Chapter Two
Heath leaned against the top rail of the corral – paddock he mentally corrected as it was called at Kilkenny Farms – and took a swig of the smooth bourbon from his flask. He inhaled the fresh smell of horses and grass, as the full moon in the sky lent a silvery glow to the surroundings.
He appreciated the peace and quiet; the first he had experienced since they had arrived at the Irish settlement. They were met a large group of people, headed by Jimmy Callahan, with much fanfare. Heath took careful note of everyone he saw and met but did not see Sharon or hear her husband's name. The Barkley's were all put up at the newly opened Inn, which was offset to the main square.
There had barely been time to unpack, before they were swept into the social hall for dinner and then ceili (*) dances. The hall was hot and crowded; the fiddle music only increased in volume, for the traditional jigs. Heath had fled surreptitiously knowing it would only get louder because of the hob-nailed shoes.
Jimmy had made a point of bringing Liam O'Keefe over to introduce him and suggested that they all meet at Jimmy's stable in the morning. Heath had already heard that Jimmy's bride to be had been delayed, and she, along with her parents would not be arriving until day after tomorrow.
Heath once again privately observed that Jimmy was not coming across as an eager bridegroom. It made him wonder if Jimmy's marriage was arranged like Sharon's was – a proper Irish spouse. It made him sad, and that thought further increased his feelings that he did not want to be down at Kilkenny Farms.
A nicker from one of the horses brought him back to the present, and he recalled what his Ma and Hannah had always told him – count your blessings and appreciate what you have around you. Heath smiled sadly and said a private prayer for his Ma, Hannah, and Rachel. He finished the bourbon in his flask and was set to roll and light a cigarette when he heard the swish of a feminine skirt.
He turned away from the horses, and the path from town led to the farmhouses that were closest to the settlement. Heath felt his breath catch in his throat, as he saw the silvery moonlight highlighted the coppery hair, and he recognized Sharon right away. She was heading to the back side of her uncle's house; Heath recognized the direction even though it had been almost six years since he had been at the settlement.
"Sharon – Sharon" Heath would later think it was the bourbon that made him reach out as he did. After exclaiming her name, he strode over to meet her, reaching out to take her arm. "I ah I just" suddenly words failed him as he regarded her in the moonlight. Her dark blue eyes were wide and bright, while her figure was womanly and soft; it made him want to take her into his arms with a passion he had not felt in a long time.
"Tis Heath Barkley?" Sharon turned and faced him, taking a slight step back as she stiffened her spine before looking up at him. "It's been a while; how nice of you to come for Uncle Jimmy's wedding." Heath heard the formal tone in her voice and understood what she was not saying. The sound of her soft lilting accent though was too much for him, as he put his hand on her shoulder.
"I didn't see you earlier, when we arrived." Heath was not sure what to say next, even as he felt her distance herself from his reach. It came to him that he was handling this all wrong and needed to try to correct the situation. He removed his hand, as he stepped back while smiling at her carefully.
"You look well. The settlement has come so far, and I am impressed." Heath modulated his voice to be socially acceptable, as if they were having a conversation in a public place. "By the way, I've not had the chance to meet your husband yet." He left it hanging out there, being now curious as to why she was out by herself.
"My husband passed not quite two years ago." Firmness settled on her face, and Heath hated seeing the hardness that came into her eyes. "I look after Uncle Jimmy's house, along with my mother-in-law; Granny Callahan passed away earlier in the year." It was all delivered in a flat tone and Heath was taken aback at what she was saying.
"I am so sorry." Heath stammered, wondering why Victoria had not told him about the death of Sharon's husband and Granny Callahan. "I wasn't aware of the news." His response sounded lame, even to his ears; he turned away wishing he had left her alone.
"I specifically asked that your Ma not be notified of the deaths; she had already done so much for us." Sharon softened her stance, as she stepped closer to Heath, who turned to face her. "I couldn't deal with people's pity for me and my children." She added, and Heath smiled sadly, hearing the proud Irish colleen he had always known. They had both hated been viewed with pity, and he admired the same spirit he had within him.
"Children? How many? How old?" Heath asked, even as he felt stupid; the couple had been married for over five years before her husband had passed. They had children of course; everyone but he and Sarah seemed to have children once they married.
"Sean is six years old, and Tara, my little girl is five." Sharon answered and Heath saw the glow and pride of motherhood in her face. "I am lucky because Mother Flynn – my husband's late mother – stays with us and helps out.
"May I ask how your husband passed?" Heath treaded lightly, knowing that she was still a new widow. People grieved in different ways and knowing how quickly her marriage to her cousin had come together he wondered about her feelings.
"Paul died on horseback, riding one of the new horses that Liam and Uncle Jimmy had brought in." The response was delivered in a cold tone, which Heath picked up on. It made him curious as to why her tone of voice, but before he could pursue it, she gathered her merino wool shawl around her shoulders.
"Heath, it has been a long day, and I have another one in front of me. I bid ye good night." Sharon looked him straight in the eye, before raising her chin and turning away. Heath saw dismissal in her eyes; his heart and soul recoiled at rejection.
"Sharon, I built our house; the plans I showed you that day." Heath moved towards to her, reaching out to take her hands in his. At the back of his mind, he knew that he was treading on dangerous waters, but under the moon's silvery glow he realized that he still had feelings for her. Just as Heath thought he had overplayed his hand she stopped and turned back toward him, her dark blue eyes soft and hazy.
"All those years ago? You kept the plans? And you built the house?" Sharon's voice was strangled, and it came to Heath that she might be carrying as much sorrow and private unhappiness as he was.
"Yes, I did; at the end of the day, I needed somewhere to live. You would love the gardens" Heath smiled as he imagined Sharon in the dwelling. The warmth and admiration in his voice was clear.
"What is the house like?" Sharon stepped slightly closer to him, as she looked up, genuine interest in her eyes. Heath felt the first wave of happiness in a long time, as Sharon asked him about the house. He took so much pleasure in the dwelling, and to finally be able to share it with someone was more than he probably should enjoy.
"The master bedroom is in the southeast corner, with bay windows, a private bath, and a sitting area; the sun comes in to warm the place." Heath went on to detail out the floor plan on the second floor. The first floor was given over to an entrance hall, and a front and rear parlor. "In truth I spend most of my time in the kitchen." He blurted it out without thinking, only realizing after the fact what he was admitting about his life.
Suddenly a shooting star lit up the sky with silver fire, only adding to the silver glow from the full moon. It illuminated everything it touched, and Heath and Sharon regarded each other with eyes wide open. He saw pain and hurt – so much it caused him to flinch.
Sharon for her part saw love, desire, and passion – all emotions that could once again send her life into the tailspin as Heath Barkley had done last time they were together. Moonlight was the time of fairies and banshees – a dangerous time.
"Good night, Heath." She reared back, needing to put as much space as possible between the two of them. Nothing good would come of their conversation – what was done was done. Sharon almost ran down the walkway, being careful not to look back.
The next morning Sharon rolled over in her bed, in the small house she shared with Mother Flynn and her children. It was just across from Uncle Jimmy's house, making it easy for her to oversee the kitchen; she had moved there after her husband's death. She sat up and was puzzled why the sun coming in through the window was so bright. Her plan had been to get up early, get to the kitchen at Uncle Jimmy's and get her children settled for the day.
She had arrived back home last night, later than she had wanted. Luckily Mother Flynn had made dinner for Sean and Tara, before putting them to bed; Paul's mother was a godsend. Sharon had felt guilty for how solicitous her mother-in-law had been, as Sharon blamed the wedding preparations on why she had been late. The last thing she wanted to admit was the real reason why she had been late getting home.
Dallying in the moonlight with her ex-beau like some young colleen Sharon squirmed to herself, as she had twisted in her bed. Most of the night had been spent upbraiding herself for even spending time with Heath; the other half of the night had been spent reveling in how wonderful it was to be with him and hear about the house.
There was also the matter of his wife – and the lack of his mention of her; Sharon was puzzled. She knew that Heath had married, from Uncle Jimmy. Heath had not referenced his wife at all, and his remark about spending most of his time in the kitchen was odd. Had the woman passed? She did not think so because it would have been made known; the Barkley name was powerful in the entire state.
Now she jumped out of bed and went to look in the rest of the cottage; she was surprised that it was empty. Sharon took care of her morning absolutions and then dressed quickly, in a simple frock of dark blue that would stand up to the day's work in the kitchen. Her thick copper hair was in the braid she wore to bed, and now she pinned up hurriedly, knowing that it did not matter what she looked like.
Sharon was concerned about Mother Flynn, Sean, and Tara, along with her duties in the kitchen for the wedding preparations. She flew over to Uncle Jimmy's house and raced through the backdoor into the kitchen. The sight that met her eyes took her aback and made her stop short in the doorway.
*Ceili Dances are traditional Irish Folk Dances performed by groups of people, both male and female. It is a participatory event at social gatherings – including Pubs and Funerals - in Ireland since early times. Most people wore work boots with hobnail soles, which lent additional sound and rhythm to the dances. These dances were written down in the early Twentieth Century, during the Gaelic Revival and are still performed in competitions today.
