Chapter Twenty One

Music filled the ballroom of the Commonwealth Cluband the voices of those in attendance could be heard from one end to other. Michelle, who had traveled to San Francisco with Jarrod and Audra, who was staying with a friend while Jarrod and Michelle went to the party being held at the establishment, now stood with her arm interlocked with Jarrod's as they entered the room. Michelle could not believe how foreign it felt to be in such a place. That is, how foreign it felt for the first few minutes. Ever since she'd been living on the ranch she'd avoided places such as this, due to the fear that her father would, somehow, be in the same place. And, while Jarrod's office was in the middle of Stockton, it still had not been filled with the same noise as this place. Now, standing in a room with crystal chandeliers and curtains with more frills and ruffles than she could count covering the windows, it felt as if she'd gone back in time. Well, almost.

"You okay?" Jarrod asked, as he'd noticed Michelle stiffen as they entered the room.

"I'm sorry, not trying to put a damper on anything. It's just been a long time." Michelle, embarrassed at her seemingly trivial reaction to such a lively party, blushed as she answered truthfully. The last party she'd been to that held this many people had been close to two years before she'd left her father's home, as her father had his nose too far up in the air to 'mingle with just anyone'. She'd been just as bad if she were to be honest only now, with everything she'd seen and done these past few months, she hoped she wasn't so bad.

"Well, maybe a dance would help you adjust." Jarrod smiled, gave her a wink as he led her out to the dance floor. The two of them enjoyed the dance with another guest occasionally throwing a hello their way. It all seemed like a dream; one that Michelle found herself not wanting to end.

"Enjoying yourself?" Jarrod asked after they'd danced a few times and headed towards a table that sat near the south end of the room that held various food and drinks on it.

"Yes, I am." Michelle smiled. "It helps that my dance partner isn't stepping on my toes all the time." She then told Jarrod about the few dances she'd been too while living with her father. "I never enjoyed them this one, though it helps that you haven't stepped on my foot once."

Jarrod chuckled and promised to do all he could to make sure he never did that one as he handed her a drink. "Would you go for a walk around the grounds with me? I promise there are enough people out there already so it's not like we'd be alone." He might not have suggested it only he could see Michelle was beginning to become uneasy. He chalked it up to the fact, as she had just said; it had been awhile since she'd been to such a party.

Michelle, who was indeed feeling a bit overwhelmed, jumped at the chance to leave the very crowded room. Soon she and Jarrod were walking down the back steps leading up to the building. Making their way to the stone path that surrounded the huge flower garden that lay behind the establishment, Jarrod and Michelle began swapping tales, some of them from their childhood.

"I had a few close play mates, others I simply saw in passing." Michelle answered when Jarrod asked about her friends in France. She then chuckled as she remembered one particular friend, "I did have a good friend in a girl named Angelique, or Angel as her closet friends would call her." Michelle told him as they sat down on a marble bench that sat in the upper left hand corner of the ground behind the Commonwealth Club. "Once, after a particular dance, we discussed the type of men we'd like to marry someday." Jarrod, who could easily see two young girls discussing such a topic, asked curiously, "And just what did you tell her?" He only asked out of curiosity, knowing how many times what a person thinks they want as a youth turns out to be totally different as they mature into an adult.
For a moment Michelle did not answer as she replayed the scene on the stages of her mind. Finally she let out a sigh and answered, "I told her that it didn't matter as long as I loved him. I just forgot it for a few years." She and Jarrod then returned to walking around the grounds.
As the evening wore on, Jarrod and Michelle eventually returned to the dance and to visiting the people who were also attending. By the time they left Michelle was more than ready to pick up Audra and go back to Jarrod's apartment where she would share a room with his sister.
~oOo~

"I don't believe you!" The Marquee stood in the office to one of his mines staring at Detective Burns as if the man had grown two ears and eight eyes. "The Barkleys might be foolish enough to invite all kinds of people into their home, but Michelle would never do such a thing!" Even as he spoke the words the night that Nick came to their home flashed through his mind, along with the words spoke by both the rancher and Michelle came to his mind.

"Believe me or not, it's true. Your daughter made it rather crystal clear that she left here of her own free will and changed her looks and names all in an effort to start over. When I called her by the name of Lecaise, she quickly corrected me. While I do not know if it's actually legal yet or not, she made it crystal clear her name is Shelly LaBaron now." He was not surprised to see the man in front of him almost explode.

"OUT! OUT OF MY HOUSE! YOU ARE LYING, AND I'LL NOT HAVE LIARS IN MY HOUSE!" The Marquee shouted worse than any spoiled brat ever thought of doing. The whole time he swore that he was checking this story out. If it was right, somebody was going to pay dearly for it.

"Gladly," Detective Burns smiled simply to annoy the gentleman before him. "As soon as you settle up with me, I'll be out of your hair." The man inwardly chuckled as the Marquee practically ripped his wallet out of his pocket and, pulling out some money, threw it to the detective.

"Now, get out!" The Marque shouted. Though it did little good to, the good detective was already opening the door and walking out. As he did so, the Marque started deciding just how long he would wait until he went to Stockton and made Michelle pay for what she'd one to him. After all, she would assume he would come right away, and he wanted to make her sweat for awhile.