Taking a short trip with the grandsons to watch baseball-see you Saturday!
Chapter Thirty Three
Mistress Parks and her son showed up at supper time at the ranch. Silas took the knock on the door and invited them inside. The family was seated at the table.
"I am so sorry Victoria for interrupting," feeling very self-conscious.
"No apologies. I know it must be important if you came all the way from the other side of the county to see me. I will join you in the study."
"Pardons. A thousand pardons." She breathlessly got out.
Victoria went to stand up.
"It's your son, Heath. I must talk to him."
The table looked down at him and he stood up, "Yes ma'am?"
"Privately please."
Everyone shared looks of surprise. No one could surmise a relationship between the two. Heath's face showed total shock. Lisette and Anna cut their eyes at each other. Both shrugged their shoulders slightly to indicate they had no idea. Nick and Jarrod did the same thing.
"Let's finish our meal. I am sure Heath will tell us if we are meant to know," Victoria got their attention again. She was curious herself what one of her oldest friends had to tell Heath.
—&—
They all heard the door shut and no one came back in. Nick couldn't help himself so he got up and looked. The family looked at him expectantly when he came back a few minutes later.
"Both of them are gone. Ciego said he was gone faster than a bat out of a—-uh a cave."
The adults chuckled and Henry looked perplexed.
"Then I guess we will finish our dessert. Silas, please save Heath a plate since he didn't get but a few bites of supper."
Victoria looked over at Jarrod. He had been closeted all afternoon with Lisette going over business matters; she wanted to gather her thoughts about Judge Franklin's conversation at church. She was still seething but tried to find the words for Jarrod.
"Son, can we have a sherry after pool?"
"Of course Mother." He looked curious at her invitation.
Lisette and Henry excused themselves for the night; Nick decided to take Anna on a buggy ride in the moonlight.
"I will have a daughter by the end of the summer." she chuckled.
Jarrod closed the study doors as Victoria poured them a sherry.
"Son, I had a distressing conversation today with Judge Franklin at church."
And she proceeded to tell him what happened—-
—-&—-
Heath got to the bakery after dark. He went around back and saw a light in Grete's window. Adolf's was dark as well as Kai's on the second floor. He tossed a few pebbles up and he saw her discreetly pull the lace curtain away. She saw it was him and lifted the window. His heart pounded seeing her hair down and her long white nightgown.
"Kitchen door." She whispered.
He walked into the kitchen when she unlocked the door. She was wearing a blue quilted robe that brought out the blue in her eyes and her long blonde hair tumbled down. Her long white nightgown was worn and sheer. He had a hard time controlling his desire for her and he did a sharp intake of air.
"Grete, you are beautiful."
"Heath—"
He told her Mistress Parks had come out to the ranch and told him about Brother Jehu.
"Grete, I am here to share my feelings. I love you. Think I have known it from the first day Silas sent me to see the pretty lady in the bakery."
"He did?" she said with a giggle.
"Silas is the only man I know that is always right."
She giggled again.
"Grete—" and he couldn't take it anymore. He pulled her into his arms and began a passionate kiss. He parted her lips and pulled her firmly into his arms. She responded in kind and she felt his desire was evident. Her body acknowledged him and she ran her fingers over his back. His hands moved freely and she allowed him to touch her intimately. He began kissing her neck and she sucked on his ear lobe which drove him further over the edge. She didn't want his kisses to stop and she pulled his head down to her bodice. She had enjoyed the marriage bed well with her first husband and it had been too long. Her robe dropped to the floor.
"What are you doing?" Adolf bellowed as he came down the stairs.
They guiltily pulled apart as the older man raged. Grete pulled her robe up around her.
"Adolf, I am here to claim Grete. I want to marry her. And I am asking you right now. Planned on doing this a different way but—-"
"You have already shamed her. Her robe is on the floor and she is in her nightclothes." he yelled again.
"Cousin, it's not what you think." Grete cried out.
"I have eyes, Grete. Get out of my house. I won't have a harlot living here." He howled.
Heath went to hit him but Grete pulled him back. He threw a pan at Heath; he ducked and it went through the plate glass window. It shattered loudly into the night.
"I will get my things." she sobbed.
"Leave the boy." he shrieked.
"No she won't," Heath growled.
Adolf went down the hall to his room. He slammed his door.
They went upstairs and packed their meager belongings. Kai rubbed his eyes thinking it was a dream as his mother took his arm.
"Where's Cousin Adolf?"
"We will talk about it later."
They walked out the back door and more lights were on in the windows surrounding the bakery. The loud shouts and the plate glass window shattering had resounded in the neighborhood. Several neighbors were looking out. He immediately realized his mistake. He had just ridden Charger into town.
"Grete, I am sorry. Let's get to the livery and pick up a rig."
They walked halfway across town to the livery and Heath woke up the owner. He looked at Grete suspiciously in her nightclothes with a cape over them. The boy was dressed in a nightshirt with hastily added shoes and trousers. He rented the rig to them but went back in and told his wife all about it.
They returned to the bakery alley and tied his horse to the rig. She told him about their trunk in the storage building. He kicked in the door in his pent up anger and retrieved her family trunk from Wisconsin.
They rode all the way back to the ranch silently. Kai fell asleep with his head in Grete's lap. Heath kept his arm around her and drove with one hand as she cried.
"We are going to make this right,honey."
"I know. I know."
"I love you Grete."
"I love you Heath."
Silas met them at the door and didn't ask any questions. He showed Grete up to a guest bedroom and Heath carried Kai up the staircase.
—-&—