Chapter Thirteen
"Good evening everyone." Heath announced, looking Victoria straight in the eye. "This is Simon – my son – and we need somewhere to stay." He noted how surprised everyone looked, and how not a sound was heard. The grandfather clock's chimes boomed around the hall, as it rang half past the hour.
It was Priscilla who made the first move, her skirt rustling as she walked to where they were standing. Her dress was cornflower blue silk, ornamented with white tulle and purple bows; a purple bow was in her elaborately put-up hair. Heath noticed that Simon flinched as she walked towards the boy, undoubtedly because of how Sarah had reacted to Simon.
"Welcome to the Barkley Ranch" she knelt to Simon's eye level "you look like you could use dinner? Or at least some milk?" Heath noted how kindly she smiled at the boy but did not reach out to touch him. He felt some of the tightening around his heart loosen, glad that Simon would be fed.
"Thank you, Priscilla, yes he has not had dinner." Heath was filled with gratitude "Just so you are aware, Simon only speaks Spanish." He listened as Priscilla repeated the words in that language, and when Simon looked up at him, he nodded his head. In Spanish he told the boy that everything would be all right. Priscilla certainly had more experience with children than he did.
Simon let go of Heath's hand but continued to clutch his suitcase with his other hand. Priscilla struggled to rise, and Heath noted how far along she was with her condition. Before he could help her up Nick was right there with his arm. Nick whispered something in her ear, and Heath saw Priscilla give her husband a reassuring kiss on his cheek.
"Heath what has happened?" Victoria went over to him, and put her arm around his shoulder, as Priscilla led Simon out to the kitchen. Heath saw the worry in his mother's eyes, and it tore at his heart – he was bringing her so much trouble.
"Let's go into the back parlor and get a drink." Jarrod announced, indicating for Heath and Victoria to go first. Nick brought up the rear, wearing a scowl and looking displeased. Jarrod poured drinks for everyone, as Heath sat down next to Victoria on the sofa.
"Well you see, this was" Heath took a large swallow of his drink, as he gathered his thoughts, before he explained what had happened. He started with his time in Rio Blanco, back in the fall of 1876, and finished with Senor Delgado bringing Simon to his house tonight. "And that was when Sarah asked us to leave."
"I actually met your Magda and Erick." Jarrod surprised him by saying. "I was down that following summer, to oversee the mine sale. I stayed at the Inn and talked to the couple. Simon has his mother's hair."
"What do you mean Sarah threw you out? Isn't it your house?" Nick growled, giving his brother a fierce glare. Heath remembered the scowl on Nick's face as Priscilla had taken charge of Simon. It came to him that Nick would not want his wife to be burdened with extra work at this time in her condition. Nick had always put Priscilla's well-being above anything else, and it now dawned on Heath that it was not just Victoria he had to contend with, in regard to Simon.
"Not now Nick. Heath needs our support." Victoria gave Nick a warning look, wanting to pour oil on troubled waters. Nick's response was to humph loudly and walk to the fireplace, turning his back on the family group.
"She wasn't my Magda! I already told you it was a bad night, but if I'd had any idea that we had in fact had" Heath stopped there, realizing his declaration was meaningless. In the end Simon was proof of what had happened. It came to him that he had been more than happy to turn his back on the whole night in Rio Blanco.
"Heath, you might not have any rights to Simon." Jarrod's voice was smooth – his courtroom voice as Audra referred to the tone. That alone caused Heath's heart to clench, even before he heard the words his brother was speaking.
"Jarrod, what are you saying?" Victoria declared. While Heath had been telling the story of his time in Rio Blanco, and Simon's arrival at his house Jarrod had been sorting through the documents in the leather folio. Heath had given it to Jarrod as they had gone into the back parlor.
"As I said, I met Magda and Erick, who were husband and wife. In looking over the documents – by the way I know of Alberto Delgado and he is a first-rate lawyer – every document pertaining to Simon has Erick listed as his father." Jarrod's eyes were full of sorrow, and Health felt his heart and stomach clenching into a tight ball again.
"As far as the Mexican government is concerned, Simon is the lawful child of Magda and Erick. Further, Erick's parents have acknowledged the child as their grandson." Jarrod stated, and then paused to light a cigar.
"Magda's letter stated that Erick's parents knew of the boy and she wanted them to stay involved in his life." Heath offered, remembering that phrase – in truth the contents of her letter was burned into his mind.
"Did Magda mention in her letter that last year the family took a trip to Sweden, for Erick's parent's Silver wedding anniversary? There is a file that includes pictures of the event, along with pictures of Simon and his grandparents." Jarrod took a deep draw on his cigar, exhaled, and then finished his scotch.
"I don't understand what does that mean?" Heath almost snarled, feeling the effects of the full glass of bourbon he had had earlier, and the generous glass that Jarrod had poured for him. It came to him that he had not eaten since lunch. At the same time hearing that Simon could be taken from him – he paused and wondered how he had formed a bond so fast – made him angry.
"Heath, this matter is not as straight forward as it seems, in spite of Magda's letter." Jarrod put his cigar down in the green onyx ashtray on the tri-top side table. He went over to the far corner, where the bar cabinet was topped by a shelf with lattice fretwork forming a tabletop. There Silas set up after dinner snacks – bread, cheese, cured meats, and dried fruits. Jarrod put together a plate for Heath of bread, cheese, and sausage.
"You need to eat this – now." Jarrod shoved the plate under Heath's nose, as he removed the empty glass. Heath was all set to argue, but then he saw what Jarrod was doing, and acquiesced. It made sense, and Heath knew he needed his family's support. That thought had him looking over at Nick, whose back was still to the group.
"I am being honest with you, as your lawyer Heath." Jarrod let him eat the food before he started talking. "In a court of law, Erick – as the father of record – is the boy's father. Because of that, his parents have guardianship rights to Simon. Further, there is proof of their ongoing relationship with Simon; Heath any court of law would award custody of Simon to Erick's parents." His voice trailed off, and he picked up his cigar from the ashtray.
"Jarrod, no! Magda's letter states I am the father! And he looks like Alden." Heath stood up jerkily as the made the announcement.
"Heath, yes that is true." Jarrod inclined his head as he took a draw on his cigar. "However, a good lawyer could argue that Magda was hedging her bets to get the boy a better life. Further I could probably produce at least five boys who looked enough like Alden and Simon to refute the argument."
"So what? Am I just supposed to turn him over to strangers?" Heath almost cried, hating the thought of Simon leaving his care. Surprisingly it was Nick who came to his rescue.
"I think what Jarrod is trying to tell you is that you are not Simon's only family. Clearly his parents being killed forced the family lawyer to find somewhere for Simon to stay." Nick summarized, as he defused the situation. He had turned to face the group, not looking so displeased anymore. Whatever had been bothering him was gone; or maybe Heath figured that since he was in trouble Nick would stand with him.
"Nick is right Heath; we need to focus on Simon right now. He has lost his parents, and everything he knew." Victoria stood up and went to stand next to Nick. That brought home to Heath that, yes, his family would stand with him – at least in the short term.
"We need to reach out to Erick's parents, to make them aware of the situation. I am sure Senor Delgado notified them of the deaths." Jarrod picked up the files that Heath had brought. "Heath, we have to act in good faith and the best interests of Simon. I am going to reach out to Senor Delgado – and the Pinkerton's – to see what information if any there is on the couple."
Meanwhile in the kitchen *Author's note – please assume this scene is happening parallel to the scene in the back study. Also, all conversations with Simon are in Spanish, but I am writing them in English.
"Silas, is there any chicken left over from lunch?" Priscilla asked as they all walked into the kitchen. Dinner had been shrimp creole, which she figured would be too spicy and/or maybe too exotic for his stomach. "I am sure that he has been traveling a lot of the day, so let's do some cut up chicken, gravy and maybe a biscuit?" She smiled at Silas and saw that he understood what she wanted.
"Simon, why don't you sit here?" She indicated table with the red checked cloth and pulled out a chair for the boy. "Now do you like milk? Or maybe hot chocolate? And what about some chicken for dinner?" Priscilla watched as the boy went to sit at the table, putting his suitcase down next to him.
"Thank you Ma'am I am thirsty and do like chicken." Simon replied, and Priscilla noticed how peaked he looked. She turned to get the pitcher of milk, pursing her lips as she thought that he had not been offered anything at Heath and Sarah's. Priscilla's hands clenched around the pitcher, knowing exactly why Sarah had been so unwelcoming to the boy; he looked so much like Alden and Heath.
"This is Silas; he takes care of all of us." Priscilla sat next to Simon, as the Negro man brought over a plate of food, along with butter and honey. "I am going to tell you a very important secret Simon – Silas really runs everything." She tossed her head and gave Simon a wink; she was pleased to see the boy smile in reply.
She let him eat, but talked to him about his interests, and listened carefully to his replies. He was six years old, and liked math and drawing. Simon had not gone to school but one of the monks from the church had come to his house to teach him. It puzzled her that he referred to the house as an inn, but now was not the time to pursue that question.
Priscilla could see that he was whip smart and had been well brought up. When she mentioned his parents, Simon sighed and looked sad before he said they were with God. Simon had crossed himself as he made the comment, so he was Catholic. He did not look Mexican or Spanish, which intrigued Priscilla. His hair too was unusual; the red was not the coppery or ginger shades of the British Isles. Instead, it was a deep, rich auburn that glowed under the kitchen lights. It made her wonder what the other half of his heritage was; the eyes and facial features were all Barkley.
"Simon, I think you are well past bedtime." Priscila had noticed that the boy's eyes were getting heavy. His plate was clean – in fact he'd had eaten the chicken and gravy, along with three biscuits all heavily laden with honey and butter. The food and two glasses of milk had sated his hunger, and now he needed to sleep.
"I'm going to take you upstairs to the nursery, where my boys sleep." Priscilla explained about Rosalie, as she took the dish over to the sink. Silas had been in the kitchen the entire time, cleaning up, and he gave her a beaming smile.
"Senor Heath?" Simon had stood up and was clutching his suitcase tightly.
"Let's get upstairs, and get you ready for bed, and then I will go get Senor Heath." Priscilla answered, noting how he referred to Heath. It was very different than how Heath had referenced the boy. Mentally she shuddered at the implication and the fall out that was going to happen, because of Simon.
Priscilla led Simon up the backstairs, and down the hall to the nursery. She noticed how he was looking at everything with large eyes. The brocade wallpaper, thick carpet, and chandeliers did give the place a grand feeling. It made her curiouser about his background but put that thought aside when they came to the nursery.
It was in fact a suite of rooms; the main room you entered was setup as a play area, eating area, and a reading area. As the children became older Priscilla planned to use it for lessons, and then homework once they started school. To the left was a room setup for the nanny to sleep, and any infants; to the right of the center area was a room with beds for the children. There were extra beds in there because Audra's children often spent the night when there were family gatherings.
She turned the knob slowly, trying to be as quiet as possible so as not to awaken anyone. Right by the door was a console table that had a small lamp on it, which Priscilla turned on, keeping the light low. It was for naught though, as Rosalie, the nanny came out of her room.
"Rosalie, this is Simon. He is going to be staying with us a while." Priscilla announced, privately wondering how long it would be for. She did not say his last name, partly because she did not know it, and because of Heath's status in the boy's life. "Just so you are aware he only speaks Spanish but starting tomorrow we need to get him learning English." She finished; even if the boy was with them for just a bit it wouldn't hurt him to know the language.
"Let us put him in with Thomas Henry and Alden, but maybe have him change in the WC? That way we will not wake the boys. Would you take him?" Priscilla spoke in English to Rosalie, and then explained in Spanish to Simon, who nodded his head.
"Senora Nick, is this suitcase all he has?" Rosalie inquired, after studying Simon intently. The low light in the room still gave enough illumination to see his features. The older Mexican woman gave Priscilla a hard stare, but in return Priscilla just shrugged her shoulders. There would be enough time tomorrow for explanations – whatever they would be.
"I assume that the rest of his possessions are coming separately." She answered, and then smiled at Simon. "I will go get Senor Heath while you get ready for bed. I will see you tomorrow morning, and you can meet my boys then. Rest well." Priscilla felt comfortable turning Simon over to Rosalie. In truth she was happy to, as a wave of exhaustion hit her. She was usually in bed by now because of her condition. As she walked down to the back-parlor Priscilla wondered about how to handle the extra work Rosalie would have, Simon's language skills, and the gossip that would soon be flying.
When she entered the back parlor, the men rose; both Nick and Heath strode over to her side.
"Sissi are you all right? I want you to sit down." Nick put his arm around her and led Priscilla over to a side chair. She felt clumsy and ungainly as she lowered herself down. Heath had followed them and stood in front of her now.
"Where is Simon? Did he eat?" Heath 's voice was filled with concern about the boy Priscilla noted. Nick grunted and she knew that he was not happy about something.
"He is fine Heath. Simon had chicken, gravy, biscuits with butter and honey, along with two glasses of milk." She smiled reassuringly "He is up in the nursery, and Rosalie is getting him ready for bed. Simon said he would like to say goodnight to you." She left off the question about Simon's other possessions, deciding it could wait until tomorrow.
"Priscilla, here is some sherry for you." Jarrod brought a glass over to her, which she accepted gratefully. Nick, who was standing with his hand on her shoulder told Jarrod thank you for looking out for her. She would have preferred tea with honey, but she would get some when she went upstairs. "Heath hold on." The comment was said in the well-known Pappy voice, in response to Heath starting to leave the room.
"Priscilla, did you learn anything about the boy?" Jarrod asked.
"Some details – he is six years old, likes math and drawing; he has not been to school but a monk from the church would come to the inn – I didn't understand that – to teach him." Priscilla paused to sip the sherry, while Jarrod explained about Simon's living situation.
"I can also tell you that he is very smart and has been well brought up. His parents loved him very much, and Simon misses them." Her voice was somber as she remembered how peaked he had looked sitting at the table and the way he had crossed himself when talking about his parents.
"Heath, I recommend – and I am sure Priscilla will agree with me – that you don't refer to the boy as your son." Jarrod temporized, and started to speak again but Heath stopped him.
"His name is Simon, not the boy." The retort was delivered in a harsh tone, his eyes flashing with annoyance.
"May I finish? My reasoning is that Simon" Jarrod intoned as Priscilla noticed he used the boy's name. "Simon has only known Erick as his father. He has had a tragedy happen to him; he is living in an unfamiliar place with people who do not naturally speak his language. You could upset him, and put him in an awkward spot, by trying to assume the father role. We need to consider what is best for Simon."
"Jarrod is right Heath. We need to think of what is best for Simon." Priscilla agreed, silently adding not what is best for you. She knew how much Heath had wanted children, and how he doted on his nieces and nephews. However, Simon should not be the answer to that prayer was her private thought.
"How should I refer to him? The boy?" Heath was still smarting from Jarrod's attitude; Priscilla noted and gave Nick a worried look.
"It would be best if we refer to him as Simon Folsom, the son of our friends' Magda and Erick. Because of our one-time ownership of the mine in Rio Blanco we have been close to them. They were just killed by guerillas, and Simon is staying with us while we contact his grandparents in Sweden." Jarrod explained slowly.
"I think that is a capital idea, and it is all true." Nick's voice boomed around the room. Priscilla heard the undercurrent of can we be done with this and she did not blame him at all.
"But he looks like Alden!" Heath declared, and then sighed deeply "Sarah knows the story." He felt attacked on all sides, all for just trying to do what was right – after he had done such a wrong.
"What exactly do you mean by that?" Victoria had been sitting on the sofa, but now walked over to Heath. He noted her eyes were full of worry and sadness, as they had been since he and Simon had come to the house. It made him feel sorry for inflicting the situation on her.
"She knows that Simon is my son. Sarah refuses to raise the boy, and is leaving for San Francisco tomorrow, to file for divorce" Heath tone was somber. "She is going cite Simon as the cause of the divorce." He hung his shoulders, feeling the weight of everything going wrong in his life right now.
"Heath, I will ride over to your house tomorrow, to see Sarah." Victoria said firmly, her eyes looking into his. "I can have a talk with her and help her to come to terms with this matter. Things get said in the heat of the moment, but in the morning everything looks different."
He knew she was trying to reassure him, but knowing Sarah, Heath did not think it would make any impact. The words she had thrown at him – jabbing him about having an illegitimate son gnawed at him. Sarah's comments about what society was going to say about her caused his heart to tighten. Heath knew that only in the last several years had Sarah recovered from all the scandal and innuendo her father had put her through. Now, he was going to subject her to it all over again; Heath did not blame her for wanting to get as far away as possible.
"Mother that is a good idea." Nick gave his mother a kiss on the cheek. "I'm taking Priscilla upstairs, to rest. Good night everyone." He helped his wife out of the chair, and the couple left the room. Heath decided to wait several minutes, before going upstairs to see Simon. He wanted to give Nick and Priscilla time to get into their room, being pretty sure his brother did not want to discuss Simon anymore.
"Heath, your old room is always kept ready for you." Victoria came over and her hand on his arm. "You get some sleep. We can talk more after my visit to Sarah."
He nodded his head, and said goodnight to her and Jarrod, before heading upstairs, his steps slow and cautions. The hall was deserted, and when he arrived at the nursery door he paused, trying to figure out what to say to Simon. Jarrod's words about not presenting the boy as his son rang in his ears.
When he started to enter the nursery, Rosalie came out of her room, and walked over to him. She put her fingers to her lips, and then indicated for him to step outside. Heath noted that she was in a dark, heavy dressing gown, and he felt bad for waking her up.
"Senor Heath, the boy Simon is sound asleep. I don't think he should be disturbed after the day he has had, with long travel." The words made sense in Heath's head, but not in his heart. He recalled Priscilla saying that Simon had wanted to say goodnight to him. Sighing, he acknowledged the wisdom of what Rosalie was saying. Jarrod's comment we need to think of the best interest of Simon came to him.
"Of course, we don't want to wake him. Thank you, Rosalie." Heath replied and turned to head to his room. A thought occurred to him, that if Simon would be staying at the Big House, Rosalie would be taking care of him adding to her workload. Resolving that tomorrow, he would talk to Nick and Priscilla, to offer to increase Rosalie's wages out of his pocket; that should help Nick's attitude. Simon was his son and should be with him.
