Author's Note: This story opens in Spring of 1883 and is a follow-up to "The Glitter & The Gold", "Mile High Mayhem" and "Sonoran Autumn". This story answers questions that were raised in those stories. Heath and Sarah, Audra and Carl Wheeler, and Nick and Priscilla all married in 1879. In the four years that have passed many things have changed, but some have stayed the same.
Chapter One
Heath rode into the stable yard and looked over to where the large, enclosed traveling coach was being loaded. Four horses, stout of chest, were already hitched to the vehicle, whose doors were painted with the ranch brand. His large traveling bag that he had sent over the day before per Victoria's request was being strapped down on the roof. The trip to Kilkenny farms was going to take a while, and she wanted an early start. Now he saw Nick, Priscilla, their two boys and the nanny, but no Victoria.
After dismounting he paused and looked at his brother with a fond smile. Nick was holding three-year-old Thomas Henry, while year-and-a-half old Alden looked on from his mother's arms. Heath could see the pride and love in his brother's face, as he regarded the boys and their mother. In the four years that Nick and Priscilla had been married Heath had watched his brother's family grow. The bulge below Priscilla's waist showed that there would be another child for the family.
He loved his nieces and nephews; Audra and Carl had a boy and two girls. Heath kept private the longing he felt for a child of his own. Sarah and he had been married the same length of time as the other couples, but with no sign of a babe. It weighed on Sarah, he knew, and was sure that if they had a child of their own, she would spend more time at their house on the ranch.
"Uncle Heath!" Alden's shriek broke into Heath's dark thoughts, even as it caused everyone in the stable yard, including the horses, to startle. Alden looked like Heath, but he had Nick's voice, to everyone's dismay.
"Alden, I don't think you are loud enough." Heath chuckled as he strode over and took the boy from Priscilla. He hugged him for a moment, and then bounced him, followed by lifting him in the air. His older brother Thomas Henry, who looked like Nick, regarded the pair calmly; he might have his father's looks, but his personality was his mother's.
"Now I have plan" Heath drew the boy into his chest, letting the boy's arms wrap around his neck. "We, you, me and your brother will stay here and goof off, while everyone else goes to the wedding." He winked at the boy and took his hat off to put on the boy's head. If only it could be, he sighed to himself.
"We have had this discussion ad nauseam Heath." Victoria came striding into the stable yard, clad in black leather, and a small Colt revolver in her belt adorned with silver Conchos. "Jimmy has been trying to get you down to see his horses for the last several years. He has been a good friend, and we owe him the courtesy." She finished her statement with a glare, as she planted her feet hip width apart.
"I just have to wonder why a man who is about to be married is so concerned about his horses." Heath put it out there, not wanting to go into the real reason he did not want to go to Kilkenny Farms. His worst nightmare was the last time he was in the Irish settlement.
"Liam O'Keefe is a first-rate horseman, with experience at hunting and racing stables in Ireland and England. He is helping Jimmy breed horses, and they have asked for your help." Victoria declared in a tone that brooked no further discussion; especially when she was wearing black leather. Heath cuddled Alden closer and felt sadness at what his life had become.
Once Nick and Priscilla, along with Heath and Victoria had said goodbye to the boys, who were turned over to Rosalie, their nanny, the passengers boarded the coach. Outside was a driver, and another man who was there to relive the main driver and act as a second guard. Heath knew the route down to the settlement was well travelled but it never hurt to be careful. He found himself sitting next to Victoria, while Nick and Priscilla had their backs to the horses.
Heath had assumed that the ladies would sit together, but privately chuckled as he remembered how affectionate Nick and Priscilla were with each other. Four years of marriage, and children had not dimmed the passion between the couple. Nick adored his wife completely and was very fond of sweeping her away for adventures, to have her all to himself.
He was aware of how involved Priscilla was in the family enterprises. She took care of the records and inventory at the winery, in addition to providing schooling for the children of the Romani people who came to pick the grapes. Her latest endeavor of beekeeping in the orange groves – she stressed that the bees needed orange blossoms and the orchards needed the bees – had turned into a lucrative side business.
The honey produced in the Barkley orchards was commanding top prices in San Francisco at fine dining establishments. Further she had overhauled the kitchen garden at the main house and added berries, along with medicinal herbs. Heath knew the gardens at his house, which he tended carefully, were all Priscilla's doing. At the time he had known that Sarah was city girl but had been sure that she would adjust to country life.
It was with a sigh that he pushed all those thoughts out of his mind, as the coach headed down the road. He knew that he had to endure the drive, giving him way too much time to think about what he did not want to think about. Instead, he took a book out and tried hard to read it, as the swaying coach moved down the road.
It was early afternoon Victoria judged by the angle of the sun hitting the window of the coach; the blind was drawn but it still let the light through. She wished she were able to sleep on coach trips but had never mastered the skill. The other occupants of the carriage were dozing; Nick and Heath were probably doing the type of light sleeping they did on the range. Priscilla, halfway along with child was truly sleeping, Victoria was sure.
Her mind turned to her other children, and a smile came to her face as she thought of Audra, Carl, and their children. She spent a great deal of time at the Wheeler Ranch, and in fact Audra and Carl had redone the house so Victoria could have her own suite. Carl, whose mother had been dead for over five years held Victoria in the same position as he had held his mother. Audra was happy, loved and fulfilled; everything a mother wanted for her daughter.
Jarrod came next and while Victoria could admit that he was happy, she was not pleased with the circumstances. He now spent a great deal of time either in San Francisco or Sacramento, a place he used to dread. The reason was Carlos Rocasolano and his wife Letizia, from the southern part of the state. Carlos had been elected to the State Senate and had come north, bringing his beautiful wife with him.
Victoria had met the couple, and even had them out to visit the ranch at Jarrod's request. She had heard all the gossip about her son and the Senator's young wife. As much as she did not want to believe it, Victoria did give credence to the old saying where there's smoke there's fire. Carlos, several months ago, at a political event, had remarked to her what a fine man her son was, and how good it for him to escort Letizia to social events. Victoria understood the unspoken message; it was then she decided that if Carlos was not bothered by the talk, she should not be either.
She looked over at Nick and Priscilla snuggled up happily, his arm around her shoulder as she nestled close against him. Her middle son was happy – Victoria and everyone else – knew that Nick adored his wife. She had heard more than one person, including some of the old ranch hands, remark that Nick held Priscilla in higher regard than the ranch.
Victoria always had a private chuckle at that comment, being aware how Priscilla had been wise enough not to ask Nick to choose. She had embraced Nick's life wholeheartedly and was willing to help the family enterprises. Victoria knew that Priscilla was the de facto manager of the blending operations at the winery. There was also her beekeeping endeavor that was proving to be very profitable.
Priscilla had produced two sons, with a third child along the way in less than four years of marriage. All the while she had taken an interest in the tenant families, ran a school for the Romany children, and served on the School Board. Victoria also appreciated how kind and gracious Priscilla was with her, always carefully deferring to her about household matters.
Her middle son, in the four years since his marriage had matured; he was no longer quite so hot tempered and needing to prove himself. Victoria had ached at how Nick had been forced, due to his father's death, to take on the responsibilities of a huge empire. She understood how he had felt he needed to be larger than life, to fill his father's shoes.
Nick had been so lonely, and needy; Victoria for quite a while had been concerned about him and his choices of women. Priscilla was the young schoolteacher, new in town, and of course Nick had fallen hard for her. However, Priscilla, for all of her pink and white prettiness was upright and virtuous, and let Nick know he would have to be a good man.
Victoria loved Priscilla and appreciated what she had done for Nick. The fact that Priscilla came with Granny Elspeth was a small price to pay for her son's happiness. The red-haired Scot's woman had relocated to the valley, when Nick and Priscilla announced they were expecting their first child. In no time Elspeth had seen to it that two bedrooms on the second floor had been redone to make a nursery. Further she had hired a nanny for Priscilla, who Victoria only met after the fact.
Nick had explained it as he was concerned about Priscilla's well-being, but Victoria knew who was calling the shots. She accepted with good grace because Victoria could not fault her son for making his wife happy. It had soon been apparent that Nick liked Priscilla available to travel with him, and not tied down with child rearing.
It came to her that Jarrod and Nick were both happy, but not by her standards or what she had thought they would want. Victoria shifted on the seat of the coach, wondering how different things would have been if Tom had not been gunned down by the railroad. The thought of Tom, her late husband, caused her to sigh, as she looked over at Heath.
Heath was her child that was causing her worry and distress; even as he tried to pretend everything was just fine. His wife spent most of her time in San Francisco, while Heath was busy traveling to Colorado and Mexico when he was not working on the ranch. Victoria had had her reservations about the marriage but hoped with time – and maybe a child – it would work out. She mentally, yet again, chided herself for not speaking to Heath about concerns regarding Sarah.
Four years later, there were no children and Sarah's absence at the house and in town had made Victoria wonder about children at all for the couple. A year ago, Heath had bought a town house in San Francisco, telling the family that it would provide them with a place to stay besides a hotel when they came to town. She tightened her lips as she thought of the house; Sarah stayed there more than anyone else in the family.
There had been some talk, but nothing more than minor comments, which Victoria carefully ignored publicly. In private she felt like the couple needed to have their ears boxed, for how they were acting. She knew that Heath found Sarah hard to deal with and held back emotionally from her; she did need a lot of attention and reassurance.
Victoria understood for someone like Heath, having a clinging vine for a wife was out of his experience. However, he had married her, and needed to be there to support her; not running off to the far range. Sarah shared the blame though, because from what Victoria had seen, she had never once taken an interest in the ranch. Her attention had always been focused on her dressmaking shop, under the guise of taking care of the mother, Penny Rose.
They were though grown adults and needed to deal with their marriage. She had never had a close relationship with Sarah, another fault she rebuked herself for. Victoria had not thought Heath would get anywhere with his courtship of the young girl, and when it had happened it had been quick and almost a done deal.
Coming back to the present she wished that Jarrod could have come along, instead of Heath. Jarrod knew Jimmy and was the legal counsel for the Irish Settlement. However, her oldest son could not leave Sacramento because of the Legislature being in session. Victoria had private concerns about taking Heath to Kilkenny Farms, because of his previous relationship with Sharon Callahan.
If Sharon had not turned Heath down seven years ago, he would never have married Sarah; of that Victoria was sure. She now consoled herself that Sharon was a married woman with two children – Sean six years old, and a daughter Tara, five years old. Victoria had sent very generous gifts for both children, glad that the pretty red head had found happiness with her third cousin Paul Flynn. Jimmy was thrilled that Heath would finally see the horse breeding operation he had set up, with Liam's help.
The travelling coach stopped, and Victoria looked out the window to see that they had arrived at Kilkenny Farms. Thank goodness we are here, she thought to herself; the trip reminded her of how much she hated coach trips.
Heath was glad to have the trip over with, as he had had way too much time to think about his life. He knew that he was not being honest about his relationship with Sarah. At the end of the day making her happy would do nothing for his well-being. Further he had no interest in seeing Sharon – his ex-love – married with children. Everyone else had what he wanted, while he had nothing; at least he could go to the tavern, as it was called at the settlement, and get a drink.
Nick woke up as the coach came to stop, and stretched his long frame, smiling down at Priscilla as he did so. He loved her so much and admired how she was always up for whatever adventure he wanted to do. She was his best friend, and someone he could not function without, having come to rely on her so much. He knew that this trip was a stretch for her – really nothing but an Irish country wedding – but he appreciated her being willing to come along.
"Well we are here, so Slainte!" Nick announced as he opened the door to the coach, jumping out before the two drivers could get to the door and the stairs.
Heath heard Nick say the Gaelic toast and had no interest in sharing his brother's exuberance; in truth he was sure that this would be one of the worst trips he had ever been on.
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