't think so." He led the way out the front door, and that was that.

Back in the dining room, Jarrod finished his coffee and stood up. "Well, I have to get to town. It's early, I know, but I have a lot of work to finish up before I can prepare for this deposition." He kissed his mother, saying, "I may be late, so don't hold dinner for me." Then he kissed Audra, too, and she smiled up at him.

After Jarrod left, Victoria was left with Audra, watching her as she watched Jarrod leave. Audra looked as if nothing unusual had just happened here. In fact, she didn't seem to be anything other than her regular cheerful self as she said, "I wonder if Martha will be with Mr. Lee? I'd really like to see her again."

"Probably not, since it's business," Victoria said, only now her voice was very subdued, the fire completely gone from her eyes.

"I was so sad when they went away," Audra said. "Martha and I used to have so much fun. Well, I'd like to go for a ride before the weather gets too hot." She, too, got up and kissed her mother. "See you by lunchtime, Mother," she said and went out.

And Victoria was left alone, staring straight ahead at the chair Jarrod had vacated, wondering what she was going to do about his business with David Lee.

XXXXXXXX

Jarrod was heading toward the Stockton house for a spot of lunch when he noticed by the increased foot traffic that the train from Sacramento was in. He casually perused the people carrying traveling bags, but then he noticed Phil Archer coming his way. There was a man with him, an older man with white hair who towered over Phil and practically everyone else on the street.

He didn't really remember David Lee very much. He had never seen much of the Lees, and he was away at war when the family moved out of town. But he figured this had to be the man, and to avoid being rude, he waited a bit as they approached him in front of the Stockton House.

"Afternoon, Phil," Jarrod said, extending his hand.

Phil Archer had been Jarrod's friend once, but for reasons Jarrod was never able to fathom, Archer had grown distant and cold over the years. He was sullen now, as usual, but shook Jarrod's hand, saying, "Jarrod. This is David Lee. I suppose you remember him."

Jarrod offered his hand. "Sadly, not as well as I should."

Lee took Jarrod's hand and just said, "Jarrod."

"If you'll excuse us, we have business to discuss," Archer said and he and Lee went on their way.

Jarrod watched them, thinking the deposition tomorrow was going to be particularly unpleasant. Archer he could expect that of, but why Lee was being so cold left Jarrod thinking of the words he had with his mother and brother at the breakfast table.

He thought about it as he went into the Stockton House and sat down to eat, and by the time his food arrived, he had made up his mind that if he was going to do his job well, he'd have to corner either his brother or his mother about what they were so uneasy about concerning the Lees. He also gave some thought as to anyone else he might ask if he couldn't get the answers he needed at home, and he could only think of his own clients, the Burlingames. They had been here during the war, even though they came after the Lees left. Maybe they knew something.

While he ate, he decided he'd talk to them before he went home. It might be better to take on his family armed with some information they might not want to hand over. And they're always talking about me and my secrets, he thought.

After lunch, Jarrod went to see his clients in the house next door to the Lee house. They invited him in and asked if he'd like coffee, but he begged off, saying, "Thank you, no. I'm afraid I don't have a lot of time today, but I needed to ask you something. You folks came here during the war, early 1864 you told me."

"Yes," John Burlingame said.

"And the Lees had already left. You never met them."

"That's right."

"Did you ever hear anything about why they might have left town?"

"No, not a thing," John Burlingame said. "Millie, did you ever hear anything?"

Mrs. Burlingame had been in the kitchen but could hear what they were talking about. "No. I never asked anyone. The Miller family was living in the house when we moved in here. They were fine people. We got along fine. Never even thought to ask about the Lees."

Jarrod nodded, sighing. "Well, if you do happen to remember anything, would you let me know? I doubt that it's pertinent, but you never know."

Jarrod left then, and as he stepped down off the front porch, he saw Archer and Lee coming out of the Lee house next door. Jarrod wasn't really surprised. The house was vacant and Lee was planning to sell it, which was the reason for the property line dispute coming to a head after all these years.

Jarrod nodded politely. "Hello again."

Archer and Lee nodded and went on their way.

Well, looks like I'm going to have to ask a few more questions at this deposition, Jarrod thought, especially if my family plans to keep me in the dark.