Synopsis: Imagine what might have happened if Adam and Margarita took a detour after she lost her horse.
Rating: G Words: 3,110
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A Little Courtesy
Margarita stamped her foot and let loose with a tirade that would have left Adam’s ears stinging even if he hadn’t been able to translate it. Although he had missed a few words here and there, the terms idiot and fat-headed pig were unmistakable.
“Look, Margarita, you might as well calm down. This storm doesn’t look like it’s going to end any time soon and there’s no way we can leave until it does.” Adam drawled in his usual calm tone although inwardly he was ready to give Margarita back every word she’d spoken and then some. If it hadn’t been for her stubbornness, they wouldn’t have lost the horses, wouldn’t have had to walk five miles to find shelter and most definitely, he wouldn’t be stuck with the most disagreeable woman he’d ever met!
“This is all your fault!” Margarita continued, “I demand that you take me back to the ranch, ahora! That means now!”
“And just how do you expect me to take you, on my back?” Adam snarled. “I’ve already told you we can’t leave until the storm is over so please, just GET SOMEWHERE AND SIT DOWN!!” The level of his voice almost drowned out the thunder and, for once, Margarita thought it advisable to obey. A corner farthest away from this screaming madman seemed to be the best solution and she quickly settled herself.
She risked a glance in his direction once she was comfortable, but he didn’t show any signs that he might have recovered his manners enough to act like a gentleman. In fact, the way he was standing, with his back to her, leaning against the door looking out into the storm, his hands clenched tightly around the wood of the doorjamb, told her that perhaps it would be not be the best time for her to tell him that she was hungry, especially since it was he who had ruined her breakfast.
But she was cold, and the way he was standing there with the door open, staring out like a fool was not helping. Some of her temper returned as she realized just how unconcerned for her feelings he was being. Margarita was willing to bet that if she had acted delicate and wilting like her sister, Elena, he would not only have shut the door, but he would have jumped at the chance to carry her home. And he definitely would have seen just how improper this situation was.
A tiny little voice in her head added that if she had acted more like her sister, he would have been more than willing to forget just how improper this was as well. She tossed her head immediately at the thought, but it did not go away, and she found her hands smoothing down her soaking wet hair as if that would approve her appearance. Now she was being a fool too, and the knowledge did not soothe her temper as she glared over at that…man!
Well, she saw no reason to say please, or to wait for the…the…fool to remember that she was a lady, too!
Margarita hopped out of her seat and lifted her riding skirt to charge over to the door. She grabbed the wood and slammed it closed with a loud bang that was echoed a moment later by a crash of thunder. The noise was very satisfying. So was the sight of Senor Adam jumping out of the way just in time. Or at least, it was until he turned around to stare down at her.
He was so very much taller than her, Margarita thought vaguely. Adam glared at her, his eyes turning darker with each passing moment, but he said nothing. Finally in frustration, Margarita yelled, “Why do you stand here with the door open?! It’s cold!!”
With a concerted effort at controlling his own temper, Adam swung away from her and saw, from the corner of his eye, a narrow cot shoved against the opposite wall. It was partially covered with a rumpled and obviously well worn blanket. Margarita couldn’t see the small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. He sauntered over to the cot and removed the blanket, shaking it vigorously. She began to smile. Finally, she thought, the oaf would show her some courtesy. The expression on Margarita’s face quickly went from smug satisfaction to total indignation as she watched Adam settle himself on the cot and then proceed to wrap the blanket around his large frame. After taking a few moments to find the most comfortable position, he smiled at her and replied, “You’re right, Margarita, it is cold.”
The shock of his actions left her speechless – but not for long. “Get up,” she demanded. “I want the bed and the blanket.”
“No, this cot is far to uncomfortable for a lady of your delicate nature. I couldn’t possibly allow you to suffer in such a manner,” Adam sweetly replied.
Margarita sighed in obvious frustration, and then said quietly with exaggerated emphasis on every word, “At least, give me the blanket.”
“This moth-eaten thing? It’s riddled with holes. I’m sorry, Margarita, but a gentleman would never expose a lady to something like this. And, after all Margarita,
I am a gentleman.”
Margarita found Adam’s analysis of his character ludicrous and told him so loudly and for a full five minutes. He simply yawned and turned his face toward the wall. Margarita began to mentally review her options. She could return to her corner and freeze, or she could yank that blanket right off of him. The latter option was definitely the more satisfying.
She walked over to the cot, grabbed one end of the blanket with both hands and pulled quickly as hard as she could. Adam did the same with the other end of the blanket. The end result found Adam with control of the blanket and Margarita lying unceremoniously across him.
Again the thought crossed her mind for a brief moment that he was so much larger than her. She wondered, just for a second before she came to her senses, if her husband to be would be like this, if, in their marriage bed, she would feel the anger in him even if he did not speak, and if she would feel his chest rise and fall with his breath.
But then she caught a glimpse of the amusement in the eyes of the fool underneath her and raised herself up quickly, digging her elbows into his chest. He winced, but continued to smile blandly back at her. His lack of reaction was infuriating.
“I am still cold,” she complained, enunciating each word clearly, since he was obviously a dimwitted man who did not understand simple sentences. She ignored how he’d argued intelligently with her before for the time being.
He just kept on grinning at her as if that were the funniest thing he’d ever heard, so she shoved her elbow right into his stomach, hard. He stilled and closed his eyes for a moment, his grin falling away. Margarita was just smiling to herself at wounding him when those eyes reopened and she found herself staring down into dark eyes that were sparking like lit gunpowder.
Suddenly her throat felt dry. She swallowed carefully and readjusted her elbow the slightest bit. One eyebrow went up, but he otherwise did not acknowledge her move, he just kept on staring. After a moment, she found herself looking down at his shirt, still soaked with rain. It occurred to her distantly that perhaps he had been cold too, not that it meant anything. Still…she raised her eyes carefully and did her best to look unconcerned.
“I’m hungry,” she told him quietly, changing her complaint. Then, for some reason, when his other eyebrow went up, she felt herself blushing. It was ridiculous!
“So am I,” he said at last, and then, without a single word of warning, tossed her aside to stand up. She landed on the floor on her backside and let out a shriek that would never have come from Elena’s lovely mouth.
Adam walked to the door, opened it and looked out. It was still raining, but the thunder had stopped and the sky was looking a bit clearer. He considered trying to make it home through the rain, thinking that the horses had probably been there for at least an hour, but decided against it. It was probably best to wait until someone backtracked them. Unfortunately, Margarita had reminded him that breakfast had been a long time ago and lunch; well, lunch hadn’t happened at all. Margarita was still where she had landed.
“Aren’t you going to say anything?!” she asked. Adam looked at her innocently, which only served to infuriate Margarita more. “You imbecile! You, you…nincompoop!
First you pull me from my horse. Then you bring me to this, this hovel. You scream at me…you insult me…you knock me to the floor! And you have the nerve to call yourself a gentleman?! I’m cold! I’m hungry! And now, I hurt! What more can you possibly do to me?”
“Why, whatever pleases you, m’lady.” Adam answered lightly as he stretched his hand toward Margarita, “Allow me to assist you.” Margarita begrudgingly took his hand and let him pull her to her feet. “You’ve managed to get your skirt very dusty. I’ll clean you up,” Adam said as he swatted Margarita firmly on her already tender backside. “The rain seems to have stopped. I’m going to find some food.” With that statement, Adam walked out leaving a startled Margarita, unsure whether to follow him or thank her lucky stars that this madman had left.
It seemed that Adam had been gone an extraordinarily long time, more than long enough to find food. Perhaps he had really left her and returned to the ranch. Margarita paced the floor in anger, and then in fear. She had no idea where she was and couldn’t begin to figure out how to get back. Just as she was cursing Adam and the entire Cartwright lineage for the tenth time, he came in carrying a medium sized rabbit in one hand and a several sticks of wood under his other arm.
Adam went over to the fireplace and quickly stacked the wood into a pyramid. He took some matches from his pocket and lit the fire, he then rose, picked up the rabbit and went back outside. Margarita took advantage of his sudden disappearance to warm herself in front of the fire. Several minutes later, Adam returned with a skinned and dressed rabbit on a spit. He carefully placed the spit over the fire taking no notice of Margarita. She watched Adam as he tended the fire and occasionally turned the meat.
She opened her mouth to speak more than once, but no sound came out.
He did seem to know what he was doing, she admitted reluctantly to herself, even if he had taken forever about it. Her mouth twisted as she remembered her fear of being abandoned out here. And the smell of the meat cooking was heavenly after the day she had had. Maybe it would even be good.
Although…Margarita narrowed her eyes and stared down at him suspiciously…he had also made breakfast that morning and it had been the worst meal in her life. At the time she had almost thought that no one could have made anything that horrible on purpose and now, when he looked up over his shoulder innocently at her, she wondered again.
But surely he would not deny her food, not after today. She had been more than polite. She winced at the memory of calling him an idiot, although slamming the door in his arrogant, smirking face had been more than pleasant. Well, perhaps, perhaps it would not hurt her to compliment him. From she had seen of her sister, Elena and her idiot suitors, they seemed to like that.
Not that this fool was a suitor. Heaven help him if he even tried. Margarita grinned vengefully at the image of him groveling on his knees for her, then quickly wiped the look away when Adam turned around to give her another amused look.
“It smells very good,” she told him eagerly and smiled widely, summoning that image of him on his knees to make it believable. He nodded without saying anything and turned back around. But she thought that maybe he did not look as angry as before and that was good. So she moved her skirts and then, gingerly, sat down on the ground near him and the fire. She hardly muttered under her breath at the slight soreness in her backside at all.
“I think it’s done,” he commented immediately and carefully removed the spit. The meat smelled so good that Margarita could hardly stay in one place as he took a small knife he’d had in a pocket somewhere and began slicing the rabbit up.
He handed her a leg; she barely managed to say ‘thank you’ before she bit into it eagerly. She didn’t care if her face got greasy or if she got dirty. She doubted Adam cared about her appearance anyway.
The meat was good. She closed her eyes to enjoy the flavor and then opened them in shock when the leg was ripped from her hand. She stared blankly as her food was tossed into the fire where she could not get it. For a moment, watching it get swallowed up by the flames, she almost wanted to cry. But then she turned to the beast sitting next to her.
“Why did you do that?” she demanded in more of a wail than an actual shout. He took a big bite of his piece of rabbit and chewed slowly before answering.
“I couldn’t let you eat that.” Adam continued, “I’m accustomed to eating trail food, but you, Margarita, your palate is far too delicate for such game. You might become ill and I couldn’t bear it if I were responsible for that.”
“But I’ve eaten rabbit before. I won’t get sick, I promise!” she pleaded.
“No, Margarita. I can’t take a chance like that. It’s best that you wait until we get back to the Ponderosa. Then you can have something more to your liking. Hop Sing probably has a wonderful dinner prepared…succulent roast pork, potatoes with gravy, maybe some green beans and yellow squash. And dessert! I’m sure he said something about flan before we left this morning. I’m sorry, Margarita. I must have been crazy to think you could eat this. I’ll just finish this second piece and take the rest away.” Adam then proceeded to bite into another large helping of the meat.
Margarita wanted to cry. In fact, her eyes did fill in water and a few tears found their way down her cheeks. “Please.” It was almost inaudible. Adam continued to eat.
“Please, may I…” her voice trailed off.
“Did you say something, Margarita?” he asked. She took a deep breath, wiped her face with the back of her hands then rubbed them against her skirt.
“May I please have something to eat?” It was barely above a whisper.
Adam lifted her chin so that he could read her expression. It was definitely not one she’d worn before – at least not in his presence. It wasn’t begging, but it was pretty close. It was very similar to the look men had on their faces when thrown from a spirited horse after bragging that they’d be the one to break it. Almost like humility. But the thought of breaking something’s spirit made him more than a little uncomfortable right now, no matter how much she’d deserved a lesson in manners.
He released her chin and handed her his food without a word. He wiped his hands clean on the damp handkerchief from his pocket while she ate, not really looking at her or the mess she was making. She really was hungry.
She finished eating finally and placed the bone carefully on the floor. Then she got out her own wet handkerchief to wash her hands and face. She drew the ritual out in slow, delicate motions that suited her about as much as suit of armor would have suited her sister. And her silence…Adam pulled at the collar of his shirt with one finger…he knew she was probably remaining silent to keep from losing her temper again, but it gave him that feeling he always got the stillness before a storm broke. He started to think, maybe he had gone too far, spanking her like he had, tossing her to the floor…
He cleared his throat.
“Was the food…alright?” It seemed like an innocent question. He tensed and waited for her answer.
Margarita turned to face him slowly, wondering just what he was going to try now. Now that she had eaten, she was ready to fight some more.
But Senor Adam did not look like he wanted to fight. And he didn’t have that smug, calm look on his face either. The one he’d had right before he’d tossed her—before she’d landed on the floor. He looked…ready to make peace perhaps? Like her father with the many men she had insulted over the years.
She raised her eyebrows and looked away.
“It was…satisfactory,” she admitted carefully and then cleared her throat. “Thank you.” There was a moment of silence.
“You’re welcome,” he answered with a nod. She looked up at him sideways and saw a smile cross his face. “Was that so hard?”
“What?” she demanded immediately and felt her face fill with color.
“Treating people with a little courtesy,” he replied.
Margarita smiled and then began to laugh as Adam allowed a slight, sheepish grin to cross his face. At the same moment they both turned to the door where the sound of horses and jangling tack could be clearly heard.
“Adam! Hey, Adam! You in there?” Hoss’ distinctive twang boomed. “Yeah! We’re here!” his brother answered.
Adam rose and offered his hand to help Margarita to her feet, tipping his hat slightly as he did. It was a thousand times better than the foolish offers of help her sister’s suitors made to her in order to please Elena, and it didn’t anger her as it would have before. She accepted it gracefully with another sudden smile.
Once she was standing, she placed her hand lightly on his arm and said, “Thank you, Senor Adam. I will try to apply the lesson you have tried to taught me.” With that, they joined Hoss and Joe outside for the trip home.
The End
