When Val asked her that, about whether there was more to the story concerning the old man, Charlie settled for a shrug,

and said, "He's interesting."

"Interesting or no, he's got some concerning behavior," Val said. "Don't go round him, you hear?"

"I hear," Charlie said.

Val was watching her, and the look in his eyes was speculative, discerning. As if he wasn't taking her at her word.

"I do," she insisted.

"Alright," Val said.

"I better go meet Teresa," Charlie said then, and gathered up her book to leave.

"Tell Scott and Johnny to come into town and have a beer with me," Val told her.

Charlie said she would do that, said goodbye, and began her walk to the Stone's. It wasn't far. Just a couple of streets over.

When she got to the imposing white house that the Stone family resided in, Charlie lifted the heavy wooden knocker on the

front door.

A trim young woman, wearing a white apron answered the knock.

When Charlie told her she was there to meet Teresa, she was ushered inside, and to a large parlor. Charlie had not seen

this room when she and Teresa had visited here before. It was a fine room, with elaborate furnishings and paintings that looked

as though they'd been painted by a toddler. Charlie found she much preferred paintings such as the ones that hung in Murdoch's library,

the ones he and others had painted, that were of real-life things. Houses, or ships, or people. These paintings were like the ones that

Katherine had in her house. They looked like giant blobs of color. Charlie thought they were horrible.

Teresa was sitting, with a cup of tea, perched in a chair that looked very uncomfortable. Lucy's older sister, and her mother

were also sitting there. And Lucy, as well, wearing an extremely fancy dress, and her black shoes, shiny as always.

"There you are," Teresa said, when Charlie was shown into the room. She sounded, Charlie thought, as if she'd been

waiting for hours.

"Yes. Here I am," Charlie said.

"Come and sit down," Teresa said, gesturing to the chair beside her.

After that, Lucy was saying hello, and Mrs. Stone was asking Charlie if she would like some cake or cookies.

"No, thank you," Charlie said, sitting down where she was instructed.

As Mrs. Stone instructed the maid to bring more tea, Teresa took the opportunity to say, in a low tone, "It's about

time you got here. Where have you been?"

"I wasn't long," Charlie protested.

Teresa shook her head and looked decidedly cross.

"I went to say hello to Mr. Val," Charlie said, low.

"Let's go up to my bedroom," Lucy was saying to Charlie. "We can play dolls."

Charlie only just managed not to roll her eyes, and give a horrified look back. Dolls?

"Come on," Lucy persisted, tugging at Charlie's arm.

"Aren't we supposed to be heading home soon?" Charlie asked, looking to Teresa.

"You can go for a few minutes," Teresa said.

Her look to Charlie was pointed, and she still looked peeved.

Charlie got to her feet reluctantly, and went upstairs to Lucy's room. It was decorated as elaborately as

the downstairs parlor. With two more of the blob paintings.

Lucy got busy, pulling out an immense collection of china dolls, all with numerous changes of clothes. Charlie mostly just

sat, watching as Lucy chose one dress for this doll, and then another.

"Do you have this many dolls?" Lucy asked.

"I don't have any dolls," Charlie said.

Lucy's eyes widened. "Why? Won't the Lancer's get you any?"

"They would, if I asked, I suppose. I don't really care for dolls," Charlie said bluntly.

"Oh." Lucy masked her disappointment. "Well, what would you like to do instead?"

"We could go outside," Charlie suggested, thinking of the swing that was in Lucy's yard. She'd loved swinging on it

when she'd been here the day of the horse auction.

"It's hot outside," Lucy said, in mild protest, but got up, and the two girls went downstairs, and thru the front hall.

"We're going outside," Lucy called into the parlor.

Once outside, at the swing, the girls took turns, and when it was Charlie's turn, she leaned back, and closed her eyes,

feeling as though she were flying.

"I love your swing," she told Lucy.

"You should tell the Lancer's that you want your own swing," Lucy said.

"I might," Charlie said. It would certainly be fun to have her own swing, like this one.

"Then they'll have to do it for you," Lucy said, decidedly.

"They wouldn't have to do it," Charlie said, stressing the word 'have'. "But, they might."

"If I want something, I just tell my father that I want it," Lucy said.

"And he just does it?" Charlie asked. "Whatever you want?"

"Mostly, he does," Lucy said, sounding satisfied.

The girls were sitting at the iron outdoor table, where the Stone's sometimes sat in the evenings. When Charlie caught

Lucy looking at her in a questioning sort of way, she asked, "Why are you looking at me that way?"

"What's it like?" Lucy asked.

"What's what like?" Charlie asked, confused.

"To be rich."

Charlie hesitated, and Lucy talked on, "I mean, my father isn't poor, but I mean, what's it like to have as much

money as you do?"

Charlie nearly laughed, thinking of the three cents in her pocket. "I spent all my money on my book today," she shared, gesturing

at the book on the table.

"Not that," Lucy said, waving her hand. "I mean your money. The money that's just yours. The millions."

Ah, now she understood. And, yet, she didn't.

"I'm not rich," Charlie said, feeling suddenly uncomfortable under Lucy's curious gaze.

"You mean, it's not true? You aren't going to inherit money from your grandfather's gold mine?"

Charlie stood up, and said, "Teresa and I should be getting home."

Lucy looked startled, then regretful. "I didn't mean to hurt your feelings, Charlie."

"You didn't. I just don't like talking about it."

"Why?" Lucy asked, genuinely puzzled. "If I was going to be a rich heiress, I'd talk about it all of the time."

"I just don't like to-" Charlie said, and then started towards the house.

Lucy caught up with her, apologizing. "Are you mad with me? I didn't know you wanted it to be a secret-"

When Charlie was silent, Lucy looked as though she was going to cry. "Please don't stop talking to me, or stop being

my friend, Charlie!"

"I won't stop talking to you," Charlie said shortly.

"I was just curious. Wondering what it was like to be able to have anything you want, because you're rich," Lucy persisted.

"It's not like that," Charlie said, coming to a stop, and turning to look at Lucy. "I mean, I can't. I don't have any of the

money. It's only for when I'm older. You know."

"Oh," Lucy said. "Well, that doesn't sound very fair. I mean, if it's your money, why can't you spend some of it now? If you

wanted to, I mean?"

The door opened, and Teresa came out, followed by Lucy's older sister, and mother.

"Ready, Charlie?" Teresa asked. "We need to be getting home."

Thinking she should say that she was more than ready to leave, Charlie settled for a nod. "Yes. Bye, Lucy."

"Goodbye," Lucy said, still looking as though she was going to cry.

"What's wrong, dear?" Mrs. Stone asked Lucy, as Teresa and Charlie walked to the waiting buggy.

Teresa waited until they were both seated in the buggy, and she had picked up the reins, before she

said, "Did you and Lucy have an argument?"

"No."

"Well, she looked upset. As though she were going to cry."

"Lucy cries a lot," Charlie said. "At school she cries at least once a week."

"Well, what happened?" Teresa persisted.

"I didn't do anything wrong," Charlie said.

"I didn't say you did. I'm only asking what happened."

"I don't want to talk about it."

Teresa sighed. "Goodness, Charlie."

"What?" Charlie demanded, looking at the older girl.

"Nothing," Teresa sighed again. "Do you want to stop for ice cream?"

Charlie shrugged. "I don't know."

"We don't have to. Maria's probably making several desserts for tonight."

"Okay," Charlie said, focusing her gaze to the landscape to her right.

Teresa made an irritated sound. Sort of a 'humph'.

Silence reigned then, for a few miles.

"What is it?" Teresa asked again. "You're upset, too. Did Lucy say something unkind to you?"

"No."

Silence again.

"You can talk to me, Charlie. I'm a good listener," Teresa said.

"It's nothing important," Charlie said.

"It is important, if it's upset you," Teresa denied.

Charlie shook her head, and Teresa gave up the attempt to coax the problem out of her.

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Once back at the ranch house, Charlie hopped out of the buggy, and went off to feed her horse some apples, still carrying

her new book.

It was later, when Charlie had found a tree to sit under, with Gurth standing nearby. She dived into reading her new

book, and in doing so, forgot all about Lucy and her questions for a time.

She heard a horse approaching, and turned to see Scott riding up, accompanied by another ranch hand.

She stood up to greet him, keeping her place in the book with a finger.

"Hey there, kiddo," Scott greeted her.

"Hi, Scott!"

Scott and the other man conversed for a couple of minutes, and then he rode on. Scott surveyed her from atop his horse.

"You got your book?" he asked Charlie.

"Yes," Charlie said. "It's really good so far."

"Easy, or you'll have it all read in one day," Scott said, giving her an affectionate smile.

"Want a ride up to the house?" Scott offered.

Charlie nodded, and went to hold her hand up to him. Scott clasped it, and gave Charlie a pull up, to sit behind him.

"How was your trip to town?" he asked, putting the horse into motion.

"Alright."

"Did you and Teresa get your ice cream?"

"No. We decided not to," Charlie said.

"Oh."

"I went to see Mr. Val," Charlie offered up. "He said to tell you to come and have a beer with him."

"I bet he was glad to see both of you."

"Teresa went on to the Stone's. I stopped at the jail by myself, after I got my book," Charlie said.

"I see."

"He had a prisoner," Charlie shared. "Guess who it was?"

"I couldn't guess."

"The old man. The one that I took the fruit to."

Scott did a half head-turn, to look back at Charlie. "Yeah?"

"Uh huh. Val said he was lolly-gagging. Being a vagrant."

"Ah."

"I just wanted to tell you," Charlie said. "I didn't want you to think that I did anything wrong."

Scott hesitated, thinking that comment over for a moment or so, and then said, "Well, that's good, then. That you

told me."

Charlie pressed her cheek against Scott's back, tightening her arms around his waist.

"Do you think I could have a swing?" she asked.

"A swing?"

"Yes. You know, a swing. That you can make go really high. Like the one that Lucy has."

"I don't think I've ever seen the swing at the Stone's, but I imagine we can fix one up for you," Scott said.

Charlie hugged his waist more tightly. "Thank you, Scott. I would really like it."

"We'll get one made up for you," he promised.

After a few minutes of quiet between them, as the house and out-buildings came into sight, Charlie

said, "Do lots of folks in town know about me?"

"Well, yes," Scott said, turning back to give her a smile. "I mean, you've been here for months-"

"I don't mean that. I meant, do lots of them know about the gold mine money? That I'm going to inherit?"

"No. Not that I know of," Scott said. "There's no reason for folks to know. That's not their business."

"Exactly what I think," Charlie said, very low, almost in a mutter.

"What?" Scott asked.

"I said, that's exactly what I think, too," Charlie said, louder.

By now, nearly to the barn, Scott thought that Charlie sounded strange. Both in her tone of voice, and in her comments.

He lowered Charlie to the ground in front of the corral, and then dismounted himself. He began to unsaddle, and

when Charlie began walking to the house, Scott said, "Hold up a minute."

Charlie looked back to him. "I was going to take my book inside, up to my bedroom," she said.

"In a few minutes. I want to talk to you some more."

Charlie walked back over, as Scott began to uncinch the saddle.

"Why are you asking me that, about folks knowing about the inheritance?" Scott asked.

"Because Lucy asked me about it."

Scott paused, laying a hand on the saddle horn, and turning to look at Charlie.

"She did?" Scott asked.

At Charlie's nod, Scott's forehead wrinkled in concern. "How did that conversation come about?" he asked.

"She asked what it was like to be rich, to be able to have whatever I want," Charlie said bluntly.

Still puzzled, Scott prompted, "And?"

"And I told her that I couldn't, and she said that if she had millions of dollars like me, that she thought I could

have whatever I wanted."

"Hmm," Scott said, pulling the saddle off, and keeping his eye on Charlie. Someone else, that didn't know Charlie as well

as he did, might not have been able to tell that the little girl was bothered. But, Scott did know her well, and he was able to

judge her moods.

"Want to put him in the pasture for me?" he asked Charlie.

Charlie nodded, taking the reins and leading the horse towards the pasture gates. Scott, meanwhile, put the saddle away, and then

a few moments later, when Charlie came, carrying the reins, he took them from her and hung them up.

Outside the barn again, in the sunshine, Scott stood, looking down at Charlie.

"Did you tell some of the other kids at school?" he asked. "Maybe that's how Lucy heard about it."

"No," Charlie said, shaking her head vigorously. "I haven't told anybody. I didn't want any of the kids here to know."

"Hmm," Scott said, again. "Well, I haven't said anything to anyone in town. Well, besides Val. And, he wouldn't repeat it

to anyone else."

"I don't like people knowing it. They look at me differently afterwards."

"Do you think Val does that?" Scott asked.

"No. He doesn't. But, kids will."

Scott looked thoughtful, and then said, in a quiet suggestion, "Maybe I could speak to Lucy's father, and he could have a talk

with her. Impress upon her that it's not something that you want others to know."

Charlie was quiet, solemn, and Scott asked, "Would you like me to do that?"

"Yes, thank you," Charlie said, still seeming subdued.

"I don't imagine that Lucy meant any harm by what she said," Scott said, trying to comfort Charlie. "She probably just

wasn't thinking about how her words would sound."

"Maybe so," Charlie said, in agreement.

"You have the right. though," Scott told her, "To not want folks to know, if that's what you choose. I'm not certain how

Lucy learned of it all, but I'll see if I can't contain it."

"Alright," Charlie said.

Scott ran a hand down the back of her head. "How about a smile?" he asked her.

Charlie gave him a faint smile.

Having given her his support on this issue, Scott decided he'd best point out the other side of the coin.

"It's not the end of the world, though, if someone does know of it," Scott told her. "You can just say you don't

want to talk about it, and that's the end of it."

"I tried that with Lucy. She acted as though she was going to start bawling."

Scott was thinking that statement over, when Charlie abruptly changed the subject. "When do you think you and Johnny

might be able to fix up my swing?" she asked.

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