Chapter 2

The day went fine for everyone, as did the next day. No sign of Gentleman Jack Darby and no one taking any shots at Jarrod thinking he was him, bu then they really didn't know when he would show up, if ever. They had no idea when he actually left Kansas, because the sheriff did not get a response from Kansas to the wire he sent there asking for the wanted poster to be verified. He said he'd give it one more day and then wire again, in case Kansas was just slow in getting back to him.

The third day was hot and uncomfortable. "I'll sure be glad to get some good whiskey in me tonight," Nick said as the crested the hill that led home. On top of the heat, it had been a long, rough day, full of little irritating problems that always drove Nick mad.

Heath gave him a laugh. He had his own share of irritations, but he always let them go faster than Nick did. But then he saw something, in the lane up ahead. "Nick – " he said.

Nick saw it, too. A man, lying on his side in the lane. A man in a light grey suit – like the suit Jarrod wore to court.

They rode fast and jumped down. "He couldn't have been here long," Nick said and turned the man over. "Jarrod?"

Heath saw the blood on the man's left side. He pulled the coat back and opened the shirt – and then he looked closer. There was a bullet wound in the man's left side near the back, but, "Nick, this isn't Jarrod."

"What?" He looked at the man's face. It was Jarrod's face.

"Jarrod has those scars from that beating the Basque gave him a few years ago," Heath said. "This man doesn't have any."

Nick quickly pushed up the man's left sleeves. There was no scar where Jarrod had one. "Oh, my gosh, this is that Darby fellow," Nick said.

Heath looked around for a horse but didn't see one. "I wonder what happened and how he got here."

"I can take a guess," Nick said. "Some bounty hunter shot him but he got away and got this far before his fell out of the saddle. We'll probably find his horse up at the house. Come on, let's get him up there."

They got him to the house, and as they carried him in, Victoria and Audra saw them and came running. "Oh, my God, Jarrod – " Victoria said.

"No, Mother, this isn't Jarrod," Heath said. "This is that Darby fellow."

"Are you sure?" Victoria asked.

Nick and Heath began to carry him up the stairs. "He doesn't have Jarrod's scars. Better send somebody for the doctor and get Jarrod home, too. They better tell him there's a bounty hunter around who shoots without asking questions."

"I'll go get somebody," Audra said and hurried out the front door.

Victoria followed Nick and Heath upstairs. They took Darby into the nearest guest room and put him on the bed, where they got him out of his coat and shirt. Heath pulled his boots off, and papers fell out of the lining of one of them. Heath looked them over, saying, "Yeah, this is Darby. Here are his papers, and some pictures and notes. There's so much stuff in here, it's a wonder his foot fit in the boot. Here's a picture of his mother."

Heath handed the photo to Victoria. She looked very closely at it. "This could be my cousin," she said. "I haven't seen her since we were girls. My mother and her siblings had the same chin, that kind of a straight line that Jarrod inherited from their father. The same shape of the eyes. Mr. Darby has them, too."

"You don't have them," Nick said.

"No, they skipped me and went straight to Jarrod." Victoria looked at Darby closely and could scarcely believe her eyes. This man looked exactly like Jarrod. If she didn't know he wasn't her son, even she would have believed he was. Darby, for his part, was completely unconscious and showed no signs of waking up. "He's lost a lot of blood," Victoria said.

Nick had already fetched a towel and was putting pressure on the wound. "That bullet's still in him, too. Let's turn him a bit, Heath, see if we can get gravity working for us."

Audra came up before too long with hot water and fresh towels. "Oh, my heavens," she said when she looked at the man.

Nick took the bowl of water from Audra and set it on the night table. Victoria immediately set about cleaning the wound.

"Jarrod's not going to believe his eyes," Audra said as Victoria worked.

Once she had the wound cleaned, Nick took a clean towel to it and applied pressure. "He's gonna need blood," Nick said. "If he lives to see the doctor."

"I will live," Darby suddenly said, without opening his eyes.

And everyone jumped. Darby had Jarrod's voice as well as his face. For a moment, they thought they'd been mistaken and that this was Jarrod, but Nick looked at the man's left arm again. There was no scar.

Darby opened his eyes and smiled. "It appears I might have made it to where I was going."

Victoria was shaking, the resemblance in the man's eyes and face and voice was so uncanny. "Are you Jack Darby?" she asked.

"The very man," Darby said. "Are you Mrs. Victoria Barkley?"

"I am," Victoria said.

"How did you know who I was?" Darby asked, closing his eyes.

The Barkleys all looked at each other, thinking the same thing – let us count the ways. But Victoria decided to keep it simple for now. "Your papers were in your boot."

Darby sighed and groaned. "I am told we are distantly related. I believe you and my dear mother were cousins."

"Who is your mother?" Victoria asked.

"Her maiden name was Elizabeth Curry."

Victoria sighed. "Yes, I do have a cousin by that name."

"Why did you come here, Darby?" Nick asked. "We know there's a wanted on you and I suspect you were shot by a bounty hunter."

Darby looked surprised. "A wanted poster on me? Well, I suppose that explains being shot by someone who did not present himself. I had no idea there was a wanted poster out on me."

"From Kansas."

"Kansas? I don't recall – " Darby started to fade.

Victoria said, "You rest, Mr. Darby. The doctor is being summoned. You'll be safe here until he comes." And then you'll meet your mirror image, too, Victoria thought but did not say. She didn't think her patient was ready for another shock right now.

Darby had passed out again anyway.

"Well," Heath said, "this is what I'd call a kettle of fish."

Victoria said, "Nick, Heath, I'd feel better if you headed for town and brought Jarrod home. If there is some bounty hunter who shot this man and he sees Jarrod – "

"We're already with you," Nick said as he and Heath headed out the door.

Audra stood staring at Jack Darby and shaking her head. "It's amazing. He looks like Jarrod. He sounds like Jarrod. If I didn't see he didn't have the scars – "

Victoria nodded. "Even I would have thought he was Jarrod. Let's hope we can keep him alive until the doctor gets here."

XXXXXXX

The doctor arrived before Nick and Heath brought Jarrod home, and when Dr. Merar got a look at his patient, he immediately thought he was looking at Jarrod. "How did this happen, Victoria? Do you know?" he asked.

"We can only assume it was a bounty hunter," Victoria said.

"Bounty hunter?" The doctor moved the towel from the wound – and stopped. He had tended Jarrod several times since Jarrod had been whipped by the Basque. He had even tended those welts when they were fresh, but now they were gone. "Victoria, what – who – "

"This isn't Jarrod," Victoria said. "This man's name is Jack Darby. He's a distant relative."

"You're sure he's not Jarrod's twin?"

Victoria smiled a little. "I think I'd remember that."

"He's lost a lot of blood," Dr. Merar said, shaking his head. "I can't take that bullet out until I get more blood into him."

"Nick and Heath are bringing Jarrod home. They should be here any time."

Dr. Merar just kept shaking his head. "I'd suggest Jarrod give him the transfusion. He's most likely to be compatible. If this doesn't beat all."

"It is remarkable, isn't it? We had to check for scars before we'd believe he wasn't Jarrod."

"You said you think a bounty hunter got him?"

"He's wanted. Fred Madden has a poster on him."

Dr. Merar looked worried. "I hope Jarrod makes it home all right."

"He's home all right," the familiar voice came in through the door with the familiar man. Jarrod went straight to the bed, Nick and Heath behind him. He looked down at Jack Darby, and his eyebrows went up. "Well, I never would have believed it."

"He sounds exactly like you, too," Victoria said.

"I've heard of people looking alike, but not sounding alike," Jarrod said.

Dr. Merar said, "Jarrod, he needs a transfusion and you're the best candidate."

Jarrod took his suit jacket off and handed it to Heath beside him. As he rolled up his sleeve, Nick pulled a chair up behind him, and Jarrod sat down.

"Now, the rest of you go on," Dr. Merar said, "except you, Victoria. If you would, go get some hot water and alcohol and towels. I'll want to get this bullet out as soon as we get some blood in."

Jarrod shook his head as he continued to look at Jack Darby. "I take it the eyes are blue, too."

"As blue as yours," Victoria said. She gave Jarrod a kiss on the cheek. "I'm glad you're home safe," she said and left the room with Nick and Heath.