Chapter Two

Nick woke up with a rip-roaring headache. He had drunk himself to a miserable, restless sleep. He hadn't drunk this much since the days after Peg died; Jarrod had finally intervened, almost ten years before— after smelling it on his breath several mornings. He had taken his brother aside.

"Nick, I know how you feel, trust me. But you have a five-year-old downstairs depending on you.

He left the whiskey downstairs after that.

Until last night.

The memories of Peg and his promises to her came crashing down on him—-and long-buried memories of loneliness came upon him. The discussion with Jarrod was the last straw.

Upon grilling the boys in the study, Jarrod and Nick got a clearer picture of Chip's trouble and expulsion from the Stockton school. He had been caught with liquor in the schoolyard and with the headmaster's daughter who laid all the blame at his feet.

"He made me, Father,"

Chip was too much of a gentleman, to tell the truth. Nick was called from the ranch and he was kicked out of school.

When Jarrod found out that JT had done the same thing with the girl, he was incensed. Angry at his son but more angry at himself for neglecting manly discussions.

"We need to talk, son, about your actions."

JT blushed at Jarrod's countenance, "Chip already told me about the differences in common and ladies. Uncle Nick told him."

Jarrod jerked his head toward Nick.

Nick shrugged his shoulders, "A boy needs to know, Jarrod. At his age, we—-"

"Shut up, Nick," he bellowed, "These are our sons. We will do better than our father."

Both boys cowered at seeing Jarrod's full rage for the first time.

"And what was that about Grandfather Barkley?" They both wondered.

He took a deep breath and sat down seeing the expressions on their faces.

"Boys," he sighed and ran his fingers through his salt and pepper hair.

Nick replied softly, "Uncle Jarrod is right. Just so my words were clear, Chip—-and JT. My kid asked me what common means. I told him and compared that to the virtue of a lady. I condone no improper conduct until you boys are married—-years from now."

Chip knew all about mating from being raised on the ranch and the exploits he overheard from ranch hands growing up. He knew what Big Annie's was and what happened there for the money. And he was very curious. He shared all his information with JT and was thankful JT had not shared that with their fathers.

Jarrod began again-trying to be calmer, "JT, we will talk later. Let's start from the beginning. This Beatrice, the headmaster's daughter, offers boys her father's rum and lets them kiss her and other inappropriate touching, let's call it that—-yes, let's call it that."

JT precisely answered, "Only the rich ones." and then flinched at Jarrod and Nick's faces.

Ever since the paper ran an article by an aggrieved former business partner, they had been inundated with requests for money, business opportunities, and ladies offering their hand to Nick or their body to Jarrod. The article correctly stated the brothers were now worth over two million dollars from Barkley holdings and especially Heath's innovations in mining tungsten for skyscrapers back east. The hit piece insinuated that they made their money off their younger brother without recompense. It was a blatant lie and the paper had to issue a retraction—-on the back page and in small print. But the damage was done. The news article, according to an unnamed source, cited working conditions and unfair labor advantages about Barkley wealth and lots of innuendo.

Nick took a long puff on his cigar, "I never dreamed that this would affect our boys."

"Me, either Nick."

"Boys, you know how women get with child?"

"Yes sir," they both answered; JT relied on Chip's information. Jarrod saw that immediately in his son's face as he cut his eyes at his cousin—-He would talk to him privately.

"Did coupling occur?"

"Ah naw, we didn't do nothing like that. Promise!" Chip blurted out.

JT shook his head in agreement.

Nick cleared his throat, "The Bible says that the marriage bed is to be kept pure. Understand? " unsure of his fatherly response, and pulled something from a sermon he once heard.

"Yes sir, keep it in your trousers until you are married," he clarified.

Jarrod frowned behind his back.

"Boys, because of our wealth there are some unscrupulous women who might allow themselves to get with child for you to marry them or money or blackmail our family."

The boys' eyes grew huge, "We can be fathers?" JT asked.

"Yes and now we have the full story, we will be able to get this expulsion off Chip's record. I can almost guarantee this tomorrow, Nick."

"Do Heath's boys know?"

"Just Billy. He is in upper school now this year."

"I will talk to Heath tomorrow and make sure this does not get to the ladies or heaven forbid your grandmother. He will need to talk to his sons."

The boys blanched thinking their adored grandmother might hear of their sins.

"We can work this out. William is too young to know this information, understood?." Jarrod added.

They looked relieved at his words and nodded.

"Boys, go into the kitchen and get a snack. I need to talk to Uncle Nick."

They shut the doors behind them, "Oh we got off easy." Chip sighed.

JT replied, "I can't be out of trouble—- I haven't yet got the talk. Did you see his face? I am going to get a lawyer talk and a father talk and a preacher talk?"

—-&—

"Nick, it's time to send the boys to school in San Francisco. We have talked before about this. They have learned all they can in Stockton. "

"Nope," as he swallowed down his whiskey. He chuckled thinking of Jarrod's play on words but his brother wasn't amused.

"We need to talk this through." with a gruff tone.

Nick's mind flooded with what he considered until Peg's death—the worst year of his life. Tom and Victoria sent them to finish upper school in San Francisco. He hated every minute and grieved for the ranch; his grades were mediocre, to say the least, and he lost ten pounds. His father made him finish out the term and then allowed him to come back to the ranch. On the other hand, Jarrod flourished and went on to college and then to law school.

"Don't make a decision, Nick. Talk it over with Chip. The boys are so intelligent. I fear they are going to get in more trouble out of boredom.

Peg's words came back to him. "Educate our boy. Give him opportunities like your parents did for you."

"Think about it," was all he could muster.

"There is a family week at one prestigious school I have been looking at for JT. Lots of skills outside the classroom. Fencing, archery, boxing, rowing, cycling and such. Physical training as well as the mind. Go with me and Elisabeth, please. They have plenty of holiday breaks, too during the term. All summer off and a month at Christmas."

"Might."

And he took the whiskey bottle up for the night.

—-&—-