{"id":1625,"date":"2008-03-20T15:24:51","date_gmt":"2008-03-20T19:24:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=1625"},"modified":"2026-07-29T11:44:41","modified_gmt":"2026-07-29T15:44:41","slug":"what-ever-happened-to-the-lovely-mothers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=1625","title":{"rendered":"What Ever Happened to the Lovely Mothers (by the Giggly Sisters)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Summary: \u00a0<\/span>Ben Cartwright reminisces about his three wives: Elizabeth, Inger and Marie and their untimely deaths.<\/p>\n

Rated:<\/span> K+ \u00a0(1,850 words)<\/p>\n

Whatever Happened to the Lovely Mothers<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sheriff Roy Coffee always enjoyed visiting his old friend, Ben Cartwright at the Ponderosa. Not that Ben was as old as Roy: in fact it was received wisdom that Roy was the oldest Sheriff in the territory and he certainly suffered from an amazing lack of animation. Once they had finished a game of checkers (which took rather longer that usual, due to the fact that Roy fell asleep half-way through), they were enjoying a cup of coffee when the Giggly Sisters appeared with Joe and their pet bear, Paw.<\/p>\n

\u201cNice to have some ladies around the house,\u201d Roy remarked, sucking the dregs of his coffee through his moustache. \u201cIt\u2019s been a long time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ben looked reminiscently towards his desk, where the pictures of his three wives sat. Roy had often wondered if he should perhaps probe a little more closely into their deaths. After all, it was sad for a man to lose one wife, to lose two was incredibly tragic, but three! Wasn\u2019t that just a little improbable? Could there possibly be something more to it than Ben was letting on?<\/p>\n

The only problem with this was that Adam was the only witness to two of the deaths, and Ben was the only witness to one. And everyone knew the Cartwrights stuck together. With a slight shake of his head, he decided not to pursue the matter any further. Perhaps it was just bad luck.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a pity you didn\u2019t know about the Curse of the Cartwrights, isn\u2019t it?\u201d remarked the redhead sympathetically.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou could hardly say it was a curse,\u201d Ben protested. \u201cThese are dangerous times you know. After all women do die in childbirth, like Elizabeth.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMy Love,\u201d the others chorused, resignedly. They knew the routine by now.<\/p>\n

\u201cPoor Elizabeth, she barely had time to see Adam before she died.\u201d Ben sighed. \u201cChildbirth is extremely hazardous, you know.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI do know,\u201d the redhead said. \u201cI do have 2 children, remember?\u201d Ben looked round worriedly, for he had disturbing memories of a small girl child, wittering on incessantly about riding lessons.<\/p>\n

Roy looked interested at this, for he hadn\u2019t had much of a chance to chat to the Giggly Sisters. \u201cChildren, huh?\u201d he asked. \u201cWhere are they?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWith their mythical father on an imaginary oil-rig,\u201d the redhead said, helpfully, and Roy wished he\u2019d never asked.<\/p>\n

“Perhaps all those readings of Paradise Lost were a slight mistake?” said the blonde. From what she remembered of the text it was very long, packed full of illusions and imagery and really rather dark and depressing. Ben shrugged his shoulders: the same thought had often occurred to him. John Milton did have rather a tendency to ramble on at great length. However, the only alternative poet Elizabeth had liked was George Gordon, Lord Byron and the “Mad, bad and dangerous to know” poet certainly wasn’t suitable reading for a woman in a delicate condition.<\/p>\n

“Anyways,” Roy said, helping himself to a ham sandwich, “after poor Elizabeth’s childbed trauma, you met Inger.”<\/p>\n

“My Ma was Swedish!” Hoss added helpfully. “That’s why I’ve got a Swedish name, rather than a biblical name like Pa, Adam and Joe!” Mind you, now he came to think of it, that did seem a little unfair. Surely there were Swedish biblical names they could have used?<\/p>\n

“My dear wife, Inger, was indeed Swedish,” Ben said, neatly preventing his family from ruining a poignant story with their choruses. “She was a sweet, unassuming girl and she loved Adam very much. We were so happy – but alas! Once again my happiness was cut short by Inger’s untimely death.”<\/p>\n

“Remind me again how she died?” Roy mumbled through a mouthful of Black Bun, left over from New Year.<\/p>\n

Hoss felt the tears trickle down his face. “She was shot by Indians.”<\/p>\n

Ben felt he should explain. “Inger was a statuesque lady and kind of hard to miss. Luckily, Hoss, Adam and I were unhurt.”<\/p>\n

“Very convenient!” Roy commented acerbically.<\/p>\n

Ben eyed Roy askance, but decided not to push it. He wondered what this sudden interest was that Roy had in his late wives. Surely he\u2019d heard the stories before. However, Ben realised that he hadn\u2019t given the Giggly Sisters his history, and thought it would be a kindness to tell them, even though they seemed to know quite a bit about his wives.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd then there was Joe\u2019s darling mother, Marie,\u201d Ben said, quite forgetting his chorus.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy Love,\u201d they all chimed in, grinning at one another. Ben glared at them.<\/p>\n

Joe nudged the redhead. \u201cThis is where he tells me how like her I am,\u201d he whispered.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re so like your mother, Joe,\u201d Ben said, dreamily. \u201cShe was like having spring in the house the whole year round.\u201d<\/p>\n

The blonde rolled her eyes. What did he mean by that? Was she cold and wet all the time? Fresh and bright? What?<\/p>\n

\u201cI remember your mother, too, Joe,\u201d Roy said, in his creaky way. \u201cI even remember when you were born.\u201d He shook his head, and flakes of dust fell from his hat. Well, Roy wasn\u2019t very animated.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe was French,\u201d Joe added helpfully. He\u2019d always felt that this fact gave him a certain dash and \u00e9lan. After all, everyone knew the French were stylish, and debonair and generally full of joie de vivre. He liked to think he\u2019d inherited a certain amount of continental elegance and always insisted that his jackets were cut high and tight, to display his perfect physique to its best advantage. Was it possible to inherit dress sense, as well as charm, great hair and devastating good looks?<\/p>\n

Pondering this theory, he looked across at Adam, who was certainly the model of New England reticence in his sober outfit of black. After a brief flirtation with a red shirt, Adam had plumped for this inconspicuous attire, only venturing into a contrasting white shirt for very special occasions. There was something a little sinister about Adam\u2019s monochrome clothes and a shiver ran down Joe\u2019s spine as he recalled tales of the famous Salem witches, but he told himself not to be so silly. After all, his eldest brother still indulged his frivolous side in his gaily coloured pyjamas.<\/p>\n

Joe turned and looked at Hoss, who really didn\u2019t overly concern himself with clothes, as long as they were practical and hardwearing. He only seemed to have a couple of jackets, both of which were brown and made of a rather hairy fabric. Both were very warm and Joe wondered if this was yet another example of genetic inheritance. From what he remembered of Miss Abigail’s geography lessons, Sweden was a rather chilly country. It had been obvious from his first appearance that Hoss’ Uncle Gunnar was the family rebel, as he had sported an incredibly vivid red silk shirt.<\/p>\n

The redhead smiled gently at Ben. \u201cI\u2019ve been wondering about something \u2013 Joe talks about living in New Orleans when he was little, but it\u2019s never really mentioned. How long did you stay there for?\u201d<\/p>\n

It had to be said, Ben really didn\u2019t like the redhead. She was the one who asked the awkward questions, and he was sure she was the one who was leading Joe astray. Besides, he didn\u2019t know the answer to the question. He\u2019d often wondered why, in The Storm, it had been implied that they had lived in New Orleans, for he couldn\u2019t remember doing so at all.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot long,\u201d he prevaricated. \u201cNot long at all.\u201d He looked round, hoping someone would prompt him, or at least change the subject.<\/p>\n

The blonde sort of obliged. \u201cWhy didn\u2019t you mention Clay\u2019s father to him when he was here?\u201d she asked. \u201cSince Jean was a good friend of yours, and had saved your life, I\u2019d have thought that would be the first thing you\u2019d say.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI was shocked by Clay\u2019s appearance,\u201d Ben answered.<\/p>\n

\u201cWeren\u2019t we all?\u201d Adam inserted, dryly. The Cartwrights were, to a man, clean-shaven, so it was somewhat disconcerting when the moustachioed Clay Stafford had appeared in their midst.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd who on earth was that female in the photo you gave to Clay?\u201d the redhead demanded. She was nursing Paw, who had fallen asleep on her lap, with all four paws in the air. He looked so cute. \u201cShe didn\u2019t look anything like Marie, although she was better than the picture in House Divided.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI wondered that too,\u201d Joe agreed, and they all looked at Ben for an answer. Roy pricked up his ears. Could this be another woman Ben had done away with?<\/p>\n

Ben looked rather shamefaced. Marie had been a lovely woman and her picture was always slightly to the forefront on his desk. That is, on the occasions it was on the desk, for like so many other things the pictures tended to appear and disappear with alarming regularity. It almost made the viewers dizzy at times.<\/p>\n

\u201cI gave you that picture when you were a child, remember?\u201d Joe nodded. \u201cWell, I was afraid you\u2019d lose it, so I, well there just happened to be this old picture of Cousin Clarissa\u2019s dear mother lying around, so I popped that into the frame instead.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe\u2019s eyes nearly popped out of his head with shock. \u201cI\u2019ve been cherishing a picture of Great Aunt Agnes?\u201d he exclaimed in disbelief. Ben put a consoling hand on Joe\u2019s knee and patted it gently. He was a little taken aback to realise that his youngest son had failed to realise that neither of those pictures bore the slightest resemblance to the one in the gold frame that sat on Ben’s desk, or indeed to his dear Mama.<\/p>\n

Roy leaned back and then clutched his back in agony. He\u2019d quite forgotten just how uncomfortable the sofa was. \u201cBen: you\u2019ve known joy three times and sorrow three times. It\u2019s just plain tragic.\u201d<\/p>\n

The redhead kept thinking of the immortal words of Oscar Wilde and was tempted to comment, \u201cto loose three wives looks like carelessness\u201d, but she decided it wasn\u2019t really appropriate. Mainly because the playwright wouldn\u2019t actually write The Importance of Being Earnest for another 30 years, but also because she could see that Ben was rather upset by the whole conversation.<\/p>\n

In point of fact, Ben was looking at his three sons and seeing the qualities of their dear mothers reflected back at him. Elizabeth, Inger and Marie lived on in his three sons and no other woman could ever enter his heart in quite the same way. He sometimes fretted over the fact that none of the boys seemed inclined to settle down and it was indeed tragic the way so many young ladies met tragic ends or simply disappeared once the closing credits ran.<\/p>\n

Perhaps there was some merit in the theory of the Curse of the Cartwrights after all? Ben looked across at the Giggly Sisters, who were draped attractively over Joe and wondered why they seemed to immune to the phenomenon. Roy leaned over and whispered confidentially<\/p>\n

\u201cI hear they\u2019ve got a new delivery of blue dresses in the Mercantile!\u201d Ben’s eyes sparkled with mischief and delight. Perhaps another trip into town was called for?<\/p>\n

The End<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Summary: \u00a0Ben Cartwright reminisces about his three wives: Elizabeth, Inger and Marie and their untimely deaths.<\/p>\n

Rated: K+ \u00a0(1,850 words)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":1242,"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":false,"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":[23,4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1625","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-drama","category-humor","wpcat-23-id","wpcat-4-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\/04\/bonanza31.jpg?fit=573%2C389&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1625","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\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1625"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1625\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1242"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1625"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1625"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1625"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}