{"id":14604,"date":"2017-08-05T23:18:41","date_gmt":"2017-08-06T03:18:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=14604"},"modified":"2026-08-05T13:57:45","modified_gmt":"2026-08-05T17:57:45","slug":"all-lies-and-jest","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=14604","title":{"rendered":"All Lies and Jests (by BluewindFarm)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Summary:<\/strong> A conversation between brothers returns Ben to a time in the past.<\/span><\/p>\n

Rating:\u00a0 T \u00a0\u00a0Word Count: \u00a0 4,135<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

All Lies and Jests<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Riding into the yard, Ben Cartwright inhaled deeply of the pine-sweet air and welcomed the sight of home.\u00a0 A smile broke forth as he watched his middle son heave the last of the fifty-pound bags of seed from the back of the buckboard onto his shoulder and carry it with little effort.<\/span><\/p>\n

Dismounting and looking around, he failed to see his youngest.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHoss?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Exiting the barn, \u201cOh hi Pa!\u00a0 Got everything unloaded and stacked inside.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAnd your brother?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNow Pa, he already helped Hop Sing unload all his supplies.\u201d\u00a0 Grinning, \u201cYa shoulda seen him while we was loading it.\u00a0 He puffed himself up all important like; said he wanted to make sure everything made it back safely this time.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDid he check everything off the list as you loaded it?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cShore did.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Laughing and wrapping an arm around Hoss\u2019 shoulders while trailing Buck behind, they entered the barn.\u00a0 \u201cBetween you and me, I think he wanted to make sure the sack of sugar and the chocolate weren\u2019t forgotten so Hop Sing would make him chocolate cake.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOh, we picked up the mail too.\u00a0 There\u2019s a letter from Adam.\u201d\u00a0 Taking Buck from his father, he handed over the stack of envelopes.<\/span><\/p>\n

*****<\/span><\/p>\n

Dinner had long been served with the much-anticipated chocolate cake.\u00a0 Afterwards, his youngest sons had attentively listened to him read the latest letter they\u2019d received from Adam, on the other side of the country attending college.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t that beat all,\u201d Hoss slapped his thigh.\u00a0 \u201cOur big brother working on drafting that building.\u00a0 Why I bet it\u2019s going to be taller than Eagle\u2019s Nest.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhy\u2019d he have to go on and on about some dumb old girl?\u201d Joe crossed his arms and sulked.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cJoseph,\u201d Ben admonished his nine-year old son who sat on his lap.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSorry, Pa,\u201d Joe perked up.\u00a0 \u201cI only meant I wanted to know more about that Governor and the fight he got into and why he was shot.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIf I remember what I read in a few of the Boston Evening Transcripts that Abel sent me earlier this year, he was a police inspector.\u201d\u00a0 Knowing Joe was going to protest.\u00a0 \u201cThe man wasn\u2019t the Governor of Massachusetts.\u00a0 In this instance, governor is what a lot of the lower level officers call the detectives or inspectors on the police force.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Hoss offered, \u201cSort of like them British police being, Bobbies.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, it has\u00a0to be\u00a0confusing with everyone named Bobby.\u201d\u00a0 Joe giggled at his comment.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t ya remember Adam tellin’ us about that minister fella organizing the police force instead of being made up of night watchmen and army soldiers?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, he told us about them and how they were different from the U.S. Marshals and the Texas Rangers.\u201d \u00a0Joe slipped from his father\u2019s lap. \u201cStill, Adam coulda wrote told us more about how the guy got shot.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cShortshanks, you know ol\u2019 Adam, he was probably too polite to ask since with all his studying he don\u2019t have much time to write us all the details anyway.\u00a0 We should be thankful for what he did write.\u00a0 Something for alla us.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Knowing where the conversation might lead, \u201cBoys, it\u2019s getting late.\u00a0 Best get upstairs and ready your prayers.\u00a0 Tomorrow will be here early.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

A bright smile appeared on the face of the tussle-haired youth, \u201cYeah, we gots lots a work to do, don\u2019t we Hoss.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cShore nuff.\u00a0 Night Pa.\u201d Hoss steered his youngest brother to the stairs.\u00a0 \u201cJoe!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Having dropped his shoulder to evade the inevitable push, Joe turned and ran to Ben.\u00a0 Giving him a resounding hug, \u201cNight Pa.\u00a0 Don\u2019t you worry about tomorra.\u00a0 Hoss and me\u2019ll be just fine out there with them beeves.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sure you will.\u00a0 You just make sure you mind your brother and Charlie.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI will.\u201d\u00a0 With a kiss to the cheek, Joe whispered into his father\u2019s ear, \u201cI love you Pa.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSame here son.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

*****<\/span><\/p>\n

With the boys tucked in and sleeping, Ben returned downstairs intending to work on his ledgers, but his mind wandered to an event earlier in the day.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBut Hoss, how will people know it belongs to us?\u201d Joe practically ran to keep up with his longer-legged brother as they crossed the yard.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019ll know by the horses.\u201d<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s my point!\u201d Joe tossed his arms in exasperation.\u00a0 \u201cWe brand our cattle and horses to let people know they belong to us, so why not brand our buckboard?!\u00a0 People will see the brand as we\u2019s driving down the road and say, there\u2019s the Cartwrights from the Ponderosa.\u201d<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Guffawing, \u201cThat\u2019s the most ridiculous thing I ever heard.\u00a0 They\u2019ll know it\u2019s us just by seeing us.\u201d<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Pleading, \u201cBut Hoss, they won\u2019t know we own the Ponderosa.\u201d<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cJoe, they know Pa owns the ranch.\u201d<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBut what if\u2019n we stayed overnight and unhitched the horses, and we\u2019re not the only ones, and the next morning Hal at the livery goes to hitch it up, and he gives our buckboard to someone else?\u00a0 Pa paid good money for that to have someone just give it away because they didn\u2019t know it was ours.\u201d<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cShortshanks, that ain\u2019t gonna happen.\u201d Reaching out to lift his brother, \u201cLet\u2019s get you on up in the seat.\u201d<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Stopping short, he crossed his arms, \u201cThen tell me why stagecoaches have their names painted on the sides?\u201d<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Shaking his head, \u201cWe ain\u2019t got no need for such foolishness.\u201d<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Hop Sing handed his list to the older brother, \u201cLit\u2019le Joe have good idea.\u201d\u00a0 The cook steadied the youngest son of his employer as the boy climbed to the bench seat.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Climbing up and stepping around his brother, \u201cDon\u2019t go encouraging him, Hop Sing.\u201d<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat if I talk ta Pa, you\u2019ll see it ain\u2019t foolishness to brand something to show it belongs to us.\u201d\u00a0 <\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

The boys left the yard after Hoss rein-slapped the horses and ye-hawed the team forward.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

*****<\/span><\/p>\n

Innocent words spoken by his son drew his attention to the three portraits in silver-gilded frames, and remembered.<\/span><\/p>\n

Elizabeth, though she was a\u00a0married woman, was very much her father\u2019s daughter; refusing to leave the home in which she had been raised.\u00a0 Fearing to leave her father alone, with no family to come home to each night as he returned from the chandler\u2019s shop.\u00a0 She was the reason for the sparkle in the old man\u2019s eyes, even more so when the two of them informed the former captain that he would soon have a new responsibility, that of a grandfather.<\/span><\/p>\n

Inger bore a physical strength and a sunny zest for life.\u00a0 Though she and her brother had lived in the small Illinois community since they were children, she eagerly looked forward to taking on the role of a new mother to a five-year old boy, and a wife to her husband.\u00a0 The dark clouds that had seemed to follow Ben late into the evenings when there was no one to sleep at his side were vanquished when the two said, \u2018I do\u2019.\u00a0 The small family set off for adventure and to fulfill Ben\u2019s dreams of a life and home in the great west.<\/span><\/p>\n

And then there was Marie.\u00a0 She bore a grace that neither of his previous wives contained, a grace born of hurt and loss.\u00a0 Her family, the DeVries, had been a well-known family in certain quarters of New Orleans.\u00a0 But they were well below the aristocracy of the \u2018old money\u2019. \u00a0To her, it was the world when the only son of Madame deMarigney requested her hand in marriage, and the two quietly wed in a local Catholic church.\u00a0 Innocent Marie had no idea of the deceit that would rear its ugly head and tear her world apart.\u00a0 With a strength far different from Inger\u2019s; Marie trusted the only thing she had left to call her own, her faith in God and that He would see her through the trials of her life.<\/span><\/p>\n

B ~ O ~ N ~ A ~ N ~ Z ~ A<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0Years before – New Orleans:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

It was a debt of duty which prompted him to travel to the Crescent City to tell a young woman that she was a widow.\u00a0 Before leaving his two young sons, he had decided he could make the most of the trip by taking the animal hides that he had trapped and tanned, and hopefully sell them to a furrier in the big city.<\/span><\/p>\n

While walking to keep his appointment with Jean\u2019s mother, he never imagined it would lead to a chance encounter with a fiery woman riding through the streets of New Orleans.\u00a0 Her laughter, in sheer pleasure as her horse reared, was music to his ears; and yet he knew not the importance of the moment.<\/span><\/p>\n

*****<\/span><\/p>\n

Days later, Marie\u2019s one true friend had tried to warn Ben he was going up against an evil and arrogant man.\u00a0 Though there was no proof; however, Marius Angerville was positive that Eduard D\u2019Arcy was the main conspirator behind the event which drove Jean deMarigney from his wife, and New Orleans.<\/span><\/p>\n

Standing in the business owner\u2019s private office Ben felt the encounter collapsing.\u00a0 Pleasant at first, the meeting turned acrimonious.\u00a0 He\u2019d known hard captains and first officers and their ways of dealing with others, but this man was speaking of a member of his family.\u00a0 \u201cLet me put it in terms a man of your station might understand.\u00a0 She wears my brand Cartwright, and nothing you say or do will ever change that.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou talk as if she were\u2026.\u201d\u00a0 Appalled, Ben was unable to finish his statement.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cA heifer?\u00a0 A broodmare?\u00a0 Believe me, Marie is far from either.\u201d\u00a0 Cutting off the end of his cigar before lighting and inhaling the rich fragrance.\u00a0 \u201cWith my guidance, she has risen above the fodder and men of a higher class than to which you will ever rise adore her. You\u2019re nothing more than some backwoods, mountain man playing at being a gentleman.\u00a0 The deMarigney family can trace their lineage back to the patricians of France, and her husband wasn\u2019t man enough to keep her from straying from their marital bed.\u00a0 The D\u2019Arcy family is almost as storied.\u00a0 What do you think of her jewels, her clothes, the suite where she lives.\u00a0 I pay for it all.\u00a0 And I get what I pay for.\u00a0 A man like you?\u00a0 What could you possibly have to offer her?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

*****<\/span><\/p>\n

Being drawn into the lives of those Jean had forsaken, Ben never dreamed of finding himself defending the woman\u2019s honor.\u00a0 With flint smoke from the pistols hanging thick in the humid air, Marie gave her heart to the one who could remove her from the Code she had come to abhor.<\/span><\/p>\n

*****<\/span><\/p>\n

They arrived at the Ponderosa as husband and wife, and Marie thrived in her new home.\u00a0 She doted on the two boys to whom she took to her heart as her own.\u00a0 She developed a special bond with Hop Sing, who had come into their lives when Ben realized that Marie had not been totally prepared for life on the frontier; she couldn\u2019t cook to save her own life, nor that of her new family.<\/span><\/p>\n

*****<\/span><\/p>\n

As the Ponderosa grew and expanded, Ben had no choice but to\u00a0spend more time out on the range or away from home while negotiating contracts.\u00a0 Worse were the nights he retired to his bed well after midnight.<\/span><\/p>\n

Marie had yet to fall asleep as her husband slipped between the sheets.\u00a0 After a quiet, heartfelt discussion, Ben willingly turned over the handling of the ledgers to his wife after she revealed that she had been well-instructed while attending school.\u00a0 Ben was thankful to share this part of his dream with his partner, his soul mate, taking some of the burden of the Ponderosa off his shoulders.<\/span><\/p>\n

*****<\/span><\/p>\n

Winter gave way to spring and Ben\u2019s dream became reality,\u00a0and he relished his family.<\/span><\/p>\n

*****<\/span><\/p>\n

Having professed tiredness after days of tending to Hoss who was finally getting over a bitter cold, Marie bid goodnight to her husband and retired to the room they shared.\u00a0 Watching his wife disappear around the upstairs hallway, Ben sat forward in his chair and pulled out the ledgers to check where they stood financially.\u00a0 He hoped their finances were sound as an opportunity for another expansion had presented itself.<\/span><\/p>\n

Looking through the past few months, he flipped the sheets back and forth after noting several irregularities.\u00a0 Slamming closed the book, fisted hands on the desk forced him from his seat, the chair crashed against the back wall.<\/span><\/p>\n

*****<\/span><\/p>\n

Without knocking, he entered their room and held out the ledger. \u201cExplain!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Startled from the beginnings of slumber, a confused Marie looked to her husband.\u00a0 His ramrod straight posture, deep breathing through his nose, and his clinched jaw screamed in the quiet of the room.<\/span><\/p>\n

Recognizing what Ben held, fears stuttered her composure.\u00a0 \u201cI, I had no c-choice!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNO choice?!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBen, I was thinking of you, of Adam and Hoss.\u201d\u00a0 Tears cascaded down Marie’s face.\u00a0 \u201cPlease, I couldn\u2019t let the ugliness of my past tarnish what you have.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat I have?\u201d Ben queried.\u00a0 \u201cThe Ponderosa is ours, Marie.\u00a0 Yours, mine, and the boys.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Climbing from the four-poster bed they shared, Marie grabbed her robe and slipped it over her shoulders; her trembling shoulders and downcast eyes were those of someone who knew she was about to lose everything she held dear.\u00a0 Unable to face her husband, she moved to a richly brocaded chair positioned in front of a window, curling into one of its wings, her legs pulled under herself.<\/span><\/p>\n

Following and kneeling, Ben crooked a finger, gently forcing his wife to look at him; gone was the anger.<\/span><\/p>\n

Almost in a whisper, \u201cWhy?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHe said he\u2019d reveal my past and by doing that, he\u2019d turn you against me.\u00a0 Such as Jean had.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMarie, I know of your past.\u00a0 I know what happened between you and Jean.\u00a0 I know of your working at your cousin\u2019s establishment.\u00a0 What happened in the past, is the past.\u00a0 Why should words concern me?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cLaRoche told me what he would tell you, what he would tell your friends, your business acquaintances.\u00a0 Though they are vile lies, yet wrapped with a hint of truth, why would your friends not believe him.\u00a0 His words would ruin you and the Ponderosa, I couldn\u2019t risk you losing your dream when others would stop doing business with you because of me.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Snuggling into the chair, Ben lifted his petite wife to his lap and wrapped her in his arms.\u00a0 \u201cNow, tell me everything.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

*****<\/span><\/p>\n

Several weeks later Ben found himself once more entering the establishment he had never expected to see again.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m here to see Eduard D\u2019Arcy.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s out on business,\u201d the man at the door spoke with a heavy British accent.<\/span><\/p>\n

Looking into dark eyes that reflected recognition and contempt, \u201cThen I take it you are Simon LaRoche?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAnd if I am?\u201d\u00a0 Standing as tall as the man in front of him, he sized him up.\u00a0 Taking note of the slightly broader shoulders and the added years of age, it mattered little to him.\u00a0 He\u2019d spent his maturing years in the poor quarters of the city after his parents emigrated from England, and he knew how to fight.\u00a0 Based on those skills, he\u2019d been hired by Eduard D\u2019Arcy to act as a strong-arm or body guard, keeping out the riffraff and to deal with those who couldn\u2019t handle their losses in his gaming hall.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI came here to inform you and your \u2018master\u2019 that Marie is through paying your blackmail.\u00a0 I know the truth and there\u2019s nothing to hide.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSo you say,\u201d LaRoche huffed.<\/span><\/p>\n

Before turning to leave, \u201cTell Eduard I\u2019m staying at the Savoy.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Shutting the door, \u201cJust wait Cartwright, just you wait and see.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

*****<\/span><\/p>\n

Returning to the second-floor office, \u201cYou fool!\u201d was spat as LaRoche closed the door.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNow governor<\/em> take it easy,\u201d LaRoche answered.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou know how I hate that term.\u201d Charles Leduque paced, stopping momentarily to look out the window, watching Ben Cartwright cross the street.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou fancy yourself a chief inspector someday, then ya better get used to it.\u201d LaRoche crossed the floor to stand next to the desk of his boss.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThis is New Orleans, not New York or London.\u00a0 If you address me, you\u2019ll use my proper title.\u201d\u00a0 Turning to the sound of liquid being poured into a glass, \u201cWhy were you blackmailing him?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s only doing as I bid, Charles,\u201d Eduard handed one of two glasses of brandy to the New Orleans police inspector.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAgain I ask, why?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Taking a seat and leaning back in his chair, Eduard lounged and placed his feet to the desktop, \u201cWhat other reason is there\u2026 money, of course.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI thought you were in love with her?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cCharles, Charles, Charles\u2026 It\u2019s business, pure and simple business.\u00a0 Once I get Marie back, then it will be pleasure, my pleasure.\u201d\u00a0 Tilting his face up, he blew smoke rings toward the ceiling.\u00a0 \u201cImagine if something were to happen to Ben Cartwright.\u00a0 His wife would inherit everything, and when I marry her?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

It only took a few moments for Leduque to understand, \u201cA wife owns nothing, all property transfers to a husband once married.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAnd surely you\u2019ve heard of the Ponderosa.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHe has two sons.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAnything can happen out in the wilderness.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThen why bring him here?\u201d Leduque questioned.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI enjoy business so much more when it happens on my terms, in my town.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Bored with the posturing of the other two men in the room, with his thumbs hooked over his vest pocket, LaRoche asked, \u201cWhen do you want Cartwright taken care of?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cGive him a few days to enjoy the last days of his miserable life.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

*****<\/span><\/p>\n

Ben walked along the cobblestone streets, returning from a corner restaurant to the hotel.\u00a0 Hearing a scuffle and the sound of a woman\u2019s cry, he entered the darkened alley and followed the noise.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHello.\u00a0 Is someone there?\u00a0 Do you need help?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Quick footfalls tapped away from him. However, a menacing presence approached from a side alley,\u00a0\u201cYou should have left well enough alone.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

With no time to register the owner of the voice as a threat to him; the punch to the side of his head caught Ben unprepared, and unable to react to the two arms grabbing him from behind.\u00a0 Another punch, to the stomach, knocked the breath from his lungs.\u00a0\u00a0 A third punch landed on his jaw; white pin-pricks of light hampered his vision.\u00a0 A second punch to his solar-plexus left him gasping deeper for air. \u00a0Being driven into the man who held him from behind, Ben finally reacted by lifting his legs and thrusting them towards the approaching attacker, propelling him away.<\/span><\/p>\n

Taking advantage of the lull in the onslaught, Ben grabbed onto the arms around his chest, struggling to break the hold.\u00a0 Looking down gave him the distance he needed to throw his head back, breaking the nose of the man behind him.\u00a0 Free of one attacker, Ben felt the blade of a knife from the original presence slice across his side.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ignoring the moaning man lying on the ground, blood seeping through both hands that covered his nose; Ben grappled for control of the weapon.\u00a0 The two body-slammed each other against the building as they struggled for superiority.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou should have never left your wife.\u00a0 Such a pretty little thing will be left to wonder what happened to her husband.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

A rush of adrenalin surged through Ben as he finally recognized the voice and realized this was not a street mugging.\u00a0 \u00a0The unexpected shove sent LaRoche backwards, pulling Ben with him.\u00a0 They stumbled over something in the alley-way, and fell to the ground.\u00a0 Startled to find there was no pain, Ben pushed himself off and stood above the unmoving figure.<\/span><\/p>\n

Chest heaving from exertion, Ben slowly turned away and began to run.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMurderer!\u00a0 He killed LaRoche!\u201d the second assailant screamed as Ben fled the scene.<\/span><\/p>\n

Turning another corner, Ben jolted into another man who grabbed his arms.\u00a0 His first thought was the newcomer was trying to keep him from falling; until the man assaulted him, throwing a punch to Ben\u2019s already bruised face.<\/span><\/p>\n

Blindly, Ben threw a punch, allowing him to break away.\u00a0 Running once more, Ben ignored the sound of a gun firing.<\/span><\/p>\n

Eagle Station:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

The man sitting behind the desk specialized in land acquisitions; assisting settlers who traveled great distances to fulfill their dreams.\u00a0 But first and foremost, he was a lawyer.\u00a0 He represented the drunk and disorderly after spending a night in what served as a jail<\/em>.\u00a0 Brokered cattle and lumber contracts, and anything else required of him to see that justice prevailed.<\/span><\/p>\n

The bespectacled Walter Carter had spent the last hour listening to the facts recounted by Ben Cartwright of the events during his recent trip to New Orleans.<\/span><\/p>\n

Shoulders slumped, he sat in the chair facing his lawyer, his head sluggishly moving from side to side.\u00a0 \u201cAll lies and jests.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou only heard what you wanted to, Marie lived that life.\u201d\u00a0 Setting pen to the desktop, \u201cBen, you\u2019ve always wanted to believe there is a good side to every man.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cEven though I should know better?\u00a0 I should have learned my lesson from McWerter.\u201d\u00a0 Shaking his head, \u201cMarie tried to warn me.\u00a0 The only reason I thought her fears were justified was because she was a woman.\u00a0 I felt that as a man, I\u2019d do better in beating D’Arcy at his game.\u00a0 Showing him I couldn\u2019t be intimidated.\u00a0 I should have never traveled to New Orleans.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re right, you should have come to me once you found out about the blackmail attempts on Marie.\u201d Walter stood, walked to the front of his desk and leaned back against it, arms to his side, palms against the edge.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ve known you for a few years so let me ask you this.\u00a0 Have you given thought to what might have happened had you not gone?\u201d Crossing his arms, \u201cConsider what could have happened had LaRoche traveled here.\u00a0 To your home.\u00a0 In addition to Marie, the man could have harmed your sons.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Startled, Ben looked up.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve taken your statement and I will follow-up with the chief of police in New Orleans to make sure your report is properly filed.\u00a0 As you said, it was a case of self-defense.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBut only on my word.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYes, only your word, but there are other contributing factors\u2026\u00a0 LaRoche\u2019s death might simply be a body found with no clue behind why he\u2019d been killed.\u00a0 Possibly written off as a case of attempted robbery with him as the unfortunate victim.\u00a0 You said there were three, they could fear facing D\u2019Arcy with their failure, so the remaining two could have left New Orleans for places unknown.\u201d\u00a0 Pausing to see if his client was following all he was saying.\u00a0 \u201cAn finally, most police know that blackmail is quite common, to the point of being rampant in New Orleans, especially in those so-called gaming halls.\u00a0 With what you\u2019ve told me, I don\u2019t believe there will be any issue with what happened.\u201d\u00a0 Standing, \u201cI\u2019m also confident this LaRoche probably has a criminal record, which should bolster your account of events.\u00a0 Ben, go home to your wife and family, I\u2019ll let you know once I hear anything.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The Ponderosa:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Ben obeyed his attorney\u2019s instructions, returning home to his family.\u00a0 Taking a deep breath, he opened the door and entered the great room.\u00a0 Speechless, he stood still at seeing his wife for the first time in almost two months.\u00a0 Setting her knitting aside, she allowed Adam to aid her in rising from a chair set to the side of the stone hearth.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWelcome home, mon cher.\u201d\u00a0 Running a hand over her expanding waistline, \u201cIt seems you\u2019re going to be a father.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

That night, ensconced in their room and each other\u2019s arms, Ben told Marie everything that had transpired.<\/span><\/p>\n

Once heard, Marie sighed,\u00a0\u201cShe was a grand city at one time, full of history and honor.\u00a0 But debauchery and licentiousness have vested themselves deep within its heart.\u00a0 I\u2019m not even sure the Devil would be welcome among such sin and evil.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

B ~ O ~ N ~ A ~ N ~ Z ~ A<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

All but one of the memories returned to\u00a0where they belonged when Ben greeted the morning dawning bright across the Ponderosa.\u00a0 The three Cartwrights led their mounts from the barn, with Little Joe chattering excitedly about being allowed to work the cattle with his brother.\u00a0 Ben halted Buck and watched as Joe showed him a new trick he\u2019d learned, mounting his pony without his feet touching the stirrups.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYa coming Pa?\u201d the boy asked once settled in the saddle.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll join you two shortly, I have something I need to do first.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBut I wanted to talk to you about branding\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Seeing a fleeting expression cross their father\u2019s face, \u201cHush, not now Shortshanks.\u201d\u00a0 Climbing into his own saddle on Chubs, \u201cWe\u2019ll see you later Pa.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Ben waved the boys off before climbing into the saddle, and heading towards Lake Tahoe.<\/span><\/p>\n

Less than half an hour later, Ben ground tied Buck and walked to his destination.\u00a0 \u201cOh Marie.\u00a0 How I miss you,\u201d and placed a hand to the granite stone.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

~The End<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Episodes referenced:<\/span><\/p>\n

Elizabeth, My Love: \u00a0Writer: \u00a0Anthony Lawrence<\/span>
\nInger, My Love: \u00a0Writers: \u00a0Frank Cleaver & David Dortort (teleplay), Anthony Lawrence (story)<\/span>
\nMarie, My Love: \u00a0Writers: \u00a0Anthony Lawrence (teleplay), Anne, Howard Bailey (story)<\/span>
\nThe Stranger: \u00a0Writers: \u00a0 Oliver Crawford (story), Laurence Heath (teleplay)<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Written for the 2017 Ponderosa Paddlewheel Poker Tournament<\/span><\/p>\n

My words\/phrases were:<\/span><\/p>\n

Governor<\/span>
\nEvil<\/span>
\nBrand<\/span>
\nBuckboard<\/span>
\nGrace<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Tags: Ben Cartwright, Hoss Cartwright, Joe \/ Little Joe Cartwright, Marie Cartwright, New Orleans,<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Summary: A conversation between brothers returns Ben to a time in the past.<\/p>\n

Rating:\u00a0 T \u00a0\u00a0Word Count: \u00a0 4,135<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":8421,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"template-full-width-post.php","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_members_access_role":[],"_members_access_error":""},"categories":[23,61,30,616,40],"tags":[1139,158],"class_list":["post-14604","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-drama","category-missing-scene","category-prequels","category-whb","category-challenges","tag-marie-my-love","tag-pppt","wpcat-23-id","wpcat-61-id","wpcat-30-id","wpcat-616-id","wpcat-40-id"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Ben-Draw.jpg?fit=278%2C354&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14604","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=14604"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14604\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/8421"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=14604"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=14604"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=14604"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}