The boys were playing a really good game of seek, when Lucas over heard men talking, he heard his brothers name used and understood a word or two enough to know that this talk was bad.

He ran and found Jaytu and told him what he had heard, Jaytu told him to find Tristen and Keytan and the three of them head home.

It was Coryn and he was plotting with Beaver who wanted war with the white men, two people stood in their way Saban and Quentin and they were plotting to disgrace them.

Jaytu decided he needed to go tell his father, he was afraid that his father might not believe him. So he insisted that Lucas come with him.

Jaytu knew that Coryn hated him but not why, he knew he would have to be careful, one boy that Coryn did not like was a son of Coryn's own cousin, who was not too sharp, the boy told Cronos the grandfather of some things Coryn had said and not one moon later that boy was found dead trampled by a horse. Some did not think it was an accident. Many feared Coryn including his mate.

Quentin went to Kivak, his best friend, and as they were talking about Coryn and what should be done Saban happened on them and they knew at once they .

Saban said that when he was chosen as chief something in Coryn had broken and that he was trying not to walk the dark path, but he was drawn to it. Saban did not trust him, and that was a bad thing. To have an enemy in ones village was a bad thing but what could Saban do? If he made Coryn leave, his children and mate perhaps would suffer.

For the plan to work he needed Saban and Quentin alone, and Saban went to consult Lunan, knowing the medicine man was very wise and could have a counter plan.

When Jamie came to retrieve the boys, Keytan and Jaytu were sorry to see their uncles go. Keytan had to tell Lucas that Lida liked him, they had quite the giggle about that. 

Quentin told his father he would like it if the boys could return next summer. Jamie was happy his sons had been on their best behaviour.

"My parents are leaving they are going back to Scotland, as soon as the wedding is over, and Paul and Amy are married," Julius said one morning at breakfast.

"Forever?" Delilah said feeling a little relief.

"Yes the business is not doing well, they are selling it." Julius sighed as if the whole thing bored him.

"When is the wedding, I do not know why but we do not get Roland's paper any more, I must speak to him about that it used to come in the post," Delilah said a little irratated.

She had not much to do now that the babies room was decorated.

"This coming Saturday I am sorry I forgot to mention it but with you in confinement, I felt you would be sad you would have to give it a miss," he sighed, he still did not like the idea of a child but perhaps their child would not be grubby as Delilah's siblings and nephew were.

Delilah glared at him, each time he could he brought up the confinement, and she wondered why society had such silly rules anyway. But then she thought maybe it was for the best she felt so tired.

Lissa was preparing Satin's daughter Pepper for racing, she was doing well, she was teaching Lucas to ride her, and she was having Alan help her when she could not get out to work the filly.

Lissa hated confinement and would be glad when the house was finished so she could at least sit out on her own back pourch and watch Rafe play under the trees.

Philip was very understanding of her and allowed her to take the wagon with David driving and herself in the back out to her parents home and stay a day or two at a time.

Lucas was a good rider, and Alan was a good student also, he liked horses and going over with the horses gave him a chance to visit with Annabelle, who had not moved to the house by the school and wouldn't until school started.

Finally Alan with Lissa's encouragement got up the nerve to go to Jamie and ask if he could call on Annabelle, they were invited by Paul to his wedding party, it was formal and you did not escort a young lady to a formal affair until you were officially calling on her.

Alan went to Jamie, thinking that Jamie would say no.

"Um Mr. Warwick sir, I uh ummm I wish to call on Annabelle," he managed to say.

"Of course you may, I wondered when you would get around to asking," Jamie said smiling, "This is wonderful. Octavia, Alan has asked to call on Annabelle."

"Wonderful, I wondered when he would ask, Kate said he was afraid," Octavia called from the kitchen, then laughed not knowing Alan was in the front room.

Annabelle was thrilled when Alan told her, she really loved him but she did not want to get married yet, neither did he, he wanted a long slow relaxed courtship, until he could save up to build their own home. She of course would be paid by her father for her work at the inn and would contribute her money as well.

Monique was so happy Delilah was in confinement she would be pestering Annabelle for allowing Alan to call on her, and pestering her to be more asertive about Alexander calling on her. She liked Alexander well enough but she was not in love with him. She still pined for Todd, and even though he was not dead like Rafeal she understood how Lissa must feel.

After the wedding Delilah was sorry to see Amy go to live in her new home with her husband, Paul had chosen a small house in town, from the many his father owned, Paul had taken over the mercantile and had changed a lot of things. Amy had told them she was happy to be a store keepers wife.

"I think it is terrible he did not ask his father for the big plantation house on the river, they would be closer to us," Delilah said.

"My dear, my sister would have bored to death stuck way out there, she loves the town," Julius sighed he was trying to get this piece of music fixed, he wanted a new song for Mr. Kayhills wedding anniversery next week.

"Well I for one would not want to be stuck in a tiny house in town where everyone knows of your business, not only that it is not even a new house General Ferrin and his wife and children lived in it," Delilah sniffed.

"Perhaps it is a very nice house, I should go by and visit Amy after they return from their honeymoon," Julius sighed.

"Why even Philip saw to it my sister had a new home," Delilah sniffed.

Julius knew that had been mostly Jamie's doing, that Philip was helping build it with his father-in-law and someone Julius did not know named Roscoe. He was glad that Jamie and Octavia did not interfer in his life, not like Paul's parents were going to be in Amy's life.

They had argued with Paul against the house and did not want to give him the store, but he pointed out that his father did not like running the store any more and together the store and house were worth less then the plantation they had given his brother.

Amy had confided all this to Julius as well as Paul had refused servants, but they had finally gotten a young couple.

Julius wondered if Mr. Amberly would take this silver service for a servant. He had tried to buy one on credit but Mr. Amberly told him that was a bad idea. The servants they had hired had all quit, demanding more money, he didn't have.

Summer slipped into fall and it was with great excitment that Monique took her first class, she had her pupils, Tristen and Lucas, Oly's sons Orsen, Ivan, and Victor, Lewis's son Thoren and daughter Ingrid, Adam Keene, Darin Timberlane, Elijah Reed, Clay Hunter and Ben Martin. She was kind of surprised about Ingrid coming, since she knew the Landers were not Quakers, but Ingrid had begged Lewis to go, and he would do anything for his darling daughter.

Lucas and Tristen had a lecture by their mother that morning about how Monique could not favour them and they had to be a good example for the other students.

The first day went pretty smooth, and she only had to keep Darin after school because he refused to finish his work and was playing around.

Jamie had told Lucas to rake up the leaves around the school. Which he was glad to do, but Thoren, Ivan and Victor kept jumping in his leaves and spreading them all around.

"Boys don't you have something better to do then harrass this poor lad working here?" a young man said.

The boys scattered.

"Thanks mister," Lucas said.

"Is Darin in there?" the man asked.

"Yes he is," Lucas said.

Lucas was grateful sometimes those other boys were pests, he knew Adam was on the other side of the school raking. Adam was a good friend, he could have went on to the inn with Tristen.

"What is this new teacher like?" the man asked.

"She is really nice, but she doesn't put up with playing about," Lucas said.

"Nor should she, are you being punished?" he asked.

"No sir, my father asked me to do this," Lucas said smiling a bit. Having a job made him feel like he was older then the other boys, which he was except for Orsen who was twelve.

"That is good," the man said then went into the school. He wasn't a man really but probably 16 or 17 but to Lucas he seemed to be a man. 

"Is my little brother a problem?" Silas asked.

"Not really he just needs to learn to do his work and not play about," Monique said.

"Yes, he does that at home too, it seems hard to keep him on task," Silas said glancing at his brother.

"It is the first day of school, and they were all a bit high spirited I hope you are not upset I kept him." Monique said thinking he was kind of handsome and seemed nice.

"Not at all, by the way my name is Silas, I am the one who fixed your roof if it leaks please send a note home with Darin and I will repair it straight away," he said smiling.

"I shall, I am Monique," she said.

"What are you doing Saturday night?" 

"Nothing at all," She said then wondered why she had not pretended she had something to do.

"There is a barn dance at the Hunter farm and horse races as well would you care if I were to escort you, or perhaps meet you there for some dances," he said.

"I will meet you there, I remembered Alan is taking my sister and I." she said quickly remembering she had been invited but had not given her reply.

"I am finished, Miss Warwick," Darin said.

Silas's eyebrows went up, she was a Warwick, and she had agreed to dance with him, she must be a poor relation.

"You may run along with your brother then, see you at the dance Silas," she said smiling.

"I certainly shall." Silas said smiling. He liked her a lot.

The barn dance was nice, Annabelle was a little surprised when Lucas came, although there were children there, she wasn't used to young men inviting her brothers along. She was also surprised Monique came as well.

Monique and Silas danced and talked, and Monique thought he was a very nice young man, and enjoyed his company.

Julius was there and played a bit with the band, then he went out with the men who were racing horses.

"Do you want to come with Lucas and I to the horse racing, or do you wish to stay with your sister?" Alan asked.

"I hope you are not betting on them." Annabelle whisphered, she did not mind that Alan drank a bit of wine once in a while, he said it relaxed him, but one a night was his limit, but she did not think gambling was wise.

"Of course not, but if Lissa's filly wins I could make some money from it," he whispered.

She smiled, and thought of course it all made sense now, Lissa was having he and Lucas train the filly she had started working on before she was confined.

The horses raced, and the filly won her race, and Annabelle had came out to watch and saw Julius having words with some big man.

"Who is that?" Annabelle asked.

"I have seen him at the pub I am afraid I don't recollect his name," Alan said as he collected his winnings and patted Lucas on the back. He was to bank it with Jamie at the inn after taking his share as trainer.

"Mr. Cabot he is a money lender," Paul sighed, "I am worried about my friend, dealing with the likes of him."

Annabelle looked at him he had not been at the dance.

"Why are you worried Paul?" Annabelle asked, as his servant led away the colt Paul had raced.

"Because he is in debt to that man, and he keeps gaming, he lost that colt your father gave him to me last week, it is a fine colt too, he just not as fast as mine, and now he is backing me, but Lissa's filly ran off and left my colt like he was standing still." Paul said counting out some money to Alan.

"I thought you said you were not wagering." Annabelle said, wondering if Alan would lie to her, another thing she would not tolerate.

"He didn't that was for the food he brought me, my wife is beautiful but she is no cook and tonight is the servants night off, and I wanted a good meal," Paul laughed.

"I like Paul, I think we could be friends," Alan said.

"I do too," Annabelle said.

"Are we going soon, if not I am going to sleep in the wagon," Lucas said.

"We should go soon," Alan said smiling at the boy.

"It is good to see Lissa's filly running, I miss her," Paul said, "Give her my reguards."

"Mine too," Todd said walking past with his colt who would race in the last race.

"I sure will," Annabelle said going to collect Monique, for someone who wasn't accepting callers she had so many young men's attention.

Lissa was happy to move into her new home even though it meant, she would be alone more, and that Philip would no longer be able to pop upstairs to visit with her when there was a lull in traffic.

She could sit out now and watch Rafe play and toddle about he was getting so big.

Todd liked the public house business so much, he was talking to his father in to purchasing him one that Oly owned in Bells Port a small town south of Amberly, it was connected to his Inn and freight and coach business but was managed seperately.

Rafe was getting so big he loved playing with the little horse Jamie had given him.

Lissa wanted her baby but being confined was so boring for her.

Octavia and Jamie were conserned when Annabelle told them about Mr. Cabot, Jamie did not like the man but he could not ban him from the public house.

"Mother, Father, I am sorry to tell you this but I really think Delilah has no clue, and actually it was Alan who had incouraged me to tell you," Annabelle sighed.

"Well I am glad he did, Alan has a good head on his shoulders," Jamie said, and adding to himself unlike that prig Julius.

"I made your favourite buckwheat pancakes," Octavia said smiling at her daughter, she loved the fact that the girls had chosen to spend their weekend home.

Octavia and Jamie planned to visit Julius and Delilah and Jamie hoped he could talk Julius out of wagering money.

Julius had no job or business and it would be only a matter of time until the wealth his family had given him was gone. Then what would happen.

Jamie had assumed his father would set him up in some business, but that had not been the case, Jamie had planned carefully to make sure each of his sons would have some way to make a living. Quentin and Jeremiah were taken care of. But Lucas would probably inherit the farm, and Tristen, Nicholas and Joseph would all have a business of some sort if not the inn, something else they were interested in. He hoped that Tristen would like the inn he seemed interested, but so had Quentin.

One day Jamie and Octavia went to Rivers Edge to shop, even though Paul had done wonders for the store and the prices were no longer so high, there were a lot of things he just couldn't carry.

Octavia was upstairs with Delilah who was showing her the new nursery, and Octavia wondered where they had gotten the nice furniture.



"This is nice, does a shop here in Rivers Edge sell this?" Octavia asked wondering how Julius had paid for it.

"Oh no, I got this from Timberlane Furniture, Cass makes nice things, and a lady that works for him sewed all the bedding." Delilah said.

"Oh, how much did it cost Jamie and I were thinking of buying something nice for Lissa?"

"Well I don't know, Julius got it," Delilah said smiling.

Octavia nodded, and wondered if it was charged to them, they had an account with Timberlane and Jamie had said something recently about a bill that was too high, and he would have to speak to Lewis who was now managing the Inn. Of course there was always furniture being repaired, and Lissa and Philip had bought some things, but they had paid for them because Octavia had gone with him to help him pick out some things.

"Octavia do you want to stay here or go to the store with me?" Jamie called.

"Coming, do you need anything my dear?" Octavia asked.

"Could you get me some tea, short bread and fresh cream," Delilah said.

"Can't you make short bread?" Octavia asked wondering what was wrong with Delilah, she seemed so distant.

"I do not have the directions mother besides Mrs. Reed bakes the best you should taste it," Delilah said smiling.

 Later when they were returning there was a wagon and they were loading some of the furnishings from the house and Julius was arguing with the men. 

"What is happening?" Jamie asked.

"This man owes me 100 pounds and I am going to take it one way or another," the man said. 

Julius looked ashamed and he knew right then if his father in law ever respected him he had lost it right then.

Jamie looked at Octavia, and she shook her head. He shrugged and took the things Deliah had asked for into the kitchen, in the house he noticed everything was gone but the piano.

He sighed, his daughter would soon be living in an empty house, he had to do something, but Octavia was right loaning money would not help.

"We have to do something, or our grandchild will be living in the street," Jamie sighed.

"Giving them a hand out is not going to help. That is the problem Julius has had everything handed to him, and unfortunatly so has Delilah, I think Lissa is smarter then that, she is your daughter, and both Annabelle and Monique are now working for stipends, so I think they will know the value of coin.

"Well it is easier for boys of our class to work, I have heard some comments about Annabelle working at the inn. But I think Lewis had the best answer for them. Young ladies need to learn about the family business, and if she was married to the owner no one would say a word about her doing the same job, Lewis has changed a lot since I first met him on the boat, but in a lot of ways he is still the same narcistic man out for his own pleasure." Jamie laughed.

Octavia was not sure she understood the last statement. But what Lewis had said was true, Mrs. Dawson had done everything they now had Jack, Naomi, Alan, and Annabelle doing, of course they had three times the rooms in the Inn now.

Also the Inn was very popular as an eatery as well as enjoying refreshments and company. Lewis did not drink much but he had excellent tastes in what wines, whiskey, and ale to purchase, Jamie did not like the taste of any of it, so he left that to Lewis who did a wonderful job and was teaching Todd and Philip about running the public house. Jack was teaching Alan how to cook for the inn, and he was much better then Johanna or Amelia had been. Seems he had inherited Jack's knack for making food very tastey.