Summary: A WHIB for the Lady From Baltimore, it’s the story of the night after Joe confronts Adam and the next day when the Bannings leave the Ponderosa. The story is told completely from Joe’s POV and in his voice.
rating: T  word count: 1,655

Setting a Trap

All right, it was all set. It felt strange, but I had done everything that Hoss had told me to do. If it didn’t work, and I hoped it wouldn’t, I could tell him that and wait for his apology.

I’m in Adam’s room. I had excused myself early claiming to be tired and headed to my room. Before anyone else came upstairs, I made sure that the lamp was out in my room and had set up pillows in my bed to make it look like I was in there with the covers pulled up over my head. It would never have fooled my family who know I throw the covers off when I sleep and never pull them up over my head. But my brothers aren’t here and Pa knows what I’m doing. Hoss knows too because he’s the one who suggested it, and by now he’s probably told Adam about it. Neither of my brothers is coming back tonight, but Pa announced they would be back late probably coming in right about sunset.

I’m wearing Adam’s night shirt which is too long for me, but in bed, no one could tell, and there’s only one I have to fool, and that will be in the dark. Easy enough to do. All that was left to do was wait for the sun to set, turn on the lamp and then turn down the lamp, and crawl into the bed to wait. Hoss had said he was sure it would work. With Hoss at his side and not a word to me, Adam had ridden off to who knows where earlier, but she had no way of knowing that. If she really was in love with Adam as he said she had told him she was, she would come in here tonight. Then I would know exactly what kind of woman she was. Of course, I would have to apologize to my older brother too and admit to Hoss that he was right. Neither of those was going to be easy if I had to do them. Before my brothers left, I had admitted to Hoss that I was worried that he might have been correct in his thinking. I needed to know the truth, and I wasn’t sure what it was. I knew I should believe Adam, but my heart was breaking over her. I wanted to believe she loved me. It made accepting what Adam said all that much more difficult. My heart and mind were at war.

She said that Adam had grabbed her and tried to force himself on her. The kiss was all his idea according to her. She was his victim. She’s so much smaller than he is. A delicate flower next to that man who even intimidates me. Yes, I have to admit that. He’s taller, stronger, bigger. But I had never known my brother to force himself on a woman. He never even chased after a woman that I know about. They chase after him. That’s the most worrying thought.

Earlier while it was still somewhat light, I had a chance to look around the room and wondered how a man like Adam could have a room like this. Darn, but to my mind, those curtains look like something a woman would want. And he had all those pretty statues standing all over the place. but there was nothing more dominating in here than all those books. Sheesh, I wonder if he ever gets rid of one. I thought he probably had those readers from when he was five. Hop Sing was always grumbling when he finished cleaning in here, and now that I had a good look around, I could see why. I pulled out a few of the readers to look through them and found my own scribbling inside. It made me remember Adam teaching me to read with Marie hovering in the background and Hoss sitting beside us. Hoss wanted to repeat his own lessons so that he could read better too. Sometimes Adam would end the lesson by tickling one of us and then the other of us until we all ended up in a jumble on the floor. It almost brought a tear to my eye to realize why he had these readers in his collection. I still couldn’t banish the memory of him with his shirt open and her up against him, but the good memories were very good especially those tickling sessions.

I chuckled a little until I remembered again what had happened that afternoon. I remembered the anger that had made me accuse my brother. I saw his hands on her arms. I saw how upset she was. I still wasn’t sure Adam had not led her on but knew Adam would never force himself on a woman. Hoss had said that over and over, and it was sinking in. I knew it too even if I wanted to deny it. But I wondered yet if maybe Adam had flirted with her or charmed her. He was good at doing both of those. Well, whatever it was, it wouldn’t make any difference now. Adam had made it quite clear and told me and our father that he had no interest in her. She had been standing right there. He had said enough unkind things that any woman with any self-respect wouldn’t want to be anywhere near him. He was gone now and had taken Hoss with him. Adam said he couldn’t stand being there with what had happened and needed some time away. Pa had agreed thinking the two of us could use some time apart. She wouldn’t know that though. It had only happened after she had gone inside, and no one had said anything about them leaving afterward other than Pa saying they would be back around sunset.

However before Hoss left, he had pulled me aside and talked to me for probably ten minutes not letting me go until he got an agreement to trying this. Hoss had assured me it would settle everything. I had told Pa, and he had agreed with Hoss on every point. He didn’t like setting up a trap but had said that he too thought it would work. To cover up what I planned to do, we made excuses for why my older brothers were not at dinner but that’s why we came up with the plan that said they would be back by sunset.

Damn, I wondered what was I thinking anyway. If she was to be the one I married, I shouldn’t be doubting her like this regardless of what Adam, or Hoss, or Pa or anybody said about her. She had told me she loved me and she promised that she would marry me. I should trust her! But if I trusted her, then I can’t believe Adam, and I was positive that wasn’t right either. Wow, this was just like having that conversation with Hoss all over again. Hoss said I had to know for sure, and he said this was a way to do it. I knew it too in my heart even if it took some convincing to get me to admit that even a little. I couldn’t live with doubt in my wife’s love. I had to know she did love me and that it was more than words spoken in the moonlight. I decided it was time. When I heard doors close down the hallway, I knew my father and the guests were all getting settled in their rooms. I was prepared for whatever happened, and my thoughts were sure or nearly so.

Well here goes. I’ll just turn this lamp down, climb into bed, and wait. There sure are a lot of noises in a house at night. I keep hearing things, and I’m wondering what is going on. Now I hear what sounds like someone walking down the hall. Yes, I heard the floorboard creak. Well, it ain’t anybody in my family because all of us know better than to step on that one near Pa’s room. It squeaks so loud it can wake people. Well, this is it then because those footsteps are getting closer. Oh, my god, no, it is true. Hoss was right, and Adam told the truth about it all. That damn door is opening. The light from the hallway would be enough to show me sitting in bed. That nightshirt would conceal the fact that my chest wasn’t Adam’s. It was dark enough that she wouldn’t be able to see anything else clearly enough to realize it wasn’t Adam. I had to force myself to hold back and not say anything until her own words condemned her.

Her voice was unmistakable. My heart beat so hard I wasn’t sure for a moment that I would be able to talk, but then her words made my shock turn to anger and the words came.

“Adam? Adam? We need to talk. I need to tell you how I feel about you. I know you can love me as much as I love you. You’re the one I want, not Joe. I only told him that so I could stay here and win you over. Adam, will you talk to me, please? I can forgive the words you said today. I know I made you angry by surprising you with that kiss out there where anyone could see. I forgive you for everything you said because I know that’s what you thought you had to say in front of Joe and your father. But there’s no one here now to hear what is said and no one can see us in here and see what we do.”

“Hello, Miss Melinda. Did you need something? Like a heart? A soul? A conscience? I guess it may be time for you to head back to Baltimore.”

Tags:  Angst