by J. Rosemary Moss
Genre: Fan Fiction (Bonanza)
Rating: PG
LINK TO PART ONE
Spring, 1880
Poor Adam. I was a handful for him. I can remember how I used to cling to him at night sometimes, as if he might disappear on me. And I remember how long it took him to break me of that habit. Much longer than it took to break me of thieving! I think the tanning over that bloody figurine took care of that.
It was the worst tanning Adam ever gave me, except for the time that I compromised Becky Johnson—thoroughly and completely compromised her.
But that wasn’t my fault. I was sixteen and head-over-heels in love—and you can’t expect a sixteen-year-old to think with his brains in the face of such temptation.
But Adam knew what a nightmare a marriage to Becky would have been. It was no wonder he was so angry with me. And it was only sheer luck that saved me from that marriage—thank God Becky dug her claws into someone else.
Well, actually it wasn’t quite luck. But that’s another story.
Spring, 1864
Liam crawled out of his cot before Adam woke up the next day. He hobbled over to the wardrobe and carefully picked out fresh clothes for him—including a fine waistcoat and frock coat. Then he found a rag and dusted off Adam’s shoes. And he even remembered to set out all of Adam’s shaving gear by the basin and pitcher. He didn’t want Adam to say that he wasn’t earning his keep.
By the time he was done, Adam was waking up himself. Liam watched him yawn and stretch and make his way out of bed. Then he smiled as he looked appreciatively at Liam’s hard work.
“Good job,” he complimented, with an amused but approving glance at the clothes that Liam had picked out for him. “Now come up on the bed—I want a look at your leg.”
Liam obeyed him and submitted to Adam’s ministrations. When Adam was finished fussing with his bandages and cleaning his calf, both of them began getting ready to return to Mr. Harris’s office.
Liam made one last valiant attempt to extricate himself from the errand. But even though he presented his case flawlessly (listing all the reasons why he shouldn’t see Mr. Harris face to face and apologize), Adam just gave his sore bottom another sharp smack. Liam decided to shut up after that. At the rate he was going, he’d never be able to sit down again.
On the plus side, Adam did teach Liam how to hold his razor and how to sharpen it using the strop. He didn’t allow Liam to shave him, but he promised that he would eventually. Better still, Adam let him practice tying his cravats.
But best of all, Adam promised to teach him how to play the guitar. As long as he did well on his reading lessons, that was.
Liam sighed. If only he didn’t have to apologize to Mr. Harris about the bloody figurine, it would have been a perfect day.
~
Adam, for his part, spent much of the morning wondering how he was going to explain Liam to his family. He’d have to be honest, he supposed, and tell them precisely how the boy came to be in his service.
Adam smiled wryly as he tried to picture Pa’s reaction to his little armed-robber-turned-valet. Hopefully, Pa would understand once he got to know Liam.
And there was still the question of what to do about Katie. On the one hand, she had essentially abandoned Liam. Why should Adam trouble himself over her? But on the other hand, she was just a slip of a girl who had been wronged and cast off by her master. And perhaps she truly had no means of supporting both an infant and a younger brother.
And she was Liam’s sister. She and her child were the only blood family that Liam had left. It’d be a shame for Liam to lose track of her.
Adam sighed and asked Liam a few pointed questions about Katie. The boy had no exact notion of where she was living now, but he remembered the grand mansion that she had served in. Judging by his description, the mansion was a nouveau riche monstrosity. No matter—Matthew Harris would probably know the family who owned it. And perhaps some servant there would know where to find Liam’s sister now.
LINK TO PART EIGHTEEN
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