Chapter Thirty-Two

Heath left the study by the French doors, just wanting fresh air and privacy. He felt like he had done his part and said all the right things to the Folsom's. There was nothing else he could have done, in regard to Simon. When the boy had first come to the valley, Jarrod had cautioned him that he had no legal rights to Simon.

It bothered him that blood counted for nothing, but he also privately acknowledged that the only reason he was a Barkley because the family had honored his claim. Maud and Olaf were Simon's grandparents – their son's name on the birth certificate as Magda's husband was unsurmountable.

He had not stayed to around to find out if Magda was pregnant, instead grabbing at her cold dismal of him. As he thought back to that time, he could not believe that he had acted as he had had. Heath walked out to the garden, centered around a sun dial.

Suddenly he was back at Kilkenny Farms all those years ago, when Sharon had turned down his proposal. That was the beginning of everything that had happened. Sharon telling him she could not marry him because she was Irish Catholic and would never be accepted in his world.

He thought of how Sharon was now a respected businesswoman in town, being courted by a man who was rising rapidly in the Wells Fargo banking community. If Sharon had not turned him down none of this – Simon – would have happened. Before he could go further with that thought he heard his brother's voice.

"Hello Heath. The air is certainly fresh and cool." Jarrod was rather surprised to find Heath in the side garden. It was formally laid out, with boxwood hedges, and in the spring and summer flower beds. The sundial was a brass armillary piece, mounted on a white marble column. The whole effect was elegant, but he could not see his brother sitting on one of the wrought iron benches.

"Yes, it is." Heath's answer was short, just wanting to be left alone with his thoughts.

"I was going to share this with you tomorrow but will tell you now that I have a report from the Pinkerton's about Olaf's new partner." Jarrod knew that Heath wanted him to leave, but he hoped that by sharing the information it would make Heath more reconciled to the decision.

"The man is undoubtedly a pillar of the community. I don't see Olaf getting involved in anything off, and the man is no one's fool." Heath walked over and sat down on one of the benches.

"Yes he is; his name is Horatio Gowen. He comes from an old Rhode Island family who has a small shipyard building fishing boats and sailing craft. The man was the youngest of four brothers. He received an appointment to the Naval Academy and graduated with honors." Jarrod spoke, after he had sat down next to Heath.

"So, the man is ex-navy? Is that how he won the contract? But where did the money really come from, to purchase a shipyard?" Heath inquired; his lawman's suspiciousness being aroused. He knew how little military service paid.

"Well after he graduated his first posting was in New Orleans – keep in mind this was way before the war. He met a very pretty girl from Natchez, who was an heiress." Jarrod paused and explained how Natchez had been the richest city in America before the way. Heath nodded his head at his brother's words.

"They married to great fanfare, but she died in childbirth not even a year after the marriage. Her parents passed away not long after, in a fever epidemic. Horatio found himself a very rich man, even as he didn't like the source of the money." Jarrod made reference to cotton and slaves, and he understood why Heath recoiled in distaste.

"Horatio had the same response that you did, and he quickly liquated the assets. My understanding is that he did his best for the slaves, keeping families together. However, remember that in the 1850's in the south freed slaves had no protection." Jarrod knew that Heath would know about the fugitive slave act.

"So, he got his money out of the south before the war?" Heath was more intrigued than he wanted to admit, and he found himself wanting to meet the man.

"Yes, he did. He retired from the navy and spent five years dealing with the estate. Horatio took his money and invested shrewdly." Jarrod stated. "Just so you know, when war was declared the man asked to be reinstated, which he was. He served with great distinction and received several commendations. At the end of the war, he came west and bought Hunter's Point."

"I am sure that with a large naval contract, Olaf who now has a share of the business will be a very rich man?" Heath turned to look at Jarrod as he asked the question.

"Yes, he will be. Simon will lack for nothing, and that is before the money that he will receive from Magda when he attains his majority." Jarrod in fact wondered if Heath knew how successful Magda had been.

"Jarrod, I know I should be happy that I can continue to have a relationship with Simon. However, that relationship will always be as a family friend – not as his father." Heath sighed unhappily. "I shared Magda's letter with you; it stated she wanted me to assume the role of Simon's father."

"Heath they are his legal guardians, and they need to make the best decision possible for him." Jarrod felt a wave of tiredness overtake him, even as he hurt for Heath. If the man were married and had an established home, he was sure the Maud and Olaf would have acted differently.

"Yes, and I am in no position to deal with a child in my life. I heard exactly what Maud was saying, ever so politely. Even as Simon can stay with us, it is at the Big House with Priscilla and Nick. I get to visit at best." Heath stood up with a jerk and turned to face Jarrod. "I appreciate everything you have done for me, with the Simon, but right now I need to excuse myself."

Jarrod watched as Heath turned his back and walked out of the garden, away from the house. He thought about his earlier thought, that Simon staying around would only bring unhappy memories for Heath. Simon being at the Big House would be a constant reminder of the short comings in Heath's life. Jarrod turned to the house, and went into the study, pouring some brandy in the cut crystal glass to take upstairs with him. He knew that he had not been able to help Heath, but at the end of the day there was nothing he could really do.

Earlier…..

Nick followed Priscilla upstairs, to their room; it was with great relief that he shut the door and turned to face his wife. She looked beautiful, and yet again he was awe struck at how he had ended up with someone like Priscilla.

Her dress was ivory colored silk, embroidered with holly sprigs; further it was trimmed with red and green tartan ribbon. Her jewelry was the ruby and diamond collet necklace he had given her after Thomas Henry had been born. The necklace came with bracelets, earrings, and a brooch that Priscilla had put up in her honey blonde hair.

He had chosen rubies for the same reason he had chosen rubies for her engagement ring. The bible verse, about a virtuous woman being more valuable than rubies, always embodied Priscilla to him. His life was so much the better because of her, and her constant faith and belief in him.

"Can I tell you again how beautiful you look?" Nick offered, as she went to sit at her dressing table. He followed closely and helped her take the necklace off, taking care to caress the nape of her neck. Priscilla shivered slightly as she looked at him in the mirror, the pleasure apparent on her face.

Nick let his hand stroke up to her head, gently caressing her scalp before he found the brooch. It was anchored at the back of her prettily put-up hair, and he made a point to be slow as he undid the pin, his fingers brushing his scalp.

"This feels so good Nicholas." Priscilla sighed as she turned around to face him. She looked like the embodiment of Christmas and his special gift. "I think we have a great deal to talk about, but I need to go to the nursery. When I come back, I want to sit outside, in the cool air, with a glass of limoncello." Priscilla looked at him with love.

It was a nighttime ritual for them, him helping her to undress. She would leave her dress and accessories in closet off the room, to the right of the bathroom.

When she was getting dressed for dinner, or going out, Elise, a French woman assisted Priscilla to get ready. She had come to California with a Russian noble couple, who ended up dead in Sacramento. It had been Jarrod who had asked Priscilla to try to find employment for the woman.

Priscilla had been more than willing to help, especially after she found out that Elise's English was bad. She arranged for the woman to come to the ranch, to stay until Priscilla could find her employment. Elise was someone who hated to be idle, and she had taken charge of Priscilla's closet, and Priscilla had helped Elise with her English.

Nick had no problem with his wife having a lady's maid, because most women of her position did. A man understood that women needed extra help and a successful man was happy to provide help. He knew that his mother was the exception to the practice, but Nick knew that his mother was one of a kind.

It was helpful that Elise did well with the household staff. The help at the big house were a mix of Latin, Chinese, and freed slaves. When Nick had asked Priscilla about how well Elise had done with the household, Priscilla had explained that Russia was very cosmopolitan, especially St. Petersburg. It was common among noble families to have servants of different nationalities. She had added that Russia was such a large empire that servants could be from different backgrounds, even as they were all Russian.

Nick helped her out of her dress, and then undid her corset, leaving her in standing there in silk chemise, pantaloons, and silk stockings. Everything was trimmed with red lace and satin ribbon; Nick smiled wolfish as he took in her full breasts, with their rosy tips pressing against the sheer silk.

She sat down and let Nick brush out her hair – another special moment between them. Priscila then braided it back and excused herself to the water closet. When she came out, she had a dark green velvet robe on, with satin ribbon ties and trim. Nick felt his desire rising but knew that it was too soon. It had been not quite two months since Ducky's birth, and Priscilla was still a new mother.

"Why don't you pour yourself a nice glass of cognac, and then I will join you on the balcony." Priscilla came over to him and kissed him tenderly. Their room had a balcony that overlooked the formal gardens at the back of house. It was where they would spend private moments, their schedules allowing. Nick understood the sacrifice that his wife made, moving into the Big House. It had helped that Victoria had made it clear that Priscilla was now the lady of the manor. In turn he had been impressed at how kind his wife had been to his mother, always being gracious and deferential.

It was almost an hour later, and Nick was sitting out on the balcony; Priscilla had set it up with chairs, table, love seat and topiaries. During the warm season there would be hanging baskets with flowers. They had, in the sitting room, a drinks table that featured Nick's favorite Irish whiskey, French cognac, a smooth Scotch that Elspeth had gifted them, along with a bourbon blend from Kentucky – Jack Daniels – that Zack Morton had gifted them.

Nick had found out that his wife liked the Italian liqueur that tasted of lemons, so he had procured a case of the beverage. The drinks tray was a three-story affair, with the top tier being the bottles, the second tier being accessories to make drinks; the lower tier held the glasses.

"You seem calmer than when we first came upstairs Nicolas." Priscilla observed as she came out to the balcony, her dark green velvet robe swishing as she walked. It was cool outside, and she breathed deeply of the fresh air. She was her Scottish grandmother's descendent and believed that fresh air was important for good sleeping.

Nick had a glass of limoncello ready for her, and as she sat down, he passed it to her. He wanted to just think about their family and the upcoming holiday. However, this year everything was different, and he wished Priscilla did not have to deal with the situation. She herself though had said that family stuck by each other, no matter what.

"Simon staying with us, it is the right thing?" Nick asked, more for confirmation than anything else. "My mother isn't happy about the decision." It had taken him aback at the look on Victoria's face – barely there – at the request.

"It is the best thing in the world for Simon." Priscilla declared with a happy smile. "Simon's grandparents being here and taking him into town has put a rest to all those nasty innuendoes that Penny stirred up." She sniffed with distaste as she made the comment.

"There is also the fact that come summer Simon will be relocating to San Francisco; with said grandparents. It gets him out of the valley before anyone can see him and Alden together. Hopefully, as both boys get older the resemblance will be less" she paused and took a sip of her drink. "Shall we say less apparent?"

"We can all hope. That still leaves the matter of my mother not being happy about Simon staying here." Nick sighed, as he looked out at the night sky and the late quarter moon.

"Your mother was hoping that Maud and Olaf would take Simon back to Sweden." Priscilla offered, reaching over to take his hand. Nick nodded his head in acknowledgement.

"My mother likes Simon a great deal, and she especially enjoys watching him and Jarrod together." He shared and added that he was very fond of the boy also. Nick had been impressed at how quickly Simon picked up riding skills.

"Your mother is very concerned about Heath, and how Simon staying will only prolong the situation. She was a hoping for a clean break, to give him the chance to move past the whole matter." Priscilla took several deep breaths of the cool air.

"The rest of us knew that there wasn't going to be a good outcome with Simon and Heath – even as Heath hoped for one." Nick suddenly felt very tired, at all the happenings of the last three months.

"Honestly, after that whole trip to San Francisco, I can understand your mother being worried about Heath. He has been at sixes and sevens since Simon's arrival." Priscilla offered with a sad smile.

"Sissi he spent three days – well him and a Pinkerton agent - following Olaf around the shipyard. I can only imagine the bill Jarrod is going to get; I damn well hope he gets Heath to pay!" Nick huffed with exasperation, as he took another sip of his cognac.

"So, the end result of the trip to San Francisco was what Olaf told us tonight – a business deal. In addition, he would get a business opportunity that he would never have in Europe, while looking out for his grandson." Priscilla summed up succinctly.

"Are you annoyed that Heath wasted three days on a wild goose chase, or that your brother is going to be hurt?" She asked, squeezing his hand in support.

"I really can't pin down what I am annoyed at; it is just the whole situation and seeing Heath so unhappy." Nick's mouth was downturned as he made the statement.

"May I give you some advice? Advice you might not like?" She asked slowly, standing up and walking over to him. Priscilla was behind him, and Nick felt her arms encircling his shoulders.

He leaned back against her and felt happier than previously. Nick nestled close to Priscilla, inhaling her floral fragrance. He murmured for her to go on, trusting her insight. She had always been careful about his relationship with Heath, which Nick appreciated.

"You need to let Heath deal with all of this – Simon and everything else – in his own way. He is going to be unhappy, and he will probably do things that you don't agree with Nicholas." Priscilla spoke softly. "At the end of the day its Heath's life and you need to love him enough to let him make his own decisions. You, your mother, or anyone else can't protect Heath from being hurt." She delivered the words with finality and Nick saw what she was saying.

He thought about how tired he was of all the drama and upheaval that Simon had brought into their lives. Sissi was telling him that he needed to trust his brother, even if the journey in front of him was painful. Nick said as much to her, standing up and hugging her.

"So, we have Simon until summer, and he stays here with us?" He asked liking to having everything in the open. "Heath can't move him out of the nursery? I know he really wants to move back to his own house." Nick had agreed with his mother, that Heath needed family around him during this time.

"You heard what Maud and Olaf asked – that Simon be allowed to stay with us, so as not to uproot him. Even if Heath moves back to his house, Simon will not be going with him. Maud, while polite, made it clear that she wanted the boy with us." Priscilla averred with a toss of her head and a smile.

"I bet Heath wasn't happy with the couple's decision, about where Simon would live." Nick offered sadly, knowing his brother well.

"No, I am sure he was not happy, but at the end of the day he needs to think of Simon's wellbeing first. We are in a different place than Heath and can easily accommodate another child. Olaf likes the fact that Simon's education is being looked after." Priscilla explained, going on "Your brother is a good man, and I know he cares about Simon. He will come to see this is for the best."

Nick knew that her first concern was always children, and he was more than willing to support her and Simon's grandparents in his upbringing, instead of Heath. Yes, his brother might have sired the child, but another man had married the mother. It came to him that Simon's mother had used Heath as her backup plan, and he did not like the implications of that thought.