Delilah hated her role as wife and mother, she loved her daughters but she felt there was more to life then swamping out the house and changing nappys.

What she didn't know was her husband was feeling the same about his clerking job, and that ticket to Europe that Jamie had offered him was looking good. But he loved Delilah and he knew he had to find some way to make this work, even if he hated the boring job.

One day he stopped in at the pub to have some nice hot tea, it was a long walk to the house, and some hot tea would be just the thing. Todd was still working a few days a week training the new boy Owen Chastain. He couldn't believe his father in law would hire that young whelp. Who everyone knew was born on the wrong side of the blanket.

He wondered why Jamie hired that boy when he would rather work at the pub then clerking.

"Will there be anything else sir?" the boy asked.

"No, just this tea," he sighed, wishing he could have some wine, at that moment Jamie was talking to Oly about Julius's future at Swensen and Sons shipping. It did not look good, Oly was sorry but he was going to have to let Julius go shortly. He could not afford to pay four clerks to do the job of three. Parnum was working part time in the winter his bum leg gave him a lot of problems, but once weather warmed up Oly wanted to put him to clerking full time and let Julius go.

"I have an idea. You know I always wanted to learn the piano, maybe I could take some lessons from you, I can read music from singing in the choir at church as a child," Todd said, "I would pay you."

"Really that would be great." Julius said.

"Yes and I might try hiring you to play opening night of my public house, you are amazing ever since I heard you play at my grandfather's party and the barn dance you are very gifted and can play any type of music," Todd said.

"Yes I can," Julius said smiling slightly, but he was only paying half attention to Todd, Casper Amberly was putting on a Spring ball and he was talking to Philip about the wine and other spirits he would require.

Casper then turned to Todd and said, "Todd, I hope will attend and bring your lovely bride to be?"

"But of course Casper, I wouldn't miss it," Todd said smiling.

"You are welcome to come as well Philip, Maylissa may apprechiate a break after such a hard winter," Casper said.

"Thank you Mr. Amberly," Philip said, he knew Lissa would not want to go, but she would apprechiate that they were invited, then again she might wish to go out and socialize.

Julius was stunned, Casper not only did not invite him, he ignored him completely.

"So when can I start?" Todd asked.

"What . . . oh the lessons, um tomorrow be all right?" Julius said, wondering why Casper had slighted him.

"Of course, at five?" Todd asked.

"Good, see you then," Julius said, "You know where my house is?"

"Yes I was there visiting my cousin several times," Todd said smiling.

He arrived home to find his wife in bed, the babies seemed to tire her out, he played piano for a bit but his mind kept wandering back to the social slap in the face he had been given by Casper Amberly. He had seen his sister yesterday and knew she and Paul would be going and had assumed he as brother in law would be asked.

"How was your day dear?" he asked wanting to scream at her about the slovenly way she kept house and the fact there was nothing to eat on the table.

"Terrible, I am exhausted after lugging home all that food I bought at Amberlys," she sniffed, "I suppose you wish a sandwhich or something, I will make stew tomorrow." Delilah sighed.

He held his temper, and allowed her to go on, he would fix his own sandwhich and maybe clean the kitchen a bit.

"Astrid Landers snubbed me today at the market," she sniffed.

"Well we did not get an invitation to the Amberly's Spring Ball either," he sighed, "And I am Paul's brother in law!"

"Oh no and I have just the dress to wear," Delilah sighed.

"A new dress?" Julius asked trying to keep his temper in check, all they had to eat was stew and chicken and she had purchased another dress.

"Well not new really Lissa didn't like the colour," Delilah said, it was partial truth, she had paid to have the dress made before she had started expanding and her husband had decided to gamble away his fortune on the horses. Octavia and Maylissa had picked it up and Lissa did say she did not like the colour when Delilah offered it to her.

Julius hated his wife had to wear her mannish sisters hand me downs. He hoped the dress was in good taste, perhaps it would be if Octavia was there when she bought it the blue dress was very nice although Lissa had taken it back it was her colour.

The next day Todd came by, Delilah had not been told about the lessons, Julius had been moody had hadn't talked about much except the snubbing and the dress and the food she had bought. What could she do though, stew meat and chicken was about all she could afford on the pitance he brought home.

"Oh Todd it is wonderful to see you," Delilah said.

"Hello Delilah, Rex remembers me," he said smiling.

"He does," Delilah said, thinking Julius had been so against having Rex, but she would not budge, he had his piano she had the dog.

"Todd, I am so lonely, I am so tired of this town," Delilah said.

"So am I, I bought a new public house in Arcadia, and I will be moving after Owen Chastain finishes his training," Todd said.

"Oh Todd take me with you, you love me, my husband does not love me," Delilah cried.

"No Delilah, you had your chance, I did love you, Julius is my friend, I do not go creeping about stealing wives of my friends," Todd sighed.

Delilah burst into tears and ran in the house.

A bit later Julius arrived, and sighed, "Sorry I am late, Oly kept me until Pharnum and I had a billing problem knitted out."

"How is that job going?" Todd asked, debating on telling Julius about Delilah, he decided to keep it to himself women were often emotional certain times he knew this from his mother.

"Please, I feel like a wretch working there, let us get your lesson underway," Julius said.

Todd had a lot to learn, but he had promise.

"Easy caress the keys don't bang them, pretend the piano is a lady you wish to caress," Julius said.

Todd laughed, but when he did that the music sounded smoother. By the end of the lesson he could play two simple childrens songs.

Todd paid him, and promised to come back on Thursday for another lesson, he would practice on the piano at his brothers.

This time Todd thought, he would go by Swensens and pick up Julius he did not want to be alone with Delilah.

Delilah was not the only one that was lonely, on some nights when she could get Lucas or either of her sisters to stay with her children she would go out and ride Fame, even though she was more alone on the horse she felt better. Fame had became her favourite mount.

She was so well trained, and she didn't have to be on her guard like she did with her filly or her stallion.

There was one hill that Fame liked to travel to, and Lissa often let her have her head. She wondered if her mother and sister were happy in their marriages. She wasn't unhappy in hers. She just felt kind of like there should be more to life then caring for ones children and home. Training Fleeta her newest filly was very satisfying, and she knew her mother painted. Maybe that was enough.

She thought about the Amberly party, she supposed that she should go, her father had decided the pub would close after the dinner trade that evening, and Philip had sounded as if he had really wanted to go.

Meanwhile her mother and father were having story hour with the children who were getting ready for bed.

Nicholas had his birthday, and had gotten sick from too much cake and had gone to bed earlier.

"Father that was a good story, do you think when I grow up they will have a battle like that here?" Tristen asked.

"I hope you never see a war or even a battle it is a terrible thing," Jamie said thinking he should have read this book before reading it to his sons.

"I think it would not be fun to be a solgier I would rather run the farm and ride horses," Lucas said smiling. He could not wait for the first race of the spring.

"I guess you are right, it is exciting but kind of scary, I would rather be like Lewis," Tristen said.

Octavia gasped, but then she realized he meant that innocently he wanted to run the pub.

"Nicholas wants to be a sailor," Lucas giggled.

"That would be fun but I would rather be at a pub and ride horses on my day off." Tristen said.

"Am I going to school in River's Edge next year father?" Lucas asked.

"I am going to see what I can do about that, maybe you can go with Orsen," Jamie hoped.

After the children were in bed Octavia took Jamie down and showed him the portrait she had done of him.

"Do I really look that dour?" Jamie said smiling.

"No, but no one paints people with big smiles, I do not know why, I like smiles," Octavia said shrugging.

"Well I saw that wince when Tristen said he wanted to be like Lewis, but I think he just knows Lewis the best at his job. I am hoping that Philip will learn, because Lewis is getting bored of the Pub I do believe. Philip has learned a lot." Jamie said, hoping that Myrah, Logan, and Oly would all agree on allowing Lucas to board with Orsen. The boys despite being a year apart were great friends.

Delilah hated this, Paul had came by and hired Julius for the Ball, but she could not get anyone to watch the twins so she could go. Even Annabelle was going with Alan, Monique was going with Alexander, and Lucas would be watching his younger siblings as well as Rafe and Angelique. It was too far to walk, and of course no one would think of her, it was so typical of her family. Lissa had a rig as did her mother they could have came and picked up Rosalee and Rochelle and kept them for the night.

The party was not as much fun as Oly's party had been. But Annabelle didn't mind she was just happy Alan had not been excluded from the invitation. Of course her sister had came with Alexander.

Alan and Annabelle choose a corner and danced a bit.

Lewis asked after Delilah but Julius just shrugged and said she was home with Rosalee and Rochelle. Lewis thought that was a shame, he had hoped to dance with her as he had at Oly's party especially since Astrid said her feet hurt to much to dance.

No one much danced, even though Julius played some nice music for dancing.

One day Daniel Chastain came to school with a black eye. He confided in Monique his mothers man had beaten him for not stealing eggs from the neighbours chicken house.

He told her his brother was trying to get a room for them over at the Inn where he worked. So he would not go home, he told her he was afraid to go home. She told him that he could stay after school and weed the garden, she would go see what she could do.

"Thank you, no one has ever been kind to me as you have," he said, thinking before this year other boys would not even play with him, now Ian Hunter and Darin Timberlane were his best friends.

After school Monique ran to the inn she had to speak to her father about this at once.

Jamie was at his desk in the kitchen talking to Alan about the menu, she looked at her dad with a determined look.

"Father I must speak to you about Owen Chastain and his little brother Daniel. Has he spoken to you about taking quarters here?" Monique asked.

"Yes and I turned him down, he is only fourteen and I think his mother . . ." Jamie started.

"But father," Monique interupted.

Jamie sighed here came the part about Octavia's stint as a sailor.

"This is different. Their mother has a man there who beats on them, they need to get out of that situation, before one or both of them gets really hurt, and you were saying the other day how you could use another boy for fetching and carrying Daniel is a good worker and honest," Monique said.

"All right, I had no idea," Jamie sighed, no wonder Owen had been upset when he had said no, but if he would have explained, Jamie would have changed his mind.

They hugged, Monique loved her dad so much, he was such a good man, she knew how lucky her and her siblings were to have such good parents, although everyone agreed father had spoiled Maylissa and mum had spoiled Delilah, but maybe that was because they were twins.

Later while Monique was waiting for Annabelle, Owen came out and asked her if they could chat.

Owen liked her she was so different then other girls he had met, she didn't look down on him because he was a Chastain. She had even danced once with him at the barn dance.

He thanked her for intercepting for his little brother and himself, they really needed to get out of that house. His mother was helpless against this man.

Monique didn't really understand that, but then she knew some men around town did things and their wives could not do anything about them. Like Delilah with Julius' gambling.

Monique agreed Daniel was intelligent and he had a good chance to do something more then sheep herding. Owen would really like to send Daniel to the academy but he thought that was too high of a dream just getting that grade six certificate would be a great help in getting some better job like clerking.

Just then Amy Orphington Amberly and her sister in law Jessica Amberly walked passed and saw them sitting there talking.

"Isn't that one of those dreadful Chastains talking to Monique Warwick?" Amy sniffed.

"It is what is he doing, we must go to your sister in law at once," Jessica said

"Good afternoon Delilah I hope we aren't disturbing you," Amy said.

"Of course not I welcome a visit, why do we not sit on the porch. It is a lovely day," Deliah said thinking she did not want them to see the mess her house was in.

"Excellent idea," Amy agreed, she really wanted to see her neices but perhaps they were sleeping.

"Yes," Jessica agreed.

"We have came here to speak to you about Monique, we saw her sitting and chatting with a Chastaine, they were at the stable by the Inn. We thought you should know," Amy said.

"Oh no, what if Alexander were to have seen that, I know he goes to the pub with his grandfather at times, to play in tournaments they have," Delilah sighed.

"Everyone knows the Chastain family is rubbish, Coates bought them as indentured servants, and they have so many children and grandchildren and none have seen the benefit of clergy, they are always leaving their fatherless babies at the church when they have too many," Jessica said.

"That is horrid," Delilah said, she had heard the Chastains were bad seeds from Astrid but she did not know any personally. She wondered if her father allowed them at the pub.

"Oh yes, I much perfer my fathers method of having servants, you do not have to worry about them trying to slip into our society, you must not allow your sister to associate with a Chastain," Jessica sniffed.

"Thank you both for coming, I will handle this, my father will see that boy stays away from my sister," Deliliah said, thinking she would write a letter to her mother and have Julius take it to her.

"Those Warwicks are like Royality, Delilah is so refined she will know how to handle it," Jessica said.

"Yes, Alan Keene is so homely, but his family must be more then they seem they all have married well," Amy said smiling, she really liked Jessica and Delilah, she had the best sister-in-laws.

That night Delilah was stuck home alone, Julius was out playing a barn dance claiming they needed the money and he needed out of the house. She had just found out she was expanding again and thought she would loose her mind.

She went out to play with Rex in the yard, she had began to cry, thinking she was alone, she failed to approaching horse.

"What ever is so wrong Delilah," Lewis said.

"Oh Lewis, I am so lonely," she sobbed.

"There! There! Well now, I am here, perhaps some company would be just the thing you need," he said, since Olys party last year he had dreamed of her in that blue dress.

"You are right," she said, wondering what he was doing out this way.

"Of course I am," he said smiling.

"You are so kind Lewis," she said, he made her feel like a beautiful woman again, not some house drudge.

"I can not stand to see a woman hurt in any way, it is a weakness of mine I admit dear one," Lewis said, and kissed her hand.

Most men were such fools, they had no idea how to treat women. Lewis could not believe how Julius would just go off and leave his beautiful young wife.

Delilah looked at him, he sure did not look like a man who was of her fathers generation.

They kissed, and Delilah suddenly felt all her frustrations and loneliness being replaced by a dreamy elation, oh dear Lewis, you are so kind and handsome.

"I do not think Julius loves me any more," Delilah cried.

"Oh Delilah," Lewis said thinking, she was perfect, he needed a new mistress, she was young beautiful and married, he was too old to be chasing the young girls who wanted more then a little love and attention.