Author's Note: I know it's been 3 years since I updated this story. Real life and writer's block was the main culprits in my delay. I really didn't like the original premise of this story, so I went back and re-worked everything. I recommend that you all go back and read the story from the beginning to get a better understanding of this new version of A Season of Truth. Thanks to all of you who e-mail and posted urging me continue this story. You were/are my inspiration, and I hope that you and everyone else are still around and ready to continue on with me and this story.

Chapter Four

Asa Winters exited the downtown building with several other City Councilmen including Ned Logan. He'd just proposed to the Council again that they sale more downtown property and issue permits to erect more buildings. But just like before Ned Logan had blocked the proposal with his conservative financial forecasting and his influence over most of the Council.

"I can't believe you did this to me again." Asa declared as he walked up to the man whom he'd despised as long as he could remember. "My proposal to erect more buildings will be a good way to bring more revenue to the city."

"We already have four new buildings going up within the next 2 years." Ned said as he turned to face the man thinking how though he and Asa Winters were both accomplished men, had nearly grew up together – Asa was several years older, knew the same people and sometimes worked in the same business circles there was no love lost between the them. Even before the mess that had happened in the past, they'd never got along. "Those buildings will generate more than enough revenue to keep this city moving forward. More land acquisition and additional buildings at this point will only serve to clutter downtown Lexington and ultimately stunt the city's growth." He explained.

"What you said makes absolutely no sense." Asa countered. "Additional buildings means additional revenue for the city. A growing city like Lexington is always in need of money."

"I'm not going to go over this with you again." Ned said. "I've made my recommendation and the Council has made their decision. I'm not going to argue with you over a plan that will serve no benefit to this city."

"I'm not going to let you keep doing this to me." Asa threatened.

"What's that? Stifle your plan that serves no purpose except to line your pockets?" Ned asked. "I hate to disappoint you, but as long as I'm the Financial Officer to this town and a member of the City Council any plans that you present that are not beneficial to this city will not be realized." Ned stated then turned and walked away leaving Asa Winters seething within, vowing that someday he would destroy Ned Logan.

Marita had never felt so much sadness, so much pain. She imagined it was like her heart being ripped from her chest - the hurt so deep that breathing felt nearly impossible. She couldn't believe that her mother was gone, out of her life forever. How did this happen? Why did this happen? She anguishly questioned within as she sat under a large oak tree staring out at the pond that could easily pass for a lake. What was the meaning of life, the point of happiness if it was going to be taken away so easily? She painfully thought. Just a few days ago she and her mother had been enjoying the spring weather while shopping in downtown Lexington, making plans for Easter dinner and now today she was gone. Marita drew a deep breath and noted the irony in the beauty of the day, how it was deepening her grief. The sun was shining warm and bright. The birds were singing with joy. The wind was cool when it blew and the sky was a calming blue accented by whimsical clouds that looked like the wings of an angel. The day was gorgeous and full of life. This day was the kind of day that her mother always loved. Marita broke down in heartwrenching tears at the painful realization that her mother would never see a day like that again, when she felt a hand come to rest gently on her shoulder. Marita instantly lifted her face from her hands. Her eyes still closed as an unexpected comfort rushed through her.

"I saw this, and I thought of you." A young male voice said. She opened her eyes and saw before her the most beautiful flower she'd ever seen. On first glance one might think the flower was a rose due to its long stem and rose like bloom, but the difference was the stem had no thorns, the bloom was much larger than a rose and it had numerous layers of delicate pedals that were snow white and highlighted in pink around its edges. The beauty of the bloom for a moment strangely struck a calmness in her heart that was eventually overtaken by the deep pain that came with the thought of her mother causing Marita to once again bury her face in her hands and helplessly sob over her loss.

"I'm sorry." The young man instantly apologized as he pulled the bud away. "You love flowers so much …I thought maybe I…it could bring you some comfort. I'm sorry for being so insensitive. I'll go."

"Wait." Marita weakly exclaimed, lifting her face from her hand, stopping the young man. "Will you sit with me for awhile?" She asked.

"Yes." The young man quietly answered. She closed her eyes in pain unable to open them due to the tears still flowing, but she heard him, the grass crunching beneath his feet, then him finally sitting down next to her and gently taking her hand.

"I'm so sorry." He whispered with sincerity, in all her pain, another wave of comfort washed over her soothing her soul...Marita opened her eyes and gazed out at the calm pond before her. Her heart still aching from what she remembered from that dream. Was it really a dream she now wondered. After all she didn't remember everything about her mother's death. The accident had erased many things from that time from her mind. She did remember the weeks before her mom's death and the day she died, but she did not remember the funeral and the days following. Was this - that dream the day of the funeral or one of those days following? Or was it just her being home triggering these strange dreams. The thing was though her emotions - her heartache felt so raw, so real and then there was the weird appearance of the Persian Buttercups being connected to a significant moment in her life, just like she'd sensed the day before. Marita closed her eyes again as a tear escaped down her cheek still feeling, thinking, remembering when that final moment again flashed through her mind, reminding her again of him, the mysterious young man whose mere presence had comforted her….

"Marita?" Isaac stated with alarm causing her to open her eyes. "What are you doing out here." He asked his concern increasing upon seeing her tear strained face. "What happened? Are you alright?"

"I'm fine." She uttered as she wiped away her tears.

"If everything's fine, why are you crying?" He asked.

"I was just thinking about ma." She shakily answered.

"Thinking or remembering?" Isaac cautiously questioned still worried that his daughter might have returned for reasons that she had not disclosed to him, that she was indeed remembering what she had never recovered from her past.

"Why does it matter?" Marita asked, as she looked up from her handkerchief to gaze at her pa, now wondering why he seemed so focused on her memory since she'd returned to Lexington.

"It doesn't." Isaac softly replied immediately defusing his daughter's alarm. "Honey I'm just…worried about you." He said. "And honestly I am worried about you remembering. The last time you started to remember things you had problems with severe headaches and such. I just want to make sure you being here in Lexington isn't too overwhelming." He admitted.

"I'm fine." Marita reassured. "I was just thinking…about how much I miss her." She said, failing to tell him about the strange dreams she'd been having seeming so much like memories.

"I know its difficult being here after losing so many memories you had of her." Isaac sadly responded. "That's why I wanted you to wait for me before you ventured out on the ranch. I didn't want you experiencing what you are feeling now alone." He gently scolded.

"Pa I appreciate you wanting to help, but I'm not a little girl anymore, and I'm not the fragile woman I was after the accident. I'm stronger now, physically and emotionally." Marita strongly countered. "Though the thoughts and the memories of the past hurt, sometimes more than I thought was possible I can handle it. I want to handle it. Facing the past and the pain that sometimes comes with it makes me stronger."

"I know that you're stronger." Isaac honestly replied. "But that still doesn't stop me from being your father and wanting to protect you."

"I know." Marita quietly said, returning her gaze to the lake and her thoughts to her mother and her strange dream. Isaac watched Marita and wondered. He honestly knew that what she said was the truth. She was stronger, so much stronger in every way. Her return to Lexington seemed to have no affect on her. Could Ned be on to something? He questioned within. Should he tell her the truth? Tell her what really happened with her "accident." Tell her what was going on with her life before things went so horribly wrong. Some part of him felt that she deserved to know the truth, knew that it was wrong for him to keep her in the dark about who she was and the choices she'd made.

"Marita…." Marita turned her attention to her pa, her eyes tearful, her expression full of warmth and trust. "I…its getting late…We should head back." He said, deciding not to tell what he knew he should remembering that his lies wasn't so much about whether Marita could handle the truth, but the devastating consequences that would ensue if the truth was told.

"You go ahead." Marita said. "I'm going to stay awhile."

"Are you sure?" Isaac asked, hoping that she would change her mind and come with him.

"Yes."

"Okay. I'll see you back at the house then." He said. Marita slightly nodded acknowledging his response before again returning her gaze to the pond. Isaac watched her a moment longer before walking away still wondering and worrying. She'd only be there for a few more days he thought. Then she'd be away from all these treacherous lies and truths. Then she'd be safely back in Toronto.

"I have good news about MaryLynn." Clay announced as he walked into the parlor and shut its double doors behind him.

"Pa dumped her, and she's moving out." Lexy exclaimed.

"I wish." Clay replied as he walked further into the room.

"Well if pa didn't dump MaryLynn, what's the good news?" Alice asked. "Because I can't imagine anything else but that being good news."

"MaryLynn is not who she says she is." He declared as he sat on the couch next to Alice.

"We already know that." "How do you know?" Alice and Lexy both stated at once.

"I overheard her talking to one of the servants." He revealed. "She said that she hated her home in Clarksville and didn't ever want to go back."

"So?"

"Well she's always told us that she loved home and couldn't wait to revisit." Clay explained, turning to face his sisters.

"And what does that prove?" Alice asked.

"That she's lying." Clay stated with exasperation dismayed by Alice failing to see the issue here.

"Clay, that proves nothing." Alice sighed.

"How can you say that when she blatantly lied about her "love" for her home town."

"Any woman would lie about loving her hometown when she actually hated it, if she was trying to impress a gentleman caller."

"Exactly." Clay said. "Which is why I think she's hiding something."

"Yes she could be hiding something, but it might not be something that would make her unappealing to pa."

"What? I can't believe you're defending her…"

"I'm not defending her. I just don't want you going to pa with MaryLynn's 'little white lie' when there's really nothing to it to prove that MaryLynn can't be trusted." Alice argued.

"Pa would be furious if he thought we were deliberately trying to destroy his relationship."

"Hey I know better than to go to pa with this information." Clay said as he now made his way over to the liquor stand and poured himself a glass of water.

"Well then what are you going to do with it? Confront her? Which would be a bad idea."

"Of course I'm not going to confront her." Clay exclaimed nearly choking on his water at Alice's idiotic question. "I'm going to Clarksville to check into her past."

"Are you serious?"

"Yes," Clay confirmed. "I don't know why I didn't think about it before. But I'm going to take the train to Clarksville and investigate who or what MaryLynn left behind there."

"Clay I don't know about this." Alice said, voicing her concern.

"Now what?" Clay questioned with frustration.

"First there's pa, how are you going to explain your trip to him?" She said. "And secondly, I'm not sure you should be going to Clarksville alone. I mean who knows what you'll find there"

"There's no need to worry about my explanation to pa." He said "I've got it covered, and as far as Clarksville goes, well, I can take care of myself."

"I still don't like it."

"Me neither." Lexy concurred. "Maybe Alice should go with you."

"Lexy I can't go with him." Alice uttered as she rolled her eyes.

"Why not?"

"If both Clay and I venture off on a mysterious trip it'll only serve to raise pa's suspicions or worse MaryLynn's."

"I can't believe you two" Clay interrupted. "For weeks you both have been saying that we need to do something to get MaryLynn out of our lives and now that I've finally come up with a plan you don't want me to go through with it."

"We didn't say we don't want you to go through with it." Alice replied. "We just want you to be careful. All we know about MaryLynn is what she's told us and if she's lying…who knows what you'll be walking into…"

"Like I said, I can take care of myself."

"That's why I'm worried." Lexy stated remembering how just a couple of years ago Clay wasn't so successful in a disagreement that turned physical with a former schoolmate.

"For the last time, don't worry about me." Clay stiffly replied. "You two just make sure you play it cool and don't reveal where I am or what I'm up to, to pa or MaryLynn." He said. "I'll take care of myself and everything else."

MaryLynn walked down the dimly lit halls of the boarding house towards the room where she'd be meeting with him. When she didn't make their planned meeting several nights before, she'd sent word that they could meet tonight. After she returned from her outing with Ned, she'd patiently waited until everyone in the house was asleep, then she'd quietly snuck out. MaryLynn now frowned at the coldness of the hall and the sound of the loose boards creaking at her every step, hating the thought of living in a place like this again. Though this boarding house was much nicer than the ones she'd resided at in the past, she still had no desire to stay in a place like this again. She wanted something better, much better. Living with the Logans had created that desire within her. She thought now remembering the wealth and prestige she'd encountered on her outing that evening with Ned, feeling that in spite of herself she was starting to develop a soft spot for the man. But she quickly pushed the feeling aside and reminded herself of the plan, that she needed to stick to what she'd agreed upon with the man she was going to see. All she had to do was see it through. Do what she'd been asked to do and she'd reap the rich rewards. MaryLynn now slowly entered the dark room and closed the door behind her, when she was instantly grabbed from behind by what she knew to be a man, covering her mouth, prompting her to struggle to get free and to try and scream...

"Calm down, it's me." The familiar voice then whispered in her ear. MaryLynn immediately ceased to struggle, and as a result the man let her go.

"What are you doing?" MaryLynn quietly scolded, as she quickly turned to face him.

"Being precautious." The man declared.

"Being precautious?" She questioned angrily. "Why? There's no one coming here but me." She said.

"I didn't know for sure it was you." He stiffly countered. "You entered the room like you didn't belong." He said. "I had to be sure."

"Its black as night in here." She argued. "And I'm tired." She said. "What did you expect? For me to come barging in like Jesse James?"

"Of course not." The man retorted. "But you could've said something." He argued. "Next time, just make things simple by announcing that you're here."

'Whatever." MaryLynn sighed as she removed her cloak then placed it on the bed.

"So what have you so tired?" He then asked, his tone curious and dark. "You finally bedding Logan?"

"What if I am?" MaryLynn answered with disgust as she turned around to face him. "That's part of the plan isn't it?"

"You didn't answer my question" He sharply replied. Now a bit worried. He didn't want her getting attached to Ned Logan. Ned had a way with women, and the man didn't want his plan going to hell because of MaryLynn being swayed by his charm.

"Do you really care that much?" She coldly asked, now walking across the room, using the light from the moon shining in the window to find the matches in the dresser drawer.

"Like you so eloquently stated, it is a part of the plan." He tartly reminded her. "So I need to know how things are going." He said, watching her as she lit the lantern on the nightstand, then blew out the match.

"It's going." She vaguely answered as she returned the matches to the dresser drawer, now just ready to deliver the info she came to give and return to the comforts of the ranch.

"What does that mean?" He queried, his patience wearing thin.

"Well..." She said as she again turned to face him. "I learned that he likes to gamble. I'm still working on finding out about his most lucrative client." She revealed as she now walked over to the bed and reached into the large pockets inside her cloak. "I should know that soon enough, and...I have this." She said as she retrieved the item that was in her cloak, then walked over and handed it to the man.

"What's this?" The man asked as he took it from her hand.

"A copy of his financial ledger." She divulged. "Of course I couldn't get them for the whole year, but this one is from the last quarter.

"Excellent." The man said as he briefly scanned the ledger. "I'll make sure you get this back before he misses it." He assured.

"Splendid." MaryLynn dryly responded as she rolled her eyes.

"Everything seems to be right on scheduled." The man continued, now amused at MaryLynn's foul mood, now sure that she hadn't bedded Logan as he walked across the room and placed the ledger on top of the dresser. "Now all you have to do is get Ned Logan in bed." He stated as he turned to face her, his smile menacing and cold.

"Easier said than done." MaryLynn retorted as she held his stare.

"Really?" The man questioned with feigned shocked. "It should be a piece of cake for you, considering your history." He mocked.

"It should be." MaryLynn stiffly replied. "But it isn't." She said as she began to walk towards the bed. "Ned Logan is a perfect gentleman." She uttered, again thinking of their outing hours before, how nice it had been. "He'd never disrespect my honor."

"Your honor?" The man laughed at the irony in that statement.

"Yes." MaryLynn snapped back. "He's a good man who respects me." She said.

"You almost say that like you believe it." The man stated, his smirk quickly fading as anger and jealousy began to rise within him.

"I do." MaryLynn confessed as she turned to face him. "He's been nothing but kind to me, and even when I've stopped short of nearly throwing myself at him, he's been nothing less than noble."

"Sounds like you like him." The man tightly said, now walking towards her.

"I don't." She lied, looking him in the eyes. "I just want you to know that seducing him may take longer than you think." She declared as she strongly held his gaze, before casually turning towards the bed. "I better head back." She then calmly continued as she retrieved her cloak from the bed, trying to keep him from seeing her nervousness about her lie. "Even though it's late, I shouldn't be away too long." She stated as she again turned towards him and slipped on the cloak. "You never know who may be up watching." She said, then moved to head towards the door.

"Not so fast." The man harshly asserted as he reached out and grabbed her arm, pulling her to him. "I'm sure everyone's asleep at the ranch." He continued. "So no one will notice if you come in an hour or two before sunrise." He stated, then kissed her mouth, deep and hard, pulling her closer to him, locking her in his grasp, giving her no choice but to surrender to his lustful demands.