Chapter Six

Jarrod, who had been in town working in his office, returned to the house and headed for the study. He had a few loose ends to tie up on the case he had on his plate at the moment and, unfortunately, he had left some papers he needed in the study. When he drew close to the study, he realized the door was slightly open. He couldn't help but go through the early morning hours to see if he had forgotten to shut it. However, when he opened it up and stepped inside, Jarrod was pleasantly surprised to see Michelle sitting in a chair reading one of the books that she'd taken off the bookshelf.

For a moment Jarrod caught a glimpse of the Michelle he'd seen sitting in the fancy carriage, not acting as if she saw or heard Nick. He couldn't believe the change; a haircut, which his mother had been able to fix, and a plainer dress had made. However, Victoria had convinced Michelle that she didn't have to wear the clothes of a servant to throw her father off course as it were. The dress Michelle now wore was a long purplish gown with pinkish sleeves. There was nothing overly fancy about the dress, unless he counted the white, curved shaped collar at the top. And, thanks to the fact that Michelle had confessed to Audra that she, Michelle, had a hard time reading letters that were close up, the young woman had been fitted with a pair of reading glasses. No one was surprised when Michelle insisted on earning the money to pay for them. However, Victoria had gotten the young girl to compromise and let them pay half the cost.

Jarrod couldn't help but smile, as he thought about the difference between the woman that had presented herself as too good for the "lower" class and the woman who now mingled with his family and their help with no problem. No wonder Nick was more than smitten than ever with her.

Michelle, who had heard the door open all the way, looked up from the book she held in her hands. Knowing where Jarrod had gone that morning, she was surprised to see him home. She might not have been, only Victoria had said she didn't expect Jarrod home until five at the earliest at it was only three thirty. "Hello, I hope I wasn't out of line." She said as she held up the book and looked towards the towering, brown, bookshelf that sat off to her left.

"Don't worry about it." Jarrod replied as he walked over to his desk and put his briefcase down on the top of it. "You're more than welcome to read any book you wish." He told her, as he opened up the briefcase and lifted the lid and then sat down in the chair behind his desk. Then, due to a conversation he'd had with Nick before he'd left for town, Jarrod said, "I hear you've been helping mother and Nick with our financial books and organizing the files on the ranch, the business end of it that is." Unfortunately, he was a bit tired and the statement came out sounding a little cross.

Michelle frowned slightly. Nick had said Jarrod had been taking care of the books, but that it was too much. He and his mother had said Jarrod wouldn't mind. She couldn't help but wonder if they were wrong. "Yes, I have been." She repeated what they'd said and added, "If they are wrong, I'll gladly stop."

"No, no," Jarrod quickly looked up and smiled. "It's been a long day. I…I just didn't know you ever handled things like accounting before."

"My mother, or someone else, always handled the books because my father hated it." Michelle shut the book she'd been reading and laid it on the small stand that sat next to the chair she was using. "I started helping mother when I was sixteen when she was the one handling the books. When I was twenty, she died and I took over because our accountant quit. Well, I was supposed to. Father was always going behind my back and double checking my figures. He was always double checking everything I did. I offered to step away from them once." Michelle scoffed as she remembered the incident. "Father claimed I was over reacting, said he was only trying to help me. I bought into that too, for too many years I bought into his lies."

"With all due respect," Jarrod said as he sat down, "you're father sounds like a very insecure man even if he acts as if he's not when he's out in public."

Michelle walked to the window and looked outside. She could see Nick and some of the men standing around the corral, probably talking about the fact that the rest of the men and the brother he called Heath were due to arrive soon. "My father is a lot of things." Michelle shook her head. "I just never saw him for what he really was." She turned away from the window and did her best to smile at Jarrod. "When I was younger, and up to when Nick stood in our living room giving father both barrels, I could see nothing wrong with the way we were acting. Afterwards," she shrugged her shoulders, "I began to see what I had not wanted to see. I think you are right about father, and it's that insecurity that drives him to put on the face everyone sees when he goes out of the house. When it comes to me," Michelle shook her head, "A few hours after Nick left our home, my father began telling me that I should find a 'proper' fellow to marry." She let out a half hearted laugh. "I don't believe he would have let me pick my husband. No, he'd have come up with an excuse to arrange a marriage for me, if I had not left when I did." She turned back to the window again and sighed. "I'd rather marry your brother over anyone father might pick. At least he is an honorable man."

Jarrod's eye brows turned down slightly. He'd seen the way Nick was looking at Michelle; he knew all the precautions Nick had gone to in order to ensure that the Marque did not get near Michelle. "He's interested in you, you know that?" Jarrod leaned back in his chair and looked at their guest.

Michelle tilted her head backwards and closed her eyes for a moment. After a couple of seconds she opened her eyes and let out a long drawn out sigh. "I know. What do I do?" She looked at Jarrod. "I do like him; he's becoming a rather good friend. However, how can I get involved in anyone right now? I don't even know what I really want; that is, besides staying away from my father."

Jarrod didn't envy Michelle in the least. It had to be hard to find yourself trying to rebuild your life after severing ties with the only blood relative you had. He stood up and walked over to Michelle and, in a kind and compassionate tone of voice, replied, "You be honest with him. That way, no matter what happens, you two still have the friendship."

Michelle couldn't help but smile as she relaxed. "Have you always been so wise?"

Jarrod couldn't help it; he started laughing as he thought on everything that had happened throughout his life. "I do my best, but I'm no saint, so don't go putting me up on any pedestal." He replied when he, and Michelle, who had joined in the laughter, got his laughter under control. "Now, as long as you like book keeping, how about looking at some of my business ledgers? I'm pulling my hair out with them."

Michelle's eyes lit up as she looked at the ledgers on the desk. "You won't go behind me checking my figures?" She asked suspiciously.

"Maybe the first couple of times," Jarrod admitted, but then reassured her, "But that is it." He picked up the books and handed them to Michelle, who was more than happy to tell him she'd be in the dining room table going over them. Jarrod couldn't help but chuckle as he watched her leave. It was the first time since she'd arrived that Michelle had a genuine smile upon her face. For her sake, Jarrod hoped he found that she could indeed handle the books without the aid of his mother or Nick. If she could, he could offer her a job as his new part-time clerk and she'd have a way to provide for herself other than cleaning houses. Not that cleaning was a dishonorable job; it wasn't. Only, just like Nick, Jarrod wanted to see Michelle with some other way to earn her living.