Summary:  A prequel

Rating:  K  2,020 words.

Spice Ladies in Town

On the Ponderosa: knock at the door. Six-year-old Joe walked to the door and opened it. Nobody. As he wanted to close the door, he noticed there was something on the flour. A paper. Like a newspaper. He took it and had a look on the first page. What he saw let him speechless. But not for a long time. « Pa, you’re in the Gazette ». Joe yelled with excitment in the voice and run in the house. The three Cartwright were enjoying the end of the afternoon. Ben was riding in his chair and his sons were playing on the settee. As they heard Joe, they stopped and looked at the youngest child.

« Pa ? In the gazette ? Let me see that » Adam was the first up . He took the paper and put his eyes on the picture.

« Oh yeah, Pa ; they got you perfectly » Adam exclaimed.

Ben looked up and came close to his sons, impatient to see what was  going on. Then he stopped and asked :

« Drawing or picture ? »

-Not drawing, pa ; a picture, a true picture. And wait a minute, Hoss is on the picture too » Joe replied taping the paper with his fingers. Ben knew exactly the day, when a photograph had come in town. That had been two month ago on July, the fourth. There had been a big party in town. A man Preston Lodge had had a wonderful idea to bring excitment in town. For a charity concert he had invited a group of singer. As he  had told about it, the whole town council had agreed. Virginia Citys theater was famous and that would have been a big honor having International Singer.

FLASHBACK : In Virginia City

Everybody was very enthousiast and the town had  prepared everything to welcome the stars. As the stage coach arrived , the surprise was big. Men were excited and women cancouldn’t  believe it.. Five young Spice Ladyes, five little storm, excited and full of life. They appeared suddenly out from the stagecoach. Impatient to moove after the long trip, they opened their arm and sprang and run to the first man in front of them. It was the poor Ned, the telegraphist. He lost his glasses, turned on himself, didn’t know what to do.

« Hey Ned, did you enjoy the dance , » Men around were teasing him. The poor man was blushing. Never before he had had  a woman in his arms, so five at the same time, it was too much. Ben and Roy exchanged a look and decided to step in. Both of them walked to the girls and grabbed them. Ben dared to have a look on the young girl he just  had caught :  straight hair and pigtails , a lovely tiny nose, nice innocent smile and pink round cheeks. Ben wondered how old she might be ; she seemed to be so childisch. He didn’t have any time to think about it ; she just put her lips on his cheek., close to his lips.

« But Miss ; I…. » were the only words Ben could say. For the first time in his life a girl had managed to silent him.

People around them were clapping their hands and shouting with joy… Women were crimson. Mrs Woodpecker let her voice speak for the other.

« Mister Cartwright, Mister Coffee, you have to do something. We can’t accept those- those « ladies » in our town. We have children, and young boys and it’s not a good example. I’m sure, Mr Reverend will agree with me ; Oh just there is. Reverend, please ; don’t let those impertinent person staying in our little quiet town. » At that moment one of the « impertinent person » sticked out her tongue at the respectable woman. The shock almost made her faint.

« I won’t stay any longer here. I hope, Gentlemen, you’ll do something. » and she turned her back and left.

Ben just caught the young impertinent and gave her a dark look. The tongue came back in the mouth and the young lady calmed herself. The other, the first one he  had caught, seemed to appreciate the stern look and hugged him with sensual manner. Ben turned his head and scolded :

« keep your distance, Miss. Or I promise, there will be a very short distance between you and my knee, you see what I mean ? » . Everybody in town knew that tone, but not the girl.

« hey, that’s exciting. Hey girls, we found a great charming town with great handsome men. That’ll be a great great recital… »

Ben took them away, Roy took the two others and the last one followed her friends . Roy and Ben put them in rooms in the hotel and left them.

« So Ben, I wish, I could leave for a chase against Broners brother. I’m better with outlaws than with those girls. » Roy replied with a mix of desperation and anger in his voice. Ben laughed.

« for sure, that will be a big challenge. The truth is, I do’nt know, how we’ll manage to handle that. We can’t stop now, charity concert must be kept. Orphans count on us.

***********saturday evening in town.

Ben arrived with Adam and Hoss, even if he was regretting it. But that was a promise he  had made to Hoss, unfortunately he didn’t have known about the girls as he had made that promise ; But a promise was a promise and Ben knew what that meant for a kid. So he had  let him come . The whole town, ladyes and gentlemen were here ; The room was full, so many people had come to see the « spicy ladies ». What had happened in town at their arrival , mix of provocation and excitment had attracted men and some women, impatient to see the lady and ready to keep control about husbands.

Hoss, wearing a a dark blue two-piece suit and tie, guided by Adam, found a safe place close to the cakes table while Ben started greeting people in the room. Girls were there, in a corner. They came near to him and his boys and stood by him as a flash lighted. Ben was glad, maybe those girls would behave and gave a nice recital. People counted on that, they gave a lot of money.. But hope wasn’t enough and everything could change after a few cups of champagne. The girls were quick to include everybody in the fun, with three of them fussing around them while Sporty Spice kissed and hugged mens cheeks. Adam promised to be a good boy, the warning his father had made before leaving the ranch had been clear « young boy, you better behave or else… »So he would be a good boy, he just smiled and winked. That was  enough to attract the spicy ladies. As Ben saw his boy with two ladies in his arms, he walked  to him ; but he stopped as he felt someone was pinching his bottom. He turned and with stern look slapped the hand of Baby spicy. She was about to gently swat him.

« Oh no young lady,  you won’t. Nobody ever laid a hand of me, it won’t start tonight. »

«  That is just so typically me » ; she replied with her finger on her lips. «  It might seem like a crush, mister Cartwright, » and she kissed him on the cheek, letting a spur with lipstick. » Innocently she took a tissu in her pocket and wipped it. Ben pushed her hand and made it alone.

« Little girl, I remember, I told you something when we first met, didn’t I ?

« Oups, I did it again,  does it mean, you’re angry with me ? I can’t believe it. » Ben sighed deeply, looked up and pinched his nose.

« oh you’re impossible. »

Everybody looked at him, impatient and excited to see what would  happen  next. Ben slowly took his hat away and kept silence.

***********the next scene, 10 minutes later

The whole town saw that Ben had come back with the girl. He took her in his arms and put her slowly in the water bucket near the door.

« that will be good for a warm behind, young lady. I won’t let you driving me and this town crazy ».

« Hurrah for Ben, Hurrah for Ben, the girl had it, very good, Ben » a man in the crowd yelled.

« Shut up, Lars. Mind your own business. Enough humiliation for tonight. I don’t want to hear anything about it. Now recital is over. I’m sorry, it did happen that way. We’ll give you money back, if you will. But don’t forget, orphans are not responsible for the trouble here. They still count on you. » Ben explained with enough persuasion in his voice to silent the crowd. Just a few sobbing coming from his right side.

« orphans, you said ? But how ? » A soft voice interrumpted him. Baby Spicy was now a sorry young lady with tears in her beautiful eyes.

« Yes, young lady, we organised a recital for orphans. And people gave money to listen at music, not to have such a ridiculous show made by provocative young ladies. » he added with more severity in his voice.

« but the advert told about ORGAN ; so we thought we could have a little bit fun. » she replied seriously.

« so ,  all that because of a wrong tiping. And who’s responsible ? Ned ? NED ? Come in… »

Ned arrived, but not alone. He brought a big birthday cake with candles and music from the violin and the clarinett.

« HAPPY BIRTHDAY BEN CARTWRIGHT » the whole crowd yelled and clapped hands. Ben was speechless.

« but but, but it’s it’s not my BIRTHDAY ? » he managed to reply, ; he was so surprised.

« We didn’t know about your birthday, so we decided to celebrate here and now , with a surprise. And those ladies are special guest ; from France. Coming from a Cabaret.

« I don’t know what to say. » He just can smile and laugh. The five young ladies come around him and give him a big kiss.

***********later after the party

«  more champagne, Emma ? » Ben asked. She replied no. They just came back from outside, fireworks were over, they had been fantastic. There were confettis on the floor and ballons all around. End of the party. People left and congratulated Ben once more time for the birthday. Now he was alone, his boys were in the wagon. Hoss was sleeping and Adam was , maybe flirting with one of the lady. He didn’t care ; exceptionnaly. Because he had something else in mind. Having a few minutes privacy with the young lady.

«Emma, I just want to say, I’m sorry. I feel so ashamed for what I did. I shouldn’t have done that, that’s all. » he apologized sincerely. The surprise was beautiful ; so now he was sorry, he had been  so rude with the girl.

« No need to be sorry, after all, you warned me. You see ; Ben ; orphan, is what I am. They didn’t told the whole story, we just had to surprise you. I’m sorry too Ben. I’ve never had a father or a mother around me, I guess my friends played a rôle perfectly, I was just in reality, unable to stop the game. That was pleasant and funny ; you resisted and I wanted to test my power on you. That’s a good lesson you taught me, Mister Cartwright.

*****************on the Ponderosa. Epilog

On the last morning Marie put her eyes on the gazette. After she read the whole article , she walked to Ben. He was near the fireplace enjoying his morning coffee. Adam was in the barn, working with Hoss and baby Joe was sleeping. Without any warning she swatted his behind gently and asked :

« It seems, you had a good time in town, my dear. »

Ben smiled at her and gave her a long sweet kiss.