Author's Note: The Austrians in Mexico was referenced in the episode "Miranda" but only as an after fact. Archduke Maximilian and his wife Archduchess Charlotte (nee Princess Charlotte of Belgium) of Austria were offered the throne of Mexico by Napoleon III of France. This was supported by a group of conservative Mexican noblemen who were hostile to liberal regime of Benito Juarez. The Austrian couple arrived in Mexico in 1864 and was crowned Emperor Maximilian I and Empress Carlotta. It was a short-lived empire; Maximilian was captured and executed by the Mexican government in 1867. Carlotta was in Europe when her husband was killed, trying to raise support from the European powers. She had a nervous collapse upon hearing the news and never regained her sanity.

Author's Second Note: I am using the town of Rio Blanco, from the episode "Legend of the General" for my story. However, due to my timeline, the adventures showcased in the TV episodes have not happened. The mines Heath is upgrading are five miles outside of town.

Chapter Two

Heath passed quickly through Rio Blanco, noting the imposing structure of a Catholic mission. By now he knew that the tower of the church was left unfinished for a reason, while the rest of the structure was pristine. The Spanish Crown had encouraged monks to go to the new world, to help bring the Holy Spirit to the Indians. The monks, some of them belonging to Royal Spanish Knighthood organizations from noble families, had been quick to figure out the clause in their charter.

Once a church was completed, a tithe was owed to the Crown, on all offerings collected. The monks were learned men - more than one of them had a family member who was a Conquistador – knew to take their time with the final construction. Heath felt his lips curling into a sneer, as the thought about the power of the Catholic Church.

It had been over two weeks since Sharon had left him standing in the garden of Kilkenny Farms. The emerald engagement ring cold and hard in his hand, where she had put it. The plans for the house – their house – were in disarray around his feet. Heath had been so taken aback at her reaction, and statements that he was sure he must have stood in shock for quite a while.

Finally, he had slowly gathered up the blueprints, carefully rolling them up and inserting them in the leather tube. The ring – it almost felt like the large green stone was burning a hole in his hand – was put back into the velvet covered box. Heath had made his way over to the stable and saddled up Charger with great deliberateness.

It came to him that he would never again be in Kilkenny Farms – Sharon had banished him completely in addition to breaking his heart. In spite of the black cloud of despair gripping him, he noted how desolate the town square was. Heath had never seen the settlement like this before and he wondered if everyone had known about Sharon turning him down.

The trip back to Stockton passed in a blur, and when he arrived at the Barkley Ranch, he initially felt warmth and happiness. Until Nick had come out, full of exuberance at the expectation of an engagement announcement. Heath, unshaven and with a day's worth of trail dust did not present the aura of a happy bridegroom; even his brother saw that.

Heath did not stay at the ranch two days – all he wanted to do was forget about Kilkenny Farms. What made his time at the ranch worse was that his brothers and Victoria new exactly what had happened; or rather what had not happened. On one level he knew that they only cared about him and loved him, but he found it hard to the recipient of pity – or what he thought of as pity.

The trip to Mexico was tedious; Heath was glad he only had to focus on the basics that he and Charger needed. His only concern was keeping them together body and soul – Heath forced himself to go slow because of Charger. Nick had suggested taking the train to Los Angeles and then picking up a horse, or even a team to take into Mexico. Heath though wanted Charger with him, so he carefully paced the trip.

The mines were five miles outside of town and he arrived there early in the afternoon. The foreman greeted him and offered him a late lunch, which Heath accepted happily once Charger was taken care of. The foreman, Erick Folsom, was a tough Swede and an experienced miner with a degree in geology from some university in Scandinavia. Heath discerned that the man knew what needed to be done, and very excited to get the pumps installed. They had arrived a week prior, and Heath was glad to see that the foreman had already looked over the equipment.

The only hitch was when Heath found out that he could not stay on site – he had known that there were three houses in close proximity to the mine. One he knew was occupied by Erick, but that left two others available. His plan had been to stay at one of them, so he would be close to the work that needed to be done.

"Heath, I am sorry, but I can't offer you one of the houses" Erick replied to Heath's request. "The one house has my assistant and his family in it, while the other house is having its roof repaired. However, I have arranged for you to have the top-notch room at Baron's, in Rio Blanco." The foreman waved in the direction of town, as two of the shift bosses came into the office.

"Baron's is comfortable, but don't mess with the Baroness" the older of the two men announced. The other shift boss, slightly younger, nodded his head and agreed.

"Very German! And boy does she believe in keeping things clean." The man, whose name was Hank, gave Heath a direct stare.

"The Inn is very well run, and the food delicious – very filling." Erick gave the two shift bosses a hard glare, which caused them to look down at the floor. "It is the best accommodation in town, and the beer garden outback is very pleasant in the evenings." The foreman gave Heath directions, and he went off to the stable that held the horses used by the mine company.

Heath gave Charger some attention but decided to take one of the other animals. The journey down had been long, and he thought Charger needed to rest. The trip back into town took almost an hour, which Heath was annoyed about. His schedule, which he had meticulously detailed out on his journey south had not included an hour's ride each way.

In truth he had done the schedule partly because he liked to be organized, but mostly to keep his mind from dwelling on Sharon. Heath knew that installing the pumps would not always go smoothly, and that his family wanted him home for Christmas. He also wanted to go to Strawberry, to see Hannah and reminisce about all the past holidays they had shared with his mother.

For that to happen he had to leave Mexico no later than the middle of November. However, Heath always tried to turn bad news to good; in this case he decided he could use the ride to organize his agenda on the ride out and to review the day's events on the ride back to the Inn. The ride into town was pleasant, a cool breeze bringing the scents of sage and pinon pine to his nostrils.

When he arrived in town, he followed Erick's directions and found himself at a well-kept stuccoed two-story structure. Over the main entrance was a sign with the words "La Posada del Baron" done in what he recognized as Germanic lettering. The trim was painted red, looking as if it had just been done yesterday. Window boxes painted a dark green hung from the upper windows, with flowers and greenery. The Inn sat slightly apart and seemed to be free of the dust that covered much of the rest of town.

This caused Heath to remember the shift bosses' comments about the no-nonsense Baroness who liked everything clean. He wondered if maybe he should just go back out to the mining camp and stay in the bunk houses with the miners. Heath then remembered Erick saying the food was good, and he could admit after his time on the trail a clean bed would be welcome.

He tethered his horse to the hitching post out front, and walked over to the entrance, removing his hat as he passed inside. Heath found himself in a central hall, with tile floors and heavy iron fixtures. The front desk was dark wood, polished to a bright sheen, while the late afternoon sun coming in was diffused by amber colored windows. The effect was cool and calming, but Heath noted how dust free everything was, very unusual for the Southwest.

Heath walked over the desk and noted a small plaque that stated por favor llame para el serivico; the lettering was the same Germanic as out front. He found it interesting to see Spanish words in Germanic lettering. It was a nod to the local culture, while still flying the foreign flag so to speak. There was a small hand bell, intricately carved brass, by the sign. Just as he went to pick it up a woman came out of the side door, behind the desk, causing Heath's hand to pause just above the bell.

It was not only the woman's sudden appearance that caused Heath to pause, but also the woman herself. She was petite, with feminine curves, creamy smooth skin, and hair the deepest red he had ever seen. It was a rich russet that reminded him of a fox's tail. Her hair was pulled back in a severe bun, but the hairstyle could not disguise its glory. Heath was intrigued by the hair, but when the woman turned to look, he was lost.

Her eyes were wide, framed with long thick dark lashes; the eyes themselves were purple – not a pale purple, but the dark purple of pansies in spring. Heath, even in the throes of his broken heart, could admire the beautiful woman in front of him. Her face was heart shaped, with an upturned nose and a pointed chin with a dimple. At first glance she looked eighteen, but her poise and wisdom in those eyes made him realize she was older than that.

"May I help you Herr?" The woman asked, with a lilting foreign accent; the use of the German honorific was the only indication of her nationality.

"I am Heath Barkley, from Barkley-Sierra Mining Company. I understand that I have a room reserved." Heath was not usually comfortable announcing off the bat who he was, but Erick had said the room was reserved under his name. He was sure too that his family's mining interests contributed greatly to the local economy. "I was told to ask for the Baroness." He added as the woman stared at him.

The image he had in his mind, of the Baroness, was a tall, older blonde woman; clearly this girl was an employee of the Inn. Heath was aware that many Europeans had followed the promise of a Mexican Empire ten years previously. The woman with her russet hair and pansy eyes was a daughter of one of those men who had come seeking empire and glory.

"I am Frau Werner, the proprietress of the Inn." The woman announced, raising her chin with ill-concealed disdain. Heath now noted the black dress, with a modest neckline and sleeves. Further her self-possession in announcing who she was made him understand why she would be referred to as Baroness. She knew her worth and would not take nonsense from anyone.

"I am sorry Frau Werner; I only knew what I was told at the mining camp." Heath smiled winningly, upturning his palms toward her. "They also told me that you run a first-rate establishment with comfortable bedding and good food." The last thing Heath wanted was to be on the wrong side of this firebrand.

Inwardly he had to wonder at why he had to deal with a red-haired woman, having just been delivered his walking papers by another one. Heath rather thought it was a bad joke that both red haired women were beautiful and had the power to reduce him to mush. Now though he forced himself to stand up straight and look the woman straight in the eye; yes she knew her worth but he knew his worth also.

"Ach, those men at the camp; hmph!" The woman sneered, gesturing her head in the direction of the mines. "However, Herr Folsom is aufrecht and I trust his word. There is also the fact that your company is paying the bill for my best accommodation." The Baroness gave him another disdainful glare and Heath realized that Erick and the shift bosses had played a bad trick on him. He did not know what aufrecht meant but could discern that it would never apply to him.

"You have my best room – a suite with a separate sitting area. Your luggage arrived day before yesterday and I had it put in the room." The woman's voice was stiff, with none of the hint of her lilting accent he had heard earlier. Heath sighed, even as he remembered that Jarrod had taken charge of what clothing he would need. He had been in bad shape when he had arrived at the ranch, and now silently thanked Jarrod for thinking ahead for him.

"Thank you, Frau Werner, I appreciate the work you've done, and your Inn is very tidy." Heath figured that the proprietress would appreciate his noticing her cleanliness. He saw that she slightly preened at his comment, so figured he had done well. "What is the policy about meals? Since I will be travelling back and forth between the mine, I might be keeping odd hours." If needed to get food at the camp, he wanted to know ahead of time.

"The dining room serves food from 6:00am until 5:00pm. After that I have cheese, bread, and bratwurst in the beirgarten out back." The Baroness stated looking him straight in the eye. "I do not tolerate drunkenness or fancy women! My servers are good girls, and if you want something else there are other establishments in town. Just be aware that my bier is better than anything else you will be offered; it is made according to old Austrian recipes."

Heath wanted to smile with admiration, as he listened to her declaration. He, even without tasting the beer, was sure that it would be first rate. And as far as fancy women he had already discerned that she ran an upright Inn. Sharon would love this woman, he thought before he could stop himself. It came to him that God was mocking him, even as he did not know why.

Honestly, he mused to himself, he had always done right by women, even if it was not what society expected. So why did he end up on the wrong side of the relationship equation? Sighing deeply, he brought himself back to the present, realizing he wanted a hot bath, a good meal and bed.

"That sounds fine Frau Werner. I am looking to turn in early, so I will look forward to bratwurst – whatever that is – along with some of your beer." He picked up the saddle bags he had put on the floor by the front desk and looked expectantly at her.

"Ach you Americans! Bratwurst is perkeftion and you will enjoy your meal." The last statement was delivered in her lilting accent and Heath was ready to eat anything she served. "Please follow me and I will show you to your room." The proprietress stated with a toss of her head, as she started upstairs.

"What is the history of this place?" Heath asked as he followed her, figuring it was expected. He knew a great deal about mining towns and was not unfamiliar with said mining towns in Mexico. Part of him could not have cared less, just being tired and wanting a bath. On the other hand, the BARONESS was a beauty and what was she doing in this backwater.

"My late husband and I were in service to one of the nobles who accompanied his late Majesty to Mexico." Frau Werner paused and crossed herself again, as she had done when she referenced her late husband. "Our Master was lucky to escape with his life but before he left, he knew he couldn't take any money with him. He turned it over to us, as Franz had always wanted to open his own Inn and we liked it here." She glanced back at him to see if he was still there.

Heath noted how she had crossed herself twice and realized that this woman was as Catholic as Sharon. His earlier thought, of how Sharon would have adored this woman came back to him; honestly, what had he done to deserve this whole course of events?

"Here is your room – full bedroom with French doors leading to the balcony. The sitting room" Frau Werner demonstrated how the bedroom could be closed off to allow for a larger sitting area. She then gestured to where the washroom and facilities were, off to the side of the establishment.

"Thank you, Frau Werner, it looks splendid." Heath smiled at her, as he added "Let me clean up and then I will come down the beirgarten and sample some bratwurst." He tried to carefully pronounce the words as she had done. Beer and food could make anything better.