by J. Rosemary Moss
Genre: Fan Fiction (Bonanza)
Rating: PG
LINK TO PART ONE
~
The trip to the old way station was a nightmare. I suppose I have no right to complain, however. I was of little use during the whole ordeal, so I experienced most of it second hand.
I heard the grunts and groans as Adam worked with Brian to hoist the injured, unconscious stranger up on one of the carriage horses. Then Adam swung up behind him to hold him in place. All this without a saddle--but Peter stood by the horse, speaking soothingly to the gelding in his thickest brogue and keeping it calm. I presume the horse had been saddle-broke at some point; else wise I doubt he’d have accepted the riders.
We let the others horses go. We had no way to care for them and none of them seemed amenable to riding. With any luck, they’d return to their stable in Virginia City, thus alerting the stable master of our plight.
It was about a three mile walk to the old way station. Brian took my arm in order to guide me while Peter walked at the gelding’s side. By the time we reached the place, I could tell that night was falling. The temperature had dropped and crickets were chirping.
I waited outside while Adam and Brian escorted the stranger inside. He had regained consciousness on the trip, but he had fallen quiet after hearing the news about his companion. And he was still in no condition to walk on his own.
Peter, meanwhile, took the horse to attempt to ride for help. I was fair certain he’d break his neck in the effort, but he was determined to try. Since we didn’t have much choice, I finally gave my consent to the scheme.
At length Brian returned to lead me into the building. “Would you look after Mr. Cartwright, sir,” he asked, “while I see to the stranger? He’s got a devilish fever now--Mr. Cartwright, I mean.”
“I know,” I answered. “Yes, I’ll look after him.”
Brian settled me down at Adam’s side. Adam reached out to help guide me to my place. He was seated on the floor--a hard, wooden floor with about an inch of dust from the feel of it. I sat up next to him with my back against the wall.
“How are you feeling?” I asked, reaching out to feel his forehead. It was burning up.
“If my leg wasn’t fractured before, it is now,” he assured me.
I smiled grimly. “I’ll resist saying I told you so. Here, have some more water,” I continued, handing him a canteen. “Then try to get some sleep.”
“Yes, sir,” he said with a wry smile in voice.
He drank from the canteen greedily before handing it back. We both quieted down, but at length I heard his breaths grow deeper, so I guessed that he had drifted off. I closed my eyes and wondered how Peter was faring.
Brian came and sat at my other side for a short while. The stranger, it seemed, was also sleeping. It occurred to me then what a treasure I had in both Brian and Peter--I would have to make certain that I didn’t lose either of them.
“I’m officially raising your salary,” I whispered to Brian. “You’re worth your wait in gold.”
There was a smile in his voice as he answered. “Thank you, sir. It’s always been a pleasure to work for you--but I’ll take the raise all the same. I’ll get my girl to Virginia City that much sooner.”
“Your girl?” I asked, cocking my head at him.
“Aye,” he answered. “Margaret’s her name. She’s in Liverpool, saving for her passage. We’re to be married as soon as she arrives.”
I must have raised my eyebrows at that. It had never occurred to me that Brian had his own life outside my employ--much less that he had a fiancée waiting for him back in Liverpool.
“She’s from Ireland too, I take it?” I asked. I knew that most of the Irish made their way to Liverpool before crossing the Atlantic.
“Aye, sir.”
“Have you known her long?” I persisted.
He chuckled at that. “Since we were wee children,” he assured me.
“Do you--do you mean to leave my employ once she arrives?”
He chuckled again. “`Course not, sir. There’s no master I’d sooner work for. And Maggie will be looking for a position in someone’s house too. But at length I’d like a snug home of our own, so that we might have a family.”
I considered that. “When we get back to Virginia City, you can send for her,” I told him. “I’ll make the financial arrangements. She’ll work in our household, of course. As for a home of your own--well, I see no reason why Jack can’t build a separate servants’ house near the Monstrosity. That would afford you some privacy and the space to raise children.”
He took my hand at that and shook it vigorously, thanking me repeatedly and swearing to repay me. I waived that suggestion off, however, and assured him that it was all part of his salary. Then I sent him back to the stranger--his gratitude, I knew, would soon become tiresome.
I bit my lip, however, once he was gone. Why hadn’t he come to me about Margaret before? Was I that unapproachable as a master? On the other hand, he was only eighteen or so. Perhaps the fault didn’t lie with me--perhaps he didn’t know enough to ask.
I felt Adam stir at my side just then. “Would you pass the water, Drew?” he asked.
His voice had no grogginess to it--he’d been awake for the whole of my conversation with Brian, I reckoned. I felt my face turn hot as I fumbled for the canteen. I hadn’t wanted Adam--of all people--to realize how little I knew about my own valet.
He didn’t say anything about the conversation and at length he drifted off again. I stayed by his side for the remainder of the night and forced myself to forget about his eavesdropping. I even ripped off the sleeve of my shirt at one point and dampened it with water from the canteen. Then I used it as a cool rag for his forehead, which was still burning up.
He began shivering a couple of hours after my conversation with Brian. Not only shivering--but he was delirious as well. He mistook me for Little Joe, so he didn’t object when I put my arm around his shoulders and let him slouch against me in order to keep him warm. I gave myself a wan smile as I held him, though. I think I’d had enough human contact to last me a lifetime on this adventure.
Because he thought I was Joe, I was able to keep him calm for most of the night. His thoughts would ramble and he spoke about all sorts of family matters. He apologized repeatedly for leaving me--that is, for leaving Joe--so soon after his mother died. I narrowed my eyes at that. I’d never known how much guilt he felt over leaving his little brother for college.
He was still delirious come morning. By then I was fretting over him in earnest--his fever had been raging too long. But there was nothing more Brian or I could do for him. I just stayed by his side and tried to keep him calm.
At one point, he grabbed hold of me. He must have been staring straight into my face--I could feel his breath on me.
“Joe,” he said, “What’s wrong with your eyes?”
I swallowed at that. I knew from Jack--and from taunts when I was growing up--that my eyes had much more white to them than they should. I could wear shaded spectacles, I suppose, but I’d no mind to do so merely to make other people more comfortable with me.
“Nothing’s wrong with my eyes,” I said softly, keeping my voice soothing. “You’re just exhausted--get some sleep, older brother.”
It was a fair imitation of Little Joe--or so I flattered myself. Adam bought it, at any event. Judging by his breaths, he was soon sleeping soundly.
But I didn’t forget the comment. It annoyed me, though I know I should have let it pass. So much about Adam annoyed me: his air of command, his casual orders to me and my servants, his chivalry toward me--as evidenced by his refusal to hit me back--and now the fact that he was conscious of the ‘wrongness’ of my eyes, even if he was usually too much a gentleman to mention it. That was more damned chivalry on his part.
I think that’s when I decided on the course of action that finally brought us to blows. Oh, I didn’t do anything then. No, I was focused on helping Adam survive. But I mulled over my scheme and hoped that Peter would find help in short order--so that I could act upon it as soon as possible.
LINK TO PART TWELVE
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