According to what I read on the ages of the Barkley's when Heath entered their lives. Jarrod was 32, Nick was 28, Heath was 23 (He said Tom Barkley was in Strawberry 24 years ago, making Heath 23 if you allow for Leah's pregnancy), Audra turned 19 the first season. I'm making Eugene 20 since it was never made plain if Audra was the youngest or he was. It will make my story more realistic with these ages.

Chapter 10: A Secret Untold

Heath rode up to Nick, who was yelling at some of the crew for not doing the job as he saw fit. The truth was that Nick liked how Heath did the job. Even if the men did it the same as Heath, Nick always said Heath did it better. It was how things were on the ranch now that Heath was accepted by Nick. The rancher, dressed in black, was Heath's strongest supporter.

"Hey, big brother." Heath smiled lopsided as he rode Charger up to stand by Nick's horse, Coco. "Can you take a while away from here?."

"Now, Heath." Nick pushed his black hat back on his head as he wiped at his brow. "This ranch is a working ranch. I can't go taking off to ride around leisurely with my sister. Now can I?"

Heath glanced back over his shoulder at Audra, who held her own mare at a distance. "Your sister sure does need you right now, Nick."

At that statement, Nick's shoulders straightened. He sat straighter in his saddle. "My little sister needs me?"

Suddenly, the ranch work wasn't so important. Nick could see a sadness to his little sister's face from where he sat. Heath nodded to Nick. "I can take over the ranch work."

"Nonsense, boy." Nick steered his horse towards Audra's direction. "Family is more important. Let's go take care of family."

Heath smiled weakly agreeing with Nick. He yelled out. "Chad, you got the ridge fence. Barrett, you make sure the others do their job."

"Yes, Boss." Both men gladly accepted Heath's orders. They had learned their lessons on not obeying Heath Barkley. All the men were grateful that Heath talked Nick out of firing them long ago. Nick and Heath were strong supporters of one another. The men knew not to go against either or they'd have to deal with one brother or the other.

Nick approached Audra cautiously. "Are you okay, Little Sister?"

Audra nodded. "I will be." She reached to grip Nick's hand then let loose to steer her horse. "I will be, Nick."

BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB

It wasn't long before Nick's bellowing called all the family into the study. If Audra wanted to address them, by gosh, Audra would get to address them.

Jarrod looked questioning at Nick as he made his way to sit on top of the large oak desk. Nick just shrugged showing he didn't know any more than the rest of them. The glances went to Heath, who made it plain by his facial expression, this was Audra's tale to tell.

Rose questioned if she should be in this meeting. It was the first words Audra spoke as the doors closed to the study. "Yes. This concerns you as well."

"Audra, you look so distraught, Darling." Victoria gripped her daughter's hand.

"Please sit, Mother." Audra weakly stated. She was trying to hold back tears from seeping past her long eyelashes. Heath noticed her nervous sadness. Therefore, he made his way to Audra. He placed his hand on her shoulder. Audra squeezed Heath's hand and didn't let go for fear she wouldn't be able to go through with the conversation.

"First, Mother." Audra sighed out as a tear trickled down her cheek. "I love you so much. Never, EVER, Doubt that love." Audra could see the confusion on Victoria's face.

"I love you too, Darling." Victoria swallowed nervously. She had no clue what her daughter was going to tell her. She feared Audra was very sick and had only shared the news of sickness with Heath. "Please, my sweet girl, talk to us."

"I wish Gene were here as well." Audra sighed. "But I can't hold off any longer."

Audra sniffed as the words caught in her throat. Nick spoke up. "Spill it, girl. You're going to break up. I can't stand to see you cry."

Heath squeezed Audra's shoulder for assurance. In turn, she squeezed Heath's hand. "I had some notions in my head. So I searched Aunt Rose's satchel."

"You did what?" Victoria glanced wearily at her daughter. "That's her personal stuff. You had no right. Did you help her in this, Heath Barkley?"

"Yep." Was the only answer they were getting from the blonde cowboy.

Rose's face grew white. If the girl had searched her journal, she feared the conversation would take a dreadful turn for Victoria. She hoped this was about Heath and his mother's letters. But she would have no such luck.

"I know it was wrong. Don't blame Heath. I begged him to help." Audra glanced back knowingly towards Heath. "He tried to talk me out of it. But I know I can win with all my brothers."

"Well, now, wait a cotton picking minute." Nick spoke loudly. "I don't do your ..." He paused as Audra's eyes met his. "Okay, we all do your bidding." He surrendered to the truth.

Audra tried to smile despite the situation. "The fact is that I know everything now."

"What are you talking about?" Jarrod had been listening intently. "What do you know? Does this have to do with Heath?"

"No." Audra could feel herself ready to run. However, Heath's touch caused her to gain the courage to go on.

"Dear Lord." Rose grabbed the arm of the chair. She sat down staring at Audra. "You read my journal."

"Only the entry near my birth date." Audra reasoned with her. "The only one that mattered to me."

"What are you talking about?" Victoria felt like she was about to faint. Surely, her lovely daughter didn't know the truth. "What did you write in your journal, Rose?"

Victoria's voice cracked as she spoke. She was having a difficult time holding her emotions in check.

"The truth, Victoria." Rose placed her hands over her face as tears wracked her body. "The truth. That journal is my comfort. I write things I can't handle keeping inside. I never thought any one would read my words."

"We're sorry for nosin' in your personal affairs, Rose." Heath spoke trying to help Audra along. She was shaking beneath the weight of his hand. "But Audra has every right to know. I know for a fact that secrets are too painful if kept. Right or wrong in your reasoning, she has every right to know."

"What in tar hill are you talking about?" Nick bellowed causing the family to jump at his outburst. He made a quirk to his mouth before he lowered his voice. "Would someone please speak up with out all the mystery?"

"Nick, let them collect themselves." Jarrod interjected cautiously. "Can't you see the females are having a hard time with this?"

"It's okay, Jarrod. Nick is right." Audra was crying openly. "I need to let it out. That's why I called you all in here. I didn't want to speak of this separately. I'm not a Barkley. I'm a Cartwright. Isn't that correct, Mother?"

"Don't be ridiculous!" Nick raised his voice but shut his mouth quickly at seeing his mother in so much pained emotion.

"Oh, Audra." Victoria threw her arms around her distraught daughter. Audra released Heath's hand to grip her mother tightly to her. "I'm so sorry, Audra."

"Tell me, Mother. Please. I want to listen. NO matter what, I love you. You're my mother." Audra pleaded. "But I need to know the truth. It has been hidden far too long."

Victoria shook her head in agreement. She tried to speak through a very shaky voice.. "Rose, can you start the story until I can better collect myself?"

Jarrod and Nick glanced curiously at the distraught females. They knew they were the only ones not understanding what was going on. Even Nick held his tongue long enough to let Rose begin the story.

"Well." Rose cleared her throat as she kept her own tears at bay. "I had just made a long journey from Strawberry to find out I had a nephew. Leah Thomson was adamant about keeping Heath a secret. I was feeling awfully weary of it but knew to keep my brother happy, as well as Leah from high tailing it with Heath, I'd keep the secret of Heath from him and Victoria. When I arrived to visit Tom's family, I found that Victoria was pregnant again. She had only had Eugene a year before. Her sister, Lillian, had come in to visit. Lillian was getting closer to her due date so she wanted to be near her sister."

"I lost two babies to miscarriage between Jarrod and Nick. I then lost another child between Nick and Eugene. Times were terrible then as settlers tried to keep living despite the heart aches. I never knew if those three children were boys or girls. I wasn't far enough along. The loss of the children caused a rift between your father and me. I guess I didn't doubt he had an affair due to my pushing him away. I thought I couldn't give him more children, I wasn't worthy of being called a woman or his wife." Victoria held up her hand before any could speak in protest of her words. "It was the way a lot of married women thought. I allowed that lie to consume me despite Tom insisting that I gave him two wonderful sons." Victoria choked up again. "When he came back from Strawberry, we both decided to work on our marriage. Tom was overly attentive. I know why now. But I too was grasping at trying to be a better wife. Money started building. Tom Barkley soon had land and riches that we couldn't imagine before. It wasn't long that we settled in this valley with you two boys." She smiled weakly at Jarrod and Nick.

"Then I found out after seven years, I was pregnant again with Eugene. He was such an added blessing to us. Our marriage seemed completely repaired by his birth." Victoria smiled at the memory of Eugene's birth. "But it wasn't long that I was pregnant again."

Victoria closed her eyes trying to go on. Rose saw it was too much so she took over. "I came in in time to find out the men in the family had took a fishing trip at Lillian's insistence. Little Eugene was a good baby, who barely gave any trouble. Even if that was the case, I insisted on helping the two pregnant sisters while the men were away fishing. Unbeknown to us all, a storm came through causing a major flood where you boys were fishing."

"I remember." Jarrod interjected. "Uncle Ben was at his wit's end. He knew that Aunt Lillian was due any day with the baby. But we were stuck in Wayne Hills for at least two weeks longer than we planned."

Rose looked at Victoria waiting for her to finish the story. Victoria ached at the truth, she still preferred to have hidden. "It wasn't planned. Everything just happened so quickly."

Flash Back 19 years earlier

Lillian and Victoria relaxed in front of the fireplace. Rose had insisted on taking care of Eugene for the past three days. Victoria was grateful as it gave her time to spend with her twin sister. Victoria glanced up from her knitting to see her sister grimace.

"Are you okay, Lillian?" Victoria asked anxiously as she watched her twin sister grab her stomach. "Is it the baby?"

"I think so, Vicky." Lillian grimaced. "I need to go check on Little Joe's horse. I messed up by letting him out earlier."

"Don't be silly, Lillian." Victoria stood up. She laid her knitting down as she headed to look out the window. "It's a terrible storm. I'll have one of our men get him back in the stall. You relax."

Lillian nodded as she sat back in her chair. She grimaced again as the pain hit her alerting her to the baby trying to make her presence known. "Hold out, little child. I'm not ready for this."

About a half hour later, the front doors burst open with Duke McCall carrying Victoria into the parlor. "SOMEONE, HELP ME!"

"Dear Lord, what happened?" Rose came running from upstairs, where she had just put down baby Eugene for the night.

"She fell in the mud. Mrs. Barkley was trying to get some pony in from the rain. She slipped down a slope. I found her facedown in mud." Duke stated as he carried Victoria upstairs.

"Go get a doctor!" Lillian yelled in a panicked voice.

"The doctor isn't in, Mrs. Cartwright." Silas, the house servant stated at seeing the unconscious Victoria. "It seems the men were saying that Dr. Merar was helping some hurt in the flood."

"It's true." Duke ran his hand nervously over his wet hair. "What can we do?"

"Nothing." Rose glanced up. "I've delivered babies before. You go take care of the ranch business like my brother would expect. I'll take care of the girls."

Duke begrudgingly did as he was told. The horses and cattle did need moved due to the torrential downpour.

Victoria woke up to excruciating pain. Rose had obviously stripped her of her muddy clothing as well as washed her clean. Victoria was in a white linen gown with no other garments on her. She saw that she was in the same guest room as her sister. Rose had Silas help her put both sisters in the same room.

"It's too early." Victoria whispered as she glanced down at wetness between her legs. Blood had mingled with water. "My baby. It's too early."

At that very moment, Victoria heard a cry from the bed across the room. Lillian was crying in pain as Rose encouraged her to push. "Now, Lillian. Give it all you got. You're almost there." Rose glanced over at Victoria. "Hold on, Victoria. Hold on for me."

It seemed like only seconds before Victoria heard a shrill cry from a baby. But it wasn't from Lillian's bed. Victoria had ignored Rose's orders as pain had hit her hard again. She couldn't help herself as she pulled her knees to her chest and pushed. Victoria pulled the baby up to her.

"Rose." Victoria begged as she clung to her very small baby girl. "Help me."

"Dear!" Rose left a screaming Lillian to aide Victoria. "What have you gone and done by yourself, Child?"

Rose quickly cut the child's umbilical cord and clipped it off. She then cleaned the child up. She tossed the after birth in a near by dry sink basin before handing the girl to her mother. "Looks like you and Tom have your girl."

"She's beautiful." Victoria twirled her daughter's black hair around her finger. "She looks like Nicholas."

"She does indeed." Rose smiled before she heard some groaning coming from Lillian. What she didn't say was how shallow the baby's breaths seemed to be coming. She also didn't comment on how small the child was. Instead, Rose turned to glance at Lillian then back to Victoria. "I'll be. It seems you sisters are going to give birth the same day."

A/N-The story of the birth of Audra will continue next update. Hopefully, I'll answer all questions.