Author's Note: This Chapter has two versions – one for Fanfiction and one for the Big Valley Writing Desk. This is the Fanfiction version with explicit and mature content.
Chapter Eleven
Priscilla sat exhaustedly against the cold leather seat of the hansom cab; not that she cared about the temperature because she was just glad to lay her head back. The waves of nausea, which she'd thought had abated with the ginger tea earlier that morning had started to come back just half an hour ago. Her original plan had been to do Hester's house one afternoon, but as she looked over their schedule Priscilla realized that it would need to be a morning.
She had picked this day, because they had nothing scheduled until the Tabor's grand ball, later that evening. Priscilla knew that she would need to rest all afternoon, to make it through the dance and late supper. The schedule in Denver had turned out to be more grueling than she'd thought, starting with Sarah Bernhardt's performance the night they arrived. It had all been great fun though, even as she'd struggled with the personal issues of her being with child, and of course Hester's lingering ghost.
It had taken her aback at how quickly she and Nick had conceived a babe; Priscilla recalled her grandmother mentioning that her parents had been married for several years before she was born. She had been awestruck, but Nick – well Nick had been over the moon. His joy only intensified her feeling of contentment and excitement at the miracle they had created. The fly in the ointment, and it was a small fly, was the timing of it and everything else.
When Priscilla had come into the parlor of the suite she'd been surprised to see Sarah there. Her presence only added another complication to a morning that was not in Priscilla's plans at all. Heath and Nick had talked to her, after their luncheon at the Mining Exchange Club. She had listened to Heath's suspicions about Hester, but had been more intrigued at his request not to bring Sarah into the matter. Based on the happenings that morning, with the police, after the night before, Priscilla was sure there was more going on than what Heath was telling her.
The request had bothered her, because experience had shown her that sweeping things under the rug only made the problem worse in the long run. That there was a problem was apparent, at least in her mind from what Heath was requesting. Priscilla though, as she'd recalled Sarah's hysterical outburst, couldn't blame her brother-in-law for holding back from his wife, even as she privately disagreed.
Nick probably knew a great deal about what was going on; on the drive back from the Opera House she'd started to ask Heath about Logan Dawes. Her husband had moved his hand to her knee, and squeezed gently, as his hazel eyes shot a cautionary look. Priscilla understood that a change of subject was needed, which she gladly supplied. Now she said a silent prayer of thanks that Heath had Nick, to support him with what he was going through.
The hansom cab brought her to the front portico of the Queen Hotel and the livered doorman was quick to help her out. Priscilla walked across the lavishly appointed lobby, not registering any of the décor. The brass elevator took her to the top floor, where she walked quickly into their suite. She paused and took in how cool and quiet it was, with a fresh breeze flowing from the half open windows.
October in Denver was the true definition of Indian summer – sunny during the day, with a cool breeze, and refreshingly bracing at night. Priscilla was looking forward to Georgetown, hoping they weren't too late to see the aspen trees. The quaking leaves, a brilliant gold, were an amazing sight to behold, and the sound of the wind rustling through them was pleasant to hear.
Priscilla walked quickly across the suite to the room she shared with Nick, and shut the door. It took her no time to get out of her dress, silk stockings, bow-trimmed garters, and corset, dropping them to the floor with an abandon that would have shocked her grandmother. However Priscilla was almost dizzy and feeling close to throwing up, so she didn't care. It took a little more time to remove her hat, and unpin her hair, but she didn't have the strength or inclination to brush it out. Instead it fell in heavy, curly waves around her body, and Priscilla rejoiced in the lack of pressure on her scalp.
The bed – a lavish four poster with soft sheets and a silk covering beckoned; Priscilla happily slipped under the covers, as she nestled against Nick's pillow. His scent filled her nostrils, helping to calm the churning of her stomach. She sighed with release, as sleep over took her, letting her forget her worries with Hester, Heath, and Sarah.
Several hours later Priscilla stirred and was instantly aware of Nick against her; they were spooned together tightly. She discerned that he only had his drawers on, as his skin was warm against hers. Priscilla stretched contentedly against her husband's body, making a slight murmur sound of pleasure.
His body moved in response to hers, and she felt his lips start to lay butterfly kisses on her neck. Those wickedly light kisses moved down to her breasts, and Priscilla found herself turning to face him without a second thought.
"Well this is a nice surprise." She murmured, wrapping her arms around his waist. "I thought you would still be at the auction." His skin was smooth, and she let her hands stroke his back.
"Ha! Not that much to see; it would take two of the cows from here to equal one of the cows from California." Nick snorted in reply, and she giggled at his statement.
"And of course the Barkley cows are the best in the state. Pray tell did you share you sentiments with your hosts?" Priscilla knew that the brothers' had been invited by a group of men who owned the largest ranches in the state. The day had been set up to include lunch and a private box to view the auction from, which was held at the arena next to the stockyards.
"No, I was good. But I did find several perspective buyers for offspring from Prince Oxford III." He smiled in response to her giggled observation. Nick was fully aware of his bias, but also knew that Priscilla understood his pride, and would back him up if anyone questioned him about it in public. It was a private joke between them, one of many that they shared. "How did the morning go? Are you all right?" He rose up on his elbow, to look at her with concern in his hazel eyes.
"I am doing better now, but I started to tire out before lunch." She was honest with Nick, appreciating his concern. Priscilla then continued on, to reassure him "However, it was for the best I did it today, because I can take it easy the rest of the day." Nick responded by pulling her close and gently kissing her cheek.
"Did you find anything?" There was an underlying fissure of concern in his statement, which she picked up on. Priscilla was glad that he had broached the subject first, as it would make easier to share her opinion on the matter.
"The most interesting were Hester's entertaining notebooks." She answered and went on to explain how women kept track of what parties they gave, and the details that went into planning the affairs. Priscilla saw that Nick nodded in agreement; his mother kept the same kind of notebooks. "I can tell you all the affairs and scandals that have happened for the last three years in Denver society. Just to be safe I brought them back with me, because I didn't want them to fall into the wrong hands."
"So nothing about Hester's nefarious activities? Or anything else?" Nick moved to sit up, pushing the pillows against the headboard. Priscilla followed suit, and liked how he was careful to make sure she had enough support. He then put his arms back around her shoulders, and pulled her into his chest, which she nestled happily against.
"No, nothing like that at all!" She declared with more vehemence than she meant to; realizing how she was sounding she took a deep breath. "Nick, I know that Heath has good instincts, and he was a lawman which I respect. However, I am wondering if he is maybe over reacting?" The hesitation in her voice was apparent, but she knew how close Nick was to his brother.
"Sissi, why do you say that?" Nick gave her a direct look, which implied that he was willing to hear what she had to say. Priscilla had wondered if he would shut her down right away, because it was Heath she was talking about. She knew how protective Nick was of Heath, especially when someone questioned Heath's judgement.
"I am concerned that Heath is taking a string of unfortunate events and making more out of them than needs to be." Priscilla moved to look up at Nick; the covers slipped from her chest showing the thin silk chemise trimmed and tied in a bow with raspberry silk ribbon. She didn't realize it, but the dark pink contrasted prettily against her creamy skin, as the thin garment left almost nothing to the imagination. Nick indicated for her to go on, even as she noticed him looking with pleasure at her breasts.
"Yes, Hester's house was broken into, but it was an empty house. There has always been a problem with vacant homes, on Capitol Hill, being broken into. As far as the train station, Nick you saw how crowded the platform was!" She sat up straight as she made her statement. "Roland White told us what a safety hazard the place." At that comment Priscilla saw that Nick was going to reply, but she went on before he could.
"You don't like him, and I don't trust him. However, that evening at the Opera House, I talked to several people, who'd heard about the incident. Did you know that over twenty people have been killed at the station this year? In the same circumstances as Heath almost was?" Priscilla tossed her head, causing her wavy, golden hair to move like a lion's mane.
"Heath separated himself from us – I don't know why – and then those luggage carts came along. Maybe one of them bumped him, and it felt like he was being pushed. He does have the tendency to go off by himself, after all." She had noticed how her brother-in-law could distance himself from a group faster than one could blink.
"And then we have his old friend killed in the park." Priscilla wasn't ready to be done yet, even as she could see that Nick wanted to offer his rebuttal. "Maybe that was just a mugging gone badly. Let's say that Logan comes to the hotel to meet with Heath, as he'd requested. Logan than realizes it is too early, so he decides to go the park, to wait for an hour or so. Some thug sees a rich man, in an expensive coat, alone and decides to rob him. He kills him, but before he can take the coat, the constable comes along. Doesn't this sound more likely than some scheme Hester might have been involved in?"
"When you present it like that my dear, I have to agree that your scenario makes a great deal more sense." Nick sighed with exasperation, and Priscilla knew he didn't like having to make the admission. "However, there is a bigger problem facing Heath with all this; the police think he killed Logan because of a secret from his past. Heath is not inclined to share his past history with Logan, so the detectives are assuming they are right." His tone of voice made it clear what he thought of Heath's behavior.
"My brother doesn't want to share his past with strangers, nor does he want to admit that the reason he was out that early in the morning was because of a fight with his wife." Nick finished his story, and it was now Priscilla's turn to sigh. "Did Sarah say anything to you, after you took her away?"
"Once she calmed down Sarah did say that Heath's past was coming back to bite her again" Priscilla tilted her head, as she tried to remember her sister-in-law's exact words "and he never tells me anything but doesn't understand why I get upset about it. She then fell asleep; I'm sure she was exhausted." Priscilla was curious about what Heath's past with Logan was, based on his reaction at seeing the man. Her brother-in-law had led the kind of life you usually only read about in books.
"Nicholas, Heath could be painting himself into a very bad corner, if the police consider him a suspect." From what Priscilla had seen of the two detectives, they looked like men on a mission. She hoped that he would persuade Heath to level with the police, if nothing else.
"Well I can't say I blame Sarah for how she is feeling." Nick changed the subject, which Priscilla noted in her mind. "I was annoyed with her about her reaction and behavior at Audra's and our wedding. However, I don't blame her for feeling frustrated with Heath right now." The last sentence was delivered with a snort, which caused Priscilla to twitch her nose.
"When I arrived in the Valley, Heath and Sarah were already engaged." Priscilla shifted her body so one of her legs was resting lightly against his; she felt him move just enough so her thigh was closer to his manhood which gratified her. She though forced herself not to respond, wanting to get her questions answered. It had always puzzled her that Heath was building a house for Sarah on the ranch, even as she'd no idea on country life. That had been clear when Sarah had let Priscilla design her formal and kitchen gardens.
"Had they known each other long? Was it an easy courtship?" Priscilla queried kindly; having been raised in a parsonage she'd seen a great deal. The quick to the altar brides, quarrelsome couples, forced grooms, and family drama. After one such ceremony Priscilla had asked her grandfather how he felt about performing the ceremony. He had told her that the wedding didn't always portend the marriage - it was what the couple did once they were on their own.
"Heath had been seeing someone very seriously; we all liked her and it was clear they were in love. However, she was Irish Catholic and there were issues with family and religion." Nick stated, and went on to tell her that his family was fine with the relationship, and the girl's uncle was in favor of it also. However, most of the other members of the Irish settlement were against it, and brought pressure on the girl.
"The young lady, in addition to being worried about leaving her family, was also concerned about how she would be received in our social circle, because of her background and faith. The upshot was that she broke off the relationship, which devastated Heath." Nick's eyes took on a faraway look, and Priscilla knew he was remembering that time and his brother's ache. "Heath actually left the valley for over three months, ostensibly to go oversee our mines in Mexico, but we all knew the real reason."
"Heath had been back for several months when Sarah came to town, and she was the first girl he'd looked at in all that time. She seemed sweet, gentle, and scared; Heath does like to take in strays and I thought they would be good for each other." Nick shook his head, and sighed. "There was also the matter of her father, and the scandal of the financial debacle. I put her reticence about the courtship down to that, and encouraged Heath to keep after her." That Nick was second guessing himself was clear to Priscilla.
"You know perfectly well that Heath doesn't do anything he doesn't want to do, even if the suggestion comes from you. He was in love with Sarah and pursued her while you provided a nice cheering section." She reassured Nick, and saw that he was listening to what she was saying. "I'm sure he turned on the well-known Barkley charm." Priscilla reached up and nuzzled against his neck, before lightly kissing his lips.
"No, you didn't make Heath marry Sarah – they did that on their own." She gave Nick a conspiratorial smile, as she pulled back from him, to look him in the eye. "Whatever is going on now has nothing to do with you. I think it is rather the issue that Heath and Sarah are two sides of the same coin." She could tell that he was confused, so Priscilla tried to explain her statement.
"Both Heath and Sarah were deceived by their fathers. Yes, with your father it wasn't of his doing, but the damage was done the same." She wanted Nick to understand the underlying problem, not just the actions. "Sarah's father's deceit was implicit and public, which was more damaging to her. The end result is that both have trust issues with people." Priscilla declared, and Nick nodded his head in agreement.
"Heath won't open up unless he fully trusts the person, and they trust him. Sarah though, will not trust someone until she knows everything about them." She had changed the pitch of her voice twice, to convey deeper meaning. "They each want what the other person can't give them. It will take a leap of faith to change the circumstances, if it changes at all." Priscilla leaned back against the pillows and waited for Nick to reply.
Nick thought for a moment about what Priscilla had just said, and could see the truth of her statement. He also took into account her question of Heath and Sarah's courtship; it gave him pause. Heath was his brother, and by now Nick would stand by him no matter what happened. Talking with Priscilla though, about the timeline of Heath, Sharon, and Sarah, he wondered if maybe Sarah wasn't the only wounded party in the relationship.
"I think we have discussed Heath and Sarah enough my dear" Nick wanted to get off the subject of his brother, and focus on Priscilla with her golden curls falling over her creamy shoulders. Her bosom was filling out her silk chemise, the breast pushing against the raspberry silk bow holding the gossamer garment closed.
Nick let his fingers move from her neck, to the bow, which he pulled to undo, revealing her breasts, which were lush and enticing. Just as he went to reach for one of the tempting creamy orbs, Priscilla moved quickly and Nick was surprised to find that she was straddling him. He looked up and saw a playful expression on her face, as she let her fingers trace patterns on her chest.
"Nicky, I think you want to ravish me, right?" Priscilla inquired with a saucy grin, and Nick started to put his hands around her waist. She took them in hers though, before he could get to her waist. "Did you lock the door?" Nick had in fact locked the door, when he first entered the room. It had been exciting to see Sissi there in bed, and he had applauded his judgement to leave the auction early. She had been the reason he left, hoping to get some time alone with her. Heath had stayed, but Nick didn't want Sarah bursting in to bother them.
"Yes, I locked the door." He was all set to say something else but Priscilla moved her fingers to his lips.
"Exactly how much time do we have, before we" she paused, and puckered her brows "you never did tell me where we're eating supper before the ball." Priscilla stated, as she looked over at the clock which registered almost four o'clock. "I need to start getting ready!" She started to move away from him, which freed his hands; Nick quickly had them around her waist.
"We are dining here in our suite, privately." Nick gave her a wolfish grin. "I have not had dinner alone with you since we left Stockton. This way we can have time together and you can eat a good meal before you get all done up." He not only wanted time alone with her, but knew that once she was dressed she wouldn't be able to eat that much. Nick had been concerned several times the whole week, about how pale and tired Sissi would get.
"Really, you arranged it? Oh Nick." She looked at him with happiness, even as her blue eyes started to fill with tears. "I can't believe how easy I cry lately! Thank you so much. I love you." Priscilla reached down to kiss him, and he used the opportunity to roll her over, so he was above her.
"That was very clever, Nicholas." She laughed, as she put her hands around his neck, pulling him close as her body moved against his. He felt what she was doing, and moaned with pleasure and anticipation.
"Sissi I love you too." Nick's voice was husky; as he went to give her a deep passionate kiss, before moving on to kiss all the way from her breasts down her femaleness. Later her cry of pleasure brought one forth from him, before they nestled together contentedly.