Adam is forced to face the truth about a woman he once loved.
Rating: Teens
Words: 7,900
The Brandsters have included this story by this author in our project: Preserving Their Legacy. To preserve the legacy of the author, we have decided to give their work a home in the Bonanza Brand Fanfiction Library. The author will always be the owner of this work of fanfiction, and should they wish us to remove their story, we will.
Shattered Lives
“Joseph,” Ben warned, his voice firm. “How many times do I have to tell you to keep your feet off the furniture?”
“Yes, Pa,” Joe murmured distractedly, not looking up from the newspaper as he slowly lowered his feet from the settee to the floor.
“When’s supper?” Hoss asked, coming down the stairs and flopping into the chair beside the fireplace. “I’m plumb starved.”
“It’ll be at the same time it is every day,” Ben answered, glancing up from his book with a slightly amused smile. “You don’t think Hop Sing is going to rearrange his schedule just because you finished your work early, do you?” He didn’t need to take his eyes from his middle son to notice Little Joe’s boot-clad feet as they slowly made their way once again to their favourite spot on the settee. “Joseph,” he warned again.
“No, I reckon I don’t,” Hoss sighed, answering his father’s question while absent-mindedly propping his own feet on the table in front on him. “Next time I’ll work a might slower. It’s harder to think about food when you’re busy.”
Joe noticed Hoss’ feet on the table and waited gleefully for his father’s admonition. When none was forthcoming, he opened his mouth to protest, only to be silenced by a knock on the door.
“I’ll get it,” he grumbled, casting a pointed glance in the direction of the table as he got to his feet. “Really, Hoss, how many times does Pa have to tell you to keep your feet of the furniture?” He shook his head in mock disappointment as he made his way to the door. He was surprised to find Roy Coffee waiting on the other side.
“Evening, Little Joe,” Roy offered a small smile while he shook the young man’s hand. “Ben,” he nodded in further acknowledgement as he entered the house. “Hoss.”
Ben got to his feet to greet his friend. “Roy,” he nodded, shaking the lawman’s hand. “What brings you out here? Good news, I hope.”
“I’m afraid not,” Roy replied with a sigh, taking his hat from his head and distractedly fidgeting with it. “I’ve come to talk to Adam. Is he here?”
“He’s upstairs washing up,” Ben frowned. “What’s this all about?”
“I’d just as soon wait for Adam,” Roy answered reluctantly.
“I’ll get him, Pa,” Joe offered, already heading for the stairs. Taking them two at a time, he was outside his brother’s room in an instant. “Adam?” he called.
The door opened to reveal a shirtless Adam, a towel in one hand, an expectant look on his face.
“Roy Coffee’s here,” Joe informed him. “Says he needs to talk to you.”
Adam frowned slightly, grabbing his shirt from a hook beside the door before following his youngest brother down the hallway toward the stairs.
“Roy,” Adam smiled in greeting as he approached the man, distractedly buttoning his shirt. “What’s up?”
Roy was silent for a moment, his expression grim. “I’m afraid it’s bad news, Adam,” Roy finally explained. “Appears someone tried to kill Margie Dowler today.”
“Margie?” Adam frowned. “Is she all right?”
“Doc Martin doesn’t know if she’ll survive,” Roy informed him. “She was beaten real bad, Adam.”
“Beaten?” Ben repeated, frowning. “What happened?”
Roy ran a hand through his thinning hair before replying. “Someone dumped her by the side of the road out by Willard’s Bluff,” Roy explained. “I reckon he either thought she was already dead or at least would be ‘fore anyone found her. Luckily, Brett Moyer was on his way home from Pinewood Falls this afternoon. If he hadn’t come along when he did, it’s likely she would have died right there.”
“Who would do somethin’ like that?” Hoss asked, frowning.
Roy glanced at Adam only briefly before turning his attention once more to the hat in his hands. “I asked her,” he informed them grimly. “But she was near unconscious by the time Brett got her to town.” He raised his eyes to look into Adam’s. “The only thing she kept repeating was your name, Adam.”
“My name?” Adam repeated in slight confusion. “Why? I hadn’t even seen her in at least a month.”
“But before that the two of you was pretty close,” Roy pressed, his eyes narrowing slightly. “It’s no secret around town that you was courtin’ her.”
“That’s right,” Adam replied, his eyes hardening slightly as he held Roy’s gaze. “It’s no secret. Just as it’s no secret that things didn’t work out between us.”
“It was a few months that you was together, wasn’t it?” Roy prodded.
“Roy, I don’t see…” Ben tried to intervene, only to be silenced by his eldest son.
“It’s all right, Pa,” Adam assured him before turning his attention back to the sheriff. “That’s right,” he confirmed. “I courted Margie for about four months. Just what are you getting at, sheriff?”
Roy winced inwardly at the word. Though Adam usually called him Roy, it wasn’t the first time he had called him by the title of sheriff. This time, however, the word was spoken in such a tone as to indicate without a doubt that his visit was not being viewed as that of a family friend, but rather as a lawman, one who found it necessary to ask difficult questions.
“Maybe it would be best if we could talk in private,” Roy suggested delicately.
Adam glanced at his father and brothers. “There’s nothing you can’t say in front of my family,” he replied, his voice hinting at impatience. “Tell me, Roy, do you think I beat Margie Dowler?”
“Of course not,” Roy replied indignantly, waving a hand as though to brush the notion aside. “I know you well enough to know that you’d never do such a thing.”
“Well, I appreciate that,” Adam replied caustically. “But that being the case, what exactly is it you are trying so carefully to avoid saying?”
Roy glanced uneasily at Ben before turning his attention back to Adam. “She was with child, son,” he finally stated in a quiet voice. “Doc Martin figures about three months along.”
There was a heavy silence in the air as Joe and Hoss exchanged concerned glances and Ben gazed in disbelief at Roy.
“Roy, exactly what are you implying?” he demanded, his voice laden with anger and incredulity.
“Just doing my job, Ben,” Roy defended his actions quietly. “Everyone knows about Margie and Adam. When I learn that she was … in such a delicate condition, I have to do some figurin’. They was together during that time and now she’s layin’ in Doc Martin’s office near death.”
Ben turned his attention to Adam who still stood with an expectant expression on his face as though he hadn’t heard the news, or was hoping that if he waited long enough, it would be different. “Adam,” he pried gently, putting a hand on his son’s arm.
The action seemed to snap Adam out of his state of shock and anger. “She was what?” he demanded in a cold, quiet voice.
“I’m sorry, Adam,” Roy offered sincerely. “I thought you should know.” He paused for a moment. “Jeb Dowler’s demanding I bring you in. Now I don’t think that’s necessary just now, but I do strongly suggest you stay out of town for the time being.”
“I want to see Margie,” Adam stated without hesitation.
“Son, maybe Roy’s right” Ben suggested. “Running into the Dowler brothers just now will only cause more trouble.”
“Pa, she could be dying,” Adam pointed out. “I need to see her and I can’t take the chance of waiting until the Dowlers are ready to listen to reason. I’m going.”
“I can’t stop you,” Roy stated his position. “But if you’re going to be in town tonight, I’m afraid I’ll have to insist you stay at the jail.”
“Jail?” Joe demanded angrily, taking a step forward only to be stopped by Hoss’ hand on his arm. “You just said you know he didn’t do it.”
“And I don’t believe he did,” Roy agreed. “Not for a second. But when I asked Margie who it was beat her, she said Adam’s name over and over – and in front of witnesses. Now I can’t just ignore that. Besides, if either of her brothers truly believe it was Adam who did it, they might try to take the law into their own hands. It’s as much for his protection as anything else.”
Ben knew that Roy was right. It wasn’t only the Dowlers they had to worry about, but anyone else who might believe Adam to be guilty of such a heinous crime. At the same time, he understood his son’s need to speak to the woman he’d once loved – possibly still did. “We’ll all go,” he stated decisively.
********
By the time they reached Virginia City, night had fallen and the only sounds of life came from the saloon where ranch hands celebrated the end of another hard day. A few men stood on the boardwalk outside the Bucket of Blood and whispered among themselves as they saw the Cartwrights ride into town with the sheriff. Ignoring the wary glances and hushed comments, they stopped in front of the doctor’s office and dismounted. Doc Martin greeted them as they entered the outer office.
“I don’t think you should be here just now,” he frowned in Adam’s direction.
“Paul, you don’t honestly think…” Ben began to protest.
“Of course not,” the doctor assured him, raising a hand. “But Jeb Dowler’s in there with her. He’s full of shock and anger. Who knows what he might do.”
As though on cue, Jeb Dowler opened the door to the inner office and stood staring at Adam. “You’ve gotta lot of nerve coming here, Cartwright,” he growled in a low voice. “I should kill you where you stand for what you’ve done.”
“There ain’t gonna be no killing, Jeb,” Roy stated in a tone of authority. “Adam just wanted to see how Margie is doing.”
“You want to see how she’s doing?” Jeb spat, flinging the door open. “Look at her, Cartwright. Look at what you did to her!”
It was concern, not curiosity, that caused Adam to take a step toward the room. Through the open door, he could see someone lying on the narrow examination table, but he couldn’t recognize the battered figure as that of the Margie Dowler he knew.
“Good God,” he breathed, his heart tearing at the sight of her. Swallowing hard, he turned his attention to Jeb. “You must know I couldn’t have done this,” he stated evenly.
“Yours was the only name she gave,” Jeb whispered fiercely. “What happened, Adam? Did you find out she was carrying your child? Were you afraid of what that would mean to the precious Cartwright reputation?”
Hoss noticed his little brother’s fists clenching at his sides and put a hand on his arm. When Joe looked up at him, his eyes flashing green with anger, Hoss only shook his head slightly.
“It was nothing like that,” Adam tried to explain.
“You tossed her aside like so much trash,” Jeb continued to rant. “Only you didn’t know at the time that she was carrying your dirty little secret. You couldn’t take the chance that someone would begin to suspect what was going on, so you tried to kill her.”
“Liar!” Adam shouted, lunging at Jeb as he momentarily lost the control he’d always prided himself on. As Ben restrained Adam, Hoss and Joe stepped forward to stand on either side of Jeb.
“That’s enough!” Roy barked. “Jeb, you should be with your sister.” Turning to Adam, he added, “I think it’s best you leave for now. She can’t talk to you tonight.”
Adam looked over at Doc Martin. “Any idea when she could wake up?” he asked.
The doctor merely shook his head. “I won’t lie to you, Adam,” he replied. “At this point I’m not even sure she will wake up. She suffered a lot of injury to her head. I have no idea how much damage may have been done.
At the words, Jeb made a move toward Adam, only to be stopped by Hoss and Little Joe. “You’ll pay for this, Cartwright!” Jeb yelled at the top of his lungs. “If it takes the rest of my life, I’ll make sure you pay for this!”
Adam hung his head briefly and let out a long, weary sigh. After glancing once more at the figure of the woman on the bed, he turned and left the office with Roy, his father and brothers close behind.
*******
Though Ben gently tried to persuade Adam to return to the Ponderosa for the night, he wasn’t altogether surprised when his eldest son expressed his desire to stay in town where he would be close in the event Margie woke up.
“I ain’t gonna lock you up, Adam,” Roy explained as they entered the sheriff’s office. “But I don’t want you wanderin’ around town neither.”
Adam only nodded his understanding of the situation and crossed the room to where a coffee pot sat on the stove. After pouring himself a cup, he made his way into the cell room and sat on the edge of one of the cots, leaving the door open.
Roy and Ben followed him and stood at the open doorway. “I’d suggest you keep that gun handy, son. You know yourself that Jeb is the easier of the two to get along with,” Roy pointed out. “You saw the way he was tonight. When Zack gets here, things could get a whole lot worse.”
“Can’t say as I blame them,” Adam muttered, taking off his hat and setting his cup on the floor. “After seeing Margie tonight, I can’t blame them a bit.”
“Their feelings may be justified,” Ben agreed, “but that still doesn’t give them the right to take their anger and grief out on the most convenient target.”
Adam didn’t reply, but laid back on the cot, his forearm covering his eyes. Ben realized the myriad of emotions he was struggling with and quietly gestured to Roy to wait in the outer office. Roy caught the silent message and nodded as he left Ben alone with his oldest son.
Ben took a chair into the cell and sat down. “I can only imagine what you must be feeling,” he began gently. “To see Margie like that…” His voice trailed off briefly as he closed his eyes against the image of the disfigured face. “It’s a terrible thing.”
Adam didn’t answer, but Ben could see the lump in his throat bobbing up and down as he tried to control the feelings at war within him. “And to find out that she was…” He couldn’t finish the sentence out of compassion for his son. “Well, we can talk about that another time,” he frowned slightly. “The important thing right now is to find out what happened. Do you have any idea who might want to harm her, son? Do you know of anyone, anyone at all who could have done something like this?”
“If I knew,” Adam replied, forcing the words through clenched teeth. “Do you think I’d be here instead of out looking for him?”
Ben nodded at the response. “No,” he surmised with a small sigh. “No, I guess you wouldn’t.”
“I don’t want to talk, Pa,” Adam informed him in a strangled voice. “Please… Just leave me alone.”
Ben considered the request for a moment, then nodded as he got to his feet. “Ok, son,” he replied gently. “Is there anything you need?”
When he didn’t reply, Ben nodded once again. “I’ll be in the outer office,” he stated.
“Did he say anything?” Joe asked as his father closed the door to allow Adam some privacy with his thoughts.
“Nothing,” Ben sighed. “He doesn’t want to talk about it right now.” After taking a deep breath, he glanced around the room. “Where’s Roy?”
“He went back down to the doc’s office,” Hoss explained. “He’s got a few more questions for Jeb.”
Joe poured his father a cup of coffee and handed it to him as Ben lowered himself into a chair.
“I don’t get it, Pa,” Hoss voiced his thoughts aloud. “Who would do that to Margie? She’s got to be one of the nicest, sweetest gals in Virginia City.”
“No one would expect her to have any enemies,” Joe concurred quietly. “I can’t see her doing or saying anything that would provoke such a reaction.”
“Often all we see is what others want us to see,” Ben pointed out calmly. “We really don’t know what kind of trouble she may have had in her life. All we know is what we learned about her when she and Adam were together.”
Hoss and Joe exchanged glances at the words. “Speaking of that, Pa,” Joe reluctantly broached the subject, “You don’t think Adam… I mean, you don’t believe….”
Ben weighed the unfinished question for a moment. “You boys all had different mothers,” he began quietly. “You each inherited characteristics from them that make you different in many ways, but you were all brought up to believe in the same morals and standards that they held dear, just as I do. I’ve never once doubted the kind of men you are. I’m not about to start now.”
Joe and Hoss exchanged a look between them before lowering their eyes to the floor. “You’re right, Pa,” Joe offered quietly. “I’m sorry.”
“Me too, Pa,” Hoss added. “It’s not that we actually thought…” He allowed the words to trail off, not sure how to express the thought. “It’s just that Margie is such a nice girl. I can’t see her…” He changed approaches again. “Well, it just doesn’t make sense if what Doc Martin says is true.”
“I have no doubt that it’s true,” Ben assured him, frowning. “Paul Martin is both a good man and a good doctor.”
“Why didn’t Adam just come straight out and say it wasn’t his?” Joe demanded, a tinge of anger to his voice. “He denied having anything to do with trying to kill her, but he didn’t even address the matter of the child. Don’t you think that’s going to give the Dowlers all the more reason to think he’s responsible?”
“Your brother shouldn’t have to deny anything to us,” Ben stated firmly.
“Not to us, Pa, to everyone else,” Joe corrected his father. “You saw the way they were whispering when we came into town. The longer he avoids confronting the rumours, the worse they’re going to get.”
“People are going to whisper whether they know the truth or not,” Ben pointed out in a stern voice. “If I were you, I’d worry less about the rumours and more about your brother.”
Joe turned away from his father in frustration, running a hand angrily through his hair.
“Joe is worried about Adam,” Hoss interjected. “We all are. That’s exactly why we don’t want to hear folks saying things about him that ain’t true. As long as he don’t deny knowin’ anything about that baby, folks are gonna think he had a reason to try and kill her.”
“I understand what you’re both saying,” Ben assured them in a calm voice. “But the only one who can address the situation is Adam. Until he’s ready and willing to do that, there’s nothing we can do about what people say or think.”
Joe and Hoss both contemplated the words for a moment. “I reckon he got hit with two awful big surprises today,” Hoss mused sympathetically.
“He’s strong,” Ben assured them, nodding his head slowly. “He’ll have to deal with the truth about Margie, whatever it is.”
Joe made his way toward the door, only to be stopped by his father’s voice.
“Where do you think you’re going?” Ben demanded.
Joe turned to look first at Hoss and then at Ben. “Margie may never be able to tell us the truth,” he replied in a flat voice. “I’m going to see if I can find it out for myself.”
“How ya gonna do that?” Hoss asked, frowning slightly.
Joe shrugged. “I guess I’ll start with Mrs. Brandon at the boarding house. She probably knows Margie as well as anyone.”
Ben considered the suggestion for a moment. “Yes,” he mused thoughtfully. “Margie often stayed there when the boys were out of town.”
“I’ll go with ya,” Hoss offered.
Joe looked at his father for approval.
“Go ahead,” Ben finally stated. “I’ll stay here in case the Dowlers come looking for trouble.”
Hoss and Joe nodded as they headed out the door into the night.
********
It was obvious that Mrs. Brandon hadn’t been expecting visitors. Her plump form was wrapped in a robe and her salt-and-pepper hair hung loosely to her waist.
“Little Joe! Hoss!” she exclaimed in mild surprise as she opened the door. “What on earth brings you here this time of night?”
“Sorry to bother ya, ma’am,” Hoss apologized as both men entered the foyer and removed their hats.
“We wanted to ask you a few questions about Margie Dowler,” Joe explained patiently.
“That poor dear,” Mrs. Brandon clucked sympathetically. “I heard what happened. Who would do such a thing to such a nice young lady?”
“That’s what we’re aimin’ to find out, ma’am,” Hoss replied. “Do ya know anyone who would want to harm her?”
Mrs. Brandon shook her head without hesitation. “Everyone loves Margie,” she pointed out. “It’s just a terrible, terrible thing.”
Joe glanced at Hoss, unsure as to how much the older woman knew. “Do you remember anything that might have happened a couple of months ago?” he asked. “Did Margie have any unusual visitors during that time? Did she seem upset at all?”
Mrs. Brandon frowned in concentration as she thought back. With a sad smile, she recalled the most recent month that Margie had spent at the boarding house. “The thing I remember most was the amount of time your brother, Adam, spent here,” she recollected. “I was sure the two of them would be married by now. They seemed so happy until…”
“Until?” Hoss prodded gently as the woman’s words trailed off and her small smile was replaced with a frown.
“I just thought they’d had a lover’s quarrel,” Mrs. Brandon replied as she brought the memories forth. “She came in upset and ran up to her room in tears, refusing to even let me in, let alone try to comfort her. I thought they’d make up and things would be as they were.”
“But they stopped seeing each other,” Joe surmised, remembering his eldest brother’s irritable disposition during that time.
“No,” Mrs. Brandon shook her head slowly as she tried to remember things in the right order. “In fact, Adam was here the very next day and acted as though nothing was wrong. When I called Margie down, she refused to see him. He tried to talk to her, but she wouldn’t even open the door.”
“Anything else you remember?” Hoss asked hopefully.
“She did see him a few times after that,” Mrs. Brandon added, “but things were never the same. She seemed to be trying to push him away and then one day he stopped calling on her altogether. I guess that’s when it actually ended.” She shook her head sadly. “I was so sure they were on the road to marriage.”
“Did anyone else call on Margie?” Joe asked intently.
“You mean after Adam?” Mrs. Brandon frowned. “No. After that, she didn’t keep company with anyone. She was only here another week and then Jeb came home and she went back out to the house.”
“What about while Adam was seeing her?” Hoss asked delicately, lowering his eyes as though ashamed of asking the question.
“Heavens no,” Mrs. Brandon frowned, shaking her head vehemently. “Margie wouldn’t even look twice at another man, not while she and Adam were courting. She’s just not that kind of girl, Hoss.”
Hoss nodded and offered a slight smile. “Thank you, ma’am,” he offered, putting his hat on and reaching for the doorknob.
“We’re sorry to have disturbed you,” Joe added, following his brother’s lead.
“I sure hope she’s going to be all right,” Mrs. Brandon clucked, tears welling in her eyes.
“We all do,” Hoss added gently. “Good night, ma’am.”
Once they were alone on the porch, Joe let out a deep breath. “We didn’t exactly learn anything new there,” he sighed.
“There’s only two people who know what happened between Adam and Margie,” Hoss stated, summing up the little information they had. “I reckon if we want to know more, we’re gonna have to ask one of them.”
“And she’s not in any shape to talk to us,” Joe added.
“Which leaves only one,” Hoss concluded. “Let’s go.”
********
When they returned to the jail, they found Roy and Ben talking over a cup of coffee.
“Any news?” Hoss asked as they entered the room.
“Nothing,” Roy answered. “Margie’s the same and Jeb is so sure Adam done it that he couldn’t give me the name of anyone else who mighta.”
“Mrs. Brandon wasn’t much help either,” Joe stated. “But she did give us the impression that it was Margie who wanted to end things with Adam.”
“He never really talked about it,” Ben mused. “He just said it was over and refused to elaborate.”
“I think we need to find out what happened ‘tween those two,” Hoss pointed out. “Mrs. Brandon says Margie was a might upset.”
“You know your brother well enough to know he won’t talk to anyone until he’s good and ready,” Ben reminded his middle son. “If he didn’t want to discuss it at the time, I doubt he’ll change his mind now.”
“If Margie dies, he may find himself having to discuss it in front of the whole town, not to mention a judge and jury,” Roy pointed out grimly.
“Unless we find out who really did it,” Hoss added, moving toward the closed door with an air of determination.
*******
He stood for a moment, looking at where his brother sat on the edge of the bed, his head in his hands.
“I guess it’s been a tough day,” he forced a small smile of encouragement.
Adam looked up and Hoss was taken aback slightly by the haggard lines in his brother’s usually confident expression.
“Margie?” Adam asked simply.
Hoss shook his head as he entered the cell and walked over to look out the window. “No change,” he replied quietly.
Adam didn’t reply, but lowered his head to his hands again.
Hoss turned to face his brother once again. “Me and Joe talked to Mrs. Brandon,” he explained cautiously.
“And?” Adam prodded wearily.
“She couldn’t tell us much,” Hoss admitted. “But she did remember the time when you and Margie stopped seein’ each other.” He waited for a moment, but when Adam made no effort to reply, he continued. “She said Margie was real upset one night and things were never the same after that.” When he still got no response, he tried a more direct approach. “You know I ain’t one to pry into private matters, Adam, but if Margie dies, there’s gonna be a whole lotta people thinkin’ you were responsible and not one of us is gonna be able to help you if you don’t talk to us.” He paused a moment to allow his words to sink in. “What happened ‘tween the two of you, Adam?”
Adam got to his feet, turning away from his brother to pace in the small cell. “I don’t know,” he finally admitted in a voice tinged with defeat. “At the time I thought we really loved each other.”
Hoss nodded but didn’t reply as he waited for his brother to continue.
“I know the night Mrs. Brandon was talking about. I wasn’t with her, but when I called on her the next day, she wouldn’t see me. Mrs. Brandon told me she was upset and that she’d get over it. Instead, she just got so distant,” Adam recollected. “She told me it was because she just wasn’t ready for a serious commitment. I thought…”
“Thought what?” Hoss frowned.
Adam took a deep breath and let it out in a ragged sigh. “I thought there was someone else,” he finally admitted, sitting on the cot once again and rubbing his hands over his face. Shaking his head slightly, he allowed a wry smile. “Given what I learned tonight, I guess maybe I was right.”
Hoss swallowed hard as he digested the information, knowing how hard it must be for Adam to talk about. “Any idea who?” he asked gently.
Adam slowly shook his head again. “I’ve been sitting here going over everything in my mind. I don’t remember her ever paying attention to anyone in particular. If she was seeing someone else, she did a good job of hiding it.” He paused for a moment without looking up. “Guess that makes me a fool, doesn’t it?”
Hoss shifted his weight uncomfortably at the comment. “The way I see it, trustin’ someone you love don’t make you a fool,” he offered quietly. “I reckon that’s just the way things work out sometimes.”
Adam raised his eyes to his brother’s, a slight hint of surprise and gratitude on his face. “Thanks,” he replied, lowering his eyes to his hands once again.
Hoss brushed aside the comment as though in embarrassment. After taking a moment to think carefully about his words, he continued, “Adam, there is one other possibility.”
Adam looked up once again, frowning slightly as he waited for his brother to continue.
“Well you said yerself Margie didn’t pay no attention to anyone else,” Hoss ventured cautiously. “What if…” He shifted uncomfortably again, adjusting his gunbelt as he stalled for time hoping the right words would come. “Well, what if someone else was payin’ attention to her, only without her wantin’ them to?”
Adam’s frown deepened as the words sank in. “You mean against her will,” he replied quietly, the words coming out as more of a statement than a question. “I’ve thought about that. But who? And why wouldn’t she tell her brothers about it if that were the case? You know how protective they are where she’s concerned.”
“If I didn’t, I sure do now,” Hoss replied grimly.
“It’s been just the three of them since their folks died a few years back,” Adam explained. “The boys run the ranch and Margie stays in town with Mrs. Brandon when they’re away…” His voice trailed off as a thought occurred to him.
“What is it, Adam?” Hoss frowned as he noticed his brother’s expression.
Adam didn’t reply, but got to his feet and hurried through the door to the outer office.
“I’m going out to the Quarter R,” he stated, putting on his hat.
“The Dowler place?” Roy exclaimed in surprise. “Adam, I can’t let you do that. It would be suicide.”
“I think someone out there knows exactly what happened to Margie and why,” Adam insisted, his expression grim.
“What do you mean?” Ben asked intently.
Adam began to pace once again, his mind racing. “You know how protective Jeb and Zack are of Margie. When they had to go out on a cattle drive or something, she always stayed here in town.”
“So?” Joe shrugged. “They probably didn’t want her out there on the ranch alone.”
“That’s what I thought at one point too,” Adam admitted. “But I asked her about it once and she explained it differently. She said she didn’t like rambling around the house by herself, that she liked the opportunity to spend some time with Mrs. Brandon. She was always surrounded by men on the ranch and looked forward to the company of another woman.”
“That makes sense to me,” Ben nodded, unable to see exactly what his son was getting at.
“And I bought it like a fool,” Adam hissed, obviously angry with himself. “Pa, when was the last time you knew a woman who would leave her home unattended for a week at a time or more? If she wanted the company of another woman, she could come into town for a couple of hours and have tea with Mrs. Brandon.”
“Maybe she just felt safer here in town,” Hoss offered.
“Exactly,” Adam exclaimed. “But why? You know as well as I do that the Dowlers always have at least four or five hands on the ranch. More than enough to keep an eye on things while she was there by herself.”
“Unless it was one of those men she was afraid of,” Ben surmised as realization dawned.
“I should have known,” Adam grated, slamming his hand on the corner of Roy’s desk. “As many times as I called on her at the boarding house, and not once did I question the reasons for her being there.”
“It’s not your fault, son,” Ben assured him, placing a hand on his shoulder. “You didn’t know. You still don’t for certain.”
“Maybe not,” Adam growled, “But I will.” He strode toward the door, only to be stopped by the sheriff.
“Now let’s not go running off half-cocked,” Roy warned. “Even if what you suspect is true, how do you know who to accuse? If you go out to the Quarter R without more to go on, you’re only going to stir up more trouble.”
“And what would you have me do, Roy?” Adam demanded angrily. “Stay here and wait for someone to come in and offer a confession?”
“I’m gonna go talk to Jeb,” Roy informed them. “I want you to stay here until I get back.”
“Roy…” Adam began to protest.
“He’ll stay,” Ben assured the sheriff, casting a stern look at his son. “I’ll see to that.”
“Good ‘nuff,” Roy nodded as he headed for the door. “Believe me, Adam. If any of what you said makes sense, we’ll get to the bottom of it.”
“I’ll go with you, Roy,” Joe suggested, following the sheriff to the door.
Once they were gone, Adam lowered himself wearily into a chair. “How could I be so blind?” he lamented quietly. “All I could think was that her feelings for me had changed. Why wasn’t I able to see what she must have been going through?”
“She obviously didn’t want you to know,” Ben offered in way of reassurance. “Maybe she was afraid that you’d think less of her.”
“For something that wasn’t her fault?” Adam scoffed angrily. “That’s ridiculous.”
Ben shrugged. “Perhaps to you and me,” he allowed. “But to a young woman in her position, it’s not hard to understand why she wouldn’t want anyone to know.”
Adam swallowed hard at the words, his expression grim as his mind mercilessly tormented him with images of Margie’s battered body as well as the unseen wounds she’d suffered. “Jeb was right,” he stated coldly. “Whoever did this deserves to die.”
“He’ll pay for what he’s done,” Ben assured him. “One way or another, he’ll pay.”
Their attention was diverted as Joe burst through the door. “She’s awake,” he informed Adam breathlessly. “She’s asking for you.”
Adam hurried from the building, his father and brothers following close behind. When they reached Doc Martin’s office he rushed straight to where Margie lay, ignoring Jeb’s presence at the other side of he bed.
“Margie?” he whispered, wincing at the bruised, swollen face.
“Adam,” she breathed, trying to open her eyes. She grimaced at the pain and he swallowed hard, wishing that he could take her suffering upon himself.
“I had to tell you,” she struggled to get the words out, “that I’m sorry.”
“You have nothing to apologize for,” he assured her, touching her forehead gently. “I’m the one who’s sorry. I didn’t know.”
Her lips moved, but no sound came out. Mustering all her strength, she forced herself to say all she felt she had to. “I tried to stop him, Adam,” she whispered weakly. “He was just so strong…”
Adam closed his eyes tightly against the tears burning behind his lids. “It’s all right,” he soothed. “I understand.”
“I couldn’t bear the thought of you finding out,” she continued, her voice faltering as a tear streamed down her cheek, “that another man had…that I wasn’t…”
Adam put a finger to her lips, unwilling to hear her put the tragedy into words. “It wasn’t your fault,” he whispered, no longer trying to hide the tears that spilled from his pain-filled eyes. “If only I’d known…” He tried unsuccessfully to swallow the lump in his throat. “I would have stood by you, Margie, no matter what.”
“I didn’t want you staying out of pity,” she lamented.
“Not pity… love,” he corrected softly. “Nothing could have kept me from you if I’d known you still loved me. I thought…”
“I know,” she whispered. “But I had to push you away, Adam. The greatest joy in my life was seeing the love in your eyes. I was so afraid of seeing something else in its place if you knew the truth. I just couldn’t share the guilt and shame… not with you, Adam. You deserve so much more than that.”
“No,” he whispered, touching her lips lightly with his own. “You’re more than I deserve. You’re still the girl I fell in love with. Nothing can ever change that.”
“Then when I realized I was… when I found out about the baby, I knew everyone would find out,” she cried softly. “I was so scared… I didn’t know what to do.”
“You should have come to me,” Adam admonished gently.
“I just wanted to leave before anyone found out,” she whispered weakly. “He tried to stop me and when I threatened to tell Jeb and Zack, he just started hitting me…”
Her voice trailed off and he kissed her cheek, his tears falling on her face as he wept for all she’d been through. “It’s ok, Margie,” he promised. “No one will ever hurt you again.”
When she didn’t respond, he looked up at the doctor in alarm. Immediately, Doc Martin came to check on her and offered Adam and Jeb as much comfort as he could. “She’ll likely be in and out for a while,” he stated quietly. “I’ve given her something for the pain.”
“Is she going to be all right?” Jeb asked, his eyes not leaving his sister’s face.
The doctor was silent for a moment. “Nearly every one of her ribs was broken,” he explained as gently as possible. “There’s no way to tell how many organs have been damaged. Even if I could operate, her chances would be slim. I’m sorry.”
Jeb looked at the doctor as though seeing him for the first time. “What do you mean ‘if’? You have to operate. You’re her only chance, Doc.”
“She’s just not strong enough right now,” the doctor explained patiently. “She lost too much blood when she lost that baby. She’d never survive the type of surgery she needs.”
Adam closed his eyes and swallowed hard as he listened to the conversation. When Margie stirred once again, he took her hand and leaned in close. “Margie?” he whispered. “You have to tell us who did this. He has to pay for what he’s done to you.”
“Who was it, Margie?” Jeb asked, taking a deep breath as though afraid to hear the answer.
Margie didn’t open her eyes, but swallowed before replying. “Clem Morgan,” she finally managed, her voice barely audible.
Jeb’s eyes darted to Adam. “Clem,” he breathed in disbelief. “He’s been with us for years.” Turning his attention back to Margie, he pleaded for something that would help him understand.
“Why, Margie?” he asked. “Why didn’t you tell us?”
“I didn’t know if you’d believe me,” she replied quietly. “How could I explain the way he looked at me and how it made me feel? Daddy trusted him. You trusted him. I never knew he’d go that far… I never knew he could…”
Jeb swallowed hard. “I’ll kill him,” he muttered.
“After, I was just afraid,” she admitted, choking on her tears as the truth slowly came forth. “I thought it was my fault. I kept trying to convince myself that it was over and I could just forget it ever happened.”
“It’s all right,” Adam assured her, stroking her forehead gently. “It’s over now.”
“The hell it is,” Jeb muttered grimly, turning to leave the room.
Adam considered trying to stop him, but didn’t want to leave her side. He knew the sheriff was still waiting in the other office and wouldn’t let Jeb go after Clem by himself.
“Adam,” she whispered hoarsely. “I didn’t want to die without telling you that I never stopped loving you.”
Adam looked up at the doctor, only to see him shake his head slightly, his eyes downcast.
“I love you, too,” he replied, trying to force a smile. “Once you’re up and around, things will be like they were.”
“I wish that could be,” she mused, her voice growing weaker. “We were so happy, weren’t we, Adam?”
“Yes,” he whispered, taking her hand in his and kissing it lightly. “We were happy. We will be again.”
“Adam?” she called quietly. “Adam? Are you there?”
He squeezed her hand tighter. “I’m right here, Margie,” he assured her.
“Adam?” she repeated.
As her hand went limp in his, he hung his head as the doctor came to check her pulse. “I’m sorry, son,” he finally stated in a quiet voice.
Adam looked at her face, trying to convince himself that she was at peace despite the physical evidence of the trauma he saw there. As the reality of the situation hit home, he allowed the silent tears to fall, oblivious to the doctor who was quietly leaving the room.
When he emerged from the room a while later, Ben was waiting, a concerned expression on his face. “Are you all right, son?” he asked gently.
“I was so wrong, Pa,” Adam choked on his emotion. “I believed she stopped loving me… I was so wrong.”
Without a word, Ben went to his son and embraced him in a comforting hug, closing his eyes tightly as he felt Adam’s hands clutching his back in desperation. They stood like that for a moment, father and son, one trying in vain to console, the other lost in the throes of unspeakable pain.
When at last he pulled away, Adam hastily wiped the unfamiliar tears from his face. “It was Clem Morgan,” he stated flatly.
“Yes, I know,” Ben nodded. “Roy and your brothers went with Jeb to bring him in. It’s hard to believe. He was one of Jack Dowler’s closest friends.”
“Old enough to be her father,” Adam hissed, clenching and unclenching his fists subconsciously. “What kind of a man does something like that?”
“A very disturbed one,” Ben answered. “But rest assured, he’ll get what’s coming to him.”
Adam thought about the words for a moment before raising his eyes to meet his father’s gaze. “Will that be enough?” he asked quietly.
Before Ben had a chance to reply, the door burst open and Zack Dowler stormed into the office, his gun drawn. “You,” he hissed at Adam. “What have you done?”
“Zack,” Ben warned. “You’ve got it all wrong. Adam didn’t have anything to do with what happened to your sister.”
“That’s not what Jeb’s wire said,” Zack retorted, his gaze still locked on Adam. “He said you tried to kill her.”
“It wasn’t me,” Adam explained calmly. “It was Clem Morgan. Margie told Jeb right before…” He searched for the right words. “Zack, Margie died a few minutes ago. I’m sorry.”
Zack’s expression went from anger to disbelief and back again. “That’s a lie!” he shouted, pushing past the Cartwrights to see his sister. When he returned, his face was a mask of pain and disbelief. “You’ll die for this, Cartwright,” he glared, raising the gun he still held. Ben lunged at him, trying in vain to deflect his arm before the first shot rang out. As he struggled with the armed man, he could see his son falling out of the corner of his eye. Seconds later, another shot rang out. As the man went limp, Ben allowed him to slump to the floor and turned to see Little Joe standing in the doorway, his gun in his hand.
“Adam,” Ben breathed, rushing to his son’s side.
“I’m all right, Pa,” Adam assured him, his hand over his left shoulder. “I think it went through.”
Joe knelt beside him and checked the back of his shoulder. “You’re right,” he agreed. “I’ll get Doc Martin. He’s down at the jail breaking the news to Jeb.”
As he hurried out the door, Ben helped Adam to his feet and into a nearby chair before going to check on Zack Dowler.
“He’s alive,” Ben observed, checking the man’s pulse.
When Joe returned, he brought not only the doctor, but Hoss and Jeb with him. “Let’s get him into that room,” Doc Martin suggested, nodding toward the room adjacent to the one where Margie’s body still lay. Hoss and Jeb complied, carrying the injured man into the empty room while Ben grabbed some antiseptic and bandages from the doctor to treat Adam’s wound.
“I’m sorry, Adam,” Joe offered. “About Margie.”
Adam only nodded in acknowledgement. “What about Clem?”
“Roy’s got him locked up down at the jail,” Hoss replied.
“Is he going to live?” Adam asked, nodding toward the room where the doctor was working on Zack. “I think that family’s gone through enough for one day.”
“He’ll live,” Ben assured him. “Lucky for us, your brother’s a good shot.”
“Lucky for all of us,” Jeb’s voice infiltrated the conversation. Walking to where Adam sat in the chair, he extended his hand almost tentatively. “I’m sorry,” he offered as Adam returned the handshake. “When Margie said your name, I just thought…”
“I understand,” Adam replied graciously. “I would have felt the same way in your position.”
“Maybe Margie was right,” Jeb acknowledged sadly. “I never would have believed Clem to be capable of something like this.” He turned to glance briefly into the room where Margie lay. “We promised ma and pa we’d watch over her,” he mused, his voice catching in his throat.
“You can’t blame yourself,” Ben soothed gently. “There’s only one man responsible for all this and he’ll pay with his life.”
“Yeah,” Jeb acknowledged in a quiet voice. “He’ll pay for what he’s done.” He glanced toward his sister’s body once more, tears welling in his eyes. “She shouldn’t have had to.” Without another word, he slowly walked back to the room where Doc Martin was still tending to his brother’s injury.
Ben finished bandaging Adam’s shoulder and helped him with his shirt. “Let’s go home, son,” he suggested gently.
Adam got to his feet and took his hat from Joe. As his father and brothers left the office, he slowly walked into the room where Margie lay. After placing a soft kiss on her forehead, he gently brushed a stray hair from her cheek. “I’m sorry I ever doubted you,” he whispered. “But I’ll never stop loving you.” Choking back fresh tears, he gazed at her face for the last time, seeing only the beauty he’d once known. With a silent, final good bye, he turned and left the room.
The End.
