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Natasha looks down at her time piece that is pinned to her dress and then reaches for her morning cup of tea. "I thought you and Nikolas were going to walk the property for some unknown reason. Test that hideously ugly fence or something."

Stefan raises a brow at that. "Sister, are you trying to get rid of us for some reason?"

"Yes. So when are you leaving."

"Exactly what happened at that... quilting bee yesterday?" Nikolas asks curiously. Ever since there had been a feeling of anticipation in his aunt that he hadn't seen in ages.

Natasha shrugs. "Quilting. What else could there be?" She makes a face. "Scarcely my type of thing really. Nothing like what I saw in Europe or even back east. I suppose it was as creative as those peasants can manage with their limited resources. It was a small distraction. All I expected it to be."

Nikolas starts to flush in anger and opens his mouth to call his aunt on her snobbery but Stefan gets there first with a stern warning in his voice. "I too have noticed what the others have managed to accomplish with limited resources." He decides to share some information which is not his custom. He prefers to carry the burdens of the family rather than share. "It is something that we all need to consider. I suspect the coming winter will... deter any interference Mother might make to this endeavor but that will not be true come spring.
By that time we will have been gone for over a year and she will more than suspect that our absence is permanent. I have moved most of our fortune to the United States hopefully without her notice. I suspect there will be no more funds coming from Russia or the Cassadine estate. Like the citizens of the valley, what we have now is what we have. The scale is different but the situation is the same." Stefan taps his finger on the table. "This property is a small portion of our resources but it has the advantage of being isolated, bought with pocket money thanks to the homesteading rules. The bulk of the rest is invested in a variety of ventures hopefully too many for Mother to interfere with them all."

Natasha blanches at the mention of Helena and actually finds Stefan's reminder of Montana's isolation comforting. She takes a deep breath and then glances down at her time piece again. "You had someplace to be."

Stefan allows himself a small smile. His sister might be a snob but at the same time she is a practical woman. He carefully wipes his mouth and beard with the linen napkin from his lap to collect any stray crumbs and then sets the napkin to the side of his plate. "We do. Please inform Mrs. Lansbury of our plan to return at noon." He rises from the table and Nikolas follows suit. They collect their coats and prepare to head out to the barn to collect their horses.

"I will." Natasha nods. Mrs. Lansbury comes out of the kitchen and sees only Miss Cassadine sitting there reflectively sipping her tea. Mrs. Lansbury starts clearing the dishes from the table. "Master Stefan and Nikolas will be returning for the noon meal."

"Yes, ma'am."

"I will be having company. Miss Caroline Spencer from the valley. See that we are not disturbed. Oh and make sure all the silver is put up."

Mrs. Lansbury starts at that one but covers immediately. What the hell?! course it's none of my business. "Of course, Ma'am."

John Jacks stirs the pot on the top of the woodstove grimacing at the lumps in the oatmeal before dishing himself a bowl. Well it would be hot and stick to his ribs which is about all that could be said. He looks around the small soddie. It's not a bad little place. He'd lived in smaller. There'd been a time when he thought sure he'd be living in something a hell of a lot smaller to avoid being housed in a box six foot long and six foot under.
Falling in love with Lady Jane, and stealing her away from her overprotective family, had been the start of turning his life around. And she'd been patient with him following him and then toting first Jerry and then Jax too while he tried to make his fortune in Australia. They're had been lean times. And even when he was flush they'd run smack into the prejudices of the colony. Going to Australia hadn't been his choice, well other than being better than a box. And nobody there was going to ever let him forget that.
Australia hadn't been home. It was hell. It was his prison. He'd done the crime, he'd done the time but damned if his children would continue to pay for the mistakes of his youth. That had been the last straw. Jax deserved better. Lady Jane deserved better. So he'd made their stake and a bit more and taken passage to San Francisco. There was a fortune to be made in California and he'd taken his share making sure that nothing he did touched his wife or boy.
Montana would be a good base for the future. From here Jax could be an important man, respected. So he'd never be president of the United States because he'd been born in Australia but that left plenty... maybe Secretary of State. And the boy is smart fitting in just fine with the captains of industry. Business ran this country no matter what they thought back in Washington, DC-- coal, steel, railroads.

"There enough there for me, Da?" Jerry asks as he comes into the soddie. He sheds his coat, gloves and hat.

"Knew you'd be back this morning but figured you for earlier. The rest is on the stove; finish it off." John indicates with a motion of his thumb and then grimaces as he takes another bite of the hot, lumpy, bland cereal. He considers his eldest son while Jerry is dishing up. Jerry is too much like him and remembers too well everything that had come before. And like him there is only one thing that will turn Jerry around from the path he's on. A path, John thinks with regret, I set him on. "What's the news on your mum and brother?"

"Lady Jane wants us at the rooming house by the American's Thanksgiving day and didn't sound like she'd be too forgiving if we missed." Jerry brings a bowl over to the table and sits down on a stool. "Jax has been working the other end." John nods not expecting any different. "Told him to file on the piece and get it done before anyone else steps on it. Figure he'll send us out a wagon load of supplies to repay what we've used here and prep the homestead. After we get those under cover and ready for the spring we can head back with the wagon."

"Your mother is going to love it out here." John rises from the table and sets aside the empty bowl. He stands by one of the windows at the front of the soddie looking down toward the river. "Specially the spot we picked. It's got good views and is set up in the trees. It'll be cool and shaded even in the hottest part of summer. We'll build her a house befitting a lady come summer." John frowns as he sees an unexpected sight. The Cassadines were always going down the valley. This was the first time he'd seen anyone heading up the valley toward the Cassadine place. He squints. Appears to be a woman and child riding double on a horse.

"I don't want you to touch anything." Carly reminds Lulu as they are climbing down from the horse at the Cassadine place. She notes that a couple of the horses are gone. Evidently that Miz Cassadine had gotten rid of Nikolas and Mr. Cassadine.

"I know." Lulu rolls her eyes.

"And if I say we're leaving I don't want to have to be looking for ya."

"You should have let me catch some fish first. Mr. Cassadine said he'd pay me if I caught him some fish."

"If everything goes right then you'll have plenty of time for that." Carly counters. "You stick as close to me as a burr on a blanket." Carly strides up the steps of the porch to the front door and raps on it firmly. Lulu true to Carly's instruction is right on her cousin's heels. Natasha opens the door to greet Carly but looks instead with some dismay at the small child half behind the Spencer girl's skirts. "Where I go, Lulu goes. If you don't like it then I'll turn right around now. No skin off my nose." Carly says defensively.

Natasha steps back from the door allowing them both entry. "Can she at least stay in the kitchen with Mrs. Lansbury while we conduct our... negotiation?"

Carly hesitates momentarily as she is unfastening her coat, then continues to unbutton. "That would be okay I guess."

"Carly!" Lulu protests. "But you said..."

Carly leans over and whispers in Lulu's ear. "You like Mrs. Lansbury better anyway-- remember canning?"

Lulu glares at her cousin but then hands her, her coat and hollers out... "Mrs. Lansbury, watcha doin'?" Lulu makes a run for the kitchen figuring that's the most likely place the nice lady will be.

Natasha winces at the noise but bites her tongue. Carly raises a brow and has a defiant look on her face. "I figure you have about ten minutes to back up the story you were telling yesterday before I'm out of here."

"This way then." Natasha leads the way to her room and opens up a steamer trunk that is filled with samples of fabric of all colors and weight. Each of them are about half a yard wide and neatly folded. A few of them are missing a swatch of fabric... just enough to show the dressmaker exactly what she wanted. "It is as I told you." Natasha keeps a close eye on the girl.

"Exactly what did you have in mind?" Carly rises to her feet after examining the fabric. It's a deal worth doing.

Natasha goes over to her embroidery hoop. "I had intended to make this into a pillow for Nikolas. It is our family crest. But now..." Carly holds up a hand to silence the other woman while she examines the work her mind racing at the possibilities. Natasha gives her a minute or two but then adds. "It's finished except for the blocking."

"I need to know how big we're talking." Carly grabs the hoop. "Show me." Natasha leads her to Nikolas' room. The bed in there is bigger than even Luke and Laura's and had been brought from Europe. It's grand and looks to be older than the hills. Carly pulls out a piece of paper and a stub of a pencil from the purse that is gathered at her wrist and then with an inchworm motion of her hand measures the span of the bed calculating using the number of times from tip of thumb to tip of pinky finger. She notes the width, length and depth of the bed on the paper. Then standing back she casts the embroidery hoop onto the center of the bed. "About there you figure?"

Natasha makes a minute adjustment just to be precise. "There."

"I can't work down at my place. No room to stretch out." Carly informs Natasha but then corrects herself. "I can do some of it there. Block at a time but when it comes to putting the blocks together..."

"My room or I can lock the library door." Natasha suggests. Carly turns around and walks out of Nik's bedroom and back to Natasha's. She starts upturning the contents of the steamer trunk onto the woman's bed. "What do you think you're doing?!"

"Go find me something of Nikolas'. Some article of clothing he's mostly worn out but has sentimental value. Something that ought to be in the rag bag but he won't give up or keeps plucking out." Carly orders and doesn't stop what she's doing. Natasha reluctantly leaves the room. By the time she gets back, Carly has already started sorting the fabric by color to get the families together. Carly sets the next task. "Need backing fabric. A sheet or something, should be the same blue as is in the crest. You're gonna have to figure a way to dye it. Christmas. Ha!" Carly mutters. She starts pulling colors from every family and holds them against each other to see the effect putting the ones that work on to a chair and the others back in the pile.

"Mrs. Lansbury can take care of that." Natasha hands Carly the shirt of Nikolas' that she'd taken.

Carly examines it carefully and then starts holding it against the fabrics she'd already selected. Then she gives the shirt back to Natasha. "Give this to Lulu. Tell her to rip the seams out."

"To the child!" Natasha protests.

Carly looks at the fancy embroideries around the room and points to one. Now that she'd seen a sample of the other woman's work she figures that all the embroideries are hers. "How old were you when you got started? It takes a while to build up that kind of skill."

"I see your point." Natasha agrees reluctantly. It is true that she started her first projects when she'd been younger than the child.

"What the hell are my niece and daughter doing up at your place?" Luke demands of Stefan and Nikolas when he runs into them at the Northern end of the properties.

Nikolas and Stefan look at each other. Stefan is the one that answers. "Unknown."

"Well they better be at your place, although I wouldn't put it past either one of them to be making life a bit inconvenient for those two down at Zander's." Luke shrugs. Either way is fine with him. "You out here doing the same as me? Figuring exactly what's involved in your boy's Grand Plan?"

Nikolas winces and shakes his head. Spencer always did that. Referred to him as boy when he referred to him all. It is getting tiresome. "It appears so."

Luke sighs. "The timing is right on it. If we're gonna do it all at once then it's a good thing we didn't put fences up between the properties."

"Mr. Spencer, don't think I don't know the only reason you are being so agreeable is because you believe the Cassadines will be the ones to buy the mechanical harvester."

Luke grins. "Well I didn't figure I'd be bringing ya into your own plan because of your strong backs. Seems only fair since I figure Lucky, Marcus, Zander and I will be doing most of the actual work." Luke swings down from his horse.

Nikolas and Stefan do the same. They start walking the horses from the back fence toward the homesteads. After a bit, Stefan finally says. "The Cassadines will purchase the mechanical harvester. But the cost will be repaid from a portion of the grain harvested... over a five year period. The length of our homesteading contract."

Luke counters swiftly. "Portion of grain sold not harvested. And there is only going to be four years left by the time we get around to owning the homesteads."

"Mr. Spencer, since I am not planning on going into the liquor business with you, we'll have to negotiate further when closer to the reality of the situation. Just know that there will be a harvester here when needed. That element of my nephew's Grand Plan, as you call it, is... covered."

Lucky checks out Liz's handiwork with the wagon out in the upper pasture of the Hardy place. "Looks like you're set if you get stuck out here." He finally compliments.

"Hopefully will never need it but it does make being out here with the sheep easier." Liz agrees glancing out over to their small group of sheep. Too small to really call a herd. "It's going to be a cold winter. You see the way the coats have come back on the sheep? It's really thick and dense. Figure mother nature knows something we don't."

"Hear you got to spend time with that Miz Cassadine yesterday." Lucky grins and teases. "Better you than me."

"She wasn't that bad. I mean not as bad as she has been in the past. Sure she figured it was up to us to entertain her. Why hadn't we done something that interested her before this? Like we had nothing better to do all summer long." Liz takes a deep breath and then lets it out with a sigh. "She did just fine. Fit in better than I do at stuff like that. Gram knows better than to let me anywhere near anything like Carly's quilt. Lucky, it was so beautiful. I wish I could do something like that."

"You do, do stuff like that!" Lucky protests. He grabs Liz's ever present knitting and holds it up. "See."

"Oh please. It's a pair of socks." Liz dismisses.

"And it'll keep someone's feet as warm as Carly's quilt." Lucky notices something at the far side of the sheep and the way they are acting antsy. "Grab Riley." Lucky orders in a flash and is on his feet already reaching into the wagon. He knows where everything is as well as any of the Hardy's even with all of Liz's improvements.

Liz automatically half lays on her dog before he can take off toward the sheep and scoops him close. "What is it, Lucky?"

"Get in the wagon." Lucky orders grimly. He comes out with the rifle and checks that it's loaded. He pockets some more ammunition but knows if he has to go to it then he's already screwed.

Liz keeps Riley in her arms, despite his struggles to get free of her, as she rises from the ground by the wagon. Then she sees what Lucky had. "Oh my God. It's a wolf. The sheep..."

"Get in the wagon." Lucky starts toward the sheep, keeping his movements steady, trusting that Liz would follow his direction. The sheep move from being antsy to moving with some speed toward the safety of the homestead feeling the presence of a predator. The Billy goat that is tethered isn't as fortunate. The wolf goes from stealth mode to full fledge attack. Lucky brings up the rifle in a flash and starts firing.

"What the hell?!" Luke stands straight and turns down the valley. There wasn't a person in the valley that didn't know the sound of a rifle's report. And since everyone knows everyone else's business didn't figure it was someone going hunting which meant it could only be trouble. Luke swings into the saddle. The Cassadines fall in with him racing in the direction of the rifle shots. Luke's bigger, stronger draft horse falls behind as the Cassadines' horses are built for speed. At each homestead they pause wondering which of the homesteads had trouble but everything seems fine. Fact is everyone is out and moving down the valley. The Cassadines race on with Luke trying to keep up. Another rifle shot pinpoints the location. It is in the Hardy's upper pasture.

"Liz, stay in the wagon." Lucky calls out as he goes over to kick the wolf to make sure it's dead. He stays alert knowing that wolves hunt in packs and where there is one there will be others. He quickly reloads. The sound of pounding hooves announce the arrival of the Cassadines and his father. Marcus is also coming. But he'd had to take a minute to grab his .22 from inside the house.

As soon as Liz hears the horses she is out of the wagon dropping Riley by her heels. She races to the goat that is panicked but appears unhurt. The goat tries to butt at her but she deflects him and grabs for the tether freeing the goat. "Riley. Home."

Riley races after the flustered goat. Lucky looks over his shoulder. "I told you to stay in the wagon."

"You're not the boss of me, Lucky Spencer." Liz says flatly. She joins him looking down at the dead wolf at their feet.

"There could be more."

"Then I'm definitely sticking close to you. Besides everyone is here now."

Stefan swings down from his mount. "There will be more." He says grimly. "I thought this wouldn't be a problem until winter or spring. Nikolas, the fence line and be on guard." Nikolas wheels Sheba away from the scene and toward the fence.

"Unless there is something with this one." Lucky says hopefully. "That would explain it coming around. If it were injured or cast out of it's pack."

"You okay, Cowboy?!" Luke throws himself off his horse breathing hard as if he'd run the distance himself. "Elizabeth?"

"I'm fine, Mr. Spencer." Liz answers shakily. Lucky takes her hand and tucks it close to him.

Marcus dismounts keeping his eyes out for any trouble then glances down at the wolf. "You notice anything off about that critter? Any frothing or staggering?" He worries. If it was a choice between hydrophoby or a pack of wolves, he'd take the pack of wolves any day.

"Nah he seemed just fine. Come on Lizabeth." Lucky walks her away from the wolf and back to the wagon letting the elders examine the creature. "You're not the boss of me?!" Lucky repeats softly over by the wagon while he is blocking Liz's view.

"Well you're not!"

"I'm going to be." Then he leans in. "So you better get used to it, Elizabeth Webber."

Stefan rises to his feet and peruses the area. He can see the beat down circle where the goat had been tethered and other circles around the field where the girls had moved the goat around. "It was a good shot." He tells Marcus and Luke. "He caught the wolf in mid leap as it was going for the ram. Hit with the first shot, rushed with the second and finished with the third although that was probably unnecessary."

"How do you figure he missed with the second shot?!" Luke protests.

"The livestock is uninjured and the placement of the shot."

The Hardy's are the last to arrive, then it's Sarah and Audrey on foot. They go first to Elizabeth. Audrey hugs her close. "Darling, are you alright?" Then steps back to see for herself then hugs her granddaughter again. "We heard the shots and then the sheep showed up. Barely got them penned and Riley showed up with the ram. Zander's with them. Are you alright?"

"Lucky shot a wolf, Gram."

"Thank goodness you were here!" Audrey hugs him too. "If Elizabeth had been alone..."

"Then I would have shot the wolf, Gram." Liz says flatly. "But we would have lost the goat and Riley too. He wasn't gonna be leaving with our goat."

"Lizabeth, why don't you take Sarah and your gram back to the house. We'll take care of this. You'd best be sure he didn't get any part of your goat. He seemed fine but..." Lucky suggests with a shrug.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I got it up here."

Carly and Lulu are riding double down the road when they spot the Jacks also heading down the valley in response to the gunfire. Carly calls out loud enough to be heard. "Damn. And I'd hoped someone had shot the two of you."

"Miss Spencer." Jerry tips his hat. "And Miss Spencer." Lulu just gives him a look that had to be practiced since it was the mirror image of her older cousin's. Jerry grins ruefully at that; really they were misnamed. It should be Trouble and More Trouble. "Any idea what is going on?"

"Well since it happened down there. And we were up here. That's really a kinda stupid question." Carly relents slightly. "I don't think anybody was going hunting today. So something happened. Hang on, Ladybug." Carly tells Lulu and then squeezing the horse's sides she starts cantering down the road. John and Jerry fall in by her reining in to stay close. Carly pauses at the gate to the Spencer's.

Lulu whispers in Carly's ear. "Foster isn't here. He'd be right here waiting on me if he was. Mama or Aunt Bobbie neither."

"Yeah, and if your daddy and Lucky weren't around they'd take Foster with them if they were checking things out."

"And Aunt Bobbie's pistol." Lulu whispers.

"We don't talk about Mama's pistol." Carly reminds. "It's a secret." Carly pushes the horse back into a canter. At the Taggart's Flo is out toward the front of the property she just points down the road and waves Carly by. "It's the Hardy's then."

John and Jerry look at each other. John winces. This could be ugly. It is either a chance to make a fresh start or perhaps something else they would be blamed for. When they get to the Hardy's the young man with the splinted leg is muttering to himself with crutches and rifle by his side.

LuLu swings down as soon as Carly comes to a stop. "What happened, Mr. Zander? We heard shots."

"Everyone heard shots and I have no idea what happened!! Damn bum leg! Whatever it is.. happened up in the pasture and that's where everyone is heading. I'm stuck here watching the sheep."

Carly stands in the saddle putting her weight on the stirrups so she can see better. "Nope, they're on the way back at least everyone in a skirt." Then she sits back down in the saddle. "And if something spooked the livestock then it's a good thing you are here with that gun."

"I'll go put the kettle on." Sarah says wryly as she comes up on the cabin. She puts a hand on Zander's arm. "It was a wolf. Lucky shot it before it could attack the billy goat. I think they are up there looking for any signs of more."

"I'm going to head home. Mama's there by herself and she's probably worrying herself wondering what the heck." Gia gives Liz's hand a squeeze. "Glad you're fine."

"Me too."
 

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