Chapter Two
Jarrod and Tessa arrived with a full buckboard and deer tied over both their horses. They sat very close to each other in contentment and exhaustion; they had been gone for three days. Jarrod flagged down a ranch hand to bring a wagon out to them.
She looked back in the wagon, "Jarrod, I have never killed a bear before. I know you went back twice and checked—-all my bullets are accounted for but two. I just have a feeling I heard a man or a panther or something else."
"No, I checked thoroughly. You are just tired, my love. Once we see those children of ours, I want you to soak in a long bath and relax. You are my Diana, my huntress. I can't wait for Nick to see the bear. It's the biggest bear that a Barkley ever took down. He's gonna bluster and grumble but he will be proud of ya." changing the subject.
She smiled and kissed him on the cheek, "And thank you for a wonderful time. I shall never forget our time together. But I miss Rosemary and JT. I hope they haven't given your mother and Rosa too much grief."
"Not our children," he laughed, "I shall never forget our time either. Making love to you in the forest and bathing in the stream. My dreams shall stay filled with you, my minx," he lowered his voice.
"Jarrod," she swatted him as they gave the reins over to a hand.
"Mr. Barkley. That's a big ole bear."
"Don't congratulate me. It was all my wife. Her sure shot keeps me in line."
He helped Tessa down, "I will be in in a few minutes. Tell Rosie I am expecting a kiss."
Jarrod took out their gear and guns. He watched the hand take the heavy wagon around the corner and Tessa walk into the house.
He unloaded Tessa's rifle and took the spare ammunition from the sling. He looked around again to make sure no one was around.
He walked a half mile to the small pond and cast the remaining bullets into the deep sinkhole watering hole. He reloaded the rifle with another gauge bullet. He walked back to the house and picked up their bag.
"Pappy's home! Come see Mam's bear."
—-&—-
Nick's twins and Rosemary squealed and inspected the bear as the hands hung up the deer in the shed to skin. Baby Jon was on Victoria's hip gurgling and reaching for the wagon.
JT was fiercely holding onto Tessa and squeezing her cheeks. Jarrod reached for his son.
"No! Mam!" He yelled and clutched her bosom.
Jarrod whispered to them, "Smart boy."
Tessa just shook her head at her amorous husband. The time away had been spent talking, hunting, riding, fishing, and passion several times a day. It seemed Jarrod was finally able to relax from the terror Doolin had wreaked on their family the last months.
He showed the twins the claws and teeth of the large mammal.
"How'd Tessa shoot him?" Mary asked as Jarrod lifted the big paw.
"We were up at the north line, trailing a large stag we had seen. It was getting dark and we needed to head back while we could see. We saw the stag bolt from the bush and I took a shot. Immediately we saw what the deer smelled. The bear was in pursuit of something of his own. Never saw what it was. Tessa took aim and shot twice. She felled him and I tracked him for a few minutes and put him out of his misery. We dragged him to the clearing and got help getting him in the buckboard. Tessa got the stag. He's tied onto her horse out back. Wait until you see his rack."
"Jarrod was gone a long time. I was scared. I went back for a lantern and met him on the trail. He had found the bear and finished him off. Funny thing, I know the woods play tricks on you after dusk. I thought the bear was chasing an animal or a man even. Heard an unearthly howl. Could have been a man or panther or cat. I was so scared I think I dreamed it up."
Victoria looked at Jarrod, "Did you find anything?"
"Nothing that shouldn't have been preyed upon. Way of nature pretty much. James, want a bear claw? A necklace for good luck?"
"Yes sir!"
—&—-
Victoria told Jarrod privately that Doolin's body had been found at the mine, sitting at the entrance, mangled by animals and shot.
Jarrod poured a scotch for himself and sherry for his mother.
"Sitting up you say? Someone was making a point, to say the least." He arched his eyebrow.
"Jarrod, you don't seem surprised." cocking her head.
"I am, in the situation where he was found—but not that he was murdered. Made a lot of enemies. Just wish we knew where the rest of the gold is. Clear Father once and for all."
He finished his scotch, "Heading to our house; thank you again for keeping the children. We needed this time away. With Doolin dead, a weight is off our family's head."
He kissed her on the cheek and left her with more questions.
"Jarrod, I trust you." with piercing questions in her eyes.
"Thank you, Mother. Our family is always my first thought. Good night lovely lady." he mock bowed to her. He shut the door behind him.
—&—-
"Well, doc?" as a young midwife and a professor of obstetric at the university ushered him into an office.
Nick felt like he had paced and worn a hole in the rose-patterned carpet in the office. A nurse took Nellie back and he frowned at the No Smoking sign on the wall.
"How's a man to relax?"
A week before, Dr. Merar had examined Nellie again. He felt he heard a heartbeat and her uterus was still rounded with a firm area.
"Nick, Nellie, I don't want you to get yore hopes up, but I now believe you miscarried a twin. You still have all the symptoms and your body seems to be carrying a child. There's a clinic in San Francisco. I would like you to go and get checked out."
Nick immediately got the train tickets and Doc Merar secured an appointment a week to the day.
Nellie came into the office from another door with flushed cheeks and a look of anticipation on her face. Nick immediately stood up and took her arm to sit beside him.
The doctor and young midwife smiled from behind the desk.
"We concur. You are carrying a child. I believe in five months or so."
Nellie let out a sigh of relief, "A twin?"
"Yes. The body sometimes does this and we see in your paperwork you received a fright. It happens but you have a baby coming. That is what is important."
Nick squeezed her hand and they both nodded.
"I would be very careful with your humours. No excitement, no laboring, no cold baths, no horseback riding, no conjugal visits, no nursing your son—he must be weaned. Women have delicate constitutions and you must be calm and gentle."
"Yes sir," she answered.
"You have my word, Doc. I will keep a tight rein on my filly."
The doctor smiled at Nick's enthusiastic ranching answer.
"But Mr. Barkley, feed her well. I say dinner at the Palace and I recommend the 1871 vintage. Have a celebratory glass for us."
"Will do. Thank ya Doc." He stood up and shook his hand.
Nellie smiled widely, "Yes, thank you with all my heart."
"You my dear lady have made my week with that smile," the doctor grinned.
Nick looked at her with love, "She's got that gift."
—&—
Tessa was drying off from her bath and in her robe. Rosemary was in the middle of their large four-poster bed reading and jabbering while JT wasn't letting her out of his sight.
"All my loves in one place," as he plopped on the bed.
Rosemary hugged him around the neck and JT crawled into his lap. Jarrod felt the sting of tears in his eyes. He cleared his throat and regained his composure.
"It's over Tessa. They found Doolin at the mine. Someone left him there," he lowered his voice.
Her eyes grew wide realizing what he was saying, "Passed away."
"Yes. By someone's hand."
The children continued to crawl on Jarrod and he kissed the tops of their heads; Tessa sat at her vanity and began to brush out her hair.
"Are you ok, my love?"
"I feel bad for Melanie. Alone. I can scarcely forgive what she and that teacher did to our Nellie but she is a widow. Of a man that no one except her will mourn."
"I won't, Tessa."
"Me either. But I mourn for Melanie. I hope they can find the gold and clear your Father's name."
"And I echo your thoughts, my love."
Rosemary chimed in, "Echoooooooo, Echoooooooo," and made loud noises.
JT tried to mimic her lousy; Tessa and Jarrod broke out in laughter.
—&—
Melanie and Sammy ate dinner at the long mahogany table. She had insisted he keep her company.
"The new floors will help the house sell quickly. The old ones were in need of replacing," she said with a smirk.
"Yes, Miz Melanie."
"My friends at the Mexican Embassy were so kind to find me workmen. Good strong backs are hard to find these days."
"Yes Miz Melanie," as he cut into a filet.
"I need to call on the Barkleys tomorrow. Jarrod mainly. I still would rather not see Nick. Do you have the packet ready?"
"Yes ma'am. Took them all out of the drawer and put in yore husband's fine leather folio. You wants me to take them?"
"No, I have to make it right. This part."
"These strawberries are shore good."
"Yes, I got them at the market this morning."
"After the funeral, we go to San Francisco. My book and my banking. Then we book our passage east to New York. Then the continent."
"I have always wanted to see a castle and such."
"You will Sammy. We will travel together."
"I will always protect you, Miz Melanie."
"Thank you, friend."
—-&—-
Jake Kyles sat on the front porch in a drunken stupor.
"I promised Jarrod Barkley I would turn. Turn right. With my boys. Now this. Had to 'venge Alan and Emmet. Just had to. Going get my boys on the straight and narrow now. I promise ya, the Good Lord. Just had to set things right. Wild animals are part of nature."
—&—-
"Teniente Coronel, the man is back."
"Send him in."
"The deed is done. No one will dare dupe you again. Blaming the Barkleys for the missing gold. No! He got the message."
"Thank you, son. The revolution is grateful for men like you."
—&—-
"Mr. Danforth, a man is waiting to see you,"
"Send him in."
The two men made eye contact and the visitor simply said, "Done."
"Well done."
"When I left Stockton, the widow was in black and the army was in town. Funeral tomorrow. No one noticed me. I made sure of that."
Danforth pulled an envelope from his desk, "Well done. I'll say it again."
He tipped his hat and walked out quietly.
"One less nuisance in my life. Rot in hell, Peter Doolin."