by J. Rosemary Moss
Genre: Fan Fiction (Bonanza)
Rating: PG
LINK TO PART ONE
~
Spring, 1880
I saw Mr. Harris—funny, after all this time I still think of him as Mr. Harris—waiting for me by his carriage. He set down his newspaper and peered at me thoughtfully as I climbed inside.
He gave his driver the order to proceed and then turned back to me. “Did you find what you were looking for?” he asked me.
I shrugged. “I’m not sure. After all these years, I couldn’t tell if it was the right place. I don’t know the Barbary Coast like I used to.”
“Probably just as well,” he muttered. “But I didn’t ask you if you had found the alley.”
I raised my eyebrows at him, surprised at his perception. But then I smiled. “Yes,” I answered. “I suppose I did find what I was looking for.”
He nodded and went back to his paper. I settled back in the carriage and thought about how he had helped extricate me from the claws of Becky Johnson.
~
Adam had sat out in the barn with me, stroking my hair until I had my tears under control. At length I heard Little Joe enter and take a seat on the hay. I glanced up at him, but he just asked Adam if it was true about Becky Johnson. When Adam told him the story, Joe shook his head at me and brought his hand down hard on my backside.
I glared at him—did he think that I hadn’t suffered enough pain and humiliation for one night?
“She’s a pretty girl, Liam,” Joe owned, ignoring my glare, “but you should have known better. God knows how we’re going to get you out of this.”
I pushed myself up on my elbows and narrowed my eyes at him. “You’re the last person who should be talking,” I spat. “It’s not as if you haven’t had your share of trouble with women.”
“Yeah, but I haven’t been trapped into a wedding Mass,” Joe retorted.
I sighed, recognizing defeat.
“When I talk to her father tomorrow,” Adam said, “I’ll make sure we set a date as far away as possible. And I’ll also point out that Liam won’t have his fortune anytime soon—unless, of course, the Johnson’s were planning to kill me off.”
“Unlikely, even for the Johnson’s,” Joe returned. “But I agree—make it a year away, at least. That’ll buy us some time. But don’t you have a trust set up for Liam?”
“Yeah,” Adam answered, “but he won’t get it until he’s twenty-five.”
Joe sighed. “Heck, Adam, you should just disown this idiot. That ought to take care of it.”
“It’s tempting,” Adam said dryly.
Little Joe grinned and looked down at me. “You better pray to the Blessed Mother and every other saint you can think of that you haven’t gotten that girl with child,” he commented.
I cringed at that thought. Somehow Becky’s attractions were already starting to fade. But, in fairness, I had no notion that Adam had set aside a trust for me or that he meant to leave me a small fortune. I had no reason to think that I was worth ensnaring.
I glanced at Adam. He had stopped stroking my hair—he was rubbing his chin thoughtfully instead. “I’m going to send a wire to Matthew Harris,” he said. “I know his family has dealt with this sort of situation before.”
~
I have to give Mr. Harris credit. He was in Virginia City within a week. He even brought Sophie in tow.
“You’ll have to buy the little baggage off,” he said bluntly.
We were inside the great room—me, Adam, Little Joe and Mr. Harris. Fortunately Sophie was out with Mr. Cartwright and Hoss. She would have teased me without mercy if she could have heard this conversation.
Don’t mistake me—I liked Sophie. But the girl always knew how to make a bad situation worse with raised eyebrows and pointed comments. And she was already enjoying herself over this kettle of fish. In fact, she had begged me to introduce her to Becky, hoping (she said) that she could be one of the bridesmaids.
“How much would you offer?” Adam asked.
Mr. Harris shrugged. “She’s a fool if she accepts anything less than $20,000. But you have a few advantages. Firstly, Liam won’t have any money until he’s twenty-five. Nine years will seem like an eternity to Miss Johnson and her family. Secondly, Liam’s going off to college. Make it clear to Miss Johnson that she won’t have a grand home in town when he leaves—she’ll have to live here in the ranch house.”
Little Joe gulped. “We couldn’t do that to Pa.”
“Yeah,” I agreed. “I don’t think Mr. Cartwright would appreciate living with Becky for all that time. I don’t think he’d even permit it.”
“Probably not,” Mr. Harris agreed. “But Becky doesn’t know that. And she’ll be as appalled as Mr. Cartwright at the thought of it.”
“That’s true,” Joe said. “Any other suggestions?”
Mr. Harris nodded. “Find some other sacrificial lamb to throw at Becky—there must be other well-to-do young men in Virginia City.”
“What would she have to offer them?” Joe asked. “Apart from her charms, I mean.”
Adam smiled wryly at that. “The twenty-thousand dollars that she gets from us.”
Joe whistled appreciatively. “That would make a fine dowry,” he admitted.
I gulped and swore under my breath. I still had trouble even imagining that much money. “Adam,” I said, giving him an earnest look, “you ought to take that twenty thousand out of my trust or my inheritance.”
“He ought to take it out of your hide,” Mr. Harris opined.
“Don’t worry,” Adam told him as he reached out and tousled my hair. “I already have.”
LINK TO PART TWENTY-THREE
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