Chapter 61

 

Peggy lay in the bed that was in the spare room of Adam and Olivia’s house.  She felt confused and miserable, horribly alone and sad.   Ben had been right,  the meeting should have been cancelled and Amanda being older and wiser should have known better.   But then, Peggy reasoned, why should Amanda have known the best way to proceed after all her life had been centred entirely on Virginia City. She had lived in the place since she had been a young girl, nearly as long as the Cartwrights had existed there.  What would Amanda really know about the world outside of this one town?

 

Peggy didn’t know when it was that she finally fell asleep, her mind going over and over the same scenes, hearing the same voices…and just occasionally remembering the kindness of Abel Greigson, and the sense of his words permeating the babble of sound that echoed in her head.

 

When the sun rose she left the house.  Ben had been somewhere in the house with the children, she had heard his voice and echoes of Sofia’s shrill little girl pleadings.  The  young woman had no intention of talking to him again.   Nor did she want to be confronted by the children, watching her, asking her questions, wondering where their Mother and Father were …questions to which she didn’t want to give the answer.

 

Joe Cartwright dismounted from the saddle as Peggy entered the stable.   With a glance up at the sky and checking the time he paused a moment to wonder why Peggy was up and about at such an early hour.  He also wondered why she was at his brother’s house and not at the main Ponderosa domain.   After tying the rein to the rail he followed her into the stable and watched as she selected a horse, stepping into its stall in order to lead it out to be saddled.

 

“Going anyplace?”

 

His voice was crisp, cold and beneath its surface simmering with anger.  Hot and cold mingled together carried with the words angst and a threat.    Peggy turned, shocked at the sound of the voice, not so much by the words but by the fact that someone was actually up and about and had seen her.   She turned to face Joe and after acknowledging him turned her attention back to the horse.

 

“I asked – going anyplace?”

 

Joe stepped further into the stable,  and again she turned to confront him, her brows raised and her eyes wide, “Is it any business of yours, Joe Cartwright?”

 

“If you’re thinking of going to see Mary Ann, don’t bother. I don’t want you going there.  She has enough to do as it is without you getting in the way.”

 

“I didn’t intend visiting Mary Ann.  And if I were, I wouldn’t get in the way.”  she tossed her head, and glared at him.  Her cheeks were flushed and there was a red blush creeping above the collar of her jacket.

 

He glanced at her more closely now, stepping nearer to get a good look and then he gave a curt nod of the head “Not a single bruise – nothing – well, didn’t you get away with it lightly, Miss Dayton.”

 

“Leave me alone, Joe…get out of my way.”

 

“Or what? “  he reached out and grabbed at her wrist, pulling her closer and glaring into her eyes “Olivia and Hester didn’t get away without a bruise on them!  They’re in that that hospital, Olivia could be blind – but you, the cause of it all, you haven’t even got a bump or a bruise anywhere.”

 

“Let me go, Joe. Leave me alone  -”

 

He released her then, letting go of her arm and stepping back with a puzzled look on his face as he watched her rub her wrist and  then he sighed and shook his head “I don’t understand it,  what happened to you, Peggy?   Last time you came here you were a sweet changeling girl, funny and cute -”  he paused again and once more scanned her face as though looking for some sign of that cute funny young woman.  “Where did you go?”

 

“You’re talking rubbish, Joe.” she muttered stilling rubbing at her wrist and frowning as she scowled at him, “You were cute and funny at one time too,  now look at  you -”

 

“Supposed to mean what?” he sneered

 

“Supposed to mean whatever you want it to mean.  Now clear off and let me get on.”

 

“No, you don’t touch any of Adam’s horses. “

 

“Oh I see, and what do you mean by that -”

 

“I mean  you don’t touch any of those horses.”

 

They glared at each other, until finally she tossed her head and turned away from him.  She approached Sport who was watching the interchange between the two humans with a degree of curiosity that many horses showed when humans invaded their space to yell and shout at each other. He was used to it,  and munched lazily on the hay bag while pricking his ears forward to hear more.

 

“You do know what happened, don’t you?  At that Meeting of yours?”

 

“Yes.  I know.”

 

“Then why did you let it happen?   Why couldn’t you have cancelled?  The fact that Higgins’ had cancelled your hall surely gave you some indication of the mood the town was in about what you were going to talk about?  The fact that Mary Ann backed out of it must have given you some hint that – that this wasn’t the right time for it here.”

 

“Then when would be the right time, Joe?”  she turned now, hands on hips, eyes glowering, “If you wait and wait for something to happen, the flame can be blown out.  It’s – it’s like a match stick glow just now, one puff and it’s out…”

 

“For goodness sake, girl, listen to  yourself.   This isn’t fairy story stuff,  this is real life.   Match sticks have nothing to do with it…the reality it that as soon as you realised the Meeting would lead to trouble -”

 

“I didn’t realise -”

 

“You must have done.   Mary Ann told me how the posters were torn down as soon as she put them up.  Higgins cancelled his hall.  Surely you had some idea that this was going to lead to disaster?”

 

She firmed her lips, glared and then turned her back on him and began to lead Sport from the stall.  The big horse turned his head to Joe as though to ask “Is this alright? Can I go?”

 

“If you intend going into town I would advise that you didn’t…”

 

“Why not?  I have as much right as anyone else.”

 

“You forfeited that right after yesterdays mess.”

 

“Then even more important that I go in today.” she tossed her head and pulled at Sport to lead him forward.

 

“No, it isn’t.”  Joe placed a hand on Sport’s neck and the horse checked, paused and waited.  “Peggy,  it may seem important to you,  but it’s sheer nonsense to go into town while everyone is still feeling as they do about what happened.  You wouldn’t be received kindly by most.  You put at risk those who would – receive you kindly that is – people with so much anger have long memories and hold grievances.”

 

“So I understand.  They seemed very happy to remind me of some that they still hold against my father.”

 

Joe looked puzzled and then shook his head   “Alright then, tell me why you want to go into town?”

 

He stood there with his legs apart, his hands on his hips and his head at an angle that challenged her.  She sighed and for a moment remained silent, then she shrugged “I just want to get out of here.   I need to speak to the sheriff…see if Amanda and Lucy are all right …”

 

“And it doesn’t matter about Olivia and Hester?”

 

“Of course it matters.  Of course it does…”  she bowed her  head and stared at his boots, planted almost under her nose, “I need to speak to Adam, and Hoss….”

 

“And do you think they would want to speak to you?”

 

The tone of his voice was cutting,  it sliced through her hope of reconciliation with Adam, her hope of peace with Hoss.   She shivered and turned away, the tears welled up in her eyes and spilled over onto her cheeks which she angrily dashed away with her fingers.  “I didn’t know, I didn’t even think that there would be so much trouble, so much anger and that people could be so awful.  Ben said that people came from all over town, they came with sticks hidden up their sleeves, rocks and glass in their bags, they came deliberately to hurt us, to hurt anyone….I didn’t expect that, not here, not in Virginia City.”

 

“But it has happened in other places, Peggy.   You must have known that it happened in other towns …”

 

She paused and frowned, then nodded slowly, “Some …”

 

He shook his head and turned with a shrug of his shoulders, throwing his arms wide as though giving up on the whole issue.  She called out to him but he didn’t stop just told her to go, clear off, stay away, don’t come back.

 

“But,  Joe…”

 

He stopped and turned “Just go away, Peggy. “

 

“But where do I go away to?”

 

“Anywhere, but don’t go anywhere near Mary Ann or the Ponderosa.”

 

She stood there, rooted to the spot, her hands clasped together under her chin and tears rolling down her face.  She was still there when Ben stepped into the stable and approached her, put his arm around her shoulders and let her cry all over him, wetting his shirt in the process.

 

Eventually she stopped and wiped her eyes with her fingers, blew her nose very noisily on the square of cloth he handed her.  He looked at her anxiously “Alright?  Feel better?”

 

“I don’t know.  Perhaps…”

 

He sighed and then nodded, “Take no notice of most of what Joe said -”

 

“You heard him?”

 

“It wasn’t difficult, he was shouting loud enough.”  he smiled again although his eyes were dark and sombre “Peggy, were  you really going into town?”

 

“ I thought I should.   Amanda and Lucy should know that they have my support.”

 

He nodded and hugged her a little as though to convey the thought that he understood, then he looked at Sport, and back at her “I think you should not ride into town alone,  Peggy.   Can you wait until after breakfast and we’ll ride in together.” he paused “We’ll take the buggy.  The children need to see their father.”

 

“Isn’t Adam coming home today?“

 

“Maybe – but I can’t read his mind for him.   He may prefer to stay in town…to be near his wife.  Hoss the same.”

 

“Ben, I’m not a hard hearted person, I’m not like Joe said – I do care, and I do have feelings…”

 

“We know that.” Ben nodded and gently shepherded her away from Sport who seeing his opportunity returned to his stall and haybag.,  “Joe shouted the odds because he’s frightened, for his brothers and their wives.   He doesn’t really know what to do in these circumstances, how to help, and he’s also had a shock at the thought that Mary Ann could have been involved, been hurt too.”

 

“I know, I understand.” she whispered and bowed her head “Oh Ben, I should have stopped, when Mary Ann backed out and Mr Higgins cancelled, I should have stopped then. “

 

“Well, I know that Amanda can be very persuasive about the things she believes in.   You gave her  a rare opportunity to air her opinion about rights for women and she took it.”

 

“No, you can’t – no one should – blame Amanda.  I should not have gone to her.  If she had been really that interested she would have come to me as soon as the posters went up, but she didn’t .  I forced the issue on her…not the other way around.”

 

Ben shrugged and then paused at the stable door.  The sun was risen, a soft sunlight shimmered over the countryside, made the windows of  the house gleam, the shingles on the roof mellow and golden.  He sighed, and turned to her, looked down at her, and nodded “Never mind.   After breakfast we will all go into town.”

……………….

 

Bridie placed the plates of food on the table and sat down.   She glanced at the two men and then at her husband who raised his eyebrows at her.

 

“Did either of you sleep last night?” she asked softly and poured coffee into their cups.

 

“I don’t know, must have, some time or other.” Hoss mumbled and reached for the cup, “I’m sure glad I got the chance to see Hester, else I never would have managed any sleep at all …”

 

Bridie turned to Adam “And you?”

 

Adam shrugged and leaned back into his chair, he reached for the coffee and realised his stomach felt hollow, as though it was reaching for a chance to cleave to his ribs. He swallowed coffee and then held out the cup for a refill.

 

“I was trying to work out ways to break into the hospital with that dragon breathing down our necks.” he admitted, then frowned “I think I slept – kept waking up – seeing that fighting all over again and imagining that worse happened.”

 

Bride nodded and Paul said that would happen, the mind liked to fill in the gaps and then make everything appear worse than it was, a way to help heal so he had read in one book.

 

“Eat something now.” Bridie urged “Tilly especially wanted you to try her Cornish bannocks.”

 

“What will you do after you’ve eaten?” Paul asked wondering if he should mention that a change of clothes, a shave and wash might be a good thing too.

 

“Go and see if we can get into that hospital, I guess.” HOss glanced at Adam who nodded and looked at his food as though it repelled him. Hoss had no such feelings but began to eat, perhaps not so heartily as usual but he always obeyed the commands of his stomach.

 

Bridie nodded and then briskly stated the fact that they should shave, clean up, look presentable…it would go a long way to appease the dragon if they would do so.

 

Chapter 62

 

Daniel deQuille enjoyed sitting on his porch with a cup of coffee in  his hand as he watched the townspeople going about their business on a Sunday morning.   There were the church goers who piously made their way to their various places of worship, and who would ignore him as the heathen they rightly suspected he was;  there were those who  chose to remain home with their children, allowing them to play in the street with their hoops or their tops or  whatever other toy they wished, knowing they would come to no harm as there was so little traffic on a Sunday.  Occasionally a parent would shout out to the children not to be so noisy and remind them it was Sunday after all.   Then for a few moments the children would lower their voices and shout a little less.

 

Storekeepers who did not go to church on a Sunday cleaned their big windows instead, or swept out the amount of dirt and mud and other sources of dirt from the floors of their stores.   Virginia City citizens were not known to wipe their feet before entering any store and carried all manner of filth in on their boots and shoes.   Sunday mornings gave the store owners a good chance to clean up before they ‘rested’ as they felt the Sabbath demanded.

 

Roy Coffee and Grant Tombs stepped out of the house and made their way out of town, strolling side by side, hands in their pockets and chatting like two old men…well, one was an old man and the other was kind of heading towards becoming one far more promptly even he thought possible.

 

The sheriff opened the door of the Sheriff’s Office and Jail, peeked out and looked up and down the street.   Perhaps he was happy to see evidence to the previous days debacle cleared  up, but Daniel wondered if there were another reason and was pleased to see that there was, for within minutes Amanda Ridley stepped out.  She had a brief few words with Nate and then, after patting her curls into place, strolled away from where she had spent the previous night.

 

Daniel smiled, a night in the cells had obviously not dampened Amanda’s spirit.   He could remember her as a  young woman, in fact, he could remember writing up the story of what had happened to the Ridleys,  the whole sorry mess.    She had been an attractive, strawberry blonde young woman then, jealous of her prettier and  younger sister,  and quite willing to support her father in accusing Jimmy Chan of her sister’s murder.   Daniel watched her as she made her way to the Ladies Emporium, pause to look at the broken boarded up window and then enter the building.

 

He wondered what she thought at seeing her plate glass gold lettered window gone…thanks to the provision of several rocks that went sailing through it the previous night.    He would be writing about that for the morning edition of the Enterprise.

 

He was wondering whether or not to go and have a brief chat with Amanda when he noticed a buggy threading its way through the rather sparse traffic.   Perhaps he was not surprised at seeing Ben Cartwright seated in it, but he was surprised at seeing Peggy Dayton by his side.  Behind them sat Reuben and Sofia, looking anxious and wide eyed,  with little Nathaniel wedged in between them.    He watched them as the  buggy jounced its way along the road, slowed a little to speak to Roy and Grant, and then continue on its way.   He surmised they were either going to the hospital or to the Martins home.    He had already been to the hospital to enquire about the well being of some of the victims of the previous days affray, but had been sent ‘packing’ as the saying goes.

 

He frowned, paused a moment when Dr and Mrs Colby walked by pushing the baby in his perambulator – all the way from New York of course – the perambulator , not the baby –  James stopped and had a brief chat but disclosed no information about the patients except to confirm that Mrs Spencer had died of a stroke due to the excitement at the Meeting.

 

Amanda Ridley stepped into her store and walked to an inner door which led to the steps leading to the apartment above.   There were stairs outside that led to the front door of the property above,  should Mrs Carstairs have visitors, but this inner door was useful for the woman to slip upstairs when there was a lull in the store.   It had been very useful for Mr Downing whose girth required – so he said – that he took as little exercise as possible.    Going outside the store, walking around to the back, taking the stairs up to the front door would have been too much for him.   He would have sweated too much and no one likes being served by a sweaty store keeper.

 

Mrs Carstairs opened the door  with an exclamation of delight at seeing her employer and stepped aside to let Amanda into the room, glancing hurriedly around her to assure herself that it was in a ’proper state’ for visitors.

 

Jimmy came out of his room and looked at Amanda and then promptly returned, closing the door behind him as he did so.

 

“How are you, Miss Ridley?  I’m sorry about the window,  it got smashed last night.  It terrified the life out of us -”

 

“It must have done.  What a nuisance.” Amanda frowned,  a nuisance to her, a terrifying experience for Mrs Carstairs and her boy.    “I’ll get the glazier to come and replace it first thing tomorrow.”

 

“Miss Ridley,  someone told me that the Mayor -”

 

“Oh forget about the Mayor.   The silly little man.   He’s soon going to have more troubles land on his desk than he could ever imagine.”   she sighed and sat down at Mrs Carstairs invitation to do so.  “Did you attend the Meeting?”

 

“No.” Mrs Carstairs shook her head. “No, I was advised not to do so.   Apart from which I was far too busy, there were several orders that had to be worked on….”

 

Amanda nodded, of course, work for which Mrs Carstairs was paid well, but which also ate into her free time.   She nodded again and when Mrs Carstairs offered her some tea or coffee she gratefully accepted, leaving the poor woman unsure of which she was expected to make but bustling away to the kitchen in order to make both.

…………

 

Ben clambered down from the buggy and assisted Peggy  before reaching in to pluck Nathaniel from between his siblings.  Reuben and Sofia followed promptly thereafter.   Peggy smoothed down her skirts and adjusted her bonnet,

 

“I’ll see you later, Ben.  I need to see the sheriff first and then Amanda…”

 

“Come back to Paul’s afterwards, Peggy.   Be careful, won’t  you?”

 

She nodded and hurried away before the door could open and she would see either Adam or Hoss.   As it happened it was Tilly who opened the door and beamed with pleasure at seeing Ben with the children.   By the time the door was closed Peggy was already across the road heading for the sheriff’s office and which caused Daniel to stop his stroll to Ridleys Ladies Emporium and to stay close to the Sheriff’s office instead.

………………..

 

Ben passed Nathaniel over to his father, and then nodded over to Hoss “Mary Ann and Joe will be coming later with the girls and Erik.   They thought it better that we didn’t all come at the same time.”

 

Bridie bustled forwards now and hugged Sofia,  nodded to Reuben who had already shown himself to be adverse to hugging now that he was ‘big’ and then led the way into the parlour .   Adam watched his children follow the older woman and held onto Nathaniel, who was perched comfortably in t he crook of his arm.

 

“We thought we would go to the hospital this morning as there’s an hours visiting time.” he explained, and then sighed upon seeing a flash of anticipation cross Sofia and Reuben‘s faces, knowing that their hopes were soon to be dashed.   They were as Hoss promptly explained.

 

“Ain’t able to take the kids,” Hoss explained, and looked at Ben “But we’ll ask if we can, and then take them in this afternoon if its at all possible.”

 

“I want to see mommy” Sofia said quietly, screwing up a corner of her skirt between nervous fingers.  “I want to see her, Daddy.” she looked up at Adam, blue eyes brimming with tears.

 

“Well, Princess, she would want to see  you too, but we have to talk about it with the Doctor and nurse  first.” Adam stroked back a strand of the fair hair from the child’s brow, “You’re looking very pretty today…” hoping to distract the child by playing up to her vanity.

 

Sofia simpered and nodded,  “Peggy chose my dress, she said it matched my eyes.”

 

“Peggy?” he glanced at Ben

 

“She stayed over with us…” Ben mumbled and walked to the window to stare out at the street and the few people walking about, “She’s very miserable.”

 

“She cried.” Sofia said, “I heard her crying in her bedroom.”

 

Hoss glanced at Adam and shrugged,  then Adam passed Nathaniel to Bridie, “We had better go now,  an hour isn’t very long – don’t want to be late.”

 

Ben nodded, Bridie took a squirming protesting  Nathaniel to the other room where Tilly would feed him some chocolate,  Reuben and Sofia stood side by side looking at their father who felt waves of guilt sweeping over him because he couldn’t take them with him.   Ben followed his sons out to the hall,

 

“Are you both alright?  You look exhausted, the pair of you.”

 

“Did n’t sleep much.” Adam mumbled.

 

Hoss nodded and reached for his hat, he paused before putting it on “Where’s Peggy now?”

 

“She has errands to do,. People to see.” Ben replied sounding curt but not intending to be,  he sighed and shook his head “I am sorry about all this…”

 

Adam nodded,  gave a slight mirthless grin and opened the door.  The sky was blue, the sun shone…he glared about him as though there were no rights to it being such a lovely day when he was feeling so utterly miserable.  Hoss behind him nearly bumped him off the step,  but together they headed for the sidewalk and began their way to the hospital.

 

The ‘Dragon’  was not on duty when they arrived at the ward where they were met by a neat young woman who smiled at them in greeting.   “I think you’ll find your wives so much better than when you saw them yesterday” she said immediately, leaning towards them as though uttering some extremely confidential information.   “But please don’t stay too long as it will be Doctor’s rounds very soon.”

 

She smiled and nodded and went her way, leaving both men gripping their hats more tightly in anticipation of what to expect while they watched her hurry down the corridor as though in search of someone else in need of ‘confidential information’.

 

The smell of flowers greeted them as they pushed open the doors to the ward,  and it seemed as though every possible flower available had been plucked and arranged to form a posy or bouquet that had been sent to Hester, Olivia and the other women who were victims of the previous days riot.  They stood at the door to look around them,  before approaching their wives.   Several other men were already seated by their wives sides,  and no doubt in the Men’s wards dutiful wives were likewise occupied.

 

Hester was sitting up,  enough pillows behind her to support her .  Her smile, when she saw Hoss, was bright and wide, her eyes sparkling with pleasure.  Even before he was halfway down the aisle to the bed she had her hands outstretched to reach out for him.   Within minutes she was wrapped in  his embrace, being kissed gently,  before he settled her back against the pillows as though she would break if he did not.

 

“Oh Hoss, I’m so glad you came this morning.  The night seemed to last forever.  Are the children alright?”

 

“Mary Ann and Joe are looking after them”  Hoss replied, wondering if he should have brought some candy, flowers, grapes, at least something, he felt embarrassed and awkward. The last time he had been in a hospital was years ago, and he didn’t like being reminded of that, when little Margie Owens had had her baby and died.  He looked around him, saw his brother sitting down close to Olivia and reaching for her hand.   He sighed, “Pa said that Mary Ann and Joe will be coming to see you later this afternoon.”

 

“But I will see  you again?”

 

“Of course, of course, jest you try keeping me away.” he swallowed the lump in his throat and grasped her hand within his “Oh Hester,  you can’t imagine how I felt when I saw you lying there -”

 

“I can, my dear, considering the number of times you’ve been brought home half dead before now,” she reached out and touched his face, smiled, “You’ve shaved?”

 

“Bridie said I should…I mean …yeah, of course I have.” he blushed and felt awkward again, “Anything you need, Hester?  Anything I can git for you?”

 

She shook her head and leaned against the pillows,  sighed and half closed her eyes,  it was hard to fight the medication she was on, it dulled the pain but it made her feel so tired.  “Hoss,  I’m sorry this happened.   I feel so guilty about Olivia…”

 

“No need, sweetheart, Olivia did exactly what you would have done in the same situation. “

 

“I know but -” she sighed again and gripped his hand tightly, “I thought she was going to die,”

 

 

Adam reached for his wife’s hand and held it within both of his own.   He didn’t speak sensing that she was sleeping.   Sleep was such an important part of the healing process that he feared to disturb it,  but contented himself by being close to her, holding her hand, looking at her face.

 

Someone had braided her hair into a plait that had been arranged over her shoulder and down to her waist.  The wounds on her face looked ugly with the black stitches and he wondered what they would look like, no doubt red and sore for some while, but fading over time.   He imagined Nathaniel worrying over ‘spiders’ on his Momma’s face, and Sofia being horrified.    He sighed and as he did so she turned her head, facing him.   “Adam?”

 

“I’ m here.”

 

“I missed you.”

 

“I missed you too.”   he kissed her finger tips, she felt the bed dip at the side and anticipated the kiss that he gave her on her swollen mouth.   “Olivia – “

 

She squeezed his hand as though she preferred silence, although she smiled, a small rather sad little smile.  “Adam,  have  you seen the Doctor?”

 

“The Nurse said he was due for his rounds soon.    We won’t be able to stay long.”

 

Still the same smile on her lips,  he wondered if she had her eyes closed, if there was a smile lingering within them too.   He cleared his throat, “I – I wasn’t there to protect you, Olivia.  I should have been,  you should have been my  first priority.  I just didn’t see you, or Hester – there were so many people in the street,  people streaming in from the alleys, they came from every place at once.  But – even so – I should have got to  you first, I should have prevented this happening to you.”

 

She didn’t speak for a moment or two, but then licked her lips, as though they and her mouth were too dry for speech.  He asked her if she needed some water and turned to pour some from the carafe into a glass.   Very carefully he helped her into a sitting position  so that she could drink some after which she thanked him.

 

“Adam, you have to remember you had a duty to do,  as a deputy, and that doesn’t mean you could come rushing over to see to me anymore than it would have been right for Hoss to rush to Hester’s side.  There were others involved, others needed protecting…”

 

“A lot were hurt, some – died – “

 

“I know. I heard.   Word gets around, even in here.”    she raised her hand and touched the stitches, prickly and spiky against her fingers, “I must look a sight.  The children will be scared to look at me.”

 

He didn’t say anything, just squeezed her hand tighter, and looked fondly at her, wishing she could see him and that he could see all of her.  Someone once said the  eyes were the person,  they showed the emotions of the heart,  revealed things that perhaps they would prefer to keep concealed.  But he wished he could see those things now,   “Has anyone said anything about – about your eyes?”

 

“They want to take the bandages off in a weeks time.   They should be able to tell by then if there is permanent damage.” her voice wobbled,  she firmed her lips, obviously determined to put a brave face on it all, “Adam,  what if -”

 

“Shush,” he put a finger to her lips, “Don’t say it.  Don’t even think it.   You’ll be alright, sweetheart, Livvy, you’ll be alright.”

 

She didn’t say anything for a while and then smiled “I can smell the flowers.  People have been sending flowers since yesterday evening.  The nurse reads out the messages – so we know from whom they are sent.   The Women’s Hospice sent some, and – and so did – “ the gong sounded, breaking into her words so that she stopped speaking but kept her face turned to wards him “Have  you to go so soon?”

 

“Doctor’s rounds, remember?”

 

He leaned forward and kissed her again.   Beside Hester’s bed Hoss was also kissing his wife …making promises to come back as soon as possible.

 

It was horrible to have to leave them.  They could hear their boots ringing upon the marbled floor.  It reminded Adam of the times he would visit the White House,  stride up that corridor to speak to the President,  the crisp heel tap of his boots,  the passing staff who would salute the uniform – he felt cramps in his stomach and longed to get out into the fresh air. `

 

Chapter 63

 

Amanda Ridley felt relaxed as she sat on Mrs Carstairs battered old sofa, and sipped her coffee while she watched her employee prepare the dough for the days bread.  Jimmy finished cleaning his shoes,  brand new ones his Ma had bought him recently.  Her change in circumstances had meant that the first thing she had done was get him those shoes.   Now he could walk tall, and eat well, for Ma now prepared lunches for him to take to school each day.

 

“Were you really in jail, Miss Ridley?”

 

Amanda was so lost in thought that his voice, coming from behind her, made her jump,  the cup rattled in its saucer and coffee slopped over.   She cleared her throat,  and nodded,  then turned to look at him   “Come here, let me see you?”

 

Jimmy felt nervous now, he wondered if he should have just kept quiet but he had always been respectful of this woman and now that she had been in the cells, it seemed to him that she was no better than anyone else.   He dutifully stood in front of her,  looking at her and trying not to blush.  At the kitchen end of the room Mrs Carstairs stopped pounding at the dough and watched, wondering if her job as well as her new home was about to be lost to her.

 

Amanda  put down the cup and saucer and reached out to draw the boy closer.  She smiled and nodded as though what she saw met with her approval,  with her hand still holding fast to his arm she told him that she had indeed been in the cells,  it had been quite interesting,  she had shared the evening with quite a number of the townspeople.

 

“I saw you on the platform.” Jimmy said,  then frowned and wondered if he should have volunteered such information,  he glanced anxiously over at his Mother who didn’t seem to have heard for she had started kneading the dough again. “Just for a bit.  Then we went off to swim.   Why did people throw the rocks at you?   Were you  hurt?”

 

“No, I wasn’t hurt.   People just didn’t like what we were trying to tell them, and some people there, just wanted to make trouble anyway.  You always get people like that in a crowd, people who just turn up to create trouble.”

 

“Why?”

 

“Perhaps because when they went to school they were bullies.   Do you have any bullies at your school?”

 

He nodded “Yes, some.   The boy who lived here before, he was a bully.  He shot some of the boys in the playground.”

 

“Well,  there you are, you see?   Little bullies grow up into bigger bullies and just want to  cause trouble.”

 

He nodded and looked at her, “I still don’t understand why you went to jail and the bullies didn’t…”

 

“Some bullies did,  and I think the Sheriff will soon  be arresting some others as well.”  she smoothed down the frills on her blouse, and then patted her hair before smiling at him as he wandered off back to his room.

 

The smell of bread wafted over to her.  It was pleasant to sit here, just sit, relax and think.   She closed her eyes and tried to consider her plans for the future.   After glancing anxiously over at her Employer Mrs Carstairs put the new loaf into the oven, turned over the one she had taken out and tapped it to make sure it was proven to her satisfaction.   She lived in dread of what Miss Ridley was going to say,  it seemed to her the woman must have had a reason for coming to the apartment instead of going directly to her home from the cells.

…………

Nate was surprised when Peggy entered the office.  He stood up immediately and nodded a greeting,  gave her a smile which she received with a slight one of her own.  With a gesture he indicated the chair in front of the desk into which she sat, very slowly.

 

“Well, Miss Dayton.   To what do I owe this pleasure?”

 

She frowned, looked puzzled “I was – I thought – that perhaps you would be calling on me sometime soon, so thought I should come to you first.  I have -” she opened her purse and rummaged about inside, then pulled out an envelope “I have my statement already written out for you…about yesterday.”

 

“I see.”  he leaned over the desk and took the envelope which he placed on the blotter in front of him…

 

“Arn’t you going to read it?”

 

He leaned back to survey her.   It was obvious from the dark smudges beneath her brown eyes that she had had a sleepless anxious night,  and the expression on her face indicated genuine concern and guilt.

 

“I will in due course.” he leaned forward, with his elbows on the desk he steepled his fingers and observed her again, “Why do you think I would  be visiting you?”

 

“You – you arrested Amanda.    You know that – well – if I had not held the Meeting there would have been no fighting or injuries.”  at the word injuries her eyes welled up with tears, she shivered

 

“Miss Ridley took a rifle to the Mayor and threatened to shoot him.”

 

“Oh, I didn’t know that. .. I suppose that is serious.”

 

He hid a smile and nodded “Yes, I had to arrest her for her own safety.   Of course she will be fined for her part in the affray, but the Mayor – well – let’s say he has charges of his own for us to consider which will lessen the fine on Miss Ridley.”

 

She nodded, not sure she understood exactly what he meant.   She sighed, and bowed her head “I thought I would be arrested on a charge of causing an affray.”

 

“Oh I see…” he raised his eyebrows   “Your meeting was not illegal, Miss Dayton.    It was held in the open, anyone was free to attend, you did not charge an entry fee.  You did not – I presume – throw any rocks, sticks, fire crackers or anything else that could cause harm or detriment to any of the townsfolk present -” he looked at her sternly, as though that was important “Did you?”

 

“No, of course not.” she recoiled in horror at the thought,  then frowned “To be honest, I fainted.   If it hadn’t been for Mr Greigson I would have been trampled on or – or battered like poor Hester and Olivia and some others -”

 

He nodded, and leaned back in to his chair, “I can’t charge you for feeling guilty about what happened, Miss Dayton.   That affray, that violence, was none of your doing.  I’ve arrested some and there will be others who will be visiting my cells in due course.   If we can locate who harmed the Mrs’ Cartwrights, and the other victims, they will be charged with assault,  even in some cases, manslaughter.”

 

She shivered, all because of that Meeting,  her Meeting,  the one she had insisted on, and which she now felt should have been cancelled, should have been forgotten about and abandoned.    She pulled out a handkerchief and dabbed her eyes,

 

“Mr Carney, Sheriff I mean,  if I had known what would happen -”

 

He waited until she had blown her nose and seemed more in control of herself, then nodded “The trouble is, Miss Dayton,  anyone who can read is aware of the fact that these Meetings have met with opposition and violence elsewhere…even in other countries that may seem more forward thinking and liberal that our own.   If you were aware of that fact,  then you will have to live with the guilt of what happened yesterday for the rest of your  natural days.    But legally,  I can’t charge you …”

 

He stood up now,  and she slowly did likewise, thanked him very politely and turned to leave.  He watched her go and sighed, resumed his seat and began to leaf through the statements of various townsfolk who had been more than eager to point the finger at someone  in the crowd whom they claimed had wielded sticks, stones and whatever else they could lay their hands on to the detriment of their neighbours.

 

Peggy  had no sooner left the sheriff’s office than she bumped into Daniel deQuille, who stepped back quite hurriedly to avoid a collision with her.  He removed his hat, and doffed it politely,

 

“Miss Dayton?”

 

She sighed, opened her purse and rummaged about in it, until she found what she was looking for and produced an envelope addressed to him.

 

“Mr deQuille, would you read this through for me, and after making any corrections, but without changing what I have written, would you print it in your Editorial?”

 

He raised his eyebrows and then took the letter from her, looked down at the name that glared back up at him and nodded, “Miss Dayton, why don’t we have a cup of coffee at the Internationale and discuss this statement of yours?   Then you can have full knowledge of any corrections that I may have to make … although with your scholarship I doubt very much if there will be any.”

 

She frowned slightly and then nodded, “That seems fair enough, Mr deQuille.  Thank you. “

 

She glanced over her shoulder as she turned to walk along with him,  then looked at him, “Mr deQuille, have you seen Lucy Garston at all, or Miss Ridley?”

 

“No,  I was refused entry into the Garston’s household, and Miss Ridley was in the cells.  I believe she is free now though, and shall call on her later today.  Miss Lucy is in church with her parents.  I am sure that Mr Garston will be delivering a fine sermon about Love thy neighbour as thyself does not include violence in the community…after all, most of his congregation were busy hurling rocks and goodness knows what at one another yesterday.”

 

Peggy sighed,  something else for her to feel guilty about….she said nothing, but trailed along  by his side towards the Internationale.

……………………….

 

Sofia ran to the door as soon as she heard it opening.   After removing his hat, Adam leaned down to pick her up and give her a hug before setting her down again to catch hold of Nathaniel who squeaked  “Where’s Mommy?”

 

“Mommy’s in hospital…” Sofia said quickly, and glanced at their father who looked tired and anxious,  the lines of his face had fallen into those she now knew meant he was worried, so she slipped her hand into his “Did you see Mommy?”

 

Adam nodded and carried Nathaniel into the parlour where Bridie was standing, as though she couldn’t  be seated while she waited for them to return.  Reuben stood up, placing the book he had been glancing through down on the arm of the chair.  Adam caught his look,  saw the anxious face,  he saw all their anxious faces and had to clear his throat before he could speak.  Behind him he could hear Hoss mumbling something to Ben,  who had been  upstairs when they had arrived.

 

“Your Ma is getting better.” Adam said, and thought to himself how hollow those words sounded,  just words,  he looked at their faces, and saw that none of them looked convinced.   “She’s stronger,  and -”

 

“Are her bones mending, Daddy?” Sofia wanted to know, hanging  upon his arm and dragging him towards a chair

 

“Let your Pa be, Sofia. “ Bridie said quietly and put a hand on the child’s shoulder, “Let him at least sit down.”

 

Hoss entered the room now, he seemed to fill it,  what little room was left after the other adults and children had been accommodated.  He nodded at them all and found the settee to sit on,  Ben sat beside him.

 

Bridie now sat down and tried to take Nathaniel from his father but the child clung tight, his arms wrapped around Adam’s neck like the tentacles of an octopus.   Sofia leaned against her father and kissed that special scar on his face which reminded Adam of the scars that his dear Olivia would bear upon her smooth skin …he bowed his head and rubbed  his eyes.

 

Hoss spoke “We saw that doctor  – he said Hester could come home in a few days, so long as she had good care and attention.  I told him that Hop Sing would be there to make sure she got that…”

 

“I’ll be there too,  Hoss.  Paul said I should be for both Olivia and Hester.”  Bridie said authoritively, her Irish brogue stronger with her insistence and Hoss smiled and nodded his thanks.  “She ain’t so badly hurt, just broken bones which are mending fine.    She has a plaster cast on her leg….” he paused trying to think of something else to say.

 

“Wyngarde wouldn’t let us bring the children in to see Olivia.” Adam sighed, and reached out to stroke back a curl from Sofia’s brow,  he smiled at her, a wistful smile, hoping she would understand and not fuss.  Nathaniel sighed,  and settled his head upon his father’s chest, too little to really understand but old enough to sense the unsettled atmosphere, the anxiety.   He could hear the beat of his father’s heart and feel his father’s warmth through his clothing and that gave him some reassurance that all would  be well.  With Pa being so close he always felt safe.

 

“Will she be allowed home soon?” Ben asked, rubbing the knees of his pants with his hands,  in the silence of the room they could hear the rasping sound of his calloused old hands rubbing against the cloth.

 

“They’ll be checking her eyes in a weeks time….but her hand is mending as best as it can.   Wyngarde said she’ll need to -” he paused and cleared his throat again, “ she’ll need to exercise her fingers, make sure -”  he paused again.

 

“Yes, she will need to do that,” Bridie said and nodded “It’ll prevent arthritis setting in and make her hand supple again.   Anything else, Adam?”

 

“Mmm, Wyngarde said they can take the stitches out in a day or two.  She may have a few scars…”

 

“I’ll kiss them better, Daddy, I will…” Sofia declared stoutly and kissed him again.

 

“But she will be better, won’t she, Pa?” Reuben asked, standing now directly in front of his father, leaning against Adam’s knees despite Nathaniel’s attempts to push him away with his feet. As far as he was concerned possession of Pa’s lap belonged solely to him.  Adam slipped a hand down to stop the child from such actions and looked at Reuben,  saw the downcast face and nodded “Yes, Ma will be better soon, she just has more injuries than Aunt Hester.”

 

“And – and she won’t be blind, will she?” Reuben nearly choked on the words,  tears welled up in his eyes,  he leaned more heavily against Adam’s legs and Adam leaned across Nathaniel to draw the boy closer

 

“I don’t know, Reuben.  No one will know until they take those bandages off next week.”

 

Sofia gave a wail “I don’t want Mommy to be blind, I don’t want her to not see us anymore…I don’t …”

 

“Hush now, that’s enough, child.” Bridie said sternly, and stood up, patted Sofia on the head, and turned her into her lap, so that she could give her a little comfort.

 

Ben pursed his lips into a familiar pout, frowned and then stood up, “Well, I think it would be a good idea if you children wrote a letter, or drew a picture for your Ma.  How about that? “

 

Perhaps not the most tactful thing to say, Sofia burst into tears anew declaring that her Mommy would not be able to see them,  and Reuben dashed out of the room,  they heard the front door open and close with a bang….

 

Chapter 64

 

Perhaps he had expected his father to follow him.   He didn’t run far, just around the side of the house where the stable sheltered Pauls’ old horse and buggy.   He leaned against the door jamb and rested his head until he could feel the wood pressing into his brow.  He closed his eyes and gave way to sobs.

 

Even though he expected Adam to follow him it still caught him by surprise when Adams  hand settled upon his shoulder, heavy and yet comforting.   He could feel the warmth of it seeping through his shirt and turned towards Adam, turned into his body, wrapped his arms around Adam’s waist.

 

Adam drew the boy closer, then led him away from the door where people passing by may see them, speculate and surmise as people tend to do.   He led Reuben to the back to the stable,  and set him down

 

“Now then, son,  why not tell me all about it…”

 

The deep voice was gentle, smooth as velvet, warm and comforting.  In a way Reuben felt guiltier than ever, and he shivered inwardly as he wondered how to tell Pa ‘all about it’,  it was different talking to him, different to when he had told Ben and Joe.  He pressed his face into his hands, and heard his father sigh…but he still couldn’t find the words.

 

“Do you want me to guess?   I could  be wrong, make matters worse…” Adam murmured, and squatted down so that he would be at a level to see the boy’s face, “Come along, Reuben,  I think you need to ‘fess  up.”

 

He used to say that to Joe,  so often he lost count before his brother had reached ten years of age. “’Fess  up, Joe…what have you done this time?”    “’Fess up, Joe, why had Miss Jones written this note this time!”

 

Reuben nodded and stared down at the ground, unable to raise his face to meet his father’s dark eyes, hating to think that the gentle look he may be wearing now would change to the dark features of an angry man, or the sad lines of a disappointed one.

 

“I was disobedient.” he whispered and a tear dropped from his chin with a plop onto the dusty ground.  “It was my fault…”

 

“Disobedient?  When?”   two words gently spoken, as though coaxing the boy to say more.  “What do you think was – your – fault?”

 

Reuben swallowed back spit, his mouth seemed full of it,  he blinked and raised his face to look at Adam, who nodded as though encouraging him to speak,

 

“It was my fault Ma and Aunt Hester got hurt and – if I’d gone -” he paused and swallowed some more, “I didn’t go to the water hole.  The boys wanted to come into town.  Mrs Riley was going to make a speech and Dave said that he wanted to see what she said because he said she was really angry and it was sometimes funny when she was angry ….”  he lowered his head again, but Adam put a finger beneath his son’s chin and raised it up so that they could look eye to eye, face to face, with each other.   Reuben swallowed again, “I didn’t take any rocks or fire crackers, Pa, honest I didn’t.”

 

Adam nodded, Reuben couldn’t see any discernable change in the man’s face,  although the dark eyes seemed darker,  but that could have been because the stable was in shadow.  “Go on,  how much did you see?”

 

“Not much.  Mrs Riley didn’t get to say anything by the time we left….I said to Tommy and Jimmy we should go, we shouldn’t be there and they came with me.  Then Davy and then Richie. “

 

“So – when you were in  town,  whereabouts were you?”

 

“We hid under the sidewalk –  we could get a good view from there, and we saw Miss Ridley and Peggy and Lucy Garston…they was on a platform and then Miss Ridley was speaking and people started yelling. “  he frowned, recalling the scene vividly in his memory “I saw Ma and Aunt Hester,  and then I thought – I thought how we shouldn’t be there, when people were shouting  I thought you would not want me to be there so I –  I got the boys to leave.”

 

“Why did you go into town anyway, Reuben?”  Adam didn’t move, still squatting, his hand resting now on Reuben’s knee and his eyes on the boys face.

 

Reuben rubbed at his eyes “I said to go swimming but they wanted to go to the Meeting, they said it would be fun…Richie had …” he paused, shot a horrified glance at Adam who frowned and seemed to straighten his back as though anticipating what was to come,  guessing at what ’Richie had …’   so Reuben lowered his head, lowered his voice “He had some fire crackers – it sounded like fun, and I got so that I thought it would be funny to see what would happen,  but I didn’t think really about it, about what could happen, and I didn’t think there would be so many people there.”

 

“I see.“  Adam paused and then released a sigh,  a slight frown as he asked “And you left – when?”

 

“Just when Miss Ridley was talking and someone shouted in the crowd.   It didn’t feel right, it didn’t feel like it was going to be fun at all.”

 

“And then you went swimming?”

 

Reuben nodded and Adam stood up, and ran his hand over his face, pursed his lips into a slight pout “And what happened with the fire crackers?”

 

“I don’t know, I never saw ’em again.  I think Richie dropped them  -”   he blinked,  trying to remember, had Richie said anything about them?  He shook his head, “I forget but he didn’t bring them to the water hole.”  he crinkled his brow “I remember now,  Pa, Sheriff Carney came and asked me about the – the fire crackers.   He said someone had found ‘em but we didn’t use ‘em, Pa.  Honest we didn’t….”

 

Adam nodded, frowned and looked down at his son,  then gestured for him to stand  up, which Reuben did, facing his father and looking up at the stern features,

 

“Have you told anyone else about this?”

 

“I told Granpa …”  Reuben blinked at the memory, “That’s when Sheriff Carney came and asked me about the – the fire crackers like I said . .  And I told Uncle Joe.”  Reuben hung his head, “I should have told you right off, Pa, but  it never seemed the right time…and I was scared …when I – I was in that hospital place and knew Ma was hurt I was scared case you were -” he bowed his head and shook it from side to side until in the end he couldn’t  bear the silence “I thought you would be angry…”

 

“No excuses, Reuben.”  Adam replied curtly and then remained quiet for what seemed a very long time although it was less than a minute before he nodded and looked at the boy again with narrowed eyes and that stern look on his face that Reuben hated, “Disobedience always leads to results,  and often the results mean someone gets hurt, Reuben. “

 

“Yes, sir.”  Reuben nodded, “I – I know I deserve a tanning, Uncle Joe said you used to tan him when he was disobedient.”

 

Adam bowed his head and grimaced “He said that, did he?”

 

Reuben nodded, and looked at his father again, the stern look was fading, but he wasn;t sure about the look that was replacing it. “Pa, I’m sorry, I’m really sorry…”

 

“I know it.”  Adam said immediately, and let his hand touch the boys face before dropping to his side “I wish  you had been obedient, Reuben, I wish you  had stayed away from town as I had told you.”

 

“So do I, Pa.  I haven’t felt so good since – ’specially when Sheriff Carney came and said about what happened, and I had bad dreams too and I got scared I would go to jail too. “

 

Adam sighed, nodded and turned away,  then looked down at the boy, “You deserve a tanning, Reuben, for being plain disobedient,”  he saw the boy quail, step back a pace before squaring up to face him, “but you did the right thing in the end, and you did right in telling the sheriff, and – hummp – me. “

 

Another paused, he looked thoughtfully at the boy, “I do understand what it‘s like when you seem to be the lone voice talking common sense and everyone of your friends is against you.  So lets take that into consideration for now.”

 

“For now, Pa?” Reuben’s voice quavered and he blinked.

 

“There’s a lot going on just now, Reuben, you do understand that, don’t you?”

 

“Yes, Pa…that’s what I mean…it was my fault, and Ma…”

 

“No,  no, get that thought out of your head, son, what happened was not your fault.” he placed a reassuring hand on the boys’ shoulder, “It happened.  Now we have to get on with the results and make the best of it.  I reckon that these past few hours have worried you a lot and that will have been punishment enough for  you.   But – disobey me again, and it’s a walk to the barn for you.  Do you understand?”

 

The boy nodded, relief along with pride flickered over his face and Adam nodded.  “Well, no need to say another word about this,  we need to concentrate on getting your Mother home and in good health.” he paused and then smiled, a weary smile, an anxious one, “We had best get inside, everyone will be worried about you.”

 

“I know I deserve a tanning, Pa ….I know that …”

 

“That’s enough, Reuben.  Enough said … “ and without another word Adam led the way out of the stable, and  back to the house.

 

Amanda Ridley realised that if she didn’t move soon, then she would fall asleep on the old settee in Mrs Carstairs apartment, and that would mean losing the impact of what she had meant to say.   She shook her shoulders and straightened herself up,

 

“Mrs Carstairs, a moment more of your time, please.”

 

Mrs Carstairs wiped her hands on her apron and hurried over to take the chair opposite Amanda.  She was still wiping her hands nervously after she had sat down.

 

“Mrs Carstairs – Mary isn’t it?”

 

Mrs Carstairs nodded, it had been so long since anyone had referred to her as Mary that she had to think for a moment to make sure that was actually her given name…

 

“Mary, I was thinking about – oh lots of things I suppose – since Miss Dayton asked me to take on the responsibility of the Meeting we had…” she paused and frowned,  then looked at the woman sitting opposite her looking confused and puzzled, obviously wondering where this conversation was leading “I’ve always  advocated the cause for  women to have the vote, to have equal rights to men.  It’s been something I have been reading about for a long time, and I have been corresponding with quite a number of women who are prominent in fighting for the cause -”

 

“Oh Miss Ridley, I don’t mean any disrespect but I’m a pacifist myself – I really don’t intend to get involved with fighting, not for anything.” Mary Carstairs said and began to pleat the apron carefully in her lap, an action she often carried out if nervous.

 

“You didn’t attend the Meeting – what there was of it, did you?” Amanda asked with a slight smile.

 

“Oh no, it doesn’t interest me at all.” Mary leaned forward “You see,  human nature is as human nature is – I mean – you can write down as many laws as you like about how to behave towards one another but it doesn’t change what people do, does it?   A man intent on beating up on his wife or children will still find a ways to do it, even if there is a law against it?  Ain’t that right?   Having a law against anything doesn’t change people if they have a mind to do the opposite of what the law says…does it?”

 

Amanda nodded “Having spent a night in the cells I can understand your logic.” she smiled “No, what I was thinking was – “ she took a deep breath “I wondered if you would like to take over management of the Emporium for me?   You know everything there is to know about it, and -”

 

“But, Miss Ridley -”

 

“Please hear me out, Mary.” Amanda put a hand up to quieten the woman, “I plan to leave Nevada, to leave Virginia City.    It won’t be permanently, maybe a year or two,  but I need to leave my business in safe hands.   You, Mary, are the safest pair of hands I know.  I have full confidence in your ability to take care of my holdings,  of everything…”

 

Mary felt a shiver run down her back.   She had considered herself the most  blessed of women to have been given such pleasant work as she had, then in being given the apartment and now – this ?    She shook her head as though by doing so the facts of what Amanda had said would make some sense to her.

 

“You mean – you want me to be in charge?”

 

“Yes, exactly that -”   she smiled and leaned forward to take hold of Mary by the hand, she could feel it tremble.  “Don’t under estimate your abilities, Mary.  You are very capable.  Apart from that, you have a natural feeling for the job.”

 

“But where will you go?  How will I get in contact with you?  What is something goes wrong?”  Mary stood up as her employer had done,  Amanda smoothed her skirts and smiled

 

“Nothing will go wrong, Mary.   I will leave in a months time, when all my arrangements have been finalised.”

 

“But – I won’t have to leave here, will I?  I mean –  this apartment is so perfect for us, for Jimmy and me…”

 

“I would prefer if you lived over the shop, so to speak…” Amanda smiled, and then turned to the door towards which she walked, “Mary, I shall arrange everything through Mr Woods, and I shall spend the coming month explaining everything to you, and showing you how to do the accounts and the other things necessary for you to know.   Mr Anderson will take over management of Ridleys Mercantile…as well as the Livery, which he is practically running single handedly as it is …” she smiled and then sighed,  “There now, I feel as though I have shed a weight off my shoulders.”  she paused at the door and looked at the other woman “I am sorry.  I just realised.  You didn’t say whether or not you will accept my offer?”

 

Mary nodded, swallowed and blinked with a great batting of eyelashes, “Oh yes, Miss Ridley, thank you.  Thank you very much indeed…..”

 

“There’s no need to mention it to anyone, not just yet.   It will be between us and Mr Woods for the time being…”

 

She smiled and pulled open the door “Good day to you, Mary.  Take care of yourself.”

 

Take care of yourself….  Mary Carstairs watched Amanda Ridley descend the stairs and walk through the Emporiium and finally leave the building.  For a moment she thought she was going to faint she felt so light headed.   Then she looked down and around the store, at the mannequins, the boxes, the garments … the enormity of what she had agreed to overwhelmed her, she closed the door, almost staggered to the settee and sunk down upon it.

 

It wasn’t just the fact that she had been given the responsibility .. It was the fact that someone had the confidence in her ability to take it on.  Someone like Miss Ridley had that much confidence in her, a woman who had had such feeling regularly beaten out of her by a man whom she had loved, still loved, but who had left her bereft of any self respect.

 

It was enough to make her feel drunk with elation.

 

Chapter 65

 

Footsteps approached the bed. She could hear them as they clacked down upon the floor drawing nearer and nearer. She wondered to whom they would belong for she had not been there long enough to distinguish one from another as yet. An officious tread, not the quick light footed scampering of the younger nurses. She wondered if he or she were going to stop when reaching her bed.

 

Sometimes behind the bandages she opened her eyes just in the hope that she would see a glimmer of light shining through. It always led to disappointment. So she kept her eyes closed for as much as she could, until sleep came to snatch her away from the misery she was now trapped, locked, into

 

Even Hester didn’t talk to her as much as she had earlier. But Hester had problems of her own and had admitted already that the drugs she was on made her very sleepy. Perhaps she was asleep now and Olivia turned her head then realised there was little point in looking because she could not tell if her friend were awake or sleeping or even still there in that particular bed.

 

She sighed and clenched her fists, one of which, despite it being a feeble effort due to the bandages, sent a quick reminder to her not to do that again. Pain trickled up her arm, and tears wet her eyes and began to fall. ‘I have to be brave’ she told herself, ‘I would tell the children to be brave if they were having to lay here like this….’

 

The footsteps rose and fell, stopped. The blankets were pulled away, and the warmth seeped away and made her shiver. In silence someone began to rearrange her clothing,and then probing fingers, cold and hard, prodded here and there on her body, sending trickles of pain like ripples up and down her torso, making her toes curl. A sigh, breath smelling of onions and beef, wafted past her nostrils.

 

Now someone was holding her injured hand, a voice, disembodied above her, asked if it hurt when he pressed here and here .. And she quietly said that it did, just a little. So the doctor had come, she wondered what he looked like, she had never met the doctors from the hospital at all. His bedside manner reminded her of Dr Schofield. She sighed now and immediately cold fingers were taking her pulse, feeling around her neck, around her head and asking “Does this hurt? Does this – or this -”

 

The scratching of a pen,she imagined the ink bleeding into the white sheet of paper that would tell anyone who was interested what his latest findings were about Mrs Olivia Cartwright. She heard him talking to someone, and then the Matron’s voice saying “Yes, Doctor, yes, of course Doctor.”

 

The blankets were moved to cover her again. Their warmth had gone, she shivered, and wondered how much longer she would have to stay like that at their mercy. A warmer hand touched her face, gently moved over the cheekbones, before moving away. The Matron spoke in a crisp no nonsense voice “Tomorrow after breakfast you will be able to get out of bed and sit in a chair, won’t that be nice?”

 

And then before Olivia could answer the footsteps moved away, the murmur of voices drifted from near her and came from another direction, another bedside. Perhaps it was Hester’s turn to undergo the torture..but at least she could see who touched her, who invaded her body and had some kind of mastery over it.

 

Olivia waited until the warmth of her body finally permeated through the blankets to provide a warm cocoon for her again. When it was warm enough she would be able to sleep. She could feel herself drifting away when a voice said “Drink this…open wide, Mrs Cartwright?”

 

An arm snaked beneath her shoulders and lifted her, someone else on the other side of the bed was plumping up the pillows upon which she could lean. The rim of a glass touched her mouth, jarring against her lips because she had failed to ‘open wide’ in time. She sipped water, took the pills, sipped more water. The younger nurse with the scampering footsteps departed to, perhaps, plump up some other pillows. The Matron put the glass down, Olivia could hear the clunk of it upon the night stand. Then there was the clack clack of the Matron’s heels upon the floor, followed by the authoritative stamp of the Doctor’s shoes. She imagined them being black leather, highly polished by some dutiful wife ….

 

“Olivia?”

 

Hester’s whisper roused her from sleep, or had she been awake all the time and had not known it. “Yes? “ the footsteps had stopped, somewhere “Are you all right?”

 

“Yes, they said we can sit in the chairs tomorrow instead of being in bed all day. That’s good, isn’t it?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“How’s your hand?”

 

“It hurts…” she said softly and realised that there were a lot of hurts and even as she thought that she could feel the pains becoming duller , “Hester, tell me about the Doctor. What does he look like? What does the Matron look like? Tell me how they look, if they are kind and sympathetic. Their fingers don’t tell me much …”

 

Hester leaned back against the pillows and closed her eyes, just for a moment she tried to imagine what it was like for Olivia with her eyes covered, the bandages secure around her head. She drew in her breath and tried to recall details of the doctor that would interest her friend who listened for as long as she could before Hester’s gentle voice helped her drift back into sleep.

…………………

 

Sofia wrapped her arms around her father’s neck and leaned her head into his shoulder. She sat upon Adam’s lap trying to be still, not to fidget, even though she had been listening to Granpa, Bridie and her Uncle talking and talking, their words flying over her head and making little sense. Her father had listened and nodded but didn’t seem to want to speak.

 

“Daddy?”

 

“Yes, Princess?”

 

He turned towards her, his dark eyes looking right at her, and he smiled. She loved his smile when the dimples would come into his cheeks, she leaned up and kissed his scar, the one on his cheekbone, “Daddy, can we come with you to see Mommy later?”

 

“I’m afraid not, sweetheart. The Doctor won’t allow it, and the Matron -”

 

“That Dragon lady?”

 

“Yes, her – well, she said children were not allowed under any circumstances because they bring in germs.”

 

“I don’t have any germs. I wouldn’t bring any germs. It would only be me and Reuben. We wouldn’t bring in anyone else.”

 

He smiled slightly, and shook his head “Germs aren’t people, or pets, they’re -”

 

“But I don’t have any, Daddy. Really and truly I don’t.”

 

He scratched the nape of his neck, and looked at her in that confused manner adults had when they realise that they wouldn’t be able to explain something to a child well enough for the child to understand. He sighed and glanced over at Ben who was talking now to Reuben, but Ben didn’t catch his son’s gaze and Hoss was engaged now with Bridie. He looked at Sofia again

 

“Well, this Dragon lady – mind you, don’t you go calling her that when you meet her -” he frowned although his eyes twinkled “You won’t will you?”

 

“No.” she breathed the word and her eyes watched his face knowing that he was going to tell her a story.

 

“Well, this Dragon Lady is afraid that children will bring strange little fairies into the ward. She doesn’t understand these fairies, nor does the Doctor. She knows what most people know, that some fairies are good, and some are bad. The Doctor has told the Dragon Lady that because they don’t know which are the good ones and the bad ones, then it was best not to have any fairies in the ward at all.”

 

“But the good fairies would like to help the people in the room who are sick, wouldn’t they?” Sofia whispered in case the Dragon Lady could hear her.

 

“Yes, but -” Adam lowered his voice “the Doctors also know the bad fairies sometimes pretend to be good, and they can hurt the people very much. So they think that it would be safer to keep them all out and then the people would be kept safe.”

 

Sofia thought about it, screwed up her face and then sighed “But I’m a good fairy, Daddy. I want to make my mummy better….”

 

Adam sighed and leaned back, then nodded and kissed her on the forehead. His head ached, he knew Sofia would persist in her demands and her voice would become a shrill little whine. He felt too on edge to handle it with any patience “I need to go out and see someone…be good for Bridie.” and he stood up, swung her off his lap while doing so and deposited her beside Bridie who instinctively wrapped her arm around the child’s waist.

 

He gave his father and brother a curt nod and left the room, they heard the door close behind him.

……………………………

 

Amanda had only just removed her jacket when she heard the tapping on the door. She shrugged her shoulders slightly and tossed the jacket over the arm of a chair as she passed it on the way to the hall. Peggy stood on the threshold with Daniel deQuille standing by her side, she gave one a smile but the other a scowl and a command to go away and leave her alone.

 

“I merely came to escort the lady to your home, Amanda. Ben doesn’t seem to think it safe for her to be alone.” he smiled, tipped his hat to her and then with a wink at Peggy turned away.

 

Amanda watched until he had closed the picket gate and set his feet towards home. Then she looked at Peggy, “I wouldn’t trust him as far as I could throw him when he smells a good story.”

 

“He was kind enough with me,” Peggy replied wondering if she was ever going to be invited inside the older woman’s home.

 

Amanda nodded and beckoned Peggy inside, closed the door and followed Peggy into the sitting room. “I’ll make us some coffee and then we have to talk, Peggy.”

 

“Yes, of course.” Peggy untied the ribbons of her bonnet and set it to one side, while she waited for Amanda to return.

 

It seemed to take some time before Amanda returned with a laden tray, which she set down upon the low table. She sat down in the chair opposite Peggy and poured out the hot drinks, then nodded to the cookies and biscuits on the plate, obviously a command to help herself.

 

“Amanda, I just wanted to apologise for yesterday.” Peggy began, and then sat there looking intently into Amanda’s face while clutching hold of the biscuit in both hands as though it were a talisman to protect her from evil.

 

“Apologise, for what? It wasn’t your fault that so many idiots attended with the determination to ruin it all for us. Look, this was a joint venture, the three of us were in it together, so don’t be a martyr for the cause, we were all part of it.” she sipped her coffee all the while observing the young woman carefully; she could tell every emotion going on in Peggy’s head by the shadows that fell and rose over her countenance. “This is a cause I believe in, Peggy. Don’t you?”

 

“Yes, of course I do.” she looked down at the biscuit and wondered if she should take a bite now before the conversation got too serious, or was it already too late and she had missed her chance. It was difficult to speak about a serious subject when spraying biscuit crumbs everywhere as one spoke.

 

“So what are you going to do about it?” Amanda leaned back against the cushions on the chair and raised her eyebrows, “Are you prepared to dedicate your life to it…to have further Meetings like this one until we reach our objective?”

 

“Amanda, people were hurt during this Meeting. The Cartwrights were injured – Hester and Olivia… some died…”

 

Amanda nodded and leaned forward “There are going to be a lot more Meetings like that, Peggy. This Meeting proved to me that this is going to be a long drawn out war, not a single battle, but a long long fight. It could be years before other women are open minded enough to look at what this is all about, and realise the potential the future holds for them. “

 

“How many years?”

 

“Oh, as if I could tell you that!” Amanda laughed, a rather harsh laugh, dismissive, and made Peggy feel like a child being corrected by a teacher in class. “But there were women in the crowd who threw obstacles at us, who fought others- “ she frowned, “Some were in the cells with me, and their language and attitude towards votes for women were so ignorant, so amazingly blinkered that there was simply no reasoning with them.” she shrugged now and leaned slightly forward “The Undertaker’s wife, Mrs Riley for instance – she had come determined to get on the platform, push me off and give a speech herself. Can you imagine that? I’ve known that woman for years, her husband buried my father and sister …and she has the effrontery to assume that she can give a speech extolling the virtues of a woman’s existence in the here and now!” she threw her hands wide in exasperation, and then stood up and began to pace the floor.

 

“Of course,” she clasped her hands together, as she continued her pacing, “We could all stop right here and now, and do nothing more. But I think what we should do is change our tactics….print leaflets, brochures, tracts …write editorials in the papers, write speeches…and even if it does take years which I believe it will …eventually some women will see the point and join our forces.” she stopped right in front of Peggy, and smiled “What do you think?”

 

Peggy was about to nod and speak when there came another knock on the door, at the same time the clock on the mantle chimed. As Amanda started for the door Peggy stood up, “I have to go. I promised the Cartwrights to be at the Martins house by now. Would you excuse me? “

 

Amanda raised her eyebrows, so far as she was concerned Peggy had stepped off the narrow road of dedication, she was showing a wavering attitude. But she nodded and led Peggy to the door, which upon opening discovered Lucy Garston, smiling, and eyes twinkling, on the doorstep.

 

As she bade farewell to Peggy, she stepped aside to let Lucy enter. Peggy hesitated for a moment and then stepped back into the house.

 

Chapter 66

 

Nate Carney was not surprised to see Adam Cartwright step into his office. He nodded, stood up and walked over to the stove where coffee was spitting onto the hob, and poured out two cups which he brought over to the desk. He placed one in front of Adam who had pulled out a chair and sat down, crossed one leg over the other and was seriously contemplating a Wanted poster on the wall.

 

“I was expecting you eventually” Nate said quietly as he managed to eke his 6’7” frame into his chair behind the desk. “How is your wife and sister in law?”

 

“They’re – as well as can be expected “ Adam said, repeating the words the Dragon had mentioned earlier, “I’d prefer it if they were both home safe and well.”

 

“Naturally, anyone would.” Nate leaned forward, his hands clasped together to form an anchor upon which he could rest his chin, “I’ve quite a number of statements and several citizens locked up but none give any indication of being in the area where Olivia and Hester were – “ he opened a drawer and pulled out a thick wodge of paper, “It’s interesting how no one did anything, but everyone could point a finger at someone who did…yet I know for a fact that each person here is guilty of assault in some kind or another.”

 

Adam nodded “Reuben mentioned about some fire crackers….I remember hearing some go off, but -”

 

“I’ve seen the boy who brought them along.” Nate sighed, and leaned back into his chair, “Apparently David Riley’s mother had given him some discipline the previous evening which Master Davy didn’t like so he thought the boys could attend the meeting and disrupt his mother’s speech -”

 

“Speech? Mrs Riley?” Adam raised his eyebrows derisively

 

“An impromptu speech” Nate smiled slowly, his attractive face softening as a result, “Richie supplied the fire crackers and Davy the matches. But it seems your boy pulled out of the stunt, he wanted to get back to swimming so they left….Richie was last to go, he was seen by a man out to cause trouble, who took the fire crackers and the boy just ran for it.”

 

Adam nodded, then glanced at the statements “And no idea who cast the first stone…”

 

Nate shook his head “Everyone’s blaming somebody else and to be honest, I can’t even rely on my own memory now, after reading these statements – and I know there are more to come! It was a mess, bigger than I anticipated to be honest, although I did anticipate trouble just not on that scale.”

 

Adam sipped his coffee and cradled the cup within his hands, Nate pulled out one statement and passed it to the rancher “This is one Peggy gave me earlier… not that she’s guilty of throwing any rocks, of course, more of an apology if anything.”

 

Adam picked it up, sighed and then put it back down on the desk, unread.

………………

 

Amanda Ridley smiled at her two young visitors, replenished Peggy’s cup of coffee and provided Lucy with a fresh one, then sat down opposite them.

 

“Well, how are you, Lucy? Have your dear parents treated you well considering you really were like Peggy, a heroine of the storm.”

 

Peggy looked at Lucy with a slight frown, as the other young woman simpered a little after Amanda’s compliment, “I am not in my parent’s good books, no, not at all.”

 

Silence lulled, Peggy thought how she had never been in her parent’s, or at least one parent’s good books, and sighed. Amanda nodded as though in sympathy although it was clear from the look on her face that she was already steaming ahead, so to speak, beyond local parents and their umbrage. She set down her cup and said that the time had come to consider their future strategy. Lucy nodded, Peggy frowned more deeply, and Amanda took a deep breath and plunged ahead –

 

“This Meeting shows how narrow minded people out west are; they just are not ready for emancipation. They have no comprehension of what changes women can make to society if they were allowed to vote. It seems beyond their ability to understand what exactly we are wanting, and what women should be grasping with both hands, the freedoms that men take for granted.”

 

Lucy nodded enthusiastically while Peggy thought to herself that this rhetoric is what they understood already, she didn’t need to hear it from Amanda. It was what they wanted people, not just the local people here, but everywhere, to understand. She felt restless, wishing she had continued on her way to the Martins’ house instead of staying here. Lucy piped up with “What do you plan on doing next, Amanda? Another Meeting?”

 

Peggy viewed the older woman with interest, and Amanda smiled, shook her head, and cleared her throat, “No, we can’t risk a re-occurrence of what happened here again. It would do far more harm than good.”

 

“But then – if we do nothing – what we had set out to do will be forgotten, ignored. It will have all been worthless.” Lucy pouted, her rather pretty face creased with a sulkiness that Peggy found rather irritating and childish.

 

“It won’t be worthless, Lucy.” Amanda said quietly, “I have plans -” she paused and looked at them both before leaning forward as though wishing to confide in them, the two younger women leaned forwards also “I shall write a series of Editorials for the Enterprise to print. People here need educating. They need to read for themselves what we want them to know. It is often said that people absorb facts in two ways…or rather that there are two ways in which people remember facts …” she paused as though searching through her own memory to ensure she had got her own facts right. “One- through the eyes, that is, through the printed word. What they read they absorb like seeds, and after constant reading the seeds begin to grow, rather like – well, like seeds do when watered. Repetitive editorials will effectively teach them what they are missing.”

 

“Then the next Meeting we hold will be easier, with a more attentive audience.” Lucy exclaimed, her eyes shining like the zealous suffragette she was now.

 

“And what’s the other method?” Peggy asked, hoping she didn’t sound too caustic.

 

“Through what they hear….repeat something often enough and people absorb what they hear, then they repeat it to someone else, and slowly begin to accept the facts they have heard. “ Amanda smiled, “There are a number of women, and men, in town who believe women should have the vote. When the Editorials are printed they will discuss them, in public, loudly…or in private to their neighbours and friends. That, my dears, is the way forward. “

 

“These men and women, were they at the Meeting yesterday?” Peggy asked quietly.

 

“Some …I did see them there. But, Peggy, your friend Mary Ann would have been one of them. She can still play her part, you know. Just because we lost this battle, doesn’t mean we have lost the war.”

 

“Even if it may take years to win?” Peggy drawled, and set down her cup.

 

“We have to be prepared for that eventuality, Peggy. It will require a lot of patience on our part, and a lot of co-operation, a pulling together to get the job done.”

 

Both Lucy and Peggy nodded at that, both unsmiling, both looking determined and undefeated. Amanda stood up “Well, I had better get going. I have people to see. Lucy, thank you for coming.”

 

“I just wanted to see how things had gone on, if you had anything you needed to tell us. “ Lucy replied, suddenly feeling rather adrift as though her presence was not really required or necessary. She hadn’t even been able to tell them how badly she had been treated at home, about her parent’s attempts to persuade her to stop having anything to do with Peggy or Amanda. She wanted them to say well done and bravo for defying them – by coming here and hearing plans for the future. She sighed and stood up, picked up her bonnet and turned to leave.

 

Peggy bade Lucy goodbye, and as she walked away from the Ridley house, considered the fact that it had been she, and she alone, who had put the match to the flame here, who had, with Mary Ann Cartwright, began the campaign. Now it seemed it had been taken out of her hands by Amanda Ridley, and while Amanda’s zeal for suffrage was burning hot, her own had cooled considerably. She was at a loss as to understand why or how that had happened!

…………………..

 

It was inevitable that Peggy would meet Adam as he was on his way back to the Martins’ from Nate’s. When she saw him striding down the sidewalk her steps faltered slightly, but as soon as she realised that he had seen her she knew there was no way of avoiding him. She walked onwards until they met just outside the Internationale, he nodded and looked at the hotel, “A few moments of your time, Peggy, before we get to the Martins.”

 

She inclined her head, aware that she was flushing, she could feel the heat seeping upwards through her spine and over the collar of her jacket. Together they went into the hotel and he led her to a table, tucked conveniently away in a far corner.

 

“Adam?” she heaved in a deep breath, “I am so sorry about yesterday. I never, ever, thought anything like that could happen here in Virginia City.”

 

He said nothing, but set his hat down on the table, ordered two coffee’s from the hovering waiter and looked at her. “It wasn’t a good thing, Peggy. But I have a feeling you have been told that already, several times over I should imagine.”

 

“Yes., and I have apologised each time, just as I’m apologising to you now. If I had even imagined such a thing – and Olivia and Hester – and others -” she shivered, and closed her eyes momentarily, before opening them to look into his face, “It was unthinkable.”

 

“Yes,” he nodded, and realised that he was tired, tired of talking about it, tired of people apologising and beating their breasts in expiation in the hope that their part in it all would be forgotten, or ignored.

 

“Joe was angry with me.” she said with that simplicity that was so child like and still likeable about her, “He shouted, told me to go away -”

 

Adam nodded, he wished he could do the same. For a moment he realised that he wished he could have done that to a lot of people many times over in his life. He wondered why he hadn’t and then answered his own question by reminding himself he would not want to lose that control of himself; he always saw the consequences of such actions that he would ultimately have to clear up. He looked up at her, at the earnest face, the brown eyes looking moist with unshed tears – he wondered whether for herself, for what happened, or for Olivia and Hester.

 

When they got eye contact Peggy hastily lowered hers, and flushed with the heat of embarrassment, in a very quiet voice she almost whispered “You’re – you’re not angry with me too? Are you?”

 

Adam glanced away and stared out of the window. At the particular moment he couldn’t answer, he didn’t know what to reply. No, he wasn’t angry but – and thoughts of Olivia and Hester drifted to the surface of his mind again. He suppressed any emotions they aroused in him and turned to look at her, saw the confusion, fear, misery on her face and recognised the little girl she had once been when years ago those same emotions would flood over her freckled countenance every time he saw her.

 

Rather than answer her question he asked one of his own, “So what do you plan to do now, Peggy? Stay here or leave? “

 

She stared down at the brown liquid in the cup, she felt she was floating in the beverage already, she sighed “You mean leave the Ponderosa and move into town?”

 

“I suppose you could do that, move in with Amanda – continue your campaign from there. It could become your Head Quarters.” he smiled, thinly, and if he sounded caustic he intended to and didn’t, for once, care.

 

“No, I mean, no, I don’t think so. I don’t want to move into town.”

 

“So you’ll be staying on at the Ponderosa, despite Joe‘s loss of temper?” he raised his cup to his lips, drank some of the coffee and watched her from over the rim.

 

He could see that she was unsure of herself now, her downcast eyes stared too long at the coffee swirling in her cup. She sighed and shook her head,

 

“Adam, I feel out of my depth.”

 

“Really? That’s some admission coming from you?”

 

“I mean it. I feel as thought I have slipped my moorings …no, I don’t mean that I think I’ve gone mad, or delusional or anything like that…just that, like a little boat I have drifted away from my real purpose in being here. I got carried away by the tide of – of something I can’t even describe. But my place isn’t here. I don’t belong here. I thought for a while that perhaps I could slip back into being Peggy Dayton, and that the town would accept me and -” she pushed the cup and saucer away, and shook her head “They brought up some bad things about my father….”

 

“It happens. People have long memories. You have to remember everyone has more than one role to play in life, take Frank as an example…he was your father, a devoted one. He was Laura’s husband, an unfaithful one. He was a gambler, womaniser and a few other things too that this town will always remember him being -”

 

“And my coming back just stirred all those memories up in their minds and – and caused them to create that trouble yesterday?”

 

“No, I don’t think so. I think it was just convenient for them that some remembered your connection with Frank, and mentioned it. Their sole purpose in coming yesterday was to cause trouble. “

 

“And Olivia and Hester – ?” her voice broke, cracked a little, she cast her head down and gulped back tears, “I couldn’t believe it when they said – Olivia and Hester – they didn’t even want to be there.”

 

“No.” the word drifted out on a sigh

 

“I made Hester promise to come, to give me some support. I thought so few would be there – and she said that she would ask Olivia – and I was so glad to see them when I stepped on that platform and saw them there.” she pulled out a handkerchief, and dabbed at her eyes. “How are they, will they be alright?”

 

He shrugged, at another table someone laughed, a woman’s voice, shrill and too loud. He waited for the sound of it to ebb away. “They aren’t at all well, but making progress.”

 

“Ben said that Olivia’s eyes -”

 

“We won’t know until next week when they take the bandages off.”

 

“They must hate me.” Peggy moaned, her voice shaking with emotion, and she dabbed at her eyes again. “I can’t bear to think about it…”

 

Adam nodded “I find it hard to do so too….” he stood up, placed some money down on the table and picked up his hat. “Are you coming? I believe Bridie is expecting you .”

 

His voice was crisp, curt. In a way she had expected it to be like that, but it still stung that the man she had loved so much could be so cold towards her. She stood up, picked up her purse and followed him from the room and out into the street.

 

Chapter 67

 

It had been decided by the adults that Reuben and Sofia would stay with Paul and Bridie for a few days, perhaps the week, until they knew whether or not Olivia would be coming home. Joe and Mary Ann had accompanied Adam and Hoss when they went to see their wives, and been very quiet when leaving the hospital. Shocked and dismayed at seeing the two women’s injuries, and at the realisation that it could have been far worse.

 

Joe’s anger was also fuelled by the fact that Mary Ann could have been among the injured. It wasn’t quelled when Adam reminded him that no one who had been on the platform had been hurt, in fact, had he not gone to Lucy’s aid he may have been able to reach Olivia and Hester before they had been injured so much. But it did nothing to calm him down, and Mary Ann, tight lipped and quiet, said nothing to calm the fire down.

 

“What if they had been killed?” she whispered to Joe on the way home, her arm through his, and leaning upon his shoulder, “How would Adam have managed without Olivia? Or Hoss without Hester? The children …” she shivered “Did you notice how quiet the children were? Even Nathaniel and he doesn’t even understand what’s going on.”

 

“I wish Peggy had never stepped foot back here.” Joe growled and flicked the reins to get the horse moving faster.

 

“It isn’t entirely Peggy’s fault, Joe. If Amanda hadn’t gone along with it all, and thought up that parade and platform charade, then I think Peggy could have been talked out of it. “ she glanced up at her husband and sighed, the set look on his face didn’t seem to indicate that a few words would mollify him. “she kept out of your way today though, didn’t she?”

 

“Good. I hope she continues doing so, I don’t want to see her face on the Ponderosa again.”

 

Mary Ann said nothing, she knew that Ben was far more conciliatory, and had agreed for Peggy to return until she had decided what to do. Hoss and Adam voiced no opinion, their minds solely upon their wife’s welfare, and the future of their families.

…………….

 

The children in the play ground played as though nothing untoward had happened. When Sofia and Reuben walked through the gates to join the others a few stopped to look at them, but continued with their play. Richie ran up, put out his hand and said how sorry he was, but Reuben had just shrugged him off and so the other boy had stood back wondering what he had done wrong.

 

Rosie and Annie Sales came to walk alongside them, Rosie slipped her arm through her friends and looked with big mournful eyes at Sofia as though it was the only way she could convey her sympathies with her. Annie offered her candy which was politely refused, Sofia felt heart sick and somehow – as she told the two girls – it made her tummy feel too full for food.

 

Davy and Jimmy came up and walked alongside Reuben as though forming some kind of protective guard. “My Ma’s real worried sick about your Ma, Reuben” Davy said.

 

“Is she?” Reuben replied in a tone of voice that indicated he didn’t really care about Mrs Riley’s opinion “They won’t let me and Sofia in to see her, you know.”

 

“Doctors are like that,” Jimmy said quietly, “They like giving orders.”

 

“They have to,” David said as though he were the fount of all wisdom, “Someone has to make rules. “ he nudged Reuben’s arm “Do you know when they’ll let her home?”

 

“No. Aunt Hester is coming home on Saturday, but my Ma – they want to find out if she’s going to be blind or not.”

 

His voice did a wobble when he said those words, and the other two boys looked at one another, both felt different emotions within them but sympathy and fear Were among them.

 

The bell tolled and they formed their lines in order to enter the big school. Sofia shivered, she had wanted so much to see her Ma. She had prayed about it too, and she felt despair – not that she knew that word or understood the emotion – but that was what filled her little mind now, for she had received no answer, no idea on how she would get to see Ma.

 

She trailed up the stairs and took her seat, Annie leaned over to whisper “Jane’s Aunt Esme died you know – she had a stoat.”

 

“Oh dear – “ Sofia sighed, “Was it serious?”

 

“Well, she died so it must have been….that’s why she isn’t at school today.”

 

Jane Spencer was not the most popular girl in school, but even so Sofia felt sorry for her, she knew that Jane was very fond of her Aunt Esme.

 

In Reubens class whispers were going around about various children who had had family members injured or killed during the Meeting. Reuben kept his head down, misery and sympathy struggling within him.

 

Miss Hayward had been very patient with Sofia and several other pupils whose parents had been injured in the fracas of the Saturday meeting. The class had been conducted in a silence that was highly unusual for most often there was some form of energy buzzing about them. But everyone seemed languid and the number of sighs that were heard from children so young conveyed to her the extent of the anxiety the children were feeling. She decided that a free discussion of what had occurred, and the result of it, allowing the children to express how they felt about their family, friends etc being hurt, would mitigate the pain.

 

Sadly it led to tears.  But at least they now understood that Mrs Spencer had died of a stroke, and no animals had been involved no matter what Rosie said.

 

Sofia chewed on the top of her pencil until there were splinters in her mouth but there was nothing else she could do as she listened to various children weep or hic-cp their way through their experience of the weekend. It tore at her imagination to think that her Momma could have been hurt by family members of her school friends, people she knew.

 

As she chewed and the thoughts whirled through her head going in one direction after another, she decided she had had enough. Mustering up her courage she stood up, and in a tearful voice asked if she could please go home. She felt unwell. She could not stay any longer.

 

“But, Sofia, it’s a long way to the Ponderosa, dear. Now sit down -”

 

“I’m staying here in town at my Aunt Bridie’s….she said

to go there if I feel ill because I said this morning before I came to school that I didn’t feel so well and she said -”

 

“Bridie Martin, the Doctor’s wife?”

 

Sofia nodded, and a tear dripped from her eye and made its way, slowly, down her cheek. Miss Hayward sighed, nodded and told her to go straight there, no lingering on the way. Did she want an older child to go with her?”

 

Sofia meekly hung her head and stared at the floor. Rosie put her hand up “Miss, Miss, Sofia’s brother could take her.”

 

Miss Hayward nodded, an excellent solution. She quickly scribbled something on a piece of paper and called Rosie to the front of the class “Please deliver this to Mr Evans. Sofia, get your things together now and wait outside for your brother.”

 

As Sofia gathered her things together as she had been told, she meekly thanked Miss Hayward for being so kind and quickly left the room. She closed the door very carefully behind her and then stood in the lobby, near the top of the stairs, while she waited for Reuben.

 

Reuben was somewhat bemused to be sent from the room with instructions to take his sister to Mrs Martins’ house as she had been taken ill. It just couldn’t have worked out better he thought as he clattered his way from the class room, his exit followed by several envious pairs of eyes.

 

“Sofia? What’s wrong? Are you really sick?” he whispered as he grabbed for her hand and thought that she looked perfectly alright to him, “Are you?”

 

She nodded, and fluttered her eyelids in what she thought was a parody of ill health. So he held her hand and together they descended down the stair case and out into the street. Once outside she stopped and shook off his hand

 

“I want to see Mommy.”

 

“Huh?” Reubens eyes went wide and then narrowed and he shook his head “Are you playing a game?”

 

Sofia nodded “I want to see Mommy and I want to go to the hospital.”

 

“But, Sofia, you told a lie…”

 

“No, I didn’t – I was feeling sick. I really was, Reuben. “

 

He stared at her and then a little smile fluttered about his mouth, he leaned closer to her “I was thinking of a plan on how to get to see her, Sofia. You just beat me to it by a whisker.”

 

“I did -” Sofia put her fingers to her face to feel for whiskers, then frowned “But – what do you mean? What plan?”

 

“On how to get in to see Ma of course.”

 

She beamed, a smile widened her lips and she grabbed at his hand “Come on then…come on, Reuben.”

 

The building was not so far away as to make little legs weary, and it was not long before the children were outside the impressive hospital. They stopped to stare at it for a moment before Reuben looked at her, “Well, here we are – now how do we get in.”

 

“Through the door -” Sofia said and pointed to the large doors, and then looked at the people going up the steps towards them without, it seemed , a care in the world. She pulled at Reuben’s hand “Come on – “

 

Reuben was amazed at his sister’s casual approach to a rather corpulent woman who was about to push the doors open and found herself accosted by a little girl with tear streaked cheeks “Please, ma’am, can I – and my brother – go in with you and wait inside for our Pa.”

 

The woman looked around her for this thoughtless male who had obviously left his children to fend for themselves. She tutted and shook her head before putting a hand on Sofia’s shoulder, “Poor child, come along in then. I’m going to see my daugher. Shes had a fever -” and chattering on to the two children who cared nothing at all for hr daughter she led the way inside.

 

She didn’t ask any questions as the two children followed her to the receptionist, stood silently by her side, listened to the Nurse telling the lady where and which ward her daughter was on . She didn’t even bat an eyelid when they followed her across the foyer and to the elevator and went up with her to the ward, inside just talked on, dipping her hand every so often into a bag of candy, some of which she handed to them

 

When the three of them reached the waiting room they were all three chewing on candy and getting along famously. But now she stopped and looked around her, then at the children, “Now then, I’m afraid this is where we have to part, my dears. You can wait for your father here, but you’re not allowed into the ward, you know that, don’t you?:”

 

They both nodded their heads and looked innocently up at her. She smiled, nodded and then left them alone. Reuben looked at Sofia,

 

“Now what? “

 

Sofia frowned, that was a good question. The hospital was big, and she wasn’t even sure if they were on the same ward as their mother. She looked at Reuben

 

“You came with Daddy, is this the right place for where Ma is?”

 

Reuben shrugged and then shook his head “I don’t think so.”

 

“Ask that nurse over there.”

 

“But she’ll send us packing – children aren’t allowed in the hospital.”

 

“You were allowed with daddy that time….”

 

He looked at her, thought about that and then nodded. He approached the Nurse and with a polite smile asked her very pleasantly if she knew if Mrs Cartwright was in this particular ward. The Nurse frowned, although she was not the Dragon lady she was very ’starched’. she looked from Reuben to Sofia and back to Reuben “Shouldn’t you be in school now?”

 

“We’re waiting for our Pa. He’ll be here soon but we weren’t sure we came to the right ward.”

 

She looked t thoughtful, then shrugged “Go out the doors there – across the hall, and the next door – wait in the waiting room there for your father.” she stared at him very sternly “You do not go into the ward, just wait there.”

 

They both nodded, thanked her and hurried away through the doors into the hallway and through the next set of doors. Reuben looked around him, and nodded, then walked to the

window. Looking out he saw the same view he had seen the day he came with Adam and Ben. “This is it.”

 

She sat down on one of the chairs and looked around her. The room was empty, and apart from the low buzz of voices from the ward there was little sound. She looked at Reuben, courage was seeping away, she really was feeling sick now. At the back of her mind she had a feeling that Adam would not be pleased to know they had lied, even if it were to see Ma. She looked at Reuben who was watching the door to the ward as though wondering what magic word to use for them to open. He knew all he had to do was push them, they would open and he could step inside… and there didn’t seem to be anyone at all near by to stop him.

 

He glanced over at Sofia and jerked his head towards the door. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

 

Chapter 68

 

Hester sat in the chair and stared out of the window. Her mind was racing as she wondered what her children would be doing now. How would Erik be behaving, he was so grizzly with his teething, far worse that the girls had been. She glanced over at Olivia who was seated beside her bed, looking lost and forlorn. Every patient in the ward had been hauled out of their beds and placed in chairs next to them, as if the nurses would forget which patient belonged to which bed if they were moved elsewhere.

 

But Hester could look out of the window and see the clouds scudding across the blue sky. She could see the townsfolk below, some of whom she recognised. She glanced again over at Olivia and felt a stab of panic welling up inside herself. What if Olivia were blind for life? Never to see again. Never to notice the changes in her children as they grew from childhood into adults. How would she handle such a transition in her life? What changes would they all have to make to accommodate her lack of sight? Was Olivia thinking the same things?

 

“Olivia?”

 

“Yes?” the other woman turned her face towards the direction of the voice and smiled, but Hester knew that even if there had there been no bandages covering the eyes, that there was no warmth, no emotion in the smile.

 

“I’m so sorry, Olivia…if I hadn’t insisted so much on your coming with me, you would be safely at home now. I should have just left the matter alone.”

 

“Hester, I’ve told you before there was nothing for you to apologise about….I was quite capable of saying no. The fact is that I wanted to go for Peggy’s sake…”

 

“For Peggy?” Hester frowned, “But I didn’t think you agreed with what they were going to be talking about.”

 

“I don’t particularly care one way or the other,” Olivia replied matter of factly, and then sighed as though the whole matter was becoming boring, “Peggy’s been rejected by people throughout her life, I didn’t want her to feel we had rejected her as well. Apart from which I wanted to be close by Adam, we were going to have a meal at Del Monico’s after the meeting had ended.”

 

Hester sighed now, and leaned back into the chair, Beneath the plaster encasing her leg she could feel countless itches that she couldn’t reach to scratch away. The thought that this was almost all she had to worry about made her feel guilty again. “I didn’t realise. I’m so sorry -”

 

“Look, Hester,” Olivia leaned forwards almost as though she could see her sister-in-law sitting opposite her “Let’s agree on this one thing. No more apologies. No more heart wringing and regrets. It won’t change anything, will it?” again the fleeting smile, and Hester felt admonished and turned her head to stare out of the window.

 

After some moments of silence she said “It looks such a lovely day outside. Blue skies and those puffy white clouds that always look like cats or dogs, or balloons -” she paused “I can see Mrs Carstairs – she’s going into the Emporium; such a busy lady. There’s Widow Hawkins stopping to talk to Mrs Garston, oh, they seem to be disagreeing about something – lots of arm waving and how funny they look watching them from this angle. I had never realised what fun it was to observe what we normally see from a different perspective, and how squashed up everyone looks from here….looking down on them …”

 

She was about to continue, turned to smile over at Olivia (who had said she could hear Hester’s smiles in her voice) when she came to a rather abrupt stop; her eyes widened in amazement and after a seconds silence Olivia said “Go on, Hester….what do you see?”

 

“I see two children here who should be at school…” Hester replied in a stunned voice and looked anxiously over at the door, then at the clock before she grabbed at Reuben’s arm and pulled him closer to her “What on earth are you two doing here?”

 

Sofia began to snivel. She had been quiet because she was scared. She had been shocked at seeing her mother and aunt swathed in bandages, Hester plastered up from the foot to the knee, and Mother with black silk thread woven on to her face like creeping spiders and of course, the bandage over Olivia’s eyes. Reuben had similarly been stunned into silence, now that he had arrived with his sister in tow, he was at a loss as to what to say or do. Olivia’s good hand reached out towards them,

 

“Reuben? Sofia?” and then she felt Sofia’s face, the damp on her cheeks, and when Sofia put her hand into her mother’s Olivia began to cry.

 

“Oh Mom, Mom, don’t cry, please don’t cry.” Reuben whispered and hurried towards her, threw his arms around her shoulders while Sofia attempted to do the same, so that there was a tangle of arms

 

“Step back now, let me breathe -” Olivia said with a wobble in her voice and a break in her words. “Oh my goodness, Reuben, Sofia…what are you doing here?”

 

“Pa said they wouldn’t let us in to see you -” Reuben started followed by Sofia who whispered “I wanted to see you, Mommy, my head hurt so much thinking about you and missing you and I needed you with me.”

 

“Hush now. “ Olivia put a finger to her lips and drew in a deep breath, she could feel their fingers gently gripping at hers, and then Sofia’s hand grabbing at her arm, there was the niggle of pain from her ribs caused by the children’s rush to hug and hold her, she took in a deep breath and gripped hold of that hand as tightly as she could while she struggled to regain her composure.

 

She couldn’t see them. what were they looking like? Were they scared? Repulsed? Were they wishing now that they had not come to see this strange bundled up woman swathed in bandages? She could smell the heat of their bodies, their sweat, their emotions.. It was in their skin, in their tears…and she reached out with her bandaged hand to touch Sofia’s hair, and frowned, it didn’t feel it’s usual soft silkiness but heavier and lank.

 

“How did you get here? How did you get pass the nurses?” she lowered her voice, almost a whisper and when they leaned towards her to whisper how they had managed to get in she could smell their breath,and feel it warm to her face.

 

She smiled, nodded, and Hester did likewise while she watched the three of them, the children standing as close as they dared, and Olivia – ah, the sadness in her and the pride in the children as well. But this wouldn’t do, and she watched as Olivia straightened herself up and steeled herself for what she would have had to say…

 

“Now listen to me, my darlings, you know you shouldn’t be here, don’t you?”

 

“But, Mommy -”

 

“Pa said -”

 

“That’s enough now.” she raised a hand for silence again, “You shouldn’t be here, although -” she paused, unable to put into words how she felt now, to be too grateful for having had a brief chance of seeing them was condoning their breaking of the rules, the disobedience to discipline that was imposed on them by the Hospital. At the same time she wanted them to know how loved they were, how glad she was that they were there, she took hold of a hand, Reuben’s, and held it between her own, “I can’t tell you how proud I am of you both, I wish I could see you but …perhaps next time…but just now, Look, both of you, you must go now. If the nurse or Doctor were to see you here then -”

 

She paused, what would happen, what could she say? Then they would tell their father? Did that imply that she wouldn’t? That she would pretend this had never happened and keep it secret from Adam? She gripped Reuben’s hand more tightly,and forced her rather trembling voice to become far sterner,

 

“Now then, both of you, leave right now. Get back to school this instant. Do you understand?”

 

Sofia didn’t, she shook her head, blinked tears from her eyes and her lips wobbled, she leaned in against Olivia unaware of the pain she was causing, “Mommy, can’t I stay? Per-lease?”

 

“No, you can’t. Hospitals have strict rules, and they are not there to be broken by disobedient children.” she tried to be stern, but oh she was so happy at knowing they had come, she leaned forward “Kiss me quickly now, and then go -”

 

Kisses on the cheek, Sofia whispered that she would kiss her better if she could and when Mommy came home that would be what she would do… Reuben held Olivia’s hand, leaned forward “I love you, Mom. I was so scared -”

 

“It’s alright, Reuben, there’s nothing to be scared about – I’ll see you soon, and everything will be just like always.”

 

She squeezed his hands, realised as she did so that it was no longer the hand of a little boy, and as a result was reminded that he was growing up, he did his chores, he helped around the ranch, he had already lost that soft pudginess of childhood.

 

A voice from across the way from another patient positioned close to the door called out ’Nurse on the way’

 

Another voice “Hide – under the beds – quick.”

 

So they scooted beneath the beds, cowering there and looking at the two pairs of feet and the legs that strode past them. They held one another’s hands tightly as from under the fringe of the bed coverings they watched the legs pass from one bed to another, pausing a moment at each, murmuring a few words before moving on, and for what seemed oh so long they cringed there, holding hands, feeling sick, aware of their hearts fluttering in their throats.

 

“All clear.” the voice coming from nearest the door called out.

 

On their hands and knees they crawled out from under the bed and after casting a last fleeting look at their Mother and Aunt they scampered from the ward, carefully closed the door behind them and after checking to make sure the way was clear, made their descent down the stairs.

 

The woman who had provided them with their ‘cover’ on entry, was just stepping from the elevator into the foyer as they emerged at the bottom of the stairs. She looked at them and smiled, a beam of recognition on her face “Well now, did you find your Pa?”

 

“No, Ma’am.” Reuben shook his head, “I don’t think he’s coming -” he accepted some candy from the almost empty bag she offered to them “but we have to get back to school now.”

 

“Never mind, I’m sure he’ll be pleased to know you cared enough to wait for him.” she patted Sofia on the head, “My daughter is much better now -” and chattering on she led the way out of the building and down the steps to the sidewalk where they parted.

 

Sofia looked at Reuben, “I don’t want to go back to school, I feel sick.”

 

“I’ll take you to Bridie’s….don’t you go telling her where we’ve been.”

 

“No, I won’t.” Sofia said and swallowed down a tear “I’m sad, Reuben, Mommy didn’t look like Mommy, did she?”

 

Reuben made no comment but grabbed her hand and hurried away before anyone could come along and see them there. By the time they reached Bridie Martins home Sofia was bawling loudly, rubbing at her face and looking as though she had caught the fever that their friendly escort’s daughter had been suffering.

 

The bell for the end of recess was ringing when Reuben ran through the school gates. His stomach rumbled to remind him he had not eaten anything, and when Mr Evans asked him how his sister was he answered as best he could that Sofia was ‘not herself, sir, she looked pretty sick’ when he had left her.

………

 

On the ward there was a little buzz of excitement and hilarity for a little while. The women chattered as though they had been friends since forever, the tension of being there, battered and bruised though they were, seemed lessened by the arrival of the two children and the parts they had played in the adventure.

 

Within the darkness behind the bandages Olivia thought of her two children, of their determination to see her, regardless of consequences. It warmed her heart, she knew she would cherish that moment forever.

 

Chapter 69

 

Bridie was naturally anxious at the way Sofia was clinging to her, crying as though her heart were broken, and quite incoherent. The wail of ‘I want Mommy’ were the only words of which the poor woman was able to make any sense. She held Sofia in her arms and on her lap, soothing her gently by rocking back and forth, and whispering what she thought would be comforting words to the child. It took a while but finally Sofia stopped the sobbing, hic-cupped a lot, before becoming quiet. For some moments Bridie rocked on, stroking the soft silken hair, whispering endearments and reassuring her that her mother would soon be well, soon be home.

 

It was Tilly who noticed that Sofia had fallen asleep as so often happens when children cry themselves to exhaustion. Very gently she was settled down onto the day bed, a quilt pulled over her to keep her warm, and then the two women almost tip toed out of the room, closing the door behind them.

 

“This whole affair has taken quite a toll on the child.” Bridie said quietly and Tilly nodded, “She has got herself quite feverish with all that hysteria.”

 

“I suppose she has always been very close to her mother .” Tilly observed as they strolled into the kitchen area of the house and Bridie nodded, recalling what it had been like in San Francisco in the big house there.

 

“Sofia’s father died before she was born. There has only ever been Olivia in her life, oh, and an elderly grandmother of course – three years is a good amount of time to bond isn’t it?” Bridie murmured, rather absent mindedly nibbling at some cake that remained on the plate from earlier that morning.

 

“But she loves Adam Cartwright -” Tilly observed plunging her arms in to the hot water in order to wash up the dishes and frowning at Bridie for eating the cake she had had her eye on since bringing it from the dining room.

 

“Devoted to him.” Bridie agreed, “But Sofia is an over imaginative little girl, and I suppose she has spent so long now without seeing Olivia that she is imagining all manner of things from the snippets of information she has overheard.”

 

She dabbed at the plate with her finger, collecting up the last crumbs of the cake and transferring them to her mouth. Tilly grabbed the now empty plate and added it to the pile in the sink. The clock struck the hour and Bridie nodded as though to herself, “Look, Tilly, I think I shall go and visit Olivia and Hester. I know visiting hours start from now, and Adam and Hoss won’t be there until this evening. Don’t forget, they’ll be here for their meal before going on to the hospital. Knowing them they will be here sooner because Adam will want to see the children.” her shoulders sagged and the corners of her mouth drooped “Oh dear, I don’t know what he’ll think when he sees Sofia so poorly.”

 

Tilly said nothing, she didn’t really know what exactly she was expected to say anyway, but watched while washing up the dishes as Bridie removed her apron and tossed it over the back of a chair before leaving the room. Moments later the door closed.

 

Sofia slept on, thankfully in too deep a sleep to be disturbed by dreams, or the opening and closing of doors. The flush of fever rouged her cheeks, and here and there little beads of perspiration seeped through the pores of her freckled skin to dew her upper lip and around her hair line. She stirred, put her thumb in her mouth …and slept on.

………………

 

Bridie was not the slim willowy kind of person who seemed to glide from place to place, no matter how much she would have wished she were…a woman of her build would never know how to glide, but she could move quickly when she needed to, which gave people the impression she was a bit pushy, an organiser, efficient and capable.

 

She didn’t always feel like that – if she were asked she would say that she rose to meet people’s expectations of her while at the same time her heart was beating “ten to the dozen” and her brain was in panic. But she bustled her way through town and to the hospital where she asked the receptionist how to get to the ward she needed.

 

She was hurrying towards the elevator when someone came running up behind her, someone who was obviously slim and willowy and could run as well as glide…Peggy stepped into the elevator just as Bridie reached it.

 

“Well, Peggy, this is nice to see you here. I presume you are visiting Olivia and Hester?”

 

“I am.” Peggy nodded and looked down at the bunch of flowers in her hand, “I thought it was about time I came to see them.”

 

Bridie nodded, feeling rather prim, feeling like she would dearly love to say a few things to this young woman but feeling awkward in even thinking so. She was angry with Peggy, in which case she was not alone, but she was also wise enough to know the girl was very naïve. To Bridie’s mind, a girl like Peggy who spent so much time with dead bodies, digging them up and then prying into their personal details even if they went back hundreds, thousands, of years, someone like Peggy would be rather out of touch with how real people felt about things. As a result she would equally be out of touch with how people often reacted to new thoughts, new ways, especially if those thoughts and ways were just – kind of – tipped over into their laps without anyone warning them beforehand.

 

People, in Bridie’s opinion, needed to be spoon fed new ideas and then left to think about them. If they didn’t bother to think about them they would obviously be left behind in ignorance, but if they did think about them they could well be carried along when the change came…or not.

 

“Have you been to see Olivia and Hester earlier?” Peggy asked finding the silence becoming embarrassing.

 

“No, I thought it best for Adam and Hoss to spend as much time as possible with them. This is the first chance I’ve had -” Bridie frowned, she wished hospitals were more flexible with visiting after all people didn’t die to order. Nor did they improve or worsen according to a clock on the wall. She looked at Peggy who was staring now at the notice on the wall, yet obviously not reading it from the blank expression on her face.

 

“How are you, Peggy? How do you feel?”

 

Peggy flushed, looked down, and then shook her head. “I feel pretty wretched to be honest, Mrs Martin.”

 

“I can well imagine that you would, my dear.” Bridie patted the younger woman’s hand in a motherly manner, “What do you think you’ll do?”

 

“I’ve decided to leave here, I can’t stay where – “ she broke off from any further speech as the elevator shuddered to a stop, the doors opened with a creak, and they stepped out into the waiting room.

 

Visiting time had just begun, the doors had been opened and several men were moving into the ward obviously to visit their wives or daughters. Peggy heaved in a deep breath and looked at Bridie “I’m feeling really nervous about going in…”

 

“Don;’t worry, dearie, just step forward and keep going as if you hadn’t a care in the world…or if you did, then you’ll face it regardless.”

 

Peggy didn’t really know what Bridie meant but she took a deep breath and keeping as close to the other woman as possible stepped out through the doors into the ward.

 

There was a slight frisson of tension, voices lowered as she entered, she could feel eyes following her as she made the way to where Olivia and Hester were seated. It was Hester who called out to them, resulting in the tension fading away, and the soft murmur of voices recommenced.

 

Hester’s smile was warm and welcoming, in some ways it was like balm to Peggy’s nerves. Bridie leaned forward to kiss Hester on the cheek and then said “Olivia, it’s Bridie…” and Olivia smiled and nodded, and accepted the kiss on the cheek “And Peggy is here to see you as well…”

 

Bridie’s voice carried a slight edge to it, as though giving the other woman a warning, preparing her for whatever was to come, whether it would be trouble of some kind or not. Olivia nodded, smiled and looked in the direction of the voice, assuming that Peggy would be standing close to Bridie.

 

Hester had already taken hold of Peggy by the hand and given her a gentle warm squeeze, and a smile. Now Olivia stretched out her arm, and touched Peggy’s hand, for the younger woman had extended her arm to reach out to her injured friend.

 

“Peggy, how good of you to come.”

 

Peggy sat down on the chair provided and held tightly to Olivia’s hand, she looked from one to the other of the two women and then glanced at Bridie who began to chatter on, about this, that and nothing in particular, asking questions the answers to which she supplied herself. All the time Olivia held Peggy tightly by the hand, feeling its warmth within her own. When Bridie began to feel that she was running out of words as well as breath and there was silence, Hester leaned forward to touch Peggy by the shoulder

 

“Don’t think any of this is your fault, Peggy, no matter what anyone says…”

 

“That’s right, Peggy, don’t take to blaming yourself – “ Olivia smiled, and behind the bandages she wondered what the girl was looking like – angry, perhaps? Irritated that anyone could even consider blaming her? Or miserable and sad, feeling guilty at the injuries incurred.

 

“When do they take the bandages off, Olivia?” Peggy said in a very low voice

 

“I heard the Doctor say tomorrow morning, it was going to be a week, but they decided to do it sooner, just to see how – how much progress it has made“

 

“What are your plans now, Peggy? Will you stay in Virginia City?” Hester asked seeing that Olivia‘s comment had brought about a rather gloomy silence.

 

Peggy shook her head, “No, I will be leaving. I have to go to Cairo, there is a new project there that Maurice will be involved in . He wants me to join him there…” she blushed a little “He asked me to marry him.”

 

All three of the ladies there nodded, smiled, exclaimed that that was good news. Then Hester asked her if she were going to accept the proposal and Peggy released her breath and rolled her eyes and shook her head

 

“I don’t know. I wrote a horrible letter to him refusing to accept but – upon reflection – perhaps it would be the best thing, after all we do get on very well and we have a shared interest in common.”

 

Bridie shook her head and frowned and Hester looked doubtful, even a trifle anxious.

 

“It will take more than that, dear, if you want to make a success of your marriage.” Bridie said succinctly.

 

“Don’t marry him unless you love him, Peggy.” Hester said gently, “Better a happy spinster than a miserable wife….” she smiled “what about your cause for the suffrage movement? Are you going to abandon that?”

 

“No, but for the time being I shall set it aside – I mean – I suppose I will be more like Mary Ann, watch and wait for the right time to get more involved. Does that make sense?” she glanced at the three of them, wide eyed, pale cheeked, hopeful ..

 

“Perfect sense.” Hester said, “I think it will be a long time before women get full equal rights with men. In the meantime a sensible woman can make a good life with what she has, not just a good life, but a life with meaning, purpose and joy.”

 

Peggy sighed, she wondered if one of them would trot out the old adage that happiness in marriage comes along with the children, and inwardly shuddered. Olivia squeezed her hand “I think you’re doing a very wise thing, Peggy. But don’t marry anyone unless you really love him.”

 

Peggy gave a slight twist to the lips in a parody of a smile “I don’t trust love – in any form -”

 

Hester nodded “Quite understandable,” she said thinking about Peggy’s experience with Frank and Laura, which, she felt, must have given the girl a jaded view on love

 

“Just be sure -” Olivia said quietly, “Make sure that you love him, and that he loves you enough if not more, to be worthy of you. You have such wonderful qualities, Peggy, don’t waste them.”

 

Peggy blushed, swallowed as though she had just ingested a huge pill, and leaned forward to kiss Olivia on the cheek. “I’m so sorry, Olivia -” she whispered “For everything”

 

Before anyone could say another word she got to her feet and hurried out of the ward. They could hear the heels of her shoes clattering upon the floor and the creak of the elevator door as it opened.

 

“When do you think she will be leaving?” Hester asked no one in particular and it was Bridie who answered “I have a feeling it will be sooner than any of us think -”

 

…………….

 

 

Peggy left the hospital feeling somewhat relieved that she had finally seen Olivia and Hester, but despite that she felt very downcast of spirit. She made her way to the Internationale restaurant and took a solitary table, requesting a pot of coffee and a single cup and saucer. She sat by the window and looked out to watch the comings and goings of the townspeople although in all honesty there was no real interest in any one of them.

 

The past weeks had not turned out as she had hoped nor as she liked. She cast her mind back to when she had been asked to complete the assignment regarding the Spanish Conquistadors by the Smithson; the excitement she had felt when realising she would be able to return to her home town, to see her father’s ranch, to see Adam…

 

She could feel the emotion welling up inside her at the latter thought, and the arrival of the coffee as the waiter brought it to her table was a welcome distraction. She gave him a brief smile and then stared at the coffee pot as though she didn’t really know what to do with it.

 

“May I join you?”

 

She glanced up and nodded as Abel Greigson stood just feet away from her. He smiled, beckoned to the waiter for another cup, and took a chair opposite her.

 

“I couldn’t resist -” he said quietly, leaning rather conspiratorially over at her. “You looked so alone that I thought for sure you would need cheering up.” he nodded his thanks to the waiter and then remained silent while she filled the two cups.

 

She glanced up at him as he smiled, raised the cup to his lips. No doubt about it, he was a handsome young man, serious too. In some ways she reminded him of Adam, that same intensity, the way he seemed so in command of himself, his body under control and not one she could imagine ever running to fat. She sighed and when she did so he glanced up,

 

“What’s wrong, Peggy? You’re not letting what happened on Saturday get too much for you, are you? It would be a shame to let that one incident -”

 

“It isn’t that one incident,” she replied rather more sharply than necessary, and perhaps proving by doing so that yes, it did matter, it had somewhat discombobulated her altogether.

 

“Then what else?” he had swallowed down the hot coffee within three gulps, and so now she poured him another cupful noticing that when she put the pot down and looked at him there was the slightest of smiles on his lips.

 

“Do you think it funny then?”

 

“Not at all.” he picked up the cup to hide his mouth and swallowed

 

“Then why are you laughing at me?”

 

“I’m not laughing at you, Peggy.” he sighed and put the cup down, “I’m sorry, I was just thinking what a shame for such a pretty young girl like yourself, to miss out on an opportunity for a ride out to the Box G on such a lovely day as this – if I smiled it was because I anticipated your reply.”

 

“Oh, did you? And what was my reply?”

 

“A very tart no thank you…” he replied and looked up, stared into her eyes and raised his eyebrows.

 

She shivered, she could almost imagine Adam Cartwright having done just the same thing – and so she lowered her eyes and picked up her cup and sipped it. Then she put it down, and looked at him thoughtfully, then shook her head.

 

“No, thank you.”

 

“Well, at least you said it very pleasantly.” he replied with a grimace, “Why not? It’s a glorious day. I could take you to your favourite place…”

 

She shook her head “No, thank you.”

 

He leaned back in his chair and frowned, his face falling into sombre lines now, and his expression one of puzzlement “You’re not the only one with problems, you know, Miss Dayton.”

 

“I’m very well aware of that, thank you.” and a picture of Olivia with her bound eyes and Hester with the plaster cast on her leg flashed through her mind. She shivered, and bowed her head, “I know that, Mr Greigson, I know everyone has problems.”

 

“I just wanted to help you with yours, that’s all…”

 

“Thank you.” she swallowed more coffee and then set the cup down, “I do appreciate it, but – a ride out to the Box G wouldn’t actually help just now.”

 

“Are you sure?”

 

“Positive.” she nodded in confirmation.

 

The last thing she wanted just now was to be reminded of what she had lost. Happy memories were not enough now, those memories were tainted by misery, by loss, by pain. Wallowing in self pity as she was, she could have added the words betrayal, and deceit. No, whenever she thought of the Box G, which had once been her home, had in fact been her birth place, she felt no longing to return to it again.

 

Abel finished his second cup of coffee and reached for his hat, he stood up “I wish I could help you, Peggy. I wish I knew what I could do to bring the smile back to your face.”

 

“I wish you did too…” she did smile then, one of polite courtesy nothing more. “Thank you for sharing this time with me, it was thoughtful of you.”

 

Abel just nodded his head, and without another word turned to leave. She watched him as he reached the door, paused and looked back at her, a frown and then another nod of the head, and then he was gone, replacing his hat upon his head and disappearing into the crowd outside .

 

She sighed, and stared down at her cup. She poured more coffee into it and watched the brown liquid swirl round and round. A bit like her life really, she thought. Just going round and round, equally as muddy, equally as miserable.

 

Abel Greigson stood on the sidewalk and glanced up and down before returning to his tasks. He thought of the solitary woman sitting at the table with her cup of coffee and wondered what made her feel she had priority over misery. He felt a wave of despondency sweep over him for he was not the epitome of mirth, he was in fact, feeling far from happy himself. The letter from Elizabeth Godfrey still weighed heavily upon him, the memory of her, the feel of her as he had danced with her in his arms, he couldn’t shake any of that from his mind.

 

He forced himself to the Mail Depot and pushed open the door, waited his turn to be served by Eddy, who recognised him with a grin “Some letters for you, Mr Greigson. How’s your father nowadays?”

 

“Still alive,” Abel said through gritted teeth and took the letters, turned and left.

 

There were not many letters, they didn’t really receive much mail…just the usual bills or invoices, or promotional stuff about cattle, or hardware. He sighed and sifted through them then put them into his pocket. The letter he had hoped for was not among them. He was going to have to accept the fact that Elizabeth Godfrey no longer gave him a thought.

 

 

Chapter 70

 

Bridie returned to her home and pushed open the door with some thing like a heavy weight on her heart.  It had been depressing to see Olivia and Hester as they were, it had hit her hard upon seeing the reality of their injuries,  and she now wished she had not gone.   Thank goodness, she thought to herself, as she removed her bonnet and slipped it onto the peg, thank goodness the hospital didn’t allow children onto the wards.  What would the children have thought to have seen Olivia and their Aunt looking so – so woebegone.    Sofia would have been worried sick at the sight of those stitches.

 

She bustled into the parlour and looked at the child sleeping on the settee with the quilt around her.   Sofia was flushed, her cheeks red and perspiration beading her brow.  Her hair looked lank, heavy with the clamminess of fever.   Bridie touched the child’s brow and nodded –

 

“No, No, No” Sofia cried and struggled to fight Bridie away even though she was still deep in sleep “No spiders  – no spiders -”

 

“Hush now, hush little one, there are no spiders here to hurt you.” Bridie whispered and stroked back the hair that was damp and sticky, clamped to the childs brow, “It’s alright, you’re here with Bridie now…”

 

“Oh  no…no…” Sofia whispered and sighed deeply, then her eyes fluttered open and she looked up at Bridie “No spiders, Bridie?”

 

“None at all.  What made you think there were any that would hurt you?”

 

“I dreamed they were eating up my Mommy’s face…”

 

Bridie gulped, not a pleasant image to conjure up she thought and soothed another strand of hair from Sofia’s cheek, “Look, Sofia, it was only a dream…dreams aren’t real.   When you see your Mommy she’ll be just fine, you’ll see, you’ll see.”

 

Sofia opened her mouth, but instinct warned her to say nothing,  she closed it again.  “I feel hot.”

 

“You have a temperature.  A slight fever, that’s all.    I suppose it’s because you’re worried so much about what happened “

 

“Is Daddy here?”

 

“He will be shortly, with Uncle Hoss.”

 

Sofia nodded, her eyes felt heavy she wanted to sleep a little more…with a slight sigh she drifted back to sleep.

………………..

 

The waiter approached the table and coughed politely

 

“Is there anything else I can get for you, Miss?”

 

Peggy looked over at the clock.   She realised she was hungry, her stomach rumbled.  She ordered some sandwiches and a slice of cake.   The clock ticked away the minutes and she knew that her life was ticking along with it.   No one could control time.  No one could turn the clock back.

 

She had wanted everything to have been perfect on this visit,  welcome arms, happy smiles, love floating out to meet her from everyone she met.   Even though she had thought it she knew it could never  happen, people were people she had reminded herself, but even so…even so…

 

She remembered what Adam had said about Laura, and even Olivia had sympathised with the woman.   Peggy felt a stir of some emotion which she couldn’t quite name as it wriggled about in her stomach, her heart, her brain.   Laura – Adam had told her to consider the fact that Laura had been a child herself when she, Peggy, had been born.  Olivia had urged her to remember how alone Laura would have been feeling, how desperate for Peggy’s love and understanding….but how could a child know what to give to the adult that held back so much from giving herself.

 

It seemed to Peggy that Laura had learned to love only when Adam Cartwright had come into their lives.    And even that she had betrayed…

 

“Another pot of coffee, please.”  she told the waiter when he put the plates and cutlery upon the table.

 

She couldn’t and wouldn’t stay here.   She drew in a deep breath and looked around her.   Some familiar faces were seated at various tables.  Miss Tyndale, the librarian, shared a table with another woman, Peggy remembered her, Miss Abigail Jones…the school teacher.  But then she reminded herself that Miss Jones had married,  one of the Ponderosa’s ranch hands.   It seemed no matter where she looked reminders of the Ponderosa appeared.

 

Grant Tombs passed her table and nodded to her with a smile, then passed on to sit at a table where a young woman was already seated.   Peggy raised her eyebrows and watched as he took his seat,  and the smile that the girl gave him indicated quite clearly that at least one of them had been struck b y cupid’s bow.

 

Widow Hawkins caught her eye and nodded, smiled, then continued with her conversation with another woman,  there was an elderly gentleman with them whom Peggy didn’t know.   The other woman with Clementine was obviously married to the man, for she touched his arm, his hand, little gestures of familiarity borne from a long and happy marriage.

 

She ate some of the sandwiches, a little of the cake, emptied the coffee pot.   Then she got up to leave, knowing that she would not be sorry if she never saw anyone of them again.

 

Eddy smiled over at her as she pushed open the doors to the Mail Depot.  “Miss Dayton isn’t it?”

 

She nodded, she could remember going to school with Eddy all those years ago.   She sighed and took the letters from him, and thanked him, then left.

 

She recognised Maurice’s handwriting and that of Rachel’s as well.  She was surprised that Rachels letter came without the coat of arms stamped on the red wax seal, just a plain envelope addressed to good old plain Margaret Dayton.   She sighed and looked around her, wondering where she could go to read her letters in privacy.

 

There was a bench just outside the Ladies Emporium and so she sat down to read her letters there.  The sun shone down on her face, and she had to blink and scrunch up her eyes to read the black writing on the very white paper.

 

My dearest Peggy,

 

I have not yet received an answer to my letter,  and accept the fact that a proposal is not romantic when just written down as I had written down mine.

 

The sentiments were real, sincere….I love you, my darling funny girl, I love you so much.  I would wish that you were here right now for me to take into my arms and kiss your face and tell you over and over how much I love you.

 

See – your absence as turned me away from being a proper Englishman, who would have thought I would write down such feelings but how could I not, how could I resist letting you know once again how much I love you, miss you, want you  here with me.

 

Wherever you are, you have my heart in your hands,

Remember that

Maurice.”

 

She read it twice over before slipping it into her purse, then she opened Rachel’s letter

 

“Dear Peggy,

 

Just to let  you know that we miss you.   Laurence says I can accompany you and Maurice on the next jaunt you have to go on.   Only for a few weeks though.  Please hurry back home.

 

To tell you the truth, my dear Peggy, if you do not return soon, I think Maurice will vanish before our eyes.  He has pined away for you like my old dog, Pingu, did when I was a little girl.   You have to return before he becomes really ill….an Englishman in love is not a pretty sight, dear.  Stiff upper lip and all that rot…not likely!

 

He loves you so much ,dear, and so do we …but not quite as much which is obvious to all as I am as fat as ever.

 

Love to you,

Rachel

 

P.s. when you see Adam again…tell him that we think often of him and our adventures way back when…”

 

Peggy folded that letter up as well, and slipped it into her purse.

 

She was loved….just that thought alone was enough to soothe her troubled heart and conscience.

………

 

It was as Adam and Hoss dismounted outside the Martins house that Roy raised a hand and called out a hallooo to draw their attention to him.   Hoss nudged Adam and nodded over as the old ex-lawman made his way towards them,

 

“How ya doing,  Adam? Hoss?”  he blinked rapidly behind his spectacles , bleary with smudges as ever.

 

“Fine, thanks, Roy” Adam nodded while Hoss grinned and glanced over Roy;s shoulder, for the first time in weeks Roy was without his shadow

 

“You boys got a moment.  I’d like a word if I may -”

 

Adam  raised his eyebrows while this time Hoss nodded, they crowded in slightly closer to Roy and Hoss removed his hat.   Roy sucked at his teeth for a moment as though contemplating whether or not this was the ideal place but then decided as the other two were not prepared to move elsewhere he had better speak up.

 

“I heard some details about the situation regarding your wives.”

 

“Good, what are they?” Adam asked and Hoss grunted “Spit it out, Roy, before it chokes you.”

 

“Seems Hester went down first, that’s right – ain’t it?”   he glanced at them both,  and they nodded “Well, the crowd was  hemming in on her, like as not that’s what  made Olivia move to protect her, shielding her body with her own.   But as she went down the fighting really got under way – things were thrown -”

 

“Tell us something we don’t already know, Roy” Adam hissed between clenched teeth.

 

“I don’t know – and perhaps we’ll never find out – who it was threw the first missile, but I got  a report that several were thrown, not at Olivia, but at the platform  and as they glanced off the  wood en  uprights supporting the platform, they landed on Olivia..and Hester too, to some degree.”  Roy nodded as though confirming what he had said in his own mind as accurate.  “Had they been thrown at your ladies,  with the full power of the arm behind them  I reckon on their injuries being much worse.”

 

“Is this supposed to cheer  us  up, Roy?” Hoss grumbled and scowled,  his face screwed up in frustration.

 

“No,  I doubt it will.   Point is that there was no malice behind whoever threw those rocks and so forth,  no personal malice that is…now the  worse of it was  that someone stepped on Olivia’s hand -”

 

“Yes, she remembers it, she thought it was a woman -” Adam said quietly

 

“It was a woman,  someone who  was trying to get away without being more involved and thought she had a safe passage  by the platform,  unfortunately the crowd pushed her back, she stepped on Olivia’s hand, stumbled in an attempt to avoid hurting her and fell upon her instead….”

 

“Yes, Olivia remembers most of that pretty clear.”

 

“Well,  it was nothing personal, nothing intended or deliberate -”

 

“Alright, Roy, we get the point, it was an accident, so we don’t go gunning for anyone, is that right?” Adam narrowed his eyes, and glared at the old man who nodded, tugged at his moustache and raised his bushy old eyebrows

 

“Now, look here, Adam my boy,  accidents happen.   In situations like that fiasco the other day, they were bound to happen.   We could go down the route of saying if Hester hadn’t fallen, if Olivia hadn’t tried to protect her, if  Miss Tyndale hadn’t been trying to get out of the way , then nothing untoward would have happened – would it?”

 

“Yeah, and if Hester and Olivia hadn’t gone it wouldn’t either -” Hoss grunted and sniffed, wrinkling up his nose in the process.

 

“Exactly my point,  just how far do we have to go before we can find someone we can place some blame on jest so you boys can feel less annoyed and frustrated by it all.” Roy scowled at them both then shook his head, “Anyway,  that’s what I come to tell ya.   Miss Tyndale came to me sobbing and bawling she did,  said she never meant no harm jest  being there and then all – ahem – broke loose.  She jest wanted to get away, that’s all.”

 

“Miss Tyndale huh?” Adam looked at Roy and then looked at Hoss “Miss Tyndale…!”

 

“Yeah, Miss Tyndale…” Roy nodded “And she’s a good woman,  Adam. Hoss.   She’s  a kind woman too.    Jest wanted me to let you know how sorry she was,  sent your wives some flowers and a card to apologise,  ain;t too sure how to approach you two though.”

 

Adam shrugged, folded his arms across his chest and stared down at the ground while Hoss scratched his head and replaced his hat.  Roy nodded “Well, that’s it then, I done delivered the news,  you do with it what you want.”

 

He turned and took a step forward before stopping and turning back to them “And don’t either of you go  bothering that pore lady, d’you hear?”

 

“Alright, Roy, calm down.   We won’t go shooting  out her windows or burning the house down.” Adam replied with a rather tight grin.

 

“Yeah, we know Miss Tyndale wouldn’t hurt a soul, Roy.  Jest tell her not to worry none.” Hoss gave Roy a pat on the shoulder and nodded,  sighed and then turned to wards the Martins house.

 

Roy watched him go and looked at Adam “Guess you boys wanted to know it was some low down out with a grudge huh?”

 

Adam shrugged now, scratched the side of his nose and pursed his lips before shaking his head “No, not really.”  he smiled slowly at Roy and turned to follow his brother to the Martins house “Thanks Roy, let Miss Tyndale know apology accepted and for her not to worry.”

 

As soon as Hoss and Adam had stepped foot in the house, Bridie approached them,  gave them both a matronly hug and led them into the parlour.  “I went to see Hester and Olivia today.”

 

“How are they?” Hoss asked as Adam paused, indicating that he wondered why Bridie felt it so important to tell them.

 

“They had another visitor while I was there – Peggy Dayton.” Bridie looked from one to the other of  them, “She made a very pretty apology too.”

 

“Well, I guess that’s what was expected of her,” Adam murmured although there was a sigh in his voice and Bridie nodded as though catching the drift of what he meant.

 

“She’s thinking of leaving here.   Soon.”  Bridie looked now at Adam whom she felt had the most responsibility towards the young woman, “This situation has really knocked the wind out of her sails.”

 

“Wal, she ain;t alone in that.” Hoss muttered.

 

“Did she give any idea as to when she was leaving?” Adam asked now,  but Bridie shook her head. before she could say another word the door to the parlour opened and Sofia peeked inside.

 

“Daddy?”

 

Adam turned, raised his eyebrows and looked at his daughter in some surprise “Hey, Pumpkin, I thought you would still be at school.”

 

“I bin sick.”

 

Adam nodded,  frowned and squatted down a little to her level, he put a hand to her brow and then beneath her  throat, “Oh dear, I see….and what brought that on?”

 

She clamped her mouth shut, shook her head and raised her arms to him,  she was slight of build anyway it was no problem picking her up and holding her close “Well, I hope you get better very soon,  sweetheart, otherwise Ma’s going to be worried about you.”

 

“I know.” she whispered and wrapped her arms around him, holding onto him tightly, “I want Mommy home, and I want to go home too.”

 

Adam patted her on the back, and nodded “I know, that’s what we all want just now.” he sighed and set her back down on her feet.   “Now then, Uncle Hoss and I are going to see your Mommy and Aunt Hester.   I’ll let you know how she is when I get  back.”

 

Bridie bustled up and put a plump hard working hand on Sofias shoulder “I’ll have  your  meal ready by then, Adam, Hoss.”

 

Both men nodded, turned and picked up their hats which they replaced once they were outside.   Widow Hawkins saw them from across the road and hurried over to speak to them, hoping they would convey her sympathies and best wishes before allowing them on their way.