‘Betrothed, Betrayer and Betrayed’

By: Rona Y.

“A toast!” Ben Cartwright called in a loud voice. The hubbub of the party died away slightly as everyone focused on their host and reached for their glasses. Seeing that he had everyone’s attention, Ben went on, “A toast to my son, Joseph, and his bride to be, Dawn.”

“Joseph and Dawn,” murmured the crowd.

“Thank you,” Joe replied for them both. He had one arm around the waist of his beautiful brunette fiancée. He smiled into her velvety brown eyes and raised his glass to her. “To you, my darling.”

Returning the smile, Dawn whispered, “I love you, Joe Cartwright!”

Next moment, they were surrounded by a crowd of well-wishers, each one wanting to pass on personal messages of congratulations to the young couple. Joe’s unique laugh could soon be heard pealing across the great room as the jokes flew.

Standing over by the fireplace, Ben glanced at his other two sons. “She’s a lovely girl,” Ben declared.

Adam and Hoss nodded. “She is indeed,” Adam replied. “Joe’s done well for himself there.”

“Jist think,” Hoss mused, happily, “I could be an uncle by this time next year.”

“And I could be a grandfather – at last!” Ben agreed, clapping his middle son on the shoulder. “It’s about time one of you boys settled down!”

****************

“When’s the wedding to be, Joe?” asked Mitch Devlin, Joe’s long-time friend.

“In about 6 weeks,” Joe replied.

“Why so long?” Mitch answered. “I wouldn’t want to wait, I can tell you!”

Laughing and blushing, Dawn replied, “I have to get a few things, and ask my relatives if they’re going to come out. That all takes time.”

Someone else came up to speak to Dawn, and Joe found himself standing on the outskirts of the group, admiring his bride to be. He still could not believe his good fortune. A hand clapped heavily onto his shoulder and a familiar voice said into his ear, “Close your mouth, Joe, you’re drooling.”

“You’re jealous, Adam,” Joe responded, without looking around.

“Me?” Adam protested. “I don’t think so, little brother.” As Joe turned to look at him, Adam smiled warmly. “But I do want to congratulate you again, Joe. Dawn is everything I could have hoped for in a sister-in-law.”

“Thanks, Adam,” Joe replied. He blinked back moisture in his eyes.

“Did you show Dawn those blueprints?” Adam asked. He had designed a house for Joe and Dawn as his wedding present. They were going to start work on it as soon as Joe and Dawn were married.

Joe’s eyes lit up. “She loved them, Adam,” Joe replied, enthusiastically. “I can hardly wait until we get started on building it!”

“As soon as you’re safely married,” Adam agreed. “We don’t really have time to begin before that.”

“I know,” Joe agreed. “Dawn wants to go to Sacramento to do some shopping first.”

The hint of a frown crossed Adam’s brow. “Are you going with her?” he asked, seeking to keep the disapproval out of his tone. They had round-up starting the next week and could ill-afford to have Joe gallivanting off to Sacramento.

“No,” Joe sighed and looked crest-fallen. “Dawn says it’s a girl thing and she’s going with that crowd she hangs out with.”

Relief flooded through Adam. “Well, did you really think she would take you with her when she was buying her wedding dress?” he asked. “Besides, I can’t see you sitting happily in dress shops all day.”

“I guess not,” Joe replied, his eyes drifting back to Dawn. The band started playing a slow dance. “Excuse me, Adam; I’m going to dance with my fiancée.” He broke through the people gathered around Dawn and held his hand out to her. With a smile, Dawn put her hand in his and followed him out on the floor. Soon they were completely oblivious to everyone else in the room as they danced.

*****************

“I’m sorry I’m not going to be here when you get back,” Joe told Dawn as they waited for the Sacramento stage to come in. “It’s going to be weeks before I see you again.”

“You sound just like a little boy when you say that,” Dawn chided him, gently.

“I know,” Joe sighed. “But I’m going to miss you.”

Caressing his cheek with her gloved hand, Dawn sighed, too. “This is the best time for me to be away, since you’re away, too, darling.”

“I know,” Joe agreed. He leant his cheek into her hand. “Have a good time.” He reached into his jacket pocket and withdrew a pile of bills. “Here, this should buy you what you need.”

Dawn pulled back and put her hands behind her. “I can’t take your money, Joe.”

“Of course you can,” Joe replied, impatiently, trying to grab one of her hands.

“No, not until after we’re married,” Dawn insisted. “Joe, I have money, you know that.” Her eyes glazed with tears. “Mama left me money for my wedding outfits, and I want to use that. Joe, please.”

“I understand that,” Joe replied, gently. “But, how’s this? You take it, just in case you run out and if you don’t use it, you can give it back to me. What do you say?” He used his ‘puppy dog’ look on her, the one that was so effective on Ben.

It didn’t let him down. “Oh, all right,” she relented.

“That’s my girl,” Joe smiled. He glanced over her shoulder as the stagecoach rattled into sight. The others girls who were going with Dawn rose from where they had been waiting on a bench and gathered up their bags. “I love you,” Joe reminded Dawn. He kissed her briefly on the lips before handing her into the coach and giving her bag to the driver.

Joe gazed after the coach until it was out of sight, then slowly walked across to the store, where he paid for the supplies that were loaded onto the buckboard, waiting for him. Feeling unaccountably lonely, Joe set off for home.

***********************

It had been a whirlwind romance for Joe and Dawn. Dawn had arrived in Virginia City just a few short months before, with the five girls who were her friends. They had rented a house together and were soon the talk of the town. The matrons didn’t approve of six young girls living together, unchaperoned by someone more mature. The girls, Julie, Louise, Valerie, Beth and Kate, plus Dawn, didn’t care. They kept their own hours, and would quite often disappear for days on end. They were polite and well-dressed and they all seemed to have money. The mystery was tantalising the whole town.

About a month after their arrival, Joe and Dawn met at a dance. Joe had been away to San Francisco with his father, and so did not know of the arrival of six very eligible young ladies in town and was instantly attracted to Dawn, who was wearing an eye-catching red velvet dress with gold embroidery at the hem. Joe had gone stag that night, since he had been away for a while and so there was no problem in going over to introduce himself and ask the beautiful young lady to dance.

Dawn was just as attracted to Joe, having seen him the instant he walked into the room. Joe was by far the handsomest man Dawn had ever seen, and her friends were jealous when Joe proceeded to devote the rest of the evening to her. He and Dawn chatted away like old friends and as the dance drew to a close, Joe asked, “Can I see you home?”

“Thank you,” Dawn replied. “I’ll just get my wrap.” She went to get her wrap while Joe shrugged on his green jacket.

“I hope you won’t get into trouble for staying out so late,” Joe commented as they walked slowly down the street. “I never thought to ask if you had to be home by a certain time.”

“I’m my own mistress, Joe,” Dawn replied. “I can please myself. My parents are both dead. My friends already went home, so the house won’t be empty when I go in.”

“I’m sorry,” Joe replied. “I didn’t know.”

“No reason why you should know,” Dawn assured him. She slowed as she reached her home.

“Can I see you again?” Joe asked.

“I’d like that very much,” Dawn replied.

“Tomorrow?” Joe suggested. “I could take you for a picnic by the lake.”

“I’ll bring the picnic,” Dawn insisted. “I’ll see you at two.” With a bewitching smile, she vanished into the house.

***********************

That picnic was just the first of many. Joe could hardly bear to be parted from Dawn, and the few times she had to go away for a day or two were torture to him. He was slightly less enchanted to discover that her five friends had gone with her each time, but Dawn explained to him that they were all close and the girls were going with her for support. Although she didn’t say it in so many words, Dawn implied that she was going to visit a relative who was ‘not quite all there’. Joe assumed that there was some kind of mental handicap, and didn’t probe, respecting her devotion to this unknown relation.

Apart from that, Joe got on very well with her friends. Kate had a very deep voice for a girl, and was constantly being teased about it by the others. Julie had long blonde hair that she spent a lot of time coaxing into ringlets. Val had a different boyfriend every week. Louise devoured books at a great rate and Beth was a singer, with a beautiful voice. They were all quite different to each other and all the best of friends.

It didn’t come as any surprise when Joe proposed to Dawn and she accepted. Ben, Adam and Hoss had met Dawn on several occasions, and had all come to like her very much. Joe had been a different person since he had met her. He had matured, and was calmer, less likely to lose his temper. Joe always had a great enthusiasm for life, but it grew after he met Dawn. Joe was cheerful whatever the provocation and didn’t even mind when it was pouring with rain and he was thigh deep in mud. As Adam said, his unrelenting cheerfulness was enough to make your teeth ache!

On the night of the engagement party, after the girls were home, Julie, Louise, Val, Beth and Kate sat down with Dawn for a serious talk. “So what have you decided to do?” Kate asked.

“I’ll have to give it up,” Dawn replied regretfully. “I can’t keep on doing this when I’m married to Joe. He’ll want to come and meet this ‘relative’. I’ll have to tell him that they died.”

“But you’re so good at it,” Beth protested. “You have the best ideas.”

“It was bound to happen to one of us sooner or later,” Dawn sighed. “I was just first.” She wiped away a tear. “I’ll miss it, girls, there’s no getting away from it.”

“One last time, before the big day?” begged Julie. “After all, you need to buy your trousseau, don’t you?”

“Yes, Joe’s going on the cattle drive,” Val chimed in.

“Please,” added Louise.

“All right,” Dawn agreed. “Which bank are we gonna rob, girls?”

**********************

The cattle drive went off relatively uneventfully. The steers arrived at market still well fleshed out and Ben received top dollar for them. The money was banked, the drovers paid and Ben and his sons got a well-earned rest in a comfortable hotel.

“Are you all right, Joe?” Ben asked, after they had finished eating. Adam and Hoss had gone for a beer, but Joe had declined, sitting on with his father as Ben had a brandy. Joe played with the untouched glass of brandy in front of him.

“Sure, Pa, why do you ask?” Joe replied.

“You’ve been very quiet, that’s all,” Ben responded. “And you didn’t want to go with your brothers for a beer.”

“I’ve just been thinking,” Joe shrugged. “And I didn’t fancy a beer. I don’t want to flirt with some saloon girl, Pa and I’m not in the mood for playing cards.”

“Feeling the responsibilities of a married man creeping up on you, eh, son?” Ben asked, squeezing Joe’s shoulder.

“I hadn’t thought of that,” Joe responded. “I just don’t want to do it tonight. I’d rather get an early night so I’m ready to leave at first light.” He smiled. “I’m missing Dawn.”

“I know,” Ben replied, with a slight sigh, for he did know. He still missed Marie more than he could say. He was glad Joe had found someone to love. “I’m really happy for you, Joe. Dawn is a wonderful girl. As soon as we get back, we’ll start getting organised to build your new house. Are you sure Dawn doesn’t mind living with us in the mean time?”

“Quite sure, Pa,” Joe replied. He smiled suddenly and Ben felt as though the sun had suddenly come out. “I can hardly believe it, Pa. Do you know what I mean? Dawn is gorgeous, and she loves me as much as I love her.”

“I felt the same way about your mother, Joe,” Ben agreed. “She was so beautiful and dainty and I couldn’t believe that she loved me. It was difficult for her, to come into a house where there were two young boys. To begin with, Adam resented her, but he soon grew to love her.” Joe nodded, for this was not a secret. Adam openly admitted that he had resented Marie’s sudden intrusion into their lives, but they had become friends. “In a way, it’ll be difficult for Dawn, too, coming into our family. We are all so close, and she is alone. You’ll need to be patient with her, Joe.”

“I will be, sir,” Joe assured him. “I can hardly wait to be married, Pa and to have a family.”

Cautiously, not wanting to squash Joe’s dreams, he ventured, “What if you can’t have a family?” Ben knew of many people who had no children.

“I have Dawn,” Joe responded. “That’s all that matters.” He smiled. “But I want to give you grandchildren, Pa. I want to be a good father, like you are to us.”

Touched by the unexpected compliment, Ben blinked back tears. “I’m sure you’ll be a wonderful father, Joe,” he replied. “I wish you and Dawn as much happiness together as your mother and I knew, and a long life together.”

“Thank you,” Joe whispered. He suddenly, just for that moment, felt like his father’s equal; a grown up man, with adult responsibilities. Soon, he would have a home and a family of his own. He felt unbearably excited. He flashed his beautiful smile at Ben.

It was a poignant moment for Ben. His last-born son was about to embark upon a new life. For that fleeting instant, Ben felt old and wished that Joe could be a little boy again. But not for long. Joe was an adult now and Ben was intensely proud of him, as he was of all his sons. But their relationship would be changed now, to accommodate another; perhaps several others. He could hardly wait to cradle Joe’s children in his arms, as he had cradled Joe so long ago. He lifted his glass, and Joe lifted his untouched glass of brandy.

“To the Future!”

“To the Future,” Joe agreed and they drank.

****************************

“You’re in kinda a hurry ta git goin’ this mornin’, little brother, ain’t cha?” Hoss teased as Joe finished the last bite of his breakfast and pushed his chair back.

“Not really,” Joe denied. “But some of us didn’t come back in the early hours and so were easier to get up this morning.”

“He’s decided to reform, since he’s going to be an old married man,” Adam told Hoss. It wasn’t often Adam had too much to drink, as he hated to lose control of himself. But the previous night, he and Hoss had spent quite a bit of time discussing Joe’s upcoming marriage and both had become rather maudlin and were paying the price that morning.

“Adam sure is jealous that I’m getting married before he is, Pa,” Joe stated.

“No I’m not!” Adam cried, and winced, for his head was thumping and the vehemence of his outcry made it worse.

“The lady doth protest too much, methinks,” Joe quoted and fled the room before Adam could gather his resources.

“I wish I’d never let him read Hamlet,” Adam muttered, darkly.

“You wanted to introduce him to Shakespeare,” Ben reproved mildly. “You can’t really complain if he’s taken to quoting back at you, after all these years.”

“Maybe not,” Adam retorted, “but I’m going to anyway!” They all laughed.

*********************

The trip back went much more quickly than the journey there, as was to be expected. Joe seemed to lead the way the whole time, leading to more teasing from his brothers. But Ben had noticed a change in the way that both boys, but Adam in particular, treated Joe. Adam had often found it difficult to treat Joe as an adult – a problem that Ben could identify with. He had struggled with this problem with all his sons, but had overcome it successfully, for the most part. But suddenly, Adam wasn’t teasing Joe as much and listened more closely to what his youngest brother had to say. In return, Joe was more relaxed in his dealings with his brother and Ben hoped that this was the beginning of a long-lasting peace between his two most stubborn sons.

“It ain’t gonna be the same with Little Joe gettin’ married, is it, Pa?” Hoss asked, as he and Ben rode behind Joe and Adam, who were deep in some discussion about Joe’s new house.

“No,” Ben admitted, with a nostalgic sigh. “Everything will change.”

“But they’ll be good changes,” Hoss insisted, as though Ben was arguing with him. “An’ we’ll git used ta them real quick, so it don’t really seem like there’s bin any changes.” He frowned. “Do that make sense?” he asked.

“I think I know what you mean,” Ben replied, smiling. “Dawn will become a part of our lives quickly and because we like her so much, she won’t seem like a stranger. Joe will still love us and be part of the family, even if he does have a family of his own.”

The frown cleared from Hoss’ brow. “That’s what I meant,” he agreed. “I jist couldn’t say it as good as you, Pa.”

“Well, we’ve all been thinking the same thing, I guess,” Ben told him. “I’m sure Adam has been thinking the same, and Joe, too. It’s a big change in our life, Hoss. But a good one, as you said.”

Hoss suddenly sniffed suspiciously. “Dadburnit, but I wish Ma were here to see this,” he announced huskily.

Tears suddenly filled Ben’s eyes and he had to raise a hand to dash them away. “So do I,” he admitted. “So do I.”

**********************

“It feels so right, Adam,” Joe explained as they rode along. “All those other girls – Laura, Amy, Julia Grant and Julia Bulette – I did love them, but not like this.”

“Each love is different, Joe,” Adam reminded him, having heard Ben say this many times. “And you’re older now.”

“Oh, I know I was too young before, especially with Amy, but this is different, Adam. It feels as though Dawn is the other half of me, and I never expected love to feel like this.” Joe sighed as he looked around him. “I can’t wait to get married, to know that she’s waiting at home for me every night. I want to shout my happiness from the hilltops!”

A pang of envy swept through Adam. He had felt the same way about Ruth Halverson, but had lost her. She had gone with the Shoshones, to save his life and he never found a trace of her ever again. Adam had grieved for her for a long time, and although life was sweet again, there were still times when Ruth’s memory crept up on him unexpectedly. They could have had several children by now, he thought, wistfully. He had been older than Joe was now when he found someone to love, and sometimes it seemed to Adam that Joe had everything in life handed to him on a plate. But he brushed the unworthy thought aside. Yes, Joe’s life had been different from Adam’s in many ways, but the most important thing had been the same – the steadfast love of their father.

Reaching across the small space that separated them, Adam squeezed Joe’s shoulder. Joe looked surprised, for Adam was sparing with his caresses. “I’m really happy for you, buddy,” he told Joe, his voice rough with emotion. “I hope you know that.”

Deeply moved, Joe didn’t attempt to blink away the tears that welled in his eyes. “I know,” he replied, simply.

*********************

Dawn’s trip to Sacramento had not gone as well as she and the others had hoped. They had been robbing banks for about two years by the time Dawn met Joe. It had started out as a theoretical discussion. One of the girls had seen an article in the newspaper about a gang of bank robbers who had been caught. She challenged the other girls to come up with fool-proof ways to rob a bank. And somehow, the game had become serious. A few weeks after reading the article, the girls, heavily disguised, had robbed that very bank and escaped with almost $10,000.

To begin with, they were horrified at what they had done. All six girls had gone to the same girls’ school in New York State and knew each other well. They all had respectable backgrounds and knew right from wrong. But when they realised that they had got away scot-free, the excitement of planning another robbery soon asserted itself and they carried on.

It seemed safest to the girls to move away from their home. After all, there were only so many banks to rob in New York State, and they couldn’t risk being identified. Dawn’s parents had both died just after the first robbery, and everyone assumed that she had been left money to live on. Some of the other girls still had parents living, and they weren’t too happy at the thought of their daughters leaving for the Wild West alone, but the girls were determined, and so they went.

It had taken them those two years to reach Nevada, robbing banks along the way. The money they had stolen allowed them to live very comfortably indeed, and they had become greedy and over confident. And they paid the price at Sacramento.

Waiting for a lull in the bank traffic, the girls had entered when they thought the bank was deserted. However, they hadn’t realised that there was a customer in with the manager, and he was still there when they burst in. Incensed that these villains were going to take the money he had just withdrawn, the man drew his gun and fired. Beth was hit and went down, bleeding profusely. The other girls fled, leaving her there. By the time the manager was ripping off her mask, Beth was already dead.

“It’s a girl!” the manager exclaimed, looking up in disbelief at his staff.

“I shot her,” his customer stuttered. “I didn’t know it was a girl.”

Later, as he repeated this to the sheriff, the sheriff replied, “It doesn’t make any difference that it was a girl. She was robbing the bank and deserved everything she got!”

It didn’t take long for the news to hit the papers and the sensation of the year was soon headline news from coast to coast.

*******************

“How can she be dead?” Julie demanded. The remaining five girls had locked themselves in their room in the hotel and the initial shock was beginning to wear off.

“We’ve just got to be more determined in future,” Kate asserted. “We have to learn to shoot first!”

“In future?” Val gasped. “You mean, you want to go on?”

“That’s exactly what I mean,” Kate replied. “We can’t give up!” She gestured to Dawn. “Dawn needs the money to pay for her wedding dress and clothes.”

“Right!” asserted Louise. “But we can’t stay here. Let’s go home and rob the bank there.”

“In Virginia City?” Dawn protested. “We can’t do that! I’ve got to live there for the rest of my life!”

“You don’t have to,” Kate told her. “Marrying Joe is your choice.”

Gazing at Kate, Dawn snapped, “Yes, it is my choice! All right, we’ll rob the Virginia City bank.”

“Then let’s go buy your dress and get the next stage home,” Louise suggested. “After all, we can’t go back empty handed, can we?”

“Well, we could,” retorted Val. “But since we’re here…” She grinned at the others.

As they pinned on their hats, it didn’t occur to any of the girls that they were acting like the hardened criminals they had become.

********************

“Hi, honey!” Joe cried as Dawn opened the door for him. The grin ran away from his face as he observed Dawn’s red eyes. “What’s wrong?” he demanded, anxiously. “What’s happened?”

“Its Beth,” Dawn answered, her mouth trembling. “She went missing when we were in Sacramento.” She gulped. “She’s dead.”

“I’m so sorry,” Joe muttered. He followed Dawn inside and shut the door behind him. “How…?”

“We don’t know,” Dawn replied. “We don’t want to know.”

They had reported Beth missing when they were leaving Sacramento, telling the sheriff there that she had been meeting her boyfriend and hadn’t come back for the stage. The sheriff, realising that the description of Beth fitted his bank robber, had just told the girls she was dead.

“I see,” Joe mumbled. He assumed from Dawn’s statement that Beth had been raped and murdered. He reached out and pulled Dawn to him, wrapping his arms tightly around her. “I’m so sorry, sweetheart.”

Snuggling into Joe’s shoulder, Dawn sighed. “So am I,” she replied. “Her body was sent back east and the funeral was today.” It had been much harder for them to come back to the house than they had expected, but they had all had a good cry and were feeling better. “How did your trip go?”

“Very well,” Joe replied, feeling the grin creeping back. “We got a good price for the herd and we didn’t lose a single one on the way!”

“I’m pleased for you, Joe,” Dawn assured him. She looked closely at her fiancé for the first time and saw the dark shadows under his eyes, and the slightly thinner cheeks. “You look tired, Joe.”

“I am, a bit,” Joe admitted. “Sleeping on the ground for weeks on end is tiring.”

“Why don’t you go home and get some rest?” Dawn suggested. “This isn’t a good time for you to be here, as it happens. We’re doing girly things for the wedding.”

“I can take a hint,” Joe smiled. He bent his head to kiss her. “See you later.”

“I love you,” Dawn called, as Joe mounted up.

“I love you, too,” he called back and waved as he trotted away.

“About time, too,” Kate said, tartly as Dawn went back into the living room. “This dress will never be ready if you spend all your time mooning over Joe Cartwright.”

********************

“I didn’ expect ya back so quick, Shortshanks,” Hoss noted, as Joe led Cochise into the barn. “I thought you an’ Dawn would be whisperin’ sweet nuthins in each other’s ears all night.”

Joe laughed. “I had planned on doing that very thing, big brother,” he agreed. “But Dawn and the others were doing ‘girly stuff’ for the wedding and I can take a hint as well as the next man!”

“She’s gettin’ ya real well trained already, seems ta me,” Hoss teased him. He clapped Joe on the shoulder and almost knocked him over. However, Joe was used to such buffeting and didn’t say anything.

“Trained,” Joe scoffed. “Sure; right; uh-huh.” He carried on unsaddling his horse. “Did you hear that, Coochie? He thinks Dawn is getting me trained.” He shot an amused glance over his shoulder at his big brother and best friend.

“Serious, Joe,” Hoss ventured. “I’m real glad you an’ Dawn is gettin’ hitched. She’s a real nice girl.”

“Thanks, Hoss,” Joe replied, touched.

“Its gonna seem some strange,” Hoss went on. “Havin’ a gal livin’ with us. But we’ll git used ta it real quick. An’ soon ya’ll have a home o’ yer own, an’ that’ll seem strange at first, too.” Joe had stopped moving by now and was gazing at Hoss intently as his brother struggled his way through what he had to say. “Adam an’ me, we’re real happy fer ya, Joe. Ya’ll make a great pa some day, too, I jist know ya will.” Running out of words, Hoss decided to show Joe how he felt instead. He reached out and pulled his younger brother into a bear hug.

They never knew how long they stood there like that, but when they finally did break apart, Joe wasn’t the only one with wet eyes. “Thanks,” Joe croaked. “I love you, Hoss.”

“Watchin’ ya standin’ up there at the alter,” Hoss said, “will be the proudest day o’ ma life!”

“Mine, too,” Joe agreed. “Mine, too, big brother.”

******************

Time moved on inexorably towards the wedding date. Joe’s new suit was finished and hanging in his wardrobe. He was spending the evenings breaking in his new pair of boots so that they would be comfortable for dancing after the wedding ceremony. He endured a few jibes from his family, but they didn’t last long; they were all soon engaged on the same activity!

Everything seemed sharper to Joe during this time. He relished being alone with his family, knowing that soon the family dynamic would be changing. It was bittersweet, because Joe was longing to get married and have Dawn sitting with him at the breakfast table, yet he would miss the times when it was just he and his family. Every moment seemed more precious.

Ben finally cornered Joe alone by the corral one evening. He had been trying to have some time alone with Joe for a few days, but the boys’ excitement over the wedding had prevented Ben from managing this. However, a discreet word with Adam and Hoss had finally netted the result he wanted.

“Joe?”

Turning, Joe smiled at his father as he stopped petting Cochise. The horse pushed him with his nose, and Joe automatically began stroking his horse again, although his attention was on Ben. “Hi, Pa.”

“I’m not interrupting, am I?” Ben asked.

“No, of course not,” Joe replied. “I was just daydreaming.”

“Oh, I wonder what about?” Ben teased. Joe laughed. “I wanted a word with you, Joe.”

In the past, those words would have made Joe tense up and demand to know what he’d done wrong. Not this time. Joe’s smile was still on his face and he nodded. “Go on.”

Now that the time had come to start, Ben wasn’t sure what he wanted to say. “Joe, I just want you to know how happy I am for you. I never thought you would be the first of my sons to marry, but I’m delighted. I like Dawn very much.” He paused for a moment. “And I think your mother would have liked her, too.”

Tears suddenly sprang into Joe’s eyes. “Do you really think so?” he whispered. “I’ve wondered.”

“I wouldn’t say it if I didn’t think so,” Ben told him. He moved to drape his arm around Joe’s shoulders. He felt a lump in his throat. “Joe, I so wish your mother was here to see you getting married. I’m sure she’s giving you her blessing from heaven, but it’s not the same as her being here. I know I’ll feel the same when the time comes for Adam and Hoss to get married.” He had to pause to get his voice under control. “But I know your mother would be as proud of you as I am, Joe. You’ve grown into a fine man.”

For a moment, Ben thought Joe wasn’t going to speak. But then Joe cleared his throat. “That’s the only thing missing,” he whispered. “Mama. I can barely remember her face without her picture in my hand, and mostly I can’t remember her voice, or her perfume. But over the last few weeks, it’s as though I saw her just the other day. I can almost feel her with me. Does that make sense, Pa?”

“Yes, it makes sense to me,” Ben agreed. “Your mother has seemed closer to all of us lately. I’m not sure why. But we were only a complete family – all of us together – when your mother was alive. Don’t get me wrong, Joe, I’m not saying that you, me and your brothers aren’t a complete family, because we are. Adam never knew his mother, and Hoss never knew his. The only mother that all three of you knew was yours. That gives her a special bond to us all. Right now, its not Elizabeth or Inger that Adam and Hoss are missing; it’s Marie.”

The tears that had been in Joe’s eyes now spilled down his cheeks. “I didn’t want to admit how much I wanted Mama to be here,” he croaked. “I didn’t want it to seem that I wasn’t totally happy. I am, Pa. But I want Mama here, too.” He looked at Ben. “Will I always feel like this when something special happens?”

“Yes, I think you will,” Ben nodded. “But this feeling won’t dampen your happiness. You’ll think of your mother at special times, and that’s only right. Don’t let the memory of your loss spoil your joy in what’s happening now. You’ve moved on from her death, as we all have. But at times like this, when something momentous happens, it’s natural to think of her. But remember, son; she wanted you to be happy. She’ll be watching over you during the ceremony, I’m sure.” Tears sparkled in his eyes, too. He missed Marie more fiercely at this time than he had done for many years.

“I love you, Pa,” Joe said, and threw his arms around his father.

Closing his arms around his son, Ben rested his cheek against that curly head and a wealth of memories flooded over him. The pang of loss was never totally overcome, but Ben was glad he had had a chance to talk to Joe. He was ready, now, to let his son move on.

********************

“I’ll pick up the mail,” Joe said over breakfast a few days later. “I have a few things to do in town anyway.”

“All right,” Ben agreed.

“What do you have to do?” Adam asked, curiously.

A smile broke over Joe’s face. “I have to collect the wedding ring,” he replied. “And I want to put a down payment on that stove for the house.”

“Good thinking,” Adam approved, as though he had final say on Joe’s activities. “It would be good if the stove got here about the time the house is finished.”

“Yeah, I thought so, too,” Joe agreed. “How’s the timber cutting coming along?” The timber operation was Adam’s concern, but Joe was eager to know how long it would be before his house could be started.

“Don’t worry, Joe,” Adam replied, with a patronising tone in his voice. “The timber for your house will be cut in time. We’ll get started building after the wedding, like I promised!”

“Glad to hear it,” Joe retorted. He pushed his chair back. “Anything else you need in town, Pa?”

“No, son, nothing,” Ben replied. “Off you go.” As Joe rose, he asked, “Have you got enough money?”

“Sure, Pa,” Joe replied. “I’ve got it saved up. I just have to go to the bank and draw it out.”

“Are you sure?” Ben asked.

Grinning, Joe nodded. “Quite sure, Pa,” he replied, patiently. “I’m a big boy now.”

“Get out of here!” Ben scolded.

“See you later,” Joe called as he grabbed his jacket and gun belt and popped his hat on.

“I wish Joe would learn not to bang the door,” Ben commented, as the front door slammed resoundingly behind his youngest.

“I think you might have to admit defeat on that one, Pa,” Adam commented ruefully. “Or else leave it to Dawn!”

“Ah,” Hoss interjected, “but will she be able to make him keep his feet off the table?”

They all laughed. “Somehow, I have my doubts,” Ben commented.

***************

The ride into town passed in a welter of excited thoughts for Joe. One week from today, he thought, and we’ll have been married for 24 hours! A grin began to spread over his face and he wondered if he would have time to pop in and visit Dawn. He hadn’t seen as much of her since he came home as he would have liked, thanks to the pressure of work on the ranch.

Arriving in town, Joe hitched Cochise outside the bank, and headed up to the goldsmith’s shop first. The wedding ring had been paid for when Joe bought Dawn her engagement ring and it only required to be collected. The goldsmith greeted him pleasantly and brought out the ring for Joe to admire. Although the ring was just a plain band of gold, Joe had had the smith engrave their initials and the date of their wedding on the inside of the ring. Joe was pleased with it and tucked the little jeweller’s box securely into his inside jacket pocket before he went back into the street. He didn’t want to lose it!

Joe’s next stop was to collect the mail and he spent some time chatting to Rudi, the clerk, who always knew all the town gossip and never hesitated to pass it on. But Joe’s attention wasn’t on the stories of who was seeing who and who had dumped who. He was impatient to get on with his business, and with a final smile at Rudi, he made his escape.

His next stop was the bank, where he was going to withdraw the money to put a down payment on the stove that he and Dawn wanted from a company back east. Joe just hoped that they would be able to get the one that they wanted. They had seen it in a catalogue and it was the latest design and, according to Cameron at the store, was selling like hotcakes back east.

There were several other horses hitched beside Cochise at the bank, but Joe didn’t think anything of it. The bank was usually quite busy. He patted his jacket pocket, where the mail now resided next to the ring, and smiled when he felt the slight bulge there. Whistling cheerfully, Joe opened the bank door and went in.

********************

He froze, half way into the bank as a masked man turned a rifle on him. Someone gave him a shove and Joe stumbled forward a step and heard the door close behind him. The manager and cashiers were huddled against the far wall, while two other men kept them covered and a fifth man emptied the safe. There were no other customers in the bank. Joe slowly raised his hands and felt his gun being lifted from his holster.

No one spoke. Joe looked around, sensing something odd about the situation. Frowning, he glanced at the man in front of him, and realised how small he was. Suddenly it dawned on Joe; these were kids robbing the bank! That explained why they were all so small and thin. They were just kids.

Looking at them with this in mind, Joe guessed that they might well be more dangerous than older, more experienced bank robbers would be. “Tie him up,” instructed a youth with a half-broken voice that Joe found somehow familiar.

The youth with the rifle put it aside and drew a length of rawhide from his pocket. He went over to Joe and motioned for him to put his hands together. Reluctantly, Joe complied, reflecting that the youth didn’t want to speak so that he didn’t betray himself. But for all that the boy was young, he knew about knots as he tightened the rawhide around Joe’s wrists. Joe tried not to wince aloud and hoped that the boys would soon be through robbing the bank so that someone could untie him.

With Joe’s hands securely bound, the youth picked up his rifle again. “Come on,” growled the one with the half-broken voice. “Hurry up and let’s get out of here.”

Frowning, Joe knew that he knew that voice. Where had he heard the speaker before? It would be an important clue for Roy when it came to hunting these youths down. He was still wracking his brains when the youth who had been rifling the safe straightened up.

“Let’s go,” growled the leader and they all began to back towards the door, keeping the bank staff and Joe covered.

Looking at them all once, more trying to memorise their general appearances, Joe made eye contact with the youth who had been rifling the safe. He gasped audibly and took a step towards them. He would know those velvety brown eyes anywhere.

“Dawn!” he gasped.

Instantly, the youth with the rough voice cocked his gun and Joe suddenly realised where he had heard that voice before and knew that he knew the identity of all five bank robbers. He took another step forward, and Kate grabbed his arm, putting the gun against his temple.

“Gag him!” she ordered and Joe looked at Dawn with horrified disbelief as she dragged the bandanna from Joe’s own pocket and gagged him tightly, avoiding his eyes all the time. “We’re taking Joe with us,” Kate told the bank staff. “Anyone makes a move to come after us and he’s a goner, got it?”

“We’ve got it,” the manager replied in disgust.

The girls dragged a stunned Joe outside, where there was a sudden outcry as people in the street realised what was going on. They surged forward, only to fall back as Kate once more brandished her gun alongside Joe’s head.

“We’re taking you with us,” Kate told Joe. “Get onto your horse!” She helped him on, used one rein to quickly tie his hands to the saddle horn, then mounted her own horse, grabbing Joe’s remaining rein and leading him after them as they galloped out of the town.

The door to the bank burst open and the manager hurried out. “Get the sheriff!” he yelled. “They robbed the bank and have taken Joe Cartwright hostage!

To be continued.

Title quoted from Sir Walter Scott’s novel The Betrothed.

Quote from Shakespeare’s Hamlet act 3 scene 2.

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