Summary:\u00a0 Virginia City\u2019s school teacher is still determined to get her man.\u00a0 (Sequel to Abigail Jones\u2019 diary)
\nRating:\u00a0 G\u00a0 (8,770 words)<\/p>\n
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Abigail Jones’ Diary Series:<\/strong><\/p>\n Abigail Jones’ Diary<\/a> <\/p>\n Abigail Jones\u2019 Diary:\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>The Sequel<\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Dear Diary,<\/p>\n My apologies for not writing in you sooner my dear friend, but yesterday was been rather hectic and I\u2019m sure you\u2019ll understand when you hear the details of what has been happening.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n After that difficult scene down by the lake I would have thought that silly Jennifer Parkins would have had the sense to make herself scarce for a while.\u00a0 After all the girl did cause a considerable amount of embarrassment for myself, not to mention my darling Adam as well.\u00a0 Still, some people never learn by their mistakes that\u2019s obvious!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Would you believe it?\u00a0 The very next day I saw Jennifer across the street when I was at the Mercantile Store ordering some new material.\u00a0 I must admit that I sometimes get a bit overcome with all the shopping I must do in order to keep abreast of the latest fashions, but when someone is as valued as I am in the community it is important to keep up appearances at all times.\u00a0 People have come to expect it of me. I had heard there had been a delivery that very morning and needless to say I had to get a first hand look at what had come in.\u00a0 I must say that I was most pleased that I had done so, as there was a bolt of beautiful dark blue material, which I snatched up immediately.\u00a0 I have been told that dark blue goes so well with my eyes and \u2026. Well as I\u2019ve mentioned before it is my darling\u2019s favourite colour.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Anyway, when I left the store who did I see but Jennifer with a group of her friends standing across the street.\u00a0 Of course I knew that she wouldn\u2019t wish to cause me any further embarrassment after the scene she caused, and so I decided to pretend that I hadn\u2019t seen her.\u00a0 Just as I was about to turn and go the other way however, I heard her shout across the street to me!\u00a0 Would you believe it?\u00a0 It just goes to show how badly brought up she must have been.\u00a0 After all, to call across the street in broad daylight like that\u2026\u2026well anyone with an ounce of breeding in them wouldn\u2019t hesitate to simply turn the other way, which of course is precisely what I did.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n I hesitate to say what happened next\u2026..even to you dear friend.\u00a0 To my utter amazement the girl came across the street and began to pursue me!\u00a0 Well of course I was forced into acknowledging her at once and turned politely to greet her.\u00a0 I was just about to smile nicely and say something kind when she grabbed me from behind and pushed me roughly to one side.\u00a0 Well you can imagine my utter astonishment dear diary! Not only is the girl ill mannered, but she has become rather violent as well.\u00a0 To be honest I am beginning to wonder if she is a little unbalanced.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Needless to say I didn\u2019t wait around long enough to listen to her rantings and left in a hurry.\u00a0 There were quite a few people around at the time and I didn\u2019t wish to cause any more of a scene than had already taken place, but I\u2019m sure many of them heard the terrible things she shouted after me.\u00a0 I must be honest and say that I have begun to lose a bit of patience with the girl.\u00a0 She is such a deluded young thing after all!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n I went straight home and spent some time thinking about how to handle this.\u00a0 In a town as small as ours there is no way that the two of us won\u2019t come into contact with each other and it could prove to be very difficult with her in such an unbalanced frame of mind.\u00a0 I resolved that the best cause of action would be to confront it head on and to try and sort out this issue that stands between us.\u00a0 After all, the sooner she comes to realise just how delusional she is the better. I have resolved to put my plan into action tomorrow.\u00a0 It will be best for all concerned, especially my darling Adam.\u00a0 He does not deserve to be embarrassed any further by this girl, and I will protect him at all costs!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Dear Diary,<\/p>\n Today things went rather well.\u00a0 As you know, my resolution to get things out in the open about myself and my darling has been preying on my mind lately and I feel that I have definitely decided the right thing by starting a little rumour to that effect. I know how shy my love is and I\u2019m sure that by taking the initiative in our relationship I will have eased his mind quite considerably.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n I began with young Joseph at school today.\u00a0 The boy was avoiding work as usual and I caught him staring out of the window when he was supposed to be completing his mathematical calculations.\u00a0 I must admit to being rather clever dear diary and used the situation to plant a little seed in his mind that I\u2019m sure he\u2019ll share with his brother tonight.\u00a0 Instead of merely admonishing him as I am usually wont to do, I kept him in at lunchtime and had a serious talk with him.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n I made sure he understood that he is expected to concentrate on his lessons, but I also subtly put in a hint that I the future I would be more available to help him if the work proved to be too difficult for him. I\u2019ve come to the conclusion that he is rather a stupid boy really, as he obviously didn\u2019t pick up on my signal and looked quite perplexed when I said this.\u00a0 I had to resort to being somewhat blunt with him and let him know that when I become part of his family I would be handy to help him with his homework each night at the ranch.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The boy\u2019s reaction was quite rude to say the least as he scowled at me and refused to answer when I asked him what was the matter.\u00a0 I really am going to have to take that youngster in hand when I marry into his family.\u00a0 It\u2019s quite obvious to me that he has missed out on developing manners as a result of not having a woman\u2019s influence in his life.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n During the afternoon I set the children to work and busied myself composing a letter to my darling asking him to come and see me tomorrow night.\u00a0 I really need to explain to him about my plan, as I don\u2019t want him surprised by all the attention that is bound to come his way because of it.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n I asked young Joseph to deliver it for me and anyone would think I had written one of my letters to his father again judging by his reaction! Mind you, I have written enough of those to make the boy suspicious I suppose, so I really can\u2019t blame him.\u00a0 I assured him that it was nothing to do with him however and asked that he give it straight to his brother.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n After school I cut out the blue material for my new dress. I think it will be rather fetching when I\u2019ve finished.\u00a0 I must remember to get some lace for it.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Dear Diary,<\/p>\n Today was rather long and tedious.\u00a0 I asked young Joseph if he had delivered the letter to his brother and he gave what I can only describe as a strange look.\u00a0 Honestly, there are times when I wonder about that boy!\u00a0 He did everything in his power to make my day miserable, stirring up the class with his practical jokes and being quite rude to me.\u00a0 I was forced to keep him in at lunchtime again and really should have after school as well, but I needed to get away straight after the bell to start on my toilette for tonight.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n I made a real effort to look my best for my date tonight with my darling and I must say I really outdid myself.\u00a0 Unfortunately my new dress wasn\u2019t finished in time, but I did look rather fetching in my favourite yellow one with the red sash and the green underskirt.\u00a0 I\u2019ve heard it said that some people refer to this outfit as my parrot attire.\u00a0 I was rather touched when I heard that, as parrots are quite beautiful creatures and I\u2019m so happy to be classed as one of them.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The lemonade and cookies were all ready and I had sat down to wait for my love on the front porch swing when a rather unfortunate incident occurred.\u00a0 I get the most wonderful view of the main street from my front porch dear diary, which is very handy when it comes to knowing what goes on around town.\u00a0 Many is the night I have sat here and watched the business of people as they go about their little mundane lives.\u00a0 It is so important to keep abreast of what\u2019s happening in town if you are a leading citizen as I am and I\u2019m grateful to have it all pass right by my front doorstep so to speak.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The only drawback is that I get a good view of the Silver Dollar Saloon from where I sit.\u00a0 Unfortunate because I am often subjected to the sight of the many jezebels who frequent the place and their roughneck companions who think that the demon alcohol is their best companion in life.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Imagine my surprise when I saw Hoss Cartwright\u2019s horse tied up outside the saloon in full view of everyone!\u00a0 Well I was lost for words I can assure you dear diary!\u00a0 Imagine a Cartwright seen drinking in a saloon!\u00a0 I was so mortified to think that a future relative of mine would be seen in such a place that I was quite overcome with emotion and had to go inside to lie down.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n I suppose that\u2019s how I ended up missing my darling when he came to call.\u00a0 Dear sweet thing\u2026\u2026\u2026he was probably timidly knocking and I failed to hear him when he came to the front door.\u00a0 If only he knew that there is no need for subterfuge any longer!\u00a0 Our secret will soon be out and he will be able to boldly stride up to the front door and not worry who sees us together. He really is so sweet the way he worries about my reputation.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n I really must talk to him about his brother\u2019s drinking problem though.\u00a0 It just will not do for me to marry into a family where one of its members imbibes alcohol in that manner!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Dear Diary,<\/p>\n Well today I did it!\u00a0 Yes dear diary, I boldly took the initiative and began to circulate the rumour about myself and my darling around town.\u00a0 Mind you I was so subtle about it that no one would be able to guess the source of the rumour at all.\u00a0 My darling will be so proud of me!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n I had the opportunity after school today in the Main Street.\u00a0 Dear Mrs Henshaw and Mrs Smythe were in the middle of a conversation when they saw me coming and pretended to leave.\u00a0 I was a wakeup to their little game, however, and knew that they only wished not to appear obvious that they were desperate to talk to me in public.\u00a0\u00a0 People often try that little ruse with me.\u00a0 They pretend that I\u2019m not around and I\u2019ve noticed in some cases try to avoid speaking to me at all when they think others are looking.\u00a0 I\u2019m such a popular figure around town that they believe that others will become jealous when they are seen to monopolise my time.\u00a0 Dear sweet things that they are!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n I would have none of that nonsense however.\u00a0 I immediately took each of them by the arms and would not let them go until I had had my say.\u00a0 After a brief enquiry regarding their health I dropped a very subtle hint about my forthcoming nuptials with the eldest Cartwright son.\u00a0 I could see the shock in their faces, after all it isn\u2019t every day that the most eligible bachelor in the Territory is taken is it?<\/p>\n <\/p>\n They were so shocked in fact that neither of them spoke for a full minute and I left them with strict instructions not to tell anyone.\u00a0 I must admit I had a little giggle to myself as I left them, for if anyone could be counted on to spread the rumour it would be those two ladies.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n I myself do not believe in spreading gossip except where it can benefit others, so I am most grateful that there are others who will do it for me. I left them secure in the knowledge that they would see to it that many others heard my news swiftly.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n I managed to drop little subtle hints a number of times during the course of my shopping expedition this afternoon, always with a great deal of decorum.\u00a0 By the time I reached home I was very sure that the news would be heard by many in a very short space of time.\u00a0 I do hope that Jennifer Parkins is one of the first to hear of it.\u00a0 Maybe then the girl will calm down and leave my darling alone.\u00a0 He must find it rather tiring to have to avoid her everywhere he goes.\u00a0 Poor dear gets into town so infrequently as it is, that it must be hard on him to be forever on the lookout for a meddling girl like that!\u00a0 Just as well he has me to make up for it.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Dear Diary,<\/p>\n Well if today is anything to go by, my little ruse has been quite successful so far. Even a few of the children at school have heard the rumour I feel, as I was getting some intense looks from some of them during the day.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Young Joseph was quite a handful again today, and was downright rude to me and answered back when I told him to get on with his work.\u00a0 I will not take insolence from any of my pupils, even if they happen to be future in-laws, so I\u2019m afraid I was forced to discipline the boy with a few swift smacks with the ruler on his hand. Somehow I don\u2019t think that boy likes me.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The town was buzzing with the news after school today and I received many looks as I wandered down the street.\u00a0 It probably had something to do with my stunning outfit as well though, for it was the purple and red one that always looks so good on me.\u00a0 I must admit to indulging myself in my dreams a little and couldn\u2019t help but stop and admire the wares in Mrs Eddington\u2019s shop.\u00a0 She has such wonderful finery in there!\u00a0 I know it is usually out of reach of my modest purse, but the future Mrs Cartwright can\u2019t afford to skimp on herself after all.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n I dropped a rather broad hint that I would return and perhaps do some shopping for my wedding trousseau there in the future.\u00a0 I think she was rather pleased, as the Cartwright account would be after all a very lucrative one.\u00a0 I assured her that I would put in a good word for her shop in the right places.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n On the way home I got to thinking about it and decided dear diary that after all it isn\u2019t too early to do some planning.\u00a0 Our wedding will probably be the biggest social event the district has seen in a long time and I do want to be fully prepared for it.\u00a0 I must make out a list of things to do tomorrow.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Dear Diary,<\/p>\n What a wonderful day it proved to be! It started out so well when young Joseph delivered a letter to me from my darling asking to meet me tonight.\u00a0 Rather silly of him really as he should know that it choir practice tonight and I would most likely be seeing him anyway, but all the same quite a delight to hear it!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n I drifted through the day in quite a haze of dreaming and nothing that young scallywag Joseph could do today worried\u00a0\u00a0 me at all.\u00a0 I set the children to work and spent quite a bit of time on my list this afternoon.\u00a0 I wanted to have it ready for my darling\u2019s approval tonight.\u00a0 After all it is his wedding too! I hope he is pleased with my little plan.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Thank goodness I had worked late into the night yesterday and finished that beautiful dark blue dress.\u00a0 I felt so good in it and knew that he would admire it too.\u00a0 I arranged my hair in a most becoming style, but I was careful not to be too daring with it.\u00a0 A lady must always look her best, but still remain discreet at all times.\u00a0 I do not believe in too many curls or ringlets like some I could mention, but prefer a modest bun to show off my patrician profile.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n At the approximate hour of eight he arrived.\u00a0 I had already sent my apologies to the minister whom I am sure was devastated that I wouldn\u2019t be able to make choir practice this evening, but sometimes we just have to set our priorities in life.\u00a0 I know they will be able to do without me just this once.\u00a0 Dear sweet man that he is!\u00a0 He is always trying to get me to miss one of their sessions\u2026\u2026I think he wants me to rest my wonderful voice to ensure that it is always at its peak.\u00a0 What he doesn\u2019t realise is that my voice is so strong and pure that no amount of rest would improve it.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n I greeted my darling and invited him in, but I wasn\u2019t surprised when he declined and asked if we could speak on the front porch.\u00a0 Typical of him that he wouldn\u2019t want to put me in a compromising position but preferred to talk in full view of everyone.\u00a0 He always thinks of my comfort and reputation. I sat on the porch swing and invited him with my eyes to join me, but attentive as always he remained standing.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n I sensed his eyes upon me and I blushed under his intense gaze.\u00a0 What beautiful eyes he has!\u00a0 Such a wonderful physique and manly appearance!\u00a0 I gazed back at him and noticed a little tuft of chest hair emerging from above the top button of his shirt.\u00a0 I sighed to think of the wonders that lay beneath those buttons and longed to pull them apart and run my fingers through the maze of dark hair that must abide on his chest!\u00a0 I do so admire a man with chest hair!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n I swear dear diary when I watched him looking at me like that I felt that I could read his mind.\u00a0 The look on his face showed me that he was wondering of I was for real or not.\u00a0 I felt like shouting out to him that I was!\u00a0 Yes my darling I know I am a vision of loveliness and unearthly beauty\u2026\u2026\u2026..but for one such as you I am definitely for real!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n I knew he was going to be pleased about what I had done in starting those rumours, but never in my wildest dreams did I think that he would have reacted in the way that he did.\u00a0 The poor man was so overcome with emotion that he stammered to find the words to express himself and actually turned red trying to get them out.\u00a0 What a love!\u00a0 He started by saying that I really shouldn\u2019t be saying things about us around town and that he would prefer it if I didn\u2019t.\u00a0 So typical of him to put his feelings for me above his own.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n I assured him that it hadn\u2019t been a difficult thing to do at all and that he wasn\u2019t to feel embarrassed that I had had to be the one to drop the hints just because he was too shy.\u00a0 I explained how important it was for everyone to know the facts and that he shouldn\u2019t concern himself about how hard this was for me, but concentrate on us and how happy we were going to be.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n At this point he quite lost his voice and I swear I could see him gulping for air.\u00a0 I stood and moved towards him, seeking to show him just how I supported him and appreciated his concern for me, when he took a step back and knocked into the post.\u00a0 That man!\u00a0 So considerate and such a gentleman!\u00a0 Even in full view of everyone there on the front porch he still would not give in to his manly urges and approach me, but managed to overcome his own desires and think of my reputation first and foremost.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n He said that the time had come to speak plain and I agreed straight away with him.\u00a0 I took out my list and began to go through it, mentioning all the items that I knew were important to get started on straight away.\u00a0 I mentioned that a June wedding would be best and even though it doesn\u2019t give us a lot of time I thought it was possible to get it all together by then. I am a wonderful organiser after all.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n He said that wasn\u2019t what he meant by speaking plain and I\u2019m afraid at this point I did have a little giggle when I realised I had somewhat rushed things a bit.\u00a0 After all, the poor thing hadn\u2019t even had time to decently propose to me and I still didn\u2019t have the ring!\u00a0 I assured him that I was ready to hear what he had to say and sat down and settled myself in order to hear his wonderful words.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n I was sure that he would have spent many hours rehearsing his proposal and was very keen to hear how he would phrase it now that the time had come.\u00a0 I must admit dear diary that I was quite disappointed when all was said and done, and can only put it down to his nervousness.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n He began by saying that when he was ready to marry he would choose the woman and let her know in no uncertain terms that she was the woman of his dreams.\u00a0 Silly man!\u00a0 I wondered why he was talking about things that had already happened.\u00a0 He then went on to say that he had no intention of keeping company with me and he hoped that I understood exactly what he was saying.\u00a0 Of course I understood!\u00a0 We had reached the stage in our relationship when we were doing far more than keeping company, but I humoured him by agreeing.\u00a0 He then said that he was still a free agent and hoped I understood that.\u00a0 At this point I smiled at him.\u00a0 Of course I understood!\u00a0 How could I want him to be anything else?\u00a0 I want his spirit to be free!\u00a0 Free to love me and have that love returned wholeheartedly!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n He stood up then and hesitated.\u00a0 Sweet thing that he is\u2026\u2026I wondered if he wished he had had the ring to give me at that moment, but I felt as I\u2019m sure he did that we both should pick it out later.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n I asked him if he would like me to make sure that everyone around town understood how things were between us now and told him that I was happy to make the facts clear.\u00a0 I could see him breathe a sigh of relief with my words and he agreed.\u00a0 He said that he hoped he hadn\u2019t hurt me and I wondered what he meant.\u00a0 Perhaps he believes as many do that women, frail creatures that we are, need constant support and that the joy of the night would prove to be overpowering for me?<\/p>\n <\/p>\n As he departed I stopped and looked at the stars for a few moments.\u00a0 My dear sweet man\u2026\u2026my darling Adam\u2026\u2026.my gorgeous fianc\u00e9!\u00a0 I longed to call out my happiness for the whole world to hear!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Dear Diary,<\/p>\n Now that things are official between us I intend to really get organised with the wedding.\u00a0 I assume that my darling has let his family know and I expect that Mr Cartwright will visit me soon to let me know of his happiness.\u00a0 I know that he will be delighted to have me in the family, as it has always been known that he longs for a daughter in law who is sensitive and cultured as only I can be.\u00a0 I know that he has longed for this for quite some time and now that I am truly to become part of his family he must be overjoyed.\u00a0 I must, however, make time to have him understand my wishes regarding Hoss.\u00a0 I cannot abide a drunkard in the family and will have it known that his middle son must see the error of his ways before the wedding can take place. I\u2019ll have a stern word with him about young Joseph while I\u2019m at it as well.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Speaking of that young man, I\u2019m sure he is out to upset me at the moment!\u00a0 He actually got into a fight at lunchtime today and when I asked him why he found it necessary to fight so many boys at once he actually told me that it was my fault!\u00a0 Imagine the hide of the child!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Of course I brought him inside where we couldn\u2019t be overheard and asked him what he meant by that.\u00a0 He told me that the others were making fun of him because I was telling everyone that I was going to marry his brother.\u00a0 Dear diary I was quite overcome when I heard the boy say that and realised how involved I\u2019ve been with my own happiness to his detriment.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Of course the other children would be jealous that I was to be part of the boy\u2019s family!\u00a0 They probably feel that he will have an unfair advantage over me in the classroom as his sister in law.\u00a0 I was angry with myself for not having thought of this before.\u00a0 I may not like the boy dear diary, but I do pride myself on being fair and would never play favourites in the classroom.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n I sat him down and explained how I would continue to treat him just as I had always done and said that he wasn\u2019t to expect me to be any different to him after I had married his brother.\u00a0 I let him know that to stop the jealousy we would both have to be very careful to keep our relationship the same and so he could actually expect me to be a little harder on him at times.\u00a0 This wouldn\u2019t be because I wanted to be, but because it was necessary.\u00a0 I assured him that I would be very strict with him from now on in order to contain the jealousy of his friends and just to prove my point I gave him afternoon detention.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n I must say dear diary, that he didn\u2019t seem to appreciate what I was doing at all!\u00a0 In fact he gave me what I can only described as a scowl and sulked for the rest of the afternoon.\u00a0 After school when everyone else had left I talked to him about his attitude and made it clear that he needed to act respectfully towards me.\u00a0 After all, we would be seeing a lot more of each other in the future both in the classroom and at home.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n I swear to you dear diary the boy was quite moved with my words.\u00a0 I watched the tears begin to well up in his eyes and smiled to see him so overcome with emotion.\u00a0 He told me that it wasn\u2019t fair and I agreed with him.\u00a0 After all, who has the right to all this happiness at one time?\u00a0 I was so moved by his reaction that I must admit I let him off early and felt quite choked up as I watched him ride away. Perhaps he isn\u2019t such a bad boy after all?<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Dear Diary,<\/p>\n I went back to Mrs Eddington\u2019s shop today and began to search in earnest for my wedding trousseau. She was quite helpful when I mentioned putting everything on Mr Cartwright\u2019s account and helped me pick out a lot of useful items.\u00a0 We even discussed sending for material from St Louis that would be suitable for my wedding gown.\u00a0 Dear sweet lady!\u00a0 I left intending to go back next week and order quite a few more things.\u00a0 Now that the Cartwright account is there for me I don\u2019t have to worry about my finances any more and will be able to order exactly what I like.\u00a0 I must admit that it feels wonderful to find oneself in the situation where money isn\u2019t an issue!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n I saw Hoss Cartwright on the street and stopped to speak to him briefly.\u00a0 I always find it difficult to know just what to say to that young man, but felt of course that I should acknowledge him in view of the fact that we would soon be related.\u00a0 He is a very shy young man and today was no different to any other.\u00a0 If anything he was even more distant than he usually is.<\/p>\n I wonder if he suspects that I\u2019m on to his little secret?\u00a0 How unfortunate that a young man like that should have such a problem!\u00a0 I wonder what made him turn to the demon alcohol in the first place?\u00a0 I am so lucky that my Adam would never touch it!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n I hinted to Hoss that I would love to receive an invitation to The Ponderosa for dinner.\u00a0 I must admit that I find it strange that I haven\u2019t received one as yet, for I felt that Mr Cartwright would have much to talk to me about and it would be a way of introducing my relationship with his son to the community.\u00a0 I\u2019m sure it won\u2019t be long until I receive one though, judging by the look on Hoss\u2019 face.\u00a0 I\u2019m sure he was embarrassed about it, as his face showed that he couldn\u2019t believe I would have to say something like that.\u00a0 If the truth be known, I was a little embarrassed that I should have to say it as well.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Jennifer Parkins was also in town today and I\u2019m pleased to say that she avoided me.\u00a0 Perhaps she has given up now that she knows the truth?\u00a0 I will continue to be kind to her, even though I am of the opinion that she is a silly young thing. She can\u2019t help the way she was brought up after all. She looked a little shaky on her feet.\u00a0 Perhaps the rumours of her having a bit of a nervous episode are true?\u00a0 Poor girl\u2026.even though I can\u2019t abide her I wouldn\u2019t like to think that she has a nervous condition on top of all her other problems..<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Dear Diary,<\/p>\n Young Joseph brought me a note from his father this morning to say that he wished to speak to me after school today.\u00a0 I must say that I wasn\u2019t surprised to receive it, although I was surprised at the boy\u2019s reaction at the time.\u00a0 He was quite cocky and I can only surmise that he had thought about our conversation yesterday and can now see the situation for what it really is.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Mr Cartwright was true to his word ands arrived just as school was dismissed for the day.\u00a0 He sent young Joseph outside immediately which I thought was rather wise as the youngster is far too nosey for his own good.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n I can certainly see where Adam gets his good looks from and I hope that our children inherit their looks from both sides.\u00a0 If they have a combination of my darling\u2019s dark handsome looks and my stunning features they will truly be beautiful children.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n I have always admired Mr Cartwright, even if I don\u2019t agree with some of his methods of child rearing. I feel that he is far too lenient with young Joseph and if he had been then that young man might not cause me the problems that he does. However, that aside he is a man to admire for the way in which he has single-handedly brought up his three sons.\u00a0 I laid a hand on his arm as we sat down to reassure him of my affection for him as a future father in law.\u00a0 How happy I am for him to know that those difficult days are now behind him.\u00a0 He will soon have a wonderful female influence in his house once again for his sons and I am happy to provide them with the feminine role model that they obviously need.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n He looked at little startled at my gesture and cleared his throat before speaking.\u00a0 I decided to help him out and mentioned that I knew why he was there.\u00a0 He said that he was sure that I did and mentioned how difficult Joseph had been finding things lately because of all the trouble that his older brother had been experiencing. He looked at me intently as he said this, and I knew that he realised I had stumbled onto Hoss\u2019 little secret.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n I must admit that I was a little taken aback that he should mention Hoss\u2019 drinking problems so openly.\u00a0 It was a sign of how strong a father figure he is I suppose.\u00a0 I nodded sympathetically as he explained how difficult young Joseph had found it lately and how he was being teased by his friends.\u00a0 I said that I understood and would do whatever I could to help him.\u00a0 I must admit at the time my mind was racing with thoughts about how hard it must be to have an alcoholic in your family.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Mr Cartwright told me that all his family had been most concerned about the issues that everyone in town was currently discussing and how upset Adam was about it as well.\u00a0 I nodded again, knowing that my darling would most certainly have been most upset for Hoss. To be honest I didn\u2019t know that the whole town had been talking about it, and felt quite desperate for the Cartwrights upon hearing this.\u00a0 How difficult for them all it must be! Mr Cartwright said that he hoped this would be an end to it all now.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n I assured him that I would do my best to help in whatever way I could.\u00a0 He thanked me and suggested that we speak to young Joseph together.\u00a0 When the boy came in he was most sullen and it was only his father\u2019s prompting that got him to talk at all.\u00a0 We both assured him that the situation should get better as his older brother had now dealt with his problem and hopefully it was over.\u00a0 Mr Cartwright looked at me intently as he said this and I winked at him to show him my support.\u00a0 He gave me a very curious look and I fear he may have considered me a little forward in doing so.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Young Joseph for his part didn\u2019t seem convinced and stared at me in a most unnerving fashion.\u00a0 I found myself thinking how strange it is for two brothers to be so different.\u00a0 I suppose it is because they are half brothers really.\u00a0 I have heard around town that young Joseph\u2019s mother was quite a flighty woman, so I suppose that\u2019s where he gets it from. Thank goodness Adam has had the sense to choose a woman who is very stable and trustworthy in that respect.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n As he stood to leave I hinted to Mr Cartwright about an invitation to dinner, but understandably he was a little circumspect with young Joseph there and made it obvious that he didn\u2019t want to discuss my relationship with Adam at that particular moment.\u00a0 In fact he showed his frustration with the boy by uttering an oath under his breath, which I don\u2019t think he intended me to hear. To be honest, I wish I hadn\u2019t caught it, although it was heartening to know that he felt the same frustration just as I did with the boy. As I watched him walk away shaking his head I heard him utter the words that it was like talking to a brick wall.\u00a0 I knew how he felt\u2026the boy really makes me feel like that at times as well!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n After they had left I thought about it at great length and wondered if there had been another reason for Mr Cartwright visiting me as he did.\u00a0 And then it hit me!\u00a0 Of course\u2026\u2026he was testing me out to see how I would handle the boy\u2019s problems as a member of the family would.\u00a0 Darling sweet man!\u00a0 He was trying to make me feel a part of their family by involving them in their problems just like he would with one of his sons.\u00a0 How lucky I am to be a part of all their lives.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Dear Diary,<\/p>\n Today I visited the Reverend and apologised for not attending choir practice last week.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t seem to mind at all and encouraged me not to come next Wednesday as well.\u00a0 Dear man, always so considerate of my vocal chords!\u00a0 I assured him that I wouldn\u2019t let him down again and would in fact need his advice in choosing the hymns for my upcoming nuptials. He surprised me by being quite abrupt with me and saying that he didn\u2019t think it would be necessary.\u00a0 Of course with my superb voice and my darling\u2019s musical abilities we are both more than capable of organising things ourselves, but I would have though he might at least have offered to help a little.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The poor man is probably stressed with the problems of keeping the community in line. I\u2019ve heard on the grapevine that Jennifer Parkins is suffering a bit of a breakdown at the moment.\u00a0 Mind you, I\u2019m not surprised the way that young lady carries on!\u00a0 Such emotional instability has to result in some kind of problem along the way in some form.\u00a0 I\u2019m only surprised it hasn\u2019t come sooner.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n After visiting the church I made my way over to the Printers Office and asked to see some samples.\u00a0 It is time after all to start thinking about the invitations and I need to have an idea of what I\u2019d like before I show them to my darling.\u00a0 It is most decidedly a woman\u2019s prerogative to choose such things and I intend to take the initiative in these matters.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n On the way home I was most distressed to see Hoss Cartwright\u2019s horse once again outside the Silver Dollar Saloon and this time I mentioned it to Mr Winters in front of the Mercantile.\u00a0 I said how upsetting it was that a young man like that should resort to drinking at such an early age.\u00a0 He gave me what can only be described as a sympathetic look and agreed, before adding that it was a wonder the whole Cartwright family hadn\u2019t taken to getting roaring drunk recently.\u00a0 They had good cause and no one could blame them if they did. I thought it was rather a strange thing to say!\u00a0 Sometimes it is very difficult to work out some people!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Dear Diary,<\/p>\n Today was rather quiet and I occupied myself at school by updating my list of things to prepare for the wedding.\u00a0 Thank goodness young Joseph did his work quietly and didn\u2019t cause me any trouble.\u00a0 Perhaps yesterday\u2019s talk has helped him to settle down?\u00a0 I sincerely hope so! Nevertheless it gave me the opportunity to settle the class to work and concentrate on more important things.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n I must be honest and admit that I spent quite a part of the day daydreaming, but then I suppose that is normal for brides to be. I blush to think of the direction my thoughts took and it is only to you dear diary that I could admit these things as some of them are not quite seemly for a lady!\u00a0 It is just that my intended is such a fine figure of a man that it is hard to keep my thought pure and I have been finding of late that they have strayed to his fine physique and handsome features a tad more than could be considered seemly.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n There are times when I\u2026\u2026 no dear diary, I should not even voice my thoughts even to you.\u00a0 Suffice to say that I am looking forward with great anticipation to June!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n It was in the middle of such thoughts that I became most uncomfortable and looked up to see young Joseph\u2019s eyes upon me.\u00a0 I blush now when I remember the look that was in those green eyes of his.\u00a0 Eyes like the devil that\u2019s for sure!\u00a0 There are many who call him a handsome boy, but I\u2019m not one of them.\u00a0 To me his looks are too flashy and I mush prefer the dark and brooding looks of his brother.\u00a0 The look he gave me this afternoon could only be described as one of hatred I\u2019m afraid and I returned it as best I could and motioned for him to get back to his work. Perhaps I\u2019ll have to speak to Adam about his brother if this keeps up?<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Dear Diary,<\/p>\n I am beginning to get a little worried about my darling.\u00a0 It has been quite some time since I laid eyes on him and I really thought he would be in to see me before this.\u00a0 Each night I dress to please him, but each time I go to bed disappointed that he hasn\u2019t come into town again.\u00a0 Today I was shopping in town as usual when I spied the Cartwright buggy out side the Mercantile and for a few moments I was in raptures of delight to think that my darling had come into town, but it wasn\u2019t to be.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n When I hurried over the street it wasn\u2019t in fact my darling Adam who greeted me, but the Cartwright\u2019s oriental cook Hop Sing.\u00a0 It is so typical of Mr Cartwright that he has employed such a man and has kept him on for many years.\u00a0 People say the family are quite attached to him and I think that it is wonderful for them to show tolerance of the Chinese in this way.\u00a0 Mind you, he will have to know his place when I move in, as I won\u2019t have any undue socialising between the family and the hired help.\u00a0 It is so unbecoming of a lady to conduct her household in such a way.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n I greeted him politely and asked if he knew when Mr Adam would be in town, as I hadn\u2019t seen him for quite some time.\u00a0 He looked puzzled and told me that Mr Adam had been in town many times recently.\u00a0 It just goes to show how little these Orientals understand!\u00a0 I spent some time letting him know my favourite foods and I could tell he was puzzled as to why I did so, but I know that the information will prove invaluable to him when I come for dinner.\u00a0 He will want to please me and will be most glad then that we have had this conversation.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n I found myself thinking about the Ponderosa a lot today and wondering what it will be like to be mistress of it all.\u00a0 I must admit that the thought pleases me greatly.\u00a0 I have always thought that I would make a great lady and now I will have the chance to prove it in style.\u00a0 How grateful I am that I am marrying into that wonderful family with all its money, land and position!\u00a0 I feel I will be able to bring the Cartwrights an elegance that they will most definitely benefit from.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Dear Diary,<\/p>\n I was in fine voice today in church and surpassed myself in the choir.\u00a0 I insisted on leading the responses and allowed everyone to enjoy the beauty of my solos.\u00a0 I was rewarded by the looks on the faces of the congregation which I can only describe as wonderment.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n After the Service I tried to catch up with my darling, but he was too quick for me and disappeared before I even made it into the front yard.\u00a0 Shy thing that he is, he still feels uncomfortable being seen with me in public!\u00a0 I really must work on his confidence!\u00a0 He must understand that as we are now betrothed it is quite seemly to be seen in my company.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n I did make a point of greeting the rest of the family however, and noticed that Mr Cartwright seemed a tad upset about something.\u00a0 I\u2019m sure he is most distressed about Hoss and his problem still and then there is young Joseph of course.\u00a0 That boy!\u00a0 He did nothing but stare at me all during the Service, which was quite unnerving, especially as I was trying to watch his older brother at the same time.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n I must admit to a deep dislike for the boy dear diary.\u00a0 Never have I come across a child who has unnerved me quite so much as this child!\u00a0 It is not only the problems he causes me in the classroom, but also his attitude which reaches far beyond it now.\u00a0 Perhaps I will be able to persuade Mr Cartwright that boarding school would be the best option for him?\u00a0 I certainly hope so, for I most definitely do not look forward to him underfoot in my home.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Dear Diary,<\/p>\n I had a most confusing day today!\u00a0 It is obvious to me now that Hoss Cartwright\u2019s problem with the demon alcohol is well known by all and it is difficult to know what to do about it.\u00a0 I must admit I got quite a shock about it this afternoon when I once again saw his horse outside the Silver Dollar Saloon.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Yet it wasn\u2019t that so much as the fact that my darling Adam\u2019s horse was next to it! Now I must admit at first it quite took me back to see this, but then I remembered of course that he would have been in there trying to persuade his brother not to cause a scene and to leave that despicable place.\u00a0 Darling man!\u00a0 Always thinking of others!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Well dear diary, I\u2019m afraid I couldn\u2019t help myself and I indulged in a little discreet subterfuge.\u00a0 I casually walked past the Saloon and peeked in subtly in such a way that I wouldn\u2019t be noticed.\u00a0 There, sure enough, was Hoss leaning against the bar drinking and next to him\u2026..well at this point I must stress to you again that my darling Adam was only trying to help his brother\u2026\u2026\u2026.there was my love drinking as well!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n You can imagine my surprise dear diary!\u00a0 For a moment I became quite angry until I realised that of course he would only be doing it to show his brother the bad effects the demon alcohol would have on him.\u00a0 I must say however, that I\u2019m not sure of his methods in this regard, still I\u2019m certain that he knows best.\u00a0 I must however have a quiet word to him when I have the opportunity to.\u00a0 It isn\u2019t seemly to frequent such places if it can be avoided.\u00a0 I\u2019m sure he would much rather have been sipping lemonade with me, but he as always put himself last and thought of his brother!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n What happened next though dear diary, can only be described as a very difficult situation.\u00a0 In fact I still blush to think of it now even hours later.\u00a0 One of those scantily clad jezebels came over to my darling and put her arm around him.\u00a0 Of course I knew straight away that he would have been so embarrassed at that moment, but far too polite to back away from her, so I did something that took a lot of courage and fortitude.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Without thinking of myself I sailed right in there and pushed that brazen hussy backwards.\u00a0 I blush even now when I think of how stalwart I was!\u00a0 She was quite taken by surprise I must admit and lost her balance momentarily but I soon pulled her to her feet again.\u00a0 I must admit to a little discreet shaking of her at this point, but I\u2019m sure no one noticed except herself. These women certainly need to be put in their places!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Everyone in the Saloon stopped and looked at me.\u00a0 I know is must have an unusual sight for a lady of breeding to enter such an establishment, but needless to say it had to be done.\u00a0 I let her know in no uncertain terms how unladylike her behaviour was and how I expected her to leave my darling alone.\u00a0 She didn\u2019t have the audacity to answer me back of course, as I think she was stunned to say the least.\u00a0 I certainly made and impression on her and I\u2019m sure she\u2019ll learn from the experience and perhaps think twice before making that mistake again.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Not that I blame her and her type though, dear diary.\u00a0 Who could resist the man after all and there must be many women in Virginia City who are particularly jealous of me at the moment in my position as his fianc\u00e9.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n When I had sorted out that jezebel I turned to my beloved and gave him one of my winning smiles as I suggested we leave.\u00a0 Dear man and devoted brother that he is though, he refused and in fact looked quite upset as I spoke.\u00a0 What loyalty!\u00a0 What brotherly affection!\u00a0 Even after such a scene he still wouldn\u2019t leave his brother to give in to the demon alcohol and stood resolutely by his side even then.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n I calmly told him I quite understood and left them to it, giving one of my best foreboding stares and a discreet kick to that jezebel on the way out.\u00a0 I heard him ask his brother just what he had done to deserve all this as I left. Darling man! If he only knew that I consider myself the lucky one!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Dear Diary,<\/p>\n After yesterday\u2019s incident in the Saloon I was quite proud of myself and spent last night dreaming sweet dreams of my betrothed and how lucky we were to have found each other.\u00a0 So you can imagine my disappointment on hearing the news today.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n It was young Joseph who let me know of this new development this morning.\u00a0 He was quite cheery about it really now that I come to think of it, and seemed quite pleased to be telling me.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n It seems that my darling has gone to San Francisco for a while. You can imagine how devastated I was when I heard the news!\u00a0 Oh I know I must get used to this of course, as someone who runs a ranch as large as The Ponderosa must often become involved in business dealings away from home and my darling has such a wonderful business sense that I\u2019m sure his father relies on him a great deal for this sort of thing.\u00a0 Nevertheless it is distressing to be without the one you love and I was quite distraught to hear it.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n I also wondered why he hadn\u2019t told me himself, until young Joseph inadvertently let the cat out of the bag.\u00a0 He said that his brother had to go to San Francisco because of me and that he wanted to get away from me for a while.\u00a0 Of course!\u00a0 When he said that I realised just what was going on.\u00a0 The darling man had gone to the city to choose a ring and wanted to surprise me with it! How like him to be so thoughtful!\u00a0 And of course with the wedding drawing ever closer he must be finding it so difficult to keep his thoughts pure and behave like the gentleman that I know he is.\u00a0 He needs to keep some space between us for a while in order not to compromise me in any way.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Difficult though it is, I do understand dear diary.\u00a0 Oh how I long for these next few weeks to pass quickly so that my darling and I can truly come together as one!\u00a0 Only after we are married can I really be fulfilled, as a woman should be.\u00a0 Only then will I begin to fulfil my destiny as Mrs Adam Cartwright!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Come home soon my love!\u00a0 I await you with such longing and passion! Until we meet again my sweet prince \u2026.. adieu!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Summary:\u00a0 Virginia City\u2019s school teacher is still determined to get her man.\u00a0 (Sequel to Abigail Jones\u2019 diary)
\nAbigail Jones’ Diary: The Sequel<\/a><\/p>\nThe End<\/h2>\n
\nRating:\u00a0 G\u00a0 (8,770 words)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":41001,"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":[23,30,616],"tags":[1314],"class_list":["post-62903","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-drama","category-prequels","category-whb","tag-the-wooing-of-abigail-jones","wpcat-23-id","wpcat-30-id","wpcat-616-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\/2023\/03\/Preserving-Their-Legacy.png?fit=732%2C477&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/62903","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\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=62903"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/62903\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/41001"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=62903"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=62903"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=62903"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}