Chapter Nine
Victoria had been back at the ranch for almost three days before she finally had the chance to talk to Heath. She wanted to speak to him at his house both for privacy's sake, and to try to see the house from Sarah's point of view. Riding up to the house now, Victoria could acknowledge her daughter-in-law's statement about the feeling of isolation. The Big House, with its stables and corrals, was only a mile as the crow flies.
This house was positioned diagonal to the main buildings, surrounded by a grove of trees that gave it an air of seclusion. The road to the house took a roundabout route, due to a natural spring that lay on the property. No one wanted to disturb it, because of an old Modoc legend, so it was left alone. Victoria noted how quiet it was around the house, just a slight sound of the wind rustling the leaves.
She could see the appeal of the location for Heath, but also understand how for someone like Sarah, raised in a city, it would be off-putting. Victoria chided herself for not getting more involved when the couple was building the house. Sarah's comment that the house plans had been drawn up already had struck a nerve with Victoria. She was pretty sure she knew when those plans had been drawn up, and who for; she was glad that Sarah did not have that information.
The house was large, but its style was more rustic farmhouse – brick and wood left its natural colors with no extra ornamentation. The porch was deep and wrapped around the front of the house; off to one side was a swing that hung limply. The windows were square and simple, with solid framing around them. It was functional with an austere air and unlived in feel; a woman's touch was not apparent.
Victoria dismounted from her horse, and as she tied the reins to the hitching rail, she turned to look at the front yard. There were two small floral beds, but the rest of the area was grass and native shrubs. She recalled at one time there had been more extensive gardens, laid out by Priscilla when the house was being built. It made her curious as when and why they had been cleared away.
Turning back to the house, she walked up the stairs and used the brass knocker on the door. There was no answer, and Victoria moved her black gloved hand to the knob. It turned easily and she was all set to walk in but stopped; this was not her house. Yes, Heath was her son, but he deserved privacy in his own home. As much as she wanted to see the inside – it had to have been several years since she had been to the house because Heath always came over to the Big House – Victoria removed her hand from the knob.
Instead, she walked back down the stairs, and around to the back of the house, hopeful that Heath would be outside. She found him up on a ladder, repairing a window frame, and Victoria paused as she noted his total concentration on the task at hand. Heath was meticulous in his work, and she had noted how well maintained and sturdy the house was; for him it was a labor of love.
Victoria had seen the small wood house – almost a shack – that Leah had managed to cobble a life together with love for Heath. She knew that he never wanted to live like that again or be dependent on anyone for his well-being. This house was a far cry from his childhood, and Victoria knew that the care he lavished on it was in response to the deprivations he had experienced and not being able to take adequate care of Leah.
As she had that thought, Victoria wondered if Heath had ever shared the story of his early years with Sarah? Would Sarah be more understanding of Heath if she knew his background? Or maybe she did know, but did not comprehend what it was like, growing up illegitimate and poor in a small mining town. Sarah had been the only daughter of a very successful businessman in St. Louis, raised in luxury until her father lost all his money and killed himself.
When Victoria had first met Sarah – and her mother – the girl was barely seventeen and still in shock at what her life had become. The death of her father had hit her hard, and Victoria felt badly for the girl. Penny, Sarah's mother, was in a survival mode, trying to keep things together and them fed as she forged a new life for the pair.
It was those circumstances, along with the difference in their upbringings and Sarah's age, that had made Victoria concerned about Heath courting the girl. However, she knew her youngest son was very experienced, and was willing to trust his judgement. Victoria had not shared her concerns with Heath, doubting if he would have listened to anything she said. In retrospect she had put too much faith in Heath's judgement and had not considered that he was in a bad place after Sharon's marriage.
"Heath; Heath" Victoria put the thoughts out of her mind; in the end it was water over the bridge. "I was out riding and decided to stop by. Do you have some water I can put in my canteen?" Inwardly she cringed at how thin her excuse sounded, but it was the best she could do at the time.
The next several minutes were spent with Heath climbing down the ladder and greeting her. After a hug he escorted her inside to the kitchen, where a banked fire burned low in the hearth. It was not quite cold yet in Stockton, but autumn was in the air; the warmth radiated from the stone fireplace and flagstone floor.
"Well now this is a nice surprise Mother." Heath beamed after he seated her at the heavy wood table. Victoria noted how well polished the wood was, and the fine grain of the wood that spoke to its quality. She had no doubt that Heath had made this table himself. "Can I offer you some cinnamon cake? Juanita made it the other day." He referenced the older woman, a widow of one of the first ranch hands, who came in to take care of the house.
"Yes, I will be glad to take a piece. You know that Silas has been trying to get the recipe for years?" Victoria replied, and Heath laughed in reply. The cinnamon cake was famous, but the recipe closely guarded by Juanita. After taking several bites, Victoria spoke "I wanted to tell you about San Francisco". Heath had not been up to the house for dinner, only breakfast, so she had not been able to tell him all the details of her visit.
"When Sarah comes down next week, she is going to decorate the gazebo, since Priscilla is so far along." Victoria went on to talk about several other details for the party, even as she could tell Heath was not listening to her.
"You said Sarah was going to decorate the gazebo? She wanted to?" Heath's voice held a note of surprise, which caused Victoria to look at him with curiosity.
"I asked her, and she was pleased. You know she has a good eye for color and design; as a matter of fact, she helped me pick fabric for my bedroom." Victoria tilted her head "I saw all the displays she did at the store and was very impressed." The flattering words made Heath smile, which Victoria took as a good sign.
"I am glad that she wants to help out; I'm sure she'll do a great job." Heath sat up a little straighter as he made the remark and smiled. "I think your party is going to be quite the shindig." Victoria wondered if he was shifting the focus of the conversation away from Sarah, which she did not want to happen.
"Heath it wasn't an accident that I was riding by; I have wanted to talk to you since I returned from San Francisco." Victoria took a sip of her coffee, as she saw wariness in Heath's eyes. "I am very concerned about the amount of time you and Sarah spend apart. Just so you are aware I spoke to her about the same subject." It was better to be upfront with Heath, she had learned a long time ago.
"There is no need for your concern Mother; Sarah and I are fine." Heath stood up and went to refill his coffee cup. Victoria could see from the set of his shoulders – and the tone in his voice – he did not want to talk about the matter. "Sarah enjoys the city, and she has been a big help to Adam."
Victoria found it interesting that Heath mentioned Adam, but then remembered that he had always spoken highly of the man. They had met in Denver and had kept in touch; when Adam first arrived in San Francisco Heath and Sarah had been there to welcome him to the city. Heath was glad that Sarah could help their friend; he did not understand the downside of the relationship. Victoria sighed to herself but decided to stay off the subject of Adam.
"Yes, I can see that. They gave me a tour of the department store, and I saw the displays that Sarah had done. It was why I wanted her to help me with my room, and the decorations for the party." She spoke with enthusiasm, wanting to put Sarah in the best light possible.
"I don't think Sarah likes being at the house here; before Penny remarried Sarah would spend more time with her in town." Heath stated, and Victoria saw a small chink in his proud demeanor.
"Heath you knew she was a city girl when you married her" Victoria came over and put her hand on his arm. "It is a big adjustment to get used to life in the country, and for someone like Sarah it would have been doubly difficult." She hoped she was striking the right note, wanting to keep Heath from becoming defensive.
"Sarah knew where the house would be when we married. It certainly wasn't a surprise." Heath declared, having heard the question anyway. "She didn't have a problem with it at the time. The location is perfect, and I showed her all the plans." He finished his statement and looked directly at her.
"Sometimes in the flush of new love, concerns are swept aside, to be dealt with later." Victoria wanted to disarm Heath, so he would listen to her. "You and Sarah love each other."
"My thought is that it would be good for you and Sarah to do some things together while she is down here. Go riding, go out to eat, maybe get away for several days." Victoria said brightly. "It is normal for couples to get busy with life, but the chance to reconnect should not be missed." She hoped that time together would rekindle what first brought the couple together.
"I haven't been to The Lodge in a while." Heath offered, looking happy.
"Not the Lodge" Victoria hated to put a damper on him, but the purpose of the trip was to get the marriage back on track. "You will spend your time hunting and fishing, while Sarah sits in the cabin by herself. I was thinking that maybe you could ask Nick and Priscilla to use their place in Monterey. It is peaceful and relaxing."
"It is something to think about." Heath agreed halfheartedly, before going on "however there is a lot of work to be done around here."
"This conversation has not been easy, but I hope you will give my words some thought." Victoria saw that she had said as much as she could. "I have one more piece of advice for you Heath, which is that chores will always be there – people not always." With that she gave him a hug and went outside to get her horse.
Riding away Victoria wondered how much Heath had heard or understood what she was trying to say. Talking to Sarah had made her exasperated and sad – exasperated at how needy the girl was, and sad that Sarah had almost given up on Heath. On the other hand, her conversation with Heath had left her puzzled as to what was in his mind. Her youngest son was hard to read at the best of times, even with all her experience in dealing with him. Now she said a silent prayer, hoping that when Sarah came down, they would both make an effort with each other.
Heath watched her go, glad that she was done talking to him. He carefully washed and dried the dishes and put them away. The cake was covered and put into the icebox before he went back to the task of sealing the window frame. He had carefully sanded and primed the wood, wanting a smooth finish for the sealant. His hands slowly rubbed the oak, admiring the grain of the wood, pleased that he had left it the natural color. The architect had wanted the wood trim painted white, with yellow and blue accents to offset the brick. Heath did not care for painted wood, not understanding the need to cover up the natural beauty of the grain.
He climbed back up the ladder and tried to work, but his brain would not focus on the task of brushing the sealant on the frame. Instead, it replayed everything Victoria had said to him in their conversation, and he found his jaw clenching and his hands forming fists. Her comment you knew she was a city girl harped at him – as if he was to blame for Sarah not wanting to be at the house.
His private opinion was that if Sarah were more interested in doing things around the house, she would not find it so unpleasant. However, she had not shown a great deal of interest in the house once they arrived back from their honeymoon. Heath had been aware of it at the time but assumed that once they had children it would all change.
It was now four years later and there were no children for the couple. Heath could admit that Victoria's comment about how much time the couple spent apart did not factor for a babe anytime soon. He felt the desire for a child of his own so hard that it hurt at times. His nieces and nephews – especially Alden who looked so much like him – always brought so much joy when he could be with the children.
Sarah though, he acknowledged now, had never found any joy in the children. At the family gatherings she had been pleasant, cheerful, and smiling. Her time though had been spent with the adults – when the children came close to her, she tensed up and looked uncomfortable. It came to Heath that if he and Sarah managed to get a child, she would turn it over to a nanny and get back to her life in San Francisco.
Her life in San Francisco he mused, wondering yet again if he should have agreed to buying the townhouse. Sarah had found out about the new development on Nob Hill, that featured townhomes rather than the large mansions built by wealthy men who had made their money from banking and railroads. The development was designed for wealthy individuals who wanted a city abode, but not a big mansion. The draw was that the big mansions were a stone throw away and helped to hike up the property values.
Heath still did not know how Sarah had managed to get early notice, but he and Jarrod had both agreed it was a good business decision. Further it would give the family somewhere to stay when they came to town, other than a hotel. Jarrod had an apartment, having never felt the need to have a house; Heath knew Victoria was hoping that he would remarry.
Sarah and Jarrod had taken charge of building the house, since Heath was tied up at the ranch and decisions had to be made quickly. In fact, he had not seen the house until almost three months after the completion, when Sarah hosted an afternoon reception. He had admired the décor – even if it was too citified for his taste – and had seen that the construction of the house was well done.
However, it was too close to the other houses in Heath's opinion, and he did not care for the fussy ornamentation outside. Further, the gardens were too formal and stiff in his opinion but had noted how everyone else admired the work. Heath had assumed that Priscilla had laid them out – he knew that she had redone the gardens at the Big House to Victoria's approval. Instead, Sarah had paid a landscape architect and two oriental gardeners to do the work.
His wife had gone ahead and hired a husband and wife to work in the house – a Negro couple newly arrived from the reconstruction south. Heath had talked to them and had been saddened to hear about the violence that the newly freed colored people had to endure. Josiah and Clover expressed their praise to Miss Sarah, for taking them on with no references other than the Pastor of their church. Heath was glad that his wife had looked after the couple, but also knew that Soo Lin had been hoping his nephew could get hired. Heath had reached out to a mine owner he knew well and found the boy a job in that house.
Shaking his head, he picked up the brush, and dipping it into the container he swirled the bristles, and then tapped the excess off the horsehair bristles. Heath focused hard on slowly applying a thin layer to the frame, knowing that four thin coats were better than two heavy coats. Working with wood and horses had taught him that slow and deliberate was the best course of action.
As he had that thought, he recalled what Victoria had told him, about her concerns with him and Sarah. It came to him that maybe he needed to apply that same philosophy to Sarah when she came down to Stockton. His heart then sank, as he realized that all his mother's suggestions were useless.
Sarah was a timid horsewoman – her experience had been riding in a city park. Heath had taken her out riding early in their courtship, and even after they were married. She favored placid mounts, and speeds that did not go above a slow canter. He had tried to take her into the backcountry, for her to see the beauty of the mountains to the east that protected the valley. She had not enjoyed the experience and found the terrain to be rough.
Picnics were not an option either, ever since their trip to Colorado four years ago. Heath could understand being held at gun point, tied up, and almost killed could ruin an experience. Sarah had even refused to accompany him again to Colorado, when he had made several trips because of the Van DerHoffen Trust.
Heath then remembered that a new play was due to open at the Gaiety Theater in town the week after next. The play "Michael Strogoff" was based on the adventure book by Jules Verne; the play had been a success on Broadway and was now touring the country. He had read the book and was intrigued about the play. Sarah, he knew would love to go out to dinner and the theater, so he decided to get tickets.
Victoria's suggestion of getting away was well meant, and Heath could see the wisdom of what she meant. He and Sarah had always been very driven people, working hard; the issue he saw now is that they had not been working toward the same goal, of their life together. Heath had to agree with Victoria that the Lodge was not a good option. Sarah was not an outdoors type of person, and he could admit the comment about him hunting and fishing all the time was accurate.
He had never been to Nick and Priscilla's cottage in Monterey, but Nick had told him about the place. His brother had remarked that one of the attractions was that it was so different than life on the ranch, making it easy to relax. Heath knew there was also a sailing boat because Nick and Priscilla both liked the sea. He did not see Sarah and him going out on the boat, but Monterey might be a nice change for them.
His plans for Sarah in place, he went back to finishing up the window frame. It came to him that Victoria had been right, about all the time apart. Heath acknowledged that he had let it happen without thought, which he needed to rectify. Maybe he could get Sarah interested in freshening up the house, which would keep her occupied here in Stockton. That and other plans for their time together occupied his mind as he finished his tasks with a clear conscience.