by J. Rosemary Moss
Genre: Fan Fiction (Bonanza)
Rating: PG
Link to Part One
~
My work didn’t end when we arrived home from the soiree. Adam ordered me to draw a bath for him, so I spent the better part of an hour heating water over the fire and lugging buckets of it to the tub. I had to keep separate kettles boiling as well, in an effort to keep the bath hot.
While Adam was bathing, I busied myself by heating bricks for his bed—it was another frigid night—and fanning the coals in the fireplace of his room. I also sorted the clothes he had worn that evening, deciding what needed mending or laundering. But all the while my mind was on the Maris safe.
I’ll own the truth—my hands were itching for a crack at it. But getting to it would present some problems. I was used to performing inside jobs, after all.
I could ask Rachel for assistance. But I dismissed that notion at once: it wouldn’t be chivalrous of me to ask her to play a part in a criminal act. Besides, I had no reason to think that she would approve of thievery—even in a good cause.
I swallowed a little at that thought. I knew full well that my master wouldn’t approve of the thievery either. I had served him long enough now to take his measure and I could guess what his opinion would be.
Of course, I could just tell Adam about the map and leave the safe alone, couldn’t I? But what, precisely, was I supposed to tell him? I had no notion of what the markings meant—not without looking at the map. And neither would he.
And once I told him, there’d be no breaking into the Maris residence. He’d never allow me to carry through with my plans. So surely, in this case, it was better to beg forgiveness than ask permission?
Still, the idea of going behind Adam’s back didn’t sit right. I owed him my loyalty and obedience, didn’t I? But, on the other hand, wouldn’t I serve him best by cracking that safe?
At length Adam came back upstairs, wrapped up in his robe. I had already thought to bring up his brandy—it was waiting for him on a small table in his room.
“Have a glass with me,” he invited as he poured out two measures.
“Thank you, sir,” I said, forcing myself to smile as I sat down opposite of him.
Normally I enjoyed a quiet drink with Adam before he turned in. We would drink and laugh as we talked about the war or politics or anything else that was going on in the world. Or sometimes we’d talk about our families—he liked hearing about my Mam and my siblings.
But I didn’t care to face Adam tonight. He was too good at reading me. I hadn’t lied to him since he had taken me to task over the shirt business—I liked my hide in tact, thank you very much. But a lie might prove unavoidable tonight and I was afraid that he would see straight through me.
As if to prove that, he cocked his head at me as he settled into one of the armchairs. “Anything on your mind, Shea?”
“No, sir,” I said at once. But those amber eyes of his bore into me, so I thought it best to say something. I settled on a half truth.
“It’s just a girl, sir,” I said with a small shrug. “There’s a pretty chit at the Maris residence—we got to talking, but I don’t know that she’ll see me again. She’s black, you understand. Her mother won’t want to see an Irish lad sparking her. And my Mam won’t like it any better.”
Adam didn’t seem disapproving or judgmental—on the contrary, he gave me a look of sympathy as he poured another measure of brandy for me.
“What’s her name?”
“Rachel,” I said. “And it’s not only her color that’s a problem. I doubt she’s a Catholic.”
“No, most of the blacks in Virginia City are Baptists, I believe,” Adam agreed. He paused to grin at me. “Would that be more of a problem to your mother than the color of her skin?”
I grinned back. “It’d be a toss up,” I admitted. “Uh, not that there’s anything wrong with Protestants, Anglican or dissenting,” I said quickly, not wishing to offend him. He was a Protestant, after all. Only Joe, thanks to that French Creole mother of his, was a fellow Catholic. Not a particularly devout one, mind, but that’s beside the point. I wasn’t devout myself.
Actually, I don’t think Adam was all that devout either. He was a good man, mind, but I don’t know that he was a religious one.
At any event, Adam wasn’t offended by my remark. He just chuckled. “Sounds like you’ve got your work cut out for you if you choose to pursue the girl,” he noted.
I grinned again. “Aye, that I do. But I’m not sure I will pursue her—besides, if she won’t see me there’s nothing more to be done.”
“True enough,” Adam agreed. He paused and gave me another measuring look, but he said nothing further on the subject. “Well, I’m going to turn in,” he said instead. Then he turned to glance at the clock. It was half past three in the morning. “I’ll have to be up in a couple of hours. I know you still have the tub to empty, so sleep in tomorrow. You don’t have to get up with me.”
But I shook my head at that. “No, sir. I’ll be up before you—I earn that handsome salary you pay me, remember?”
He laughed. “Yes, you do. Keep it up and you’ll earn a raise.”
“Aye, sir,” I said as I got up and left to take care of the tub.
By the time I returned to the room, Adam was sound asleep. I settled down into the armchair by the fire as I wrapped myself up in heavy blankets and rested my feet on the ottoman.
I stayed awake for a short while, listening to the fire crackle. It occurred to me that if I could crack the Maris safe without damaging it, no one would ever know for certain that it had been burgled. After all, what burglar would take one worthless map instead of valuables?
No, Maris wouldn’t credit a burglar with the deed. He’d have to look closer at hand: he’d have to think that perhaps he, or his son, or his lawyers had been careless and mislaid the damn thing.
I furrowed my brow as I thought that over. Cracking a safe without damaging it was no easy proposition. I would need practice.
I sighed as I settled down deeper into my blankets. There was a safe right here on the Ponderosa to practice on. And I had intended to try my hand on it anyway.
If I damaged it—well, I’d have to tell Adam. I’d have to confess the whole thing and throw myself on his mercy. But it’d be much better if I could just crack it without leaving a scratch. Then no one would be the wiser, for I wouldn’t take a thing from it.
And if I did succeed with the Cartwright’s safe, I’d be prepared to tackle the one in Maris’s study. But I still needed a way back inside the house.
I shut my eyes and drifted into an uneasy sleep, still trying to come up with a reasonable plan.
LINK TO PART ELEVEN
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