Author's Note: The chandelier mentioned can be seen at the "Big Valley Writing Desk -Behind Closed Doors". It is pictured at the bottom of the chapter. I saw it at Castletown, County Kildare. Castletown belonged to Tom and Louisa Connolly. She was a Lennox, and a great-granddaughter of King Charles II. Since I have referenced the Lennox family in this story, I thought it was a nice tie-in. The house is beautiful – if you can't visit it in person, the website will give you a good idea of what it is like.

Chapter Sixty-Five

Eamonn, on a horse rented from the livery, turned at a bend in the road marked by a decaying tree, and what looked like a well or spring, and headed to the entrance to Sharon's house. He had debated between driving or riding but decided on the latter. It was pushing the social rules for him, as an unmarried man, to call on a married woman by himself.

He recalled how Elspeth had referred to him as family, and he had let numerous people know that Sharon was good friends with his sister. Eamonn decided that riding out, to see Sharon, was the right balance of family familiarity. At the back of his mind was the unknown matter of whether Heath would be present; he was curious because of what he had learned since the barbecue.

Yesterday, after the party at the Barkley Ranch, Sir William had asked him to put his uniform on and go down to the riverfront. Eamonn was aware, from meetings, of what information the Consular General was looking for. When he arrived at the wharfs, he saw a United States Revenue Cutter ship tied up at the anchorage closest to the river opening.

The Revenue Cutter service dealt with pirates, and smuggling. Having served in the far east and the Mediterranean he was familiar with the issues. Eamonn had presented himself at the ship and was piped aboard. The captain and his officers were glad to share with him all the details about the low lives and crime on the river. In return Eamonn shared stories of what the Royal Navy dealt with on those matters.

The captain apologized that they could not offer him a drink – American ships were dry – but did state that when he and his officers went out, they would be glad to have him along. Eamonn replied that he would look forward to it; in truth he enjoyed spending time with sailors from other navies.

His next stop had been the Masterton Shipping Line, which was the premier cargo line in America. They covered inland shipping, as well as providing tender and maintenance services to US Navy vessels. Eamonn knew they had a partnership with one of the top cargo agents out of Rotterdam. The ships were distinctive, with the hulls being painted a burnt orange, and the insignia being an anchor with a rope twisted around it.

Eamonn had been given a tour of their facilities on the river front – the company had a permanent presence in Stockton. He knew from the briefing reports how important river commerce was to the state. The briefing reports had included information about the value of agriculture and livestock – Eamonn was glad that his father had included him in the details of running their estates.

After the Masterson shipping line, he went on to two private shipping companies, which were smaller and did local cargo runs. Eamonn had chosen them because Sir William had a special agenda in mind. Yes, the large shipping lines were important, but he wanted to know how the smaller lines operated.

At the end of the day Eamonn had been able to put together accurate report for Sir William. What was not mentioned was all the information he had picked up about the Barkley's. Eamonn had been briefed that Americans liked to talk, and he had seen it firsthand; further the Barkley's were the favorite subject of conversation with everyone except the Revenue Cutter officers.

Some of the stories he had heard seemed larger than life, so Eamonn had nodded his head politely. He had been glad to hear what high regard Sharon was held in, even as he felt bad for the position she must have been left in after her first husband had passed and she had come to town to manage the cafe.

The stories about Heath made him even more curious about the man. The circumstances of his birth – Eamonn had not batted an eyelash. An ancestor of his had received a dukedom for being born the same way. The fact that Heath had been a lawman was intriguing, as he recalled all the penny novel stories about the American west.

However, the comments he heard about the man's last marriage and the circumstances on how it had ended concerned him. Eamonn, having lived on navy bases overseas, was no stranger to marital drama. Long deployments at sea, bored, lonely wives in port, parties with alcohol – well it made for a heady mix of bad behavior and judgement.

No, the only reason Eamonn was concerned was because the man was married to Sharon. As he had mulled everything he had heard, Eamonn worked to give Heath the benefit of doubt about his first marriage, because of Sharon. Eamonn recalled several stories of men who had married in haste, and how badly they had all ended.

Bringing his mind back to the present, he approached the house, as he slowed his mount, wanting to study the dwelling. It was good sized – in England it would be considered a small manor house, albeit with a plain façade. It was pale brown brick, with wood trim done in a darker brown, with no ornamentation on the building.

It was a very different style from the main house; Eamonn assumed it had been built for Heath's first marriage. He would bet money that Heath had designed the house, even as Eamonn wondered how much input the first wife had had. As Eamonn studied the house he saw what he was sure were Sharon's touches, and it made him interested to see the inside.

He noted a covered porch that ran along the front of the building. Eamonn discerned some bright colorful rugs on either side of the main entrances. There were furniture groupings on the rugs, along with tall plants. It looked welcoming, and Eamonn could see how easy it would be sit on the porch and enjoy a drink while watching the sunset set.

Eamonn came up to the porch, and presented himself to an elderly Latin gentleman, who was dressed in denim pants and a cotton shirt. The man had been trimming the boxwood hedges that lined the stone walkway that led to the house. The man had looked at Eamonn with interest, even as they heard the front door open.

"I am glad you found the house." Sharon came out on the porch, looking beautiful. Her dress was white polished cotton, with vertical stripes of embroidery - blue and yellow flowers with dark green vines. The short puff sleeves of the dress, along with the neckline and bustle were all finished with white lace.

Her only jewelry was a simple set of pearl drop earrings, along with the emerald ring and gold band on her left hand. She looked like a summer goddess, and Eamonn decided he would do a sketch when he arrived back at his hotel.

"Pablo, would you take Lt. Commander Burke's mount to the barn? He will be staying for tea." Sharon smiled at the older gentleman, who bowed. She then went on "after you have taken care of the horse, please go to the kitchen and have some coffee. Juanita was here earlier, and she left a cinnamon cake. Eamonn, shall we go inside?"

He followed her into the front hall, and then closed the door before embracing her. She returned the gesture, and he enjoyed holding her in his arms, even if it was brief. "I have to say that your wardrobe has come far since that black dress. You are very fetching." Eamonn winked at her as he stepped back. "Of course, you were equally fetching in the black dress."

"I am flattered that you have noticed." Sharon replied in an amused tone, as she looked at Eamonn in his riding clothes. "I see that you have your boots on with your riding britches rather than just your socks and slippers. The picture of your mother scolding you about that, as you towered over her, had Emily and I laughing every time. Shall we go into the parlor?"

"Does that not seem like so long ago? That was a good summer." He declared, smiling at the memory, as he followed her.

Eamonn observed how light and airy the front hall was, in spite of the dark wood trim and paneling. The upper walls were done in a French inspired wallpaper of pale green and cream. The furniture was pale wood; modern but not heavy. There was an arrangement of flowers, and a chandelier of colored venetian glass. He was sure that Sharon had put this all together, and he was very impressed. It was the front parlor though, that captured his attention.

The room was calm and restful – pale blues, greens, cream, and gold. The walls were a warm ivory tone, that complimented the furniture. However, it was the painting over the fireplace – he noted that while the wood was good quality it was very plain – rather in keeping with the front of the house, Eamonn thought.

The painting was an Impressionist scene in a park- green grass, people, a lake with swans, and a carousel. "This picture is amazing! I was in Paris several years ago and saw an exhibit. I am in awe that you own one of the paintings." Eamonn walked up to the painting, to appreciate the brush stroke detail, before he walked back to see the overall picture. He went on to enthuse about the brush strokes, and the technique involved.

"I bought it two months ago in San Francisco. My understanding is that the artist is an American who lived in Paris and studied with Monet and other artists." Sharon was almost beaming as she went on. "You, and four other people are the only ones who like the painting."

"But does that matter? You like it, and that is what is important." Eamonn stated and noticed how pleased she looked at the comment. He wondered if Heath was one of the four people who liked the picture.

Sharon indicated for him to sit on the sofa, and then she saw next to him, albeit with a proper distance between them. The tea service had been laid out on the table in front of the sofa. Eamonn was glad to see that it was a proper English tea. The cup she gave him was wonderful – the tea well brewed, and there was milk and sugar to add to the beverage. "I have to say this is the best tea I have had since San Francisco. Our hotel is lovely, but the tea is ghastly."

"Americans tend to drink more coffee, and do not always understand the differences between teas. This comes from a small shop in San Francisco that specializes in items from the British Isles." Sharon explained, going on "I have an extra tin that I will give you before you leave."

"That would be capital, and if you do not mind, I will share with William. He too thinks the tea is bad." Eamonn chuckled, then adding "however, we did bring our own gin, while the hotel bar has a nice selection of Scotch."

"So I have been told." Sharon gave him an amused glance, as she watched him eat a piece of Irish soda bread, a scone with cream and jam, a tart, as well as two smoked salmon sandwiches. "I am disappointed that you do not like the food." The comment was delivered in a cool tone of voice; in truth she was so pleased to see Eamonn happy.

"Oh, total rubbish, which is why I had to eat so much to make sure." Eamonn retorted, as he picked up another scone, putting cream and jam on it. "I think you as my hostess should sample the offering." He held the treat out to her, which she accepted happily.

Sharon took a huge bite, realizing how hungry she was. Once she finished the scone Eamonn passed her a small plate that two sandwiches on it, as well as a piece of soda bread. She was touched that he had put that together for her and thanked him.

"While I enjoy the plate, can you tell me about your trip to Paris? It is somewhere I have always wanted to go." Sharon exclaimed, not at all being surprised that Eamonn had been there.

"Well the Impressionist exhibit I went to was on the Rue" he went on to talk about Paris, and Sharon, listening to him could see it all in her mind. Eamonn answered her questions happily, and she wondered if she would ever get to Paris.

There was suddenly the sound outside of a carriage pulling up – Eamonn wondered if it was Heath. Instead, a young boy and girl came into the room. The boy was tall, with Sharon's ginger hair. The girl had golden curls, and Sharon's dark blue eyes. Eamonn watched as they went over and hugged Sharon.

"Children, this is Lt. Commander Burke, he is a friend of mine from Ireland." Sharon indicated him, before going on "may I present my daughter Tara Flynn, and my son Sean Flynn." Eamonn noted how Tara had curtseyed, while Sean had bowed.

"You knew my mum in Ireland? She has told me all about the amazing horses." Tara came up to him and extended her hand. Eamonn made a point to take it carefully, raising it up while inclining his head. He had noted how happy she looked as she mentioned the horses.

"Sir, it is an honor to meet you." Sean reached out to shake Eamonn's hand; the older man was very impressed with his self-possession. "Just so you know, my sister is horse mad." The comment was delivered with a sigh, but Eamonn noted how he looked at his sister with fondness.

"That is both a fault and blessing of being Irish!" Eamonn gave the lad a wink before turning to look at Tara. "Your mother, and I rode almost every day together. She had an amazing seat on a horse, and the softest hands on the reins. I am sure that you have inherited those traits."

Sharon felt her cheeks flushing at Eamonn's praise. She was also impressed at how he talked to her children and being able to find common cause with them.

"The tea looks amazing! Granny Elspeth's short bread, jam tarts, scones, clotted cream, smoked salmon sandwiches? Plus your Irish soda bread?" Sean had turned his attention to the table.

"Well, I might be horse mad, but you are clearly food mad!" Tara declared with a toss of her head, and Eamonn had no problem seeing that she was Sharon's daughter.

"Why don't both of you go upstairs, put away your books, and wash your hands. When you come down you can join us." Sharon waved her hand to the door, while giving them a serious look. Eamonn watched them leave, but noted the love in Sharon's eyes as she watched them.

"What great children!" Eamonn declared once they left the room. "I can see you in both! Sean is clever, no doubt, and I should warn you that Tara will be the debutante of the season, breaking hearts." He was sure that with the Barkley wealth Tara would have a very lavish presentation to society.

"They are my greatest achievement, quite frankly." Sharon beamed with pride, which Eamonn noted.

"Were they at school?" He inquired, after asking their ages.

"School is out for the year. They, along with Simon who lives at the Big House go into Jarrod's – my brother-in-law – office once a week to be tutored in Latin." She answered, and Eamonn had to work hard not to look too interested.

"Simon? Is he a cousin?" He recognized Simon's name from some of the conversations he had heard about Heath. Eamonn wondered what Sharon's thoughts were on the subject.

"Honorary cousin. He was living in Mexico; his father ran one of the mines the Barkley's owned. After his parents were killed by guerillas, he came to stay until his grandparents were able to come." Sharon went onto explain that they were Swedish and would be relocating to San Francisco later in the year.

"Sean and Simon are the same age, and they, along with Tara were attending the general school here in town. When fall comes Sean is going to go to the Stockton Boys Academy, which is a classical style school, while Simon will be attending something similar in San Francisco. Latin is not taught at the general school, so Jarrod was kind enough to offer to tutor them."

"Tara will stay at the general school? I am very impressed that she is learning Latin also." In fact, Eamonn was not surprised, because he recalled how important education had been to Sharon.

"That was a big part of my decision to relocate to Stockton, was for the educational opportunities for the children." She offered to freshen his tea, which he accepted.

Eamonn admiration and respect of Sharon increased, both because of her decision for the children, and the matter of Simon. He wondered if that was really the truth about the boy? His thoughts were broken when the children came back into the room.

Tara sat on the sofa between him and her mother and wanted to ask questions about horses. Sean, after getting a plate with a great deal of food, sat down on the floor by Sharon. Eamonn had a number of nieces and nephews and knew how to be the fun uncle. They were all soon laughing merrily.

Heath rode into the yard and dismounted from his horse. It had been a long afternoon, and he was looking forward to putting his feet up in his study, with a glass of bourbon before dinner. When he led his mount into the barn and saw a horse from the livery there, Heath started to doubt if he would get that glass of bourbon.

He entered the house through the kitchen and used the backstairs to go clean up. Heath hoped he was wrong about the visitor but did not want to take any chances. He changed into clean pants, a well pressed shirt, and his Sunday boots.

"Mr. Heath welcome." Violet greeted him as he came down the back staircase into the kitchen. "Mrs. Heath, she is having a tea party, but I know that she has made those jam tarts you like so much." Heath knew that he should be touched that Sharon had made his favorite treat, but he was too busy being annoyed at why he had not known about tea party.

He walked through the kitchen and into the front hall; the voice he heard made him sigh. Being careful to put a neutral countenance on his face he walked into the front parlor. Sharon and Eamonn were sitting on the sofa together, with Tara between them. Sean was down on the floor, while Eamonn was showing him how to tie knots with a rope.

"Papa!" Tara saw Heath first and jumped up right away to greet him. Sean followed, and he felt his heart soften. Heath knew that he was so lucky to have the children as part of his life. Yes, he had gone into the arrangement to get Simon, but he knew how blessed he was to have Sean and Tara.

"Heath glad to see you. I have to say that your wife knows how to do a proper tea." Eamonn stood up and extended his hand to the man. In truth his opinion of Heath had gone up when he had seen how the children greeted him.

"Sharon has many talents." Heath smiled, before reaching down to hug the children.

"Papa, mum made your favorite jam tarts with Aunt Audra's berry jam." Tara waited until Heath had settled himself in the chair opposite the sofa. He was not happy being made to sit in the uncomfortable armchair while Eamonn was on the sofa with his wife, even if she was his wife in name only.

"Have you sampled them for me?" Heath asked, as he raised the tart to his mouth. "Very good. Your mother has done well." He took the cup of tea that Sharon had just poured for him but passed on the milk and sugar. Privately the idea of milk in tea was unpleasant.

Eamonn noted how reserved Heath was with Sharon, in contrast to his behavior with Sean and Tara. He wished he could get a handle on Heath, and his character. Undoubtedly the man preferred to keep things close to his vest and keep his own counsel. It made him wonder what his and Sharon's relationship was like when there was no one around.

"Eamonn, are you and the Consular General getting on in Stockton?" Heath asked, wondering how long they would be in town.

"Yes, it is going well. I actually spent yesterday on the riverfront." Eamonn went on to talk about what he had learned, finishing up with "there was a Revenue Cutter ship in port, so we compared notes about smuggling, drug running, and pirates. Honestly low lives are the same everywhere." Eamonn went on to talk about the shipping lines, and Heath asked him why he was visiting those businesses.

"William is very interested in how local towns could use the river to promote commerce. His mother was American, and he likes the – what say "can do" spirit of America? Honestly Ireland is a country that has been badly used by the English. Maybe your Paul Revere and Ben Franklin was what they needed?"

"Did you say pirates? And you are a navy officer?" Sean looked at the man with bright eyes, before he turned to his parents. "Simon is going to be so jealous! I want to hear everything. We just started Treasure Island and Simon is ever so interested in ships."

"That is Robert Louis Stevenson's latest book, right?" Eamonn asked, wanting to hear more about Simon. "Yes, I am a navy officer with Her Majesty's Royal Navy. Before I came here, I was in Hong Kong as my last port of call before we sailed to Honolulu. Just so you know, pirates are very bad men, even as they make for good thrilling stories."

"Have you seen pirates?" Sean's eyes were agog, as he looked at the man sitting on the sofa. There was something about him that reminded him of his papa and his uncles. "Do you carry a gun? Papa has promised to teach me how to shoot when I get older."

"My service gun – the one issued to me by the Royal Navy is an Enfield revolver – it is the standard sidearm of British armed services. I also have a revolver from the Krupp Arms factory in Germany. It is very light weight and has a rapid-fire mechanism."

"They sound very grand. Do you have them with you? And did you shoot them against the pirates?" Sean wanted to know everything so he could tell Simon. "I wish Simon was here – he is my best friend."

"When the Royal Navy confronts pirates, it is ship to ship, with cannons and onboard guns. Luckily our armaments are much more up to date, but pirates are good at flying false flags on their ship." Eamonn went on to explain what that meant.

"Can we talk about horses?" Tara asked, getting bored with the subject of pirates and guns. "Papa, Lt. Commander Burke was telling us what a lovely rider Mum was. Hopefully I have her soft hands." She gave her mother a hug, and Sharon returned it wholeheartedly.

Heath by now decided that he detested Eamonn even more than after the barbeque. Eamonn was sitting in his front room, on the sofa, next to Sharon, with a self-satisfied expression on his face. Further, Sean and Tara were in awe of the man, and Heath knew if Simon met him, it would be a trifecta.

"Sharon, my sister, and I rode almost every day that summer. The weather was glorious – sunny with blue skies- so unusual for Ireland." Eamonn offered, as he raised his teacup in Sharon's direction. Heath noted how her cheeks slightly flushed as Eamonn looked at her. It came to him that he would never have the kind of relationship with Sharon that Eamonn did; the thought made him sad.

"It was ever so fun and grand! Do you remember we used to race over the hedges?" Sharon offered, going on "we liked to pretend we were doing the steeplechase as part of race week." She went on to explain about the festivities.

"Mum, you actually jumped the hedges?" Tara was looking at her mother with awe, as she thought about what her mother had shared.

"Just so you know, yes, she did. Further she did it side-saddle – out rode my sister every time, and on more than one occasion put me in my place." Eamonn announced with a laugh.

"That did not happen that often but thank you." Sharon inclined her head and decided to change the subject. "Children, I know Uncle Jarrod gave you homework, and you have chores." They nodded their heads, and excused themselves, but not before Sean took another scone.

"Heath, I know you have cattle, but what other crops do you have?" Eamonn was sure that the man was done with hearing about Ireland. He remembered how Heath had been fairly talkative during the barn tour and hoped to draw him out.

"My brother Nick runs the winery, and we have the citrus groves. Then the usual crops – hay, and so on. We try to be as self-sufficient as possible. Most of my time is spent with our mines, that cover California and Nevada. Further I am trustee for the mines that represent thirty-five percent of the of the total output for the state of Colorado. They are held in a trust, to benefit a Christian Brothers school and farm in Northern Colorado."

Eamonn recalled from the briefing reports Heath's work on mining reform. As he listened to the man, he saw intensity and purpose in Heath's eyes. It was the most emotion he had seen from the man, as of now, besides greeting of Sean and Tara.

"I would like to say my goodbyes. Honestly, the tea, and the company has been amazing." Eamonn stood up, thinking he had stayed long enough. In truth only Sharon and the children's company had been enjoyable. Making conversation with Heath had been hard going.

"Let me go get the tin of tea, and I will meet you in the front hall." Sharon gave him a smile, and he watched her leave the room before he looked at Heath.

"Your house is lovely! Especially the painting over the fireplace!" Eamonn recalled Sharon's comment about the painting not being popular. He had wondered what Heath's thoughts were and decided to satisfy his curiosity. "I attended a French Impressionist exhibit in Paris. I am in awe that you have a painting."

"Sharon is the one is into art." Heath's comment was flat. In truth he did not care for the painting, thinking it all looked out of focus. However, he was not surprised that Eamonn liked it.

"Here is the tea tin." Sharon came back into the room, carrying a small canvas tote bag, which she handed to Eamonn. "Hopefully you and William will enjoy it."

Eamonn followed her into the front hall, glad that Heath had not followed them. He drew her into his arms, and she moved towards him happily. For Sharon it was so fun and pleasant to be with Eamonn.

"So do you go into town? I would love to take you out to lunch – very public and aboveboard." Eamonn just wanted to spend time with her – she was a close friend and seeing her again had made him realize how much he had missed her.

"I have errands to run day after tomorrow – would that work?" She answered, and they made plans to meet up. Sharon escorted him out to the porch and watched him mount. When she went into the kitchen, she had asked Pablo to bring the horse around. As Eamonn rode away, Sharon was filled with happy thoughts.

Heath had stayed in the parlor but had seen Eamonn and Sharon embracing in the hall. It had annoyed him, even as it had given him a heavy heart. He realized he wanted to embrace her like that, and more.