Chapter Eighteen

It was Monday morning, and the Sunnyside Café was busy, which usually made Sharon smile. Today though was different, because of the dominant topic of conversation, which had in fact started last week. When she had first heard the whispers about Heath having an illegitimate son Sharon had been shocked. The Heath she knew – or rather had known – would never have let that happen.

During their courtship Heath had shared how hard it was to be illegitimate, and how it had hurt his mother to see the treatment he received. Now hearing that Heath had let history repeat itself, Sharon could not bring herself to believe that it was true.

However, the talk the first day at the café was all about how the boy had arrived from Mexico in the middle of the night. Sharon heard how Heath had demanded Sarah fix dinner for the boy and set up a room for him. She also heard how devasted Sarah had been at not being able to give Heath a child. The fact that Sarah had walked out was seen in different ways, some admiring her, some – mostly women whose husbands were well known for the liaisons – condemning her for not following her wedding vows.

Sharon had enough experience with how people gossiped to know that the real version of events was likely a great deal less salacious than what she was hearing at the café. It did not surprise her that by the next day there was a different version of the boy's arrival. The talk was that the boy was the son of friends of the Barkley family, from when they had owned a mine in Mexico. His parents – Sharon noted how people stressed that word – had been killed by outlaws. The boy was staying at the Big House until his grandparents could be found.

She had mentally classified people into being in Sarah's camp or Heath's, and if she did not have a history with Heath Sharon would have found it privately amusing. Supporters of Sarah were quick to dismiss the story of grandparents, saying that the Barkley's had invented the story to prevent scandal. There was also a lot of soto voice comments about Sarah going to San Francisco to file for divorce, with her mother's blessing.

By the time she closed the café Saturday after lunch, Sharon was tired of hearing all the talk about the child, and the disparaging comments about Heath and Sarah. As she walked home Sharon thought about their courtship, and then that night in the moonlight back in June. That was the Heath she knew, not this man being gossiped about.

There was a letter waiting for her at the house, from Priscilla, which made her smile. She had become friends with Nick's wife, and his sister Audra. Priscilla had had her and the children out to the ranch several times; she had noted that Heath was always away when she was there. Audra and Carl Wheeler had also extended the hospitality of their ranch, which her children had enjoyed.

Priscilla had invited her to join the committee that was trying to get a public library in Stockton. She had been cautious, because of her duties at the café. After talking to the Morgan's, she had said yes; Julie Morgan was doing better and stated that she would enjoy being back in the café for short bits of time. Her husband had said that it would be good for business for Sharon to be on the committee. The group was diverse, and Sharon enjoyed the interaction as well as the cause the group was working for. She could still see the immense library in the castle back in Ireland, that she had been allowed to take books from. Sharon wanted her children – and all children – to have access to books and learning no matter what their background was.

She picked up the letter now but waited to read it until she had spent time with Sean, Tara, and Mother Flynn. They were excited to see the baked goods that she had brought home; one of the perks of her job were these Saturday afternoon treats. Sean and Tara had gone to the park with Mother Flynn, so they were hungry.

Sharon read the note in her room, after she had changed her dress and had some privacy. Priscilla's explained that she would not be coming into town for a while, because of her condition. She made several comments about the library committee and invited Sharon to come out to the house to visit anytime. The letter also mentioned Simon, who was now staying in the nursery; the rest of the contents were identical to the story she had heard in town. There was no mention of Heath anywhere in the letter, but she was not surprised, as Priscilla was not the type to gossip.

Thinking about her schedule next week, Priscilla decided that she could take Wednesday afternoon off. She would go visit Priscilla, taking her some of the skin cream that she made from the herbs in the garden. Her grandmother had taught her about herbs, and she had started making skin cream and selling it at the mercantile. She had given Priscilla a jar before, and her friend had been very pleased with the cream. Hopefully visiting Priscilla, she would find out exactly what the story was with Heath and the child.

Monday morning Jarrod was in his office, preparing a briefing that he would present that afternoon in court. Privately he had advised his client to settle, but Homer Harris was stubborn and wanted the last word. Homer also had deep pockets and was able, and willing, to go to court on principle – and pigs – which is what the brief related to.

"Mr. Barkley you have a visitor." June came into his office and handed him a calling card. He noted it was heavy weight paper and finely engraved – Lucas Hamilton, Esquire. The card also indicated the firm name of Oldham, Tradd & Oldham; Jarrod inwardly winced. That was the top law firm in San Francisco, and he wondered if this concerned Sarah's threat to file for divorce.

Edwin Oldham, Senior had come west just before the Gold Rush of 1849 and had put his newly minted law degree to work right away. That gave him premier standing among the state's legal community, and he knew his worth to the businesses that hired his firm. Charles Tradd, from Charleston, the Naval Academy, and William & Mary Law School was the top maritime lawyer in the state, and one of the top three in the country. A great deal of San Francisco's money came from the port, so Charles Tradd was in demand.

Edwin Oldham, Junior was the top trial lawyer in the city; Jarrod had met him in court four times and lost each time. He was several years younger than Jarrod but had also attended Harvard Law. Oldham Junior was known for his flamboyance both in and out of the courtroom. Jarrod had wondered how Edwin Senior, a model of New England rectitude and Charles Tradd, a blue-blooded southern aristocrat felt about their young partner's antics.

"Please show Mr. Hamilton in." Jarrod told his secretary, as he stood up, curious about his visitor. The man shown into the room was, young and very elaborately dressed – clearly, he modeled himself on Edwin Junior sartorial wise. The man's pants were fawn colored, his vest was gold silk heavily embroidered, while his jacket was a dark green. His shoes were smooth fine cordovan leather, designed for city streets; the color matched his gloves.

"Mr. Barkley, I don't know if you remember me, but we met at the Bar Association's dinner back in the spring." Lucas extended his hand as he explained their previous meeting.

"Please call me Jarrod, Lucas. Yes, I do remember that evening; those dinners are something else." Jarrod replied, and after escorting the man over to the small sitting area he indicated for Lucas to sit down. Maybe this was not about Sarah after all, Jarrod thought to himself. They spent the next several minutes talking about mutual acquaintances in the city.

"So, what brings you to Stockton?" Jarrod asked with interest. He had found the young man to be well versed in the city's law matters, despite his foppish clothes. Of course, Jarrod reminded himself that Oldham and company only hired the best.

"I am actually down here as a messenger; Edwin Junior thought that because of the situation he didn't want to leave it to a clerk." Lucas reached down into the leather satchel that he had set next to his chair. His words dashed Jarrod's hope, and he watched with resignation as Lucas took a blue paper packet out of his bag. The reference to Edwin Junior bothered him greatly; clearly Sarah was going to be out for blood – Heath's blood and money.

"I have papers to serve to your brother, Mr. Heath Barkley. However, I know he works out on your family's ranch." Lucas extended the brief, which Jarrod accepted. "I am hoping that you will permit me to have you accept them, for you brother. I am not familiar with the countryside." The young man added with a disarming smile.

Jarrod was tempted to insist that the papers be served directly to Heath. The thought of the citified lawyer on a horse almost made Jarrod smile. He then decided that it would be pointless and only cost his brother more money. Lucas Hamilton would bill the time and add twenty percent to the cost of renting the horse, or a buggy.

"Of course, I will accept them. Let me sign." Jarrod stood up and walked over to the desk to get his pen. He returned and signed his name on the receipt that Lucas had given them. "Are you in town for the rest of the day?" He knew that the young man would not expect a lunch invite, since they were now on opposing sides of a legal matter. However, he could offer dining recommendations if the lawyer wanted to eat before heading back to the city.

"No, I am not. I will be taking the next train back to San Francisco." Lucas answered, as he closed his satchel. "I hope you have a good rest of your day." The young man was very businesslike now, Jarrod noted. He had accomplished what he was supposed and could happily head back to San Francisco. After escorting the lawyer out, he went and sat at his desk, staring at the blue papers.

He knew that it was within his authority, as Heath's lawyer, to open the document. Jarrod was curious as to what was inside, and what Sarah was demanding. From what Lucas had said, Edwin Junior himself was handling the case, which meant it had to be high dollar and high impact socially. The lawyer would have no problem making a bruhaha out of the divorce if he possibly could. It would be important, Jarrod decided, to advise Heath of that fact.

After giving the matter some thought, he set the papers aside. Heath should really open them, and it could wait until tonight, Jarrod decided. His brother could enjoy his day outside, before Jarrod ruined his evening. Jarrod set his mind back to Homer, his pigs, and the court case that was not worth his time.

Later that evening Heath walked down the stairs, aware that he was late meeting everyone in the parlor for drinks before dinner. He had been in the nursery with Simon and the boys, keeping them company after their dinner. In addition to the fishing trip yesterday Heath had made it a point to spend time alone with Simon and had enjoyed getting to know the boy. It was interesting to see bits of Magda in his mannerisms; especially how tidy Simon was with his possessions and clothing.

Simon liked to draw, which made Heath think of Leah, who had entertained him as a boy by drawing animals. On Sunday afternoon, after dinner Heath had watched Simon play backgammon with Jarrod and recalled Priscilla's comment about how good he was with numbers. Jarrod and Simon each won a game, with Jarrod declaring that Simon was a worthy opponent.

"Ah there you Heath. I've been waiting for you." Jarrod announced standing up. Heath was curious as to what Jarrod wanted with him, even as he went to pour himself a drink.

"Why don't we go into the study Heath." Jarrod bent down to pick up his lawyer bag. "Mother do we have a couple of minutes until dinner?" He turned to Victoria who nodded her head.

"If this concerns Simon or Sarah, we don't need to talk in private. I understand how this impacts the whole family." Heath was pretty sure that what Jarrod wanted to discuss was related to Sarah. As much as he would have liked to keep his marriage private, everything that had happened that would not be possible. He knew too that his family's support of him and Simon was crucial, and they needed to know what was going on.

"A lawyer down from the city this morning delivered these papers. I signed for them on your behalf." Jarrod took the blue clad papers from his bag and handed them to Heath adding "I haven't looked at them yet."

"I have already decided that if Sarah wants a divorce, I won't oppose her. I am happy to give her the house in San Francisco." Heath stated, as he broke the wax seal and started trying to read the document. Most of it was legal speak and Latin, but toward the end there was an itemized list that startled him.

"Why is there a list of everything I own? And my bank balance?" He asked incredulously as he handed the papers to Jarrod. "How did they get that information?" A nasty suspicion came to him, as he thought about Sarah's behavior the night Simon arrived, and the talk that Penny had spread around town.

"Heath I would assume that the information came from Sarah. I will state that it is common in divorce proceedings for the injured party to ask for as much of a settlement as possible. It can take several months for the actual settlement to be reached." Jarrod said with caution, but his words did not sit well with Heath.

"Why should I have to give her anything? She walked out on me!" He felt his blood start to boil as he recalled that night.

"I have to tell you Heath that as of now, Sarah holds most of the cards. Further the lawyer she has hired is one of the top lawyers in the state; he is partner in Oldham, Tradd, & Oldham which is the best – and most expensive – law firm in San Francisco." Jarrod's voice was deliberate and firm as he went on "I have to tell you that her lawyer will happily try this case in the newspapers if you drag out the negotiations."

"You mean I need to give her what she wants? To settle quickly?" He finished his drink in one gulp and then turned and walked over to the window. His thoughts were roiling in his brain, as he thought about Sarah's actions. The memory of her throwing the figurine at him, in front of Simon was burned into his memory.

Heath sighed as he debated how to proceed; he knew that gentlemanly thing to do was keep the matter quiet. He trusted that Jarrod would negotiate the money down to a reasonable level, so it was not the money so much as Sarah's behavior. Why should he reward her for what she had done?

"What if I want to countersue?" Heath whirled back around to face the family group, while speaking to Jarrod. "There have been rumors for the last two years that Sarah is having an affair with Adam Cohen. If you can find evidence wouldn't that give me grounds to divorce her?" He had decided the ensuing gossip was worth the result of calling Sarah out. Heath was sure that what was being said in town was already salacious so what was more dirty laundry.

"You are telling me that you think Sarah is having an affair, and you want me to hire detectives to investigate that claim? And if it is true you will countersue on the grounds of adultery?" Jarrod was having a hard time believing that Heath was taking the road he was. There was also the fact that his countersuing on the grounds of adultery would ensure that the case would not settle quickly.

"Yes, that is what I want you to do!" Heath's voice rang around the room, and Jarrod saw cold, hard anger in his brother's eyes. Heath was normally reserved, but Sarah had hit a nerve with him. Jarrod was taken aback at the amount of hate he was seeing; it reminded him of how much he disliked handling divorce cases. He had represented both sides in cases and had witnessed normally rational people behaving without thinking.

"I will go to San Francisco day after tomorrow and get things going then" Jarrod struggled to keep the resignation out of his voice. "Heath, I have to warn you though, that proving adultery is very hard. It is not enough that Adam has escorted Sarah to the theater or a party. He is known to be a friend of yours and will state that you asked him to escort Sarah since you were out of town. What I – or rather my investigator – will need to find is evidence of them in a compromising position. Otherwise, it is speculation and while you could still countersue, I don't think you want the publicity that would come with a court case."

"I don't care. And I am not willing to give her anything other than the house in the city." Heath snarled, which caused Victoria, Nick, and Priscilla to look at him with shock. Jarrod had noted that the others had been silent during the time.

"Dinner is ready Miz Barkley." Silas came into the room, breaking the tension.

"Thank you, Silas. We will meet you in there." Victoria replied in a sad voice, which Jarrod noted and felt bad for her.

"Mother, I'm not hungry; excuse me." Heath left the room quickly. Jarrod did not blame him for leaving and wished he had insisted on talking to Heath in private. He then walked over and put his arm around Victoria.

"Mother don't worry. The beginning of this kind of matter is never easy or pretty, but I will do my best to try to protect the family from the fallout." He tried to sound more hopeful than he was feeling. Jarrod understood why Heath was digging in his heels but did not understand the impact his stubbornness could have on the divorce.

"When I was in San Francisco I heard rumors about Sarah and Adam" Victoria said "I didn't believe them though. I watched the pair together and all I saw was how attentive Adam was to Sarah; just like he was with me." She sighed unhappily as she went on "Sarah I knew was emotional and needy, and it was plain she enjoyed the attention. It was like watching a lap dog get petted, not a romance."

"I don't blame Heath for being mad, but Sarah's actions aren't surprising." Nick spoke up for the first time. "Heath should not have let her spend so much time in the city. What kind of marriage could they possibly have, with them never being together?"

"Your brother has enough guilt and blame being put on him, especially by himself. He needs our – and especially yours Nick – support." Victoria gave her middle son a stern glare, which Jarrod noticed. His mother was right, he thought, about Heath needing their support. However, he was not going to let Heath crucify himself because of stubbornness and anger.

They went into dinner, which was a quiet affair; Priscilla tried to get some conversation going but to no avail. After dinner they rose, and Victoria announced that she was going to bed right away. Jarrod knew she was upset about Heath's actions and wished he could reassure her that it would work out.

"Jarrod, could we go for a walk in the garden? I have some legal matters pertaining to the Van Der Hoffen Trust that I need to discuss with you." Priscilla asked after Victoria had gone upstairs. "Nick, do you mind? It shouldn't take too long." She turned to look at her husband, who wore a surprised look on his face, even as he nodded his acquiescence.

"I bet Heath is in the barn; maybe I'll go talk to him." Nick offered "but I'm going to have a drink first." He headed to the back parlor but paused as Jarrod spoke.

"Yes, I think it would be good to talk to him. Frankly" Jarrod lowered his voice "I did not want to say anything in front of mother, because she is already upset about Sarah and Heath. This could get a great deal worse before it gets better. I know that Heath is angry, and his pride is hurt, but if he stays vengeful it will only pour kerosene on the fire."

Jarrod turned from Nick and indicated to Priscilla the French doors out to the garden. His mind was heavy, not just with concern about Heath but also about what Priscilla wanted to talk to him about. If it were about the Trust, Jarrod was sure Priscilla would have waited until the morning. Plus, the fact that she did not want Nick to be present made him even more suspicious that what she wanted to talk about had nothing to do with the Trust.