Summary:  A long-time family friend returns to Virginia City with the threat of the Rawlins Gang hanging over the territory.
Rating:  T    34,000 words

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The Brandsters acknowledge that the authors are the owners of their stories.  Should an author included in this project reach out to us and indicate they do not wish their work to be archived in the Bonanza Brand Fanfiction Library, we will remove their stories.  We would also be happy to change contact information for any authors who wish to continue to have their stories archived in the Library.

Though the Library already contains stories from this author, this story was forwarded by Corina to be included as part of this project.

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Summary: A long-time family friend returns to Virginia City with the threat of the Rawlins Gang hanging over the territory.
Rating: T
________________________________________
The Brandsters acknowledge that the authors are the owners of their stories. Should an author included in this project reach out to us and indicate they do not wish their work to be archived in the Bonanza Brand Fanfiction Library, we will remove their stories. We would also be happy to change contact information for any authors who wish to continue to have their stories archived in the Library.
Though the Library already contains stories from this author, this story was forwarded by Corina to be included as part of this project.
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“THE SEAMSTRESS”

PROLOGUE

The Rawlins Gang, composed of five psychopathic members and headed by the notorious Ken Rawlins, simply couldn’t be captured. At least once a week, the newspapers were filled with articles of the Rawlins’ misdeeds – everything from home robberies to stage robberies to bank robberies to train robberies and to outright murder. They were simply known as “The Gang,” and they appeared, committed their well-planned crimes and then disappeared seemingly into thin air. Sheriffs and U.S. Marshals from the far Western parts of the country spent inordinate amounts of time searching for this small group of men but the searches were in vain. “The Gang,” according to The Territorial Enterprise, seemed to be heading toward Nevada Territory, but who could be sure of where they would actually show up? Rumor had it that members of “The Gang” were prone to performing unspeakable acts on women and therefore women feared to walk alone, preferring to stay in groups or in the company of trusted men or husbands. Doors were locked and guns were kept at the ready. Panic was sweeping through the West.

CHAPTER ONE

Ben Cartwright looked up from reading a letter and smiled at his sons.

“Looks like we’re going to have a visitor in two days.”

Receiving questioning looks from all three of his sons, his smile broadened. He enjoyed playing a cat-and-mouse game with his family, and he began one now.

“Female,” he said.

Adam, Hoss and Little Joe’s faces lighted up as they suggested names of their favorite women.

“Nope,” Ben answered casually. “I’ll give you a hint. You haven’t seen her in about fifteen years.”

“Pa, there’s a lot of females we ain’t seen in about fifteen years.” This from Hoss as he looked up briefly from the game of checkers he was winning – finally – from Little Joe.

Ben continued to smile. “Blond hair, gray eyes. Tall and willowy. Quite attractive, as I recall.”

Little Joe, always the opportunist, moved Hoss’s checkers quickly while Hoss was looking at his father. With a grin, Joe cleared the checkerboard and won the game.

“Dadburnit, Joe!” Hoss shouted. “You cheated when I wasn’t looking!”

“Did not,” Joe answered with a grin. Then he turned his attention to Ben. “We need more clues, Pa.”

Adam looked up from his book and grinned.

“Meredith!” he answered.

“No, not Meredith. Older than you boys.”

Adam now was perplexed and was drawn into the guessing game.

“Sang in the church choir.” Ben continued.

Blank looks from three different faces. Almost all the women they had ever known had sung in the church choir at one time or another. And a woman older than they were?

“Strong-willed and opinionated.”

Hoss sighed and put the checkers away, muttering under his breath. Little Joe muttered right back, but Ben had their complete attention.

Ben laughed out loud. “She loved all of you and would gently smack each of you on the back of your heads when you were out of line.”

Three voices shouted in unison. “Corinne!”

Hoss’s hand went to the back of his head. “She weren’t gentle all the time!”

Adam put his book down and leaned forward. “Didn’t she marry some guy and then move away to St. Louis?”

Ben nodded. She married John Harland from Reno, and they moved to St. Louis.”

“I remember her wedding. Simple but elegant.” Adam leaned back in his chair. “She was quite a beauty then. But the years have gone by, and now she’s practically as old as Pa.” Adam’s lips quivered as he tried to harness a laugh and then ducked as Ben threw an apple at his eldest son’s head.

“Hop Sing!” Ben called. “We need to get a guest room ready. Company will be here in two days!”

Hop Sing appeared and, when he learned the guest’s name, he made a face. “She always in kitchen. Tell how to cook. Then give smack on head if Hop Sing not fast enough.” There was more muttering in Chinese as Hop Sing left the room.

“Is she arriving by stage?” Joe asked.

“Yes,” Ben answered as he folded the letter and placed it on the table beside him. He lit his pipe. Memories swept over him as he remembered Corinne nee Donnelly. Adam was right. Corinne was closer to his age and was quite a beauty. He wondered vaguely why he didn’t marry her himself.

Adam’s brows furrowed. “Traveling by stage isn’t very safe right now, what with the Rawlins Gang on the loose.”

Ben could answer only, “Corinne does what Corinne wants to do when she wants to do it.” And that was the truth!

CHAPTER TWO

The Cartwrights stood at the stage depot and waited for the stage which was already an hour late. It finally arrived in a cloud of dust and lurched to a stop. On top of the stage, along with the driver, were two armed men – apparently the stage line wasn’t taking any chances on a run-in with “The Gang.”

And then Ben spied Corinne as she tentatively disembarked. She was a little older than when he had seen her last, but she was still very attractive, willowy and tall. And she still had those mysterious gray eyes.

Ben took her hand and smiled into her face. “Corinne! How wonderful to see you!”

“Ben? Is that you? Is that really you?” came her familiar voice as she took his hand. With her other hand, she touched his face gently, accidentally knocking his hat askew.

It was then that Ben realized something was amiss. Corinne was blind!

Adam, Hoss and Joe looked at each other and realized the same thing at the same instant. As Corinne’s feet reached the ground, she stumbled slightly. All three sons were at her side in an instant. Ben gripped her hand tightly to steady her.

She reached out, touching Hoss who was closest to her.

“Hoss, I’d recognize you anywhere! You always were a big boy!” Corinne laughed her melodic laugh as she ran her hand from one side of Hoss’s shoulder to the other.

“Yes’m,” Hoss answered, not knowing what else to say.

“Where are Adam and Little Joe?” Corinne asked.

“I’m right here,” answered Joe as he touched her arm.
Her hand seemed to know where his face was, but her fingers went to his hair. “Ben, this boy still needs a haircut. Can’t you afford a barber?”

In spite of the surprise at her blindness, Ben found his voice and laughed. “I can afford one, but I can’t get him to go!”

Corinne giggled. “And Adam? Where is Adam?”

“I’m hiding behind Little Joe,” Adam answered with a chuckle. “I don’t want to get smacked on the head.” He stepped in front of Joe and took Corinne’s hand.

Her hand immediately went to his face, and she let her fingers run through the stubble that shaving just never seemed to remove.

“Aha! You came out of the womb with that stubble, and I see that you haven’t managed to get rid of it yet!” And, somehow, she reached around the back of his head and gave him a gentle “thwack.” “You and Little Joe both need the help of a good barber!”

The tension was broken when all four men laughed out loud. Corinne’s giggle was contagious.

“Corinne, you haven’t changed a bit,” Ben said, feeling comfortable once again.

“Well, if you don’t count my being blind, I’m still the same person I’ve always been.” She spoke of her blindness in an off-handed manner as though it were a natural part of life.

“Where is John? You didn’t say so in your letter, but I just assumed he’d be coming with you.” This from Ben.

A flash of sadness crossed Corinne’s face. “Oh, Ben. I guess you haven’t heard and I didn’t write. John died in an explosion several years ago. I was there at the time, and the explosion left me blind.”

Ben was now uncomfortable again. What does one say to news like that?

“Corinne, I’m so sorry. I had no idea.” He squeezed her hand gently.

“Life isn’t always a bed of roses, is it, Ben? You know that much better than I.” Corinne spoke softly. Then, “I’m starving! Is the International House still the best place to get a good steak?”

“It is,” Adam answered. “But…”

“Hop Sing already has a wonderful meal planned for us,” Ben interrupted. “And I’m hungry, too! You know how Hop Sing hates when we’re late for a meal, and I’ll bet he’s more than just a little upset that we’re not already home.”

“Ah, Hop Sing.” Corinne smirked. “I can’t wait to see him. Can I smack him on the back of his head so he’ll remember me?”

There was a chorus of loud “No’s” followed by relaxed laughter.

“The surrey is close by,” Ben said as he took Corinne’s arm.

Adam took Corinne’s other arm.

Corinne shook her head. “I’m blind, not feeble! Adam, you can let go. There’s nothing wrong with my ability to walk.”

“How did you know it was me? Adam asked.

“Your after-shave cologne. I smelled it when I touched your face.”

“You don’t miss much, do you?” Adam laughed.

“Nope.”

While Ben walked Corinne to the surrey, Hoss spoke to his brothers. “Well, let’s get her luggage. We don’t want Hop Sing to throw out supper! I can smell that roast pork from here!” He licked his lips in anticipation.

Adam and Joe rolled their eyes. Hoss wouldn’t miss Hop Sing’s roast pork for anything! And, if the truth be known, neither would they!

CHAPTER THREE

The ride to the Ponderosa was a sharing experience of information. Corinne was a master at keeping all the Cartwrights talking about what they were doing, places they had visited, townsfolk who were good friends. But every now and then, Corinne would ask Ben to stop the surrey. She would close her eyes and tilt her head back and breathe deeply. She always seemed to know where she was – the smell of the trees in the glen, the smell of the flowers in the meadow, the smell of the vast waters of Lake Tahoe. Then she would urge Ben towards home.

By the end of the ride, the only things that the Cartwrights knew about Corinne herself were that John was dead, Corinne was blind, that she had been working as a seamstress for a dressmaker in Denver after John’s death, and that she and John had no children. It would prove to be precious little knowledge…

Upon arriving at the house, Hop Sing burst into view, an irritated look on his face.

“You late! Dinner getting cold! Come eat now!”

Ben smiled at the Chinaman as he lifted Corinne down from the surrey.

“Hop Sing, aren’t you even going to say ‘hello’ to Corinne?”

Hop Sing immediately put his hand to the back of his head and stayed out of reach of Corinne’s hands.

“Hello, Missee Corinne! Very nice see you. Now come eat!”

Corinne whispered to Ben, “He hasn’t changed at all, has he? I don’t think that you run the Ponderosa. Hop Sing runs it!”

Ben shook his head and tried to cover his broad smile.
Corinne stifled a giggle and batted at her dress which she knew was dusty and dirty.

“Ben, I really would love to bathe before we eat. That horrible conveyance that’s called a stagecoach is really a trap for dust and dirt.”

Before Ben could answer, Hop Sing interrupted.

“No time for bath. Eat now or Hop Sing close kitchen down! Everybody starve!”

It was a stand-off, and Corinne had to settle for washing her face and hands in a queue with her hosts before Hoss bolted for the dining room.

“If Hoss sits down before we do, there won’t be any food left,” groused Joe, eliciting a round of laughter.

Adam gathered Corinne into his arms and sprinted to the table. Ben and Joe were more sedate – they trotted with gusto, preceded by Corinne’s melodic laughter.

CHAPTER FOUR

Hop Sing served the meal quickly and managed to stay away from Corinne – he was never sure of the reason that he would get smacked on the back of the head, but he was unwilling to find out. Nobody had yet informed him that Corinne was blind, so he scurried away quickly.

There was an uncomfortable silence as Ben tried to decide exactly how to handle the serving dishes. Usually, his sons just helped themselves or passed the serving bowls around the table. What to do with Corinne?

“Okay, fellas,” Corinne said when she felt the tension. “There’s a method to my madness as far as eating goes. My plate is like the face of a clock. Meat is placed at twelve o’clock, potatoes are at nine o’clock, vegetables are at three o’clock, and anything else is at six o’clock. Whatever we have to drink, and I smell wine, goes to the right of my plate at about one o’clock. Unless you want food all over the table, Ben, I would appreciate your serving me.”

There was an almost audible sigh of relief from around the table.

“How did you know that there were potatoes? Hop Sing often makes stuffing to go with the pork.” Joe just had to ask.

Corinne turned her head in the direction of Joe’s voice. “There’s nothing wrong with my nose, young man! And I can hear a gnat sneeze from a mile away! One of my senses is gone, but the others make up for it.”

Then, “Adam, you’re closest to Little Joe. Will you do the honors for me?”

With a grin, Adam cuffed Joe playfully on the back of the head.

And so the meal began with a round of chuckles.

“This brings back memories of the old days when my parents used to bring me here,” Corinne reminisced. “I have such wonderful memories of the Ponderosa.”

Ben smiled. Corinne was finally talking about herself and had mentioned her parents who were now dead and were buried in the Virginia City cemetery.

“Bill and Emily were good people,” Ben stated as he stabbed a potato.

“Yes, they were. I think I was a handful, even then, though.” Corinne cut a piece of the pork with no trouble. As she chewed, she added, “Hop Sing hasn’t lost his touch. This is delicious!”

Hop Sing, who had been standing just around the corner, had overheard the entire conversation thus far and now was aware that Corinne was blind. He felt the back of his head and figured he was safe from being smacked. But he would still give Corinne a wide berth.

“What memories stand out the most?” This question came from Adam, the inquisitor.

“One thing is when Hoss took me to see a mama fox and her babies. Hoss was always so good with animals, and the mama fox trusted him enough to let us actually sit and watch her and her babies for well over an hour. I was impressed and overwhelmed all at the same time. I don’t know any other folks who have the rapport with animals, both wild and tame, like Hoss did – and probably still does.”

Hoss stabbed another potato, and his cheeks burned red. He had always been teased about his love of food. Nobody had ever complimented him on anything but his strength. Corinne had seen deep into his soul and really knew him.

“Another memory,” Corinne continued, “was when I made a pie for Little Joe. And he ate it and then got sorta… sickly… for the rest of the evening.”

Joe immediately jumped at the bait. “That was a mud pie, and I was too young to know the difference! You told me that it was chocolate…” His voice trailed off amid the laughter, and he, too, blushed.

All Corinne could manage to say was, “I lied. You were so gullible then. And I was young then, too.”

“I remember my first kiss which came much later than mud pies,” Corinne added. And stopped. She had a devilish smirk on her face.

“Who kissed you?” Ben asked.

“Adam.”

“Adam?” Ben looked incredulous. Hoss grinned and Joe snickered.

Adam, who had been quiet, shrugged. “I liked older women.”

Joe, the mischief-maker, just had to ask, “How was it?”

“It needed improvement,” came the answer. “But I made the mistake of saying that I’d try anything once. Twice if I liked it. Not bad at all the second time.”

There was explosive laughter, and Adam blushed to the roots of his hair.

Ben, still laughing, asked the question nobody else would ask. “You were much older than Adam. Were you trying to lead my son astray or was it the other way around?”

Now, Corinne blushed. “Ben, you have to remember that I was tall and gangly. Other girls were going out with boys by then, but I was the one who sat at home alone. Even though there was a big difference in our ages, Adam was very mature then and he was a good listener. I told him that I had never been kissed by a boy and that I wanted to know what it was like. I asked him to kiss me, and he did. I liked it and asked to be kissed again. Just out of curiosity, you understand. It was a learning experience. And Adam was quite obliging…” Corinne’s voice trailed off, and she smiled in Adam’s direction. “It was harmless and happened only once. I knew it wasn’t proper and I felt guilty for quite a while after that.”

Corinne quickly went on to the next thing that came to mind.

“And then there are memories of Ben – when I was grown. First when my father died and again when my mother died. I remember how comforting he was as I laid my head against his chest. His voice was deep and resonated against my ear. I could smell his pipe tobacco, and I’ve loved the smell of pipe tobacco ever since. Ben, do you still smoke a pipe?”

“Occasionally,” Ben answered, his heart touched by Corinne’s memory.

“I’m glad,” was all the woman could say.

There was a silence. Then Adam spoke.

“Are you moving back to Virginia City?”

“No. Actually, I’m on the way to Kansas, but I just had to stop and see all of you first. And I want to put flowers on my parents’ graves. Sometimes there’s comfort in memories.”

“You said you were a seamstress,” Ben sipped the last of his wine. “How do you manage that when you can’t see?”

“Actually, I do the fittings. My fingers are my eyes, and I could probably fit a horse in a dress if I needed to. Once a dress is fitted, the dressmaker does the rest. It sounds like a big job, but I find out the most interesting gossip!” Corinne snickered. “As a matter of fact, I might stay in Virginia City for a while if a dressmaker will hire me. The dressmaker could go to the Dry Goods store with me, I could choose decent material by feel alone, and she could tell me what color it is. Plus, she could tell me all about who wanted the dress and why she wanted it, designs could be discussed, and an appropriate dress could be made. That’s how I did things in Denver.”

“I hope you decide to stay,” Ben said softly. He really liked this sassy, honest woman and thoroughly enjoyed her company. She brought brightness into the house – not only did he enjoy her company but it was obvious that his sons felt the same way.

“We’ll see what happens,” came Corinne’s answer, and her hand touched Ben’s – just for an instant, but both woman and man felt something special in that touch.

CHAPTER FIVE

Hop Sing smiled broadly as he brought in the dessert – large slabs of peach pie. The aroma was tantalizing and, though she felt she couldn’t eat another bite of food, Corinne’s fork went to her slice of pie as though it had a will of its own.

“Hop Sing, I do believe that you perform magic on all the food you cook. My mother, God bless her, would turn over in her grave if she knew that you were a better cook than she!” A pause. “Well, she’s probably spinning several times now that she’s heard me tell you that!”

Hop Sing knew a heartfelt compliment when he heard one, and he smiled broadly at Corinne.

“You eat good tonight. Hop Sing cook for you any time. Put meat on those skinny bones.” Hop Sing leaned in close to Corinne.

Quickly, Corinne’s hand went out and playfully cuffed the Chinaman on the back of his head, causing Hop Sing to jump and launch into a long torrent of Chinese as he scurried back into the kitchen. If the truth be known, that gentle smack to the back of his head made him feel like part of the family. He smiled happily to himself – but he would remember to give Missee Corinne a wider berth from now on.

“Anyone for brandy?” Ben asked as he led Corinne from the table into the living room.

“I might as well. In for a dime, in for a dollar,” Corinne laughed as she patted her full tummy. “I think I’m a pig. I certainly ate like one!”

Adam poured the brandy and gave each person a glass. For a few moments, there was a companionable silence. Then Corinne opened up the discussion that she was most interested in.

“Tell me about ‘The Gang.’ I’ve been hearing all kinds of tales about them and wonder why it is that they haven’t been caught.”

“Terrible men. They commit heinous crimes and then disappear, seemingly into thin air,” said Ben.

Corinne thought about this. “Well, it seems to me that, if the leader’s name is Ken Rawlins, people would recognize him and be able to find him easily. But I hear that there are no likenesses of him on any Wanted posters. Why is that? And how does anyone know that the man’s name is Ken Rawlins to begin with?”

Adam answered. “The name is an alias. One of ‘The Gang’ was caught and the only thing he would say is that the world could call the leader by that name. All the members wear hoods, and nobody can make identification. That may be one of the reasons that they haven’t been apprehended – nobody knows what they look like. Nobody knows where they will strike next.”

Corinne snorted. “They could be living right here in Virginia City and nobody would know it? That’s scary.”

“That’s about the size of it,” Ben answered as he lit his pipe and watched as Corinne’s face turned toward the puffs of tobacco smoke. She smiled momentarily.

“Well, they obviously ride horses. Horses leave tracks. Can’t lawmen or a posse just follow the tracks?”

Hoss answered this question. “Sure, the horses leave tracks. But the men stick to roads that are well-traveled. The tracks just mingle with the hoofprints of other horses. I reckon the men could get just out of sight, take off their masks, and look like ordinary folks. Who would know the diff’rence? Not even their horses can be identified. The horses are just run-of-the-mill horses with no distinctive markings.”

“Well,” Corinne countered, “if I saw a bunch of strange faces on the road, coming into town or leaving town, I’d be curious as to who they were.”

“Corinne,” Ben said gently, “you know that there’s a gold strike going on almost every day in this part of the country. Hundreds of strange faces arrive in towns every day. And hundreds leave for other towns every day. There’s so much coming and going that groups of people can locate and relocate at will.”

“Maybe they commit their crimes and then split up. Has anyone thought about that?”

Joe shook his head. “Lawmen have been thinking of every angle, but they still can’t predict where or when these guys will strike or how they manage to get away so easily.”

“I think they must blend in with the townspeople. They could be friends or neighbors or anything…” Corinne’s voice trailed off.

“Why the interest in Ken Rawlins?” This from inquisitive Adam.

Corinne just shrugged. “He seems to be the topic of conversation everywhere. People aren’t safe in their homes, banks aren’t safe, trains aren’t safe, stagecoaches aren’t safe. It’s a deplorable state of affairs.”

Finishing her brandy, Corinne turned in Ben’s direction and inhaled deeply. How she loved the smell of that tobacco smoke! And, to tell the truth, she had always had a crush on Ben though she never let it show.

“Ben, I know it’s late, but I need to go back to town and try to get a room at Ma’s Boarding House. I’ve decided I want to stay in Virginia City for a while.”

Ben gave a quizzical look at his sons. “But I thought you would stay here, on the Ponderosa, with us.”

Corinne smiled. “Ben! A widow-woman in a house full of grown men? It would be absolutely scandalous!”

Joe chuckled. “We like scandal.”

“Not if it’s associated with the Cartwright name,” Corinne countered.

“Hoss, would you be so kind…”

Hoss smacked his younger brother on the back of the head, almost knocking him from his chair.

“Youch!” Joe yelped. “Corinne never hits me that hard!”

Hoss just grinned and there was a low chuckle from Adam.

“I’ll compromise with you,” Ben said after a moment of thought. “Stay here tonight. Tomorrow I’ll take you into town – we’ll see if Ma even has a room for you. If she doesn’t, then right back here you’ll come. Deal?”

Corinne thought this over. “Deal!”

Then, she stifled a yawn. “It’s been a long day for me. Is it too late for me to take that bath? I can’t crawl into bed as filthy as I am now. I’m surprised that Hop Sing didn’t make me eat outside on the porch!” Another melodic laugh.

Hop Sing, who had been eavesdropping all night, had stayed one step ahead of Corinne. “Water ready for Missee Corinne! Hop Sing have towels and soap and robe ready too!”

“He is a wonder, isn’t he?” Corinne giggled. “He seems to anticipate everything.”

Adam chuckled. “That sly fox has probably been within earshot all evening. I wouldn’t put it past him.”

And so it was that Corinne got her bath. And so it was that she ended up in Ben’s bathrobe – she knew that it was Ben’s by its scent. She rubbed her cheek against the satiny fabric. And, when she reappeared into the living room, all clean and shiny and smelling fresh, something in Ben stirred. Feelings that he wasn’t used to and which confused him. Gently, after she said good night to Adam, Hoss and Little Joe, Ben guided Corinne to the guest room and folded down the covers. Corinne crawled into the bed and had time only to say, “Thank you for a wonderful evening.” She fell asleep in the middle of blowing a kiss to Ben. He made his exit and closed the door quietly. A warm smile flickered across his face.

CHAPTER SIX

Corinne awoke slowly and stretched like a cat. Immediately it dawned on her where she was, and the special Braille watch around her neck told her sensitive fingers that she had overslept. The big house was completely quiet, and she haltingly moved across the room and opened the door a crack. All was still quiet, and she assumed that the Cartwrights had begun their day at their usual early-morning hour – she was alone in the house. Or maybe Hop Sing was here, but there were no noises coming from the kitchen. She knew where everything was located, and she wasn’t afraid. Not bothering to take off Ben’s bathrobe, not bothering to brush her hair or splash cold water on her face, Corinne boldly stepped through the door and turned left toward the kitchen.

Hearing a slight unidentifiable noise that came from her right, she got distracted and bumped painfully into a chair.

Immediately, she exploded with a fairly graphic expletive. Then, “Why is this chair here?” It was, of course, a rhetorical question.

“Good morning, sleepy head,” a deep voice intoned. “And for future reference, that kind of language will not be tolerated in this house.”

The voice belonged to Ben, and the ensuing chuckle belonged to Adam.

Corinne was mortified. Here she stood in nothing but Ben’s bathrobe, hair all askew, and she was busily rubbing her bare leg where it had made unfortunate contact with the chair. And she had sworn, and gotten caught at it!

“Coffee,” she croaked, while she tried to think of something to say. “And who put that chair there? I don’t remember it being there last night!”

“That chair has always been there, right against the wall. It’s an extra chair to be used when it’s needed at the table.” Ben was trying very hard not to laugh.

“Nice leg,” Adam whispered as he went to Corinne’s side and seated her at the table.

“You’re a pervert!” Corinne hissed. She wanted to swat him but, by the sound of his boots on the floor, he had jumped out of reach.

“What are you two still doing here, anyway?” she asked. “The house was so quiet that I thought I was alone.”

Ben laughed. “In answer to your first question, we live here. The house is quiet because Adam and I didn’t want to wake you. We’re going over some timber contracts, and that process requires quiet concentration.”

Corinne heard coffee being poured and gratefully reached for the cup. The hot liquid wiped the cobwebs from her head. Her hands flew to her hair, which surely had become a tangled mess as she slept, and she moaned in embarrassment.

“The state of your coiffure is the least of your problems. You’re wearing Pa’s robe and apparently not much underneath it.” This from Adam who was enjoying the whole scenario.

Corinne’s hands flew to the robe and, finding that none of her body parts had escaped, she breathed a sigh of relief.

“Ben, your eldest son is demented!”

A very deep chuckle. “Yes, he does seem to be that way, doesn’t he?”

Corinne jumped up and hissed, “You’re both incorrigible! I’m going to get dressed and brush my hair and wash my face right this minute!”

As luck would have it, as she jumped up and headed into what she hoped was the guest room, she banged her other leg into the chair against the wall. She took a deep breath and started to swear.

“Watch your language!” Ben intoned. And that voice meant business.

Limping slightly, with her hand against the wall, Corinne found the guest room and she disappeared inside, slamming the door behind her.
What a shame that she missed Ben and Adam’s broad smiles.

CHAPTER SEVEN

By the time Corinne emerged from her room, she had had time to see the humor in the whole situation.

“I’m sorry for the bad language and my poor attitude. I’m not fit to be around people until I’ve had my morning coffee.” She smiled as she tentatively made her way to the table, studiously avoiding any contact with the chair against the wall.

“In that case, please sit down and have some breakfast.” Ben’s voice didn’t sound angry, and Corinne was relieved.

“Where’s Adam?” she asked.

“How can you tell he’s not here?” Ben asked in wonderment.

“I can’t smell his cologne nearly as strongly as before. That means he’s either in another part of the house or he’s gone.”

“He’s outside throwing a saddle on Sport. He has a meeting with some contractors about supplying lumber for train tracks.”

“Where is everyone else?”

“Hoss and Little Joe are doing some fence repairs, and Hop Sing is in the kitchen whipping up a quick breakfast – just for you. You and I have a date to check out Ma’s place later. The day has been planned all the way around.”

Hop Sing entered with a plate of fresh scrambled eggs, ham, bacon, and fried potatoes. Corinne smiled as she caught the aroma of the meal, and she touched Hop Sing’s arm gently as he put the plate down.

“Thank you, Hop Sing. Hot coffee and a delicious breakfast are a good start for a very busy day.”

“Missee Corinne must eat to keep up strength.” Then he disappeared into the kitchen once more.

Corinne had just finished the last bite of her breakfast when she heard footsteps approaching. She turned her body to face the sound of the footsteps.

“Hello, again, Adam,” Corinne said abruptly. “I know you’re back in the room because I smell your cologne.”

“There’s no sneaking up on you, is there?” Adam half-laughed.

He then turned to Ben. “We need supplies from town and we need to make a list. Corinne, will you write some things down for us?” He guided Corinne’s hands to a pencil and a notebook of paper.

There was something strange about Adam’s request, and there was also something strange about his voice. Ben looked quizzically at his eldest son but said nothing.

“Adam, I need help writing,” Corinne said matter-of-factly.

“Oh, I must be mistaken. You must not’ve written that letter to Pa about your coming to Virginia City. Did someone write it for you?” There was that strange tone again – rather cool in nature. Too cool.

“No, I wrote that letter myself. But I had help. If you’ll bring me the small valise from the bedroom, I’ll show you how it’s done.”

Quick as a flash, Adam had the valise and stood, rather than sat, as Corinne’s fingers explored the bag. She smiled and pulled out leather bag and emptied its contents onto the table. What Adam and Ben saw was something that looked like an open wooden frame with small rulers placed vertically in precise positions. Corinne moved the frame over the paper that Adam had given her.

Slowly and laboriously, Corinne began to write above the top ruler. When she reached the edge of the frame, she dropped down to the second line and began to write again.
“See? This keeps me from scrawling up and down all over the page. But, I have been told that the spacing between letters and words is all wrong, so a friend of mine – who happens to be blind and is a whiz at reading Braille – introduced me to a way that helps with that.”

Both Adam and Ben leaned in for a closer look as Corinne pulled out a thick piece of almost worn-out paper.
“Now, on this piece of paper – if you could read Braille – you would find the letters of the alphabet. Capital letters and small letters. There are even numbers. Right below each of those letters or numbers are areas that can be easily traced by pen or pencil. I’ll show you. I’ll just print a very short sentence.”

Easily and quickly, Corinne moved the paper up and down underneath the wooden frame. When she had finished, the printed word read “Ben smokes a pipe.” The letters and words were easily read. Nobody would’ve known that a blind person could print so well.

“Impressive,” Adam admitted. “But I remember how you used to write and you never printed. Your letter to Pa was written in script.”

Ben shot an accusatory look at his eldest son. “That letter was written to me. Did you read it yourself?”

Adam shrugged. “While I was sitting at your desk earlier this morning, I had to open the drawer to get a contract out. I saw the letter and read it. Corinne has beautiful penmanship.”

Corinne could feel the tension between father and son. She herself was tense, and she hurriedly pulled another thick sheet of paper from her valise. She went through the same process and explanation as she had done with the first sheet of paper. When she was finished, the paper showed “Ben smokes a pipe” written in perfect script.
She sat back and waited, holding her breath, while Ben and Adam looked at the paper in silence.

Ben spoke first. “You should put a patent on this process. It’s incredible!”

“I have to agree, Corinne. Is it hard to get the hang of it?”

“I struggled with Braille for a long time. And when I felt comfortable with it, I wanted to be able to write. Of course, I can’t read what I write, but there’s always a kind soul who can check things for me.” She felt herself exhale in relief. Then she added, “You two could do this easily because it’s tracing an outline that you can see. I’m so used to Braille that just feeling the outline of letters is difficult.”

“What will you do when these pieces of paper wear out?” Ben held one gently in his big hands.

“I’ll get back in touch with the people in Denver and have them make me new ones. That’s what I’ve had to do before. Now, let’s make that supply list. While you and I are in town, we can get whatever is needed.”

After the list was made, Corinne took her valise back to her room. But she could hear Ben’s low voice as he spoke to Adam.

“I don’t read mail that’s addressed to you, and I don’t expect you to read mail that’s addressed to me unless I specifically give you permission. We always have respected each other’s privacy, and I see no reason to change that policy. Understood?”

“Understood,” Adam answered.

“And you and I are going to discuss this matter later on. I get the feeling that you were accusing Corinne of something or trying to catch her in some kind of lie, and I’m going to know the reason why by the time we finish talking!” Ben’s voice was low and very angry.

In the face of his father’s wrath, all Adam could say was, “Yes, sir.” He really didn’t understand this weird feeling that Corinne was up to something but his gut told him to be on the alert. And his gut feelings weren’t usually wrong.

CHAPTER EIGHT

Even Ben had a niggling feeling when he drove Corinne into town. Perched on the high seat of the buckboard, she seemed to be staring at people – but how could she? She was blind!

Subtly, Ben asked, “What are you looking at?”

Corinne jumped slightly and then answered with a snort, “You know that I can’t see. But I’m listening to conversations and trying to see if there are still some familiar voices.” She rested her hand on Ben’s arm. “Besides, I’m hoping that everyone will see me with the most handsome man in the Cartwright clan.”

“Are you after my scalp as well as the scalps of my sons?” Ben asked with a smile. He knew he was being flattered, but he liked it.

“I want your scalp only if you give it to me willingly,” came Corinne’s honest answer.

Ben didn’t know what to say in response, so he changed the subject. “All I hear is the buzz and drone of people walking and talking. What do you hear?”

“I’ve learned to focus my hearing. For example, there’s a woman to our left who is begging her husband to buy her a new hat. And to our right are two men trying to decide who’ll pay for lunch at the International House.”

Ben had no idea if she was right or wrong, so he didn’t argue the point. Instead, he pulled the horses to a stop at the General Store.

“I’ll drop off the list we made and pick up the supplies on my way out of town. Or on our way out of town if Ma has no rooms available.”

He took longer in the store than he had thought he would. There were several people who asked who the lady in his buckboard was. These were people he had known for quite a while but who had never known Corinne or her family. He was rather disgruntled with the questions, but he decided that answering truthfully was the best route to take. By the time he emerged from the store, Corinne was smirking. She answered his unspoken question as he climbed up onto the seat.

“Gossip has already begun,” she giggled. “There were two ladies standing nearby discussing whether you and I are a couple. At some point, there was a third lady who jumped into the conversation. They obviously don’t know that I’m blind and they must think I’m deaf! One woman has a voice that would carry from here to Reno!”

Corinne now dissolved into laughter, and Ben couldn’t help but laugh also. There were, indeed, three women outside when he exited the store. They were openly staring at Corinne who appeared to be staring right back at them and smiling sweetly.

Ben chuckled. “You are definitely describing Leona McTavish. If you think her voice is loud, you definitely have to attend church services with us to hear her sing! It’s a wonder that any of us have eardrums left!”

“Describe her to me, Ben. I need to get a picture of her in my mind.”

“Well, she’s short, overweight, has graying hair, and wears enough perfume to stop up your nose permanently. She’s married to Octavius McTavish, owner of one of the banks here. He’s quiet and shy, very intelligent and likeable. How he hooked up with Leona is anyone’s guess.”

“And the other two ladies? One of them speaks with a distinctive German accent.”

“That one is Mattie Stern. She and her husband, Oliver, came here from Germany years ago. Mattie is tall and thin and rather gaunt – and very nosy. Her husband sells fine china and jewelry and has a wonderful sense of humor. In self-defense, I would imagine. And, before you ask, the third member of the group is Belle Latimer. She’s part owner of one of the saloons here. She has impossibly red hair and a very ribald sense of humor. I have to say that she has a good heart in spite of some tragic things that have happened during her life. Like Leona and Mattie, she’s been here for quite some time and, despite her line of business, she’s quite well-liked.”

“Thank you, Ben. Now I’m familiar with at least three voices in town. I’m sure I’ll be full of more questions if I can find a job here. Let’s head to Ma’s!”

CHAPTER NINE

Delightedly, Ma embraced Corinne as though Corinne were a long-lost daughter. One of the oldest residents of Virginia City, she never forgot a face or a name. She knew everything that there was to know about every soul in town – she was a fountain of information but she wasn’t a gossip. She was well-loved and well-trusted. And she did have a room for Corinne.

As Ben brought in the luggage, Corinne explored the room, touching everything and counting under her breath. “Ten steps from the door to the bed, three steps to the chair by the window…”

“What’re you doing?” Ben asked as he placed the luggage on the bed where Corinne could reach it easily.

“I’m familiarizing myself with the room. I count how many steps there are from one place to another so I don’t trip or fall. There are seven steps to the dresser. There are almost ten steps to the window. And, by the feeling of the morning sun on my skin, the window must have a northeastern exposure.”

“It most certainly does. And you’re at the rear of the house where it’s relatively quiet.”

Corinne opened the window and gazed out. “Well, bless my soul, there’s Adam!”

Ben, who wasn’t looking out the window, was
startled. “How do you know that?”

Corinne paused. “The wind is blowing in this direction. I can smell his cologne.”

“He must be looking for me,” Ben mused. “I’ll be back by the time you unpack.”

Ben met Adam before Adam even got to Ma’s back door.

“Pa, I was just coming to ask you a question about this contract. I figured you’d be here and I needed your advice quickly so I came up the back way.”

“Corinne said you were coming this way, so I decided to meet you outside. She’s getting settled in one of the quieter rooms in the back.”

“Really?” Adam said with surprise. “How did she know I was coming here?”

“She said she could smell your cologne on the wind blowing through the window.”

“Uh, Pa…” Adam hesitated. “I’m downwind from the rear of the house. She couldn’t possibly have smelled my cologne.”

Ben’s jaw dropped in surprise. “Well, someone else must have been close by. Someone who wears the same after-shave as you do.”

“I’m sure that must be it, Pa.” But Adam wasn’t at all convinced. And he had that gut feeling again. Something was amiss but he decided not to pursue the matter. The contract he had in his hand was the most important thing right now. And, after a brief discussion with his father, Adam left. Ben went back up to Corinne’s room, but he said nothing. He did notice, however, that the curtains at Corinne’s window weren’t moving. There wasn’t even the tiniest of breezes…

CHAPTER TEN

Ben walked carefully along the boardwalk as he led Corinne to a dressmaker’s shop, appropriately named “Haute Couture.” Corinne felt Ben’s reluctance to enter a ladies’ dress shop, so she asked if he would mind just waiting outside for her. The relief in his voice was obvious, and Corinne heard him as he sat down in one of the creaky chairs outside the window of the high-fashion shop. Then she went inside.

He was thinking about Corinne. How could she have known Adam was approaching the boarding house from the back entrance when there wasn’t a breath of wind? He shook his head but couldn’t arrive at an answer.

He jumped when he felt a hand on his arm. Startled, he looked up and saw Corinne standing by his side.

“Did you get the job?” was the only thing he could think of to ask.

Corinne snorted. “I wouldn’t work for that snobby Genevieve if she paid me triple salary! I’ve never seen such a hoity-toity woman in my entire life! And I’m not even sure that she’s French!” Then, “Would you mind walking with me to a place that she suggested might be ‘more suitable’ for my ‘disability’?”

Ben looked into Corinne’s gray eyes and knew that her feelings had been hurt.

“Of course I’ll take you!” And then he whispered, “I never cared for Genevieve anyway.”

As they turned to walk away, Corinne made an obscene gesture toward the shop. Ben grabbed her arm.

“Corinne! Try very hard to remember that you’re a lady.”

Ben didn’t know whether to be angry or whether to laugh.

“Yessir,” came the contrite answer.

But, when Ben wasn’t looking, Corinne turned and stuck her tongue out. She felt better, faced forward and continued walking.

Her face was a study of concentration.

“Are you listening to people?” Ben asked.

“Yes and no. I was trying to hear conversations and count how many steps we’ve come so far, and I’ve failed miserably at both.”

Dejection was written on Corinne’s face. Ben patted her hand reassuringly, causing a young couple to stop briefly in their tracks and gawk. Ben greeted them as he and Corinne passed by, and Corinne heard his deep chuckle.

“What’s so funny?” she asked.

“We just passed Jennifer Roper and Robert Corliss. A very nice young couple who are planning to be married soon. They gawked at us.”

Corinne smothered a laugh. I’m ruining your reputation, you know.

“Yep,” Ben answered happily. “Fun, isn’t it?”

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Virginia City had only one tailor’s shop which happened to be owned by Genevieve’s husband, Francoise. Genevieve herself had the high-class dressmaker’s shop. There was only one other shop to check out, but Ben secretly doubted that Corinne would be employed there. The owner/dressmaker was a delightful woman, close to Ben’s age, who had been widowed several years ago. She didn’t exactly have a booming business, and Ben suspected that her income was meager. Her rates were extremely reasonable and the clothes she made were attractive. Unfortunately, most of her business right now leaned toward dressing the saloon girls. She put a lot of effort into making even those dresses. And, she also did some tailoring for men.

“Let’s try this shop,” Ben suggested, not bothering to say that this was the last dressmaker’s shop in town.

A bell rang over the door as Ben and Corinne entered. A woman’s voice called from the back room.

“Don’t go away! Have a seat and I’ll be right with you!”

So, Ben and Corinne sat. Corinne fidgeted. There were few times in her life when she was nervous – few times when she didn’t get what she was after. But finding a job in Virginia City was of the utmost importance. And it had to be the right job!

From the back room, there was a thump followed by an expletive, and then Corinne heard a rustling of a skirt as a woman entered the room.

“Ben! How wonderful to see you!” Corinne heard what sounded like a kiss on Ben’s cheek. “Please tell me that you need a suit or vest or shirt or something. Business has been rather slow lately.”

Ben paused. “I don’t need anything today, Bethany, but I have someone here I’d like you to meet.”

Words came out of Corinne’s mouth in a rush. “My name is Corinne Harland, and I need a job. I’m also quite blind. But I do excellent fittings.”

Bethany had a distinctive laugh. “You don’t waste any time, do you, gal? Slow down and let’s talk a minute. And, Ben, you stay right where you are. There isn’t anything Corinne and I can’t discuss in front of you.”

Corinne liked Bethany immediately. There was no snobbery in her voice – she sounded like she was a down-to-earth lady. Her laugh gave Corinne a sense of calm.

Corinne and Bethany traded questions and answers. Bethany needed to know exactly what Corinne’s capabilities were and she wanted Corinne to know that her business wasn’t exactly booming. Corinne needed to know about the saloon girls. Bethany needed to know how long Corinne had been blind. Now came the test.

“Corinne, I’m making a dress for myself. I’m quite short but would like to appear taller. I need a dress that doesn’t make me look like I’m wearing a sheet, but I can’t fit myself and then make the dress too. I’ve ripped out so many seams that my fingers are raw. I’ve been invited to Jennifer and Robert’s wedding, and I want to look especially nice. Let’s see if you can help me.” Then, “Ben, you stay right where you are. You’re going to judge how I look – good or bad. You’re as honest as the day is long!”

With that, Bethany half-dragged Corinne into the back room. Ben waited patiently and tried to overhear the conversation.

Bethany first tried on the dress she had worked so hard on. There was much rustling and stirring about. Bethany guided Corinne’s hands to the material.

“Can I be honest?” Corinne asked.

“You’d better be!”

“This is the wrong material for you. It’s too bulky and too hard to work with. What color is it?”

“Pale blue.”

“The color is right. Do you have any other material here that I can touch? My fingers are my eyes.”

Indeed, Bethany had invested a good bit of her money in bolts of material, and she watched as Corinne touched one bolt after another.

“What color is this?” Corinne finally asked.

“A medium-dark lavender with darker pinstripes running vertically.”

“And what color is your hair? Your skin tone?”

“My hair? It’s brown with a little gray. My skin is rather pale.”

Corinne smiled. “Perfect!” And, after Bethany had shed the first dress, blind Corinne proceeded to wrap, tuck, pin and baste until Bethany was tired of standing. Corinne had come up with a creation completely different than what Bethany had had in mind – for one thing, the waist was made differently. It didn’t matter that the material was draped all around Bethany’s body – it already looked like a dress made from an expensive pattern.

Bethany looked in her triple mirror and was astonished. The color was perfect, and the pinstripes did give the appearance of making Bethany look taller. It would make a perfect dress for Jennifer’s wedding, dressy but not bold or gaudy.

“Ben! Ben! What do you think of this dress?” Bethany chortled as she fairly flew into the front room, leaving Corinne to try to find her way on her own.

“Bethany, I’m not a judge of women’s dresses,” Ben said with a sigh.

“But you do have an opinion of this dress. Men always have opinions but never say
much.”

“Okay. The dress is charming. The color absolutely suits you. But you need to wear a higher pair of shoes because the hem is dragging the floor.” Ben hated to make such a criticism, but he also needed to be honest.

Bethany burst into howling laughter. “The dress is dragging the floor because I’m not wearing any shoes! I must look taller!”

Ben tilted his head. “You do, indeed.”

Corinne had found her way into the front room and was listening intently to what was being said.

“How did you make me look taller?” Bethany was breathless with excitement.

“It’s just a subtle difference. A combination of different material, the vertical pinstripes, and changing the area and style of the waistline.”

Bethany hugged Corinne tightly. “You’re hired. But I can’t pay much right now until business picks up. It seems to go up and down like a yo-yo. When can you start working?”

“As soon as you’re ready,” Corinne answered, her face flushed with excitement.

“Then come in tomorrow morning. Ben, can you bring her in early?”

“She’s staying at Ma’s. I won’t be bringing her in.”

“Ah, that works out well because she can walk here and then walk back to Ma’s. It’s not a long walk, either. But this woman is so pretty that you should keep her under lock and key and marry her yourself before someone else does.”

Ben blushed. “Corinne’s a family friend. She’s not looking for marriage.” He didn’t speak for himself.

Bethany hugged Corinne again. “This is just perfect!”

Corinne thought that it was more perfect than anyone would ever know. She smiled brightly and promised to be at work first thing in the morning. Then she took Ben’s arm and was guided out the door. Bethany dashed back to look at herself in the triple mirror, managed to extricate herself from the material without getting scratched by the pins, and then she began to sew, smiling happily to herself.

CHAPTER TWELVE

Corinne had one more stop that had to be made, and that stop would take her to the bank which Ben trusted the most. If Ben kept his money there, then so would Corinne! So, into the bank they went and proceeded to the desk of Octavius McTavish, the bank owner and president.

Ben started to make the introductions but was interrupted by Corinne.

“My name is Corinne Harland, and I wish to make a deposit.” She extended her hand and grasped Mr. McTavish’s hand firmly. “I think you need to know that I am blind and, with the Rawlins Gang mucking about, I want to be reassured that this bank is safe. My deposit is not large, but it’s all the money that I have. Can you give me that reassurance?”

Both Ben and Octavius gaped. Corinne appeared to be confident and to-the-point.

“I can assure you that this is the safest bank in Virginia City,” McTavish answered proudly. There are bars on all the windows. The bank tellers are in individual cubicles to ensure total privacy of all transactions. These tellers have been here for years, and I trust each one of them. The tellers keep only a certain amount of money in their cubicles. It’s a well-known fact that, if someone wants to make a large withdrawal or deposit, that person needs to be here in the afternoon when the safe can be opened. The bank safe itself is custom-made with solid double-steel walls all the way around. The safe door works on a timer and can be opened only at certain times of the day – namely once in the morning, once in the afternoon, and once at the end of the day. We have two armed guards, one for the morning shift and another one for the afternoon shift. And I have a gun in my desk drawer. Is that reassurance enough?”

Corinne smiled her sweetest smile. “I don’t think I could ask for anything more. I’d like to make my deposit now.”

To give Corinne privacy, Ben stepped away while Octavius and Corinne verified the amount of money to be deposited and then Corinne was given a book to keep track of her deposits and withdrawals.

“I can’t read what the passbook says. I’ve just been hired at Bethany’s shop and I will be transacting business here.”

“Well, then, come to me or one of the tellers and they will help you. The matter will be one of strict privacy.”

Once again, Corinne extended her hand. Octavius clasped it and nodded his head slightly at Ben. This was the signal to Ben that Corinne’s personal business had been completed and that it all right to approach. Corinne thanked McTavish, took Ben’s arm, and the two of them exited the bank. But neither of them could miss a very loud voice. The voice, of course, came from Leona.

“For that pittance of a deposit, she could’ve kept her money in her pillowcase. It’s not enough to steal! And working for Bethany? Why, she won’t be in here much at all. If you ask me, she’s a gold-digger after Ben’s money and the Cartwright name!”

“Leona, for God’s sake, keep your voice down! Miz Harland’s business, like everyone else’s, is personal and private!”

Corinne just couldn’t resist. Spinning away from Ben, she looked straight at Leona and hissed, “I resent being called a ‘gold-digger.’ And Ben should resent it also. The Cartwrights have been friends to my family and to me for as long as I can remember. But for the fact that Ben is here right now, I’d take my ‘pittance of a deposit’ and go to another bank! I may be blind. I may not have a high-paying job. But I do have a job and my money will be in this bank. Furthermore, I certainly have never been referred to as ‘rude’ which is more than I can say for you!”

Leona’s mouth dropped, and she started to say something.

“Oh, Leona, do shut up!” her husband demanded. “And go find someone else to bother. I’m very busy.”

There was a rustling of skirts and the sounds of stomping feet. Then a door slammed.

Octavius approached Ben and Corinne. “I apologize for my wife’s behavior and for her rudeness. I don’t know what else to say.”

Ben was quiet, waiting for Corinne’s response.

“Thank you, Mr. McTavish. Your apology is accepted. You can’t be held responsible for what your wife says.”

Outside the bank, Ben spoke. “You’ve made one friend and one enemy in that bank. Having Leona McTavish gossiping about you will be a detriment.”

“Ben, I can handle myself,” Corinne said confidently. “I’ve had a lot of practice.”

Ben thought a moment and then asked a question. “Leona’s voice bounces off walls. It’s almost impossible to tell where she is, but you looked her square in the eye. How did you know where to look?”

“Just luck,” Corinne answered succinctly. “I assumed she was standing at Mr. McTavish’s desk because she saw the amount of my deposit.”

“But she could’ve been standing somewhere else,” Ben pursued.

“Like I said, it was just luck. Now let’s drop an unpleasant situation. I’m hungry as a bear! Now that I’m employed, I’m going to buy us a late lunch!”

It never entered Ben’s mind that Corinne was after the Cartwright money. But there was just something about Corinne’s “abilities” that put questions in his mind…

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

During lunch, Corinne was animated and delightful. Ben laughed so hard at some of the things she said that he made heads turn in the direction of his table. He felt rather like a schoolboy again – a schoolboy who was entranced with the attention of a pretty schoolmate. And Corinne was pretty, in a mature way. She wasn’t a beauty, but she kept herself looking fit and attractive. She still had her mysterious gray eyes and her blond hair. Her lips were full, her cheeks were naturally rosy, her teeth were white and almost perfectly straight. But, when he took a minute to look closer, he could see the fine lines around her mouth and at the corners of her eyes and in the middle of her forehead. If he looked very closely, he could see that she had some gray in her hair. These things reminded him that she was not terribly much younger than he. Of course, her sometimes subtle, sometimes outrageous flattery of him was very good for his ego. She was intelligent, smart, funny and feisty. He couldn’t find an unattractive quality about her at all. He just enjoyed being in her company and managed to lose track of time until he looked through the café window and realized that the sun was low on the horizon.

“I hate to do this,” he said sincerely, “but I have to get the buckboard and take the supplies home. I just don’t know where the time went.”

“Is it that late already?” Corinne asked. Her fingers went to the Braille watch around her neck. “Well, I guess it really is. I hate to see this day end.”

Whispering quietly to the waitress who had magically appeared, Corinne reminded Ben that this was her treat. Knowing that this was an important part of her independence, Ben allowed Corinne to pay the bill. He watched as she pulled a wallet from her purse and paid the waitress. She left a tip on the table.

“How can you tell how much money you gave her?” This was an innocent question from Ben.

“Coins are different sizes, and I can feel the difference in each of those. Paper money is folded in a certain way according to denomination. Heaven help me if I forget to fold it the right way or to fold it at all!” Corinne laughed that wonderful, contagious melodic laugh of hers.

The café happened to be on the same side of the street as Haute Couture, the bank, and Bethany’s dress shop. As Ben felt Corinne take his arm, he began walking her toward Ma’s.

Ben started to speak, but was hushed by Corinne who had stopped abruptly. “I’m trying to count the number of steps I take. I already know how far it is from Bethany’s to here, so all I need to know is the approximate distance from here to Ma’s. I deliberately take certain strides so I’m pretty good at measuring from one point to the next. And I have a special cane that I can use so that I don’t run into people and as a flag for people to not run into me. I had it painted a very bright red-and-silver stripe so folks can see it. Besides, by tomorrow, this town will know that I’m blind. I think they’ll be helpful if I get lost.”

Ben felt a reassuring squeeze on his arm. He covered Corinne’s hand with his own and remained quiet as they began to walk. He greeted passing people quietly and smiled at the odd looks on their faces. It was not unusual to see Ben Cartwright with a woman, but it was unusual to see Ben Cartwright practically arm-in-arm with a woman. And a woman new to town, to boot!

Arriving at Ma’s front door, Ben looked into Corinne’s gray eyes and felt his heart warm. It had, indeed, been a good day for both of them.

Without warning, Corinne threw her arms around Ben and hugged him tightly. Her hands finding his face, she felt his smile and proceeded to kiss him squarely on the lips. Involuntarily, Ben jumped in surprise.

“I guess that was quite forward of me,” Corinne said, her voice shaking a bit. “But, if anything, I’ve always been spontaneous…”

“Good night, Corinne,” was all Ben could say. “I’ll be seeing you often – very often.”

“I hope so,” came Corinne’s answer, and then she disappeared through the doorway.

Ben’s smile didn’t disappear from his face until he was halfway home. One might say that he was euphoric. But then thoughts began crowding his mind and the smile disappeared. Thoughts of Corinne’s seeming to smell Adam’s cologne on a wind that wasn’t there. Thoughts of Corinne looking squarely into Leona’s eyes at the bank. Ben hadn’t told Corinne that Leona was not at Octavius’s desk – she was closer to the teller’s window, well to the side of the big desk. Ben’s face took on a puzzled expression.

When he arrived back at the Ponderosa, after the supplies were unloaded, Adam reminded him of the “discussion” that was planned relating to Corinne’s letter. Ben shook his head and told Adam that there was nothing to discuss – he had said earlier everything that needed to be said and there would be no more talk about that incident. He almost told Adam of the strange things he had seen Corinne do this day, but he decided against it. Corinne had an explanation for everything, and he would take everything she said on faith. He didn’t believe she was after him for his name or money, he certainly enjoyed her company and, for all the time he had known her – except for the incident of the “chocolate” mud pie – Corinne had never lied. At least, not that he was aware of.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Maybe Ben could keep his mouth shut, but Adam couldn’t. He spoke to both Hoss and Joe about the things that were bothering him about Corinne. She just simply had too quick an answer to puzzling things. Hoss, who believed in everybody, stated that Corinne was quick with answers because they were the truth. Joe, however, scratched his head and decided that Corinne was truthful or that she was a mighty good liar. All of them agreed that she needed to be watched. But they wouldn’t mention any of this to Ben because it seemed he had already made up his mind about Corinne and had fallen under some kind of spell that she cast.

“Pa believes what he wants to believe. We may be all wrong about Corinne. But, until we have positive proof, our hands are tied. She’s fun and funny and we all enjoy her company. Just keep your eyes peeled.” Adam looked at his brothers.

Heads nodded. The pact of silence had been made.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

This was to be Corinne’s first day at work, and she awoke with excitement. It was too early to eat at Ma’s, so Corinne went to the café and ate a leisurely breakfast. She also focused in on voices and conversations. Just as she had thought, there was some talk of her, her blindness, and her association with the Cartwrights. When she was through with breakfast, she paid her bill, grabbed her red-and-silver cane, and then strode down the boardwalk towards Bethany’s shop. Along the way, she managed to bang her cane against Mattie Stern’s dress, and Corinne wasn’t sorry at all.

Bethany had been right – business was slow at her shop. Corinne asked Bethany to read the newspaper aloud so she could keep up with the current news. Bethany was unaware of how much Corinne was interested in specific news of the Rawlins Gang and their latest escapades and where they had committed their latest crimes. Corinne was a master at listening and busied herself feeling bolts of fabrics and otherwise familiarizing herself with the shop while she kept track of what Bethany read. Some of the news of the Rawlins Gang was noteworthy…

The bell over the shop’s door jingled, and Corinne heard Bethany greet a woman warmly. Introductions were made, and Corinne now met the “impossibly red-haired woman” whom Ben had described just yesterday. The woman was Belle Latimer from “The Oasis” saloon. Belle was earthy and funny, and Corinne liked her immediately.

“Your dress is ready to be fitted,” Bethany said happily to Belle.

“Sure am glad t’ hear that!” Belle laughed. “It won’t be long before we get some drovers into the saloon and I want to look especially nice. The gals who work for me will be needin’ new dresses, too, so get your thread ready!”

Corinne sat quietly while Belle tried on the dress that Bethany had made. There was a silence in the room as Belle apparently looked at herself in the mirror.

“The color is right,” Belle mused, “but the dress isn’t exactly what I had in mind. Bethany, what do you think?”

Corinne heard the rustling of skirts and mutterings from both women. Then Bethany did what Corinne had hoped – she asked for Corinne’s help.

Corinne felt the material, felt the touches that Bethany had added, and even felt the hem of the dress.

“What exactly did you have in mind?” Corinne asked Belle.

“Well, I wanted somethin’ that would be diff’rent than what the other girls wear. I’m part owner of the saloon and would like t’ give that impression in a more subtle way.”

“Uh-huh,” said Corinne as she snipped away the flower from one shoulder strap. She also snipped away the other shoulder strap, trimmed the original flower down to almost nothing and then put it slightly off-center at the waist. Fortunately, Bethany had left enough material at the bodice because Corinne immediately ripped out the seam, announcing that the bodice was way too tight and needed to be let out “just a wee bit.” By the time Corinne had made the changes, Belle was smiling happily.

“If you have a few minutes,” Bethany said, with a smile of her own, “I can have this dress finished in a jiffy.”

“Oh, I have the time. The saloon won’t open for another hour yet.”

So it was that Belle and Corinne sat down in the front room and chatted while Bethany’s feet worked the treadle to her sewing machine. Corinne was subtly pumping information from Belle about the clientele of “The Oasis,” but found out only that Belle didn’t want the saloon to become known as “sleazy” and that she wanted to present a more upper-class feeling to the building.

Belle whispered, “Bethany is an excellent seamstress and her rates are more than reasonable, but she’s rather old-fashioned in her ideas.”

Corinne whispered back. “Please send your girls back here for their dresses. I think Bethany is open to new ideas. The proof will be if you really like your dress with the changes that have been made.” Corinne had more than one reason for saying this…

“Ready!” boomed Bethany.

Belle fell instantly in love with the minor but important changes and promised that Bethany would find herself busier than ever because all the “Oasis” girls would be making a change in their wardrobes.

Belle paid Bethany almost double what the original dress cost and exited the store as a very-excited and satisfied customer. Bethany and Corinne were going to make a good team.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

The bell over the door jingled again, and both Bethany and Corinne jumped in surprise.

“Why, Little Joe! What in the world are you doing here? I thought that slave-driving father of yours would have you mending fences or such.” Bethany laughed good-naturedly. She loved the whole Cartwright family.

“Good late-morning-early-afternoon, ladies,” Joe answered. “I’ve come to take you both to lunch. Don’t tell Pa, but I sneaked away from the chores at the Ponderosa.”

Corinne felt the watch around her neck. “Lordy, it’s time to eat already! Bethany, put the ‘Closed’ sign on the door. We’ve snagged ourselves a Cartwright!”

All three of them laughed as Bethany followed Corinne’s suggestion and closed her shop. Still laughing, the trio headed for the café with Corinne brandishing her cane and clearing the way.

But, try as he might, Joe couldn’t find a single flaw in anything Corinne did. She appeared to be completely blind – even to spilling her glass of water on the table. Joe would have nothing to report to Adam that day.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Belle was true to her word. When Bethany and Corinne returned from lunch, there were two girls from “The Oasis” waiting at Bethany’s door. Bethany had a reputation for treating every customer with respect, rich or poor, fat or skinny, old or young. Of course, the richest people did business with Genevieve, but Bethany’s goal was to upgrade her shop as her finances improved. She had already spent a good bit of her savings on the sewing machine – using money that was fast dwindling in the bank.

While Bethany measured one girl, Corinne asked questions of the other girl about favorite colors and then ran her fingers over bolts of cloth. As she had done with Belle, Corinne asked lots of questions that had nothing to do with clothing but were subtly aimed at the clientele of “The Oasis.” Once again, she came up with no useful information.

Bethany sketched dress designs from patterns that she already had, described them to Corinne who, in turn, suggested a few changes. Belle had wanted her girls to look a little classier, and both Bethany and Corinne worked hard to provide what Belle had yearned for. By the sounds of “oohs” and “ahs,” the ideas had met with great approval. The two girls left with the promise from Bethany that the dresses would be ready to be fitted in three days’ time.

Corinne sat down, somewhat discouraged at the lack of information she sought. Bethany was busy cutting out patterns and failed to notice the look on Corinne’s face. There wasn’t time anyway because, as luck would have it, one more girl from “The Oasis” entered the shop. Her name was Mandy and her excitement was almost palpable.

“I saw Belle’s dress, and it’s beautiful!” she said breathlessly. “And Chloe and June told me that I really needed to come here to get a new dress. Actually, I need only one new dress to work in, but I need two dresses to wear when I’m not working. Before you ask, I can afford three dresses. Well, not on what I earn at work… But I have a…special man in my life who sends me lots of money quite frequently.”

“He sounds like a very thoughtful man,” Corinne said, now openly interested. “What kind of work does he do?” Corinne had a hard time believing that a man who was able to send “lots of money” to a saloon girl would have a well-paying job.

Mandy was more than happy to discuss this man. “Well, I don’t get to see him much. He’s been on every trail drive in the world, it seems, and he doesn’t get to Virginia City as often as I’d like, but…” Her voice trailed off.

Corinne’s mind was whirling. She knew for a fact that a drover’s pay wasn’t much, but a drover would be in many places at different times. And a drover would be a perfect candidate to be found in a saloon.

Mandy continued. “Maybe you know of him? His name is Randall McTavish.”

Corinne was startled. “Is he related to Leona and Octavius McTavish? I just opened a bank account at their bank.”

“Yes,” Mandy answered. “But they don’t talk about him hardly at all. He caused them a lot of trouble and was in and out of jail so much that I think they washed their hands of him.” Then, “People can change, can’t they? Just because Randall was a problem when he was growing up doesn’t mean that he’s a problem now, does it?”

Corinne’s mind was whirling. Was this important information or not? “Of course people can change. If he’s staying out of trouble, and if he’s good to you, then that’s what counts.”

Then Mandy provided another piece of information. “I think he feels very self-conscious and insecure because he has a bad limp. His leg hurts him a lot.”

“Poor man.” Corinne tried to sound sympathetic. “How did he hurt his leg? Was he born with that problem?”

“I don’t know for sure,” Mandy answered. “He always tells me that he just doesn’t want to talk about it. But it wasn’t something that he was born with. Whatever the cause is, it popped up less than a year ago. Probably something to do with being gored by a steer or falling off his horse.”

“Probably that’s it. A drover’s life is full of accidents.” Corinne now had information that might be important. But it might not be. She wanted to meet this man and told Mandy to bring him by when he next was in town.

“Oh, he’ll be here soon. He’s on a trail drive bringing steers right here to Virginia City! That’s why I want some new dresses!”

There was nothing subtle about Mandy. “Were you born blind or did you have an accident that took your sight. Chloe and June were talking about you but were afraid to ask.”

Corinne had to choose her words carefully. “I had my eyesight for many years – that’s when I learned to sew. But it’s gone now – something I don’t really want to talk about. You understand. The memories are painful. I can’t make dresses any more, but I’m a whiz at fitting them!”

At that moment, Bethany entered the room. “Hello, Mandy!”

Proudly, Mandy stated, “Hello, Bethany! I’ve come to ask you to make three dresses for me!”

“That feller of yours must’ve struck gold,” Bethany laughed. “Come on back here and let’s pick out some patterns. Corinne can then pick out the materials you’ll need!”

When the patterns were chosen and discussed, and when the materials were picked out, Mandy left happily. Bethany was ecstatic. And Corinne’s mind was whirling with questions that needed answers.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

By the end of the day, Bethany had cut out all the pattern pieces to three of the five dresses. Usually, she would have cut out a pattern and then basted the pieces together, but she decided that Corinne’s nimble fingers could be trained to follow the cutting procedure – even if it took longer. That would leave Bethany’s hands free to do the basting of each dress.

Corinne was hesitant at first. But with Bethany pinning the patterns to the material, the cutting out was just a matter of feeling where the edge of the pattern and the material came together. Corinne was a very fast learner, much to Bethany’s relief and delight.

Corinne was sitting cross-legged on the floor in the front room and was deep in concentration with the scissors when the bell jingled.

“I’ll be with you in a minute,” Corinne said as she cut the material. This last piece was almost done.

She heard a deep chuckle and recognized the sound.

“Ben! I’m almost finished here so have a seat!”

“Take your time,” came Ben’s familiar voice.

“I’m learning to cut the material around dress patterns. We’ve had a run on orders from three of the girls from ‘The Oasis’. I’m slow but I don’t seem to have made any major mistakes.”

Bethany hollered from the back room. “Ben! What are you doing here?” Bethany was never one to mince words. She giggled to herself as she quietly whispered to herself, “As if I didn’t know.” She had seen the way that Ben looked at Corinne and recognized the look as something that could develop into more than just friendship. With a smirk, she finished basting the last piece of the dress she was working on and went into the front room to give Ben yet another hug.

Ben and Bethany quietly watched Corinne’s careful wielding of the scissors and heard her happy sigh as the last snip was made.

“Please tell me that I did all right,” Corinne pleaded. “Tell me I didn’t destroy anything.”

Bethany looked through the pinned-material patterns. “You did much better than I thought. There are a few minor mistakes but nothing that can’t be hidden or fixed. I’m proud of you!”

“I’ll do better next time, I promise!” Corinne said earnestly.

Corinne’s back ached from leaning over so long, and her feet had gone to sleep. When she stood up, her legs began to give way. She felt strong arms around her giving her support long enough for her legs to hold her. For an instant, she wanted to stay in those arms forever. They were Ben’s arms.

“I came here to take you two hard-working ladies to supper at the International House,” Ben said as he reluctantly released his hold on Corinne.

“Oh, Ben,” sighed Bethany. “You’re so sweet, but may I request that we eat at the café instead? The International House is such a fine place but, by the time I clean myself up, I’ll just be too tired to want to eat.”

“My vote is for the café,” said Corinne as she rubbed her sore back.

“Then the café it will be,” Ben laughed as he took Corinne’s arm.

Bethany giggled. “Two meals with two different Cartwrights in the same day. People’s tongues will be wagging!”

“I don’t get it. Two meals? Two different Cartwrights?” Ben was confused.

Corinne giggled. “Little Joe took us to lunch today.” She remembered that Joe had said he had sneaked away from his chores, but Bethany had already spilled the beans.

“Oh, he did, did he? He was supposed to be mending fences with Adam and Hoss.”
Bethany sighed. “I opened my mouth when it should have been shut. It was just lunch, Ben. Don’t be mad at Little Joe.”

Ben raised his eyebrows. “I won’t say anything. I promise. Now let’s go eat a good, hot supper. Looks like you two have earned it!”

CHAPTER NINETEEN

Ben seated Corinne first, then Bethany. He sat between the two women and waited for the arrival of the menu. Bethany, enthusiastic over the days’ sales, was animated and did most of the talking. Ben was truly happy that her business looked like it might take a turn for the better. Corinne just smiled. The meals were ordered and Corinne asked how Ben’s day had been. Before he could answer, the café door opened and a very loud, familiar voice could suddenly be heard. Corinne recognized the owner of that voice – it was Leona.

“That voice just goes right through me!” Corinne said quietly. “Is she deaf or just loud?”

Bethany laughed. “Leona’s been like that ever since she came to town. Poor Octavius. He tries to make her lower her voice, but she ignores him.”

Leona apparently spied Ben and couldn’t resist saying something.

“Look at that. Ben has two women with him. Isn’t one woman enough?”

Corinne was angry and started to make a retort, but Ben’s low voice stopped her.

“Don’t,” was all he said.

“But she’s insulting you!” Corinne stuck out her bottom lip.

Ben laughed. “I don’t think being pointed out as having two women in my company is an insult!”

Both Ben and Bethany laughed, and then Corinne had to laugh too.

But Leona’s arrival opened the door for a discussion of the McTavishes. Corinne learned that Octavius had learned the business of banking from the ground up. He had worn many hats – bookkeeper, teller, loan officer, vice-president, president, and then president/owner. Leona had worked many jobs to supplement their income until her husband had made enough money so that she could quit working.

“What about Randall?” Corinne asked with an innocent look.

“That’s a sad story. Randall is the McTavishes’ only child, and he was absolutely spoiled rotten. He got everything he ever wanted and was a terrible bully. Every time he got into trouble, Leona managed to smooth things over. When he was in school, he was a terrible bully – no amount of disciplining him ever worked. Octavius kicked him out of the house when Randall was old enough to be on his own, and I don’t think Leona ever forgave her husband for that. Randall cheated at cards, was caught at it and went to jail. Leona bailed him out. Randall stole things, got caught again, and Leona was right there to make amends. Randall spent as much time in jail as he did out of it. When Mattie and Oliver Stern moved to town, Randall made a friend – Jonas Stern, another troublemaker. Add Genevieve and Francoise’s son, Maurice, to the mix, and there was always trouble. Roy Coffee was sheriff by then, and he kicked all three of them out of town.”

“I remember that,” Bethany added sympathetically. “There were three sets of parents who had broken hearts.”

“Do the boys keep in touch with their families?” Corinne was curious.

Ben shrugged. “I don’t know and I don’t ask. But I do hear that Randall comes back here every now and then. I haven’t seen him, though.”

“I hear that he walks with a bad limp,” Corrine mused. “Must’ve been an accident or something.”

Both Ben and Bethany shrugged. No more mention was made of Randall or his friends.

By now, dessert had been served and eaten, and it was time to leave. Ben and Corinne walked Bethany home and then Ben felt Corinne tuck her arm into his.

“That was very nice of you to take us both out to eat. Thank you, Ben.”

“My pleasure,” he answered.

At the door to Ma’s, Corinne did not kiss Ben. But she did give him a big hug, one which left both man and woman feeling warm and happy. Ben invited Corinne to attend church services with him and “the boys” and then to indulge in a church picnic afterwards. Corrine happily accepted the invitation and then disappeared into the boarding house.

Hurriedly she sped up to her room and began writing in a notebook which she kept hidden. Then she wrote a letter – one that she hoped would prove to be important.

CHAPTER TWENTY

While Bethany worked on the last two dresses for Mandy, Corinne decided that she wanted a dress for herself to wear to church and to the picnic. She knew her size and knew what kind of pattern she wanted, and she really wanted to look nice on Sunday. The truth is that she adored all the Cartwrights, and they had all been so kind to her. Especially Ben. She was proud to be seen with any or all of them and she wanted them to be proud of her, too.

Bethany helped her pick out the material and the pattern. Corinne wanted something simple but flattering. Since her husband’s death, she hadn’t taken the time to make something especially for herself. Most of the time, she would go into a store and buy a ready-made dress. But not this time!

The pale yellow material was soft and easy to work with. And a brighter yellow satin sash would be the perfect touch! Bethany took the time to pin the pattern to the material, and then Corinne took up the scissors and began to cut carefully around the pattern. And the dress could be worn with a green sash or bow – Bethany had said there were tiny pale green flowers in the material. Besides, Corinne needed to be distracted from the letter she had sent earlier and, in her mind, this dresswork was therapy.

By the time Bethany was finished with Mandy’s dresses, Corinne had her material all cut out and ready to be basted together. While that process was going on, Corinne explored the shop. Bethany had made a large investment in her choices of materials and accessories. All she needed was the right clientele to make her shop a success.

In one corner, Corinne discovered that Bethany had several “clothing closures” (in later years they would become known as “zippers.”) But these “closures” didn’t work well with the canvas material that men used strictly to work in because, even with the sewing machine, the “closures” would eventually pull away from the canvas.

Corinne had a very bright idea and approached Bethany with it.

“Drovers and miners usually wear canvas pants, don’t they?” she asked Bethany.

“Yep. And farmers, too. But I don’t get much call for making men’s britches,” came the answer. “Francoise does most all the men’s tailoring.”

“But I bet he doesn’t make work clothes,” Corinne mused. “Cowboys and miners and farm workers probably buy their pants in the General Store. Canvas isn’t expensive, but I bet it just rubs men’s legs raw.”

Bethany snipped off the last basting thread on Corinne’s dress and instructed her to put it on. Then, “What’re you getting at?”

While two pairs of hands checked the fitting of the dress, Corinne answered. “I met a man several years ago – his name is Levi Strauss – and he made lots of money using a new material that doesn’t chafe. It’s French and is called ‘serge de Nimes’ (which would later be called ‘denim’.) I could write Levi and ask him to either tell me where to order the material or ask him to sell me several bolts of it, we could make work pants right here in the store and, as an added feature, we could put the ‘closures’ in. The material would be comfortable, and there would be no buttons to fumble with. The material itself is blue, but we could dye some of it black just for a color-change. And your sewing machine would make things go faster. What do you think?”

Corinne’s fingers felt only a few places on her dress that needed to be sewn a little tighter and she stuck pins in those places as a guide for Bethany’s eyes. Off came the dress which went immediately to the sewing machine to be finished.

“Corinne, I don’t know if such a thing is in my budget. I’m still paying for the sewing machine and for a lot of the better fabrics that I already have. But it was a wonderful idea.” Bethany sighed sadly.

“Look,” Corinne began. “I have some money of my own. I’d love to take care of purchasing the new material. Besides, if I know Levi, he’ll be delighted to give me a large discount. He was very good friends with my husband. Please, let me help. I just know this plan will work. Please, Bethany.”

“I’m doing this against my better judgment,” Bethany answered slowly. “I don’t like borrowing money.”

“Dammit!” Corinne swore and looked around to make sure nobody was in the shop to hear her. “You gave a blind woman a job, and this is the least I can do to pay you back. Anyway, I believe it’ll be a money-maker, and we’ll both profit from it.”

Bethany was laughing as she finished the final touches on the dress. “You just said ‘dammit’!”

“I know,” Corinne giggled. “Ben Cartwright would blister my bottom if he heard me say that again. I’ve already been chastised for it once.”

“Let’s write Levi right now,” Corinne said as she shrugged out of her new dress. “But you’ll have to write the letter and pretend that you’re me. I can’t write without my ‘gadgets’ that allow me to do my own writing.”

“Oh, goodie,” came Bethany’s sarcastic but humorous remark. “Now I can be a forger, too!

“Just write what I tell you to,” Corrine said as she gave Bethany a gentle pinch. “This will work. I just know it will!”

Bethany pulled out a piece of paper and began to write as Corinne dictated. Then Bethany fairly flew out of the shop to mail the forged letter. Corinne was ecstatic!

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

Sunday arrived and so did the Cartwrights. Ben drove the surrey which Hop Sing had packed with every imaginable food he could think of. Corinne wore her new dress and received compliments on how pretty her attire was. Taking Ben’s arm, Corinne confidently strode into church. Even Leona’s voice, which was loud even when she tried to whisper, didn’t ruin the mood. In fact, Corinne took special pleasure out of Leona’s “That’s a beautiful dress. I wish that Genevieve would make me one just like it.”

The Cartwright voices blended beautifully together as hymns were sung. Corinne actually stopped singing herself because she herself just could not sing. She understood what Ben had meant when he had said that Leona’s voice could hurt her eardrums – the poor woman sounded like a strangled frog! Corinne started to giggle but quit when she felt a gentle elbow to the ribs from Ben – there was no mistaking the fact that he wanted her to maintain some decorum while in church. And Adam’s whispered “Pa, stop grinning” told Corinne that Ben needed an elbow to his own ribs.

The sermon was shorter than usual. Mercifully, the service ended more quickly than usual. Leon’s loud “Amen” at the end of the last hymn signaled that it was time to leave and head to the meadow for the picnic.

As Hoss and Joe spread the blankets on the ground, Hoss spoke. “What’d you think of Miz McTavish’s voice?”

Corinne fired back. “Excuse me, Hoss. I’m not only blind but am now partially deaf too! That voice could shatter glass!”

There was a big belly laugh from Hoss, a snicker from Joe, and a chuckle from Adam. As Ben was helping Corinne sit on a blanket, she could hear soft laughter coming from him as well.

“You’re glowing today,” Ben commented as he looked at Corinne. “And Leona is right about your dress – it’s quite lovely.”

“Bethany helped me make it,” Corinne smiled. “I’m trying to be a walking advertisement for her dressmaking skills.”

Hoss went through the litany of the food Hop Sing had packed in the picnic basket. “What can I put on your plate for you, Corinne?”

“That fried chicken smells wonderful!” came the answer. “Just load me up with some of that and a little bit of everything else!” Then she made oinking sounds.

Putting her plate on the blanket in front of her, Adam deliberately turned the plate so that the chicken would be in a different place than its usual twelve o’clock position. He looked quickly at both of his brothers and caught their eyes. Ben was busy helping his own plate and wasn’t aware of this silent communication among his sons.

When each person had a plate and was seated, Corinne reached surely and deliberately for the fried chicken. She didn’t have a fork in her hand to reach for the potato salad or another item on her plate first – she was using her fingers. How could she have known that the chicken was far away from where it should have been?

Adam looked at his brothers. They noticed what Corinne had done, and they nodded their heads in silent acknowledgment. Conversation had stopped.

Too late, Corinne realized what she had done, and she turned her plate around so that everything was where it was supposed to be. She wondered if anyone had noticed.

“How about that?” she said. “I was reaching for one of Hop Sing’s special rolls, and I found the chicken!”

But the damage had been done and further explanation would’ve sounded lame. Corinne wisely kept quiet and listened as the men talked about round-ups and steers and timber. But she also knew that Adam was quick to notice anything and everything. She was worried.

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

Ben escorted Corinne back to Ma’s while Adam, Hoss and Joe returned to the Ponderosa.

“This has been another wonderful day, Ben. If all of you keep treating me like this, I could get used to being spoiled.”

“You deserve to be spoiled,” came the answer.

Ben hesitated, then kissed Corinne on her cheek. How warm his lips were! Corinne longed for a real kiss but smiled brightly instead.

“I’ll be seeing you again soon,” Ben stated as he turned to leave. “The next supper will be at The International House. As a matter of fact, how about we plan on Wednesday night?”

“I’d really like that, Ben.” Corinne was genuinely honest. “I’ll see you on Wednesday!”

When Corinne was in her room, she was worried sick. She decided that a private talk with Ben was definitely in order. Would he be angry or understanding?

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

Adam reined in Sport halfway to the Ponderosa. He wanted to talk to Hoss and Joe out of Hop Sing’s earshot. Hoss and Joe stopped and looked at Adam.

“Did you see that?” Adam asked. He didn’t have to mention what he was referring to.

“Yeah,” came Hoss’s slow answer. “But it could’ve been a fluke. Maybe.”

“That was no fluke!” spouted Joe. “She knew where the chicken was and went right for it! Should we alert Pa?”

Adam shook his head. “We have to keep our mouths shut. At least until we have more proof that Corinne apparently isn’t blind. We all really like Corinne, and Pa is a different man since he met her. He seems to be more relaxed. He certainly laughs more. I don’t want any one of us to burst his bubble – not yet, anyway. I think Corinne realized her mistake and will be more careful. We’ve got to keep our eyes peeled. Then we can decide what we’re going to do when the time comes. We’ll have to keep each other updated if we notice anything overt.”

Heads nodded. The group headed for the Ponderosa.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

Both Monday and Tuesday were extremely busy days at Bethany’s shop. The girls from the “Bucket of Blood” had heard about the dresses that Chloe, June and Mandy were having made, so there was a virtual stampede to Bethany’s door to see for themselves what Bethany had come up with. Between fittings and patterns and fabrics, Corinne and Bethany had busy but happy hands. Not to be outdone, other girls from “The Oasis” appeared and wanted new dresses, too.

“If this keeps up, I’ll have to hire another dressmaker,” Bethany announced wearily to an equally-tired Corinne. “But I’m not complainin’. Would you be averse to having another dressmaker help us while we’re so busy?”

“Not at all,” came Corinne’s answer. “Being this busy is wonderful. And I’m no help in picking out patterns, and I certainly am slow at basting! We really could use an extra pair of hands! I hope that Genevieve is pea-green with envy. From what I hear, her business is slower than usual.” Corinne gave a fiendish smile.

“If your idea of writing Levi Strauss pans out, we may find ourselves making men’s clothing as well as women’s! Wouldn’t that just be wonderful?”

Corinne’s smile was Bethany’s answer. An extra pair of hands would be exceedingly helpful if business picked up.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

Ma tapped on Corinne’s door. “Ben’s here!”

Corinne opened the door and adjusted her shawl.

“Do I look okay, Ma?”

“Just beautiful,” came Ma’s honest answer. Then, “You really like Ben, don’t you?”

“Ma, Ben is just a good friend. He always has been. I enjoy his company and he seems to enjoy mine.”

Ma snorted and walked to the sitting room with a nervous Corinne.

Ben, always the gentleman, rose as both women entered the room. But he had eyes only for Corinne – a fact that didn’t escape Ma’s discerning eyes.

“Just friends,” she muttered as she left the room. “Yeah, right. And I was born yesterday…”

“Ben?” Corinne asked.

“Right here,” came the answer. And Corinne felt Ben’s hand on her arm. Such a strong hand.

“Are you hungry?” Ben asked. “If it’s too early for you to eat, I brought the surrey. We can go for a buggy ride.”

Corinne heart was touched. Ben had brought the surrey, so he must be planning on a ride either before or after supper. Putting off the inevitable discussion, Corinne said that she was ravenous and would love to take a surrey ride after supper.

“Ravenous and beautiful,” Ben said softly.

“Flattery will get you anywhere,” Corinne laughed as she took his arm.

“It will, will it?” came the answer with a chuckle. Ben enjoyed this flirtation.

“Well, not anywhere,” Corinne said with a smirk. She, too, enjoyed this flirtation. “But I also mentioned that I was ravenous, so forget the flattery and let’s go eat!”

Standing outside at the surrey, Corinne felt Ben’s hands around her waist as he lifted her up onto the seat.

What wonderfully strong hands and arms he has. How protected I would feel if I could just have those arms around me. How comforting that would be…

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

Though the whole town knew that Corinne was blind, the waiters at The International House had no idea how to arrange her plate. Ben was subtle but, when the meal was served, Corinne hesitated.

“Here, let me turn the plate for you. I’ll be discreet.” Corinne could hear the slight movement of the plate against the tablecloth. The wine Ben had ordered was moved slightly, just where Corinne had said it should be placed. A feeling of guilt coursed through Corinne’s body but, judging from the sounds around here, there were too many ears that didn’t need to be privy to what she needed to discuss with Ben.

“What’s the matter, Corinne?” Ben had noticed a strange look on Corinne’s face.

“Nothing, Ben,” Corinne lied. “Nothing that your company and a wonderful meal can’t fix.”

Halfway through the meal, something happened. Corinne was busily cutting into her portion of standing-rib roast, and the bone came away from the meat. It sailed across two tables, landing smack dab onto Genevieve’s rather strange, tightly-wound corkscrew of a bun on the back of her head. She screeched instantly and stood straight up, batting at her hair. The table tipped precariously and dumped all of Francoise’s wine into his lap, along with a small portion of food.

“Oh, my God!” Corinne blurted. “What is happening?”

Ben couldn’t answer. He was laughing too hard and excused himself, leaving Corinne sitting alone at the table. But Corinne could hear bits of conversation – Ben’s apology, Genevieve’s quavering voice, and Francoise’s voice rising above the din. Corinne was glad that he was speaking in French because she intuited that he was swearing up a storm. Ben was promising to pay for the ruined meal and to have Francoise’s trousers cleaned. Then there was calm once more.

Ben returned to the table and told Corinne what had happened. Pulling her napkin from her lap, Corinne covered her face with the fine linen.

“Don’t cry,” Ben consoled. “It was an accident.”

“I’m not crying,” Corinne answered in a strangled tone. “I’m laughing! Poor Genevieve and Francoise.”

“Corinne, Corinne,” Ben said, trying to stifle his own laughter. “You are such a wonderful tonic.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

After dessert and a cup of coffee, Ben paid the bills for both sets of meals. Footsteps approached and a French voice spoke.

“Ben, you have not to pay for our meal,” Francoise stated. “This woman who cannot see has no fault in the unfortunate incident. We have money enough to pay for our own meal. But thank you for your kindness.”

“But I insist on paying,” Ben said. “Your meal was ruined.”

“Ah, but we were finished almost. As for the trousers, I have many more. Genevieve knows a lady who can clean the stain. It is a good thing that the wine was white, yes?”

Ben laughed. “Yes, it is a good thing.”

Corinne heard the exchange of what sounded like money and then the sounds of feet walking away.

“Are they gone?” Corinne whispered.

“Yes, they’re gone.”

“Then let’s get out of here. I think I need a surrey ride to calm my nerves.”

The food incident was not why Corinne was so ready to leave. It was the thought of the upcoming conversation.

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

“Where would you like to go?” Ben asked as he clucked at the horse.

“Somewhere quiet and peaceful. A place that doesn’t have bones that become airborne,” Corinne answered, a smile crossing her face in spite of herself.

Even though she had a shawl wrapped around her shoulders, the cool night air gave her a reason to snuggle up against Ben’s broad shoulder and strong arm. Besides, Ben smelled good, and Corinne inhaled deeply so she would never forget the smell of him this night. She shivered with delight.

“Are you cold?” Ben asked, concerned.

“No, just happy to be with you. You make me feel all goose-bumpy.”

There was a silence, then Ben shifted and put his arm around Corinne’s shoulders.

“Is that better?” he asked.

“Much.” Corinne found herself at a loss for words.

There was little conversation after that. One man. One woman. Two people who cared for each other. Ben felt contentment. He felt “whole.” Corinne felt the pounding of her heart – not from fear of what she would be saying in a little while – but from the nearness of Ben. She had loved John but it had taken a long time before she truly knew it. With Ben, it was different – what she felt was coming on stronger and stronger very quickly. But she didn’t know how Ben felt. Perhaps he had “fatherly” feelings for her. She just didn’t know.

Ben reined in the horse, and Corinne smelled the waters from Lake Tahoe. She sighed with delight.

“Let’s walk a bit,” Corinne suggested.

She felt the surrey jiggle as Ben got out, and then she felt his strong hands around her waist to help her down. Her feet touched the ground and, to her great surprise, Ben grasped her hand and didn’t let go. Corinne justified this – not as a romantic gesture – but as assurance that she didn’t fall over the uneven ground.

Ben spoke. “This is one of my favorite places. Lake Tahoe is like a beautiful woman. She never is quite the same – sometimes calm and peaceful, sometimes stormy and windswept – but she is always beautiful. The sliver of moon has kissed her tonight and changed her appearance once again. I wonder what secrets she holds in her depths.”

“Is there a place where we can sit down?” Corinne asked, trying to put off the inevitable.

“There’s a tree that has fallen down not far from us. Are you tired? Do you want to go back to town?”

“Ben,” Corinne said, taking a deep breath, “we need to talk. It’s important.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

When Corinne was seated on the huge bole of the tree, she began to talk. She told Ben her story from the time she got married until right up to the present. All of it. The moon moved across the sky, changing the appearance of Lake Tahoe once more. Ben didn’t interrupt the conversation. He asked no questions. He just listened. And when Corinne swore him to absolute secrecy, it was only then that he spoke: “You have my word.”

A single tear slid down Corinne’s cheek. Ben did the only thing he knew to do, and that was to put both arms around Corinne and hold her tight. Then they walked to the surrey and Ben took Corinne back to town. The trip was a silent one. Corinne knew she had done the right thing but wondered what Ben was thinking. She couldn’t tell, and she wouldn’t ask. She knew he needed time to think.

The very first rays of dawn were peaking over the Sierras as Ben helped Corinne from the surrey at Ma’s. He walked her up the stairs and quietly inserted Corinne’s key into the locked door. He let his fingers trail over Corinne’s smooth skin – a gentle touch, a tender touch.

“Thank you, Ben, for such a lovely supper. And for being…you.”

Then Ben spoke. “I’m going to be needing a new vest for Jennifer and Robert’s wedding. Do you think that Bethany will make one for me? Francoise made the last one, but I want Bethany to make a new one.”

Corinne sighed with relief. This was a positive response.

“Of course she will. Is it all right if I do the fitting?”

“I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

And then Ben turned, climbed into the surrey and drove out of sight.

With mixed feelings, Corinne went to her room. She hoped she had done the right thing in telling the truth. And she hoped that Ben would keep her secret.

CHAPTER THIRTY

Three pairs of eyes stared at Ben as he strode into the house. Well, four pairs of eyes counting Hop Sing’s countenance.

“You are all up early,” Ben said casually as he accepted a cup of hot coffee from a glaring Hop Sing.

“We were worried about you.” Adam was not in a good mood.

“Oh? Why is that?” Ben baited his sons.

“Pa, you were gone all night!” Hoss spluttered.

“Hmmm. So I was.”

“Where were you?” This from Little Joe.

“There are some things a man just doesn’t tell,” Ben said with a grin. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going upstairs, getting in my bed, and going to sleep. Don’t forget that you all have chores to do today.”

Hop Sing left the room, muttering in Chinese. Adam, Hoss and Little Joe looked at each other slack-jawed.

Joe spoke. “You don’t suppose that Pa and Corinne…”

Hoss’s eyes got big as pie plates. “Naw, not Pa!”

“Should we tell Pa about Corinne?” Joe asked.

Adam shrugged. “No. Not now. He’ll find out for himself soon enough. He’s a grown man. And, judging by that look on his face, he’s a happy man. With a secret.” Adam didn’t know how right he was on all counts.

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

As Ben crawled into bed, his mind was whirling. He had put on a good front for his sons, but the fact remained that he was seriously concerned about the things that Corinne had told him. He didn’t know exactly what to do at the moment, so he tossed and turned until he fell into a fitful sleep. One thing was for sure – he had made a promise to Corinne, and he never broke his word. But there might come a first time…

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

Bethany’s shop had turned into a booming business overnight – the dresses had all been fitted, made, tried on one more time, and payments had been made. Bethany gave Corinne her first paycheck, making sure that Corinne knew the amount. Then Bethany very carefully counted out the money that needed to be deposited at the bank, making sure that she wrote the correct amount on the outside of the envelope. Inside the envelope, she tucked in her passbook and then sent Corinne to the bank.

By now, Corinne had learned by heart every business on Bethany’s side of the street so, with cane in hand, she headed toward the bank with both her money and Bethany’s deposit tucked carefully into her purse.

Entering the bank, Corinne heard familiar voices – apparently Genevieve, Leona and Mattie were there all at the same time. Corinne put on her best smile and headed in the direction of Octavius’s desk. It’s not that she didn’t trust the tellers to make the correct notations – she just wanted to get to know Octavius better. She had her reasons.

As luck would have it, Octavius was not at his desk. But Leona – with Genevieve and Mattie in tow – sped to help Corinne.

Leona just couldn’t resist a jibe. “I hear that you tried to kill Genevieve last night during supper.”

“What? I didn’t try to kill anyone!” Corinne was horrified.

Genevieve piped up in her fake French accent. Francoise was truly French, but his wife apparently fell short of mimicking his accent.

“You threw at me a bone which hit the head! How true it is that killed I wasn’t, but the head hurts! It’s jealousy that caused this terrible incident. You have what is called a ‘grudge’ for me because I wouldn’t hire you.”

Corinne dropped her voice and made each word count. “It was an accident. You know that I’m blind. When I cut around the bone in the roast, that bone just skittered off my plate. I had no idea what had happened until Ben told me all about it. How fortunate for you that your hair was twisted tight enough to deflect the force of the bone. And don’t think for one single second that I’m jealous of you or your business. I wouldn’t work for you if my life depended on it!”

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

Corinne thought she heard Mattie giggle. Genevieve and Leona snorted in contempt.

“I came to make two deposits. I would very much like to transact my business with Leona’s husband. Please excuse me.” Corinne moved in the direction which she knew to be Octavius’s desk. She conveniently used her cane.

“My husband has stepped out for the moment,” Leona boomed. “I’ll take care of your money transactions myself.”

Corinne hoped that she could actually find the desk on her own. She did but she didn’t sit down. She heard Leona open one envelope and announce loudly that Corinne’s paycheck was “pitiful.” And then she announced exactly how much the paycheck was.

“I was under the impression that business transactions were private,” Corinne said as her blood began to boil. “Nobody in this bank needs to know how much money I’ve made, but you’ve managed to tell everyone within earshot of my personal business. I can’t undo that. I would like to deposit half and take the other half in cash.”

Mattie was watching like a hawk as Leona completed the transaction. She spoke up immediately.

“Leona, you gave Corinne the wrong amount of cash. You shorted her almost five dollars.”

“Did not.” Leona was angry.

“Yes, you did. I shouldn’t have been watching, but I saw that you made a mistake. Corinne works for her money and should trust that she gets the correct amount.”

Corinne had not yet put her money in her purse, and she felt Leona snatch the money from her hands.

“Well!” pronounced Leona. “It appears that I did make a slight mistake.”

In her loud voice, she counted out the correct amount and put it in Corinne’s hand. Corinne would ask Bethany later to help her fold the bills correctly so they could be identified easily when she needed them. Mattie’s curiosity had turned into a blessing.

Next came Bethany’s deposit, so carefully counted, along with her passbook. Corinne was on guard this time, and it was a good thing. Leona made a larger mistake and argued with Corinne over the correct amount of the deposit.

Furious now, Corinne slammed her cane on the desk and heard something fall to the floor. There was the sound of shattering glass.

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

Leona shrieked in anger. “Look what you’ve done! You’ve broken one of the few photos that shows me, Randall, and Octavius! The frame is ruined and the picture is torn.”

“I’m sorry,” lied Corinne. “I’ll pay for the frame and the glass. Maybe the picture can be fixed.”

Once again, Mattie spoke up. “Corinne, Oliver and I have some beautiful picture frames. And Oliver is very good at repairing torn photos. Come to my shop with the picture and the frame and we’ll make amends for Leona.”

Leona shoved the frame and the photo into Mattie’s hands. “I want the very best frame you have. Randall deserves the best! He’s my only child!”

As luck would have it, Octavius appeared. Seeing his wife and Corinne both in distress, it didn’t take him long to find out what had happened. Indeed, Leona had made yet another mistake on Bethany’s account. Quite a large mistake as it turned out.

“Leona, please give Corinne and me some privacy. Go to Genevieve’s and buy a hat or something. Just leave.”

Corinne heard feet stomping in the opposite direction and then heard the slamming of a door.

Corinne spoke first to Mattie. “I don’t know how to find your shop. Will you wait for me to finish my business here?”

“Of course I will,” came the answer. “I’ll just stand by the door until you’re ready to leave.”

Octavius didn’t speak until he knew that he could have privacy with Corinne.

“I don’t know what comes over Leona.” Octavius sounded truly embarrassed. “She goes through phases where I just can’t trust her with counting money correctly. From now on, talk to me or go to a teller’s window. I have complete faith in my employees. It’s my own wife that I can’t always trust.” How sad he sounded.

When the business was complete and when Bethany’s passbook was written in correctly and initialed by Mr. McTavish, Corinne spoke.

“I’m truly sorry about the picture and its frame. Mattie is going to take me to her shop to replace the frame and to see if her husband can fix the picture. Leona said this picture is one of the few that you have of your son.”

“Our son. Of course. She wouldn’t have cared if it had been just a photo of her and me. But Randall always comes first. And you don’t need to have Mattie replace the frame. It’s an inexpensive one and I can replace it at the General Store. Anyway, I hate the picture and hope it can’t be fixed.”

Corinne’s voice softened. “I broke the frame. And the picture was apparently torn. Just because I’m blind doesn’t mean that I don’t feel a sense of responsibility. I will leave the matter to Mattie’s discretion and will make things right again.”

With a sigh, Octavius put the frame in a sack. The picture he put into Corinne’s hands. Then he called Mattie over.

“Pick a frame that you think is appropriate – I don’t care if it’s the cheapest frame you have. And give the photo to Oliver and let him see if anything can be done. The tear is slight and doesn’t ruin the whole picture. I don’t understand why Leona threw such a fit.” And then an impish smile crossed his face. “Maybe Corinne should hit Leona in the head with a steak bone! It might knock some sense into her!”

Corinne couldn’t help it. She burst into laughter. And so did Mattie. Octavius even laughed.

With Mattie by her side, Corinne left the bank and proceeded to Mattie and Oliver’s shop. While Mattie was looking at frames, Corinne pretended to be touching some of the fine china. But her eyes were on the photo and the likeness of Randall was burned into her memory.

CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

Corinne returned to Bethany’s shop later than anticipated and could hear Bethany’s feet working the treadle to the sewing machine.

“Lordy, I’m glad to see you!” Bethany’s voice sounded relieved. “I thought you might have been robbed or something!”

Corinne explained everything that had happened, and Bethany’s voice sounded astonished.

“I’ve had trouble with Leona and money before,” she said when Corinne had finished talking. “Not always, but I don’t think she pays attention to what she’s doing.” Then, “You did right to get a new frame. And obviously the photo was repaired quickly, so there couldn’t have been too much damage. And you seem to have formed new friendships in Mattie and Oliver. I hope Leona approves of both frame and picture – at least they’re back on McTavish’s desk. Now let’s get to work. We’ve got a few more dresses to tend to!”

CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

Ben was as good as his word. Bethany and Corinne were still making a few dresses, but things had slowed down quite a bit. Bethany was beginning to despair, and there wasn’t much for Corinne to do.

But with Ben’s arrival came good news – he needed a new vest, and Hoss had outgrown his good trousers. These would have to be made before Jennifer’s wedding. That meant a few extra dollars for Bethany’s business. Hoss had wanted to go to Francoise to have his trousers made, but Ben had convinced him otherwise. Hoss appeared at Bethany’s strictly under protest.

Bethany and Corinne greeted the two Cartwrights warmly and then ushered them into the back room. Ben had brought his old vest to use as a pattern, but Bethany clucked as she had him try it on.

“I can’t use this vest as anything but a guide for the style you prefer. You’ve gotten broader in the shoulders and through the chest. Hold still and let me measure you.”

Ben sighed and did as he was told. When the measuring was done, Corinne led him back to where the finer fabrics were stored. Corinne felt Ben’s hand in the small of her back and got goose-bumpy again.

“I wasn’t sure that you really would come in here,” Corinne whispered.

“I told you that I would,” came the whispered answer. “And I promised that your secret would be safe with me, and it will be – unless you tell me otherwise. But I have to tell you that…”

Bethany interrupted the conversation. “Will you two stop lollygagging back there and bring me some fabric!”

Corinne shot Ben a questioning glance, and she and Ben picked out the fabrics and the buttons that would be needed. So much for private conversations…

CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

“Beautiful,” crowed Bethany when she saw the fabrics. “This color for the front and then the other color for the back. The buttons can be covered with the first material. Dressy but not gaudy. Very appropriate.”

Ben stood quietly and watched Corinne as she placed the material across his chest, marking areas to be cut away for the vest opening. Bethany worked with the material in the back and pinned it to the front material – at the shoulders and the sides.

When the piecing together of the fabric was completed, Bethany told Ben that it would take her only a few hours before he needed to come back for the final fitting – a fact that suited Corinne just fine. The more she could see of Ben Cartwright, the happier she was. Maybe he could finish what he had started to say earlier…

Ben had errands to run, so he left Hoss in the capable hands of Bethany. And Corinne. He didn’t bother to let Corinne know that he, too, had goose-bumpy feelings when Corinne touched him.

CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

“Okay, Hoss. It’s your turn now,” Bethany announced.

Hoss lumbered into the back room, muttering under his breath.

“Shuck off the britches you have on,” Bethany said.

Hoss’s face turned bright red. “Do I have to?”

“Yes, you do!” Bethany had her hands on her hips. “Unless you want trousers that don’t fit you right. And the ones you are wearing are fine for everyday wear, but they’re too big for a wedding. I’ve got to get the correct measurements, and everything will be all wrong if I measure you with those britches on. Now, shuck ‘em!”

Corinne’s heart went out to Hoss. She knew he was modest, but Bethany was right. There was no other way to correctly measure a man of Hoss’s size.

To make matters worse, the bell over the door jingled. Bethany poked her head around the corner of the back room and saw that Adam and Little Joe had arrived.

“You’ll have to wait a while,” Bethany called. “Corinne and I are ready to make trousers for Hoss.”

“We know,” Adam answered.

“That’s why we’re here.” This from Joe. “We don’t need anything made right now. We just came to watch Hoss.”

“Moral support, you might say,” chuckled Adam.

Corinne reached for the curtain between the front room and the back room and snapped it closed. “You two hooligans can sit right down and wait. Hoss is uncomfortable enough without having you two making trouble.”

“We’re hooligans,” Adam chuckled again.

“I heard that!” This from Corinne behind the curtain.

“Is there anything that she can’t hear?” Joe asked.

“I hear just about everything. Why don’t you two just go have a beer or something for a while?”

“Nah,” Adam chuckled. “We’ll wait for Hoss. He may want a beer when this is done.”

“Suit yourselves. But I don’t want to hear a word from either of you!”

By now, Hoss was stripped to his underwear and Bethany had fetched a huge bolt of fabric and a pattern from a little-used drawer. Though Bethany had made clothes for men in the past, she wasn’t too sure that she was ready for making trousers for a man of Hoss’s size. Her reputation depended on the fact that she did an excellent job.

CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

There was no guile about Hoss. If he was asked a question, he would answer it honestly. And Corinne, not having seen Mandy in several days, asked Hoss a simple question as he fidgeted while the fabric was being wrapped around him.

“Is it true that the Ponderosa is expecting a large herd of cattle from Texas fairly soon?”

“Yes’m. In about a week, I reckon.”

“Oh, Mandy will be so happy to see that man that she told me about. His name is Randall McTavish – you know, Leona and Octavius’s son. Will he be on that drive?”

“I don’t rightly know. There’s gonna be several herds comin’ this way. That Randall McTavish is trouble. I wish Mandy would find her another feller.”

Corinne filed this information in her memory – along with the memory of the photo she had seen of Randall.

Corinne had invented a tape measure in Braille. It was so accurate that Bethany let Corinne do the measuring.

As Corinne began trying to measure Hoss’s inseam, Hoss fidgeted even more as Corinne’s fingers traveled northward up Hoss’s legs. He jumped and squirmed.

“Hoss! For Heaven’s sake, hold still! If I don’t get this measurement right, then your trousers will be either too long or too short! Now tell me which side you dress on.”

For a moment, Hoss couldn’t speak. He knew what Corinne was asking, but it was a very personal question. He finally mumbled, “Either side.”

“Gee, thanks,” Corinne muttered. She could hear chuckles and giggles from the front room and knew that Adam and Joe were enjoying this immensely.

“But, Corinne.” Hoss began to stammer. “You’ve got pins in your hands!

“I certainly do! And if you ever want to be a father, you’d better hold still! Don’t forget that I’m blind.”

“Oh, Lordy,” Hoss moaned. But he stood still, his face as red as a beet.

CHAPTER FORTY

There was a crash from the front room. And Adam was laughing out loud.

Bethany hollered through the curtain, “What’s going on in there?”

Through his laughter, and the giggles of Little Joe, Adam answered, “Joe just fell out of his chair. Nothing else.”

“Oh, Lordy! I’m gonna kill both of you!” Hoss shouted.

“We’ll be at the Bucket O’ Blood,” Adam shouted back as he and Joe made their exit. They didn’t know what an embarrassed and angry Hoss might do to them. A beer might calm him down. Hopefully.

Bethany finally told Hoss to put his britches back on. He would need to come back in a couple of days for the final fitting.

“I have to go through this again?” he moaned.

“Yes. You will not leave this shop with trousers that don’t fit correctly. I want everybody at the wedding to see that I can make men’s clothes as well as women’s clothes. This is important to me, Hoss. Please be a good sport.” Bethany was sincere, and it was that sincerity that touched Hoss’s gentle heart. He nodded and then fled to meet his “hooligan” brothers.

As for Corinne, all she could hope for would be that Levi Strauss would get the letter and get the requested fabric soon so that Bethany could make some ready-to-wear sizes that could compete with the General Store prices. Drovers would be interested in a material other than canvas. And the “clothing closure” might cause enough of a stir for the men to come into the shop.

CHAPTER FORTY-ONE

Right after Hoss’s speedy departure, who should walk in but Mattie Stern with a package under her arm. She was greeted by Bethany and Corinne, but it was to Corinne that she spoke.

“Corinne, I’m truly sorry about the way Leona and Genevieve treated you. There’s no excuse for exceedingly bad manners.”

“You owe me no apology,” Corinne murmured. “Those are your friends, and sometimes friends do or say things that are hard to swallow.”

“I’ve known both women for a long time,” Mattie said slowly. “Their tongues are as sharp as knives and they’re both mean-spirited. I’ve made the decision not to spend time with them any more. If you lay down with dogs, you get up with their fleas.”

“I don’t know what to say,” Corinne almost stammered.

Mattie turned to Bethany. “Genevieve made a dress for me to wear to Jennifer’s wedding. The truth is that it’s too gaudy. But I like the general design of it. Can you make alterations or adjustments or something to make it more seemly?” Then, “I want to send a silent message to Genevieve that her ‘skills’ weren’t quite up to snuff. I know it’s wrong of me to feel that way, but I do. My son, Genevieve’s son, and Leona’s son were very good friends and, from what I hear from my son, I think that they still are. But that’s no reason that I have to go along with what those two witches say and do.”

Corinne had just heard some very interesting information: Three boyhood friends, all of them with bad reputations. And they were still friends? It might mean nothing – or it might mean a lot.

Bethany didn’t hesitate. Although she would have accepted business from anybody right now, she truly liked Mattie – despite the woman’s choice of friends. Bethany ushered Mattie into the back room where the “gaudy” dress was donned.

“Frightful,” was all Bethany said.

Corinne ran her hands over the dress with its sequins and pearls and bows. This might be called “fashionable” in Paris, but it was a disaster to be seen in Virginia City. But Mattie was right – the basic dress was a pretty one. It just needed to be fitted correctly.

By the time Bethany and Corinne had finished with Mattie’s dress, Mattie was clapping her hands in excitement. She hugged Bethany and then hugged Corinne, promising both women that they would have all her business – and that she would spread the word that “Bethany’s” was the place to come to for new attire or alterations.

Before Corinne had time to ask questions about Jonas, Mattie’s son, Mattie had paid Bethany handsomely and then rushed out the door.

“Mattie, God bless her, does have the tendency to run her mouth. In this case, it’s to our advantage – I think we’re liable to have a more upscale clientele soon.”

Corinne nodded but her mind was on Jonas, Maurice, and Randall. Were they really still friends? And if Mattie’s son was keeping in touch with Mattie, was there anything important about that?

CHAPTER FORTY-TWO

Ben made his return to Bethany’s to try on his new vest. But he needed to talk to Corinne also. The vest was a great success and needed just a wee bit of adjustment so, while Bethany did some handwork on the vest, Ben steered Corinne into a corner of the front room. In a very quiet voice, he spoke.

“I need to tell you something. I’m taking a short ‘trip’ but will be back before Jennifer and Robert get married.”

And then he explained the reason for this “trip.”

Corinne’s eyes got wide. “Be very careful, Ben.”

She got a smile in return. “I didn’t get to be my age by not being careful.”

And then he kissed her. A short, sweet tender kiss that meant the world to Corinne. She wished that he would kiss her again, but Bethany walked in with the finished vest. Acting as though she had seen nothing, she handed the vest to Ben, accepted payment, and watched as he headed for the door. At the last minute, he turned and chuckled.

“Corinne, take good care of Hoss. I do want grandchildren one day!”

Corinne gaped. Bethany snickered and said, “He must’ve been having a beer with his sons. We may have traumatized Hoss.” Again she snickered.

Tugging at a piece of Corinne’s sleeve, Bethany winked. “I thought that you and Ben were just ‘friends’.”

Corinne felt her face get hot and she knew that she was blushing.

CHAPTER FORTY-THREE

Corinne fretted about Ben and his safety – she was distracted and quiet. Bethany seemed to be intuitive and carried on a conversation only when Corinne spoke up. The two women were making a few more dresses for clients who had exclusively frequented Genevieve’s shop. Bless Mattie – she had, indeed, been talking about Bethany’s shop and thus new customers were appearing.

The day came when a large package arrived on the afternoon stage. Willy, who rode shotgun on the stage along with the driver, brought the package into the store.

“Didja hear about the train robbery not more’n four days ago?” Willy was sweet, was an excellent shot, but he loved to talk.

Corinne ears perked up as she heard this. “Where did it happen? Was it the Rawlins Gang?”

Willy put down the package and tipped his hat at both Bethany and Corinne. “Yes’m. It was about four days’ ride from here. They robbed the passengers on the train and then just plain disappeared. One of ‘em got shot and died before he could say anything.”

“Are you sure it was ‘The Gang’? How many people were there on that raid? And why take the time to rob the passengers. I thought they only robbed when there was lots of money to be stolen – things like gold or silver or payrolls or strongboxes.”

“There was supposed to be a strongbox on the train,” Willy answered. “But for some reason it weren’t there. There were four men and they all wore hoods to cover their faces. Nobody could identify the dead thief when they took his hood off. And he didn’t have no identification on him. Gotta be ‘The Gang’.”

Willy put the large package on Bethany’s counter, smiled and refused to take money from Bethany for bringing the package to her. He touched the brim of his hat and then left the store.

Corinne tugged at a strand of her hair. Her mind whirled. Four days away was very close…

CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR

Bethany’s squeal startled Corinne.

“Corinne! That Mr. Levi Strauss sent us the fabric that you told me about! Lots and lots of it! And it came just in time because Virginia City is gonna be crawlin’ with drovers soon! Let’s get started makin’ some different sizes to have on hand. We’ll make the price lower than the General Store’s prices. All we need to do is to have someone wear the first pair and be like a walking advertisement.

Corinne thought for a minute and then smiled. “And whose measurements do we already have? And who will be coming back to try on a new pair of trousers?”

In unison, two voices shouted, “Hoss Cartwright!”

Work began in earnest. But Corinne hadn’t forgotten about Ben, and she was worried.

CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE

With news of the Rawlins Gang being so close, the Virginia City citizens became anxious and began paying attention to new faces. Any new face was suspect.

Though she and Bethany were busy making new work trousers in hopes of luring the soon-to-arrive drovers (and maybe some local men), Corinne was worried about Ben. So she breathed a sigh of relief when Hoss arrived and said that Ben would be arriving on the afternoon stage.

Hoss was stoic during the fitting process which, to his relief, didn’t involve any more pinning and measuring. He had his boots and britches off and was into the new pants so quick that Bethany had a fit of the giggles. Bethany and Corinne had done an excellent job and there were no alterations to be made.

Hoss had only one question, and his cheeks turned red when he asked, “What is this thing here?”

Of course he was referring to the “clothing closure.”

Bethany pulled a “closure” from the shelf and demonstrated how it worked.

“Ain’t that somethin’?” Hoss was fascinated and took the “closure” from Bethany’s hands and made it work. Then he tried the one on his new trousers as Bethany warned him to be careful not to catch his underwear in the gadget.

His face broke into a big smile. “Ain’t that somethin’?” he repeated. “Reckon why nobody ever thought of this before?”

Bethany grabbed up the work pants and handed them to Hoss.

“What’re these?” he asked.

“A new material that’s to be used as work pants,” Bethany answered. “We used your measurements, so they should fit just fine. And they have a ‘closure’ too. Hoss, will you wear ‘em around town for us? Maybe go to the saloon so other men can see them? We’ve made a whole bunch in different sizes and lengths, and we plan to sell them cheaper than those canvas pants at the General Store. These are more durable and are much softer than canvas. And they all have the new ‘closure’ on them. Corinne and I are hoping that these will start a whole new fad for men to wear to work in.”

Hoss didn’t look too convinced. But he saw how earnest Bethany appeared, so he reluctantly tried them on.

“Hey, these feel good!” he said happily. “And they look good, too! I like ‘em!”

Bethany and Corinne could hardly contain their excitement and clapped their hands in glee.

The end result? Hoss left with his trousers and wore his new free pair of work pants. “Wait ‘til Adam and Little Joe see this!” He scooted out the door with his trousers and old pants in a brown bag tied up with string.

But Corinne barely heard him. Ben would be coming in on the afternoon stage. He was safe.

CHAPTER FORTY-SIX

Corinne made it her business to be at the stage depot when the stage arrived. She just had to know for sure that Ben was all right. So she waited and waited for the stage which, of course, was late arriving.

When she heard her name being called, she recognized the voice as Ben’s. Her heart sang with joy and relief as she felt his familiar touch on her arm.

“Ben, I was worried about you.” Corinne was almost breathless with excitement and from the nearness of this man she was growing to love. She had loved John, but John was dead, and Corinne’s life seemed to be taking a turn for the better. Then, “I want to give you a great big hug!”

Ben whispered close to her ear that a hug might not be appropriate right now. “I have some things to tell you, but this is not the right place. There’re too many people around here to be able to talk freely. Why don’t I pick you up and we’ll go to the Ponderosa for supper tonight? And you can give me a big hug when I come back later on.”

Corinne reached out to touch Ben’s face. In the few days that he had been gone, he obviously hadn’t shaved because Corinne’s hands and fingers could feel a great deal of stubble.

“Shave before you come to town,” she giggled nervously. “You must look like a hobo!”

Moving her hand from Ben’s face to his chest, she could feel as well as hear the resonance of his deep laughter. She almost cried with relief!

CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN

Bethany knew that Corinne had gone to meet Ben and smiled to herself as she considered the possibility of a love-match between Corinne and Ben.

Corinne entered Bethany’s shop, her face flushed with excitement. She had to walk around the growing rows of the new work pants that were beginning to fill up Bethany’s shop.

Corinne, thinking of the upcoming supper at the Ponderosa, was absolutely useless to do anything helpful in the shop. She knocked things over and she was all thumbs when it came to doing any pinning of material.

Bethany found that Corinne was more of a liability than an asset. And, when Corinne said that she’d be dining at the Ponderosa, Bethany understood the reasons why Corinne wasn’t able to concentrate.

“Corinne, why don’t you go back to your room? Take a bath, wash your hair, and pull out a dress that fits you really well. I’ve got the hang of making these work pants, and I can get them done faster if you’re not here.”

“I’m sorry, Bethany. I’m just…distracted.”

“I know you are, honey,” Bethany answered. “Oh, by the way, I’ve come up with a name for these new pants. What do you think of calling them ‘Levi’s’? After all, Levi Strauss was kind enough to send us the material – gratis, to boot – and I think the name is appropriate.”

“That’s a wonderful idea!” was all that Corinne could say. “We can write a letter to Levi and let him know what we’ve come up with. I’m sure he’ll be delighted!”

“I’ll write him immediately,” came Bethany’s answer. “Now you scurry and get ready for Ben…er…supper.” A slight slip of the tongue.

Corinne hugged Bethany. “I’ll tell you all about it tomorrow. And I’ll be ready to work like a fiend!”

CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT

Just as Bethany had suggested, Corinne went back to Ma’s and put water on the wood stove to get hot enough for a bath. Ma helped her get enough water into the tub so that the cold water and the hot water were just the right temperature. Corinne bathed and washed her hair with lavender soap, then she scampered back to her room clad only in a robe with a towel wrapped around her wet head. There was a warm breeze wafting through the open window, so Corinne removed the towel from her head and, as her hair began to dry, she began brushing it until it was completely dry. Her thoughts were on Ben.

Her dresses were each marked with a Braille tag, so she pulled out one of her favorites and debated whether to wear it or not. Its bodice was low-cut, maybe too low for supper, but she decided to wear it anyway.

Ma knocked on Corinne’s door. “Ben’s here,” she announced. And Corinne rushed into the parlor with wings on her feet.

Ben was rather taken aback by how glad he was to see Corinne. He took her hand and put it to his cheek. “See, no stubble.” Man and woman laughed. And then they were in the surrey on their way to the Ponderosa.

“Tell me everything,” Corinne prodded.

CHAPTER FORTY-NINE

“With the help of the sheriff in Edgarton, we started a rumor that the train would be carrying a large payroll for the drovers coming into Virginia City. In fact, the payroll is already in the bank in Virginia City, but nobody knew that. Apparently, the rumor reached the ears of the Rawlins Gang. I was on the train, along with deputies from other areas, when The Gang struck – out in the middle of nowhere. There were four men, but one got shot and died before he could say anything. No identification on him. The only things that were taken were the money that people had on them. No jewelry or any other personal effects were taken.”

“Ben!” Corinne was horrified. “You could have been killed! Were you recognized?”

“I don’t know about being recognized. I didn’t shave and tried to look like I was poorer than a churchmouse. I deliberately carried only a minimal amount of money with me. But the deputies and I marked our paper money with small blots of printer’s ink. If any of that money reaches Virginia City, we’ll know.”

“What did the men look like?”

“Hard to tell because of the hoods covering their faces. They were about my height or a little shorter. The one that got killed was positively bow-legged. One walked with a limp. One was thin and had a rather squeaky voice. One was stocky and spoke very little. But when he did speak, he seemed to have a lisp.”

“How will the folks in Virginia City know to look for ink blots on paper money?”

Roy Coffee will be talking to all the merchants in town and swearing them to secrecy. There’s no sense in causing a panic if The Gang doesn’t appear. He’ll make sure that the people he tells know what to look for. Especially the bankers and the tellers. Everybody who knows about the marked money will report immediately to Roy if they find any of that money.”

“I don’t like that you took such a chance,” Corinne murmured.

Ben didn’t answer that statement. He just stopped the surrey and said, “That’s a beautiful dress. But your cleavage is most distracting!” He wiggled his eyebrows. “My sons won’t be able to eat a bite of supper because they’re staring at you.”

“I guess I chose the wrong dress.” Corinne flashed an unhappy look.

“Oh, quite the contrary. You chose the perfect dress! And I want to collect on that hug you promised me.”

In unison, their arms reached for each other. Lips met lips hungrily – starting a fire in both man and woman. Corinne hadn’t felt this state of arousal in a long time and was disappointed when Ben finally broke the deep kisses. Both man and woman were breathing hard.

“Oh, my,” was all Corinne managed to say.

“If we don’t get to the Ponderosa soon, Hop Sing’ll have our heads on a platter,” was all Ben could think of to say. He smiled slightly to himself as he contemplated the fact that he was sitting down instead of standing up. There are just some things that a man can’t hide while standing…

CHAPTER FIFTY

Ben didn’t get a chance to help Corinne down from her perch in the surrey – Hoss, clad in his new blue pants – did the honors. He was full of excitement.

“These new britches feel real good! And a lots of fellers done asked me where I got ‘em! ‘Course they also wanted to know about this ‘closure’ thing, too. It sure beats buttons! I’m gonna want more, but this time I’ll pay for ‘em.” His cheeks turned pink.

Little Joe ran up right behind Hoss. “I want new ones, too! Anything that excites Hoss this much is worth investing in!”

Both Hoss and Joe hugged a laughing Corinne. Ben stood and watched this interaction between a woman he was falling in love with and two of his sons.

Adam leaned against the front-porch wall, arms crossed. Like his father, he was surveying the scene of genuinely happy greetings for a woman that the whole family cared for. But he was leery. His mind had questions about Corinne, and he didn’t want to see his father get his heart broken if Corinne wasn’t what she seemed to be. Putting a smile on his face, he walked over to the surrey and kissed Corinne on the cheek. She beamed up at him as she took his arm and was escorted into the house. Ben’s smile never left his face.

Hop Sing greeted Corinne at the front door but he stayed out of arm’s reach. He had no intention of getting smacked on the back of his head again. But, judging from his ear-to-ear smile, it was evident that he cared very much for Corinne.

The meal, as usual, was delicious, and the conversation was animated. Corinne couldn’t help but laugh at Hoss as he re-lived the commotion he had caused with his new blue pants.

Adam took his last sip of wine and wryly added, “The placement of that ‘closure’ looks like it could be quite dangerous for a man.”

Corinne laughed until tears rolled down her cheeks. Then she smacked Adam on the back of the head. Adam chuckled. Corinne was always fun to be around. But that didn’t mean he stopped being wary. So far tonight, he hadn’t caught any sign from her that she was not blind. And it was obvious that Ben was smitten with her and she with him.

CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE

All too soon, the evening had come to an end. And, as Ben had predicted, Corinne’s cleavage did get stared at. She and Ben shared winks several times throughout supper. When the meal was over, all four Cartwrights walked Corinne to the surrey, but it was to Ben that Corinne turned for a boost onto the seat.

Adam was startled. How did she know exactly where Ben was? She hadn’t turned in his direction – she had picked him out specifically and deliberately. Warning bells went off in Adam’s head immediately. And then he saw it. The same thing he had seen when Corinne had arrived in Virginia City and had stepped down from the stagecoach. She had a gun strapped to one of her shoes!

“Pa,” Adam said when Corinne was seated in the surrey. “I need to talk to you.”

“Later, Adam,” came Ben’s answer. “Corinne is tired and the hour is late. We’ll talk when I get back home.”

Adam knew that tone of voice and knew it would be useless to try and pursue the matter. All he could do was to nod. And worry.

CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO

Both Ben and Corinne couldn’t seem to keep their hands off each other on the way back to Ma’s. They would ride a while, snuggle and kiss a while, and then ride closer to town.

“I’ve seen younger folks act with more decorum than we are showing,” Corinne giggled. “What’s gotten into us?”

Ben smiled his warmest smile and kissed Corinne on the tip of her nose. “Who knows and who cares? I’m happy. You’re happy. We’re happy together. Let’s just enjoy these feelings without questioning them.”

And his lips were on hers again. Tender, gentle, passionate kisses that left them both breathless and aroused for the umpteenth time.

Corinne broke the kiss and stared into Ben’s eyes. “Where are all these feelings coming from?”

“I believe the feelings are coming from our hearts. It’s called ‘falling in love’.”

Corinne reached for Ben’s hand and held it tightly. “I like it. Now take me to Ma’s before we get to something that we might not be ready for.”

There was no mistaking the meaning of Corinne’s statement. Silently, but still holding hands, Corinne was delivered safely to Ma’s. One last kiss and then Ben was gone. Corinne went to her room and twirled with excitement – Ben obviously felt the same way that she did!

Ben pondered all the way home. Was he really in love or was he just infatuated? He soon dispensed with the idea of infatuation. He just couldn’t deny the intensity of his feelings for Corinne. But he worried. Danger just might be on the horizon…

CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE

Adam was sitting in a chair, trying to read and to stay awake so he could have a talk with his father. But his eyes were heavy and he began to nod off. He wasn’t quite asleep when he heard the front door open, and he became instantly alert and jumped to his feet.

“Pa, we have to talk!”

“About what, son?”

“About Corinne. Pa, she isn’t blind. I don’t know why she’s pretending to be blind, but she isn’t!”

“And what leads you to that conclusion?”

Adam cited all the evidence that he, Hoss and Joe had observed but didn’t mention the gun attached to Corinne’s shoe.

Ben helped himself to a brandy and listened to everything his eldest son had to say.

Adam now resorted to a final piece of evidence. “Pa, Corinne carries a gun. What blind person carries a gun?”

“Adam, you know that some women carry Derringers for protection.”

“Pa! It’s not a Derringer. It looks like a Colt .45 attached to her right shoe! I thought I caught a glimpse of it when she first arrived in Virginia City and was getting off the stage. I saw it for sure tonight when she climbed into the surrey. Pa! Listen to me! There’s no way of knowing what she’s up to! She may be dangerous!”

Ben swirled the brandy in his glass and thought hard. Adam was really upset. So Ben made a decision.

Gently, he told Adam to sit down. And Ben Cartwright broke his promise to Corinne. He explained everything to Adam. And though he thought it unfair to not share the story with Hoss and Joe, he knew that Adam would keep his mouth shut. So much depended on complete silence. He had to swear Adam to secrecy.

Adam leaned against the fireplace and chewed on a match stick. “I don’t like this, Pa. It’s too dangerous. But I’ll keep this news to myself. I promise.”

Ben grasped Adam’s shoulder. “It’s late, son. Let’s just go get some sleep.”

CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR

As the days flew by, things began to happen. Ben was openly courting Corinne, and Leona was delighted to spread the gossip. Adam was a frequent visitor to Bethany’s shop but never mentioned the secret that Ben had told him.

Cattle arrived at the Ponderosa. Other trail drives camped outside of town, and the drovers came into town and filled up the saloons. Sheriff Coffee’s jail cells were filled to the brim with drunken cowboys who were disturbing the peace. Overcrowding caused Roy to accept bail money to release his prisoners in the early morning so that he would have enough room to arrest more men the next day and night.

Bethany’s “Levi’s” sold like hotcakes just as Corinne had predicted they would. A follow-up letter from Levi Strauss himself stated that he would sell the fabric to Bethany’s shop any time it was needed. So Bethany wired this kind man with Corinne’s blessings. Large bolts of the blue material were arriving almost daily. Both Bethany and Corinne now spent most of their time making the new “Levi’s” in every waist size and length that they could imagine. Hoss bought more of them, and Little Joe even bought some. Adam, tired of listening to Hoss and Joe extol the virtues of the material – and the “closure”- even bought some. And he liked them!

Jennifer and Robert’s wedding ceremony was beautiful, and Ben told Corinne that Jennifer looked positively radiant. Genevieve was truly incensed by the fact that Mattie’s dress had been altered. Bethany was at the church when she was approached by Genevieve.

“Bethany, you have bad taste in what a guest’s apparel should look like,” Genevieve snorted.

“The dress you made for Mattie was absolutely frightful,” snapped Bethany. She watched as Genevieve strode off in a snit.

Maurice – Genevieve and Francoise’s son – arrived via stagecoach. Corinne was introduced to him when he sneaked into Bethany’s to buy a pair of Levi’s. Corinne measured him and found that he was tall and thin and had a bad attitude.

“I only came here because my parents don’t make cheap stuff like this,” Maurice said with a squeaky voice.

“I prefer to use the word ‘inexpensive’,” Corinne retorted. “If you think that price and quality make this garment ‘cheap,’ then I suggest you stick with canvas pants.”

Maurice sniffed in disgust. “Just wrap ‘em up. I’ll be the judge of how good they turn out to be.” His squeaky voice went through Corinne’s ears like a knife.

CHAPTER FIFTY-FIVE

Mattie and Oliver’s son, Jonas, arrived in town on horseback. Unlike his parents, Jonas was stocky and he was afflicted with a bit of a lisp. But he had good manners and was very respectful. Mattie had brought him in, maybe to show him off, but the main reason was to buy some Levi’s. Jonas had complained to Mattie that his canvas pants just chafed the skin right off his legs while on one of the cattle drives.

Corinne found him to be very soft-spoken, almost to the point of shyness. His manners were impeccable. After Mattie and Jonas left the store, Bethany commented that, despite his brash and unruly ways when he was younger, he seemed to have changed for the better.

As Corinne was walking back to Ma’s one evening, holding onto Ben’s arm, Mandy appeared. With Randall. Introductions were made and pleasantries were exchanged before each couple walked away. Corinne heard Randall’s boots on the boardwalk and heard a pronounced limp.

All three sons who had been forced to leave town when they were younger were now back in town all at the same time. Ironically, paper money with ink blots began turning up in a few places and a few of the businesses had been robbed…

CHAPTER FIFTY-SIX

Ben arrived at Bethany’s shop to take Corinne to lunch but was told, to his surprise, that Corinne had gone to see Sheriff Coffee. Bethany didn’t know the reason for Corinne’s visit – she said that it was none of her business so she didn’t ask questions. Besides, she had hired a tailor and was overseeing his work with the new Levi’s. The man’s name was Larson Quigley, and he was turning out to be a godsend.

Ben walked briskly to Roy’s office and found Corinne and the sheriff drinking a cup of coffee and talking quietly. Ben had been worried about Corinne – had she been robbed or accosted?

“Corinne, is everything all right?” Ben asked.

“Of course everything is all right. What would make you think otherwise?” came the answer.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Ben spoke. “Well, since you’ve been in Virginia City, I’ve never known you to come to the jail to see Roy. I was worried.”

Roy looked uncomfortable. “Corinne… um…”

“Oh, Ben. I brought some Levi’s for Clem to try on. He wants to buy a pair if the fit is right. And then we started talking and I lost track of the time. Besides, Roy told me that you were the instigator of starting the rumor of the payroll being on the train that the Rawlins Gang robbed. What a novel idea! And what a shame that it didn’t work like you and the other law men had hoped.”

Ben’s mouth dropped open. “Roy told you about that? Nobody is supposed to know.”

Roy finished his coffee. “Ben, I just assumed that you had told Corinne yourself. Besides, I have a feeling that Corinne is good at keeping secrets. She knows what to repeat and what not to repeat.”

Ben’s eyes shifted to Corinne, but she wasn’t concentrating on the discussion at hand. She seemed to be listening to the voices coming from the now-sober drunks who had been arrested the night before.

She was thinking hard. Too many men who are close to Ben’s height, too many drovers who have a limp, too many thin men with squeaky voices, too many stocky men with a lisp. She sighed in frustration.

Corinne reached in Ben’s direction and took his arm. “I hope you find out who’s behind these robberies, Roy.”

“Thanks. So do I!” Roy answered. “But I’d be willing to bet dollars to donuts that Randall, Maurice, and Jonas are behind every one of ‘em. They’re just plain bad. They started their lives of crime when they were young, and I don’t think they could change even if they wanted to.”

“People are not always what they seem,” Corinne murmured. Then, “Ben, I’m ready for lunch. Unless you’ve changed your mind, that is.”

“I have not changed my mind!” Ben said emphatically. “With the late hours you’ve been working, I’m lucky to see you at all!”

CHAPTER FIFTY-SEVEN

“How did you know where to find me?” Corinne asked as she scooped up a spoonful of beef stew.

“I went to Bethany’s to get you, and she told me where you were. She also told me that she had hired a tailor – I believe his name is Larson Quigley?”

“Ahhh, Larson. He just arrived the other day on the stage from back East and was looking for a temporary job. His intention is to go to San Francisco and open his own shop. He’s tired of working for other people. And Bethany says that he’s really talented at tailoring.”

“Please tell Bethany to be careful who she hires. Right now, it’s difficult to trust anybody. Roy and Clem can’t catch the thieves and they can’t figure out where the inked money is coming from. There’re just too many new faces in town.”

Ben thought he had Corinne’s full attention. But Corinne’s ears had picked up on a voice that was burned in her memory.

“Ben, are there any new faces in here? I’m hearing a man’s voice that doesn’t sound familiar – he has a slight lisp.”

Subtly, Ben surveyed his surroundings. “There are about ten men in here who I don’t recognize. Can you be more specific?”

“No,” Corinne said sadly. “There’s so much going on in here that I can’t be sure what direction the voice is coming from. Maybe I’m just mistaken.” But she knew that she wasn’t.

As they made their exit from the café, Randall McTavish was making his entrance. He bumped into Corinne, almost knocking her down. He gave a lispy “thorry” before Ben could react.

By the twist in his arm, Corinne felt that Ben was beginning to turn around.

“Don’t, Ben. Just let it go,” Corinne said softly. “I need to get back to work.”

Ben hesitated and made his decision. That decision was to honor Corinne’s wishes and to walk her back to Bethany’s. They missed hearing a hushed conversation that was taking place at the table next to where they had been sitting.

CHAPTER FIFTY-EIGHT

In a few days, many of the drovers had continued their jobs of driving cattle to towns elsewhere. But a large handful of the men quit those jobs and stayed in Virginia City to hunt for gold – hoping to strike a bonanza and become rich overnight.

Randall, Maurice, and Jonas stayed in town. The robberies stopped and so did the circulation of the marked money. The townsfolk of Virginia City relaxed their guard.

Despite the departure of most of the drovers, Bethany’s shop remained busy. She and Larson had instigated a very workable plan: Bethany would take care of the ladies’ clothing, and Larson would tend to the men’s clothing. Corinne would lend a hand to whichever person needed help.

Larson was well-versed in using the sewing machine. At first, Bethany was worried that the man might break it but, when she saw the results of his expertise, she relaxed. Her shop ran smoothly and had turned into a financial success. However, working with Larson wasn’t easy. He was very quiet, spoke only when spoken to, and had absolutely no sense of humor. His saving grace was the fact that he could not only make fine
clothing for men but he could also find time to keep ahead of the demand for Levi’s. If necessary, he could make custom-fit Levi’s in just a few hours.

This particular day, Adam entered the shop and was greeted by Bethany’s usual enthusiasm.

“I seem to have broken the ‘closure’ on this pair of Levi’s,” Adam announced. “Can it be fixed?”

Bethany called Larson into the front room to look at the problem. Bethany left the two men alone and went into the back room with Corinne.

“I can fix it in an hour,” Larson said without emotion. Then he looked closely at Adam, his eyes wandering somewhere discretely south of Adam’s belt. “I can fix this ‘closure’ but it’ll just break again. You need custom-made Levi’s to allow for your…build. It won’t cost you anything except for the time I need to measure you. If the ‘closure’ breaks on pants that we’ve made in this shop, the customer gets the next pair gratis.”

Adam’s eyebrow went up to his hairline. He could hear Corinne and Bethany giggling in the background and he felt his cheeks grow hot as Larson ushered him into the back room.

“I can measure Adam for you,” Corinne volunteered with a smile.

“No, you will not measure me,” announced an offended and embarrassed Adam. “I need a tailor, not a seamstress.”

Smothering a smile, Corinne moved into the front room with Bethany.

“I had no idea that Adam was so modest,” Corinne whispered.

“Apparently, he is,” came Bethany’s quiet answer.

CHAPTER FIFTY-NINE

Adam, always on the alert, stripped down so he could be measured correctly. Though he kept his voice low, Corinne could hear most of what was being said.

“I hear that you’re new to Virginia City,” Adam said.

“Uh-huh,” came the answer.

“Where’d you come from?”

“Back East.”

But Larson didn’t have a “back East” accent.

“You always been a tailor?”

“Nope.”

“You married? Got kids back home?”

“Yep.”

“Are they planning to join you here in town?”

“Nope.”

“I take it that you don’t plan to make Virginia City your home.”

“Nope. Going to San Francisco.”

Adam was frustrated at the whole conversation. By the time he had been measured, he knew nothing more about Larson Quigley than he did when he came in.

“You can pick up the pants this afternoon after lunch,” Larson announced. It was the longest sentence he had said all day.

Adam put on his old pants and went into the front room where Bethany and Corinne were seated with pins and scissors in hand. Adam told them he’d be back later and then exited the shop. He didn’t like Larson but couldn’t figure out why. When he came to pick up his Levi’s after lunch, Larson had left the store to go put his wages in the bank. Adam wanted to know more about him…

CHAPTER SIXTY

Slowly but surely, Bethany and Corinne noticed that Larson’s business had begun to thrive – and in a good way. Bethany was thrilled that Larson’s clientele began to lean toward finer clothing. Yes, Levi’s were still the stock-in-trade for farmers and cowboys, but the more expensive fabrics were being used up quickly. Bethany was forever ordering more and more different kinds of expensive materials, and she was delighted. She seemed not to notice something odd, but Corinne did when she questioned both Bethany and Larson about these new customers’ identities.

Bethany scratched her graying hair. “Well, I don’t really know who they are. I don’t think I’ve seen them before.”

Larson’s answer was a cryptic, “They’re new in town.”

And something else appeared odd to Corinne. For modesty’s sake, Bethany and Corinne left Larson in the back room alone when he was measuring his customers. Many of those times, Larson seemed to be quite conversational – how unusual for him – but in whispered tones that even Corinne couldn’t hear. And she had ears like a bat!

This day, Larson made another quick trip to the bank. But he was longer than usual in returning to Bethany’s shop.

The only thing he said was, “I had to wait. Large payroll came in.” And then he glided into the back room to measure yet another customer who had been waiting silently for “Larthon.”

CHAPTER SIXTY-ONE

Jonas sat in jail, twiddling his thumbs and looking distressed. Mattie was out of breath when she approached Roy.

“Clem just told me that you have my son sitting behind bars!” she moaned.

“Yes’m, he’s here,” came Roy’s answer.

“In God’s name, what did he do?” wailed Mattie.

“Sam, the bartender at the Bucket O’ Blood, said that Jonas paid his tab with some of that marked money.

Of course, Mattie and Oliver, being business owners, had been advised to watch out for money with an ink-blot. They had been extra cautious whenever they had received money of any kind and had not seen anything amiss. Because word had leaked out that certain paper money was “tainted,” Jonas should have been more perceptive.

“Please, may I talk to my son?” Mattie begged.

“Certainly. But he’ll tell you the same thing he told me – and that was that he won that money in a poker game from a man he’d never seen before. He had a lot of it on him when I arrested him.” Roy shrugged.

Jonas rose when he saw his mother enter the room where the cells were.

“Ma, thith ith all a big mithtake!” Jonas proceeded to explain to her that he went to the saloon, had a few beers and then sat down to play some poker. He was on a winning streak, and the money had just piled up in front of him. He paid Sam with a bit of his winnings and never looked closely at the money.

“Who were you playing poker with?” Mattie asked.

“I knew Charlie and Will. But there were two other men that I might’ve theen before but there’th no way to be thure.” Jonas reached through the cell bars and held Mattie’s hand. “Ma, I’m gonna be held for trial, and I don’t even know what I’ve done wrong!” Jonas’s eyes filled with tears.

Mattie planted a kiss on her son’s hand. “We’ll get this straightened out. Don’t you worry.”

CHAPTER SIXTY-TWO

As Mattie turned to leave her son, she heard a loud, screeching voice – immediately recognizable as that of Leona McTavish. Clem was bringing the limping Randall into the jail.

“I’ll sue you for false arrest!” Leona shouted. “You can’t do this to my son!”

Roy didn’t know whether to hold his hands to his ears or whether to slap Leona. He did neither.

“Clem, what happened? Why is Randall in custody?”

“He was caught red-handed trying to pick Adam’s pocket,” Clem answered while Leona continued to shriek. “He didn’t get far. You know Adam – he has a grip of iron – and Randall had Adam’s wallet in his hands. Adam is preferring charges against Randall and is coming to sign the paperwork.”

Roy yelled over Leona’s screeching. “Do sit down and be quiet!”

Leona sat down but she was only a few decibels quieter. Her constant sniffing and wailing were driving Roy and Clem to the point of distraction. Randall was silent.

“Did you try to steal Adam’s wallet?” Roy asked Randall.

Randall shrugged. “My leg hurts. I wanna sit down.”

Roy gave Clem the keys and requested that Randall be put in a cell distant from the one occupied by Jonas.

The door to the Sheriff’s Office opened. In strode both Adam and Octavius. When Leona saw her husband, her ear-splitting screeching began anew.

“Adam Cartwright,” she yelled, “how could you do this to my son?”

Adam looked her in the eye. “He tried to steal my wallet.”

“Well, you can just tell your father that he can take his banking business elsewhere! We don’t need the Cartwright money!” Leona stomped her foot and glared at Adam.

Octavius, instead of trying to comfort his hysterical wife, turned to Adam. “You will not tell your father any such thing! We have always appreciated the Cartwright account and will continue to conduct business as usual with all of you. My wife is over-wrought. Please forgive her rudeness.”

Leona forgot to wail and cry and then looked at her husband with her mouth agape.

Mattie watched all of these proceedings silently. Both Jonas and Randall in jail? And Adam pressing charges against Randall – even though Adam now had his wallet back with his money intact? How unlike Adam – he was usually so forgiving.

Adam signed the papers which Roy had placed on the desk. Now, Jonas and Randall would have to wait for the Circuit Judge to come to town to try both cases.

CHAPTER SIXTY-THREE

Corinne couldn’t help it. She just had to make a trip to the jail to find out what was going on with Randall and Jonas. What she discovered was a big nothing because neither of the inmates would talk to her, so she headed back to Bethany’s.

Bethany was busy making a dress for one of the wealthier women in Virginia City. She hummed as she worked the treadle with her feet.

“Bethany, it’s time for lunch,” Corinne said as she felt her stomach growl.

“Oh, I’m not at a good stopping place yet,” came Bethany’s answer. “Larson has gone to lunch. Why don’t you do the same thing? When one of you comes back, then I’ll go eat a little something.”

Corinne suddenly decided that she would eat at The International House – a deviation that she happily shared with Bethany. Corinne could afford to splurge since Bethany had given her several raises. Besides, she had a hankering for that wonderful roast beef sandwich on sourdough bread.

Not long after Corinne’s departure, Ben and Adam entered Bethany’s shop.

“Hello, you two!” Bethany chortled. “Ben, don’t tell me that you’ve decided to buy some Levi’s!”

Ben laughed and shook his head. “Not today. Adam and I decided to stop and see if we could take Corinne to lunch.”

“Aw, you’re too late. She’s already gone to lunch. She’s splurging at The International House, bless her heart.”

Bethany gave Adam a not-so-subtle glance. “I see that your Levi’s seem to fit better. No more problems with the ‘closure’?”

“Nope,” Adam replied quickly. Then he grabbed his father by the arm and practically dragged him from the shop. He didn’t want to answer any more questions about the fit of his pants.

The two men headed straight to The International House. There they found Corinne. And who should be in a very animated conversation with her? Larson!

Ben and Adam stood for a minute and watched the two people in deep conversation.

“I didn’t know that Larson was capable of making so much conversation,” Adam said.

“I didn’t know that Corinne was so interested in Larson,” Ben muttered. He realized he was actually jealous.

“Well, we’re here now. We need to stop by the table and say ‘hello’. It would be rude not to.” Adam saw a flicker of unhappiness on his father’s face.

Ben shrugged, trying to pretend he didn’t care. But he did care. So he and Adam strolled over to Corinne’s table.

CHAPTER SIXTY-FOUR

Larson and Corinne’s conversation stopped abruptly as soon as Corinne heard Ben and Adam’s voices. But her face brightened.

“Ben! Adam! How wonderful that you came in! Please sit down and join Larson and me. We haven’t been served yet, and we would enjoy your company!”

Ben hesitated. “Are we interrupting anything?”

“Not at all,” Corinne responded. Larson said nothing. And Larson said very little throughout the whole meal.

When it was time to pay the bill, Larson paid for Corinne’s lunch – a fact that rankled with Ben. And, when Ben offered to walk Corinne back to Bethany’s, her response was that she and Larson were going in the same direction and that Larson would escort her.

Ben had reached a slow, jealous burn. He was rather abrupt in his speech. “Fine. Adam and I have things to attend to anyway.”

Ben and Adam made a rather hasty departure. Corinne was thinking about the tone of Ben’s voice and realized how the situation must’ve looked to him. His seeming indifference both hurt her and pleased her. She hadn’t set out to make him jealous, but she hadn’t seen much of him lately – her work at Bethany’s and Ben’s work at the Ponderosa didn’t leave them much time to be together.

“Larson doesn’t talk much, does he?” Ben asked Adam.

“Not to us, he doesn’t. But he sure was talking a lot to Corinne.”

CHAPTER SIXTY-FIVE

It didn’t take long for Leona McTavish to start a rumor about Corinne and Larson. They had been seen having meals together or walking together. Ben and Corinne spent time together when they could, but the feeling was just “off.” Something just didn’t “feel right.”

Not one marked piece of money turned up anywhere. The general consensus of opinion was that both Randall and Jonas were scouts for and members of the Rawlins Gang. But that fact couldn’t be proven. Not even at the trial. No member of the jury could dispute the fact that Jonas might have been given marked money during the poker game and then, while under the influence of alcohol, had passed that money to Sam. So he was declared “Not Guilty” of the crime of deliberately passing stolen money.

Adam relented and dropped the charges against Randall. He had never liked the young man and realized that he was just prejudiced due to Randall’s past history.

Roy Coffee had a long talk with both Randall and Jonas. They were not to go to saloons or drink any alcohol. They were released into society and would be watched closely by every citizen in town. If there was one more problem with either of the two young men, Roy would lock up the offender and throw away the key.

Life wasn’t easy for Randall or for Jonas after that. They were whispered about or were talked about openly – their names linked to the Rawlins Gang forever.

Mattie and Oliver couldn’t watch Jonas every second, though they tried to. Leona continued to be angry with Adam.

“He should never have filed charges against my son to begin with,” she snarled. She was guilty of not watching her son, and so was Octavius.

Meanwhile, in the dead of night when nobody was watching, four people gathered together briefly to speak in hushed tones and then sneaked back to their own beds. The Rawlins Gang was plotting yet another crime.

CHAPTER SIXTY-SIX

Ben made it a point to ask Corinne to supper at The International House. No matter how busy he was at the Ponderosa, he wanted – needed – to talk to Corinne. Leona’s rumors were all over town about the “budding relationship” between Corinne and Larson. Ben had to find out from Corinne if what he was hearing was true.

After the meal, instead of taking a surrey ride, Ben and Corinne walked to the edge of town and stood under a copse of trees. Corinne had not been herself all night – Ben thought she seemed “distracted.” Even with his gentle questioning, he could only discern that Corinne was not romantically involved with Larson, a fact which made the Cartwright patriarch feel somewhat better. But something was still bothering Corinne, and she wouldn’t tell him.

There were dark circles under Corinne’s eyes – it was obvious that she hadn’t been sleeping well. What was on her mind? Admitting that she was tired, Ben walked her back to Ma’s. Under the lamplight, Corinne cradled Ben’s face in her hands.

“Ben, it isn’t proper for a lady to speak right out. But, then, maybe I’m not a ‘lady’.” She took a deep breath. “I want you to know that I love you more than words can say. Please remember that always.”

And then she kissed him so hard, so fiercely, that Ben almost lost his balance.

“Promise me that you’ll remember what I said,” Corinne begged to a rather startled and befuddled Ben.

“I promise,” came Ben’s answer.

Corinne fled into Ma’s. Ben was truly worried. What was going on? He was afraid for Corinne…

Under cover of darkness, the Rawlins Gang met again. The plot was almost complete.

CHAPTER SIXTY-SEVEN

Leona couldn’t keep a secret if her mouth were sewn shut. She began bragging about the large amounts of money in the bank and she strutted like a peacock. When Octavius heard the gossip, he was furious!

“Leona, you don’t go around talking about what money the bank does or doesn’t have! You’re inviting trouble. Don’t forget that Jonas is out of jail and that Maurice could possibly be in cahoots with both Jonas and our own son. For all we know, they might have something to do with the Rawlins Gang.”

Leona was furious. “Randall wouldn’t be a member of such a despicable gang. But I don’t doubt for a minute that Maurice and Jonas are trouble. It’s just too ironic that they all arrived within days of each other. Don’t forget that Jonas was spending marked money!”

Tiredly, Octavius answered. “He was found ‘not guilty’ by a jury of his peers. It could have been a completely innocent thing.”

“I doubt it!” spat Leona. “With Maurice and Jonas in town, there’s bound to be trouble!”

For the first time in her life, Leona was right.

Again, under cover of darkness, hoods were being pulled out of hiding places and guns were being loaded. The time was almost right.

CHAPTER SIXTY-EIGHT

It was business as usual the next day. Corinne seemed to be concentrating hard on her work. Bethany was taking stock of new fabric that had arrived earlier. Larson used up a specific shade of thread and had to go buy some more to replace it.

Afternoon approached. Corinne hadn’t eaten breakfast and the loud growling of her stomach prompted Bethany to beg Corinne to go get something to eat. Both women laughed.

“While I’m out, why don’t I make our deposit at the bank?” suggested Corinne brightly.

“That’s not a bad idea. I’ve got more money than usual in the cash register.” Bethany counted the money and put her passbook in the envelope.

“I’ll go straight to the bank and then to the café,” Corinne said. “I won’t be long. And Larson should be back soon. I bet the aroma from the café has led him to stop and pick up a sandwich.”

Bethany returned to the bolts of material and finished the job of making notations in her “Supplies” book.

Corinne proceeded to the bank, her familiar red-and-silver cane in her hand.

Trouble was about to start.

CHAPTER SIXTY-NINE

Corinne knew her way around inside the bank and stood in line at Fred’s teller window. She liked Fred and trusted him implicitly.

Leona approached her. “I could make business go faster if you let me handle the deposit.”

“No, thank you. I’ll wait for Fred.” Corinne forced a smile as she moved one step closer to Fred’s window.

Corinne heard a door being shut and rightfully assumed that it was the main-entrance door. There were sounds of shades being pulled down. Corinne pretended not to notice.

And then there were muffled voices that reached Corinne’s ears. One voice that she would never forget.

“Everybody over here,” one squeaky voice demanded. “And be quiet about it. The first person who makes a noise gets shot.”

Fred whispered frantically. “It’s the Rawlins Gang with hoods on! We’re being robbed!” Then Corinne heard some scuffling feet and knew Fred had moved away.

“Open the thafe!” demanded another voice.

“I can’t,” Octavius answered. “The safe is on a timer and won’t open for another few minutes.”

“Hey, lady! Are you deaf? I told everybody to move over here,” said the squeaky voice.

Corinne turned slowly being sure to use her cane to tap on the floor around her. “I am not deaf, you idiot! I’m blind! And I don’t know where “over there” is!”

There was the sound of someone approaching her, someone who walked with a limp. Roughly, Corinne was grabbed by the arm and propelled to a far corner of the bank. There was the sound of Leona’s wailing and then the sound of a slap. Leona shut up.

“Oh, for Heaven’s sake,” Octavius bravely said. “Rob the bank if you want to, but let these people leave with their lives intact.”

“Everybody hath to thtay right here.” This from the lispy man.

The man with the limp was walking around. “We already know that the vault is on a timer. We’ll be in and out of here so quick that nobody’ll notice. This is no time for heroes. Do as we say or we’ll turn this bank’s floor red with blood.”

Corinne, clutching her purse and dropping her cane, fell to the floor.

“Lookth like the blind lady fainted,” the lispy-voice said with no emotion.

Octavius made a move toward Corinne but was stopped. “Leave her alone. It’s one less person to worry about.”

Wrong. So sneakily did Corinne’s hand move that it went virtually unnoticed. Down to her ankle went her hand. And when her hand reappeared, it was holding a Colt .45. And it was pointed at one of the hooded men.

Calmly, Corinne announced, “Pinkerton Detective Agency. And you’re all under arrest.”

CHAPTER SEVENTY

There was stunned silence. Then the squeaky voice spoke. “Lady, that gun is way too big for you to use. I can blow you to bits before you can squeeze off your first shot.”

“I wouldn’t count on it,” Corinne answered. Whereupon she fired one shot between the man’s feet. She obviously could fan a gun faster than most men. “I could’ve shot you dead, but I chose not to.”

One of the four men removed his hood. It was Larson who had successfully infiltrated The Gang and knew all the plans. He, too, carried a “Peacemaker.” With a big grin, he collected guns from the felons and stood by Corinne. “Yep. I’m with Pinkerton, too. Now let’s take off those hoods and see who we’ve got here.”

But Corinne wasn’t quite through. She stared at the faces and then focused on one face in particular. The man bore an incredible resemblance to Randall.

“Does your leg hurt you? Do you still carry the bullet where my husband shot you before you blew up our office? You never saw me, but I saw you. I’ll never forget your face as long as I live. I was in the office when you threw that dynamite. I was blinded by the flash from the explosion, but my vision came back. And now I’m going to kill you.”

“Corinne, put the gun down,” Larson said calmly. “These three men will be punished. But it’s not up to you to do the punishment.”

Corinne thought about this.

Larson continued. “And after they’ve been sentenced, they’ll have plenty of time to think about their sins and their fate.” Then, “Don’t shoot, Corinne. We go by the law – always have and always will.”

Corinne nodded slowly.

By this time, Leona had unlocked the front door and had run screaming into the streets.

“The bank’s being robbed! The bank’s being robbed!” Which, of course, was not true. The timer on the vault hadn’t opened the door yet. People didn’t know whether to run and hide or peak around corners to watch.

Both sheriff and deputy had been eating lunch at the café and appeared in what seemed like seconds. Clem still had his napkin tucked into the opening of his shirt. These two men took The Gang straight to jail. And Corinne, who had seemed to be in such control, did something she never did. She fainted.

CHAPTER SEVENTY-ONE

Corinne, dazed and with cobwebs filling her head, heard a voice from far away. She felt something cool on her forehead. Her first words were, “I have a deposit to make for Bethany.”

Now the cobwebs were clearing from her mind. The far-away voice belonged to Ben, and she felt the familiar pressure of his hand. And there was a noise that sounded like Adam’s familiar chuckle.

“Wha…Wha…?” Corinne just couldn’t get the words out. Gentle hands pushed her back as she tried to sit up. The cool cloth was applied once again to her forehead.

“You’re all right,” Ben said soothingly. “You just fainted, that’s all.”

Corinne jutted out her chin stubbornly. “Nonsense! I never faint!”

For the first time, Leona spoke in a genuinely gentle tone. “Well, my dear, you did faint this time. And you saved the bank from being robbed.”

Memories of the past few minutes flooded Corinne’s mind. “Well, I wasn’t scared. Not one bit!”

“Of course you weren’t,” Ben said with a smile. And then he scolded her. “Why didn’t you ask me to help you? Adam and I were both here in town. Bethany told us where you were.”

“I didn’t want anything to happen to you,” Corinne said. Her eyes began to water. “And I’m not crying either!”

“Of course you’re not crying,” Octavius said as he handed over his monogrammed handkerchief. “You were very brave.”

“You did what could have turned out to be a stupid thing,” Adam announced.

Corinne rose to her feet, her legs a wee bit wobbly. She smacked Adam on the back of his head. “I knew what I was doing. And I had Larson with me as a back-up. I wasn’t in any real danger…” But she knew that she had been in a great deal of danger.

Doc Martin arrived on the scene, checked Corinne’s pulse, and pronounced her to be okay. But, to be sure, he wanted to give her a more thorough check-up in his office.

Without hesitation, Ben scooped Corinne up in his strong arms and carried her to the doctor’s office. “You acted foolishly,” he chided.

Whereupon, Corinne smacked him on the back of the head. Or tried to. She couldn’t get much leverage from being held so close to him.

“After Doc makes sure that you’re okay for sure, we’re going to have a nice, long chat.” Ben said in his no-nonsense tone. One knew to not argue with that tone of voice, so Corinne settled back comfortably in Ben’s arms and leaned her head against his shoulder.

CHAPTER SEVENTY-TWO

When Doc had finished his examination and was satisfied that Corinne was fine, Ben started asking questions in no particular order.

Corinne had asked the whereabouts of Larson. She was concerned for him.

“He’s at the jail with Roy and Clem. He’s fine. Who is he and how did he come to be here?”

“He’s a tailor and works undercover for Pinkerton. I wrote him and asked him to come here – Bethany really needed more help, and so did I. I really believed that Randall was a member of the Rawlins Gang. And I assumed that Maurice and Jonas were members, too. I was wrong on all counts. I was the one who told Larson about the timer on the bank vault. I had no idea that Leona would spread the word about large amounts of money being in the bank. I figured that Randall would tell The Gang about the timer. Larson managed to infiltrate the real Gang and supplied them with information. Apparently, they were easy to fool. Larson made it a point to keep his mouth shut about almost everything personal. He appeared to be just the man The Gang needed.”

Adam leaned against the door jamb and swapped a matchstick from one side of his mouth to the other.

Corinne thought for a moment. “I need to get back to Bethany’s. If Larson hasn’t told her the news, then I want to tell her. She’ll be relieved.”

Ben shook his head, not knowing if Corinne really understood what she was saying.

With a grin, Corinne announced quietly, “This is not information to leave this room. Bethany was married to one of Allan Pinkerton’s agents. Bethany and her husband were sent here by Allan – sort of spreading out agents all over the place to be Allan’s eyes and ears. When Bethany’s husband died – a heart attack – she decided to stay here and continue with what had been started. Can you think of any other reason that she would hire a blind woman to help her? She had already gotten a letter announcing my arrival and that I would be looking for work. If it helps you any, I am a dressmaker by trade. I just had to pretend to be blind to avoid suspicion.”

The matchstick dropped from Adam’s mouth, and Ben’s mouth went agape.

“No more talking for now,” Corinne stated firmly. “I need to speak with both Bethany and Larson. Please don’t give Bethany’s secret away. She will always remain an informant for the Pinkertons.”

“Well, we’re going to walk with you to Bethany’s. We’ll leave as soon as you’re inside the shop.” Ben’s no-nonsense tone again. “And tonight you’ll be coming to the Ponderosa. The whole story needs to be told!”

“Yes, sir! You deserve to know everything! But I don’t want Larson’s name mentioned any more than I want Bethany’s name mentioned in connection with the Pinkertons. Is that clear?”

Doc, Ben and Adam’s heads nodded. And then Corinne was escorted to Bethany’s.

CHAPTER SEVENTY-THREE

At the Ponderosa that night, Corinne began her story to the whole Cartwright family.

“I already told you that I was a dressmaker. John worked as a gunsmith – an undercover agent for Allan Pinkerton. I worked in the shop next door to John, and we had a secret passage so we could move from shop to shop without being seen. We almost caught Ronald Sowers, aka Ken Rawlins, without his hood, but John only wounded him in the leg. By then, we were sure that Ronald was head of the Rawlins Gang. Ronald went into hiding and then reappeared – I saw him going into John’s shop. He threw the dynamite before John could get to his gun. My own gun misfired. Ronald didn’t see me or hear my gun over the sound of the explosion. John was killed, and I was blinded by the flash of the explosion. Ronald Sowers bears a remarkable resemblance to Randall McTavish, and I truly believed that Randall had killed my husband. I made a promise to myself that I would find Ronald and kill him myself. But I first had to go to a school for the blind and learn how to read Braille, how to continue to sew, how to write, how to use my senses of hearing and smell – all to my advantage. The doctor had said that I might be blind my whole life or my sight might return. After almost a year, my sight did return, but I kept up the ruse of blindness. Who would expect a blind woman to be on a man-hunt? I remembered the different voices but was unsure of how anybody looked except for Ronald.”

Corinne stopped to take a sip of brandy.

“We – the Pinkertons – kept tabs on The Gang but just couldn’t keep up with them. Allan’s motto is ‘We never sleep’, and that’s about the truth of it. In places all over the country, some Pinkerton men are awake, plotting to find the next felons, while other agents are asleep.”

Hoss, Joe and Hop Sing were entranced by this whole story. Ben had told Adam the secret and had broken his promise to Corinne, but Adam hadn’t breathed a word of what he knew to his brothers or to Hop Sing. And Corinne would never know that Ben had broken his promise.

“Allan sent a personal letter to Bethany, and that’s how I got hired. Besides, Genevieve wouldn’t hire me anyway. I don’t know what I would’ve done if she had actually given me a job.” Corinne laughed.

“Randall, Maurice and Jonas had bad reputations. Their specialty was robbery. I tried to focus my attention on them. Randall limps, Maurice has a squeaky voice, and Jonas has a lisp. With all three of them arriving in town at just about the same time, my senses were heightened. When I broke the picture on Mr. McTavish’s desk, I looked and thought that Randall was Ronald. I was just so sure that I had the right man – or men… That’s when I wrote Allan and asked him to send Larson. Bethany would’ve been a danger to herself if she had a gun, and I care for her and didn’t want her to get hurt. So we got Larson.”

“Pretending to be blind is very difficult. I made several mistakes and feared I had given myself away.”

Adam, Hoss, Joe and Hop Sing said nothing. Wisely, they kept their mouths shut.

“When Ben and Adam saw me several times in Larson’s company – well, appearances are deceiving. Larson was filling me in on what The Gang was up to. And then things snowballed so fast that there wasn’t time to get help. And you know the rest of the story.”

Corinne finished the last sip of brandy. The secret that she had told Ben, plus the added secrets that he didn’t know, had been told. “I haven’t been invited to spend the night here, but I’m inviting myself. Now I’m going to bed. We can talk more tomorrow.”

With that, Corinne walked to the guest room, shucked her clothes, and went immediately to sleep.

CHAPTER SEVENTY-FOUR

Roy appeared bright and early the next morning to tell Corinne that The Gang was on its way to Reno under heavy guard. There was a Judge there who never left – unlike the Circuit Judges who went from town to town. Corinne and Larson would have to make the trip to Reno also.

Breakfast was pleasant, and no more questions were asked. Ben drove Corinne to Ma’s to pack her bags, and he escorted her to the stage depot.

“Don’t you want for me to go with you?” Ben asked.

“No, Ben. I can do this by myself much easier.”

“Are you coming back here?” Ben had to know.

Corinne smacked Ben on the back of the head gently. “As soon as the trial is over, I’ll be here. Count on it!” Then, rather coyly, “Bethany needs a good dressmaker. I can’t let her down.”

Kissing away the befuddled look on Ben’s face, Corinne boarded the stage. It left in a cloud of dust. Ben sighed. But he also remembered that Corinne had said she loved him, and that gave him great comfort.

CHAPTER SEVENTY-FIVE

The trial in Reno didn’t take long. The Gang was found guilty on what Larson and Corinne could prove. Corinne was an eyewitness to her husband’s murder by Ronald, and both Corinne and Larson were eyewitnesses to the attempted bank robbery in Virginia City. The Judge, in his infinite wisdom, threw in “taking of hostages” and “threats of deadly force.” Because nobody else had ever seen The Gang without their hoods on, they couldn’t be identified and charged with any of their other crimes. It didn’t matter. The punishment was “death by hanging.”

Corinne didn’t stay around for that, but Larson did. He wanted to make sure that the punishment was meted out beyond any doubt.

Corinne wired Ben and asked him to meet her at the stage depot in Virginia City. And Ben was there when Corinne confidently stepped off the stage and threw her arms around Ben’s neck and held on tightly. The surrey was waiting.

Halfway to the Ponderosa, Corinne begged Ben to stop. Jumping lightly from her seat, Corinne ran into the meadow and twirled happily. Ben followed, a smile lighting his own face. Corinne was herself again.

But she was more woman now. As Ben stood next to Corinne, she gave him another hug, this time molding her body against his – chest to chest, hip to hip. Ben’s response came in the form of deep and repeated kisses, his lips hungry for her. His body hungry for her. And Corinne matched each movement with enthusiasm. Together they sank into the lush green grass.

Corinne drew away from Ben momentarily. She was breathing hard and so was Ben.

“Ben, I couldn’t tell you beforehand about the bank robbery. I wasn’t completely sure that it would happen when it did. But the main reason was that I already lost John. I just couldn’t take a chance on losing you, too. But I had to tell you what was in my heart the night before the robbery. I’m not ashamed to tell you that I love you. More now than ever. It doesn’t matter if you don’t feel the same way that I do. We’ve had time to share a part of our lives and, if that’s all there is, then so be it.”

Ben hesitated a moment as he looked into Corinne’s gray eyes. Then he reached into his vest pocket and pulled out an envelope. “Open it,” he said softly.

The envelope’s contents revealed a lot of gray hair. Corinne looked at Ben, thoroughly confused.

Ben smiled. “Quite a while back, I asked you if you were after my scalp as well as the scalps of my sons. Well, this is the only part of my scalp that I can give you. Do you understand what I’m trying to say?”

“I want to hear it from your lips.”

“I love you! Don’t you know that? I’m asking you to marry me.”

Corinne squealed with delight and planted kisses all over Ben’s face.

“Yes, yes! A thousand times, yes!” Then, “What will your sons say about this?”

Ben grinned. “I have a sneaky suspicion that they already know. Maybe a Pinkerton agent could find out.”

“You’ll have to get in touch with Larson. I quit the Pinkerton Agency after the trial.”

“And Larson’s real name is…?”

“I ain’t sayin’!” Corinne smacked at Ben’s head but he dodged her hand quickly and laughed. “Now let’s go tell the world our wonderful news!”

EPILOGUE

And so it was that Corinne became Mrs. Ben Cartwright. She had the blessings of Adam, Hoss, Joe and even Hop Sing. She worked with Bethany as a dressmaker until other help could be found. Larson returned and continued being the tailor. Though Leona’s voice continued to grate on everybody’s nerves, her personality changed for the better. She and Corinne actually became friends. Not good friends, but Leona stopped making snide remarks about and to Corinne. Genevieve’s demeanor also made changes – Bethany’s shop was a business to be reckoned with, and Genevieve decided to be friends with her competition. Mattie and Corinne became very good friends. Randall, Maurice and Jonas stayed in Virginia City and never gave Roy any more trouble. The Rawlins Gang did hang for their crimes.

And Adam’s Levi’s fit just fine – no more trouble with the “closures.” He continued to purchase more custom-made Levi’s…