01x08 - My Son, My Son

[bunniefuu]

Get 'em all!
Get 'em all!

Happy birthday, miss audra.
Oh, is a beautiful cake, silas.

Thank you.
And this is for you, mother.

Happy birthday, darling.
And many, many more.

And this is for you, jarrod. And this
is for you. Happy birthday, honey.

Hey, i'll take the cake
if i don't have to kiss you.

Music! What about me? I'd like
that piece in the middle there.

Get it yourself.
I wanna dance.

Uh, this dance
was promised to me.

Well, thank you,
big brother.

Boy howdy, you shoulïve been a surgeon.

Better let silas do that.
Yes.

Right.

Oh!
Victoria!

Whose birthday is this? You
don't look a day over 19.

Jenny, you'd better watch this
man. If he keeps up that flattery,

i'm liable to believe him.

Evan, is nice having you back
and nice having you here.

Thank you, mrs. Barkley. Is nice
being here. Came home last night.

We didn't think you'd mind if he
came along with us. I'm delighted.

So thas audra.

She's changed a little since
you saw her the last time.

Indeed, she has.

Come and have some cake, jenny.

It seems like only yesterday
audra and i were children.

Oh, she could ride so well
and run so fast,

i'd sometimes forget
she was a girl.

Ain't nobody gonna mistake her
for a boy now.

What are you waiting for? Go
get her before I... excuse me.

May i cut in?

Evan miles!

Excuse me.

Why, you're looking at me
as though...

well, i'm so surprised.
Pleasantly surprised?

Yes. Yes, i think so.
Very pleasant.

I wouldn't have missed your
birthday party for anything.

How's college?

You know, the last time we were
this close, you... you slapped me.

I was a child.

We were both children.

We shouldn't have
brought him, wally.

Well, stop it, jenny.
He's my son... ourson...

and i'm not lockin' him away in no attic.

Wally, if this beautiful
lady isn't spoken for...

mrs. Miles, may i have
the pleasure of this dance?

I thought you'd never ask me.

Good evenin', jarrod.
Wally, how are you?

What have you been up to,
aside from bein' too busy...

to visit an old friend
now and then?

My apologies, wally. I haven't
been able to see anyone,

i've been so busy on
a trial in san francisco.

One of the biggest ranches in california,
and you're messin' around in law books.

Don't tell me your troubles.
How nice to see evan.

Has he finished college yet? No,
he quit with my advice and consent.

Oh? I thought you were the one who
was so keen on a college education.

I've got a big ranch, and
just one son to leave it to.

I decided he could get all the education
he needs by running my ranch right here.

Well, you're probably right at
that. I'm sure ill work out.

It will. I know evan
was kind of a wild kid,

but maybe no more so
than you and nick.

You cut up a little bit
in your time.

Oh, h*, indeed we did.
Let me tell you somethin'.

When i was evan's age, i was
kind of a wild kid myself.

It takes a good woman.

Sometimes, thas
the answer, jarrod.

A good woman.

Uh, i think she's still a bit
young for matchmaking, wally.

Maybe so.
Anyway,

they seem to be doin'
all right by themselves.

What would you do if i
were to kiss you right now?

I'd probably
slap your face again.

Ah, it would be worth it.
Evan!

Evan, would you be a dear
and get me some punch, please?

Oh, ask me
to climb mount everest,

slay the mighty dragons,
swim the hellespont...

just some punch.

I'll wait right here.

It was so...
warm in there.

I thought
i'd come out.

For a breath of fresh air,
of course.

Is spiked, you know.

What did you do
that for?

No slap?

Well, then,
happy birthday, audra.

Thas enough, evan!

Oh, no, sweetheart.
Not nearly enough.

I wanna go back.
Evan!

Evan!

Excuse me.

We've had this date
for a long time, audra.

And, oh, how much sweeter for the waiting.

Stop screaming!
I don't wanna hurt you!

Stop it! Stop it, heath! Is all my fault!

What happened?
Heath!

Evan! What happened?
Why, that little...

nick!
Audra.

Is all right, pa.

It was just a...
little misunderstandin'.

I'm afraid your son
got out of line.

Did he, now? What happened,
audra? Not now, wally.

Did he drag you in here?
I said, not now!

Victoria, i'm sorry.
You're sorry?

The way i see it,
the apologies are owed us.

Sometimes, girls get
what they ask for.

Wally, i'll overlook that remark. Wally.

The party's over.
Looks like it.

Come on, jenny.
Evan.

Happy birthday, audra.

We were never
properly introduced.

L-i guess we know
each other now, don't we?

Now, why don't you stop
fussing and go to bed? Is late.

I couldn't sleep.

Well, i couldn't either.

I don't think there's
anything to worry about.

Evan just went a little bit too far,
and audra brought him up short...

with a slight assist
from heath.

I wish it were that simple.

Well, i think
it will be.

Wally's just quick to
get up a head of steam.

He'll be all right after he's
had a night to think on it.

I know wally and jenny
better than you do.

Well, maybelonger.

Oh, i know wally's
quick to anger, but...

this is the first time in over


they've left our home
without saying good-bye.

Yes, but you forget
this is about evan,

and wally's never been able to think
very straight when it comes to him.

You know, wally and jenny
had a working ranch...

when your father and i
first arrived in this valley.

And we were more than just neighbors
reaching out to help each other.

Much more. I remember
the night you were born.

Jenny was sick. She was never
a physically strong woman.

Anyhow, you weren't due
for about two weeks,

and your father
was in town on business.

A few hours after he left,
the first pains started.

I was alone in the house. We
didn't have any help in those days.

And out of the clear blue,
here comes wally.

He said that jenny's illness was
not that serious, but babies...

well, you couldn't count on
babies keeping a schedule.

And he...
he rode over just in case.

He took me to the doctor,
but we never made it.

We got as far
as their ranch, and...

between the three of us,

we managed
to deliver a son.

I had no idea.

I see i'm not the only one
who can't get to sleep.

Well, i for one
am gonna try.

Good night, mother.
Good night.

Good night, sweetheart.

Mother, do you think maybe I...
i'm to blame for what happened?

Should i?

I don't know.

When we were dancing, I... i
thought how nice that evan was back.

And yet, there was something strange
about him. Thas what confuses me.

I wanted him to kiss me,

and i arranged it
so we could be alone.

I didn't feel that
i was doing anything wrong,

but at the same time,
i wasn't sure.

So for that much,
i am to blame.

But the rest of it...

maybe i'm to blame
for that too.

Oh, if i hadn't...
felt so cold inside,

so-so repelled...

i think thas what
angered him.

I think he knew
what i was feeling.

Oh, mother,
tell me what to do.

I think i should apologize,
and-and still,

i don't honestly feel
i've done anything wrong.

What should i do?

I know what
we both should do.

Is been a long day
and an even longer night.

Les get some sleep.

Victoria.
Jenny.

May i come in?
Of course.

L-i was just, uh,
fixing flowers.

Oh, jenny.

Oh, i'm so glad, even if it
wasn't your place to come here.

Oh, nonsense. The only
thing thas important...

is to get this settled,
and as quickly as possible.

Sit down.
Thank you.

- How is audra?
- Oh, she's still a bit upset, but fine.

I'll get some coffee.
I made some cakes too.

Jenny, before you go,

as close as we've been,

as much as we've meant
to each other,

i would never have come here
today, but audra and i talked...

well, as i was saying, audra and i talked
it over, and she feels she was to blame.

Well, victoria, this started
out to be a very bad day,

but you've
brightened it considerably.

Well, i guess maybe we could all
use a good hot cup of coffee now.

Don't forget the cakes.

No hard feelings?
No.

I didn't sleep two winks
last night.

I didn't either. None of this would
have happened if not for heath.

Maybe.
But he's a headstrong boy.

Plunges in,
asks questions later.

Bet he feels a little foolish
for the way he acted.

I guess he thought
he was protecting audra.

Protectin' her?
Against what?

Now, look, victoria, i thought by
now id be clear to you what happened.

Wally, why don't we just
let it drop?

Audra has admitted that
she may have led evan on a bit.

A bit? Audra's a mighty
fetchin' little girl,

and last night, well, it was
obvious to anyone with eyes,

any man's eyes,
she was feelin' like a woman.

And evan's a man.

There, now, we've said our
little piece, and is over.

How about supper tonight,
victoria? Oh, i'm sorry, dear.

We have an engagement...

where have you been, son?
You've got alkali all over you.

Oh. Lookin' over
the boundaries of the ranch.

Thas what you wanted me
to do today, isn't it, pa?

Um, mrs. Barkley, I... i
don't know whether or not...

you feel you have
an apology coming, but...

is all been
taken care of, son.

Well... well, i had the feeling
maybe I-i owed you something.

Well, i guess thas all taken
care of though. Excuse me.

See you soon, jenny.
Yep.

Good-bye, victoria.

My, oh, my. What a pretty
woman you are, victoria.

Well, thank you, wally.

She's a fine woman, wally.

I never realized until today
just how fine.

Yeah, her daughter was in the
wrong, and victoria admitted it.

I think she's just giving us
the benefit of the doubt.

All right, jenny.
Wally?

You promised me
you'd talk to evan.

Is over.
Not just about last night.

Maybe that wasn't his fault,

and maybe is
the beginning of more trouble.

New trouble. For the love of
heaven, jenny, quit harping!

You've got to talk to him.

I've lost him, wally.
He's your son now.

You've got to talk to him.
We've got to give him a chance.

Thas what we decided when we
brought him home, wasn't it?

We've got to give him
a chance to find himself.

While he's doing that,

how long do we wait, wally?

How many people
have to get hurt?

Evan, why don't you ride
into stockton tonight?

A ranch man's got to smell a little
perfume once in a while, right?

Nick. Alkali.

Alkali?

Loaded with it.

One good water hole on the whole
south section, and is gotta be bad.

I wonder how alkali
got in there.

Ground water came up through and
touched a vein of the stuff, i guess.

There's another water hole
up in that pass.

- We gotta get these horses to water.
- How far back?

Oh, about three, four mile.

There's a trail that goes
through miles's spread and ours.

Ill save a lot of climbin'. Meanwhile,
you better take care of these ponies.

Thanks a lot.

I'll see to it that a fence
is put around the water hole.

The horses won't drink it,
but the cattle might.

Whas this all about?

Offhand, i'd say is, uh,
four strands of barbed wire.

- I presume you can read that sign there.
- Whas the idea?

Then they didn't teach ya to
read... wherever it is you grew up.

As i understand, this path
runs between our properties.

Oh, no.
The way i understand it,

the miles and barkley ranches
divide right here.

Look, i've got a bunch of nervous,
thirsty and skittish horses here,

and i'm takin' 'em through
to water up at the spring.

Les suppose you take
that wire down.

Thas trespassin'.

Oh, look.
I'm a reasonable man.

If the barkleys wanna use it, have 'em
send someone over from the family...

to, uh,
to reason with me.

Audra'll do.

Now, you look.
I'm not takin' these ponies...

five miles around
just because of you.

I've got a better idea.

Now, i'm roundin' up those
ponies and i'm comin' through.

Evan! Wally!
Evan!

What happened, evan?
What happened, son?

Heath barkley.
You're bleeding.

He wanted to come through our
property. I never meant to stop him.

Let me... but you're hurt! I just wanted
to make sure he knew it wasourproperty!

Well, you finally got the
trouble you was askin' for.

And this time, it was no
part of evan's doing! Evan!

And i'll tell you
something else. This time,

we've got more than an apology coming,
and, by heaven, we're gonna get it!

Stop.

Well, if it wasn't broad
daylight, i'd think i was dreaming.

A beautiful dream.

Welcome to
the miles ranch, audra.

Evan, we...
we have to talk.

Sure, we do,
in private.

Evan, this...

this trouble between our
families started with us,

and it can end with us.

A happy ending?

Maybe it was partly, maybe it was all
my fault for giving you the wrong idea.

Well, it was
a very right idea.

A beautifully right idea, if only
that dimwitted half-brother of yours...

evan, please. Please,
les not go over that again.

It was a mistake,
all of it.

And now...

well, now, if you'd... if you'd just
come over and talk to my mother...

oh, gladly.
What should we talk about?

While i apologize
to your parents.

Am i hearing things?

Are you suggesting
that i apologize for...

for kissing
the most adorable,

provocative...

and here i thought you'd come
on a mission of peace and love.

All right, evan.

You don't have to apologize. Just...
just come over and talk to my family.

Oh, great. First, it was your
mother. Now, is your family.

Evan, it makes no sense pressing
charges against heath. Oh, it doesn't?

He trespassed,
destroyed private property.

Well, for that, you either
sh**t a man, or you...

you go to the sheriff.

Heath can consider himself lucky my
father chose to go to the sheriff.

We've always used that path.
I know that.

But not anymore.

As a matter of fact, my father
is fencing off all our property.

Well, you will come over
to settle this, won't you?

Well, as i said before,
why don't we, uh,

settle this in private?

I have to go now.

Evan, let me go.

All right, audra.

We'll leave it at that
for now, and, uh,

and live to fight
another day,

or night.

What was she doing here?

Oh, she asked me to stop by
the barkley ranch some night.

Wants me to apologize.

Well, it might not be
a bad idea.

Oh, she's a clever
little minx, all right.

She came over to tell me how
sorry she is about everything.

"Come over to my place, evan,
and talk to mother. "

Probably find nick, jarrod and eugene
waitin' to jump me the way heath did.

Audra would never do
a thing like that.

Oh, wouldn't she?

Some barkley cattle just took
a stretch out of the new fence.

Oh, no, those barkleys would never
do a thing like that, would they?

Mount up!

Brace it in down there
in the corner.

Here they come!
Get your r*fle!

Wally?

I understand you're holding
three of our cows.

Thas right.
Theywereyour cows.

- Send 'em back.
- Not a chance.

They busted down our fence.
They'll be held for damages.

Wally, now, don't act stupid.

Those cows are our property.

You send 'em back,
or we'll come in and get 'em.

You cross that line,
and we'll start shootin'.

Don't come any further, nick!
I'm warnin' ya!

No.

Heath, forgive me, boy.

I swear to you, nick, i only
meant to warn you off my land.

Where'd that shot come from?

Where'd it come from?

- How is he?
- He's fine.

Dr. Merar says he has to rest
for a few days.

There's some medicine we have
to pick up in town. I'll get it.

- I was going in anyway.
- What about his arm?

I'm afraid his arm will be
out of action for a while.

Well, i still got the use
of both of mine.

Nick, for the love of heaven, how do
you think this is going to help heath?

If he had moved a couple
inches, we'd be burying him.

I know how it could have been.
And the next time, i know how...

the next time, let it happen tothem! Them?

Them, nick? Them meaning
wally or jenny or evan?

No. No, violence
never solved anything.

If your father had understood
that, he woulïve been alive today.

My father understood
what he had to do.

Mother, there are times when you have
to fight no matter what it leads to.

Listen to me! My father
believed that, and i'm his son!

You were his son, but
he's dead. Now you're mine,

and i'm asking you
to honor my wishes.

There will be no more
bloodshed, nick. No more!

It was an accident. But in
a way, they asked for it.

If they hadn't come
bustin' across that fence.

It shouldn't have happened,
not for any reason.

An accident.
A crazy, stupid...

it was an accident, i tell you.

Jenny, you can't think
i wanted to see that boy shot.

Who did it, wally?
I don't know.

Find out.

Find out
who did the sh**ting!

Where have you been, evan?
Stockton.

Havin' a little fun.

Well, us ranchers gotta smell a little
perfume once in a while, right, pa?

You didn't ask
about heath barkley.

Oh, yeah.
How is the dear boy?

He'll be laid up for a while, but the
wound wasn't serious. Thas too bad.

I mean, about him
being laid up a while.

I've been asking around trying
to find out who fired that shot.

Learn anything?

Some of the men think
it might have been you.

Is that so?

Well, don't see as how
they could tell that.

All of us were shootin'
at your orders.

The way the b*llet hit, they say
it couldn't come from anywhere...

but where you were standing.

Well, is possible.

Is also possible it
coulïve been a ricochet.

Is that your opinion?

Well, either it was
an accident, a ricochet,

or somebody was trying
to k*ll heath.

A ricochet. Yeah, thas
what i'd say happened.

A ricochet.
Come on, boy.

Well, however it happened, son,
is time we ended this thing.

Time we showed 'em we wanna
be good neighbors again.

Oh, but the barkleys
started it, pa.

But if you want...
thas what i want.

Yes, thas what i want.
I wanna see this thing ended.

Well, uh, i'd be glad to help you. You
just tell me what you want me to do.

Well, maybe,
for a little while anyways,

maybe id be a good idea
if you went away.

Is that what you want? Is
not a question of what i want.

Is just till things
calm down around here.

Is not like
i'm shippin' you off again.

Is just for a little while
to san francisco.

Nothin' wrong with that, is there? Talk
about smelling perfume once in a while.

There's nothin' wrong
with san francisco, is there?

You'll pick up
your train ticket this evening.

Is not like you're shipping
me away again. Is that it?

San francisco ain't school.
You'll have lots of money.

You need more... sure,
sure, everything i need.

Just like always...
everything i need.

Well, thas just fine, pa.
Thas just fine.

Oh, son.

Want your sugar?

Hello, audra.

It is my father's wish
that we become friends again.

We'll kiss.

We'll kiss and make up.

What, not even
a kiss good-bye?

I'm leaving the valley,
audra.

Under fire, as it were,
but leaving nonetheless.

You and your brother
saw to that.

Oh, don't fight it. Thas
one thing i can teach you.

What shall be shall be.
Don't, evan.

I'll scream.
Of course you will.

And you'll fight,
and you'll kick,

and you'll...

my father talks about
the scent of a woman's perfume.

This medicine, is for heath.
He's waiting.

Let him wait!

I've been waiting too,
audra.

Since you kissed me,
i've been waiting too.

Don't scream.

Don't do that, audra!
I beg of you, don't do that.

You must not scream.

I want to be gentle.

Please, let me be gentle.

You shouldn't have
done that, audra.

Why did you have to do that?

Evan! Let her go!
Evan!

Evan, let her go!

I just wanted to kiss you.

Evan! Evan, for the love of
god, don't make me k*ll you!

Audra! Audra.

Audra! Audra!

Oh, my darling.
Oh!

Oh, mother.

- Is all my fault.
- No, no.

Is true, mother.
Is true.

At my party, showing myself off,
trying to conquer every man there.

Darling, you mustn't.
Here, have some of this.

I never... i never dreamed
it could lead to this.

Audra,

evan isn't dead because you
smiled at him, a woman's smile.

I let him kiss me.

He'd be alive if he hadn't.

Now, you listen to me.

I won't let you blame yourself
any more than i blame myself.

I've asked myself
over and over,

what else could i have done?

Well, the...
the truth is,

the... the fault isn't in you.

It isn't in me.

It was in that boy.

If only i could make
wally and jenny understand.

The sheriff would like
to talk to you now.

Jenny.
Evan! Evan!

Jenny.
Evan!

Evan.

Mrs. Barkley, audra,
do you mind?

Jenny, wally, I...
i woulïve given my life...

you k*lled him
in cold blood.

You k*lled him.

Mrs. Barkley,
jarrod gave me the facts.

The story, sheriff.
Her story.

It was cold-blooded m*rder,
and i'll prove it in court.

Wally, you'll get your chance.

There'll have to be
an inquest, ma'am.

I understand.

Wally, i told the truth.

I know exactly what happened.
She invited him here.

I heard it myself.
She invited him to an ambush!

Thas not true.
I swear, thas not true!

You heard audra
invite him in here?

Jarrod, this can wait
for the inquest.

She invited him, and evan turned her
down because he knew what she had in mind!

Wally,

i know how you feel,
but go home.

This'll all come out
at the inquest.

All right.
We'll let it wait.

We'll prove it in court
it was m*rder.

Wally?

I'm sorry, but i think you'd better
stay and hear what i have to say.

Sheriff, i realize this isn't
exactly the place for an inquest,

but...

perhaps it would be better for all of us to
get it over and done with right here and now.

Jarrod, you know better than that.
We can't have a private hearing...

a public inquest is exactly
what i'd like to avoid, fred.

I don't see any reason
for the rest of the state...

to hear what...
what only we have to know.

You think you can scare me
with your lawyer's tricks?

Wally, i know about evan.

I'd wondered for a long time why you
kept sending him away to school...

when all you really wanted
was for him to run the ranch.

And after the fight
at the party,

after heath got shot,
i had to find out.

Thas why i came back tonight.

Too late to save him,

but not too late to save
my mother and sister.

And maybe in time,
to save you and jenny from...

i'll get a lawyer, a good
lawyer, to fight you in court.

Les go, jenny. Evan was leaving
home again tonight, wasn't he?

He was leaving town.
At your request?

A lot had happened. I thought
he needed... deserved a vacation.

Considering what had happened, why
do you suppose he stopped by here?

Because she invited him!

Into this barn, into an ambush? No, wally.

Maybe he was leaving town. Maybe
he just wanted to say good-bye.

Wanted to say good-bye
so badly...

that he'd risk walking into
what he believed was an ambush?

You don't believe that.

Evan had been in trouble a
few times before, hadn't he?

More than once.

If you think you can bluff me,
scare me with them papers...

in fact, he'd been arrested
quite a few times.

He never spent
a minute behind bars.

Wasn't that because he was never charged
with a crime that you couldn't take care of?

Either by paying the fine or seeing
to it that the charges weren't pressed?

He set fire to a college
dormitory back east.

You paid to have it rebuilt,
didn't you?

All right, he has gotten
into a few scrapes.

"Aggravated as*ault. $200 fine.
Six months probation. "

"as*ault with a deadly weapon.
Sentence: One year. Suspended. "

"Evan miles, expelled from college.
Turned over to the authorities.

Charge:
Malicious mischief. "

A few scrapes, wally?

You're goin' to dig up every piece
of dirt you can find, ain't you?

I only hope and pray
that i found enough,

enough to convince you and the public
prosecutor to let this thing end right here.

Wally, i don't want these things
aired in court, do you?

For one, that business
of settin' fire to the college,

that was a fake,
a college boy prank.

"Boston. Charge:
as*ault with intent to k*ll. "

A prank, wally?

Evan's dead!
Quit crucifyin' him!

And they're still alive, wally. What
do you think you're doing to them?

- And to jenny?
- Oh, stop it!

Oh, god, stop it!

Stop it! Stop it! Stop it!

For the love of god, let him rest
in peace. Let our son rest in peace.

There's no more reason to lie.

We knew him.
We saw his sickness.

We knew the terrible things
he did.

We both know it,
don't we, wally?

Come on, wally.
Les go home.

I wonder whas
keeping them.

I thought they'd be home
long before now.

Well, stop worrying about it
and concentrate on the game.

Look who's talking
about concentrating.

Thas a spade, not a club. Oh.

Sorry.

Well, is all over.

The prosecutor decided there'd
be no point in a public inquest.

He ruled
justifiable homicide.

I'd say the sooner we put this
whole thing behind us, the better.

Mother, wally and jenny miles
knew what evan was.

Why did they defend him
for so long?

Wally answered that.

We were only friends,
but evan was his son.

And when your child is in
trouble, you defend him...

without question,
without reservation.

The way i had
to defend you...

when that moment came.

There are times when...

there just isn't
any other choice.