The door to the Dirty Stirrup opened and Brent’s mother stepped out. “Call for you Jake,” she said. The music spilled out around her. “And for you too, Jessie. It’s long distance from England!”
“Really?” Jessie sat up. “Come on, Jake!” She took his hand and pulled him into the bar where Brent’s mother stood near the door. She held her hand over the receiver to the old pay-phone, and turned to the side.
“Turn that jukebox down – will you?” The music decreased. “Thanks!” She grinned and held out the phone for Jake. Jake held the receiver to his head so that Jessie could hear it too.
“Hi Jake!” Mara said over the phone. “How you doin’?”
“We’re doin’ just fine.”
“Hyah Mara!” Jessie said, standing on tiptoe. “What’s happening with you? Are you getting hitched?”
“Well, yes I am – or I did already. That’s what I was calling about.”
“Oh.” Jessie’s smile disappeared.
“Well, congrats, Mara,” Jake said. “We hope you’ll be happy.”
“Oh, I am! I am!”
“Well – ah – that’s real good, Mara.” Jessie smiled. “What’s going to happen with Brent though?”
“Oh, he’s right here with me on the other line.”
“Hey Jake – Jessie,” Brent said.
“But there’s another reason I’m calling. We got a couple of great things to tell you about!”
“What’s that?”
“I’m pregnant!”
“Oh, well – great – Mara. We’re sure Lord Wortherington will be – I mean we –.”
“Oh, it ain’t his! That’s why I’m so happy. It’s Brent’s!”
“Oh, my God! Mara!” Jessie pulled the phone down to her ear and hopped up and down in excitement, but then her grin disappeared. “But – But what’s Jonathan – I mean Lord Wortherington – what you reckon he’s going to do about it?”
“Well, that’s the thing. I did marry Jonathan – but – we ain’t going to live together none. We have a deal, see? I get Brent and he gets Lady Whitworth! Brent and me will live together down here at Highmount. McLynn retired, so Brent’s my official Gameskeeper and Jonathan and Lady Jane Whitworth will live up in Scotland at her father’s estate! It all works out perfect!”
“Well, that sounds real good there, Mara.” Jake grinned broadly and leaned down to Jessie’s ear. “Jessie and me are getting married tomorrow morning. We wish you could be here.”
“Oh, I know, I know – but I got something else to tell you!”
“What’s that?”
“We got a wedding present for both of you,” Brent said.
“You do?” Jessie grinned. “What is it?”
“Well – maybe we better let Lord Bradford tell you. He’s on the line too.”
“He is?”
“Yes. Hello,” Bradford said. “I just want to congratulate you both on your nuptials tomorrow and hope you have many long and very happy years together.”
“W-well, thank-you kindly,” Jake said.
“How much money you got left, Jake?” Mara asked.
“Oh, I don’t know, exactly – I – ah.”
“$21,215.88.” Jessie interrupted. “Why?”
“‘Cause we bought your land in Idaho this morning from Mr. McKenzie.”
“You did?”
“We both did,” Mara said. “I bought half and Lord Bradford bought half. We’s all going into the cattle ranching business together, Jake – the four of us!”
“We are?”
“We sure enough are! I talked to our solicitor this morning. That’s what they call a lawyer over here. We cain’t buy the whole land ourselves. It’s something to do with inheritances and castles and stuff.”
“It’s the Ministry of British Heritage,” Bradford added. “They will allow us to invest in overseas acquisitions – such as that land of yours in America – but not own it outright. It’s so that inherited estates such as ours do not somehow become encumbered by foreign debt. Lady Wortherington – I mean Mara – forgive me dear, convinced me it should be a good investment for us all. It’s a business decision. You see, running a set of rather large manor houses such as ours with all its lands and people who depend on it for their livelihood and even the town itself for the local economy is becoming more and more expensive by the day. We were even contemplating turning Bradford Hall and Highmount castle into tourist attractions, so that people could tramp through our homes on a daily basis.”
“Oh, that sounds awful.”
“That’s why you got to buy into this, Jake,” Mara said. “You work the ranch over there, then at the end of the year you and Jessie send us our share of the profits. This is real important. The profits from your cattle ranch there will help us keep Highmount and Lord Bradford’s estate afloat. Our lawyers will draw up a contract where you and Jessie will own 51% of the ranch and Bradford and me will own the rest of it. Together we’ll have 49% ownership – or 24.5% each. All you got to do to make it all legal is wire us your share of the money – but it’s got to be tonight, before midnight to buy into the property before the deal falls through.”
“How much?”
“One dollar.”
“What?”
“You send us one US dollar – each.”
“Are you telling me – that you’re giving us a wedding present worth $765,000?” Jake gasped.
“You saved my life Mr. Kendall,” Lord Bradford said. “It’s the least I could do.”
“It’s a heap more than that though, Jake,” Mara said. “How much is it Edmonton?”
“Well with lawyer fees, international tariffs and the like – ah let me see – it’s ah –” There was a slight rustling of paper over the long-distance hiss. “Exactly 644,662.92 pounds – or – one moment. I shall have the exact dollar amount in a trice.” He paused. “That will be –.”
“That’s $1,147,498.75!” Jessie screamed.
“Precisely.”
Rodeo Clown is the prequel to my previously unpublished manuscript Duncan Little. This is about how his parents met and fell in love. Next week is the final chapter and the end of the book. You can see my other books at www.aperrinauthor.com
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