Chapter 6

On Saturday, there was a blizzard, and despite Adam’s protestations that he had promised Meredith that he would see her no matter what, his family’s common sense prevailed. Adam stalked around the house like a caged and angry cougar for the next week. Everyone was relieved when the next weekend was sunny and warm enough to melt a lot of the snow. Adam packed a bag, and saddled up Sport. Hoss and Joe were ready for a night in town too so they did the same. Ben told them all to be careful because he always told them to be careful. Sunday was Valentine’s Day and there was a dance scheduled in town. Adam assumed he had a date, but his brothers had not been off the ranch in nearly two weeks so had not been able to make plans with anyone.

In town, Adam stopped in at the restaurant first to make sure he could still get a reservation and special requests for dinner. Hoss and Joe made a reservation as well hoping they could make a date at short notice. Adam rather liked the thought that his brothers would be in the restaurant that evening whether alone or with ladies. It took him some time to find Meredith. She wasn’t at the boardinghouse because she had gone to the mercantile. There they said she was going to the library, and at the library, he was told that she was headed to the dress shop. He found her at the third dress shop that he checked.

“Oh, Adam, I’m so glad you got to town. I was hoping that with the sun shining you would make it. There’s a dance tonight.”

“Yes, and I was hoping you would go to dinner with me and then to the dance.”

“That’s what I was hoping too. I have three dresses picked out but I don’t know which one to get.” She held them up for her perusal.

“Definitely not the blue one. It’s too plain. I like the red one but it is very bright red, probably too bright, so I would go with the green patterned one. It would look good with your color.”

“Mr. Cartwright, I made the same recommendation to your lady. I have some coordinating items that go with it quite well too. There is a dark green jacket with matching gloves as well as this small purse.”

“Good. We’ll take them.”

“Adam, I was buying this myself. I can’t afford all of that.”

“Very well. I’ll buy the accessories and give them to you for Valentine’s Day. Is that acceptable?”

“But you already gave me something for Valentine’s Day.”

“That’s for Valentine’s Day for you to wear, but it is not a gift, it’s a promise. These are gifts. Do you like them?”

“Yes, but it’s too much. I can’t accept them.”

“No, it is not nearly enough but it will do for now.”

“Are we having our first fight?”

“No, we are having a minor disagreement because you are refusing a gift from me.”

“Mademoiselle, I do think that the gentleman has a point. It is gift from him, but also to him for he will get to enjoy you in these.” The dress shop owner did her best to calm the waters, and she did get Meredith to smile but not at what she had said. Meredith was thinking Adam would like to see her out of those clothes probably a lot more than in them. He saw the wicked little gleam in her eye and shook his head. “You will take them then?” Meredith smiled again and nodded.

“Now, I have reservations for dinner, and then I would like to escort you to the dance. Would that be acceptable to you?”

“Well, it is rather short notice.” As Adam rolled his eyes and waited, she accepted. He walked her back to her boardinghouse, and waited in the parlor visiting with Clementine who seemed to have all sorts of questions and mostly about his father. Other than talking so much, she was an interesting character, and Adam enjoyed teasing his father about her. But then the serious look came over his face as he thought about things, and by the time Meredith was ready for dinner and the dance, the mask settled firmly in place. As they walked to the restaurant, she had to ask him what he had been thinking about that made him so serious when earlier he had been so lighthearted.

“Fathers.”

“Yours or mine?”

“Both. My father is lecturing me on jumping into a relationship too fast. I think he suspects how intimate we’ve become. I have told him about your past, but I also reminded him that I’m thirty-four years old and quite capable of making my own decisions. He didn’t like that.”

“What did he say about me?”

“He feels very sorry about what happened and outraged that men would do that. He wishes like I do that we would have known about it at the time.”

Relieved that Ben was not blaming her for what had happened when she was so young, Meredith was more concerned then about Adam’s use of the fathers plural. “I’m afraid to ask, but what about my father? Why is that a concern today?”

“According to Mrs. Hawkins, he’s been spreading tales about you in town, and trying to undermine our relationship by convincing people that you’re a gold digger. I wanted to beat him into the dirt before for what he did to you, but that would only have exposed your sadness to the whole town. But now, I think I wouldn’t mind doing it anyway just on principle.”

By the time Adam escorted Meredith into the restaurant, Joe and his lady friend and Hoss were already seated. They invited Adam and Merry to sit with them but Adam just scowled which caused Hoss to laugh out loud drawing attention and making Joe giggle. During dinner, Adam and Merry discussed books mostly and the weather a little. Adam always felt caged when the weather closed in on them like it had several times recently with the snow, wind, and cold. When it was time for dessert, the waitress brought a wrapped box to the table and presented it to Merry. She looked at Adam who told her it was planned. She unwrapped the box to find two crystal flutes.

“They’re beautiful!”

And then the proprietor appeared with a bottle of champagne. Adam pointed at the two crystal flutes and he poured until each was about half full. Looking over at Merry, Adam just said four words, and she started cry. As he had pulled the ring which he had retrieved from her earlier from his pocket, he asked her. “Will you marry me?” She nodded and he reached for her hand to slip the ring on her finger. Then she started crying more. Adam stood and pulled her into an embrace. People all over the restaurant were frowning and wondering what he had done to make the beautiful Meredith cry. He picked up her left hand and raised it so everyone could see the ring. Then he held her until she stopped crying. Joe had been one of the surprised patrons, but when he looked over at Hoss, he had seen that he was just grinning.

“Hoss, he told you, didn’t he?”

“Yup, couldn’t keep it all inside himself and had to tell somebody. I’m the only one he trusted with the secret.”

“Well, he could have trusted me.”

“Joe, you would told all sorts of people and then told them not to tell anyone else. The whole town woulda known before Adam and Merry ever got to the restaurant. By the way, ain’t she pretty in that new dress and jacket?”

Merry had calmed down by then, and Adam pulled her chair back to let her sit again. They drank the champagne although Merry said she wasn’t fond of it after just a half glass. Adam poured himself one more glass and then had the waiter take it to Joe and Hoss to finish.

“Adam, you kept that promise from when I was about twelve, I think. I can’t believe you remembered that.”

“I was impressed with you even then although even more for some additional and entirely different reasons now.”

Blushing, Merry decided to change the subject. “Joe seems very enamored with his lady friend.”

“He always is, and then next week or next month, it will be someone different. I’m beginning to wonder if he’ll ever choose just one woman to be with for the rest of his life.”

“What about Hoss?”

“The right woman hasn’t realized yet what a treasure he would be as a husband and father. The woman who knows that will be the one for him.”

“You sound like you would like to help Hoss find someone.”

“No, he can do it on his own, I’m sure, but he has to get more self confidence. Too often he thinks less of himself because of things people say.”

“I can only guess what those things are, but he is the kindest, gentlest man I know, and he has the most beautiful eyes. He has been so considerate of me. I wish he had someone.”

“I’m glad I got you first. It sounds like you could fall in love with Hoss.”

“I could have except my heart was lost to you already.”

A little embarrassed by that, Adam suggested they go to the dance. Soon he and Merry were dancing around the hall. There were all sorts of whispers and stares as people tried to get a good look at her ring. Her sister Charlotte was there and walked by at one point and said she heard congratulations were in order. Charlotte was married to a very quiet reserved man who hardly ever said a word. They had only one child. Charlotte never seemed to smile and her husband was even more dour. Merry rarely talked with her sister, and Adam asked her why she thought that was true.

Merry had no ideas other than to say it seemed to start about the time that Charlotte had gotten married and had a baby. They had been close it but had grown apart, and then Charlotte pretty much ignored her. After dancing for quite a while, Adam wanted to go outside to cool down. He grabbed their jackets and the two of them stepped outside.

“Are you thirsty?” At Merry’s nod, Adam decided to get them some punch. “Stay right here and I’ll be back with two cups in a moment. Except when he got back, Merry wasn’t there. There were several other couples standing and talking quietly so Adam asked if they had seen which direction she had gone. About the time he got the answer that her angry father had dragged her off, he heard a scream, dropped the punch glasses, and ran to help Merry because that terrified scream was hers. He heard her father’s threats before he reached the two of them.

“You’ll do as I say, or I’ll take a switch to you. You’re mine, and I get to say who gets you. Waverly wants you so you’re going to do whatever he wants.”

“No, never.”

Slapping Merry, and grabbing her, her father pushed her up against the side of the building. “You’ll do as I say or I’ll break your neck right here.”

The next sound he heard was a pistol cocking at his head and a cold voice. “Release her, and don’t do anything else at all. I want to shoot you very much and I still might.”

Merry was released by her father but Adam kept the pistol pressed against her father’s head. Roy arrived about that time followed by most of the people from the dance including Hoss and Joe. “Now don’t you do nothing, boy. I know you want to, but you can’t. I’d hate to lock you up, but that’s what would happen ifn you pull that trigger. Now Adam nothing he done here is enough to shoot a man in the head.”

“It’s not just tonight. He’s a depraved sick man who takes whatever he wants. Well, not any more.”

Shaking, Merry’s father, who had wet himself when he heard that pistol cock, became belligerent and cocky with the sheriff there. “Sheriff, this man has threatened my life because I was disciplining my daughter. I want him arrested.”

“Now you just keep your mouth shut. First I gotta convince him not to shoot you in the head, even if I think you probably deserve it.”

“What?”

“Well, you see I’ve known Adam Cartwright since he was a young boy. He’s got quite a sense of justice and fair play. Ifn he thinks you ought to be executed, well then, I think he’s probably got a darn good reason, but I don’t want him to hang so I’m doing my best to get him to back down. So ifn you was to keep your mouth shut, that would help. Now Adam, what’s it gonna be? You know I can’t let you do this.”

“Adam, don’t. It’s not worth it. I need you. I love you. You said you wanted to marry me. Well we can’t do that if you shoot him. It’s probably time I told people what he did, and what Waverly did so no other girls become victims.”

Mr. Waverly was standing in the crowd with his wife and objected. “Now, see here, that trollop should not be allowed to besmirch the reputations of her father and of me just because she’s trying to cover that she was a whore before she left here.”

“If I was a whore, it was because my father took me, and then gave me to you to pay the mortgage.”

Adam dropped the pistol from Merry’s father’s head and put it back in his holster. She had just wounded him mortally with her words.

“I never did anything of the kind, and Waverly is innocent too. You’re a liar!”

“No, she isn’t. You did it to me too and then forced me into a marriage I didn’t want to cover the fact that I was with child. Luckily the man I married is a good man, and I have been very lucky in that regard.” For the first time that anyone could remember, Charlotte’s husband kissed her in public. The mood of the crowd grew ominous though as they realized the import of what the two sisters had said. Adam took Merry by the arm to guide her away from there when he heard Roy shout, and he whirled and drew on Merry’s father who had a derringer in his hand and had meant to shoot Adam or Merry. They would never know because Adam’s shot hit him square in the chest as did shots from Joe and Hoss. His lifeless body lay against the building. Roy looked over at Waverly.

“Mr. Waverly, I suggest you find another town to live in because you ain’t welcome in this town no more. Now I’ll send a deputy with you, but you’re packing up and leaving tonight. I can’t guarantee your life unless you do as I say. Your wife can make her own decision as to what she wants to do.”

“Sheriff, will you send someone to tell our mother?”

Wondering why one or both of the daughters wasn’t going to do that, Roy agreed to send a deputy to tell her. Charlotte walked over to her younger sister.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t realize he was doing it to you too until they sent you away. I guess they couldn’t find anyone to force into marriage with you. I should have talked to you but I was only two years older, and Papa told me it was my fault, and so did Mama. Until you said something, I had told no one except Dwayne. I am happy for you that you found someone to love.”

“Thank you, Char. Will you come to my wedding?”

With her sister’s agreement, a lot was healed between them. Now each would have someone to lean on besides a loving husband. They each understood what had happened to them better than anyone else could. Roy asked what they wanted done with the body. They shrugged, and Adam told Roy he would pay for the basic burial fees. Hoss and Joe came up to their brother and his fiancée then.

“Dadburnit, Adam, you do seem to find ways to ruin a good night for me. I had a nice gal dancing and talking with me, and then I heard you was out here ready to kill somebody.”

“Hoss, if you look behind you, I think she may still be interested in spending some time with you.”

Looking back to the social hall, Hoss saw his new lady friend waiting. She smiled when she saw him look her way. Hoss hurried off in that direction without another word. Joe also gave his goodbyes and headed off to see if his lady friend was still waiting for him. The crowd slowly dispersed.

“How about if we go back to the boardinghouse and talk in the parlor. You know Clementine wants to know all about tonight anyway. You don’t have to talk about this part if you don’t want to.”

“No, I think I’ll tell her everything. She really is very nice and understanding. There have been too many secrets. I want to clear the air and make a fresh start with you.”

Adam offered his arm, and they walked back to the boardinghouse as strains of music started up in the social hall, and the undertaker arrived with his wagon.