Anthony Jarrod Barkley

Chapter 1

April 1882

It was a cool April morning when Nick Barkley was thrown out of his bedroom by his mother and Maggie Barkley, Jarrod's widow who lived at the mansion now with her son J.J. Maggie hustled him down into the living room. Ciego had been sent to town for the doctor, and another hand sent to the Wheelers to get Audra here. Yet another hand was sent to the Grove to fetch Heath and Suzanne.

Nancy's baby was coming.

Silas had coffee and ham and biscuits ready and brought them on a large tray to the living room. He set it down on the coffee table there and said to a pacing Nick, "Now, Mr. Nick, you have something to eat and just relax. These ladies know what they're doin'."

"Silas is right, Nick," Maggie said. "We had this all worked out two months ago."

Nancy's cries screamed out of the bedroom and down the stairs. Nick kept trying to run up there, but Maggie held him back. Just as she was wishing that J.J., by some miracle, would sleep through this, he began to wail. Silas nodded that he would take charge of Nick, and Maggie ran back up to her bedroom to fetch her son.

Nick paced and worried. Nancy sounded so terrible. How could having a baby be so terrible for a woman? Why did she have to suffer so badly, just to bring a new life into this world? It should be easier. It should be easier than anything else in the world.

Nancy cried out again. Nick headed for the stairs again, escaping Silas's grasp, but Maggie met him at the foot of the stairs and immediately put a crying J.J. into his arms to keep them both occupied.

"I need to get him some breakfast, Nick," Maggie said. "You hold onto him for me. Sit down in the living room and rock him, please."

Maggie went off to the kitchen, and Nick blankly did as he was told. He sat on the settee and rocked J.J., and it calmed both of them down. Nick kept talking to his nephew, "Just take it easy, J.J. Nothing bad is happening. In a little bit, you'll have a new cousin and I'll – " Nick realized it and was stunned for a moment. "And I'll be a father."

Not just an uncle now to J.J. and Audra's daughter Victoria Marie. A father, to his own child – either Anthony Jarrod for Nancy's late father and Nick's late older brother, or Mary Anne, for Nancy's late mother. A person, a real, tiny person. A new Barkley.

J.J., now 18 months old, began to wriggle to be let down, but Nick kept hold of him. "Mind your manners, now, little man. You have to cooperate and keep still. There's enough craziness going on upstairs."

Nancy cried out louder than ever, so loud that J.J. began to cry again. Nick found tears coming to his own eyes. Was Nancy all right? What if she wasn't? What if the baby was in trouble? What if they were both in trouble? Where the hell was the doctor?

But then Nick heard a baby cry, loud and kind of angry. Nick stood up, longing to go up there. The baby was crying and crying but Nancy was silent now. What was happening?

Maggie came in from the kitchen. "Silas is taking care of some food for J.J.," she said, looking upstairs. She smiled at the sound of the baby crying. "Well, sounds like we have someone new in the fold."

But Nick still looked stricken. Why wasn't he hearing Nancy anymore? Not a sound from Nancy. He handed J.J. to Maggie. "I'm going up there."

Maggie got in front of him. "Nick, there's no place for you up there right now. Your mother has things in hand."

"I gotta know if Nancy's all right."

"Your mother should be down in a few minutes. Don't go getting in her way right now."

"Maggie, I'm going crazy – "

"I know you are, but try to be patient a bit longer. That baby came very fast."

Nick took J.J. back. "Then you go up. Help my mother. See that Nancy is all right."

"All right," Maggie said and hurried up the stairs.

Nick stood, holding J.J., rubbing his back to sooth him. He prayed Maggie would come down fast and tell him everything was all right. He didn't know how long he could keep being patient.

It was still several minutes before Maggie came down. She had tiny bundle in her arms, a quiet bundle. Maggie had tears in her eyes.

No – Nick thought.

Maggie brought the bundle down to Nick. Nick put J.J. down on the floor and took the bundle from Maggie. Maggie said, "This is Anthony Jarrod Barkley, Nick."

Nick looked at the tiny face and the tiny hands grabbing onto the blanket he was wrapped in. For a moment, Nick was just mesmerized. His head was whirling around. Then, he had to ask. "Nancy?"

Maggie took hold of Nick's hand and squeezed. "She needs the doctor, Nick. She's all right for now, but she needs the doctor."

"Why? What's wrong?!"

"She had a fast delivery, but it was rough. Your mother is taking good care of her, but she needs the doctor."

"I want to see her – "

"That's not a good idea. Let your mother take care of her. You don't want to get in the way."

Nick was nearly frantic. He forgot entirely that he was holding his son until the baby began to squirm and cry again. Nick jostled him, but he couldn't bring himself to look at him. Suddenly, all affection he might have felt for this child of his was gone. Suddenly, this squirming bundle only meant disaster because of what he'd done to Nancy. Nick didn't know what to do, what to think, what to feel.

Maggie had kept her hand on his hand, but she had to let go for a moment to pick J.J. up, and when she did, Nick got by her and went for the stairs. In a moment he was outside his bedroom door – and he couldn't go in. He could only stand there helplessly.

Maggie and J.J. were beside him quickly. "Nick, don't go in there," Maggie said.

It was still silent in there. Nick began to tremble.

Victoria heard them in the hall and came out. She looked worried.

"What's happening?" Nick asked. "How's Nancy? Is she all right?"

Victoria took hold of Nick's hand. "She's all right, but she's had a rough time of it, Nick. She's lost a lot of blood, and she's very, very weak. She needs to see the doctor and she shouldn't be disturbed until she does."

"I need to see her."

"Nick, she's not awake. You need to leave her be until the doctor comes. I'm sorry, but it's critical we leave her as still and undisturbed as possible."

Nick felt every bit of his soul wash out of him and drop to the floor. Breathing heavily, he turned away from his mother and sister-in-law, and he looked at the baby in his arms, squirming and crying, sounding more like a kitten than a baby.

And Nick hated that baby.