by J. Rosemary Moss
Genre: Slash Fan-Fiction (Bonanza)
Rating: PG-13
LINK TO PART ONE
~
Marty paced her bedroom, wondering how best to handle Adam. He had no authority over her, she reminded herself. He was merely a kind, concerned friend—not someone she had to answer to.
But that reassurance fell flat. Adam might not have any legal hold over her—or even any financial hold, now that Ed Niles supported her. But he was still the man who had believed in her talent enough to stand up to her grandfather and send her to school in San Francisco at his own expense.
She sighed. She knew how disappointed he was in her. But there was no help for that—Marty wasn’t looking back. She was enjoying her life too much to return to middle-class strictures.
Of course, she would have to live with the disgrace of a divorce. But she had already decided how to handle that—she would simply play the part of the abandoned wife.
Gregory Miller had treated her to a whirlwind courtship, married her out of hand and then divorced her when he found out that she would not have as large an inheritance as he had expected. That's how she would tell the story.
Even the middle classes would be sympathetic to Marty, for they would see a sweet girl left to raise a child on her own. And none of her upper-class patrons would raise their hands in horror if she continued to engage in discreet liaisons. Really, this was the perfect situation.
A knock on her front door distracted her from her thoughts. She bustled out of her bedroom and into the parlor just as her butler led Adam inside.
But Adam was not alone. He had brought David and Little Joe with him.
That surprised Marty, but it also pleased her. He must not intend to take her to task, she decided, for he would have done that privately.
He confirmed this himself as the evening wore on. David was reviewing the rules of whist with Little Joe, so Adam took a seat beside Marty and began speaking quietly.
“How are you feeling?” he asked.
She smiled up at him. “Just fine at the moment—but I’m always hungry!”
He grinned at that. “I’m not surprised." He paused as his face grew serious. "You will take good care of yourself, won’t you? You have another life depending on you now.”
“Don’t worry,” she said, winking at him. “David has already given me this lecture. No more balls, no more tightly laced stays—I’m sure I can survive without them until the baby is born.”
“Good girl,” Adam said approvingly, chucking her chin.
She placed her hand on top of his. “When the time comes, will you stand as godfather to my child?”
“I’d be honored,” he said. And then he paused a moment as he stared straight down into her eyes.
“Marty,” he said at length, “I don’t have any right to dictate to you or tell you how to live your life. Just promise me that if you, ah, end up in trouble again, you won’t rush to marry the first man who offers.”
She gripped his hand, giving him an earnest look. “I’ll be much more careful in the future, I promise. And if I do get in trouble, I’ll come to you first.”
He smiled at that and kissed her cheek. Just then Little Joe called out to them—he seemed confident that he now understood the rules of whist.
The foursome spent the next few hours playing cards, experimenting with different partners along the way. Adam and David were deadly together, Marty noticed. She and Joe stood no chance against them. The most competitive games occurred when David and Marty partnered up against Adam and Joe.
Marty slanted her eyes at David throughout the remainder of the games. Oh, how she would love to paint his portrait. There was a certain expression in his eyes whenever he glanced at Adam that she wanted to capture.
What did that look mean? It was warm and friendly and surprisingly intimate. What a shame that David hadn’t looked at her that way.
Most people would see it as a mere friendly glance, but Marty knew better. She was no longer the innocent she had been when she first arrived in San Francisco. She knew for certain now that there was no need to take offense at David’s lack of interest in her—it was quite possible that no woman held any charms for him.
Did Adam return his affection? She played the next few hands mechanically as she tried to decide. The answer surprised her. Whenever Adam’s eyes rested on David there was a contented and appreciative gleam in them. It was the sort of look you give to the lover that you intend to grow old with.
Marty was so surprised that she forgot what trump was and almost reneged. But she pulled herself together and forced her mind back on the game.
So Adam and David were involved, then. Marty glanced at Adam and felt a rush of warmth and gratitude toward him. Somehow it was good to know that he too wrestled against society’s strictures.
Did Little Joe know? Most likely, Marty decided. That would explain why Joe seemed to fluctuate between liking David and being wary of him. He was probably still trying to figure out how he felt about the relationship and how to find his footing with his brother's lover.
Marty smiled to herself. She would never betray Adam—she would carry this secret to the grave. That was one way to repay him for all his kindness and concern.
LINK TO PART SEVENTY-THREE
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