Summary: What happened next hours, days, months or years after five episodes.

Rated:  K+  WC  4500

After The End

 

Chapter 1:  Two years after Abigail’s wedding.

 She stared at him, so annoyed with herself for not being sad. Hank Miers had not been a bad man but she had to admit it, their marriage had been a failure. She had a crush for him after having heard him singing, in a saloon… Confused, she tried to remember by which strange sequence of events she had ventured in such a place. But she could not find it in her failing memory.

She had been aware of her mistake just after a few days. The wedding night had not been a revelation to her. The morning after, Hank had informed her that he had resigned. He didn’t want to stay working for Adam Cartwright’s father. He still couldn’t trust Adam and couldn’t bear seeing his wife rubbing shoulders with somebody he looked upon as a rival. She had been at the same time frustrated and flattered but more flattered than frustrated. At last, she was what she always had dreamt to be, a femme fatale, a breaker of hearts and she was delighted every time she was thinking of it.

They had moved to a little town, in Montana, where Hank had found a new employer. In the first times, she had enjoyed being at her own home, without having to follow her Mom’s instructions. She had got involved in the decoration of her house, multiplying garlands, bibelots, cushions, curtains. But as pleasurable as it was, it wasn’t enough to fulfil a life.

She had always been a poor cook and Hank had resented this. After eating her poor meals, he used to go to the barn and take care, for at least one hour, of his mare. Once or twice, she had silently slid along, and staid for a while to see what he was doing. He was just brushing it – no, brushing “her” – and singing awfully by the nose a melancholic complaint. Never again had he sung for her, never again had she heard again the beautiful voice that had attracted her. He had no conversation, wasn’t interested in books or poetry. He had wanted her but as soon as he had her he simply didn’t know what to talk about with his wife. He just seemed to be happy seeing her at home when he came back and wished nothing more.

And now, he was dead. A stupid accident. They had been married for two long and monotonous years when his beloved mare had stumbled over a root. He had fallen, his head had hit a stone and he had been killed outright.In the tight fit of her black dress, she sat in a very upright posture. She held in her hand a useless handkerchief. She wanted to cry but couldn’t manage to shed a tear. Insensibly, her mind left the past and the present and turned to the future. What was she doing to-morrow. She felt young and pretty and attractive. Certainly, Hank’s death was a sign from her guardian angel. Her wedding had been a mistake. She had been diverted from the only man born for her and Providence was sending her a second chance.

She stood up, a smile on her lips. After the burial, she would sell the house, pack her belongings and leave to Virginia City.Yes. To-morrow… To-morrow, she would come back to her land, to-morrow, she would re-conquer Adam. To-morrow, in Virginia City…

Suddenly, she found herself shouting : “To-morrow, to-morrow is another day”.

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Chapter 2:  At the end of Death at Dawn

They are riding, thoughtful and silent, back to Ponderosa, after this restless night. Perkins has been hung, Sam Bryant shot, Ben is free, justice has been done, and everything’s all right.

But except for Ben, the Cartwright don’t feel peace in their heart of hearts. The trial they had to undergo upsets them in different ways.

Hoss feels uneasy and guilty : for once, he departed from his habit of trusting blindly his elder brother and he’s shivering when imagining what could have happened if Adam hadn’t been there. Sure, he and Joe would have given away to Bryant’s blackmail and undoubtedly, the sheriff would have agreed to release Perkins. And acting so, he would have endangered his father. Who knows ? Sam Bryant could have decided to hang him, just to dissuade other people to go against him. Hoss is annoyed with himself to be so primary. It’s so easy to hoodwink him. Sure, when only strength is needed, nobody can beat him, but when the adversary is using cunning, he doesn’t cut the mustard. He knows the only way for him to ease his conscience will be to talk openly to Ben and he’s longing to do so. But they all need a good sleep. He thinks that to-morrow, at teatime, he will try to have this conversation with his father.

Joe is torn between contradictory feelings. From one hand, he’s still furious. Certainly, Adam won his bet and happened to succeed in his expectation but Joe has some trouble in reconciling himself to recognize it. Adam played poker with Pa’s life at stake and Joe can’t forgive it. On another hand, he has to admit that he had very rough and unfair words towards his brother. It wasn’t fair to accuse Adam of insensitivity. Under the anger, remorse is piercing. Whether he likes it or not, Adam proved to be right and maybe he should think of it and learn a lesson instead of blaming him. But Adam is always the one who plays his game well, the one to pattern upon and it’s getting on Joe’s nerves. He knows the only way for him to ease his conscience will be to talk openly to Ben and he’s longing to do so. He thinks they all need a good nap, but to-night, before dinner, he will try to have this conversation with his father.

Adam feels very tired. Not only physically but morally. To weigh up the pros and the cons is a habit he’s been taking for a long time but not under such a threat impending over his father’s life. The hardest was, after having come to a conclusion and chosen a strategy, to stick to it against his brothers, friends and even the victim’s wife’s advice. Hoss, who admires him for his strength of will, doesn’t know the doubts and conscience crisis he goes through when he shows only self-confidence. To-night, he had to display his weakness at this moment Hoss understood that he was gambling with Bryant. Now, he’s the winner but he’s haunted but these two words “what if ?”, “what if ?”… He knows the only way for him to ease his conscience will be to talk openly to Ben and he’s longing to do so. To-night, after dinner, in front of the chimney with a glass of brandy, when his brothers will have left to bed, he will try to have this conversation with his father.

Ben is proud of his sons. They did exactly what he would have done in the same circumstances, at last, he thinks he would… But he’s surprised to see the three of them so taciturn. After the first demonstration of joy, they all shrunk in a sort of apathy. Of course, as himself, they haven’t slept during this restless night and maybe that’s the only explanation for their blackout on the subject but Ben feels there’s something else. He knows the only way for him to be clear in his own mind about it will be to have a heart-to-heart talk with them and he’s longing to do so. To-morrow, at breakfast time, he will start off them on the subject.

---

Chapter 3: One hour after Bitter Water

The sun was shining. If the birds were singing it was impossible to hear them because of the mooing that was bursting out of a hundred cows’ throats pushed by the men into a pond. Virginia’s blue dress was drawing a giant flower on the grass as she was preparing fresh coffee for her fiancé Todd and the other farmers trying to save their herd from the disease.

Adam Cartwright’s glance came to rest on her. She seemed so peaceful. However, her father had just been killed and he was the killer. Of course, it was self-defence. Of course, Lem Keith happened to be a gangster and a murderer, anyway, he was feeling awkward when he approached, a tin cup in his hand, to get some coffee from her.

They gazed into each other eyes. All what he could read in her look was sympathy. He couldn’t get over it. In her place, how would he have felt towards the person who would have shot his father ? He remembered Will Cass who had never forgiven Ed Payson for having killed his son in a duel. But Virginia seemed different : apparently, she had forgotten her father.

It occurred to Adam that, perhaps, in her deep heart, she was still loving the man she had believed her father was. But the Lem Keith Adam had shot wasn’t her father. He was only somebody, fearing neither God nor man, that she didn’t recognize as her father.

Holding his hot tin cup in the hollow of his hand, he nodded and smiled to her. Then he strode away, thoughtful.

---

Chapter 4: A few months after The Countess

Hoss rode into the courtyard and dismounted, obviously extremely irritated. He strode to the buckboard under which he could see two black legs belonging to his brother Adam who was busy fixing one of the buckboard’s wheels.

“Have you finished?” he asked with an offensive tone.

With a creeping movement, the legs unfolded, then the entire body appeared and at last, a head covered with dust.

“Almost. It will be fixed in a few minutes if you don’t disturb me.”

“Hurry up, I need this buckboard.”

“What for?”

“I’ve got to go back to town and believe me, I ain’t very pleased.”

“Go back to town ? “

“Yes, with the buckboard.”

“With the buckboard ?”

“Stop repeating all what I’m saying, you’re getting on my nerves. I need to drive back to town. I went there to pick up the mail. You’ve got three letters, by the way, and…”

“Give it to me, please.”

“No. I won’t give it to you until you’ll fix this buckboard. A parcel has arrived for Pa and it’s so huge that I need a vehicle to take it back.

”When Hoss came back, two hours later, Adam could control that the parcel was actually huge. He had to give Hoss a hand to take it out of the cart and bring it into the house.

Ben stared wide-eyed in front of this rectangular parcel as high as the table.

“By Jove, what is this?”

“A parcel, from Ireland, Pa.”

“From Ireland? I wonder who can send me that from so far. Well the best way to find out is to open it. Give me a knife, Joe, please.”

he table was already set for dinner. Joe picked up a knife and began to cut the strings that were tying up the parcel. He discovered a big wooden box, nailed down. Curious, his brothers approached and the four men considered it with perplexity.

“Wait a minute, Pa”, Adam said, “I’m going for my tools.”

He came back with a hammer and a pair of pliers, took out the nails and opened the box. Ben leant over it. Wrapped in a brown paper, there was on the top another rectangular parcel, not very thick.

He took it out, unwrapped it. His portrait appeared. It was his three-quarters face, with a slight smile on his lips and it was torn to shreds.

“My word!” he exclaimed.

While he was turning the object upside down, seeking for an explanation, Adam had taken out a new parcel, similar to the former.

“There’s another one”

This time, the portrait was full-face, with piercing and bright eyes, a portrait painted when he was obviously younger and it was torn to straps too. They went on taking out other paintings, all in the same state. At the end, they counted twelve paintings, all representing Ben, twenty years younger, full length, head and shoulders, standing, sitting, riding, and all torn to shreds.

“What on earth…” Ben started but didn’t finish his sentence.

“Who can send that ?”, Joe asked.

“Don’t you recognize the style?” Adam answered. “It’s the Countess, Lady Linda Chadwick. Besides, the parcel comes from Ireland.”

“But why?” mumbled Hoss, “Why did she send all that stuff from so far?”

“Just to show Pa her hatred for him”

“But Adam” retorted Joe, “Ireland is so far away. It must have cost a fortune to send… that.”

“She’s very rich, Joe, she can afford it.”

“Do you think she made it just for revenge ?”

“Yes, little Joe”, Ben answered. “A petty act of vengeance.”

They staid silent for a few minutes, looking at the paintings on the floor.

“Well”, Adam remarked, “she didn’t pull it off.” Turning to his father, he asked with a crooked smile. “must be a great relief to know all these horrible portraits of you are destroyed.”

“You’re right”, replied Joe, giggling, “lucky Countess who hasn’t to make a living with her art.”

Ben, Adam and Joe burst in laughter but Hoss staid serious.

“Pa ”, he asked, at last, “ain’t there poor people in Ireland ?”

“Yes, Hoss, there are a lot.”, Ben answered, not seeing what was his son’s point. “That’s why they’re immigrating to America.”

“Then, don’t you think that, instead of sending that and spending a lot of money, just for a stupid vengeance, she’d not had better distribute the money to them.”

“You’re right, son. But Linda proved to be definitely mean.”

“And stupid,” Joe commented.

“And selfish”, Adam added

“What this mess ?”, a voice screamed behind him. “Dinner getting cold. Cartw’ight pick up very ugly and spoilt paintings and come for dinner. Quick. After, Hop-Sing make fire with old paintings. Mistah Cartw’ight look like evil dragoon on it. Not good. Burn it.”

“Deal settled !” , Adam concluded. “come and eat. We’re all starving and Hop-Sing is just going to explode.”

---

Chapter 5: A few days after Broken Ballad

Adam picked his watch out of his pocket. Five o’clock. Dinner was not to be served before half past six. He thought he had the time to go and meditate at Ed Payson’s grave.

Payson had been buried for two weeks and Adam had been thinking a lot about his death, wondering if things could have turned another way. As for him, he had done all what he could, at least, he thought he had. Maybe, he ought to have been more diplomatic with Cass. Or he would have warned Sally to be discreet. As he rode on his way to Ed’s property, his imagination was becoming wild. Yes, if he had been more vigilant, he would have convinced Ed to sell his land to him. Then, with the money, Ed would have been able to fly away with Sally. They would have gone to any place where wealthy men needed a bodyguard…

He sighed. Young Cass had not been lucky; neither had been Ed. His life had been a succession of failures. Once again, he measured how much blessed he was. Apart from the presence of a mother, he had received from heaven all the presents that a man can wish to have: a loving family, a solid health, a good education, a rich land… He hadn’t yet found the “only one for him” but he had no doubt it was to happen.

He had arrived at his destination and dismounted. The grave so sober, with just Ed’s guitar leaning against the cross was touching. At the foot of the cross, he saw a little bunch of fresh blue flowers. Sally ! The flowers looked like the one she had worn on her hat this afternoon when they had stayed together, enjoying themselves in singing. He left his hand stroke the strings of the guitar and a single note raised.

Following a sudden impulse, he took the guitar and started a melancholic tune :

“Where have all the flowers gone,Long time passing,

Where have all the flowers gone,

Long time agoWhere have all the flowers gone,

Young girls have picked them everyone

Oh when we’ll they ever learn,

Oh when we’ll they ever learn”

As he was beginning the second verse : “Where have all the young girls gone…”, he heard the sounds of a buggy and a few seconds later, Sally appeared :

“Oh, Adam, here you are !”

“Hello Sally. Where do you come from? They said, in town, that you had left your father’s home.”

“Oh, Adam, I couldn’t stay anymore with my father. I can’t help it, but I hate him now, as hard as he used to hate Ed. And I can’t bear to look at Billy. I think I resent him much more than Pa because he hasn’t any excuse. My Pa thought that Ed was a murder. He didn’t want to hear the truth, that it was an accident, two young men drunk fighting one against the other and one being unluckily killed. He just stuck at his idea because he needed to resent somebody so he could change sorrow against anger. But Billy ! He did it over jealousy. How can you, men, think that you just have to come and kill your rival and you will get the girl back ? We’re not animals intended to belong to the victor of a males fight.”

“This doesn’t tell me were you went.”

“I went to my aunt’s and I live there. I don’t know what to do. I don’t want to go far from this grave and I can’t imagine just to go back to Virginia City. When they killed Ed, they killed me at the same time.”

“Sally, Sally, will you listen to me? Will you trust the only friend of Ed’s?“

“Yes Adam. You and my aunt are the only person I am glad to talk to.”

“Then, you must try to forgive your father and Billy”

“What?”

“Ed was killed because your father was unable to forgive him. He would have liked to be forgiven but knew, at the first time he entered your father’s shop that it was impossible. Do it for him. Give to your father what Ed wished he would have been given – pardon. I know it’s difficult but please, try as I will myself.”

“Do you mean that you share my feelings?”

“Yes, I do but I know I shouldn’t. Shall we try together?”

“ I’ll think of it, Adam, I’ll think of it.”

She, only then, seemed to notice the guitar in Adam’s hands and asked in a very gentle voice :

“Sing something, Adam, something peaceful”

Adam ran his fingers on the strings and started with his beautiful voice.

“Amazing grace, how sweet the sound

That saved a wrest like me…”

Then, he heard Sally’s sobbing voice join his :

“I once was lost but now, I’m found

Was blind but now I see”

---

Chapter 6: A few days after House Divided

Author’s Chapter Notes:

This is a WHN a house divided. Ben sends Joe and Adam to Sacramento to give them an opportunity of talking and mutual understanding

Strangely taciturn, Joe was following Adam’s horse pace. Joe was usually more inclined to action than psychological analysis but, since the first hours of the day, he could not help but asking to himself the same question : why did I accept to go with my brother to Sacramento?

Joe’s feelings towards Adam had always been complex. As much his relationship with Hoss was simple, like two puppies bred up together, as much he had difficulties to be that natural with Adam. Twelve years separated them, twelve real years, since Adam had the full maturity of his thirty years while Hoss, in spite of his twenty-four, behaved sometimes as a teenager, especially when he was up to something with his younger brother.

While riding behind his brother, Joe was trying hard to clear up his mind about his feelings towards his eldest brother. If he wanted to be honest, Joe had to admit that he was fascinated by Adam. He found in him most of the qualities he admired so much in his father : a lucid, calm, imaginative intelligence, an unquestionable courage, in the everyday situations as in the exceptional ones, an excellent balance between mind and body skills. Adam was as much a good rider, a good gunner, a good fighter as he was himself and, besides, he had a far higher education, even higher than Ben’s.

Nevertheless, Joe’s first reaction to Adam was never or rarely trust but often provocation. It was deeply unfair and he knew it. Big brother had always showed to him a fatherly solicitude that, by sense of propriety, he masked with irony. He managed to be the only one to support their father in the ranch’s management and Joe thought this was the explanation. Why Pa was he treating him as a child when he was longing to have responsibilities ? Adam had been in charge of so many things when he was still a child. Joe failed to understand why his father was still cocooning him although he was now a man. However, Adam’s life was exactly the life he didn’t want to have, getting up early, going to bed late, having fun only on Sundays and holidays…

Paradoxically, Joe resented Adam for being an obstacle to his legitimate ambition and was grateful to him for sparing him too many worries.

“We could camp here, what do you think?”

Sun was lowering and Adam knew there was a spring in that place. The camp was quickly settled. Both brothers were used to sleep under the stars, wrapped in a blanket, with the only shelter of their hat. Adam winked to his brother and took out his rifle :

“What about trying to improve the menu?”

Joe’s face enlightened with this smile of his, coming as well from his eyes as from his lips. What had he been ruminating over all along the day ? Basically, his brother adored him and he returned his feeling. As if this unexpected invitation to hunt had opened his eyes, Joe realised that his brother was taking this journey as an unhoped-for and unique opportunity of having a day off with his younger brother. Suddenly, he considered Adam no longer as the eldest serious brother but a conniving fellow.

While they were both creeping, looking for a rabbit, Joe remembered this day when, due to a mistake of Ben’s, Adam had been captured. An unscrupulous shepherd wanted to have his sheep’s flock passing across the Ponderosa and Ben had decided that he would defend his land, himself alone with his three sons’ help. Adam had put forward that this was the sheriff’s job :

“Law”, he had said, “is done to protect decent people and avoid self-defence.”

“These pastures », Ben had retorted, « I cleared it myself, I ploughed and sowed it with my bare hands, sweating and blooding. I will not let a parasite turn it into a desert. It’s up to us to defend our property and if you’re not able to do it, then, you’re not a man !”

Faced with such an accusation, Adam had nothing else to do but obey. But the old shepherd was sly and merciless. He had set up an ambush for the Cartwrights, determined to catch an hostage. Adam had fallen into his trap. It wasn’t hazard but fate, Joe had always believed that. At home, Ben had paced up and down as a lion in its cage, cursing himself in all the languages he knew. The shepherd’s blackmail had increased : first, he wanted only the right of passing across the land, in a second time, he demanded 20 000 hectares. And to make Ben more manageable, he had threatened to manhandle Adam if Ben would not submit himself. Joe could still feel, deep in his heart, his own anxiety while he was riding fast to call the sheriff for help, forgetting everything he had held against his brother and knowing only that he didn’t want to loose him.

Lying in wait for game, next to this dear brother of his, he remembered another night. By dint of pacing up and down on Ponderosa’s fields, Adam had caught the marshes’ fever. Doc Martin had done all what he could, not much, and then, he had told Ben :

“He’ll reach the critical point to-night. If he gets through, he’ll be all right in time, if not…”

This very night, Joe had felt the price of family.

“Careful, something’s moving, don’t shoot too close, you would mash it up”-

“I’m old enough to know that, it’s not my first hunt” he could not help replying, rebelling instinctively. But glancing at him, he could see that his eldest wasn’t offended. He raised his rifle, fired and killed the game.

Later, when they had eaten their fill and were wrapped in their blanket, Adam asked, in a low voice. “Are you all right?”-

“Why are you asking me?”

“Because you almost didn’t say a word to-day. Quite unusual. What’s the matter with you?”

“I just thought”

“What about?” Adam asked, worried at seeing his young brother still preoccupied. Could it still be Kyle and the Southern Cause? “Tell me, Joe, between you and me.”

“I was thinking about you and me.”

“What do you mean?”, Adam asked, surprised.

“I just realised that you were tremendously getting on my nerves and that, however, I like you very much.”

Laughing lightly, Adam drew up on his elbow : “Did you just discover that to-day ?”

“Yes. Why? Did you know it?”

The eldest smiled : “Of course ! Do you remember this day, when our father had been caught as an hostage by Sam Bryant ? Sure Joe remembered. How could he forget such a distress.

Adam went on : “This very night, you mistrusted me and were very rude ; you practically insulted me. Hoss too, thought I was wrong but he didn’t insult me. Then, I learnt that I was… how did you say ? Getting tremendously on your nerves.”

“And how did you learn I was loving you ?”

“Because when Pa had been released and this was all over, he congratulated the three of us for having taken the right decision. I would never have said him that we had been arguing. And you were the one who confessed I was the only one to be congratulated.”

“It was only fair”

“No, Joe, it was tenderness. You had just realised that the night had been harder to me than to anybody else, because of this poker game I had been playing with Pa’s life and you wanted our father to comfort me. It was tenderness, that’s how I felt it and if it’s not true, don’t tell me.”

 

The End