Chapter Fifty-Eight

Jarrod brought the surrey to a halt, and Heath looked with pleasure at his house. The warm brown brick complimented the natural finished wood of the front porch and window trim. In the original plan the wood was to be painted white with blue and yellow accents. Heath did not care for painted wood and had overruled both the architect and Sarah.

Heath was surprised to see all the family come out to the porch. He noticed too that the porch was decorated with the same ribbons and flowers as the surrey. After he helped Sharon down from the surrey, he made it a point to keep his arm around her. Jarrod had lifted Tara, making her giggle and toss her head. Sharon laughed with delight, and Heath thought it sounded like bells.

"Mr. Heath, Miz Sharon, welcome home!" Violet and Silas came down the stairs to meet them, carrying a tray of bread and salt. Sharon who was already overwhelmed at seeing her children at the station, and now how Heath's family welcomed her almost burst into tears.

"Thank you all so much." Sharon replied, "I am so glad to be back in the valley with my family." She extended her hand to Violet and Silas, and then went on to hug Victoria, Elspeth, and her sisters-in-law.

Heath was both touched at his family's welcome to them, but also rather uncomfortable at such a large gathering and a public display of affection. As he gazed at all his family on his front porch, he realized that he and Sarah had never entertained in the house. Nick's booming voice interrupted his thoughts, and Heath realized that Sarah's ghost was spoiling what should be a happy event.

"I knew you would not last two weeks in the city." Nick announced as he hugged the couple. "May I please kiss the cheek of the toast of San Francisco?" He gave Sharon a saucy wink, as she accepted his embrace. Nick loved Priscilla, but always had an appreciation for a beautiful woman. His wife understood because she admired ladies who knew how to present themselves in society.

"I saw the pictures, and your dress was breathtaking." Victoria came up and hugged her, before going on. "I am so glad you wore the diamonds, my dear. They needed a grand occasion, and you did them justice."

"Tis all too much!" Sharon melted into Victoria's embrace, even as she was taken aback by Nick's fulsome comments, as Priscilla looked on approvingly. The whole evening with the Vice President had been so much more than anything she had experienced before. The next several minutes were taken up with greetings and compliments.

"We need to get on with the celebration." Silas stepped up, after a discrete signal from Violet. They had become friends while the woman was staying at the Big House. He knew her socially, from church, and had been one of the pall bearers at her husband's funeral.

They had both grown up in the south, as privileged house slaves in great houses. It had been so long since Silas had anyone to talk to about the old life – both the good and bad. He had not been close to her late husband but admired the man because he knew how hard the work was as a Pullman Porter.

Violet reminded him of the graceful – yet powerful – women he had grown up with. These women ran huge households, knew all the private sorrows, and cleaned up as needed when life was messy. Silas had had a spring in his step for the last several weeks.

"Mr. Heath, you need to carry your bride over the threshold!" Silas clapped his hands and indicated for everyone to clear a path to the door. "After that we are going to have a huge lunch, with wine from our vineyards. We will finish with a champagne toast, and chocolate cake."

Heath knew he should be honored that everyone had put so much effort into the event. He had thought they would just go to the Big House, until Jarrod met them with Sean and Tara. Even after finding that out, he still assumed it would be a calm homecoming. Instead, he had a houseful of people, and a lunch that he had had no say about. Suddenly his shirt and tie were too tight, and he just wanted to go to his study and shut the door.

"Mum and Papa, I am so hungry, and the food looks so delicious." Sean stepped up, going on "not sure what this threshold thing is, but can we get on with it?"

"Sean, do not know anything?" Tara came up next to him, looking adorable in a dress of blue polished cotton with white lace trim. It came to just below her knees; her socks were pretty cotton lace with blue ribboned garters. Her gold curls were held back by one of the largest pale blue bows he had ever seen.

Heath felt his heart melting as he looked at his daughter. He wished his mother was here – Tara reminded him so much of Leah. The coloring, the artistic talent, and the innate kindness she always displayed.

"When a man brings his wife home to his house – well actually this is our house" the little girl smiled as she made the comment. "The husband carries her over the threshold, to show that he will always care for her. Aunts Priscilla and Audra taught me that."

An overwhelming feeling of happiness took away the irritation he had been feeling. Hearing Tara say our house loosened the tightness in his chest, and he went over and put his arms around her, as he looked at Sharon.

"That is correct Tara, and I will always care for our family." Heath gave her a hug, and then turned to Sharon "may I?" He swept her into his arms, without a by you leave. He felt her arms go around her neck, even as the fabric of her dress almost caused him to trip. Heath crossed the threshold and put her down with relief, glad that he had kept his footing.

"Welcome home Sharon!" Heath stepped back quickly and bowed. He did not want to do an embrace in front of everyone. "Silas, I think we need a champagne toast, before we get to the buffet." He had no interest in champagne but saw how it would deflect any attention of them.

Heath was proven right when both Jarrod and Nick brought forth champagne bottles. The next two hours were spent with the welcome home toast, the buffet, and yet another champagne toast over dessert. As the party winded down it was barely 4:00pm, but he saw that people were ready to depart.

For Heath the whole afternoon had turned better than he had anticipated – it was a welcoming sense of family that he and Sarah had never achieved. It was more activity in his house than he had ever experienced before, but it felt comfortable. The only fissure in the afternoon had been Simon. The boy had spent most of the afternoon standing next to Priscilla or helping her arrange the food table.

Only, more than halfway through the party had he finally moved away from Priscilla. Heath noted it was only because Tara had reached out to him wanting to show him the barn where her pony would be. Simon was more than pleased to go with Tara to the barn and get as far away as possible from the party.

By 4:30 the family was gone, and Heath looked around at the dining room. The chairs had all been pulled back against the wall, and the table with its smooth mahogany top was clear. He had been glad to see that the original table and chairs, of Brazilian cherry wood were still in the house. Heath knew that Sharon had taken the children upstairs to see their rooms.

She had explained how she had bought everything for their rooms during the first days in the city and had it shipped to Stockton. Sharon had also sent instructions to Violet, who with Silas' help, set everything up. It had made Heath wonder how much other help Silas had been. He knew the man was paid well, but Heath was willing to give him a bonus for the extra work he had done.

Heath headed out to the barn, to take care of the horses. He made a note that he would need to talk to Sharon about chores for the children. There was also the need to build a chicken coop before they procured the birds. Once the horses were taken care of, Heath saw a repair that needed to be made. As was his habit he gave it his whole attention; when he was done, he was surprised to see that it was almost six o'clock. Headed over to the house, walking into the kitchen.

"Tara lass, are you feeling all right? You have not eaten anything." Sharon was saying, as she put her hand to the girl's forward, to check for a fever. "You were in good spirits earlier."

"Mum" Tara bit her lip and looked at her mother, who saw worry in her eyes. "Do we have to live here? Why can't we stay at the Big House?" Heath entered the kitchen as Tara asked the question, and he saw Sharon's eyes fly wide open.

"I thought you were excited about your own room?" Sharon asked, totally surprised at this turn of events.

"I like it here! I am excited to have my own room, and Papa is going to buy us ponies too." Sean exclaimed, shaking his head at his sister, before sighing. "You should not listen to Simon – he was making all that up."

"What did Simon say?" Heath asked, after greeting Sharon. He had already been puzzled by the boy's behavior at the party and wondered what the reason was.

"He said that an evil witch used to live here, and she had put a curse on the house." Sean answered, looking over at Tara with irritation. "You are a scaredy cat!" Tara proceeded to burst into tears, while Sharon was looking at Heath.

For his part he felt shocked, and shame overcame him, making him unable to move or speak. Heath knew exactly what and who Simon was referring to, and it bothered him that he had not been able to protect the boy. The mention of the curse was unnerving; yes, Sarah had been furious but a curse?

"Heath, why would Simon say anything like that?" Sharon's voice rose several octaves, as she put her arms around Tara. "Heath, Heath!" A strident note came into her voice, which punctured Heath's reverie.

"There is no witch in this house, and certainly no curse!" Heath walked over and picked up Tara, before sitting down in the chair at the head of the table. He settled her in his lap and put his arms around her shoulders. "Do you remember when you came from the station you went around a curve, instead of coming straight down the road?" Heath saw her nod her head, and he hoped that what he said and did next would diffuse the situation.

"The reason why the road is curved is because of the Modoc Indians. There is a spring that they held scared. The legend is that along as the spring is protected, blessings will be on the land, and everyone who lives there." Heath put his first two fingers under chin and looked the girl directly in the eyes. "We are protected, because we protect the land and the spring – do you understand?"

"Why did Simon say all those things Papa?" Tara asked, and Heath sighed inwardly, not wanting to get into the matter of Sarah. He was not sure what Sharon had told the children and looked over at her.

"Tara, I explained to you that Papa was married before, right?" Sharon looked at her daughter expectantly. Heath realized that he was holding his breath to hear the answer; however, it was not Tara who answered.

"Yes Mum, you explained that Papa's first wife was not happy and left him." Sean explained calmly. "I do not see how anyone could not be happy with Papa, but we are so blessed." He stood up and hugged his mother, while looking at his sister.

"When Simon came to the valley, he had been orphaned and was very sad." Sharon had come over and knelt by Heath and Tara. "Papa had been good friends with Simon's parents, so the lawyer brought Simon to this house. Papa's first wife was not happy about the matter and being upset reacted badly." She was holding her breath as she waited for her daughter's reaction.

At the back of Sharon's mind was the fact that she needed to find out exactly what had happened that night. She could care less about Heath's past; other than how it could affect her children. It also concerned her; the haunted look Heath had in his eyes.

It came to her that Heath could still be in love with Sarah, in spite of everything. She had heard stories of how some women, no matter their behavior, men would stand beside them. Sarah had walked out on him, not vice versa – maybe Heath was more upset about the fact than he let on.

Sharon reminded herself that she had not married Heath for love, but security for her and the children. She took a deep breath and stiffened her spine – her husband having an unrequited love had nothing to do with her, as long as her children were safe.

"I think we need to do a tour of the house, and you can show me the bedroom your mother setup for you." Heath addressed the words to Tara, who seemed to be calmer. The next several minutes were occupied with Sharon showing them the flagstone terrace, with the comment she wanted to put French doors on one wall of the dining room, to open the space.

Heath smiled in agreement, liking how it would be nice to eat outside in good weather. He was all set to tease her about a fountain, but then felt it was too personal. The front hall was still the same – plain – but Heath was sure Sharon had plans for that too.

Upstairs Heath noted how well she had arranged the children's bedrooms, considering their tastes. The furniture looked new, but he noted it was good quality and simple in design. The pieces were sized to be appropriate for children, and Heath saw that she had arranged an area in each room with a desk, chair, and bookcase. Tara's room was pink, while Sean's was blue – both beds were covered in well-worn quilts which Heath was sure were family pieces.

"Mum, where are you and Papa going to sleep? I want to see your room?" Tara asked, adding "mine is so pretty!" Sharon looked at Heath warily, not sure how to navigate this situation. The agreement was very clear – Heath had his own room. She knew where it was in the house but had done nothing about it.

"Our bedroom faces east, to get the morning sun. Your mother should be the one to show it to you." Heath declared, coming to her rescue. He hated to admit that he was more interested in what Sharon's room looked like than he wanted to let on. The last time he had been in the bedroom was before Sarah had left.

Sharon for her part suddenly felt self-conscious having Heath in what she felt was her room. She had decorated the room based on the ladies in the castle and Ireland, and what she wanted her space to be. As she looked at Heath she flashed back to the night after the Governor's ball, when Heath had seen her in her undergarments, and the thoughts that had coursed through her.

"Our room is at the end of this hall; this side is family while the rooms on the other side of the staircase are guest rooms." Sharon explained, as they walked down the hall, that showcased an Axminister carpet. Heath was glad that she had kept the carpet, which was a medley of blues, browns, and creams.

When Heath entered the master bedroom, he was taken aback – it was so different! The last time Heath had seen the room there had been solid mahogany wood furniture polished to a high gloss. Heath had liked how there was no superfluous carving on the pieces.

Now though the room had walls that were a soft butter yellow, while the trim was cream colored with gold accents. The draperies were pale gold, with a sheen that reflected the sunlight coming through the window crowned by a fanlight.

Heath noted the rug – it was pale with cream, gold, blue, and faded pink roses. The furniture was all delicate, with pale wood, gold trim and cane work. The bedding was pale blue, with various shades of gold and yellow pillows and accents. The one thing that caught his attention was the dressing table in the corner, by the entrance to the water closet and dressing area. He recognized it right way from the hotel in San Francisco and he wondered how she had procured it.

Even as he had that thought, he looked at the sitting area off to the side of the bedroom. There was a desk, with a chair, and an armchair by the side. Further there was a small loveseat with a low table in front of it. On either side were chairs, while the table was flanked by a delicate console table. He was taken aback to see that the French cabinet that Sarah had had in the family room was now up here. Heath admitted it fit into the room very well.

Suddenly he could see himself coming up here, and settling into the armchair, a glass of his favorite bourbon. Before he could stop himself, he opened the delicate cabinet and was sorry that in fact, a bottle of his bourbon was there. Luckily Sharon's voice brought him to his senses.

"I think that this is a new beginning for all of us, we should have Revered Peterson out to bless the house." Sharon had noticed how preoccupied Heath had been – it came to her that maybe he was imagining him and Sarah in this room. Suddenly she was glad that she had erased all traces of what the bedroom had been before.

"Yes, your mother is right, we need to do that." Heath hugged Tara, and then they proceeded to get the children ready for bed. Once prayers and stories had been said, he excused himself to go to his study. In truth he was exhausted and overwhelmed at all the emotions he had felt today. Heath wanted his sanctuary, and once there happily settled into the leather chair, with a glass of bourbon.

After getting the children situated Sharon had gone to her room, glad to get out of her traveling clothes. After a bath, she had put her nightgown on, and her green silk robe with the ivy sprigs. It covered her very well, even as it was a dressing gown. Her hair was braided back, and looking in the mirror she decided she looked appropriate for what she was about to do.

Heath was in his study, well into his second glass of bourbon, feeling sad about how the evening had ended. He was also -not sure what the word was – for how Sharon had explained Simon's story. Yes, he knew she was just reassuring her children, but he had felt like a footnote in Simon's life. His melancholy thoughts were broken by a knock at the door.

When he went to open it, Sharon was standing there, in her pretty green dressing gown. Her copper-colored hair glowed under the lights, even as it was braided back. He looked at her and felt both desire and disdain – desire for how lovely she looked, but disdain at how she had dealt with the situation at the dinner table.

"Hello Heath, may I come in?" Sharon asked, looking him directly in the eye. Part of him wanted to say no, because he knew she wanted to have a conversation and his experience had taught him that those never ended well. "Of course." Heath ushered her into the study and indicated the chair on the other side of the desk.

There was a furniture grouping of a small settee, two chairs and a table, but Heath wanted her to understand that their relationship was a business arrangement. He went over to the other side of the desk and sat down, taking a sip of his drink.

Sharon, when Heath had greeted her at the door had noticed that something was off him. She though needed to get the answers she needed for her children and decided him being put out or uncomfortable was not her problem.

"Heath I would like to know exactly what happened the night Simon arrived." Sharon went straight to the point – she was a direct person and knew that sweeping problems under the carpet only made it worse in the long run.

"I would prefer not to revisit that night, as it has nothing to do with our life now." Heath clenched his glass so tight he wondered if it would break. Even as he made the declaration, he knew that it was futile.

"It has everything to do with our lives now!" Sharon stated forcibly, going on "Simon, and now Sean and Tara are dealing with what happened that night. I will state again I need to know what happened!" She looked at him with fury and anger, and Heath as much as he was mad, he understood where she was coming from.

Sharon watched as he finished the bourbon in his glass and poured another one, before he told her about the evening. For Heath, reliving it again, he realized his interactions with Simon and Sarah had been wrong. He was also mad at the lawyer, who had been in such a hurry to get back to Mexico, had not arranged a private meeting in town.

Sharon as she heard the story understood Sarah's reaction, even as she was appalled at how Sarah had treated Simon. She had no problem understanding how blind-sided Heath had been at everything that had unfolded. Her husband was a good man but was not someone who dealt well with emotions.

"Well I would question the lawyer's judgment. It was at night, why did they not go to one of the hotels in Stockton." Sharon as she made the comment rolled her eyes. "Further why did you not escort the lawyer and Simon into town, book a hotel room and have a private conference." For her part she questioned Heath's behavior.

"Honestly I was so taken aback, and wanted to hear what the lawyer had to say. I had no idea Sarah would react as she did." Heath offered up, once again he had handled the whole evening so wrong.

Sharon looked at him, tightly clutching his third glass of bourbon, and realized that what had happened was past. They needed to move forward, and Heath needed to understand that.

"Tomorrow, you need to go see Reverend Peterson about blessing the house." Sharon stood up very straight as she made the statement. "This Sunday, after Church he will come over and after the blessing, I will host family dinner. Simon will be there and feel comforted." She gave Heath an encouraging smile.

Heath looked at Sharon who looked so desirable in the green wrap that clung to her body. Further copper colored hair, while being braided back had tendrils curled around her face. He reminded himself that this was a business arrangement.