Chapter 2

Victoria thought about the Lees all afternoon, and about Audra – even though Audra seemed to be completely uninterested in the Lees and said nothing at all about them. Victoria just could not get the Lees out of her mind, especially Martha and Michael and everything that had happened before the Lees left Stockton. She hated that she couldn't get that time out of her head. She had thought she'd come to terms with everything that had happened back then, but obviously she hadn't.

She also knew that Jarrod was going to press for answers, because of the lawsuit involving his client and David Lee. She didn't know how she was going to explain it to him, especially since she didn't want to. She didn't want to talk about it with anyone, even Nick, who knew all about it. She just didn't want to unearth that terrible memory again.

Nick and Heath came home at their usual time and went right upstairs to clean up. Audra was coming down as they were going up, and she joined her mother in the living room for some sherry. But even Audra noticed her mother seemed to be preoccupied, though she didn't know why. Victoria didn't miss that her daughter was eying her with concern.

"You've seemed bothered all day, Mother," Audra said as they sat down on the settee together. "What's wrong?"

Victoria smiled a little. "Nothing, darling. It's just been a busy day."

"Oh, really? Busy with what?" Audra asked without any suspicion in her attitude. She was just interested in how her mother had spent the day.

"Oh, this and that," Victoria said. "Going through some things in the attic, making sure the good silver is polished, things like that."

Even Audra knew that polishing silver was Victoria's way of easing her mind when she was upset. "Is anything bothering you?"

"No, darling, nothing is bothering me," Victoria said. "Now, where did you disappear to after lunch?"

Audra smiled. "Rounding up the new puppies in the barn. It's amazing – you get one corralled and the other six go taking off in six different directions."

Victoria laughed. "Well, that couldn't have taken you all afternoon."

"It took longer than I liked," Audra said, "but then I helped Ciego with the tack room and that did take up a lot of time. After that, I just went for a walk, and all of a sudden the whole day was gone."

Victoria kept the conversation as light as she could, and she continued that when Nick and Heath came down. Since Jarrod had not turned up, they had dinner without him.

Heath had been bothered all day about the discussion at the breakfast table about the Lees. He got the feeling that Nick and their mother ought to be left alone to talk if they wanted to, so as they finished dinner, Heath invited Audra out for a walk around the stable yard. Audra was happy to go, and the two of them left through the kitchen door, leaving Nick and Victoria alone.

Victoria got straight to the point. "Audra didn't say a thing all day long about the Lees," she said.

Nick shook his head. "No reason she should. She was only five years old. You know she doesn't remember a thing."

"You were only fifteen yourself. Do you remember much?"

"Oh, yes, I remember everything. I don't really want to, but when Jarrod said David Lee was coming back to town – well, you know how it is. You end up remembering more than you ever thought you would."

Victoria sighed. "We're going to have to say something to Jarrod, or it could come popping out on him at the deposition tomorrow and he'll be surprised – and unhappy. I don't want him to go into that without being fully prepared."

Nick leaned back in his chair. "Mother, why don't you let me talk to him? This isn't as hard for me as it is for you."

"Jarrod's likely to be upset we've been keeping this secret from him."

"Well, if he is, I'll just remind him how many he's kept from us. Besides, it wasn't really a secret. We just put it behind us, and by the time the war was over and he came home, Audra had forgotten it and we just didn't want to let it come up again."

"I'm not sure that was wise. If Audra somehow got wind of what happened and started to remember – "

"I don't see how that's gonna happen, Mother," Nick cut her off. "Lee is coming to give a deposition on a property line dispute, nothing more. He won't even see Audra."

"You don't remember how vindictive he became."

"Yes, I do."

"Nick, if he's still that spiteful, he could dig things up again intentionally and Audra may very well hear about it in town at some point."

Nick leaned forward. "Mother, if Lee does start talking about this again, he'll have me to answer to."

"And that's what else gives me concern, Nick. The last thing I want is for you to go off the deep end again. That can only make matters worse."

Nick took his mother's hand. "I won't go off the deep end again. I was just a kid back then. Maybe I'm still a little hot-headed, but I'm not the foolish fifteen-year-old I was then. I'll mind my manners, I promise."

Victoria smiled and nodded, but she still looked worried.

"I'll talk to Jarrod when he gets home tonight, no matter how late he is," Nick said. "He'll know how to steer Lee around any problems Lee might want to dredge up, and Lee will be gone by the day after tomorrow. Everything will be all right."

Victoria thought for a moment and then asked, "Do you think we ought to tell Audra what happened?"

"No, I don't, not now," Nick said. "She was five. She's forgotten, or if she remembers, she's dealt so well with it that she doesn't feel the need to talk about it. Leave her alone. If something changes, maybe we should talk to her, but we'll get Jarrod's opinion in on this, too, if you'd feel more comfortable."

"And Heath? Do you think he should know?"

Nick sighed. "He knows there's something about the Lees we're not telling him, but I brushed him off for the time being, and he didn't seem all that unhappy about it."

"If Lee lets it get out while he's here – "

"Jarrod will know if he does. I'll talk to him tonight about all this. Let Jarrod and I take the lead on this for now. All right?"

Victoria sighed, and she thought back even though she really didn't want to. "Your father and I asked these same questions as soon as the Lees left town. Should we talk to Audra about what happened? Should we notify Jarrod – he was off at war, we decided not to bother him. But Audra – she had nightmares for months."

"I know," Nick said. "I remember."

"But then they eased off. By the time you joined the army and went east, she was coming back to her old self, and we just didn't want to ruin that. Eugene was little, he didn't have any idea what was going on, but he was a handful all by himself in those days. What with him and with both you and Jarrod being off to war at the time, we just didn't want one more worry added to our day, and Audra was coming back to being the sweet little girl she was before everything with the Lees happened."

"I can't blame you for any of that, Mother. You did the right thing."

"I wonder sometimes. I know if it were me, and there was this black hole in my childhood that I don't remember but that really mattered to me – really, really mattered – and my family was keeping it from me – "

Nick smiled a little. "We'd never hear the end of it if you found out about it. That's you, Mother. You rule this roost and we all know it and you would never stand for having something like that in your past and us keeping it from you. But Audra is Audra. She's more sensitive, and she's still young. Maybe when she's older, there might come a time we should talk to her, but I don't think that time is now. But I will see what Jarrod thinks, if it'll make you feel better. Between the three of us, we'll figure out what to tell Audra and when."

"The four of us," Victoria said. "Heath does need to know what this is about. He's not a child. It's not fair of us to exclude him on this. It is a family situation."

Nick nodded. "All right. After I talk to Jarrod, and if he doesn't raise any real objections, I'll talk to Heath about it tomorrow."

Victoria said, "No, I think you should talk to Jarrod and Heath together. I think it might be better for Heath that way, and probably better for Jarrod, too, to help him prepare for this deposition tomorrow."

Nick shrugged. "I don't see how talking to Heath and Jarrod together would have anything to do with the deposition, but then I don't see how this whole situation has anything to do with the deposition. But I'll get them together when Jarrod comes home."

Victoria smiled, a bit more at ease now. "Thank you, Nick."

Nick had never let go of her hand as they talked. He lifted it and kissed it. "Anything for you, Mother. Are you up to a game of cribbage?"

Victoria smiled even more. "You already owe me ten thousand dollars."

"Double or nothing?" Nick asked.

"You're on."