The next day at school, Rebecca asked curious questions of Charlie about Harlan. What was he like? Was he going to be kind and doting?

Charlie held out one of Maria's jelly cookies to Rebecca to share, as she considered the question.

"He seems nice," Charlie said. "He talked to me a little, but he mostly talked to Scott. And to Murdoch. So I can't really tell what he's

like yet."

"He probably talked to Scott the most because he misses him so much," Rebecca supposed.

"I'm sure of that," Charlie agreed.

"Maybe once they get their visiting caught up, then he'll spend time with you," Rebecca said.

"I'm not sure I want much attention from him," Charlie admitted.

"Why, Charlie?"

"He just seems as though he's sort of stand-offish. I don't know what we'd really talk about together," Charlie said.

"Maybe it will get more comfortable later," Rebecca said.

"Maybe so. I'd like to hear about when Scott was little," Charlie said.

There was plans brewing for a Saturday morning fishing trip with some of the kids, and when Charlie was asked if she

would be going along, she hesitated.

"Maybe so," she said, wanting to go. Then she wondered if Scott would want her at home since his grandfather was visiting.

"I probably can," she ended up saying.

As she and Monte were walking to the stables to retrieve Gurth, they stepped to the side of the road as a buggy approached.

The finely dressed man driving the buggy was Harlan. He pulled the buggy to a stop.

"Charlotte," he said, in greeting.

"Hello."

"Where are you off to?" he asked.

"I'm getting my horse," Charlie said, pointing towards the stable building. "To head home."

"I see," Harlan said, his gaze landing on Monte's freckled face. "And who's this?"

"This is Monte. My friend," Charlie introduced. "Monte, this is Scott's grandfather from Boston. Mr. Garrett."

Monte, who could be mannerly and charming when it suited him, stepped up closer to the buggy and raised up his hand, offering

it to Harlan.

"It's right nice to meet you, sir," Monte said.

Harlan raised an eyebrow, somehow managing to seem disapproving, at least it seemed so to Charlie, but he took Monte's offered hand, and shook it.

"Young man," Harlan said, with a nod.

"Ride along with me," Harlan said, then, to Charlie.

"I've got my horse," she reminded him.

"We'll tie him onto the back of the buggy."

Charlie made her mind up quickly. This was an interesting chance. To talk to Harlan one on one. And-if it was awkward or uncomfortable,

well, it wasn't that long of a ride back to the ranch, Charlie thought. She could bear it for that length of time.

"I'll get him," Charlie said, and went on into the stable. Her horse was saddled and ready for her, as was usual at this time of day.

She thanked Old Mose and led Gurth out. Harlan stayed seated in the buggy, and Monte tied Gurth's reins to the back of the buggy.

He grinned at Charlie. "See ya tomorrow at the river," he said.

Charlie came to the side of the buggy, and clambered up, trying to appear graceful in front of Scott's grandfather.

They set out, with the horse trotting, on the road out of town, but then Harlan slowed the horse down to a walk.

As they passed the school, Harlan seemed to take it in with interest.

"How many students attend?" he asked, nodding towards the school building.

"There's fifteen right now," Charlie said.

"I see," he said. "And how is it? Do you do well?"

Charlie hesitated, not wanting to sound as though she was bragging. "I do good in spelling. And reading. And I like geography."

"You do well," Harlan said.

"Yes."

Harlan turned a gaze on her, with eyes that looked remarkably like Scott's.

"I'm correcting your grammar, Charlotte. It's 'I do well in spelling. Not 'I do good in spelling.'"

"Oh," Charlie said. She tried not to mind so much at his correction. Sometimes Murdoch would do the same...

"And mathematics?" he asked her now.

"I don't care for that so much," Charlie said.

"Mathematics are very important in life."

Scott said the same. "Yes," Charlie said, in agreement. She knew that the numbers, the sums and the word problems were important. That didn't change

the fact that she did not enjoy them.

"Scotty says you're fairly proficient on the piano."

Another topic change.

She thought proficient meant good. She was almost certain. And it must be right, because Harlan looked pleased by what

he was saying.

"I like to play it sometimes," Charlie settled for saying.

After that, there was a bit of silence, and then Harlan said, "You like living on the ranch? You're accustomed to living in a city before

you came here, correct?"

"Stockton," Charlie volunteered.

"Quite a change. From a city to here."

"I like it here," Charlie said, and then amended that by saying, "I love it. I don't care for cities."

"Why is that?"

Charlie searched for words to answer Harlan's direct question.

"I like the open spaces, and being able to ride my horse. There's so many people in the city. And it's noisy."

"So-you have an aversion to large groups of people, then?" Harlan asked.

Charlie wasn't quite certain what that meant. Aversion. She decided to be honest.

"I'm not sure what aversion means," she admitted. "Does it mean not to like something?"

"Correct."

"I don't like big crowds," Charlie said, trying to explain.

"It's vital to be able to interact with other people," Harlan said.

Charlie wrinkled her forehead, looking ahead, and trying to figure out if Harlan was suggesting that she herself should be able

to interact with others, or...

She settled for staying quiet about that in particular. Charlie was glad when the ranch came into view.

Harlan pulled the buggy to a stop, and Charlie jumped down, going to untie her horse and lead him over to unsaddle him.

Murdoch came out of the barn, and walked towards Charlie.

"Hello, darling," he said, in greeting.

"Hullo," Charlie said, loosening the cinch on the saddle.

"You rode home together, hmm?" Murdoch asked, nodding towards Harlan.

Charlie nodded, as Harlan approached, asking Murdoch about a ranch hand unhitching the buggy.

"I'll see to it," Murdoch said, and Harlan said, "I'm going to rest a bit before dinner. I'll see you all then."

Murdoch nodded, and they watched as Harlan walked stiffly towards the hacienda. Once he'd gone inside, Charlie and Murdoch looked

at each other, and then he smiled slightly.

"How was your day?" he asked.

"It was good. How was yours?"

"Good as well." He patted her shoulder and went to begin unhitching the buggy. Charlie finished putting her saddle away and turning Gurth

out into the pasture. Then she went and wordlessly helped Murdoch with the removing of the harness. Once that was done, Murdoch unfastened the buckles

on the hitch. When the horse was freed, Charlie said, "I'll take him."

"Sponge him with some cool water," Murdoch said, and Charlie did that, getting a cloth and wetting it with cool water from the trough. She was

wiping down the horse when Scott and Johnny approached from a further field.

"That's a good job, darling," Murdoch told Charlie. "Do you want to turn him back out?"

Charlie nodded, and went to do that, returning to join the circle of the three Lancer men. She stepped into the open arm that Scott

held out.

"Good day at school?" Scott asked her.

"Yes," she said, as Johnny reached over to ruffle her hair.

They talked together for a few minutes. About ranch business. Calves and fencing. They were preparing to separate, Johnny to go

back to work, Murdoch to finish his task in the barn, and Scott to check on his grandfather.

"He said he planned to rest until meal time," Murdoch said.

"Mmm, alright," Scott said. As Johnny headed off towards his horse, Scott said, "I'll be with you in a few minutes, Johnny."

Left standing there with just Scott, he smoothed back Charlie's hair from her face.

"So-good day then, hmm?" he asked, again.

Charlie nodded, looking up at him. "Uh huh. Some of the kids are going fishing in the morning."

"Are they?"

Charlie nodded again.

"And you want to go?" he asked, looking indulgent.

"If you don't mind that I don't stay home. With your grandfather being here, and everything."

"There's plenty of time for visiting still. You can go if you want to," he said.

Charlie gave him a squeeze around his waist. "Thank you!"

"Where at this time?" he asked.

"At the same spot. Near the bend of the river."

"Plan on being home by lunchtime. You can take a bath and we'll go out to eat with Grandfather," he said.

"Alright. I rode home with him today."

"You did?" Scott asked, looking somewhat surprised.

"Uh huh. He was near the stable when Monte and I were walking there, and he asked me to ride home with him."

"And how was that?" Scott asked.

Charlie hesitated, wanting to be truthful, but yet not sound as though it had been a trial to her.

"It was fine," she settled for saying.

"A little stiff, hmm?" he asked.

"Yes," Charlie said, glad that he understood. "He was nice enough. He asked me lots of questions."

"I guess he's trying to get to know you."

"I didn't mind the questions so much," Charlie said, and Scott smiled a little and kissed the top of her head.

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That night the family spent the evening, as was usual in the library. Scott and his grandfather continued their chess game, and

Murdoch read, while Charlie drew in her sketch pad. Johnny had gone out somewhere, and Teresa had been out as well, with Cole. She

came home while they were all sitting in the library, and Murdoch stood up to greet her.

"Cole's not coming in?" he asked Teresa.

"No. He has an early morning meeting at the bank. I'm tired, though, I think I'll go on up to bed," Teresa said. She kissed Murdoch on

the cheek. "Goodnight, everyone."

"Night, Teresa," Scott said, not taking his eyes from the chess board.

Teresa gave Charlie a teasing tug on her braid as she passed the back of Charlie's chair, and left the room.

"Is she serious about that young man?" Harlan asked, in a general sort of a way.

Murdoch looked up from his book. "I believe she is."

Harlan gave a sort of a humph, and said, "Young girls need to have guidance in that area. They usually like to think they're capable

of directing their own love lives, which leads them into trouble."

At that, Charlie looked up from her sketch pad. She glanced from Harlan to Murdoch, thinking that it seemed to her as though Harlan

was criticizing Murdoch in some sort of a way. As though he wasn't looking after Teresa properly.

Murdoch's response was even-toned enough. "Cole's a fine man, and I trust Teresa to make good decisions."

Charlie felt proud of Murdoch at that.

"Teresa has a good head on her shoulders," Scott said, addressing his grandfather.

Harlan only gave a brief nod, with a slight eyebrow-raised look.

While Scott was still studying his next chess move, Harlan turned his attention to Charlie.

"I'd like to hear you play something, Charlotte."

Charlie looked at Murdoch, and then at Scott, who was pausing in his chess move.

"I haven't played for awhile," Charlie said, in excuse. She really did not care to play. At least right at this moment. Harlan seemed as

though he expected a lot of her with her piano playing. What with Scott telling him she was proficient in her playing, and the way that he

was looking at her now, with that intense look he seemed to have on his face nearly always.

Charlie looked at Scott, trying to let him know with her eyes what she didn't feel she could say.

"Maybe another time," Scott said, to his grandfather. "I think Charlie would like to practice a bit before she plays for you sometime."

Charlie gave him a grateful look in thanks.

"Is that right?" Scott asked her.

"Yes," Charlie said, with a nod of relief.

"As you wish," Harlan said, and turned his eyes back to the chess board, and Scott gave Charlie a wink.

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The next morning Charlie was up early, dressing in her worn overalls, and older boots. She grabbed a straw hat as well, and scampered

down the stairs, taking the last three of those stairs in one huge jump. She found herself sprawled rather unceremoniously in a heap on the floor after

bungling that leap. And with Johnny standing over her, laughing.

He was putting out his hand to help lift Charlie to her feet.

"I think you overshot that one a bit, pequeno," he said. "Are ya alright?"

In truth the only spot that hurt was her bottom where she'd landed, and Charlie laughed up at him, taking the hand he offered.

"I'm alright," she said, and was still giggling when the both of them saw Harlan standing off to the side a bit. Watching. And listening.

Observing.

And-as usual, it seemed to Charlie that he was wearing his ever-present near scowl.

"Mornin'," Johnny said, as Charlie echoed right behind that, "Good morning." Standing almost instinctively a bit straighter.

"Good morning," Harlan said.

"Is that the way you usually arrive at the bottom of the stairs?" Harlan asked Charlie, lifting one brow, in disapproval.

"Not every day," Charlie answered, without thinking out her answer first. She said it and then realized how flippant she sounded.

Johnny ran a hand over his mouth and chin, and Charlie thought he might be trying not to laugh.

"I mean-no, sir, not usually," Charlie amended her answer hastily.

"I see," Harlan said. Charlie was beginning to realize that Harlan said that a lot. I see.

"She's just havin' some fun," Johnny said. "There's no harm in it."

Charlie reached and put her hand on Johnny's lower back, scrunching his shirt material up a bit into her palm. Good for Johnny, he was

taking up for her.

Johnny bent over and picked up the straw hat that Charlie had dropped in her descent from the stairs. He handed it off to her, and Charlie

pressed it to her middle.

"Smells like breakfast is ready," Johnny said, and headed towards the dining room, with Charlie on his heels.

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