San Francisco in the year 1879 was nothing like the trading centre that Ben Cartwright had first set eyes on so many years ago when he had taken his wagon into what was to become one of the foremost commercial cities in the world. When Ben arrived there with his two little boys there were fewer than 500 souls living in the small settlement.

William A. Richardson, an Englishman who had taken Mexican citizenship, had one day erected a canvas tent stretched between pine posts and began to trade wheat and tallow between the ships that came into the port and the local Indians. It stood there until he built the adobe ‘Casa Grande’ (later to become the Adelphi Theatre) on what he named as Dupont Street.　

Every time Ben had made a visit, whether for business or pleasure, he would stand for a full five minutes just to gaze around and try to locate the site where he had first set down his wagon, and decided that this was not the place for him, it was already, at that time, too big.

As he stood collecting his thoughts, struggling not to drown in waves of nostalgia, his son stood beside him, looking slightly bemused as he surveyed the city and took the changes he saw with a feeling of regret. Too much change - he shook his head, and remonstrated with himself. As an engineer he should be marvelling at all he saw, as an architect he should be in awe of the splendid buildings but as a mere human being, remembering it as it had been, it made him feel depressed.

His wife slipped her arm through his and smiled up at him. In her green travelling suit she looked smart and modish, even though she may not have felt that way. There may have been a mere 200 plus mile distance between Virginia City and San Francisco but fashion seemed to have stalled somewhere along the way. She was feeling very much the country cousin.

“Amazing.” Ben grunted.

“The porter said that the Transcontinental Express train can get from New York to San Francisco in 83 hours.” * Reuben piped up, and looked at his father with big eyes, “That’s not much time, is it?”

“Well, it would mean catching the train in New York on Monday morning and arriving here on -” Adam paused “on Thursday evening.”　

“Amazing.” Ben muttered, unaware that he was repeating himself, “It would have taken over six months walking beside that old Conestega wagon of ours.”

“But that was in the old days, Granpa.” Reuben informed him with a serious look on his face. “No one travels in a wagon nowadays.”

“Some still do.” Olivia reminded him, and gave him a subtle nod of the head as a way to remind him to be tactful, not that he would know what that meant.

“The porter said…” Reuben started to say but got hushed up when his father moved forward, as though to break the spell that was making them appear like a bunch of country bumpkins.

It had been some while since Ben or Adam had been to San Francisco. Even Olivia who had lived in the big city for years felt somewhat intimidated by the changes she could see, which were even more outstanding to her as she had not seen it since she fled the city in ’75. In such a short time so much change…like some gigantic baby that had demanded constant feeding San Francisco had burgeoned into the noisiest, busiest, bustling, smelly metropolis imaginable.

A clanging sound, right from close by them and they all stepped back to avoid the on coming vehicle that they had read about in the Territorial but now saw in all its splendour. The California Street Cable Railroad Car* that had been founded by Leland Stanford* stopped some feet away from them, disgorged several customers and waited with doors open to ’eat up’ some more.

It was too much for Nathaniel, he just burst into tears and clung more tightly to his father’s neck. Ben sighed “Shall we look for a hansom cab, I feel safer in something I’m familiar with…”

“This is progress, Pa.” Adam reminded him, picking up a suitcase, passing Nathaniel to Olivia, and striding forward with Sofia hurrying behind him so closely that she nearly tripped him up.

The cable car company had opened up in California Street in 1878,* an innovation that delighted the local inhabitants of the city who found transportation easier and quicker. It had changed the whole appearance of the city, and Ben, as he stepped on board clutching his suitcase wished heartily that he was back home.

Reuben and Sofia were delighted by this new marvel. They grinned from ear to ear, nodded in a friendly fashion to those passengers already seated who had to make way for them, and then took their seats. Olivia found a seat behind them and sat Nathaniel on her lap, Ben almost toppled into the seat beside her having trodden on someone’s toes and been cursed loudly as a result. A little dog in the lap of a rather oversized woman yapped noisily, which captured Nathaniel’s attention and stopped him thinking of dragons and being swallowed up piecemeal.

Adam paid their fares, checked the luggage was secure and found he had to stand as there was no seats available. He didn’t mind that, it gave him a chance to look over everyone’s heads and watch what was still familiar to him slip past as the cable car lurched forward and made it’s way through the roads, up and down the hills, stomachs lurched along with it. Nathaniel wailed, the dog yapped, and Adam had an insane desire to laugh.　

Who would have thought that in his lifetime trains covered more of America than any other country in the world. He could recall as a boy arriving in the back of the wagon, hot and dusty, and disliking the smells and noise of the town in which they had arrived. Now there was no semblance to that time, no indication of where they had stopped that battered old wagon and paused to consider what and where to go next.

He could remember reading about Andrew Hallidie* who had invented the cable car system. The man had witnessed an accident involving a horse drawn streetcar, the horses had reportedly skidded over wet cobblestones and been killed. Adam could remember reading accounts of the man’s invention in his cabin when on board ship. His fellow officer, O’Brien, had said it would never work, too much reliance on steam. Years later he and O’Brien were haggling over the advantages of steam powered ships versus the elegance of the clipper ships.

Passengers disembarked and others took their places. People jostled along, elbows prodded into the ribs of strangers. It seemed to Olivia that the bigger and busier the city, the less the good manners of its citizens. She wiped Nathaniel’s nose on a handkerchief, nodded and smiled at Sofia who was fidgeting, and watched as Reuben stared around him, drinking all these new innovations into his agile fertile brain.　

When Adam tapped Ben on the shoulder and muttered that it was time to ‘Get off’ the older man had never felt so relieved in his life. Apologising as he went along the centre aisle Ben finally stepped down onto the sidewalk, adjusted his hat, straightened his jacket and vowed ‘Never Again!’

It was a mere few paces to where Martha lived, and together they made their way to the house, that now looked a little tired as though it also was weary of having been there for so long, and experienced so many changes since the Frobishers had first moved there.

But the welcome smile on Martha’s face was soothing, it calmed the jaded nerves of one elderly gentleman, and lightened the heart of the young woman who was anxious about the forthcoming eye examination she had travelled all that way to attend. The children were hugged, and told to run indoors and feel welcome, and Adam stood surrounded by luggage and still day dreaming about times that had been and gone.
……………….

Life back home on the Ponderosa was busy. Hester, now walking quite as normal, was busy sewing a new dress for Hannah. Her little girl would soon be going to school and would need good workaday clothing to withstand the rough and tumble of school life. Hannah sat beside her, carefully stitching along a hem of a petticoat. She was a nimble fingered little girl, serious in her ways, although prone to giggles especially when her Pa was anywhere in the vicinity.　

She sighed now, and turned to look at the doorway which stood open so that the sound of her sister and brothers voices drifted into the room. Hester looked up and smiled “Concentrate now, Hannah.”

“But, Ma, can’t I go and play with Hope and Erik?”

“Later. Look, you have nearly finished your hem. You can go and have a cookie when it is done, and take one out for your brother and sister.”

Hester smiled at Hannah, her black haired blue eyed little girl, and felt the tug to her heart that in a short while she would be joining Reuben, Sofia and Rose Canaday on the wagon to school. She wished that her Hannah could have gone to the small schools with the one teacher, unlike so many other parents who had been overjoyed at the opening of the school in C Street, it just seemed to lack the warmth and security of the smaller schools. Of course Olivia would have reminded her that there had been no such thing when Mr Crook had been the teacher…every child there had dreaded school days, but Hester liked to spin her little castles in the air, and look back with nostalgia as so many of us do.

Erik’s voice was loud, shouting to Hope to put something down and give it to him. She shook her head, and then smiled at the thought that Erik was so ‘her’ son, that she never ever feared now the possibility of some Irish family sweeping upon the Ponderosa and claiming him as their own. She and Hoss never discussed his real parentage. The legal documents relating to his adoption were in a locked box at the very back of the safe. Far back enough for her to pretend it never even existed to remind her that Erik was not her or Hoss’ flesh and blood.


Hoss was working along with Hop Sing butchering a pig. It was most commonly the work carried out before winter so that there would be enough bacon, ham and pork to sustain the family through most of the winter. But old Hogan had decided he had too many pigs now and had donated the pig gladly, asking only that they would butcher and prepare it for several of the families in town who were suffering hard times.

There were a lot of families in Virginia City suffering hard times as the mines continued to close down, or cut back on the number of employees. Hoss and Joe had agreed that they would deal with the pig themselves and take what had been done to various homes. Bridie would tell them the most needy due to her contacts via the hospice she ran there.

There were many ways of butchering a pig, but Hoss and Hop Sing carried it out the way they had always done. “The old ways are the best ways” Hoss had declared as he had strode out beside Hop Sing to deal with the porker.

Joe had been told that Hoss was going to help with the butchering of the pig, and knowing that it would take time to do, was not grumpy about having to go to the south pasture to deal with the cattle round up and organise the branding of the new calves with Candy riding along with him. The spring round up was starting and soon there would be the cattle drive to organise.

The pig was cut up into hams, shoulders, side meat and spare ribs, and there was the belly pork too. The internal organs were removed and set aside to be dealt with later. Hester, having finished her sewing, joined with Mary Ann with preparing the small meat from the pig, making them into sausages, or boiling them up to make what they would call head cheese. Hoss had blown up the bladder and tied it so that the children could play ball with it, which was the cause of Erik’s discontent that Hester had heard earlier.　

All the meat was salted, because salt was a good preservative. Then some were put in brine, and some set aside to be smoked. Hoss diligently separated all the pieces so that it could all be put on the wagon and distributed in town. Cheng Ho Lee had been allocated the task of preparing the meals for the family through the day. So after the mid-day meal had been eaten they returned to their work.

They set to work in cutting up very finely the meat from the pigs internal organs. Herbs, salt and pepper and other spices would be added and it would be mixed and rolled until they were finally finished and it could all be set aside to go with everything else that was already in the wagon. Hank was given the task of driving the wagon and its contents into town, to consult with Paul and Bridie and leave them to distribute the food around the poorer community.

It had been a long day, and by the time Mary Ann left the house all the children were drowsy and heavy eyed. Hester even admitted she felt much the same as she waved her friend away.　

After they had cleaned and washed themselves, for the smell of the butchering permeated their skin and clothes, Hoss came and hugged his wife, told her how proud he was of her and then settled down with her on the settee watching the flames flickering up the chimney.

“I wonder how Pa and everyone’s getting on in San Francisco.” Hester observed as she picked up her latest Charles Dickens novel to read.

“I can’t even remember the last time I went there,” Hoss said and stretched, “I don’t suppose much has changed.”

He yawned and reached out for her hand, waited a little while before he could lean over and take the book away and set it to one side. “How about we - er - go upstairs and get to bed, huh?”

“Hmm, yes, it has been a long - and tiring - day, hasn’t it?” Hester said with a sigh and stood up, looked down at the dying fire and smiled.

“Oh, yeah, I guess so.” Hoss replied and stood right behind her, put his arms around her waist and kissed the nape of her neck. “Jest that I ain’t really sleepy jest now.”

Chapter 2

The couple stood among the spring flowers of the park arm in arm and watched as the children played around them. Then they turned to look at the row of houses that stood overlooking the park and smiled, turned to one another and smiled again.

“How strange to think that had been my home for so long,” she said quietly, “If I had known what was going to happen when we moved there, perhaps I would not have taken the risk but stayed at the old house that Robert and I had lived in before his death.”

He frowned then, just slightly, and then smiled “I would not have met you here then, with your little red tipped nose, and your funny red hat…”

“And Marcy looking like she was wearing a tea cosy…”

“And Reuben stuck up the tree …”

“And Booth threatening to murder you …”

“And Abigail thinking I was Ben Cartwright coming to woo her little sister away.”

She sighed again, and they turned away to watch the children; Reuben so tall for his age, ten years old now. Sofia was showing a ball to Nathaniel, before tossing it to him and shaking her head when he dropped it. “Like this, Nathaniel, watch me.” and she bounced the ball onto the path and caught it as up it came straight into her hand.

“Now try - no, put your hands together - you’ll never catch it if you spread them out wide like that.” and she tossed the ball again, Nathaniel leaned forward, opened his arms wide and the ball bounced up, down, and up again and hit him on the nose.

Reuben jumped from a tree, ran and caught it before Sofia could grab it again, which meant she squealed and protested, Reuben laughed and ran off, Nathaniel was left rubbing his nose and looking around him wondering what was going to happen next.

He chose to run to his Momma, who gathered him up in her arms and hugged him tight. He was two and a half, not quite the three years that Sofia had been when Adam had first met his future wife.

“I remember you were standing right in this very spot,” Olivia said and smiled at him, “The first time I saw you. You were wearing your uniform and great coat, and I thought you looked - “ she narrowed her eyes as though to recall to mind exactly what she did think “I thought you looked heroic.”

“Oh, heroic! Mmm, I like that -” he grinned, and the dimples she loved showed, his brown eyes twinkled and he leaned in towards Nathaniel and whispered “Momma thought I looked heroic.”

Nathaniel nodded, and then wriggled to get back down. He wanted to run, and catch that ball.

“Then,” Olivia said quietly as they began to stroll slowly, arm in arm, following the path between the rose beds (no roses yet, too early) and where the spring flowers grew, “Then some officer came and presented you with your orders.”

Adam ran a thumb along his jaw line and grimaced, nodded “The South China seas…I wish I had been harder to find.”

She said nothing to that, but pressed her arm against his and they continued on, listening to their children shouting, laughing, happy in their play. Others were there, strolling about, couples, young and old, children, older or younger than their own. The sun was warm, shining from a blue sky, it was an oasis from the noise and bustle of the city, and the flowers smelled fresh and sweet.

Sofia ran up to them, and clasped hold of Adam’s hand, so they stopped walking and he turned her round and pointed to the house with the wide steps leading to the red door “Do you remember living there, Sofia?”

She looked and frowned, narrowed her eyes in an attempt to remember then shook her head and Olivia pointed to a window that overlooked the park “See, that was your bedroom window.”

But Sofia didn’t remember any of it, she could only remember living in the house where Aunt Marcy and Uncle Luke lived. She remembered living there with her Mother, Reuben and a strange old lady who would wander off into the woods and talk to Indians who were not really there at all, except for one, their friend Johnny Tall Bear.

Nathaniel ran up, and grabbed Olivia by the hand, he was tired, he looked up at his father who nodded and picked him up. Reuben ran behind them, bouncing the ball, tossing it in the air, catching it and tossing it some more. They walked all round the park and then out through the wrought iron gate onto the side walk. As they walked away Sofia glanced over her shoulder to look at the row of houses and Reuben turned to see what she was looking at and paused a moment, before saying “Ma, did we live here once a long time ago?”

Olivia nodded, “Yes, once, although it wasn’t really so very long ago, it’s just that so much had happened since we left here.”

“I can remember,” Reuben said running up to walk alongside her, “There was a horrible man who lived there too, and he was sick on the floor and a bully too…he hurt me once and he used to shout a lot.” he frowned and turned again to look at the house and then smiled “I can remember Flannel came and made chocolate cake in the big kitchen and once she said she was going to hit the horrible man over the head with the smelly old wet mop but she never did, did she?”

Olivia nodded, her brow wrinkled as she recalled the incidents and waited for Reuben to come to her side and leave the park but he lingered to stare a little longer at the house, the street where the cabs and carriages passed by.

“Ma, did something bad happen there when we lived there…did that bad man hurt us? Did he take Sofia and me away and say we were to live with him?”

“Do you remember all that?” Olivia asked, leaning down so that her face was level to his, she looked into his eyes and saw the puzzled look in them, the confusion in his face and he nodded

“I remember being in a buggy and looking through the window and Sofia was crying. A man told her to shut up or he would give her something to cry about. We had to be quiet and eat some food and then go to bed. We didn’t even have any night clothes. I remember that was before Pa -” he paused and looked up at Adam who inclined his head and looked thoughtfully at the boy. “Granpa was there, he came for us, didn’t he?”

“He did. Do you remember what happened then?” Adam asked, and put a gentle hand on Olivia’s shoulder

Reuben grinned mischievously, his eyes twinkled “That was the funny wagon trip and Gran’ma Abigail had to sit on her chair by the camp fire … then we got to the house where Ma used to live when she was a little girl.”

“You’ve a good memory,” Olivia said quietly, and looked at Adam as though wishing the conversation hadn’t taken place, that those memories didn’t linger in her little boys head.

The noise of the traffic intruded upon their conversation now, Olivia thought that it was noisier than she could remember, or was it because she had grown so accustomed to the silence of home. She tightened her grip on Adams arm, wishing that she hadn’t needed to come here, to re-visit old times, old memories…but he just smiled down at her and nodded as though he understood her thinking.

It was a day for visiting old friends and revisiting memories. Ben had chosen to look up several old business acquaintances, and met Henry Eugene as a result. Henry had flourished since he had been freed from the grip of the Pelmans, and his brother Andre. He had married a young woman who was the heiress to a fortune, and although he still lived in the old house Ben remembered from years past, it had been given a face lift inside and out, and looked more magnificent than ever.

While his wife bustled about ordering the servants to do this and that, and then went to stroll in the garden with her little pug dog chasing around her skirts, Henry sat with Ben and talked over old times. As they watched the young woman at play Ben remembered how the younger man had lived his days in fear, a gaunt hollow cheeked man who lived under the tyranny of his cousins and brother.

“I owe you an insurmountable debt, Mr Cartwright.” Henry said as he poured some wine into a glass which he handed to his visitor, “If you hadn’t appeared that day and spoken to me about where my true duty lay, then I would probably have shot my brains out.”

“That was what I feared you would do.” Ben replied as he sipped the wine and nodded his approval, “But you found the courage -”

“I don’t know where it came from to be honest.” Henry smiled, “But -” he raised his eyebrows “I remember watching Adam during that court martial and comparing him with my cousins and brother and realising what a fool I was - would be - if I didn’t grab the opportunity to make amends and reveal what I knew. He looked so - dignified and proud despite all the ignominy they had piled upon him.”

Ben nodded, swirled the wine round and round in the glass and then swallowed it down. It tasted sweet upon his palate, and he looked at Henry and smiled,

“Let’s forget about the past for now, tell me about your future plans, Henry, and what exactly your business is all about?”
………….

Joe Cartwright wiped sweat from his brow and straightened his back, he frowned and shook his head as Candy approached him with a thoughtful look on his own face.

“You don’t look very happy, Candy.”

“I don’t feel it.”

“Well, neither do I. This looks like its going to be a lean year for calves, and a thin profit margin at the markets.”

“That’s my thinking too.” Candy removed his gloves and tucked them into his back pocket, “I guess we’ve got too used to having a high yield each year, bound to come a year when there would be a lower number.”

“Well, the Ponderosa can carry any loss at market with the cattle, Candy. I was thinking it will be harder on Luke and Derwent Jessop if they have fewer calves this year. It’ll be lean times ahead for them if that’s the case.”

Candy nodded and took up a canteen of water which was hanging from the hook of the chuck wagon, “Could be some wandered off to the low pasture and hidden in the bluffs there. Do you want me to go look see?”

“I’ll come with you, I could do with a change from this -” he paused as Hank rode by pulling a calf behind him on a rope.

The poor beast was lowing pitifully for its mother as Hank dismounted and with the help of Joe got the beast down, Candy picked up the branding iron and placed it upon the calf's flank, before releasing the rope with a flick of his wrist and letting it run free. The little animal flicked its back heels at them as though in contempt of the rough treatment it had been given, and ran off lowing to its mother.

“This is a pretty lean year so far, Joe.” Hank said as he took the canteen from his boss and took a swig from it, he spat into the ground before taking another swig and swallowing it down.

“Seems so.” Joe sighed, “Candy and I thought to ride along to the low pasture and check out the bluffs there. Could be some wandered off and got themselves lost.”

Jake nodded “Could be, or some mother cows have got clever in hiding their young uns away so’s we can’t find ‘em.”

Joe grinned and nodded, “Perhaps so, but let Hoss know where we are, will you? He should be back from town shortly.”

Jake watched as the two men mounted their horses and walked them from the campsite, before setting them into a comfortable lope. Jack Grosch rode up with a calf at the end of his rope which Jake turned to help with, the stink of burning hair hung heavy in the air and he passed the canteen over to Jack with a nod of his balding head. It was hot work, the day was hot, and sweat streaked the backs of their shirts. Although they would not admit it both men were glad that the number of calves were down compared to previous years, fewer calves meant less work.

Chapter 4

Chapter 6

Soames played around with the stem of his glass for a while and then glanced up to observe the man seated opposite him. Adam waited for the man to speak, there was obviously something playing on his mind. Eventually,before the silence became too uncomfortable and after gulping down some more of the brandy he asked Soames if it had taken him long to find his daughter.

“I remember -” he said quietly “that you did mention that you had no knowledge of her whereabouts, that one of the reasons you felt so much sympathy for Mrs Pelman was because she reminded you of the loss of your daughter.”

Soames sighed again, he seemed to sigh a lot to Adams' way of thinking and considering how much he sighed that was saying something. “After that fiasco with Mrs Pelman’s suicide -" Soames paused, drank some brandy, " There was an investigation you know? I and the Marine with me in the carriage when she died were suspended from duties and interrogated for carelessness while having a prisoner under our care.” he glanced suspiciously over at his guest “You may have heard -”

“I did.” Adam nodded, and looked Soames directly in the face, “I was approached to give you a character reference.” he paused and upon seeing the downcast features of the man continued “As your last Commanding Officer and involved in the matter of Mrs Pelman I was able to give a character witness of her also…”

“I doubt if it was a glowing report -” Soames muttered with his lips twisted into a rather bitter grimace.

“It was an honest one, and as fair as I could write about a woman who twice tried to kill me.” Adam responded with some heat in his words. He leaned back in his chair “The reference I gave you was also fair and honest, you were an excellent Medical Officer and I was quite surprised when I received notice that you had left the service.”

“I had no choice.” Soames replied in a sombre fashion, another sigh, and he fingered the cuff of his shirt sleeve as though his feelings were still ruffled by what he would consider the unfairness of it all. “But I used the time wisely. I went to Baltimore where I had last heard news of my daughter and after some while I was able to find her again.” he smiled briefly, “I couldn’t have been happier -”

There was a pause as Soames stared into the brandy still in his glass, his face softening as he obviously reflected upon what had been a happy pleasant memory. Adam watched him and then leaned back into the chair, “And then you started your new career?”


“Yes, in Baltimore. I was there several years before I moved back here last year. Sylvia was more than happy to come with me.”

He stood up and left the table in order to pour more brandy into his glass, but he didn’t rejoin Adam at the table, rather he went to stand by the window “The storm has arrived…”

Adam turned to the window and nodded as he saw the splattering of rain upon the glass. An ominous rumble overhead and a flicker of the electric lighting. He glanced at the lights as they flashed on, off, on again and smiled, obviously there were still teething problems with how it was supplied or distributed to so many different areas. He was about to speak when Soames turned to him　

“Have you seen any of your old acquaintances, friends from the Baltimore and Shenandoah?” he smiled, his eyebrows raised and eyes wide, a genial host “I wasn’t surprised when I heard you had retired.”

“A lot happened after we parted, Soames - er - Gregory. You heard about O’Brien?”

“Eventually. A shock for everyone, such a callous disregard for life, those poor children.”

“And Hathaway?”

“The whole ship’s crew I believe?” Soames shook his head and returned to his seat at the table “I heard about what happened in the South China Seas…I actually met up with O’Brien around about that time and he told me. They all thought you would die before you reached home.”

Adam chuckled and shook his head “Almost, but not quite.”

“And you have seen no one since?”

“No - well - O/Brien’s cousin, Morton, several times. And what about yourself? Whom have you seen recently?”

“You presume to think I have seen anyone?” Soames smiled and raised an eyebrow, and momentarily Adam wondered if the man was becoming defensive, and if so, for what reason. The question begged an answer, so he shrugged as though it was of no important, which at the time, it was not,　

“I wondered only - being in San Francisco and not so very far from the Admiralty Offices I just thought perhaps you would have seen one or other of our old friends.” he raised his eyes to look directly at the other man "Perhaps as patients even?"

A clock ticked, and then chimed the hour. Soames leaned forward “Have you never thought about going back to sea, Adam?”

Adam frowned, and glanced down while he wondered why his question had been ignored, he toyed again with the stem of his glass before glancing up to observe Soames looking quite intently at him.

“No.” he said quietly, emphatically.

“Don’t you miss it?”　

Adam looked into the doctors’ eyes and frowned, the intensity of the man's face, the clenched jaw took on a different aspect to that of a friend enquiring from another his future plans. He shook his head, then shrugged

“I was never happier than when I was allowed to walk away from it all. Yes, some aspects I do miss, I would be lying to say otherwise. But there are many others I am glad to live without. I am a married man now, middle aged and with three children…I wouldn’t want to be back at sea and not be with them.”

“I have to say you wife is a very attractive woman. You really found a beauty there…”
Soames smiled and nodded, as though congratulating Adam on finding such a jewel for a wife.

Adam nodded and his face softened into a smile “Yes, I think so." he then cleared his throat, preferring not to discuss his wife with Soames, instead he swung the conversation back to the initial question, "Work on the Ponderosa keeps me busy too….” he glanced at Soames from the corner of his eye “I should imagine your work keeps you tied down …no sea jaunts for you anymore.”

Soames said nothing to that instead he stared at the bowl of roses on the table,
“Captain Myers is Commanding Officer of the Baltimore now. He’s in harbour. I saw him yesterday…”

“Myers - well, I am glad to hear he is doing so well, he was always a very promising officer.”

“I told him you would be in San Francisco this week….he did say he would like to see you.”

Adam narrowed his eyes and inclined his head to one side as though to see Soames more clearly “You did? Any particular reason why?”

“He - he asked after you.” he paused “You asked earlier if I see any of our past acquaintances as patients," he nodded and smiled " I see several of the ships company regularly as patients. An on board Medical Officer can’t specialise in everything, and eyes are too precious to play about with…they need extra care and attention.”　

Adam frowned and toyed a little with his glass, then raised it to his lips to drink. Soames watched him before saying with a slight smile that Adam wore the same look on his face now as he would have when suspecting him of visiting Cassandra Pelman after orders not to do so.

A huge clap of thunder boomed overhead and rumbled on for a full minute making the house shake and ornaments on the credenza rattle. Adam thought fleetingly of Sofia and hoped she would sleep through it otherwise she would be terrified.

“I’m sorry, Soames, I don’t mean to be - suspicious.” he pursed his lips in his habitual fashion and shrugged “I just get an itch sometimes - that something is about to be said or done that I would rather not have said or done.” his smile then was not exactly warm or friendly, one that at one time would make Soames shiver.

Soames raised his eyebrows, shrugged and swallowed some of the brandy. “I think you are overly sensitive, Capt- I mean - Adam.” he laughed, not with mirth, “How easily we slip into our old ways, I think you will always be my Captain -”

Adam now shrugged and put down the empty glass “Well, I did manage to reach the rank of Commodore.” he pushed the glass away from him and stood up, “Come, Soames, we should join your daughter, it is impolite for us to stay here and leave her alone. I wish Olivia had come and been able to make her acquaintance.”

“So do I. Sylvia lives a rather solitary life.” Soames replied, “She is a widow - I didn’t even know she had wed. Goodness, she was but a child when she left with her mother. That was the only clue I had as to her whereabouts, you know, a card to tell me that Harriett was dead, somewhere in Baltimore.”

“I am sorry, Soames.”

“Oh my wife and I were not a happy couple, we pulled constantly in different directions, and she became an angry bitter soul. I suppose that I did too in a way.” another sigh and he picked up his glass and emptied it, “I was at sea when she left here, and went away with Sylvia. I never saw or heard from them again …until news of her death…” he looked sharply now at Adam and his smile was warm and genuine again “But I am very pleased that you have made a happy marriage, Adam, your dear wife is as sweet tempered as beautiful, I’m sure of it.”

“She has a mind of her own,” Adam replied as he waited for the doctor to leave the table, “I would prefer her that way than being nothing more than an ornamental mouse.”

Soames laughed at that, and tapped Adam on the arm in a friendly fashion as he passed him to reach the door, “Yes, I can imagine you would, I imagine you would.” he repeated softly to himself and opened the door to the sitting room.

Lightning flashed and lit up the room, the lights flickered, and went out, but Sylvia had shown enough presence of mind to have had the candles in the room lit, and they glowed quite pleasantly in a very attractive room.　

“I was just about to call you both in for coffee.” she smiled and rose to her feet. Again Adam was struck by the fact that she was almost as tall as her father, quite willowy in form, and her dark hair was enhanced by the colour dress she wore…a bright orange and red with her shoulders exposed as was the fashion of the time.

She looked at Adam as Soames took his seat, and gestured to the comfortable chair next to hers, “Mr Cartwright, the storm is quite heavy, it may be necessary to stay until it has passed.”

Adam glanced at the clock on the mantle and nodded “I have a cab ordered to collect me in another hours time, if that is alright with you both?” he smiled slowly “ I am sure the storm will have blown itself out by then.”

She nodded and settled herself into the other chair, “Electricity isn’t a guaranteed success in every situation yet, but it is quite a marvel isn’t it?”

“Indeed yes,” Adam nodded and looked at her, she smiled back.

“I met Nikalai Tesla* once you know -” she paused and he nodded to indicate that he wasn’t exactly stupid, he did know to whom she referred “He was giving one of his demonstrations in Baltimore, where people could walk through sheets of lightning. It was terrifying. Some women tried it and were shrieking as though being skewered. I was too afraid to try, but he was really like a conjuror you know, showing off in order to gain our confidence in this new experiment.”

“And then Edison beat him to it…” Soames smiled, and looked at Adam, “But you say you don’t have it in Virginia City yet? Well, let me tell you that despite having the streets lit up at night it hasn’t slowed down crime.”

Sylvia glanced to the door which had opened slowly to admit the man servant bearing a tray with the coffee. Small cups in their saucers rattled, little silver spoons tinkled and when there was another crash of thunder everything shivered and shook so much that the servant was forced to apologise “I am sorry, sirs, Miss Sylvia, I’ve been terrified of storms since a child…”

Adam glanced at the clock. He thought of his children, and hoped that they were sleeping soundly although he suspected very much that they were not…poor Olivia.
……..

Sofia was screaming, holding the sheet close under her chin and keeping her eyes screwed up as tightly as she could. Olivia had hurried to her room at the first sound of the storm knowing that her little girl would not be able to sleep through such turmoil and noise.

“Is she all right?” Ben asked from the hallway below, calling up to her from the bottom of the stairs.

“It’s the storm, Pa, she’s always scared of storms.” Olivia had replied as she had hurried into the other room and gently closed the door.

“Oh mommy, mommy - stop that horrible noise - please stop that horrible noise-” wailed the child as she clung to Olivia as tightly as she could.

The door opened with a creak and Nathaniel ran in, bare feet making little padding noises on the floor as he ran to his mother and burrowed in under her arm in order to share the space of her embrace with his sister. “Mommy, noisy bangs - don’t like it.”

In his room Reuben snored on, he was dreaming a quite pleasant dream and then suddenly found himself being tossed about in a small boat on a black sea. Lighting and thunder raged about him, he had to cling on tight, very tight, but he was unafraid. When he would wake up later he would remember nothing of the dream except that he had quite enjoyed it and hadn’t been scared of anything at all.

Chapter 11

A tall fair haired man accompanied by a slim blonde woman stepped from their hotel and strolled slowly to the park. They wore clothes cut in the European style, and stood out a little even from the very well dressed of San Francisco’s most well heeled gentlemen and ladies who were out and about that early in the morning.

He carried a walking stick with a silver mounted head in the shape of a lion which fitted perfectly in the palm of his hand as he swung it along side him. She carried a parasol, pink and lace trimmed to match the colour of her dress, and her bonnet. It was not yet hot enough for her to use the parasol for any other purpose than a prop in her hand.

They talked and laughed together, a couple apparently at ease and happy to be enjoying the warm day together. They stopped at a bench and sat down, amused by the ducks antics on the ornamental pond in front of them. He leaned back to watch, his eyes scanning the people, few in number though they were at such an early hour. A woman came, hesitated and then sat down beside them, keeping a correct distance between them. He turned and smiled, removed his hat and inclined his head in greeting, while his wife turned to smile at the new comer and bid her good morning.

Sylvia Soames nodded in return and then paid attention to the ducks on the pond. He put his hat down on the bench in the space between them, as though to emphasise the distance was of proper propriety. After a few moments during which the couple had chattered together about nothing in particular Sylvia took out a small book and opened it. She began to read, turning the pages swiftly because, after all, it was a small book and the pages contained little in length.

After another ten minutes she closed the book and opened her purse, closed it, and walked away. No word was spoken. The gentleman took out his watch which was strung across his silk vest by a gold chain, flicked it open and then whispered to his wife that it was time for them to go.

He picked up his hat and the little book that had been slipped beneath it. The hat went on his head, the little book was palmed discreetly into his pocket from which he produced a handkerchief, he dabbed at his nose and returned it. No one watching him would have thought anything of it.

Arm in arm they walked in the opposite direction to Miss Soames who hailed a cab and gave directions so that within less than half an hour she was back home and calmly removing the pins that secured her hat to her curls.
……………

Nathaniel was excited although he was not sure why exactly but just that Sofia was and so was Reuben. Their giggles, fidgeting and high voices chattering away led to an air of suppressed pleasure. Even Martha was smiling and laughing more than usual so that Gates looked at her anxiously just in case she had a stroke and keeled over.

But for Martha this was a special day…something she had not experienced in her whole life time before, having children and a young woman who could pass, perhaps, as her own daughter, to accompany her to the stores and then for a little luncheon somewhere small and suitable before continuing their time around the many stores that San Francisco abounded in.

Toy shops and candy shops and stores that sold the very latest style of dress and everything else that was necessary for a lady of fashion, no matter what age…stores that sold clothes for children that wasn’t made from denim, didn’t run to dungarees, nor ever displayed such things as cheap cotton check shirts.　

Martha wanted to give Olivia and the younger children the best day ever…and it made Sofia’s head giddy at the thought of seeing so much. She became a little silly and had to be told, very sternly by Olivia, to calm herself before she was sick and would then have to stay home.

Reuben’s excitement was far more controlled, but it kept bubbling up inside him so that he would grin hugely at his father and grandfather with big eyes in a flushed face. Olivia did mention at one time that perhaps he couldn’t go with them as it looked as though he were ill…which nearly reduced him to tears. This was no mere outing to stores and such, this was going to be an adventure, just the three of them, Pa, Grandfather and himself.

So it was not long before they were all gathered on the sidewalk, Martha and Olivia with the younger children boarding a cab to take them into the centre of the best area for the stores, and Adam hailed a cab to take him, his father and Reuben to the harbour area, giving his son a wink as they clambered on board the vehicle and were soon trundling down the thoroughfare to the bay.

The Central wharf was the first major pier built in San Francisco.* It extended 2000 feet into the Bay over shallow water and mud flats that prevented ships from docking on the shoreline. Other piers quickly followed although it was hard to keep up with shipping demand as from a sleepy harbour it had become one of the most important waterways of America.

Governor Leland Stanford* eventually signed a legislation that would create a Board of State Harbour Commissioners for San Francisco, and it was this Bill (Senate Bill 90) that established the Port of San Francisco.　

Adam was interested in seeing how the massive seawall was now and how near to completion.* This had been organised to stabilize the waterfront. He had seen this project at various stages of its development when he had berthed his ships there during his sea going career. It would eventually be two and a half miles long, reaching from Fisherman’s Wharf in the north to China Basin Channel in the south. Behind the sea wall more than 800 acres of prime metropolitan land was going to be created .

It was a warm and pleasant day, the wind drifting over the bay was carrying with it the smells of the sea, salty to the taste but not overly pleasant to the nostrils as so many smells mixed and mingled. Human bodies, food, the smells from the packed cargo waiting to be taken on board their assigned ships, the smell of oil and wet hemp all gathered together in one not altogether pleasant aroma.　

The few women who were on the harbour side dabbed at their noses with handkerchiefs, but there were others who worked there for a living and had got used to it, and were ruddy cheeked and loud voiced.　

But to Reuben the best sight of all was to look over at the ships currently berthed, and to view each one with a mixture of awe, amazement and pleasure. He grabbed at Adam’s arm

“Is your ship here, Pa? The Shenandoah?”

“No, I don’t think so…perhaps … The Baltimore is …” Adam smiled, one hand resting on the boys shoulder, he looked over at his father who was looking over the ships with eyes that were seemingly inward looking, for Ben was carried away on memories, of when he first came by ship to San Francisco bay, and barely any ships had been present at all.

“When I first came here, there were hardly any ships…” he murmured, “Captain Abel Stoddard didn’t think it would ever amount to much, just remain a muddy bay…”

“Then they found gold at Sutlers Mill, Pa…that changed everything.” Adam sighed, and looked wistfully at the ships as they strolled slowly past.

“Look at that one over there, Pa…what a beauty…” Reuben exclaimed and pointed to a large schooner with sails furled, bouncing up and down on the few waves that rippled across the water’s surface.

An officer on board the vessel heard the boys words and stood up, acknowledged him with a nod and smile before continuing with his work.

Ropes thicker than Reuben’s body were attached to strong iron hooks to lift up the great sacks of cargo, then a pulley and winch system went into operation, lifting the huge mass from the harbour over to the ships. “One job I would never want…” Ben muttered, and walked on.

They reached an area where Adam paused awhile, his face sombre, and he removed his hat and stood there looking down and glancing around him as though lost …but it seemed to him, somehow something of those men and boys who had died the night the Ainola was destroyed, something of them should be felt still, in the air around here, a whisper, a memory. It should not be forgotten that they had perished so horribly…Gibbs, Hartley, the boy John Makepiece…all the others…and he stood there and remembered that awful night with a tightening of the throat.

Ben said nothing but drew Reuben aside so that the boy would not disturb his Pa’s private moment of remembrance for the brave men who had died. And then, of course, there were others - later.

Perhaps, Adam mused, it was good that there was no memory of them here now. But he could remember, the letters he had had to write to the families, the grieving widows, the letters that as their Commanding Officer he had written in heart felt grief at their loss.

Ben approached with a smile, and put a kindly hand on his son’s shoulder “Someone seems to be trying to catch our attention,” he said with a nod of the head to where a seaman was striding towards them.

“Cap’n Cartwright, Mr Cartwright - young un?”　

Adams face relaxed into a wide grin, he extended a hand “Jacko…how are you?”

“Well and good, sir.” Jackson looked down at Reuben and grinned “Reckon on you don’t recognise me, young’ un. Well, I barely recognised you - seems to me you’ve grown some.”

Reuben nodded and grinned, he had always liked Marcy’s brother, Jackson, whom they called Jacko because she always had done. Having shaken the men by the hand Jacko stepped back a pace “A note for you, sir.” he winked at Reuben “From Captain Myers.”

With an anticipatory smile Adam opened the envelope and extracted the square of cardboard it contained…Myers untidy scrawl greeted him

“I hope you were not expecting to come all this way without stopping to visit the old lady, and have lunch with us? Myers”

Adam slipped the note back into the envelope and smiled down at Reuben, “Well, my boy, looks like we are going to see whether or not you have sea legs…”

“Why, Pa?”

“Because we are going to have lunch with Captain Myers on The Baltimore…and she’s berthed over there - “

He nodded towards the Bay and smiled as Reuben narrowed his eyes in order to locate the ship “I can see her, right over there Pa…but how’re we going to get there?
Can’t she get closer?”

“Too crowded already, and at the moment shallow waters…” Adam smiled, and looked at Jacko who nodded

“Captain’s boat awaiting you, Sir…Mr Cartwright, Sonny-Jim.”

“I’m Reuben,” the boy pointed out politely, and smiled at the face Jacko pulled in contrition at his error. “Are you going to sail the boat to the Baltimore?”

“No, lad, I’m going to watch a crew of layabouts row us over..” Jacko replied with a chuckle in his voice.
…………………

“Goodness me,” Olivia laughed and stepped back in order to view the building better, then she shook her head in disbelief “When I lived here it was the J.W Davidsons* Dry Goods Store.”

They were standing at Kearny Street looking at the magnificent frontage of The White House that had only recently been established by Rafael Weil*, it was a wrap around building taking in part of Post Street as well

“I read in the Daily Alta that ‘Many a lady went away crazy to possess some of the nice things seen in here’” Martha quoted with a smile, “It hasn’t been long open, but with a reputation like that…”

“Oh well, I am quite sure I shall be driven crazy when I get inside.” Olivia laughed again, and linked her arm through Martha’s while the other hand pushed the stroller in which Nathaniel had been harnessed.

Of course he hadn’t liked it at first, then being quite a clever little boy he soon realised that had he not been in it he would have had to have walked, and walked, because as anyone knows when one goes shopping there is a lot of walking involved. Sofia had never walked so much in her life. The promise of ice cream, chocolate, and the latest in cordials on offer, had persuaded her that her sore feet were a small price to pay for the pleasure of investigating so many wonderful buildings.

And she had a new doll, still in its package, pristine in her beautiful blue laced gown. She knew no one else at school possessed a doll such as this one…and even better still, she had seen Martha and her Mommy looking at the most splendid doll houses. There had been whispered conversations and a lot of nodding of heads and things pointed at, picked up and put down, and picked up again….she closed her eyes as they stepped through the doors into this latest store. If what she thought was true then she would be the happiest little girl in the world…even if she did have sore feet.

Chapter 18

In San Francisco the day had dawned dry and warm with the promise of hotter weather to come later in the day. Gates had opened the large doors to the garden so that the smell of the flowers could drift into the room, although the aroma of breakfast rather added to it.

Martha sat with a satisfied smile on her still pretty face. The chatter of children had been something never heard at her table before this visit from the Cartwrights and in some ways it made her feel wistful for something she had never had, never known. She caught Ben looking at her and nodded, knowing that he would have understood how she felt and wished that he had not grown so fond of her. She was well aware of the fact that even though Julian was the love of her life, she could so easily succumb to being Ben’s wife, were he to ask.　

She shook herself out of her reverie and listened to Sofia telling Nathaniel to eat his food in order to grow up big and strong. Martha liked the little girl, she recognised a strong character, someone who would grow up to be fiesty, independent. She noticed that Olivia looked unhappy, the smiles were not as forthcoming as usual, and there was a look of strain in her eyes, and not just due to her eye problems. Martha thought her younger friend looked very fashionable wearing the spectacles, and smiled when she remembered the fuss she herself had made when she first had to wear them. They didn’t have to detract from one’s appearance and Olivia was an extremely attractive young woman.

She was about to ask if everything was alright, perhaps there had been too much rich food served the previous evening when they had dined out with their friends, or perhaps a sleepless night…but as she leaned forwards across the table the door opened and Gates said in a quiet voice that still somehow could be heard over the chatter and clatter at the table “A young lady to see Mr and Mrs Cartwright …I’ve put her in the parlour.”

‘Like some lost package,’ Olivia thought and glanced at Martha who smiled and nodded, and who then turned to Gates and asked him to make sure their visitor had something refreshing to drink.

Excusing themselves Adam and Olivia left the table, cast down their napkins and made their exit from the room. Olivia glanced over at her husband who did not look at her, his mind too busy calculating exactly who their guest could be…as for herself, she dreaded that she was going to have to face Sylvia Soames and be forced to spend the day in company with her.

The woman standing by the fireplace was slim and very pretty, blonde haired, wearing a smart outfit that could only have come from some London salon, and a bonnet perched at just the right angle to show off her blue eyes and high cheek bones. When the door opened she turned, and forced herself to smile, then blinked back tears when Olivia hurried to her side, hand outstretched towards her

“Rachel, what are you doing here?”　

“I had to come - I had to -” Rachel Willoughby seized hold of Olivia’s hand and allowed herself to be led to a settee upon which both sat, then both turned to look at Adam who stood in the centre of the room with his eyes glancing from one to the other,　

“Does Laurence know you’re here? Did you come alone?” he asked, and then without waiting for a reply he walked to the window, inched the curtain to one side and glanced out “You told the cab to wait?”

“Yes….” Rachel nodded, then pulled out a handkerchief from her purse, dabbed at her eyes “I had to come to speak to you, Adam.”

“You told Laurence you were coming?”

“No, he doesn’t know. He had to go out to meet someone earlier. I couldn’t stay in that hotel room any longer, not without knowing - knowing why you wouldn’t help us.”

“Rachel, Laurence brought you to America for your safe keeping, not for you to go riding around the city on your own. Don’t you realise..”

“I do realise, but seeing you is surely worth the risk.”

“I would be seeing you anyway, when you come with us to the Ponderosa.” he looked at her, saw the way her eyes widened, filled with tears and then how her head drooped as though too grief laden to look up at him any longer.

Olivia took hold of her friend’s hand and held it tightly within her own “Rachel, has something else happened?”

Rachel shook her head, dabbed at her eyes “I don’t know. I - I read my sisters journal after you left. It was the book that Laurence’s contact gave him at the park yesterday. He let me read it because I - I was so insistent on knowing what had happened -” she frowned “I suppose it was only because it was her personal thoughts that he let me, nothing - political - or anything like that - just her thoughts, fears, prayers…oh Olivia, it was - so miserable - so sad.”

She paused then raised her head and looked more directly at Adam “If you had read it, if you knew what she was suffering you would not have refused to help us as you did. You wouldn’t have been so quick to turn your back on us, Adam Cartwright.”

Olivia glanced over at Adam then, her eyes darker and her brow crinkled, then she returned to her friend and was about to speak when Rachel began talking again “You knew Anna, and Said…I was so sure you would help her, so sure you would want to help us find her. You knew her, and Said, you knew what a kind gentle woman she was and how - how generous Said was - and I know he was silly at times but he always meant well. He could have left Egypt, you know, he could have done…but he stayed because he wanted to prove to Ismail that he could be trusted, and he did all that he could to help but - but it just wasn’t enough - and now he’s dead - and my sister had to watch what they did to him before they took her away.”

She heaved in a deep breath, then stood up “I didn’t think you could be so unkind, Adam. You always seemed so brave, so loyal and you’re like so many others, you just run away and pretend with excuses not to be able to help…I won’t come to the Ponderosa now, I can’t - I can’t bear to think you would be there going on with your life as though Anna’s life, and Laurence’s, meant nothing.”

“Don’t say that, Rachel” Olivia cried, standing now and grabbing at Rachel’s arm as though to stop her from leaving them, “I know you’re angry, and disappointed, but please come with us - Laurence would want to know you’re safe there - with us.”

Rachel shook her head and glared at Adam who was still standing in exactly the same place as when he had first stepped into the room “No, I’ve said all I wanted to say, I’ll go now. I’ll stay here, find somewhere to stay - or go back to England -” she frowned and shook her head again but before she could speak Olivia had pulled her back to sit down alongside her, and then cast a look at her husband who had remained so quiet throughout the other woman’s tirade.

There was a knock on the door which then opened quietly to admit Gates, bearing a tray with everything needed for tea or coffee according to the visitors requirements.　
He stood for a moment, surveyed the three people and then stepped forward to place the tray upon the low table nearest to Olivia who nodded at him and murmured something about seeing to it herself. He glanced at Adam, then retreated.

“I have to go -” Rachel said quietly, and then shivered, put a hand to her head and blinked as though the situation was really now resolved and she had come to the conclusion that now there was nothing left for her to do but make as dignified an exit as possible.

“Please don’t go, not yet - not like this -” Olivia begged as Rachel stood up, forcing her to get to her feet also,　

“Rachel,” Adam put an arm out as though to bar her way from the door, “Rachel, I’ve been unaware of what is happening beyond the Ponderosa. I guess mainly because I have chosen to do so, also because -” he glanced at Olivia, then looked back at Rachel, “because of our work there, I guess in a way we’re pretty well ignorant from what is happening in other parts of the world. And its been a long time since we had had any communication from either you or Laurence - and -”

“Don’t make excuses for last night, Adam.” Rachel said curtly, “You refused to help Laurence, and me.” she pushed against his arm but as she did so he dropped it lower so that he could to place a gentle hand upon her shoulder, gently but firm enough to stop her from moving forwards

“I’m going to take you home now, back to the hotel I mean…while we drive there you can tell me all that I need to know, all that you feel I should know, then we’ll wait for Laurence to come back and discuss things further with him.”

She stood very still, her breathing quickened almost as though she had run a race, and then, once again in control of herself she turned to him, large hopeful eyes “What does that mean, Adam? “ she asked, “Are you going to help us?”

He glanced over at Olivia, who was watching them anxiously, but upon realising he was looking at her she lowered her eyes, and bowed her head. He tightened his grip on Rachel’s shoulder “Of course, but I need to know all the facts …and you can tell me what you know once we’re in the cab.”

It was too much for the poor woman, she bowed her head into her hands and burst into sobbing tears so that Olivia hurried once again to her side and held her close, making soothing sounds.

Adam left the room and returned quickly to where the family were still at breakfast, he looked around the table and caught Ben’s eyes. Ben knew his son well enough to understand the significance of the look he sent him, he excused himself and joined Adam in the hallway, carefully closing the door behind him

“What’s going on?”　

“I’m going to have to take Rachel back to the Hotel, I may be there a while, she’s quite distressed -” he bit down on his bottom lip, quirked an eyebrow, and then cast a look from the corner of his eye at his father “Olivia will explain more when she gets the chance to talk to you alone.”

“Adam, I don’t like the smell of this - it has a familiar odour -” Ben gripped Adam’s arm, tightly, “You’ll be coming back?”

“Of course - I’m just escorting Rachel back to the hotel. But I need to talk to Laurence before I get back -”

Ben narrowed his black eyes and shook his head slightly, “Is there something you aren’t telling me?”

“Pa, I told you, Olivia will explain what there is to tell you -” he glanced over his shoulder as the door to the parlour opened and Rachel stepped into the hall “I have to go. “

Ben nodded, stepped back and watched as Adam picked up his hat, his light jacket, and opened the front door for Rachel to step outside. Olivia came and kissed her husband, whispered something which brought a smile, a slight one, to Adams lips.　

The door closed, and Olivia turned to face Ben “What’s going on that my son won‘t tell me about?”

For seconds Olivia succeeded in keeping her emotions in check, but then her lips began to quiver and tears welled up in her eyes. She shook her head, and turned away so that Ben drew nearer and took hold of her by the arm and led her back into the room she and Rachel had just vacated　

“Well?” his voice was not so much as demanding, as - in a way peculiar to Ben - pleading with some force behind it.　

Briefly she told him everything, at times looking into his face, at other times turning away and then at the end she admitted to the quarrel she and Adam had had the previous evening. Her fingers constantly played with the rings on her fingers, turning them over and over, and when she had finished speaking she looked at Ben and waited for him to comment.

“He made a promise to you -”

“Yes.”

“And yet, you released him from that obligation?”

“Yes.” she whispered this and bowed her head, “Yes.”

“But - I thought you didn’t want him to go to sea again, or get involved in any of these crazy ventures ?”

“I don’t.” she said and she had to clear her throat to say that, then looked at her father in law with moist eyes. “I didn’t..”

“Then why on earth did you push him into considering going, because from what I know of Adam, and what I saw as he left here I very much expect he will be leaving for who knows where - again.”

She sighed and stared now at the fender, as though that could put the words into better sequence than she could, she wiped a finger beneath her eyes to wipe away the tears and swallowed

“You know your son, Pa. You know that he’d go anyway - eventually -”

“Explain that, if you don’t mind.” and Ben sat down on the chair opposite his daughter in law and scowled darkly.

“Adam -” she paused to find the right phrase “Pa, if the navy, an Admiral or a President had summoned - ordered - Adam back to sea I would have fought to keep him home. To ‘disobey orders’ if you wish -” she heaved in a sigh, “But this was not an order from an official source, it was a request, a begging for help from two friends - and -” she paused, realised she was talking too fast and had to slow down in order to get her thoughts, and her breathing. marshalled neatly together “and they had travelled here to request that help. Two friends whose first instincts were to turn to him…of all the thousands of people they could have turned to, official people, Government people, other friends - but they turned to him. Whatever sense of obligation friendship lays upon a person -” she bowed her head and shivered.

Ben nodded, pursed his lips and released a deep sigh “Obligation and friendship, yes, Adam considers them overly seriously.”

“So you know that if he came back with us and left Laurence and Rachel to sort it out for themselves, he would get to thinking - wondering - worrying - regretting -. He would start trying to work out the problem himself, picking away at it until it would drive us all mad!” she darted a glance at him, a tremulous smile on her lips, “You know I’m right, don’t you?”

“Sadly I do.” Ben nodded, his deep voice sounded hollow even to himself, “And then he would feel guilty for letting them down.”

“Until he would have to find out what happened - and if something terrible had happened to Laurence, or Rachel - “

“He’d go to find out what had happened and why and by whom - I know, I know -” he nodded and bowed his head “Adam - always had this very strong sense of loyalty, of responsibility.”　

He leaned forward, his hands clasped between his legs, he looked at her and raised his black eyebrows, “He loved Inger you know? She was his first real mother. Oh he cared about Marie, respected her but he didn’t love her as he did Inger. For a short while that lonely little boy had a mother who loved him, and he blossomed, Livvy, a happy inquisitive little soul. He saw her when she died, and he had Hoss in his arms and watched - and through my grief I - I guess I didn’t notice his own grief, which he channelled - I think - into taking care of Inger’s son. When Inger died the happy little chap -” he bowed his head and scowled down at the carpet at his feet, “If it hadn’t been for Adam I think I would have -” he shrugged “but that was set into his nature then, responsibility, obligation, duty - and when things go wrong, guilt.”

“He couldn’t help it that Inger died - it wasn’t his fault -”

“It doesn’t have to be 'his fault' though, does it?”

“No. So you see, I’d rather that my husband dealt with this matter right from the start, and then come home safely - without guilt, with - perhaps - the matter solved, and his feelings of friendship - on an even keel as he would put it.”

“He could be gone for a long time.”

“He was away for ten weeks on the cattle drive last year, and would be again this year too. As he and you have told me often enough a man can die from a bad fall from a horse, or - or-” she shook her head and then burst into tears “It was the hardest thing to do, Pa - I love him so much and I don’t want him to go away - “

Ben hurried to her side, what else could he do? He pulled out a handkerchief and pushed it into her hands, waited for her to calm down, to wipe her eyes and blow her nose while he made what he hoped were soothing noises, while all the time patting her hand. Eventually she stopped, cleared her throat and hauled in a deep breath “Don’t be angry with me, will you?”

“How could I be -” he said tenderly, “ I know my son well enough by now -”　

There was nothing else to say, she felt drained of emotion, her head ached, but the day had to be faced. Whatever Adam decided to do, it would be his decision, she knew that, so did Ben. No matter what either of them said for or against his ideas, he would go ahead anyway - eventually.

Chapter 22

Adam felt as though his brain had frozen. Momentarily he was aware of a feeling of panic at the pit of his stomach as he stared at the envelopes and realised that he had been led into a carefully contrived trap. For what purpose? Just to rescue a woman snatched away somewhere in Eygpt?

Rachel came and put a hand on his arm “Please, Adam, don’t be angry with us. We need your help otherwise we would never have come here to bother you again.”

He glanced up at Laurence, who was looking anxiously at him. The younger man swallowed in a gulp and nodded “It’s true, Adam, we need your help. But -” he leaned forward and put his hand on the envelopes “if you feel you can’t give it, then I’ll take these and burn them. I was told that if you were not willing to help then that was what I was to do with them.”

Adam raised a hand as though to stop Laurence from moving, from taking the envelopes, from speaking …he shook his head “I thought I’d left that life behind me…I’m not the man I was when we met all those years ago, I’ve family, responsibilities, and I’m not young -” he sighed wearily, and bit his lips, he tried to imagine what Olivia would be saying now. Would she realise he was stuck between the devil and the deep blue sea? Would she appreciate that he was thinking of her, considering his options, remembering what she had said the previous evening.

Almost as though he were reading Adams thoughts Laurence murmured “You did say Olivia had released you from any promises you had made…”

Adam nodded and frowned, then leaned forward to pick up the envelopes. The first one he opened was from the Secretary of State, and he glanced again up at Laurence

“I thought you said American interests were not involved?”

“I did, and that’s true.” :Laurence replied, “I don’t know who wrote the letters, Adam, nor what is in them…I was only told to bring them to you and hand them over were you agreeable to helping us.”

Adam narrowed his eyes slightly, paused and then looked down to read what was contained in the few lines of writing on the paper he held in his hands. Mr William Evarts signature sprawled across the bottom after ‘requesting the help’ of Adam Cartwright in matters that would strengthen the relationships and goodwill of the peoples of the United States with Great Britain etc etc.

He raised his eyebrows,' requests the help of' was not actually an order…and he sighed and put the paper down before opening the other envelope. Rachel took a deep breath and went to the table to pour out more coffee into the neat little cups. She then resumed her seat beside her husband.

This white vellum envelope with the red wax seal looked the most ominous to Adam and he cleared his throat before breaking the seal and opening it. The signature was of Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury, the current Minister of Foreign Affairs in Great Britain.

It was again brief and to the point, mentioning that Adams ‘expertise’ in such matters had been brought to his attention by the Prime Minister, Mr Disraeli, His assistance in the matter that would be explained by Lord Willoughby would be greatly appreciated. One sentence read　“although America is not involved in this matter, it could well be if the situation were to worsen. Your Secretary of State wishes to avoid any such involvement -”

He put the letter down and then as though an afterthought he picked it up, re-read it and folded it back into the envelope. The third larger envelope he now opened and found all the necessary documents required for him to legally enter any country .

He leaned back and sighed, shook his head “Is Anna missing? Is that part of the story true?”

“Everything we told you is true, Adam. We told you everything -” Laurence replied and sat down, and watched Adam with a hopeful expression in his blue eyes.

“We don’t even know ourselves what Anna was involved in…” Rachel added, “Or why it is so important that she is found - apart from the fact that she is important to me, as my only sister.”

“Are you sure she isn’t really hidden away in your house in Illinois?”

“Quite sure.” Rachel nodded, “Truly, Adam, as far as I am concerned this is a search for my sister. Whatever else is involved isn’t of interest to me …”

“And what about you, Laurence? What more do you know about this?”

“Only what I have told you…I had to get the journal from Sylvia, make sure she was not implicated or attention drawn to her….then follow the leads Anna had written down and find her.”

“Except -” Adam paused and looked suspiciously at the little book, “Except that there are no leads. Someone made sure we didn’t find them…”

“You mean because of the missing pages?” Rachel whispered

Laurence sighed “I read it several times over, I checked to see if there were some pages stuck together, or some kind of code hidden in the context, but there’s nothing. Just an innocent woman’s daily jottings of events, terrible though they are -” he frowned and leaned forward to pick up the book “I should have noticed the missing pages.”

“Do you think Anna could have torn them out?” Rachel suggested

“They weren’t torn out.” Laurence said quietly

“Then the people who had her captive…” Rachel looked from one to the other of them, “They kept them -”

“Why bother sending us a journal in the first place?” Adam asked quietly. ”As you say until she recounts about the murder of her husband, and the fact that she was taken on board a ship there is nothing there of any relevance at all.”

Rachel shook her head, looked on the verge of tears again, while Laurence leaned towards the table and drank more coffee. Then he said “Invisible ink…perhaps she hid a message …”

“I doubt it.” Adam replied, “If she had there would have been little point in giving you the book, or of anyone taking the last pages out of it.”

He looked at the coffee swirling in the cup and reached for it, swallowed it down and stared at the book still in Laurence’s hands. “Someone sent you some of Anna’s jewellery and told you not to get involved in finding her?”

“A necklace father gave her years ago. Just a keepsake…” Rachel nodded

“Then you hear from Charles that Sylvia Soames has the book and you had to travel all the way here to get it?”

“Yes…which indicates to me that two different factions are involved. Those who took Anna and those who were friends of hers and want to help her.” Laurence murmured.

Adam placed a hand to his head, and for a moment remained silent before getting to his feet “I need to talk to Olivia about this, and to my father. “ he gathered up the envelopes and tucked them into the breast pocket of his jacket, “I think I will go and visit Sylvia too. If anyone has her under observation they won’t suspect me but assume it is just another friendly visit to her and her father .” he picked up his hat and walked to the door “I’ll see you later this evening.”

Neither of them said anything, just stood closer together, reached for the others hand and held it as they watched him close the door behind him.

Once outside the hotel Adam pondered on exactly which destination he should head for first. A cab came into view going in the direction of the Soames’ property and he hailed it, feeling that destiny, fate or whatever one could call it had played its hand in making the decision for him.

As he sat in the interior of the vehicle he replayed in his mind his time with Laurence and Rachel. He rubbed the back of his neck as though by doing so he could remember something that would provide him with a means of getting out of a situation over which he felt he had had no control. The envelopes in his pocket rustled as he moved and he felt again that unfamiliar twist of panic which he had not felt for a very long time.　

Familiar landmarks from previous visits to San Francisco flashed past him but went unnoticed until finally the cab lurched to a halt. He sighed and picked up his hat as he slowly disembarked, and asked the cab driver to wait as he would need him for another trip. The cab driver nodded and his eyes twinkled as he clambered up onto his seat and prepared for a wait, not minding however long it would take after all, only a fool would turn aside the chance of earning some money for doing nothing.

Adam was smiling to himself as he took the steps to the door, the thought that only a few years ago he had been making this self same trip to a house only a few doors down the street to visit a woman who would become him wife trickled through his mind as a pleasant day dream. He was therefore still rather dreamy minded when he confronted the door and found it open…just slightly.

He pushed it gently until it swung wide enough to admit him. Even then he was cautious about entering the property, and wished he had the protection of his gun. Instinct, well honed after so many years, alerted his senses to something familiar and yet nothing he would have expected in this luxurious environment. A groan - he paused to get his bearings and turned towards the stairs where he found the man who acted as Soames butler sprawled upon the lower stair and hall floor.　

Taking a deep breath Adam approached him and touched his shoulder, but the man only groaned again, tightened his eyes more firmly shut and leaned away from him as though he subconsciously did not want to be roused into awareness of what had happened.

For a moment Adam remained where he was as he leaned over the body of the man. Then he glanced about him, his eyes and ears alert to the sound of some movement, sound, any sign that there was someone likely to want to do to him what had happened to the man at his feet. But there was only silence until there came the sound of a clock from another room tinkling a tinny tune as it chimed the hour.

He put his hand to the door of the withdrawing room and pushed it slowly open. Already the smell from the room signalled a warning of what to expect. But who was the victim? He steeled himself, for a victim there certainly was as he became increasingly aware of the smell getting stronger as he opened the door and stepped inside the room.　

Sylvia Soames had been killed while seated on a chaise longue. Her body had slipped at an angle as it had collapsed so that she was half reclining upon the floor, her upper body still resting the furniture. Adam approached her carefully, avoiding the blood that was pooling at her feet. He leaned forward to close the staring eyes, touched the pulse, now stilled, at her throat, and then stepped away.

The stain on her dress indicated the unpleasant after effects of death, the smells of which, combined with the metallic rust smell of blood had warned Adam to anticipate what he now confronted. He sighed deeply, closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose…he had not expected this, it was gruesome and ugly, cruel and unnecessary.

Sylvia was still warm to the touch and considering the condition of the man in the hall Adam could estimate that he had missed the murderer by a mere matter of minutes. He dismissed the thought that he - or she - could still be in the house as flight seemed to have been the option, the butler an obstacle brutally cast aside.

He was wondering if he would have time to look for some indication that the papers would be in the room when he noticed something in her hand, that last desperate clutch of the fist as though the victim sought to hang onto something. He leaned forward and with some care and a little force succeeded in pulling the paper from her fingers.

There were burned papers in the grate, too large to have been part of Anna’s journal. They were cold dead ash. Burned perhaps the previous day…

He didn’t have time to read the papers he had taken from her hand but pushed them into his pocket and went to attend to the other occupant of the room…Gregory Soames.

The Consultant Doctor lay partially concealed behind some cumbersome old antique desk, and could easily have been overlooked at first glance into the room. Adam approached him cautiously and could see from the colour of his face that the man was still alive. He touched Soames by the shoulder, shook him slightly and called his name.

There was no sign of blood on the man. No hint of violence at all and yet he lay prone upon the floor a look of horror upon his features which slowly changed into an expression more usual to the man as consciousness slowly returned. He blinked, sighed, groaned and touched the back of his head. Then he saw Adam looking down at him and with a confused look on his face whispered “Adam? You here?”

Then the confusion passed, his face now registered fear, horror and panic as he struggled to get to his feet “Sylvia - Sylvia - she’s hurt -”

He pushed Adam’s hand to one side and scrambled to his feet in an attempt to stand, to get to his daughter, to confirm that perhaps she was still in the land of the living - but Adam grabbed at him and pulled him back “No, Soames…you don’t need to see her now. “

“But - my daughter -” Soames groaned “She’s hurt -”

Adam glanced about him, the room was square with two doors leading to and from it, and it was the door closest to Soames to which he turned, hauling the unfortunate man along with him. They were now in the dining room in which Adam had been entertained so recently and locating a chair close by Adam set the man down, and after making sure that Soames would not collapse and do himself further injury he went to the bureau, poured some brandy into a glass and took it to him,

Soames’ hand was shaking as he took the glass from the other man. “She’s dead, isn’t she?” he whispered　

“Yes, Soames, she is….did you see what happened?”

“Only the noise, I came home early, there was the sound of voices…Sylvia and a man ..arguing. I asked - Barnes - what was going on and he was about to say something when the door opened. A man came out and flung himself at me, pushed me aside, Barnes stepped forward….” he gulped some brandy and closed his eyes, trying to recapture the threads of memory that seemed to be slipping away from his mind. “I ran into the room, Sylvia was falling from the chaise longue…blood on her dress …she reached out for me and called for me “

“Anything else? Did she speak and tell you who had attacked her?”

“I went to her, she was trying to speak …I can’t think - can’t remember - something foreign. I realised - no - I don’t know - she needed help so I went to get it but then I think I passed out.” he put a hand to his face and for a moment didn’t speak “I don’t understand what happened to me…I just … was going to get Barnes …then everything went black, I passed out . I was no help to her -”

Adam nodded, put a hand on the man’s shoulder “I’ll go and see how Barnes’ is, stay here. Don’t go into the other room…”

Barnes was stirring now, rubbing his head and chest and not really sure which place was most painful. He looked with irritation at Adam and then asked in a slurred voice shaking with shock if the master was alright?

“Are you hurt other than a bump on the head?”

“Shoved in the chest,” Barnes muttered as he got to his feet with the aid of Adam’s hand at his elbow “Reckon I’ll have a headache for a week…”

“Stand at this door, don’t go inside. don’t let anyone in either. I shall have to get the Marshall. Stay here -” and without waiting for the man to say another word Adam left the house and hurried to the cab driver, who, upon being given orders to fetch the Marshall, turned the horses and sent the cab rolling at a swift canter down the road.

Adam took a deep long breath and then returned to the house. Soames was still slumped in the chair, the glass empty and hanging loose between his fingers. His eyes were glazed as he stared down at the floor but he looked up when Adam re-entered the room.

“I’ve sent for the Marshall.” Adam said quietly and pulled up a chair so that he could sit opposite his companion. “ I am sorry, Soames.”

Soames nodded, blinked and then looked into Adam’s face with all the pathos a man would feel at the loss of a loved one, taken so brutally, “It’s real isn’t it? She’s dead? Sylvia? She’s dead?”

“Yes.” Adam nodded and reached out a hand to place upon Soames’ arm, “I’m sorry, Soames.”

Soames nodded, breathed deep and exhaled, closed his eyes “She was such a beautiful girl. I couldn’t believe I had been blessed with such a daughter, such a beautiful daughter.”

“Soames…did Sylvia give you any indication that she was in any trouble? In any danger at all?”

“No, none. When I left her this morning she was singing…would you believe it? Singing?” he shook his head in wonderment “And now - like this - I can’t believe it.”

“Did she tell you whether she would be having any visitors today? Where she had gone yesterday? Who she had met?”

“She went to the park yesterday. But she didn’t meet anyone she knew. She doesn’t know many people here really. She - she doesn’t seem to want to have close friends.”

Adam sighed and shook his head “Don’t you find that strange? A lovely girl like her with no close friends?”

“She had men after her…of course she did…but she never spoke to me about them. She was like a butterfly really and -”

“Yes, but Soames, you have to think now - your daughter died cruelly and we have to work out a reason for why. Someone she knew killed her…someone that perhaps you knew … “

Soames shook his head and then dropped the glass on the floor where it shattered, and he put his hands to his face and sobbed. Adam rose to his feet and was about to speak when the door opened and the Marshall followed by two other men stepped into the room. Barnes stood behind them looking apologetic, but Adam stood up, and faced them, nodded

“Marshall Duggan? I was hoping it would be you….” he said quietly and extended his hand which the lawman took in his and shook,

“Well, Commodore, here you are again, and needing my help to get you out of trouble - again.” he smiled, his eyes twinkled and he nodded in a manner that was deceptively friendly.

He turned to return to the room where Sylvia lay, his two deputies already busying themselves with taking a careful search around, and it was Duggan who approached the body to look at it with a narrow eyed scrutiny

“Knife wounds…” he muttered pointing to the obvious source of death　

“I must have missed the murderer by minutes.” Adam sighed and shook his head　

“What can you tell me about the victim…” Duggan asked while still carefully examining the body.

Adam told him what little he knew about Sylvia, admitting that he had only met her that week and when Duggan asked him why he was there anyway he gave him the honest answer, that Soames had been his Medical Officer on board his ship and he had called by to make his farewells as he was returning to the Ponderosa.

Duggan straightened up and turned to face the tall rancher, then he nodded “I’ll see to it here, Commodore. How’s he bearing up?”　

He had nodded towards the partitioning door to the other room where the sound of sobbing could still be heard. Adam sighed again “He’s shocked - he spent years looking for his daughter and now -” he shrugged and then excused himself to attend to Soames.

The other man rose to his feet, pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and blew his nose, wiped his eyes and shook his head “I should go in there, see what I can do…”

“Not just yet -” Adam said quietly and nodded over to the window that overlooked the garden “Let’s talk over there.”

Soames nodded, and followed Adam as though he were sleep walking. Adam opened the window to allow some clean fresh air into the room

“Duggans a good man, he’s thorough - “ he said as Soames leaned forwards as though the sight and smells of the garden could blow away the fearsome sight his mind dwelt on now “Soames…did Sylvia ever mention about being in Egypt ?”

“Eygpt?” Soames frowned and then released his breath, nodded, “Yes, she’s been to Egypt, Africa, India…she travelled a lot with her husband.”

“Why did she change her name back to Soames ? Did she have something to - hide?”

“No, she had always used the name Soames. Some women - modern women as she liked to tell me - preferred it that way.” he blew his nose again, loudly, “She didn’t talk much about her husband, although she loved him deeply. She told me it was a true love match. I was happy for her -” he turned his head away and stared out, fixing his gaze upon a patch of colour drifting in the breeze “She still had letters and things come, from all over the world. She was in France recently, for a few weeks.”　

“Was she alright - when she came back?” Adam asked quietly as though this could perhaps be a thread that needed careful tweaking to reveal something important at the end of it.

“Yes. Met some old friends.”

“Did she have any packages sent her recently from Eygpt?”

Soames frowned and then turned to look at Adam with a scowl “What is this, Adam? Some sort of inquisition? Do you think I’ve forgotten how you like to dig and pry into things that are none of your concern? What are you trying to insinuate about my daughter?”

“I’m not trying to -”

“Sylvia was a beautiful woman, Adam. Intelligent, well travelled, and she liked her life, enjoyed it to the full. I won’t have you raking through her past and trying to make out she is - was - something other than that -” he turned away, head bowed and the handkerchief went to his eyes, “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that. No doubt the Marshall will be asking far worse…”

Adam nodded, perhaps so he thought, and with a sigh he looked about the room and then settled once again upon the face of the anguished man beside him “Soames, this could be important, but did she receive anything recently from abroad? A small packeage?”

“Like a book?” Soames said suddenly looking at Adam now as though some random thought had pierced the gloom of his misery “She did get a small package recently. She said it was from a friend in -” he frowned and shook his head “No, she didn’t say from where, but from abroad. She took it to her room…spent some while up there if I recall rightly. She was still there when I left for work.”

“How long ago was that?”

“A few weeks…I never asked about it, forgot it to be honest.” he shrugged “It didn’t seem of any importance and I never saw her with it again.”

Chapter 23

The cab driver was congratulating himself on having such a lucrative morning’s work. When Adam reappeared and ordered him to go to the Hotel Grammond he was only too willing to turn the horses back to the Hotel. When Adam told him to wait for him the cabbie thought he had found the pot of gold at the bottom of the rainbow as he watched Adam mount the steps to the building two at a time.

Laurence opened the door to Adam’s urgent knocking and stepped back in surprise at the sight of his friend who promptly closed the door behind him and pushed Laurence back as though some danger lurked in the hall beyond the door. Rachel rose to her feet and cried “What’s happened? Adam…what’s happened?”

Adam paused and looked at them both, then released his breath in a long exhalation before telling them that Sylvia was dead. “She was murdered. I only just missed the murderer by minutes.”

“Sylvia - but - why?” Rachel whispered and groped for her husband’s hand.

“We kept our meeting discreet, no one would have known she was colluding with us…she was safe …” Laurence glanced from his wife to his friend his face showing his confusion, guilt　

“She may have been under observation for a while, Laurence, from what Soames tells me she was in contact with a number of people abroad…and she did receive a package, a book, some weeks ago.”

“From Anna?” Rachel whispered her hands clasped tightly now beneath her chin. She sunk back down upon the settee　

“Soames doesn’t know…but it is even possible that they knew you, Laurence. It wouldn’t be the first time you’ve been followed when at the start of an assignment.”

Laurence bit down on his lip and frowned, nodded. He could remember only too well the time when they were about to embark on the mission to Eygpt and he had been the weak link in the chain right from the start. “But not this time, Adam, I mean why would I be? So far as I was concerned this is just about finding Rachel’s sister….”

Rachel put her hands over her face “Poor Sylvia - this is too cruel - why should she be killed ?”

Adam glanced at Laurence who was staring at his wife and who now went to sit by her side “I’m sorry, Rachel, I should not have brought you here..” he bit his lip, and shook his head “If they were able to track down Sylvia, they could have seen you - “

“But I insisted, I thought Anna would be here, I wanted to come…”

“But not now. It isn’t safe for you. Being with me here -” he glanced at Adam who nodded slowly in agreement

“Is it possible for you to return to Europe?” Adam asked quietly, “I don’t want to risk your life or that of my family on the Ponderosa. In Europe you can get the protection from Charles’ people.”

She nodded, looked at Laurence “But what about you…?”

“I promised to find Anna. And I will…with Adam’s help.” Laurence turned again to Adam, a question in his eyes and the rancher thought ‘how like Little Joe he is, just the same -’ “Adam, will you help? Despite all this?”

Adam cleared his throat “Marshall Duggan is a good lawman, he’ll keep digging here until he finds the links to whatever has been going on with Sylvia and her foreign contacts…whether Egypt or whatever else." he looked again at Rachel who was biting her lip and staring abjectedly at the far wall as though already regretting her decision "I think, Rachel, Laurence is right, it may be best if you leave as soon as possible.”

Laurence nodded in agreement, and reached for his wife‘s hand. "You could join the family in France, they'll make sure you're safe. Or, as Adam suggests, return to England, contact Charles and get help from him."

"Do you really think it necessary - I'm not involved as Sylvia was, I just wanted to find my sister." she pleaded, tightening her grip on his fingers, looking earnestly from one to the other of them.

"We don't know who these people are, sweetheart." :Laurence murmured, "We - can't risk your life just assuming that you're safe." he shook his head, frustrated and exasperated, "I should not have brought you - stupid fool that I am."

"It's too late to think that now," Adam said crisply, "Look, The Baltimore leaves this evening for England. I’ll write to Myers and get Rachel on board …” he paused, and Laurence nodded uncertainly, while Rachel just sighed and clasped her hands together more tightly before, nervously she grabbed at his hands and held them close.

“I have to see Olivia and my father…” Adam said quietly, “But it may be best if you left here as soon as possible.”

Laurence nodded “If you intend to come along I’ll be at the wharf, there’s a schooner - I’ll be there. I’d like to leave on the mornings tide…”

Adam nodded, rose to his feet and went to the desk - in a few hurried lines he requested Myers the favour to him of taking on board Lady Rachel Willoughy, and keeping her under his close protection.　

He said his farewells, kissed Rachel on the cheek and left the room. The letter was handed to one of the Hotel’s boys who promised to deliver it ‘right away’. As Adam left the building the boy was hurrying in the direction of the harbour, the dollar Adam had given him jingling in his pocket.
………….

Sofia was pirouetting around the furniture and humming a tune beneath her breath. She held her doll at arm’s length and whirled around and around, quite confident that she was as light as the fairy she was pretending to be; on the settee Reuben was engrossed in his book and Nathaniel played contentedly with his horse, galloping it up and down Ben’s leg and calling out “Giddy up…”

It was Reuben who raised his head and said “Pa’s back.” but it was Sofia who reached Adam first, who flung herself into his arms and wrapped herself around him. Ben stood up, swooped down to pick up Nathaniel and smiled at his son, who was being kissed by his daughter which had the result of tugging at his heart knowing he would be missing those kisses in the near future.

Olivia smiled and put down the crocheting work she had been doing while Martha exclaimed that she hadn’t realised it was so late. Adam put his daughter down and sat down beside Reuben “What are you reading, son?”

“It’s all about clipper ships, Pa. I wanted to know where everything was so I can tell the Gang when I get back to school.”

“Not planning to run off then?” Adam grinned, and Reuben shook his head and gave his father a long look　

“Are you alright, Pa?” he asked, and Adam realised then that a smile that didn’t reach the eyes didn’t fool anyone, least of all a concerned and discerning little boy of ten.

“I have to talk to Grandpa and Ma …I’ll be back soon.”

“Daddy -” Sofia tugged at his fingers “I missed you today. Did you get that lady home - was she lost?”

“She’s alright now, Sofia…” Adam replied and tweaked her nose “Martha, would you mind if we used the study?”

“Of course not,” Martha replied and smiled for if he had asked her for the ‘top brick off the chimney’ she would have said just the same.

The study was very much as Julian Frobisher had left it, and both men relaxed in its friendly familiarity. Ben nodded at his son while Olivia walked to him and took his hand, and in a quiet voice asked him what was wrong.

He perched himself on the corner of the desk with Olivia’s hand in his and told them everything that had happened. He watched the expressions on their faces, the way Olivia’s eyes widened, dilated, and moistened. She took off the glasses and wiped beneath her eyes with a finger to remove traces of tears and leaned in closer to him.

Ben sighed and stared thoughtfully at the far wall where a map of the world had been placed. He nodded then and said “Remember that time with Bill Enders? The way you sat staring into the fire so deep in thought as you struggled to find a way to preserve the family honour and to nail down the truth? “

“I remember it well,” Adam replied quietly and sighed again, an echo of his father’s and he looked at his wife and raised an eyebrow “Do you still want me to help Rachel? It may have deeper implications that just finding her sister, you realise that, don’t you?”

“I suspected it anyway.” she replied honestly, “If Laurence was involved then there had to be some other angle to it - but Rachel wants her sister home safely and - and if you can help them find her…”

“I don’t know where to look. I don’t even know where to start.” Adam admitted honestly, and looked at his father,　

“Is Rachel still coming back to the Ponderosa with us?” Ben asked now and when Adam shook his head no one spoke for a while, “perhaps it’s for the best.” Ben concluded.
…………..

Hannah and Hope loved it when Hoss played with them. The favourite game was when he pretended to be a bear and would crawl on all fours growling and roaring and waiting to pounce on them. It was even better if he wore his old brown coat because then he did look like a real grizzly, perhaps too real, because it always made Erik cry and run to mother.

“Calm down, Hoss…you’ll scare the children.” Hester scolded with a laugh in her voice and Hannah said “He doesn’t scare us, Ma.”

“Well, time for milk and cookies…and to calm down a little.” she replied and passed Erik over to his father so that the little boy could see that the bear wasn’t really anyone to be afraid of at all.

Hoss bounced Erik up and down a little and trailed behind his wife as she made her way to the kitchen in order to get the milk . He grabbed a biscuit from the plate and gave some to Erik before eating the rest, “Honey, I was wondering..”

“What about, Hoss?” she filled the glasses and put them on a tray.

“How about if we went to see Marcy and Luke tomorrow?”

Hester paused, her hand hovered over the plate of cookies and she glanced out of the corner of her eye at her husband who was jouncing Erik up and down in his arms,

“That would be a wonderful idea. I haven’t seen Marcy and the twins for so long. It would be good to go now as it will be more difficult once Hannah starts at school.” she gave Erik a cookie and then picked up the tray “We can take some food along with us and perhaps have a picnic in the orchard. That will be a perfect way to end the week.”

“I thought so too…” Hoss said modestly although in the back of his mind he had to give credit to Joe, after all this was not just about picnics and catching up on family gossip.

Hester set down the tray and watched as the girls came and took their glasses of milk and a cookie each, she sat down and smiled at her husband “It’ll be a good opportunity for you to ask Luke about the cattle …and if he and Derwent had thought any further about those missing calves.”

Hoss cleared his throat and nodded “Yes, dear…quite right. I’ll make sure to mention that - er - mmm.”
………..　

In Joe and Mary Ann’s home the younger couple were sitting together, she with her head upon his shoulder, and he with his cheek resting upon the top of her head. It was quiet in the house, the children were already sleeping and not even the sound of the breeze outside could be heard.

He stroked her neck lazily, knowing that if he were not careful he would soon fall asleep with contentment and the warmth of the room. She sighed then and stretched out her lean body in order to settle more comfortably into the niche of his, and smiled as he moved a little to accommodate her.

“Joe, have I told you lately how much I love you?”

“About an hour and twenty minutes ago” he replied “But you can tell me again if you want to.”

He kissed her, leaning down to caress her lightly and smile into her eyes, and kiss her again. “Won’t be long before Pa and Adam and the family will be home. I’ve missed them.”

“Because of the problem about those calves?”　

“No, not just that…” Joe replied a little tersely, and cleared his throat, “I was thinking…you know, tomorrow we could go and pay a neighbourly call on the Burgoynes.”

“Who?”

“The Burgoynes. They moved in about a month ago and we should really have paid them a visit before now…don’t you think?”

She sighed and gave a slight shrug of the shoulders, far too comfortable to want to talk about neighbours, or calves. Joe caught a strand of her chestnut hair between his fingers and began to coil it round and round, his eyes on the fire that burned in the grate, not overly large for the room was not cold.　

“I met Mr Burgoyne - he said he knew Pa.”

“When would he have known Pa?” she frowned “I can’t remember him ever mentioning anyone called Burgoyne.” she sighed “But then your Pa knows so many people.”

“It comes with age.” Joe replied sagely

“I suppose.”

They lapsed into silence and for a few minutes shared the peace and quietude together, several times he leaned down to kiss her, smiled between kisses, “He bought an area of land from Greigson. Did you know Abel Greigson had left the Box G?”

“I heard -” Mary Ann smiled lazily, “Miss Tyndale told me.”

“ I don’t think he’ll be coming back, or, if he did, he wouldn’t be too welcome. His Pa holds a grudge close to his chest.”

“I heard that too.”

“Miss Tyndale huh?”

“No,” she laughed and looked up at him, raised her face to kiss him “Roy Coffee.”

“Odd isn’t it?” Joe frowned and straightened up in order to get up, he stretched and rubbed his face with one hand, then yawned, “I mean, you’d think Walt Greigson would want his son there with him now, seeing how he’s doing so well with all those cattle and then - there’s all that special feed that Abel seems to be the only one who knows anything about -.”

“Families fall out, Joe.” Mary Ann said quietly and left the settee, she reached out a hand towards him and smiled “The only one who can tell you what happened between them would be Abel or Walt.”

“Guess so….” Joe stabbed at a log with the poker and watched it collapse into two halves, a shower of red sparks and white dust, he shrugged “Anyway, it will be interesting to meet Mrs Burgoyne.”

“Oh - is she young and pretty then?” she laughed at him, leaning to wards him and teasing him with big eyes

“I doubt it, her sons are grown men…” he frowned then, “Not the most pleasant of men either.”

She said nothing to that, but lingered a little longer by the stairs waiting for him so that they could go up together, hand in hand. She smiled a little at nothing in particular and he gently ran his fingers down her back, thoughts of calves, Burgoynes and tomorrow slowly fading to the back of their minds.

“Be patient,” Olivia told Sofia who was hopping from one foot to the other in her eagerness to board the train, “Wait for others to board first…”

“But, mummy…”

Nathaniel held more tightly to his Grandfather’s hand, “Where’s Daddy?” he asked for about the umpteenth time.　

Ben did not reply immediately, he just pointed to some birds pecking at crumbs on the ground and talked nonsense for a while until Nathaniel shook his head and looked over to his mother who was tying the ribbon of Sofia’s bonnet more securely

“Where’s Daddy,” he asked again.

“Daddy has work to do, now don’t ask again, Nathaniel, I’ve already told you a dozen times.” Olivia sighed, and saw Sofia looked at her and could just imagine the child thinking “Mommy, be patient.”

She could just smile and nod, then take the little boy into her arms, and jig him up and down as though that would distract him. Ben and Reuben looked at one another and shared a look of mutual sympathy. “I could have been cabin boy, Grandpa, on that schooner Pa’s on, couldn’t I?”

“No, you couldn’t,” Ben replied honestly, perhaps a little tactlessly, “You’re too young.”

“How old were you when you ran away to sea, Grandpa?”

Ben frowned and stared at the boy, who was now accompanied by Sofia who was looking up with big eyes obviously very eager to hear his response

“I was far too young. I was sent home with my tail between my legs.”　

Sofia frowned and moved slightly so that she could observe this until now unseen phenonomen “What happened to it, Grandpa?”

“Happened to what?” Ben replied turning now to pick up a valise as he noticed movement and a surge towards the train from all directions.

“Your tail?” Sofia replied innocently and with an amazed look on her face “I never saw it - not ever -”

“Because -” Ben paused and sighed “Just hurry up, Sofia, or you will be left behind.”

He swung Nathaniel up onto the steps so that he could manage the rest himself, Reuben followed keeping a careful eye on his little brother to ensure he would not fall or get lost. Sofia came holding fast to Olivia’s hand, and as Olivia turned to wave goodbye to Martha her daughter said “I wish daddy were here..”

Olivia said nothing but kept the smile on her face until she could get into the trains interior and sit down. Ben came next and settled down into the seat opposite her. They dutifully looked out of the window and waved at Martha who stood looking lonely and forlorn on the platform, although Gates was standing stolidly a few feet behind her.

“I wish Martha had come with us.” Olivia said wistfully

“She has her reasons for staying,” Ben replied in a non committal kind of voice and then glanced again at the woman standing on the platform.

Perhaps if he thought hard enough he could recall the picture of Martha Frobisher as she had been when, all of 18 years of age, she had arrived in San Francisco with her husband…a lovely looking fresh faced girl with an abundance of red hair, even redder than Hesters, and freckles, and large blue eyes that twinkled when she spoke to you…but that was back then, when there was no Virginia City, only tarpaulins stretched over poles, shanty cabins. Alley ways full of mud, and worse…but he had been fond of her, and of Julian.　

He was jolted from his memories as the train began to shunt slowly from the station. He leaned forward to try and catch a last glimpse of Martha Frobisher, but all too soon she was gone from view and he knew he would never see her again.
………….

Ebenezer Burgoyne opened the door and looked quizzically at the couple standing before him…an attractive couple he had to admit, and it took a moment or two to recognise Joe Cartwright who had removed his hat and smiled at him with such a vacant but pleasant look on his face that for a moment the rancher wondered if the man had lost his senses.

“What’s this? A deposition? What do you want?”

Mary Ann raised her eyebrows, and glanced at her husband who nodded as though he had expected no less a response to their arrival. He thrust out a hand “Mr Burgoyne, I realised last evening that you had been here over a month already and we had not done the neighbourly thing of welcoming you to - er - the territory. I know Pa would have been here much sooner had he known, so I thought my wife -” he turned to Mary Ann who smiled and nodded which set the feathers in her hat fluttering “and I should do the honours.”

Burgoyne looked slightly bemused. He took Joe’s hand and shook it, smiled at Mary Ann and then moved aside. With a sweep of his hand he indicated that they should enter inside, which they did very promptly before he changed his mind.

“Well, it’s always good to be on neighbourly terms…” he muttered as he looked from one to the other of them, “Joe Cartwright, yes, that means you’re the youngest of the three sons?”

“That’s correct, sir.”

“No need to ‘sir’ me, just plain Mr Burgoyne or even Burgoyne if you prefer.” he glanced at Mary Ann, “And your name is -? Apart from being Mrs Cartwight of course. I understand there are three Mrs Cartwrights so best to know which one I am addressing today.”

“I’m Mary Ann.” she replied and smiled again, she rather liked this big man, with the fierce appearance but twinkling eyes.

“Mary Ann it is then, and you can call me Eb, or Burgoyne.” he nodded towards a door “Step inside, my wife won’t be a moment - “ his face eased into a smile, one that suited him very well, and gave the impression that he smiled often. “Take a seat, get comfortable.”

Joe and Mary Ann took seats and tried to look comfortable. The room was interesting, full of artefacts, statues, pictures and models. There were sailing ships in pictures on the walls, models of them on shelves - Joe nodded “My brother Adam would like this room.”

“Adam? The one who went to sea? Quite late in years I understand?”

“Er - well, yes, I suppose so…”

“Not like your father and I…we started young and worked our way from stern to bow. I suppose your brother got a commission?”

“Yes, sir. His grandfather vouched for him and …”

“Old man Abel Stoddard? I sailed with him and your father a time or two.” he walked to a desk and opened the lid of a cigar box, he turned to Joe “Do you smoke?”

“No, sir.”

“I told you not to call me ‘sir.’” Burgoyne frowned and then looked at Mary Ann, “Do you object to me smoking, little lady?”

“It’s your home, sir - er - Mr Burgoyne, you must do what you feel makes you most comfortable.” and she smiled at him, almost coquettishly but not quite … just enough to make Burgoyne grin roguishly.

The rustle of skirts could be heard approaching and they both turned to see the newcomer as she stepped into the room, Joe stood up immediately, “I hope you are not bullying them, Burgoyne?”

“As if I would?” he chuckled and put the cigar, unlit, back into the box. “Joe - Mary Ann - this is my wife- Joyce.” he turned to his wife and smiled as she came and slipped her arm through his, “Mr and Mrs Cartwright, my dear. Joseph and Mary Ann.”

She smiled and her eyes twinkled at them, her hair was greying, and must once have been a rich brown. Her features were regular, her smile generous and wide, her eyes large and dark. She looked at Joe and said “We’ve met, haven’t we, Joe?”

“Have we?” Joe asked, and frowned, “It must have been some while ago, Ma’am. Not recently surely?”

“No, not recently and yes, it was some while ago.” she looked at Mary Ann, “It’s good to meet you, Mary Ann. I have not been into town yet, so have not caught up with old acquaintances or made new.”

Burgoyne settled down and stretched out his legs, while Joyce excused herself and said she would prepare some refreshment. It seemed to Joe that Burgoyne was finding the whole situation somewhat amusing.　

“You look puzzled, Joe - don’t mind if I call you Joe, do you?”

“No, of course not.” Joe grinned, and glanced at the door through which Joyce had left the room, “I’m still trying to recall where I’ve met your wife before…I usually have quite a good memory for faces but …”

Burgoyne nodded “It’s been some years. People change over the years.”

“I can’t remember ever meeting a Mrs Burgoyne before either…come to that, I never remember Pa mentioning an Ebenezer Burgoyne either.”

Burgoyne smiled and nodded “Well, your Pa and I go back a long while…we were kids on board ship when very young. Our paths crossed once or twice thereafter, but not ever since he left the sea. That must be a good long time ago.”

“It was, sir…my Pa left New England when my brother Adam was still a babe in arms and he’s middle aged now.”

“You don’t say?” and Burgoyne looked as though he just couldn’t believe that time had passed by so quickly and he hadn’t even noticed. He raised his hands and then slapped them back down on his knees “So then, now you know why your Pa never mentioned me. We were kids together, and good friends then…but as they say when a child I played as a child but when I grew I set aside childish things…”

Joe nodded, and glanced at his wife who was clearly paying less attention to what was being said and more to a tapestry that hung upon the wall. The colours were fresh and bright, and depicted the slaughter of a unicorn who lay with its head resting in the lap of a beautiful young woman, in the background hunters were approaching - it was sad and lovely all at the same time.

The sound of cups and saucers rattling distracted her and she turned to see Joyce returning with a tray laden, which she set upon a low table. She smiled at Mary Ann who was quick to return the smile

“I was admiring this tapestry -”　

“Oh, I haven’t long finished it. A legend of long ago…the death of the last unicorn.” Joyce replied and began to pour out the coffee. She glanced from the corner of her eye at Joe “Do you still take two sugars in your coffee, Joe?” and she smiled when she handed him the cup and saucer “And does Hop Sing still make those delicious chocolate confectionaries? “

“He does indeed…but …” he paused and lowered his eyes “I am sorry. I keep thinking that I do know you, but then it slips away…as though it is in the corner of my mind and when I make a grab for it, it disappears.”

“Put the boy out of his misery, Joyce, or he’ll not sleep easy tonight.” Burgoyne chuckled as she passed him the cup and saucer.

She smiled and sat down opposite them, “It has been a long time, Joe. You were a boy when I left Virginia City, well, not exactly a boy, about 21 I should imagine. “

She caught his eye and could see there the thought, a snatch at a memory .. He lowered his head and a slight frown creased the smooth tan of his brow “Joyce and Tom?”

“That’s right - so you do remember me?” and she laughed that girlish laugh that had been heard at the Ponderosa so many years ago and he remembered only too well all about Tom and Joyce.

“We built the mill there on your land -” he said quietly

“That’s right. I - we all thought that it would help Tom get his confidence and self esteem back, but - but we under-estimated the power that Ezekiel had over him.” she shook her head “That man was so evil -”

It was touching to see how Burgoyne reached out a hand to take hold of hers, as though to assure her that she was safe now. Joe glanced from Joyce to Burgoyne and frowned but Joyce stopped any chance he had to ask questions by explaining why they or rather she had returned to the area

“I always loved it here, and had circumstances allowed I would have returned much sooner but -” she paused and gave a slight shrug, as though she knew this was not the time to go into the fact that Ben’s attachment to her was the cause of her absence. “I met Burgoyne ten years ago and we married -”

Burgoyne squeezed her hand gently, a small hand resting within his big fist, it made Joe remember something he had noticed from that time when Joyce would come, alone, to talk, to seek help from then regarding Tom, from Ezekiel.. An unguarded word he had overheard between Ben and Adam, feelings and emotions…he cleared his throat

“I remember that the land you owned bordered on that belonging to the Running D, you grew grape vines there - not many grapes though -”

She laughed “I suppose I was being rather ambitious. I rode down to see the mill the other week, not long after we had moved in, and it looks a sad sight now. But the land around thereabouts is so pretty, I have always loved it…”

Joe grinned and looked at Burgoyne “That’s why you bought it from Greigson?”

“Darn right I did….seems some one sold it off to Dayton, but when Joyce told me how it had belonged to her at one time I decided to buy it back. Perhaps she’ll be able to grow more grapes this time…”

She smiled at him, a look of tenderness that Joe recalled seeing as she would look at Ben and wonder why - he sighed, water under the bridge now of course. Burgoyne raised his eyebrows “Greigson and I knew each other a long time ago…fact is, his wife Sarah was my first wife’s cousin. He owed me a debt - shan’t go into the details, aint the time nor place, but I put the pressure on him and he let me have it -”

“He exchanged it for something, Burgoyne. Don’t make him out to be more generous than he is…” Joyce laughed and glanced at Mary Ann as though to secure an accomplice in her fun, so Burgoyne shrugged

“I got me quite a few head of cattle so let him have a good percentage…”

“Cattle?” Joe’s voice broke with a slight falsetto “Oh I heard he had had a lot of calves born in his herd…a good year for him…”

Burgoyne scratched his head, grimaced “He was doing well, that son of his is a good lad, has a sharp mind on him, but Greigson always was one who wanted everything on a plate, you know the kind, most men are patient to work and wait for results,but he is always in a hurry … as it happens we were able to oblige. My boys had made a good deal on some cattle. You gotta realise being new here we have had to start from scratch, but things worked out pretty good. A nuisance that we had to shell out so many to Greigson, but Joyce wanted that land, and, by hickory, I was determined for her to have it.”

Joyce sighed “Abel is a very intelligent young man. He was so interested in the land. Did you know he had been doing research and experiments on the best kind of cerials that could grow on the land, in our climate? He used the land we - we got from Walter to carry out his experiments. If we had known then we would not have pursued its purchase - well - it’s exchange.”

“Walter thought Abel was a waste of time…had no appreciation for the lad. Had he been a son of mine I would have been rightly proud of him.” Burgoyne frowned, “But Walt kept telling him they were ranchers, not farmers, he never listened to what Abel was trying to do. They argued a lot about it, in the end, when the land was exchanged, he left. “

“We heard that he had invested some money in buying grain from Russia -” Joe ventured to say and Burgoyne nodded,

“He thought if he could grow strong crops there would be better feed for the cattle. His father thought it a waste of money. Walt likes money - prefers to let it sit in the bank collecting interest than investing it. Too risky he says -”

“So he got the cattle from you?”

“He liked the look of what I had…said his idea of investment was to breed better stock, not feed ‘em. It’s hard to get started in the ranching business. Must admit I’m a real - what do you call it - greenhorn. But I think we have a good enough herd to start with this year.”　

He nodded as though coming to a decision and put down his cup, “Let me show you, Joe. Would appreciate your opinion.”

Joe nearly choked. This was way easier than he had anticipated. Not only that but Burgoyne was proving to be quite a surprise. Amiable, pleasant, good humoured…he glanced at Joyce who was smiling at him, as though her husbands suggestion really pleased her. Joe was so eager to go and see the cattle with Burgoyne that he nearly tripped over the hem of Mary Ann’s skirts.

Once they had gone Joyce offered more coffee - some cake? Mary Ann was more than happy to accept both. It was pleasant to spend some time in the company of another woman, especially one who had history with the Cartwrights. Joyce handed the plate over to her with a slice of cake, then refilled the cup with coffee.

“Joe’s grown into a very attractive man. He was always handsome, even as a child. But such a wild lad. Always into scrapes.”

“Did you know them that far back?”

“Oh yes, Tom and I were close friends with Ben and Marie.” she glanced sharply at Mary Ann and frowned “I suppose you know all about what happened to Tom?”

“Joe told me. He blamed Ben for the accident, didn’t he?”

“Yes, he got to be so envious of Ben. Ben had everything - the Ponderosa, three healthy sons -” she paused “he knew, after the accident, that any chance of children, for us, well, that was all gone. Something else to be bitter about -”

“The mill was a good idea though -”

“Oh yes, it was - we really thought we had come to a cross roads, building that mill could have solved so many problems but we under estimated Ezekiel. I really believe at the end he drove Tom mad.”

Mary Ann sighed and put down her plate, “How did you meet Mr Burgoyne?”

“When I left here I travelled around a little, then settled in New York. I met him at the theatre, we were watching a performance of The Taming of the Shrew. I think I was quite taken aback that someone like Burgoyne would enjoy Shakespeare, he just didn’t look as though it was the kind of thing he’d like. We met several times, got to talking about a performance, and one thing led to another…and we were married. He is a lovely man, kind and gentle, stubborn as a mule - rather like another friend of mine of whom I was very fond.”

She gave Mary Ann a sidelong glance when saying that, but Mary Ann pretended not to notice, knowing full well about the romance between her and her father in law. Joyce changed the subject, asking Mary Ann how she had met Joe and about her children…
……………..

The cattle were grazing calmly, wading into the waters of the stream, wandering across the meadow. The sun gleamed upon their hides, and Joe could see quite clearly the brand mark, and that they were quite fresh. His eyes roved around the little herd, and he frowned thoughtfully as he leaned against the bar of the fence. Beside him Burgoyne gave a grunt of satisfaction

“There aren’t many yet, but I hope to breed some good stock from them before they go to market next year.”

Joe nodded and narrowed his eyes…”You’ve got a good bull calf there.” he pointed to a young bull, with wide shoulders, a big head, there was no way he could not recognise the offspring of Big Red, the huge bull that had been their pride and joy.

“He’s a good one. Hope to breed more like him.” Burgoyne frowned, “Not that I know much about it, I leave it to the boys. They’ve been working along with the men we hired and have learned a lot.”

“Your sons?”

“Yes.”

Burgoyne’s mouth clamped shut, and his eyes narrowed. He nodded over to some cattle further afield, and talk slipped into more general terms and away from the subject of the Burgoyne boys.
………..

Marcy was pegging out clothes on the line when she heard the sound of wheels coming into the yard. She knew it wouldn’t be Derwent’s wife, for she was in Carson City visiting family. The Double D was too far off the beaten track to attract many visitors so with some curiosity she put aside her task and walked towards the yard where the wagon would have to stop.

She smiled when she recognised Hoss and Hester. Little Erik was sitting on her knee and the two girls were on the bench seat behind them. Hope and Hannah were hot and sweaty, it was a long drive from the Ponderosa, and the wood of the bench had been cutting into the back of their legs for what seemed a very long time.

Marcy took Erik from Hester so that she could get down from the wagon, Erik looking for his mother to make sure he was not being abandoned. Hoss collected his girls up in to his arms and swung them up and over, down onto the ground…

“You all look hot and bothered.” Marcy declared with a laugh,”Come along inside, I’ve some fresh lemonade made.” she glanced at Hoss “Luke and Derwent are in the barn.”

Hoss nodded, and grinned. Obviously Marcy knew all about their concerns about the missing cattle. He strolled over and found the two men talking animatedly together, they paused as he approached and after they had shaken his hand, indicated a bale for him to sit on, continued their discussion. As Marcy had indicated, the talk was about the cattle.

“Seems kind of odd stealing young ‘uns.” Luke said, spitting out the straw he had been chewing, “I’ve never known that done before…”

“Nor me.” Hoss said rubbing his face and realising how hot he felt, “Rustlers usually swing in and cut out whatever cattle they come upon. Age don’t usually come into it, so long as they get the numbers they want.”

“But cut out young ‘uns…” Derwent frowned, “They ain’t branded…so no one can prove their provenance because you can guarantee they would have slapped a brand on ‘em as soon as they were on their land.”

“Good healthy calves, fatten them up and you have a good herd to take to market next year. There’s some sense to it, in a novel kind of way.” Luke said quietly, and he shook his head “I guess we should be grateful they left us some to bulk up ourselves.”

Hoss nodded, then remembered what he had come for..not so much the calves, but the new owner of their neighbouring ranch.

“How’d you get on with your new neighbour?” he asked without any preamble.

Derwent shrugged and Luke raised his eyebrows but it was Luke who spoke “He’s a loner. Widowed. Not interested in cattle at all. All he has is a milk cow and her calf in the barn.”

“Oh, that’s a pity.” Hoss muttered

“Yeah, we had hopes of pinning the rustling on him, seeing how out of the way his place is…” Derwent grinned and looked over at Luke who was grinning as well, “But he’s just an old chap, wants to let life pass him by.”

“Where’d he come from?” Hoss asked as he twisted straw round his fingers.

“Arizona. His wife died on her way here. They inherited the place from old Corbyn and thought it would be pleasant to end their days here. He’s a lot closer to Carson City of course, and he’s not really interested in the land he’s got. Asked us if we wanted to buy some of it.” Luke shrugged and Derwent leaned against the bars of the corral　

“Are you going to buy any?”

“Sure, we’ve discussed it with him. After the spring round up, and cattle drive, we should be able to buy some.” Derwent looked at Hoss, and smiled at the way Hoss looked, “No cattle, just some decent land. I need more..I want to build up my herd, so does Luke.”

“Yep, all we got to do is hope that he doesn’t die on us before we get the money ready. If he does the land will go up for auction, he has no family to leave it to.”

Hoss nodded. Decided he really needed something to drink, mentioned his thirst and the two men nodded, agreed about the heat, Luke slapped Hoss on the back and the t here of them made their way to the house. Hoss felt he had literally got hold of the short straw in the deal and wondered how Joe had got on.

He sighed, whatever Joe had found out would be discussed that evening when they had arranged to meet together for a Council of War. Joe had decided they needed some answers before Ben and Adam came home!

Chapter 27

Captain Salway was more than a little annoyed at having to abort the plans regarding
the mornings departure. 　 Adam sympathised knowing how much time and effort would have been required to get everything arranged ...the paperwork with the harbourmaster, the deployment of tugs to lead her out of harbour.　 It would all have to be changed to suit for the next day. 　 He himself felt irritated as it had robbed him of extra time with his family. 　 Then he recalled that Laurence had only recently seen his wife leave him,and had left his children for what must have seemed a perilously wild goose chase　
.
The clerk at the mail depot took his time tapping out the message.　 Adam listened as the keys sounded out the words, asked the relevant questions, and he wondered again just what they were hoping to achieve by sending out a barrage of requests to an unknown woman whom even Laurence could only dimly recall to mind.

"How long before we get a reply?" Laurence asked and the clerk shrugged, grimaced and slid the money he'd been given into the drawer

"It depends on how long it takes for the courier to deliver it. 　 It's a big place, could be she lives on the outskirts of town, could be she's away from home.." he looked at them both "I put 'urgent' on it like you said."

Laurence wasn't satisfied but knew that logistically the man was right.　 He nodded, said they would return later and strode out of the building, looking dejected as he removed his hat and swept back his hair from his brow "I feel out of my depth."

Adam nodded sympathetically "I understand the feeling."

"We could be waiting here for days."

"That's the risk one has to take.." Adam replied and turned to glance up at the clock that graced the front of a tall building ahead of them. 　 Olivia and his family would be gone now.　 On their way to the Ponderosa. 　 He reminded himself that Laurence would have been feeling that same tug to the heart when he had watched Rachel leaving on the Baltimore the previous evening. 　 He told himself to stop thinking that he was the only one to suffer so much, and with a sigh suggested they went to see Soames. Laurence raised an eyebrow at that suggestion but as Adam reminded him there were still things they needed to find out about Sylvia, and Soames had not been stable enough to give them any information since he was still sedated on Adam's previous visit.

"We don't want to go into this situation totally blind, Laurence. If there is something, however small, that we can gain from a few moments with Soames it could save us a lot of time and trouble. Beside which it saves having to kick our heels hereabouts..."

They didn't talk until they were in the cab, the horses hooves striking against the cobbled road, the sound of traffic drifting around them.

"We'll plot a course for Boston when we get back " Adam said "we could arrange for any reply to your telegram to Be sent onto the town where we next get a berth. 　 That way we can still leave as planned .."

Laurence nodded and leaned forward "There was no mention of Silvia in the journal, and no mention of Veronique deSalles from Maine ...so why would they be in possession of the book."

"I'm assuming when it got into Veronique's possession she sent it on to Silvia. 　 Perhaps Anna asked her to do so.　 That's what we'll find out when we get her cable..I'm more intrigued about that house, what significance it could have to Anna." He paused and tapped Laurence on the knee, then said "we're at Soames"

They paid the cabbie and made their way to the door which was promptly opened.　 Barnes sighed and stepped aside to admit them.　 To their enquiry about Soames, Barnes replied that his master was in his study and it was to that room he led them both.

Soames was dressed but had a blanket of plaid wool around him as though even on that warm day he was cold. 　 He sat in a large arm chair, his head resting in his hands and he didn't move until Adam placed a hand upon his shoulder and addressed him by name. 　　

He then very slowly looked up, as though if he moved too quickly his head would roll from his shoulders.　 He released a deep sigh and looked sorrowfully at Adam,

"It took me years of searching to find her..." 　He blinked, his red rimmed eyes evidence of heart breaking grief, 　"I just wanted to keep her safe, make her happy."

There is something overly poignant in seeing a man cry, no matter for what reason.　 Both Adam and Laurence felt sympathy but wished the tears would stop and some sense prevail.　 Adam pulled up a chair and sat opposite his former Medical Officer

"Gregory, we need your help to find the man who killed your daughter, now ... Man up and face things squarely."

"The Marshall was here". Soames pulled a large handkerchief from his pocket and dabbed at his eyes, "I told him everything he wanted to know.　 There' s nothing you can do"

He then blew his nose loudly on the handkerchief and after wiping his nose, looked sorrowfully at the far wall, as though he wanted to shut out the sight of the two men crowding out his study.

Laurence stepped forward "We have more information about your daughter than you or the Marshall knows, Mr Soames. We just need you to answer a few questions...to add to the information...so that we can get a fuller picture of what Silvia was doing,the people she knew, that could have led to this murder.'

"Murder..." Soames moaned and shook his head "Who would have wanted to kill my daughter?　 My Silvia?"　

Adam and Laurence looked at one another, the irritation at the man's self absorbed manner evident in both their faces.　 Adam leaned forwards again "Did you see the man who was arguing with Silvia...you heard their voices, isn't that right?" 　

"Yes, arguing." he nodded, a flicker of interest crossed his face, he looked at Adam "You think you can help?"

"That's why we're here, Gregory." 　 Adam paused and tempered his voice to sound kinder and more sympathetic. He turned to Laurence "This is Lord Willoughby, remember him?　 From that trip we had to the Kuril Islands?"

Soames nodded "Cassandra Pelman?" 　he whispered the name, a shadow passed over his face, "I felt sorry for her - ".　 He heaved in a sigh and turned to look at the books that were on his desk, "It was about a book.　 That was what they were arguing about...Silvia said she wouldn't give him the book and the man's voice yelled back in a language I didn't understand but then Silvia screamed. 　 I ran in -" he brought his hand to his eyes as though he wanted to wipe the memory away "she was falling, I was looking at her face, barely aware of the other person in the room..."　

Now he closed his eyes "I yelled for Barnes to get help, the man - just a face with black eyes, pushed pass me, I wanted to get to Silvia, to help her ... There was blood ... I remember falling. 　 　Then when I recovered my senses you were there ..."

He turned to look into Adams face, his eyes wide and anguished. 　 "I should have stopped him, but all I wanted to do was help Silvia.."

Laurence leaned towards them and asked yet again if there was anything that he could remember that could help, any small thing at all, but Soames shook his head "Only what I’ve told you but " he put his hand to his head and rubbed at his eyes "I was thinking, perhaps you might find something useful in her room.　 She was very private, you know? 　 I think I only went into it once all the time she lived here"

They left him as they had found him and closed the door quietly behind them.　 Barnes was hovering by the stairs and asked if they needed anything, to which Laurence said only an indication as to which room belonged to Silvia.　 Once given direction the two men mounted the stairs and located the door to Silvia's private "sanctum."

It was a very feminine room, and as precisely tidy and neat as Silvia had been in life. There was no clutter, nothing obviously on display that could be helpful.　 Not at first glance anyway. 　 The wardrobes revealed her exquisite taste in clothes, the drawers when pulled open did likewise with under garments.　 The lady had expensive tastes that much was obvious.　 Laurence began to look at the pictures on the wall, turning them round to see if anything had been hidden behind them. 　 One he passed to Adam

"Recognise anyone?"

It was a pleasant group of people in surroundings Adam recognised from long ago as the rose garden of Anna El Hassim. 　 He could recall the smell of their perfume as though standing there now. 　 The picture showed Silvia with her hand resting on the head of a dog, a dark haired woman and Anna standing beside Said El Hassim, Chaille-Long, and two other men Eygptian in dress and appearance.

“I think this is Angelique,” Laurence said quietly, “I only saw her briefly once, before I returned to England. She was visiting Anna and Rachel.”

He now turned his attention to an attractive desk and pulled out drawers, only one was locked.　 Laurence produced something from his pocket and inserted it into the keyhole, jiggled it about and the drawer clicked open. He pulled at the drawer and then scowled, as it came to a stop mid way.　　 He yanked harder but it stubbornly refused to move.

"Somethings caught ..." 　he inserted his fingers, some paper wedged between the drawer and desk, but with careful teasing he succeeded in pulling it out. 　

"She must have been disturbed while writing it...it isn't finished." Laurence said as he glanced down to read it "And it is to Angelique"

The writing was in neat rounded letters. It was dated and she had obviously started writing it on the day of her death. 　 One could but wonder if she had any indication that she was in peril, that within hours she would be dead? Yet, she had hidden the letter in the drawer, even though unfinished.　 Who or what had disturbed her?

Adam smoothed the paper carefully and together they leaned down to read what had been carefully penned down

"My dear Angelique

I have not heard from you for some time and am anxious for news of you.　 Are you safe?　 Is everything well with you?

I received Anna's journal safely.　 Did you send it to me before leaving Cyprus?　 I removed the back pages as you suggested. 　 I contacted Anna's sister and brother in law and they now have the journal.　 I did wonder whether to give them the addresses but you said not, so therefore I have kept them safely hidden, along with the details of the house and garden, although they mystify me as you can imagine.

If the couple contact me and ask for clarification with regards to them, shall I tell them?　 If not, then they will just flounder and chase shadows.　 Well, I am not saying more about that, except that the journal is in his and Rachel's possession now.

Do you know if Anna is safe? 　 She and her husband were good loyal friends, were they not?　 If you know where she is, will you let me know?　 They deserve our help and support, we failed to save El Hassim but Anna ... 　 　"　

There it ended.　 They looked at each other and Laurence shook his head "Pretty cryptic, isn't it?"

Adam nodded, "She sounds like a woman who was a sincere loyal friend to those she had,". he frowned " but it reads almost as though..."

"As though"　

"Just an impression I got that perhaps it was not the nationalists who have Anna .. Perhaps her friends helped her escape.."

"But the letter to Rachel with the jewellery, the threat ."

"Just words to keep you from meddling..." 　he shook his head and glanced around the room "what's do important about the house...?"

"I just assumed it was Angelique's house in Maine.." Laurence looked at the letter again and ran his finger along the line that referred to the property.

Adam said nothing but folded the letter away back into the drawer. 　 "Why did she have those pages in her hand ... It doesn't make sense."

"Nothing does, just seems as though the waters are getting muddier than ever."

Adam nodded and leaned against the desk, his eyes travelled round the room, looked at each picture on the walls, on the mantle...then shook his head as the pictures were mainly clever water colour scenes from various different countries.　 Sylvia was obviously an adept artist with a good eye for colour and perspective.

Laurence began turning pictures round to see if there were anything hidden on the reverse sides, 　then he started to check the books, few though they were, removing each singly from the shelf and flicking through them, then upending them to shake out any loose papers ...but there was nothing.


As they were about to leave the room they could hear footsteps on the landing, and then Soames appeared, huddled in his blanket and Looking haggard and hollow eyed,

"Did you find anything...any idea as to who killed my daughter?"

"Not here, no...but we will find who it was, Soames." Adam reassured him in a quiet voice aimed at placating the wretched man

"Your daughter was quite an artist..." Laurence said 　"we were admiring her work."

"Yes, she had a good eye for detail".　 Soames nodded "I have my favourite in the study...a house of which she was very fond. 　 A friend of hers lived there ..."

Adam and Laurence glanced at one another and it was Laurence who requested going to see it, Soames muttered only that it was in the study and then shivering slightly, shuffled off to a room they could only presume was his bedroom

"The man's shocked..." 　Laurence muttered as they made their way downstairs and to the study.

Adam was too deep in thought to reply but followed his friend into the study 　where the picture of a house confronted them. 　"Do you think this is the house indicated by the diagram.."

Adam thought of the plan outline of the house, of its rooms and dimensions and tried to fit that into the picture of the house before them.　 They drew closer to look at any thing that could give them some clue as to its relevance, but could see none.

"Perhaps we will find out more if there's a telegram from Angelique..lets get back and find out if she has made any reply.'

Adam nodded, it seemed the best idea now.　 There was nothing to be gained by staying at the Soames premises.　 Barnes came and saw them off, looking mournful and bruised as he stood in the doorway watching them as they hailed a cab and got inside. The horse pawed the ground, the cab lurched forward taking them away from the small terrace of houses with the pretty park facing them.　　

Barnes closed the door.

Hoss Cartwright was not particularly happy as he sat drinking a mug of Luke's home made brew, which actually rivalled the beer in The Silver Dollar saloon.　 It seemed a strange set up altogether.　 Why would anyone, particularly an old guy, come way out to the wilds to spend his last days.　 He tried to think of old people he had known and invariably most had shifted close to town where there could be someone close by to call upon should need arise.

"You're very quiet, Hoss?　 Not like yourself at all ... Beer not to your liking?"

Hoss frowned "Beers fine, Luke, just can't get my mind off' that Archer, him being so old and jest sitting there doing nothing ..." he gulped down some beer and wiped his mouth on he back of his hand "I recall that land to be good grazing .."

"It is, that's why Derwent and I want to buy some parcels of it from Archer." Luke poured more beer into Hoss' mug

"And he ain't got no relatives, you say?"

"None at all." 　Luke sat down 　opposite his companion, around them came the chatter and laughter of the children, the quiet hum of Hester and Marcy talking together as they prepared a meal from what Hop Sing had packed up and what Marcy had available to add to it.

"Then what in tarnation 　is he doing there?"

Luke shrugged "He's not rustling cattle if that's what you're thinking, Hoss."

"All that land going to waste ..." Hoss grumbled "pa was thinking 　of buying some at one time, but it was too inconveniently placed what with the Double D and Jessops place slap bang between us.　 We were having problems enough with trying to hold onto the Truckee strip...Old man Bishop was an ornery old man, brought about a lot of blood shed, unnecessarily too."

Luke nodded "Could always ride on up and see Archer , if you feel that'll settle your mind some."

Hoss nodded slowly "Thanks Luke, to be honest I'd feel better in myself If'n I did."

"Then we can go after we've eaten.　 His house isn't far from the borders of our land so 　wouldn't have too far to ride to get there."

Hoss nodded again, he didn't like to mention to Luke that he had an almighty itch and wouldn't have been able to,sleep uni, it had stopped one way or the other ...

Hannah and Hope were always 　happy playing together as they did now, running through the little orchard, or picking the wild flowers. One of Hester's main concerns at 　present was how Hope would handle the days when Hannah was at school.　 She was fond of Erik but the age gap was just enough to be a problem.　 Erik at that moment was excitedly enjoying his games with the twins whom he found a refreshing change from his sisters.　

Not only were they closer to his size but they could not run away as quickly either.........

"There it is .." 　Luke pointed into the distance where a white washed clapboard house stood nestled within the hills. 　　

It was a good sized family home, which it would have had to have been to have accommodated the previous owners ... The Corbyns had been a hard working couple who would annually produce a new baby every year until the wife became so exhausted with child bearing she became too ill to do anything but care for the brood.　One by one the children had grown and moved away, leaving the couple to knock around the big house until the epidemic of a few years back had finally killed them off. From the distance the property glowed in the sunshine but the closer they got to it the more ramshackle it showed itself to be.

The land through which they had been riding was close to being some of the best Hoss had seen outside of the Ponderosa. 　 He could not believe that there was not ahead of cattle grazing upon the lush grass, or drinking at the clear stream. The itch kept getting worse.

Paint was peeling in strips from 　the woodwork, one of the upper Windows looked as though it were so rotten that one string gale would see it blown out altogether.　 There were holes in the planks that formed the 　verandah, and there was obviously 　no need for curtains at the Windows because what glass wasn't cracked was filthy.

The man who opened the door was nothing like what Hoss had expected.　 Archer ...which seemed to be the only name by which he was known, was tall, slim, stooped of shoulder and white haired although the hair was sparse and one could see the scalp clearly through it.　 His eyes were startlingly blue and very alert, piercing Hoss would describe them later.　 A one time handsome and elegant man with looks and deportment retaining what he had possessed in youth.　 True, he was stooped of shoulder, walked with the aid of a cane, and from the way he inclined his head had lost his hearing in one ear.

"Luke Dent!" Archer exclaimed "A pleasant surprise on such a fine day.'

His smile was genuine but the sharp way he looked at Hoss and raised his eyebrows made Hoss feel he was unwelcome.　 Luke gestured to his companion "Archer, this is Hoss Cartwright.."

"One of the Ponderosa Cartwrights?" Archer said with emphasis on the word Ponderosa. 　

He sighed and stepped aside "Come on in..." 　

Now Hoss really didn't feel welcome, but Luke seemed quite happy to follow the old man into the house despite the look on Hoss' face. 　 They picked their way through an accumulation of rubbish, the smell of damp and something rotting made Hoss sneeze, cobwebs festooned the ceiling, the corners of doorways.　 Hoss couldn't remember the last time he had encountered such domestic filth.

Yet Archer was band box smart and clean...from head to foot he was groomed to perfection.　 How he managed to move his way through such a mess without any of it touching him was, to Hoss' mind, nothing short of a miracle.

"In here...my office .." Archer said and stood aside for them to enter ahead of him "some coffee? Lemonade?"

They both plumped for the coffee which promoted Archer to raise his voice and call out "Coffee .. a large jug" into the shadows behind him.

Hoss and Luke darted a nervous look at one another, but more or less shuffled their way into the room followed by their host who sat down on a large leather Captains chair and gestured to two chairs on the other side of the desk so that he was facing them.　 Hoss carefully removed some papers and a sleeping cat and placed them in the floor, a puff of dust rose up from the cushions as he lowered himself down.　 Luke, being thinner and lighter had no problem once he had removed several books.

　
The walls were lined with books and seeing them Hoss realised that the pervading smell was that of damp paper.　 He glanced over his shoulder nervously and was about to speak when the door opened and a woman stepped into the room carrying a tray which she set down on the desk once Archer had swept aside various scraps of his and that ...

She was Shohone. 　 Her black eyes glittered as she looked at them and yet there was no expression on her face, none, only the eyes were alive. 　 She was younger by at least twenty years to Archer, but her hair was already grey, long braids down to her waist which was a very ample waist that seemed to merge with heavy breasts that resembled a ledge! 　 Like Archer she was speckless, the crockery on the tray shone squeaky clean... the smell of the coffee was pleasant and momentarily eclipsed the smell of the damp books lining the walls.

Archer signed to her to pour the coffee, once she had done that he signed for her to go.

　"She can't talk." he said as he passed a cup and saucer to Hoss, "White soldiers cut her tongue out when she was a child."　

He looked from one to the other "Well, now, to what do I owe the pleasure of this visit? A bit out of 　the way for Cartwrights to consider me a neighbour!"

Hoss cleared his throat "I heard you were new to the neighbour ..I mean...just recently moved here, and er Luke suggested I come by and visit..meet you that is..."

Luke gulped, he had never known Hoss so at a loss for words, he forced a smile "I told Hoss I was hoping to buy some of your land. 　 Told him that it was prime cattle land and fine for grazing..

"Wouldn't know nothing about it,"Archer scowled "Don’t Like cows, never did..." he sipped his coffee having poured it into his saucer as refined people 　did in the 'old days'.

"Guess I'm a mite confused, Mr Archer, " Hoss put down his now empty cup "This is cattle country. 　 And you've got just about the finest grazing for miles...you could be raising a fine herd.."

"I told you I don’t like cattle." 　Archer replied sharply, his blue eyes flashed "I came here for peace and quiet, to study and get my book written...nothing more ...no cows, no chickens ..nothing..." 　his fingers tightened "you can't imagine how effronted I was when I got here and found a whole load of cows eating their heads off on MY land ..well, I told 'em if they didn't get rid of the smelly foul,creatures I'd take a gun and shoot the lot of them" he raised his chin "and I would not have stopped at just the cows either .."

Luke leaned forward "you mean someone was gazing their cattle here, on your land ..."

"I just said that ...told them to clear off and leave me in peace.　 I ride out every so often to make sure they don't come back. 　 Sarah's family live close by, they keep an eye ...makes sure I m left in peace." 　he reached out and picked up some paper "I had my book to write ...need peace and quiet."

Hoss stood up and stretched out his hand "It’s been good to meet you, sir. Thank you for the coffee.　 I hope you get your book written..."
"It takes time...I need to make sure everything is right..."

"Of course.." Hoss nodded sympathetically "I guess the previous owner had trouble getting his herd moved out before you moved in..."

Archer glared at him "The man died years back...the place is a wreck as a result of neglect. 　well you can see that for yourself"

"Er ...then who did the cattle long too... If'n you don't mind my asking?" Archer scowled "Those Burgoyne boys...rotten to the core if you ask me ..."

"Burgoyne, huh." 　Hoss smiled, he managed to leave the room without tripping very anything and walked to his horse feeling satisfied.

The itch had gone ...

…………………

The clerk at the Telegraph Office peered up at the two men as they stepped into the building closing the door behind them. 　 He recognised them immediately - the tall Englishman and the rancher from the Ponderosa with whom he had become familiar over the years.

"Nothing yet, gents." he emphasised the point by a shake of the head, "I suggest you try later."

"It did go through, didn't it?" Laurence asked peevishly, and was rewarded with a surly look from the clerk who assured him it had 'gone through'

"We'll come back" Adam said in a voice intended to mollify the man's ruffled feathers, and indicated to Laurence that they leave by nodding towards the door.

"Time is ticking away." Laurence groaned. "And we're no nearer to having any idea as to where Anna is being held."

Adam made no comment 　except to nod and look warily about him...the street was thronged with people, well dressed families strolling together in neat orderly fashion, grubby urchins running and yelling as they threaded their way through the pedestrians, workmen in their labourers clothing, even some seamen...and the traffic on the roads were a mixed bag, all adding to the cacophony of noise all around them.

"I think we should see what Duggan has found, if anything." 　he suggested, "He may have picked up on something that could give us some idea as to which direction we should go next."

Reluctantly Laurence agreed. 　 "I had hoped we would be at sea by now..." he grumbled

Adam said nothing to that although he did feel inclined to say that they were actually " all at sea" as far as this matter was concerned, but he held back from saying a word.

Marshall Duggan was seated at his desk in an office half the size of Nate's in Virginia City. 　 He was reading some papers when Adam and Laurence were admitted to see him, and rather reluctantly he put the papers down to look at them both.

"Well, gentlemen, a fine kettle of fish this is turning out to be..." he stared at Laurence as though it was all his fault which made the younger man feel at a disadvantage. 　

Adam introduced the two men and explained to Duggan the position Laurence held with British "police" which irritated Laurence further because he wanted to say he had nothing to do with Police, he was with national security, wasn't he?　 He had enough sense to keep his mouth shut.

"Are you any closer to finding the murderer of Miss Soames?" 　Adam asked, and was satisfied at seeing a gleam of interest spread over Duggans face

"I was just reading a report on a traffic accident near to the location of the murder." He tapped the papers on his desk with a stubby forefinger "The man must have been mad, of course. 　 Your Miss Soames had been a married woman, but was widowed ...she led quite a life it seems, travelled all over...but I should think you would know all about that, Mr Willoughby, seeing she was involved with your lot!"

Laurence snorted a bit at such a reference, but merely compressed his lips more tightly together and stared at Duggan stonily.　 Duggan merely nodded before continuing as he rustled the papers "He was in such a frantic hurry to get away that he overturned his vehicle. Must have been driving that cab as though he was Ben-Hur!　 You ever read the novel, sirs?　 It makes for good reading..." 　

　
He smiled to himself for he enjoyed teasing, he caught Adams quirkier eyebrow and taut mouth and brought himself back into the subject in hand.

"A Turkish gentleman, wealthy from the indication we got from his clothing and jewellery...don't hold with men wearing jewellery myself but then he was a foreigner." 　he picked up a paper and passed it over to them "That's private information, read it and leave it here."

They read the report of the accident together, the man was named as Abdullah Pasha. Turkish but born in Egypt.　 Clothing bloodstained and a thin bladed knife, similarly bloodstained, was found on the floor of the cab.　 He had taken the Hansom cab from its last destination when the driver had gone to relieve himself.　 The horse had survived the accident, the cab had not, nor had Mr Pasha.

　　
He had been staying at a cheap hotel where there was a fair number of people living from his " neck of the woods". 　 Upon inspection there was nothing of any significance found in his rooms, except clothing, some religious items indicating his Muslim Faith, but no papers, no letters, nothing. 　

As they were reading one of Duggans men approached and handed the Marshall some paper, whispered something with his eyes darting over to Adam and Laurence.　 There was a whispered conversation between the two men, then Duggan stood up

"You sent a telegram to Angelique deSalles in Maine?"

"Yes - what if it" Laurence replied apprehensively

"Well, sir, don't expect receiving a reply any time soon..." 　Duggan replied "Miss LaSalle 　was found dead at her home in the early hours of the morning. 　 The murderer got away.　 The Police contacted me upon receipt of your telegram, sir" he looked directly at Laurence "thought it would be important and help with our situation here." 　he stroked his chin "I'd say there was an obvious connection."

Chapter 29

Neither Adam nor Laurence spoke.　 They couldn't find words to say, both of them stunned to some extent by what Duggan had said.　 Adam stepped away from the Marshalls desk and rubbed his jaw with long tubers, while Laurence shook his head in disbelief tinged with dismay.　 Duggan looked from one to the other with question marks in his eyes.

"Well?　 Is there a connection?" 　

Laurence pulled out a chair and sat down without permission, but it was not in his nature or breeding to be kept standing just to make the man feel superior. 　 He was no errant school boy up before the Head Teacher after all. 　 Adam continued to stand, his arms folded and head inclined slightly towards them both.

"Mme LaSalle may have been able to assist us in a matter concerning a missing person."

"And what connection does that have with Miss Soames?"

"That was what we were trying to find out.　 Both women were friends of the missing person but just how involved or what the association involved we don't know."

Duggan nodded, and fussed around with the papers on his desk, pausing only when Laurence asked him how Mm LaSalle had died.　 The relevant scrap of paper was located and after he had scanned the page Duggan said "Death caused by strangulation from a ligature tightened around her throat.　 The attacker came from behind."

Adam cleared his throat as he stepped towards the desk "Is there any possibility that we could see Miss Soames' killer...his body ...?"

Duggan grinned "Seeing how it's you as asked, Commodore, certainly you may." 　

He stood up and edged his way round the desk and took the lead as they left the office to walk down a long dark corridor.　 He said, over his shoulder. "I doubt if you'll know our

Mr Pasha but it's always interesting to get your opinion."

They stepped through a door marked with the grisly word "Morgue" and entered a room some degrees cooler than the one they had left.　 Several bodies were laid out on long tables.　 Sylvia was no where to be seen, obviously already despatched to wherever bodies "pending investigation" were sent.

Duggan went immediately to one body and pulled back the covering sheet then stepped back for them to see Mr Pasha for themselves.　 He had died from a broken neck, the angle of his head indicated only too clearly. 　 But he had been a handsome man despite the rictus now obvious to his features. 　 Laurence and Adam surveyed him thoughtfully, "Has Barnes identified him as the man he shawl waving the room and attacked him?' 　Adam asked as he lifted a corner of the sheet to quietly observe the man's shoes.

"Yes.　 He confirmed that this was the man who must have killed Miss Soames "

"When was that exactly?"

"Just an hour ago. 　 We wanted to make sure of the evidence before we could tell Mr Soames that we had his daughters body here." 　Duggan replied, his eyes fixed onto the shrouded body lying before him

"So Mr Soames knows ....?"

"I personally told him earlier, when we asked Mr Barnes to come and identify the body.　 Mr Soames was in no state of mind to assist. 　 The Doctor was already there and gave him another sedative."

Adam nodded, accepting Duggans statements as a matter of fact for he knew Soames to be an emotional overly sensitive man from experience.　 Memories from the past stirred momentarily to be dismissed as took a look at the man's highly polished expensive shoes.

　 Satisfied with what he had seen he dropped the sheet back into place before stepping up to where Laurence was staring thoughtfully at the man's face. 　

Duggan asked if they had seen enough to which both men nodded.　 Adam asked the Marshall if the dead man had been carrying any papers on him but Duggan shook his head "All he had on him was a wallet with some money, an envelope with Miss Soames address written on one side and his name and address on the other."

They left Marshall Duggan at the door of his office, both deep in thought as they stepped out into bright sunshine and the bustle of a crowded street and busy thoroughfare. 　　

"Did you recognise him?" Laurence asked as they turned their feet into the direction of a nearby Hansom cab, the driver of which acknowledged their custom with a lift of the hand

"Who? Pasha?" 　Adam frowned "I thought he resembled one of the men in the picture we saw in Sylvia's room..."

"More than a passing resemblance, I'd say." 　 he nodded at the cabbie and clambered into the vehicle, Adam following closely behind.

"Where to, gents?"

Laurence leaned back into the leather seat, the address he gave was the one he had read on the report Duggan had had on the desk. 　 Adam wasn't the only one who could read writing that was "upside down". 　 They settled themselves to wait out the journey to the home of the unfortunate Mr Pasha.........
…………….

Mary Ann sat close to her husband on the well padded seat of their buggy as it bounced its way along to the Ponderosa. 　 She slipped her arm through his and smiled up at him as he turned to look down at her.　 Joyce had waved them off from the door of her home, with Burgoyne by her side, his hand resting almost proprietarily on her shoulder.

"Joe, this has turned out to be rather a strange affair, hasn't it?"　

Joe frowned slightly, he had actually been thinking exactly the same thing, a strange affair indeed and although he should have been thinking more along the lines of why they had gone in the first place, all he could think about was probably the same thing as his wife ...

"In what way do you mean - strange?"

She sighed "Well, to be honest I was expecting Mr Burgoyne to be an arrogant bad tempered rude brute of a man, but he turned out to be a real gentleman, didn't he? But the main thing I was wondering - " she sighed again and her pretty face screwed up to denote her concern "How do we tell your father about Mrs Burgoyne?" 　she looked at him again, noticed the way he clenched his jaw, the flicker of wariness in his eyes.

Joe returned his attention to driving, the horse was obedient enough but it didn't pay to be distracted, "I was wonderIng the same thing. 　 How do we tell Pa one of his lady loves is back, and married to an old pal of his into the bargain."

"How serious was his romance with Joyce?"

Joe cast his mind back to that long ago time....he could recall the heat of the summer days as they worked on getting that mill built.　 The long evenings Adam had spent drawing up plans, Tom's initial excitement, the whole buzz of an old friendship coming back to life, and Joyce visiting more often than ever. 　 The overheard snippet of conversation between Adam and Ben one evening ... he sighed and shook his head　

"Serious enough for Pa to have considered asking her to marry him." 　he said quietly, "He was not happy when she left after Tom had died. 　 Whenever he had a letter from her he would look momentarily hopeful.　 Then they stopped coming..." he shrugged "I don't understand her reasoning on coming back."

"Well, it was not 100% her idea, Joe, I think her husband had some thing to do with it too." she smiled slightly, not wanting all the censorship to fall entirely upon the woman whom she had felt quite drawn too

"And they weren't comfortable about discussing Burgoynes sons, were they?" Joe said, flicking the reins to make the horse move faster.　 He was impatient to discus this matter with Hoss and get his amiable brothers opinion.

"I asked her how them while you were with Mr Burgoyne.　 She just said they had never accepted her as their step mother, only as their father's wife.　 She changed the subject but she looked - sad. 　 More than that though, she looked angry."

Joe said nothing to that for a while.　 The buggy jounced along, the horse tossed its head, it's mane and tail fluttering in the breeze created by its own movement.　 It should have been a pleasant romantic drive for the couple but their thoughts were too wrapped up with the visit they had just made.

"Burgoyne didn't flicker a muscle when he showed off the cattle ...he hasn't any idea about ranching, cattle breeding, or anything about them, his own herd!　 If one could call it that seeing as it consists mainly of our stolen beasts. 　 He just said his sons dealt with it, and the tone of his voice wasn't of pride, it was hard, bitter. 　 There's bad blood there between them, that's for sure."

"I feel sorry for Joyce.　 She suffered enough in her first marriage, she doesn't deserve to suffer again now.　 She so obviously loves Ebenezer."

Joe grinned "why does she call him Burgoyne?"

Now she laughed the girlish laugh he loved "He doesn't like the name Ebenezer, nor does she.""

.............　The children were bundled back into the wagon, flushed of face, hot and sticky, tired and weary.　 Hester took her seat beside her husband and Luke passed a drowsy Erik up into her arms so that the infant could settle into her arms and sleep there on the long journey home. 　 Neither Luke nor Hoss had mentioned their strange encounter with Archer, it was as though they didn't really think it had been real.　 The only fact they did mention was that the Burgoyne brothers seemed to be involved with the loss of the cattle.

Both Hester and Hoss were quiet for some time into the journey.　 The children dozed off, the girls cuddled up together in the back and Erik snored as he slept in Hester's arms. 　 It had been, for them, a very pleasant fun filled time with lots of running, squealing, laughing and eating.　 At times Erik and the twins had been almost hysterical with the excitement of play and pleasure, that heady hysteria children displayed when emotions ran too high.

Hester was tired too.　 She sat beside Hoss and leaned against him, forcing herself to keep her eyes open and not fall asleep. 　 Afraid that she might 　do so, and Erik topple off her lap as a result, she bundled him into his blanket and settled him in the well of the wagon, between their feet.

Hoss loved the feeling of content he always felt when Hester sat so close to him.　 Her body warmth a reassuring comfort, a physical representation of the love between them.　 The sounds around him were muted as they drove along, the sun creating shadows, the creak of wood from the wagon, the sound of the wheels, the steady "clip clop" of the horses hoofs upon the sun baked track creating dust devils to swirl just above the ground as they passed.

He smiled not only with contentment but because he would be able to provide an answer to the puzzle. 　 Was Joe going to be surprised when he told him about the Burgoyne boys! 　 　.............

The cab came to a halt outside an apartment house that was in one of the oldest areas of San Francisco. 　 It was not the smartest of places, but not the most unpleasant either, retaining an air of its former glory by being clean and modest. 　 They paid the driver and made their way into the building and mounted the stairs to the rooms that had been allocated to the murderer of Sylvia Soames.

Chapter 30

As they entered the building it occurred to Adam that cities were like little Eco systems, where branches of it broke away from the main structure to form different functions. He accepted quite readily that of Chinese communities, a town bustling with a city thronging already with a life of its own.. He also acknowledged that there were Greek and Italian communities living side by use but seperated by language, custom, tradition.　

The door led to a long hall leading to a stairway. There were several doors along the hall with numbers on them, none of which was the one they sought. They began to mount the stairs,Laurence taking the lead. The sounds around them were dulled, muted as their feet tramped along the carpeted flooring. Somewhere a baby was crying, from another direction singing and laughter, music of another country tinkling as comfortably there as in Cairo.

Laurence was walking on looking at the doors, while Adam thought back to Chinatown, a colourful rich community where men and women lived in the manner of the China they thought should exist in a free country away from the Empress. Doctors used traditional medication, religion was practised according to tradition, children were educated about their history and culture ...

And why was he thinking like this? Because he hadn't realised such a large community of other cultures had existed, thrived, in much the same way as the Chinese, Greeks and Italians and what annoyed him was that his ignorance made him feel guilty. The smell of Eygptian food permeated the building, drifted into his nostrils, reminded him of long ago meals at the house of Ibrahim Aziz Abdullah, who had been his mentor upon his arrival in Egypt.

Footsteps pattered behind him and he turned to glance over his shoulder. A woman, dressed in the traditional all encompassing garment of the Muslim, paused, stared wide eyed back at him and then scampered hurriedly back the way she had come.

"This is it." Laurence said quietly and pushed his hand against the door "it isn't locked."

Duggan's men had already been there, searching for clues that would provide reasons for Pasha's act of violence on an American woman. He had been dressed in the European style, smart and almost too much the stereotype of what he must have thought well to do Americans looked like. The two men stood in the centre of a room with little furniture, clean to the point of sterility, empty of any claim to personality.　

Adam opened a wardrobe but it contained nothing. A chest of drawers revealed only a change of under garments and shaving tackle. Laurence looked at the walls, the ceilings and then at his friend. "He didn't live here...he came, was expected to do what he did, then go ..."

Adam nodded. He walked to the window and looked down into the yard which was untidy and strewn with rubbish. "Do you think the person in Boston is safe?"

Laurence shrugged, "I don't know, I can't even imagine." he frowned "a few hours ago I would not have thought Angelique deSalle would be killed. I mean, who was she anyway? What, apart from knowing Anna did either of them have to do with ...with anything to do with Hassims murder. Or Anna's disappearance?"　

"Whatever it was ... Involved all the people who were in that picture." Adam folded his Arms and leaned against the chest of drawers "Only one of them could still be alive! "

"Anna?"

"I was thinking of the other man... It is possible that Pasha was sent here to deal with Sylvia, the other -"

"Sent to kill Angelique". Laurence murmurs and rubbed his fingers over his jaw. "Should we warn the person in Boston?"

"Unless he is the other person in the picture..."

Laurence moved restlessly around the room, shaking his head "Anna must still be alive.."

For a moment Adam didn't speak but watched his friend thoughtfully before saying very quietly that there really was no evidence to prove she was actually alive - was there? What they had was obscure to say the least. Apart from which it could all be turned to appear quite differently, and when Laurence looked rather angrily at him and demanded an explanation Adam gave him one.

"That book...Anna's journal..." he bowed his head and stared down at the floorboards for a moment to concentrate his thoughts so that what he said was making sense " a woman writes a day by day journal of her life..nothing outstanding nothing changes and then she writes an account of her husbands murder, she is an eye witness to a callous hacking down of a man she loved ..."

"She wanted it to be used as testimony against the perpetuators."

Adam nodded, although he didn't look at Laurence at all but continued to stare at the floor, his arms still folded across his body, "She must have written it some time after it happened then, if she wrote it at all."

"Of course she wrote it." Laurence forced out the words, as though his throat was too tight to get the words through his windpipe "Rachel recognised the writing..."

"How did Angelique get hold of it and when? You see, the timing doesn't fit...Sylvia got the book from Angelique but it was posted from Cyprus with instructions to her about removing the back pages. But Angelique is in Maine .. That is where Sylvia was writing to...and Barnes says that when she saw the journal she was worried, seemed upset .."

"Because of what Anna had written, of course..."　

"No, this was before she had read it. When she first held it and saw what it was ..."

Laurence shook his head and returned to the window "It was a life line to Anna, now you're confusing the whole thing..."

"No, I think it was a ruse, a trick ... "

"Then why leave it to now before saying so..." Laurence was decidedly angry, his nostrils thinned and beneath his moustache his lips tightened　

"Because it was some kind of lead at the time, of which you may remember we have a very precious few . It was logical that if there appears to be a lead then we follow it to the end...or the solution."

"Nonsense."　

"Think about it, Laurence.... what woman carries a journal around with her when she's been witness to a brutal murder and is then taken by who knows what, and taken to who knows where..." he leaned forward and looked into Laurence's eyes "and can calmly write down the event with the precision of some novelist!"　

"No, Charles confirmed Hassims death, wanted us to get the journal... "

Adam shook his head and pushed himself away from the chest of drawers, he walked to the window and looked down into the yard.　

"I think Anna did contact you when she sent you the jewellery. Rachel said Anna never took it off, always wore it .."

"It was sent with a note telling us not to look into the matter, to leave it..."

Adam nodded "She was trying to protect you. Warning you to do as she asked..."

They both started in surprise at a slow handclap from the doorway...and a deep voice murmured "Brava, well done ... "

Adam took several steps forwards and then stopped to stand beside Laurence who stood rigid and straight backed as he stared at the figure framed with the aperture of door. Behind this newcomer stood two men, armed, faces hidden behind black cloth that came from the head covering they wore. Only their eyes could be seen as they glared at the two men as though they bore a personal grudge towards them both.

But the dominant figure of the three was the spokesman who took a few steps into the room and stared at both men with eyes so dark that it smudged even into the whites of them. He was a handsome man who exuded power both mentally and physically. A man who certainly could claim the title of being a leader of men. Tall, muscular, with the straight broad shoulders of one whom knew and accepted that he was to carry the weight of responsibility upon them . He wore traditional dress, the djibborah was a soft material dyed blue with silver thread woven along its edges, his head dress was white. His beard was well groomed, perhaps his nose a little too prominent although it suited the high cheek boned features of his face

He nodded as though satisfied at seeing them there and the effect his appearance had had on them both. The dark eyes lingered on them both before he turned to Adam and the left corner of his mouth turned into a slight sneer.

"Commodore Adam Cartwright. Did you really think we would so easily forget you and allow you to live your comfortable life without hearing further from us? And you- " he turned to Laurence "you may not have played so vital a part in the drama but you interfered and are as guilty as anyone."

Laurence raised his eyebrows and looked at Adam with a look of contempt on his face "Do we know this chap, Adam?"

Adam didn't respond immediately but had not taken his eyes from the other man in the room, then inclined his head towards the Englishman "The fact is, Laurence, he knows us, although -" he paused "he looks familiar."

???? ??????. (tueal atabaeani)" their opponent snapped abruptly, and turned quickly in order to leave the room　

Adam and Laurence did what seemed the obvious thing and followed him from the bleak room in which they had been standing and out into the carpeted hall. The two guards brought up the rear behind them and inquisitive neighbours peeked out and quickly closed their doors. They went up another staircase where two armed men wearing what appeared now to be the equivalent to uniforms stood on either side of a door, which one pushed open. Both bowed from the waist as the man in the blue djubbeh passed by them.

The contrast in the decor of this room was such that both Adam and Laurence were momentarily confused by the lavish furnishings, the Arabic writings painted carefully on the walls, the bright colours of wall hangings. Richly woven rugs straight from a Cairo market were laid upon the floor several deep, colours so bright that they must have cost a very high figure to have had them imported to such an obscure setting.

A woman had appeared from another room, bent double in homage to her master, bearing exquisitely embroidered slippers for his now bare feet. She gently placed them on each foot, never once daring to look in the direction of the two "guests'.

With respect for the tradition both Adam and Laurence removed their foot wear. Nothing was said. No words were spoken. The silence grew progressively oppressive as they stood before the other man who was regarding them both with ill concealed contempt.

"You -" he glared at Adam and something in his eyes was apparent enough to warn the American to take care, to listen but watch what he said afterwards, "You and your interference held back our plan to overthrow Ismael and all those infidel dogs that kept tied to his sovereignty. El Hassim was a tool to be used and you meddled even in that..." he stepped back and sat down upon a large ornate chair from which he surveyed them as they stood before him, "you set us back in our plans but in some ways it worked to our favour . During the years the American Infidels have gone, Ismael has bankrupted the country, the people are seeing him for the - ???? - " he hesitated as he attempted to translate the word then shrugged "they see him for what he is, for what he has done to our country. The people will flock to us and support us , he will be overthrown ..."

Laurence shook his head "Tewfik is son is already waiting in the wings, he'll step into his father's shoes with British and French support. You must realise that?"

The Other man stared at Laurence and raised his chin "Did I give you permission to speak,dog?"　

He snapped his fingers and immediately the two guards stepped forward, grabbed Laurence by the arms and manhandled him to his knees. Adam moved to prevent such an action but stopped when a jab from a rifle reminded him that there two others right behind him.

"Do you remember me now, Commodore Cartwright?"　

Adam nodded " Yes, I remember you now...Adjo Ahmose."

"I almost feel flattered, Commodore....I kept in the shadows as much as I could before. Ebo Funsani was our leader but ..." he shrugged "thanks to your interference he was killed as were others of our faction. Having kept to the background I was able to slip away, regroup and regather our forces, renew contacts with our allies...we are already poised on the brink of great changes for the better."

Adam said nothing. The man obviously wanted to talk, to boast. There was always more to be gained by listening to a fanatic than reasoning with them. Beside him Laurence was pinned down still, the butts of two rifles pushed against his shoulders.

Adjo Ahmose stroked his beard, his fingers seeming to caress each hair. He flicked his fingers and the guards put a hand under Laurence's arm pits and hauled him to his feet. As calmly as he could Laurence straightened his jacket, tweaked the cuffs of his shirt sleeves and then raked his fingers through his hair. Adjo Ahmose sat back,　

"As I said earlier we did not forget you ... Nor that fool of a Russian who left Ebo to die and fled to save his own skin. I wish he were still alive today to be standing here now..." he reclined more and shrugged "Now,before you are taken away there are several questions you may want to ask me. ". he smiled slowly, a handsome man the smile made him appear quite charismatic. "Ask ... now is your only chance after all."

Adam and Laurence exchanged a glance, but it was Laurence who spoke "where is Anna El Hasssim? Is she alive? Is she safe?"　

Chapter 31

Adjo Ahmose raised his chin, his eyes crinkled as he smiled and then slowly shook his head from side to side. He sighed then, the smile faded and once again he stroked his beard with long deringed fingers. An emerald flashed as sunlight from one of the Windows touched upon it.

"How predictable you are, you English! So sentimental, so tender hearted. What is this woman to you anyway? She is nothing...a mere foolish woman playing silly games."

"She is my wife's sister ..."

Adjo shrugged "We know that..." He leaned forward as though to look deeper into Laurence's very heart 'That was what we were counting on... that over the years your wife's affection for her sister would be enough bait to lure you here."

Laurence glanced over at Adam who was standing close, watching and listening, barely moving except to breathe. He acknowledged Laurence's apologetic look with a brief nod. Adjo leaned back. A woman - perhaps the same as the earlier one got it was hard to distinguish one from another from the robes they wore - entered with refreshment on a silver tray which she placed on a small table close to Adjo. She poured the tea into the shallow porcelain cup and then hurried away, her duty done.

"Why? Why the charade?" Laurence stepped forward, hands stretched away from his body as though in appeal for the answer

"I told you already..you interfered with our plans, Ebo our leader was killed, you set our plans back years..." there was anger edging each word, and aware of it Adjo paused, picked up the cup and swallowed the tea before setting the cup back. "We declared jihud on you as soon as we had regrouped. We are patient men, it was only a matter of time before an opportunity would arise. When it came we took it..." he looked at Adam as though expecting some comment from him "you are remarkably quiet, Commodore?"

Adam gave a slight roll of the shoulders, then folded his arms across his chest. He bowed his head as though considering what to say "I would like to remind you that at the time your faction were planning to assassinate the President?"

"0h pah! Your President?" Adjo's lip curled in contempt "And where is he now? Let me tell you..he is nothing, a cypher, dying from cancer of the throat as we speak. You would have been well rid of him had we been able to achieve our ideals."　

Adam lowered his head again, scowled slightly and stared at the rug on the floor. Adjo poured out more tea, "Surely you have many questions you want answered...why not ask them?"

"I already asked the most important...where is Anna El Hassim" Laurence hissed between clenched teeth, sweat was trickling down his back, he could feel his shirt sticking to his flesh. He wished Adam would say something and flashed him a glance but Adam was deep in thoughts of his own . Adjo once again raked through his beard with his fingers, an action that Adam was finding singularly annoying. He looked over his shoulder casually and noticed the two guards at the door, standing ramrod straight. The other two men still stood close to Laurence, weapons poised.

"What about the journal?' Adam said as the silence was becoming oppressive. The man obviously wanted to waste time talking so why not get him to talk. There was always something one could learn from what was said.

Adjo frowned and nodded, a look of satisfaction on his face, "The journal." he almost purred and nodded in satisfaction "I said before it was the bait with which to hook you. You are all so predictable!"　

"Yes, having said that..." Laurence began but stopped as the guards on either side of him pressed closer upon a gesture from Adjo.

"It came into our hands when El Hassim had been killed. We were looking for his woman ... It was found in her rooms."　

"So she didn't write ..." Laurence groaned, and shook his head and for a heart beat Adam wondered if the man was going to burst into tears, but Laurence put his lips together and scowled only.

"She wrote enough for our experts to conjure up stories to make you believe it was from her ...witnessing Said El Hassims death and everything thereafter..." he frowned slightly, "Sir Charles Willoughby was involved in the negotiations in Cyprus, it was an opportune time to have it sent to our contact here...."

"Sylvia Soames was one of your contacts?" Laurence gasped "But -" he clamped his mouth shut, the implications were obvious enough

Adjo nodded "The woman liked money..." he shrugged "but she was loyal to her friends. We did not think she would send the book to your brother... Which put things on a different standing. However it still achieved what we aimed for ...it still brought you here."

"And you killed her?"

"We had no choice, she was not to be trusted...nor was the other woman.." he shrugged.

"And the contact in Boston?" Adam asked now, "I presume it is another contact?"

Adjo stared for a moment at Adam, then looked at Laurence "Pasha was sent to retrieve something from the woman...from what we understand he was unable to obtain it."

"An error on the part of your so called writing expert I guess?" Adam muttered　

"Not one he will repeat! ". Adjo's nostrils pinched making his nose appear thinner, he snorted from them and shrugged "From what you say you have the missing pages.."

"I did."

"What does that mean..you did?"

"What I said... I did have them, I don't now.'

Adjo clicked his fingers and coldly commanded his men to search the American, but after some minutes during which Adams clothing was thoroughly searched they found nothing...only his personal things and a stream of ribbon.

The silence settled upon them like a blanket the Adjo shrugged "it hardly matters now..." he gave a command and the guards closed in on the two men, "Take them - "

"But Anna..tell me where she is.." Laurence cried only to end his words with a groan as he rifle came down heavily across his shoulders and sent him sprawling upon the floor.

Adam moved to assist his fallen friend but as he did so he glanced up at Adjo who was watching with no expression on his handsome cruel face "you don't know either, do you?"

"What?" Adjo replied, startled from his complacency

"You don't know where she is either, do you?"

Adjo stared at him, his brow furrowed when he raised his eyebrows "It doesn't matter now. She served our purpose ..she is expendable after all."

As Adam leaned down to assist Laurence Adjo clicked his fingers. 　 Concern got his friend dulled Adams natural caution, as he put his hand under Laurence's arm to haul him up the butt end of a rifle swung against the side of his skull.　 He barely had time to gasp as small pin pricks of light danced in front of his eyes before being swallowed up into darkness........................

Thomas Salway leaned on the side of the schooner and stared out to the harbour.　 He had many good qualities but patience was not One of them, and it had long ran out.　 He tapped his fingers against the wooden balustrade and attempted to quell his temper as he wondered just how much longer he was going to have to wait for his two passengers.

"Hey..Viking Queen..."

Salway leaned over to observe the man below. 　 It was easy to distinguish who he was as his uniform as Harbour Master was quite distinct, along with the 　bushy red side whiskers

"What's your business."

"Coming aboard, Captain."
"As you wish"

Salway sighed, he had expected this to happen.　 He had the man tabbed as an officious little upstart when he saw him earlier in the day, now that they were overdue for departure the Harbour Master would want to know why, and from the look on the man's face he was not happy　

"Mr Peterson.." Salway nodded

"You realise you're overdue departure.."

"I do."

"Any explanation?"

"Lord Willoughby and his guest disembarked and have not returned." 　Salway rubbed his chin with his fingers and frowned "They were due to return before the arranged hour for our departure..."

"Well,that's come and gone by a long way" 　Peterson snapped and his side whiskers trembled with indignation "you realise it's put all the paperwork out of order, schedules will have to be redrawn up to suit..."

"My apologies, sir.　 If I Knew where Lord Willoughby was I would be able to assist you but as it is ...you can see I am caught between the devil and the deep." 　

"Any idea as to when you may leave harbour...?"

"None, sir.　 Soon as possible I assure you."

"I hope so. This is a prized berth ..." Peterson scowled and muttering about paperwork and schedules he tore a sheet of paper from his clipboard and handed it to Salway before turning and striding from the deck. 　

Salway heard the sound of his footsteps bouncing down the gangplank.

Some moments later and Evans approached asking for directions on what to go next.

"Should I be getting a meal prepared or what, sir?"

Salway was hungry enough to eat a horse, and snapped out that of course a meal should be prepared, they all needed to eat didn't 　they?

He walked from one end of the deck to the other and was wondering whether or not to disembark himself and thereby miss eating and risk getting lost, when a voice halloo'd from below.　 He leaned over to see two men standing by the gangplank.

"Permission to come aboard, Captain?"

"Who are you?"

"Marshall Duggan, San Francisco Law Enforcement and Deputy Harris."

"Has something happened to Lord Willoughby?" 　Salway demanded anxiously

"Can we discuss that on deck,sir?"

　Moments later Salway was facing the Marshall who was trying not to look too enviously at the trappings of the luxury vessel. 　 "What can I do for you, Marshall..

"I'd like a word with Lord Willoughby and Adam Cartwright If'n I may...I was a mite worried that they would have sailed off before I got here with some information for them."

"As you can see we have not sailed...primarily because since seeing you Lord Willoughby and his guest seem to have disappeared...but if you do have any information you can leave it here and I'll pas it on to them when they return"

Duggan frowned and shook his head 　"They've been gone some time then..."

"They have." 　Salway paused, frowned and rubbed along his jawline again, "To be honest, Marshall, I'm getting rather concerned, 　I expected them back long before this, and had been thinking of looking in on you for help.."

Duggan nodded "You Were right to be anxious, Captain, this is turning out to be a very odd business. 　 　Is there anything in their cabin that may be a clue as to where they would have gone?"

Salway shrugged and confessed that he had no idea but upon Duggans request to 'check things out' nodded agreement and followed the Marshall to the cabin.

Duggan looked around him, there seemed nothing obvious..but clues didn't usually jump to attention to be noticed so he had a good look around...noticed the journal but ignored 　it.　 The coat of arms threw him into assuming it was some private journal of Lord Willoughby...and everyone knew these English Lords went into coats of arms in a big way, 　 He did however find the papers on the table interesting especially with the names on them that were familiar, especially one recently having become a murder victim.　 He shovelled them up into his hand and shoved them into his pocket.

After scribbling out a receipt for the papers and handing it to Salway,the Marshall and his deputy left the cabin "Ask the gentlemen to come by my office as soon as they get back."
Salway sighed "and if they don't get back." he asked

Duggan paused, frowned and shook his head "I'd rather not think along those lines, sir, if you don't mind"

Salway watched the lawmen leave and rubbed his brow.　 He knew if anything had happened to Laurence Willoughby the there would be trouble from the Foreign Office and he would no doubt be kicked out of a very lucrative position.　 At the same time his hands were tied, he couldn't leave the schooner...wherever the two men were all Salway could do was exercise the patience that was already stretched to the limit, and wait.

From his seat in his carriage Adjo Admose looked at the sleek lines of the schooner and waited.　 The horses snorted, impatient to continue the journey, the vehicle rolled back and forth a little as a result.　 But Admose was s very patient man, he had proven that by taking his time in getting Laurence and Adam under his control.　 He waited ..

The man sent by Adjo to board the schooner was a stealthy man.　 It had been no problem

to him to swim to the side of the vessel and go hand over hand along the hawser and over the side.　 His soft landing was overheard by no one and he carefully made his way below decks.

He avoided the cabins where voices were heard and peeked into others until he came to one he felt was one that would be used by a guest.　 He felt pleased with himself when he recognised the journal and carefully picked it up, flicked through the pages and was wondering why the pages his Master wanted were not there..

"'Ere, wotcher doin' of in 'ere?"

Evans stood squarely in the centre of the doorway, blocking the intruders escape route.　 Hands on hip and thrusting out his jaw Evans advanced "you put that down, matey, and come along with me."

The intruder had no intention of putting anything down, he did however Intend not to be caught and in one very swift movement had pulled a dagger from his belt and thrown it forcefully at the Englishman. 　 It missed doing Evans any harm but did pin his shirt sleeve to the wall, leaving him concentrating more on trying to free himself than stopping his attacker from escaping. 　

By the time he was free and swearing blue blazes, the man was.placing the journal into the hands of his master and the carriage was jouncing on its way.　

Chapter 32

Ben sat in the saddle and did not move. Just being there in the yard of the Ponderosa again was so satisfying a feeling that he felt overwhelmed. A song bird was singing somewhere, trilling its little heart out as it warbled it’s song; a wisp of a cloud drifted across a blue sky. Familiar smells wafted around him, the sounds of the horses as they moved in the corral, the fence posts being pushed as they bunched against them, the drip of the water from the pump that filled the trough…even the sound of Hop sings chickens were like a symphony to his ears.

He was home. It was a wonderful feeling. For a moment he didn’t want it to end. No traffic noises, no clanging from those frightful tram vehicles, no yelling and shouting as people attempted to have conversations within the mass of people thronging the streets, no smells of too many bodies thrust together, and the smell of heat and dust…

He relaxed and smiled. Then slowly dismounted from Cinnamon, and led him into the stable. Chubb was there, and turned his head to look at his stable mate who nodded in a way that it was tantamount to a humans shrug of the shoulders. Cinnamon didn’t appreciate being left in the livery stable in town, but what choice did he have in the matter? Ben unsaddled him, fixed up a bag of hay within his reach and slapped him on the back as he removed the bridle and bit, the harness, the saddle blanket.

It had been very satisfying leaving Olivia with the children who were being brought home on the wagon under Ezra’s care. Ben had collected Cinnamon, and passed them as they trundled down the main street, the children waving, Nathaniel calling out to him…but as much as he loved them, Ben had had enough of children to last him a life time.

Having thought that he reminded himself that he now had to face Hannah, Hope and Erik. He sighed, well, why not? He had not seen them in a week .. He removed his hat and as he walked to the house he beat the dust from his pants with it, wondering if anything untoward had occurred during his absence.

Hester was opening the door wide as he stepped onto the porch, and then gave him a hug, “Oh Pa, we thought you would never get here.”

“I was thinking the same…” he smiled and paused, stopped to look over his shoulder up at the sky, to listen to the song bird before he turned back to her “I took my time riding home. It was good to be back…”

“Hop Sing has prepared your favourite meal Joe won’t be long, he wanted to see you as soon as possible.” she paused and her smile faltered a moment, before flashing back, “Did you enjoy your visit? How is Olivia? Did she get her new glasses,was everything alright? How is Martha? I thought she would be coming back with you…”

So on she chattered as she made way for him to step into the house, and he put his hat down and removed his jacket while she chattered on “ I left the children with Mary Ann. I thought you would prefer a quiet time to collect your thoughts and talk things over with Hoss and Joe.”

“That was thoughtful of you, Hester, I must admit having spent a whole week with children’s company I looked forward to some time to myself. Has everything been alright here?”

“Yes, well, yes, I suppose so….Hoss will give you - ah here he is-” she scowled at her husband and shook her head, as though rebuking him for having left here just as Ben arrived. “Martha hasn’t come, Hoss…”

“Shucks, thought she would -” Hoss mumbled and grinned at Ben, his blue eyes twinkled with the pleasure of seeing his father and he gave Ben a hearty slap on the back which made Ben stagger a bit, he had been anticipating a son and father embrace but was caught literally flat footed.

“Martha is very ill.” he explained and followed Hoss into the main sitting area of the room, removed a toy from the settee and sat down, while Hoss settled in to the big leather chair as though he had prior rights to it. It crossed Ben’s mind that he wouldn’t be surprised to see Hoss take a pipe and start smoking it.

They murmured sympathy, listened as he told them what was wrong with the woman and sighed, Hester leaned forward and kissed his cheek, “I had hopes she would come back, but that isn’t good news, Pa. I am sorry.”

Hoss cleared his throat, the mention of good news nudged his brain to considering the fac that he had bad news to impart. He glanced at Ben “You did enjoy your vacation though, Pa, didn’t you”

“Well, son, it was like the curate’s egg, some parts were good and some were just plain awful.” Ben sighed and stood up, “Now get yourself out of my chair and let me get comfortable.”

Hoss sighed and relinquished possession of the old leather chair, took his seat on the settee and opened his mouth to speak, then closed it again at the sound of hoof beats.

Just as Joe’s boots were heard on the porch outside Hester appeared with a tray laden with coffee which she set upon the low table. She smiled at Ben, “How are Adam and Olivia, and the children -?”

“Ah well, I have something I need to discuss with you about -”

“Hi Pa,” Joe stepped into the house and the door closed with its usual thud upon his entry. He removed his hat and slung it on the bureau, nodded to Hoss and smiled at Hester who hurried out to the kitchen to get another cup and saucer. “It’s real good to see you home, Pa.”

“I’m glad to be home, son. I hope never to step foot in San Francisco ever again.”

“Huh changed has it since the last time we were there?” Hoss muttered and glanced over at Joe, raised his eyebrows and nodded.

“Like a nightmare…” Ben leaned back and half closed his eyes, if he didn’t know better he could swear that his two youngest had something up their sleeves….he wondered what they had been plotting while he was away, or - had something happened that they were building up the courage to discuss with him. “Well, anyway, seems like the Ponderosa hasn’t burned down any.”

“No, sir. No, not that - “ Joe stammered and faltered, then looked over at Hoss who drew in a deep breath.

“That’s good. No flash floods, no one killed while in town..the children all healthy ..”

“Yep, everything’s just fine, Pa.” Hoss said and then gulped “Well, that is, mostly everything is just fine.”

Hester appeared and put down the cup and saucer, then began to pour out the coffee. In the quietness that Hoss’ announcement had created she handed out the cups and then quickly left the room. Perhaps this would be a good time to visit Olivia and welcome her home….

Sofia was first into the house, calling out to Cheng Ho Lee in her shrill voice which held a smile in every word. Reuben followed close on her heels and gave her just a little shove as though she were not moving fast enough. Olivia came with Nathaniel in here arms, he had fallen asleep, bounced about on the wagon and too hot and dusty to want to stay away he was not snoring softly, his cheeks red from the warmth of his contact with Olivia’s body.

“Cheng - we’re back.”Sofia cried, and flung her arms wide to give him a hug, “did you miss us/”

“Very much little missy.”

He bowed to Olivia as he always did, a smile on his pleasant handsome face, his dark hair pulled tightly back in its custumary pig tail. He slid his hands in the wide sleeves of his tunic and nodded as Olivia gently settled Nathaniel down on the settee. “The boxes you send from city arrive yesterday, Missy.”

“Oh I am glad.” Olivia said and pulled out the hat pin from her bonnet which she removed carefully, “I was hoping they would come before we got home.”

She smiled at Cheng and was about to say more when Sofia ran into the room, “Mommy, mommy, there’s some boxes in here, big ones.”

She ran to her mother arm outstretched and grabbed at her mother’s hand “Come and see, mommy, come and see.”

“In a moment, Sofia…calm down now.”

“But mommy -”

A sound from the stairs and Olivia glanced up, then looked at Cheng who bowed his head and said something about getting some refreshments while Olivia looked up at Bridie Martin who was descending the stairs with an anxious look upon her face.

“Bridie?” Olivia paused, concern changed to pleasure, she chided herself for thinking that her friend’s presence meant bad news, when it was just a delight to see her again “How lovely to see you here, Bridie, I wasn’t expecting such a surprise.” she paused “Is everything alright?”

Why had she even asked such a thing? Of course everything was alright…after all the only one with bad news was herself, having to tell friends that Adam was not coming home - yet. But something about how Bridie came down the stairs made Olivia anxious “Is Paul - alright?”

“Pauls fine, my dear.” Bridie took the last step and then listened for a moment as Sofia told her that there were big boxes in the other room full of presents for everyone, “and one for you too, Bridie.”

“Thankyou, dear, how lovely.” Bridie said and nodded, smiled and then looked at Olivia “Olivia, something has happened…”

Olivia felt her stomach lurch and she looked at her little daughter who was hopping from one foot to the other from impatience “Go and get some lemonade. Hurry now…”

Cheng Ho Lee made the best lemonade so Sofia was not bothered about staying with her mother and Bridie, she ran off, giggling at nothing, happy just to be home.

Olivia approached Bridie and reached for her hand “What’s wrong, Bridie?”

“I don’t really know how to put it…”

“Then just say it…” Olivia glanced upstairs “Is there someone up there …”

“Yes. Yes, there is.” Bridie nodded and clasped Olivia’s hand tightly “A young woman. She arrived in town two days ago. She was very ill, and collapsed just as she reached Paul’s surgery”

“And you thought to bring her here?”

“We thought it better - wiser -” Bridie frowned, “She said she was a friend of Adams. She was feverish you understand, and kept demanding that she had to see Adam.” she bit her lip, and frowned, cast her eyes down “In view of her condition…”

“Condition?”

“Yes. She is due to have a baby very soon.” she tightened her grip on Olivia’s hand as the young woman started forward “Wait. It may not be as bad as it appears, Olivia. We don’t’ know who she is, she wouldn’t say..just insisted that she had to see Adam Cartwright. They were old friends. Well, you can imagine what it would have seemed like if it became - known in town - you understand?”

Olivia nodded. Her stomach turned over and over. “Due to have a baby soon?”

“Paul gives her a few days at most.”

“I see.” Olivia put cold fingers to her forehead, the cold seeped down through her skin making her tingle, she felt sick, that meant nine months ago - “She’s a stranger in town?”

“Yes, she got off the stage and managed to ask where the Doctor’s surgery was…thankfully that was all said… before she passed out outside Paul’s door.”

“Young and pretty I suppose?” Olivia’s lips clamped tight.

“Well, not that young, your age I should say and yes, she is pretty…”

“Of course, she would be …” Olivia muttered and stood up, straightened her shoulders “And you brought her here?”

“Where else could we take her?” Bridie said quietly, “Unless you want the whole town to know…”

Olivia shuddered, nine months ago, where was Adam nine months ago? Where had he been? She couldn’t think straight, she couldn’t remember.

“Well, I had better go and see this - lady - and get the truth out of her.” she muttered and then looked at Bridie, “I don’t believe what you’re thinking, Bridie, you know that, don’t you?”

Bridie said nothing, but she just nodded and followed Olivia up the stairs.

Chapter 33

But what was she thinking? Olivia stopped at the half landing and slowly removed her glasses, wiped tears from under her eyes with her finger and bowed her head. Behind her Bridie paused and put a hand on her younger friends shoulder, unsure now as to whether or not she had done the right thing in bringing the stranger to this house.

The sounds of childrens laughter, high pitched voices, Sofia saying “Oh Nathaniel -” in that tone of voice that meant he had done something wrong already seeped up the stairs and for a moment filled the space between thoughts.

Olivia sighed and replaced her glasses. She had never doubted Adams faithfulness to her, never. Not even when her own sister accused him of immoral relations with her. When had this started. Still she hesitated on the stairs and stared up at those she still had to climb, she drew in a deep breath and put a foot forward, then the other…

Sylvia Soames slipped into her mind, that beautifully dressed woman who stood at the table with her father, and looked her in the eyes as though she was looking at someone who had made herself a pathetic spectacle by thinking she could dress as smartly as herself. Sylvia Soames who had smiled when her father had asked Olivia ‘Not wearing your new glasses’ as though Olivia were some school marm - it seemed from thereon everything had gone wrong.

“What is it, dearie?” Bridie whispered “Are you unwell?”

Unwell? Olivia quelled, with agreat effort, the desire to turn on the woman and scream “How do you expect me to feel? You’ve brought a stranger to my house…a pregnant woman - asking for my husband - how could you? How dare you….”

“Olivia, believe me, if I could think of where else I could have taken her I would have done, but she was so insistent on seeing Adam…I couldn’t risk others seeing or hearing her, you do understand don’t you?”

Olivia bowed her head and finally mounted the last stair and placed her foot on the landing, she turned then to Bridie “Does Hester know? Or Mary Ann?”

“No- only Cheng Ho Lee, Paul and Jimmy.”

Olivia nodded and tilted her head to one side to survey Bridie’s homely face, the anxious eyes, “I know this may look bad -”

“It’s in the minds of people whether or not it is bad…they take what they see and hear as fact -” Bridie placed a gentle hand on Olivia’s arm “Why not just go in and confront her.”

“And she has no name?”

“She wouldn’t tell us what her name was - “ Bridie frowned “She had only one bag, which contained some clothing, expensive clothing may I add - and a box.” she paused then, “We thought the box may contain her identity papers but it was locked. It’s a very lovely box, we didn’t dare to risk damaging it by forcing the lock.”

“Nothng else? No baby clothes - no - letters - nothing?” Olivia removed her glasses again and nervously walked a few steps towards the guest room door.

Bridie only shrugged and followed closely behind Olivia, whose heart was beating so hard that it echoed in her ear drums and prevented her from hearing what Bridie said next. She placed her hand on the door knob and pushed the door open.

The woman in the bed was sleeping. It looked as though she had not slept in months, nor eaten for she was so thin that the clothes she wore hung on her small frame and exposed too much flesh as a result. She may have been as thin as a lathe but her swollen belly was evidence of a very advanced pregnancy. Olivia looked at Bridie

“I see what you mean - she looks ready to give birth any time.”

Bridie nodded and walked to the bed, took hold of the limp hand and felt for the woman’s pulse. She sighed and smiled briefly, “It’s stronger than it was…I was fearful for a moment that she would not survive the confinement.”

“Has she eaten while she’s been here?”

“Cheng made her something to eat. She ate some she drinks mostly.”

Olivia approached the bed and looked down onto the face of the woman who was Adam’s friend. Bridie had obviously taken the trouble to tidy the woman up as much as she could, the dark hair was braided, it was long but some loose curls of it fell across her thin face. The eye sockets were bruised from lack of sleep and food, the woman had, Olivia could see, suffered greatly. She looked over at Bridie

“Who could she be, Bridie? The woman looks as though she’s gone through agonies during the past few months.”

“She’s spoke gibberish when she was delirious…not exactly gibberish, that’s unfair of me to say that, foreign - some language I’ve never heard before…the only English she has spoken was to ask for Adam and insist on their being good friends.”

Bridie looked anxiously at Olivia and wondered what she was thinking, what was passing through her mind now? She reached out to take hold of Olivia’s hand, and was surprised at how cold it was and she shook her head “Adam would not do what others would assume, Olivia, you know that, don’t you?”

“What do you mean?” Olivia glanced at Bridie with some degree of arrogance in her voice “Do you seriously think I’d assume that this woman was - had been - having an affair with my husband?”

Bridie said nothing, bit her lip and sighed, then pushed her fingers through her greying hair, “It is what others in town would have thought seeing her, hearing her talking about Adam.”

Olivia shook her head impatiently. Yes, alright, she had for a fleeting moment - perhaps five - dreaded the possibility of her husband’s unfaithfulness and the results of it coming right to her door. What else could she think after all, she was only a woman, and how many women past the bloom of youth and with three children have husbands who had a mistress or two on the side? But not Adam…and she felt a niggle of shame turn in her stomach.

The woman stirred and opened her eyes. They were large brown eyes, certainly too large for the thin face, but they added to her prettiness, even now. There was no doubting the fact that the woman had, prior to this fall to misery, been very lovely.

Her eyes locked onto Olivia and seemed to rake through her before she said “You are Adam’s wife? Olivia?”

Her voice was soft, weary. But it had an American accent with a slight sing song lilt which added to the charm of her voice. “Is Adam here?”

“No. I’m sorry, he isn’t - I mean, yes, I am Olivia Cartwright.” she tried to sound stern, compassionate but stern. The ‘I’m sorry for your plight but don’t mess with me -’ sound of voice. She drew herself upright and watched as Bridie re-arranged the pillows to help the woman sit up.

“Shakrun - I mean - thank you.” the woman said and then placed hand upon Bridie’s arm, “Thank you for all your help, Mrs Martin. Thank you for bringing me here - I know I will be safe now - I know Adam will help me.”

Bridie and Olivia exchanged a look and Olivia sighed and pulled over a chair to the bedside and sat down, “Perhaps you could tell us what your name is, and why you are here?”

The woman looked surprised, her eyebrows rose and then fell, she bowed her head and sighed “I am Anna El Hassim -”

“Rachel’s sister?” Olivia interrupted, her voice an octave higher than usual “You are - Anna El Hassim?”

“Yes, I said so. I couldn’t before, I just couldn’t risk telling anyone who I was because I - I was afraid.”

“Well,” Bridie said stoutly “You needn’t be afraid now, you’re safe here.” and she patted Anna on the shoulder to reassure her while she looked over at Olivia and raised her eyebrows. There was a mystery here somewhere, and thankfully Olivia seemed to know what it was -

“You know me? Adam has spoken of me perhaps?”

“But they’re looking for you…Adam and Laurence, they’re in San Francisco looking for you.” Olivia said softly,

“What do you mean? I told them not to get involved - not to look for me. Why is Laurence in San Francisco?”

“Rachel and Laurence both came over - they came to ask Adam for help in finding you.”

Anna’s eyes went wide, the pupils dilated, she shook her head “No, no, I told them not to get involved, I sent my necklace so that they would know it was from me…they were not to get involved, not to come 0 no no, this is -” she put her face in her hands and struggled to keep calm, gulping down air, trying to control her breathing.

“They got your journal-”

“My what?”

“Your journal…it was sent to Charles and then to Sylvia -”

“Sylvia Soames?”

“Yes, a friend of yours?”

“Yes, I suppose she is, she and Angelique were good friends for a while but - she had my journal?” Anna leaned forward as though she had to draw closer to Olivia to absorb exactly what she said.

“She had your journal and gave it to Laurence and Rachel…”

“Here? In America?”

“In San Francisco … and they were going to come here to ask Adam for help but -” she paused, “How good a friend was Sylvia to you?”

“Oh - “ Anna smiled, a slight whimsical smile, and shrugged her thin shoulders “She was just a friend who was passing through Cairo one time, no one I would expect too much from, a butterfly - Said - my husband - used to say not to rely too much on that one…” her composure cracked, her lips trembled and tears trickled down her cheeks.

“I know your husband died - Anna, I am sorry. Rachel and Laurence told us - it was in your journal -”

“I never wrote about that in my journal…” she mustered up some strength and shook her head “I never wrote anything in my journal about what happened - the last time I saw it, it was in my room. I - I just don’t understand - where is Adam? Where is Laurence and Rachel now?” she glanced around her, looked suddenly wild and frightened “Are they here?”

………………..

Joe stretched out his legs and released his breath. In a way it was just great that Ben had some bad news of his own to impart, it delayed the telling of their own. He toyed with the button of his jacket while he listened to what Ben was telling them about events in San Francisco, his eyes focused on his father’s face, the brown eyes, the anxiety in those brown eyes. He had seen it so often, for him, Hoss and Adam - a father concerned for his sons, and he knew that one day, he would look like that because his babies would not remain babies for long.

“So, when is he coming back, do you know?” Hoss asked quietly

“I don’t even know where they are going…fact is, I don’t think even they have a clue as to where they are going.”

“And it isn’t anything to do with the Navy, or the Government?” Joe asked now, his eyes narrowed. “Nothing political?”

“Even that - I don’t know - “ Ben shrugged “But Adam - well - you know how he feels about friendship and loyalty”

“I don’t understand it - you go away for a weeks vacation and come home minus one son, who could be sailing off anywhere while there’s murder and goodness knows what else going on in San Francisco.” Joe shook his head, and scowled.

“It just started off with a request from friends to help them find a lost woman…” Ben sighed and looked at Hester who sighed as well, and took hold of his hand in sympathy.

“Is Olivia alright?” she asked now, wondering just how her friend would be feeling at coming home without her beloved husband.

“She actually encouraged him to go…not because she wanted him to go, but because -”

“Yeah, because if he came home then he’d be itching to know what he had missed out on.” Joe muttered and scowled.

Ben nodded and leaned back in his chair, he sipped his coffee and then after a moments silence regarded his two sons thoughtfully “Well, at least nothing went wrong here, did it?”

He wasn’t sure why he added “Did it?” perhaps just an awareness that there was a 99% possibility of things going wrong with Hoss and Joe in charge of anything while he was absent from home. He looked from one face to the other and sighed, put his cup back in the saucer “Well, so? What happened?”

Hoss looked at Joe and shrugged, his blue eyes rolled up and round, his nose twitched. Joe sighed and leaned forward as though about to confide big things to his father, he opened and closed his mouth several times like a fish struggling to breathe when first pulled out of the water.

“It isn’t as serious as anything Adam has got himself into, Pa. Nothing like that at all…just a little … mystery.”

“Mystery?” Ben closed his eyes for a moment, and clasped his hands together over his stomach, “There’s nothing I like more than going away on holiday and coming home to the warmth and comfort of my own home…to peace and tranquillity …and a mystery.”

“Yeah, well, it ain’t that much of a mystery. I think we got it all sewn up - just need to tidy up a few things is all.” Hoss said suspiciously

“Oh, well, that’s good isn’t it? Just a few things to tidy up - so not such a mystery after all.” Ben replied sarcastically.

Joe cleared his throat “Well, thing is - we have new neighbours. Do you remember hearing about them?”

“No. Enlighten me.” Ben opened his eyes and looked at the two men, then at Hester who was wondering whether or not she should slip away and join Hop Sing in the kitchen.

“Ebenezer Burgoyne, his wife and two sons….” Hoss said and glanced at Joe, raising his eyebrows again, asking the question ’Do you tell him or not?”

Joe leaned forward, his clasped hands fell between his knees as though in an attitude of prayer, he looked at the rug and then at his father “Does the name Ebenezer Burgoyne seem familiar to you, Pa?”

He glanced up to look into Ben’s face and his father stared at him for a moment and shook his head “No, should it?”

“Well, he claims to know you.” Joe replied and batted his eyelids a little as he began to get a trifle nervous

“Ebenezer Burgoyne?” Ben ran a hand along his jaw and shook his head, then stared into the further reaches of the room, then up at the ceiling. He repeated the name “Ebenezer Burgoyne…did he say how he knew me?”

“A long time ago, when you were boys on board ship…” Hoss blurted and was gratified to hear Ben’s exhalation of”Aaaah”

They were silent for a moment or two waiting for Ben to say something else. For a while he sat there ruminating, stroking his chin, his mouth widened into a grin, then into a smile.

“Ebenezer Burgoyne…goodness, that goes back a long time. And he’s moved here?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Well now, isn’t that something.” Ben breathed, “Eb and I were good friends when we were lads. Signed on at the same time you see, I think I was 14 and he was only 12, got me to lie about his age for him, in case the Captain turned him away. We had good times together, yes, very good times.”

“And then you parted company?” Joe nudged the memories along, impatient to get the conversation over with…no mention of lost calves or rustling …yet.

“Yes, but that’s life - he signed on with another ship that was going where he wanted to go, somewhere exotic. I stayed with Abel, for obvious reasons, I wanted to court his daughter.” Ben smiled dreamily, Elizabeth …sweet Elizabeth and he sighed, caught in the moment and for that moment his sons let him drift

“So? What brought him here? Does he know about the Ponderosa?” he looked at them both, caught the look that passed between them, and frowned “Well now, have we at last hit upon what the mystery is all about?”

“Not really, Pa.” Hoss said cagily.

“Sort of, but not quite….” Joe replied.

“Pa, Ebenezer Burgoyne married an old friend of yours -” Hester said quietly, and put his hand on his arm “Joyce Edwards.”

For a moment Ben sat there as though the name meant nothing, then they saw the red blush creeping above his collar, and the dark eyes were lowered “I see. Joyce…well, I guess that explains why she stopped writing back to me.”

“They married about ten years ago.” Joe said quickly

Ben nodded, did a quick calculation, so at least there was five to six years between her leaving to her marrying Burgoyne. He sighed, shook his head, water under the bridge now, he told himself. “How is she? IS she well?”

“Sure she is, Pa. She and Burgoyne seem - “ Hoss gulped a swallow “seem real happy together.”

“So - any reason why they came here to live?” Ben asked

“She - I think she wanted to come back, she loved it here…” Hester said quietly “And her husband had two good reasons for wanting to come back apart from pleasing her.”

“Oh, two good reasons…well, what are they?”

“His sons!” Hoss muttered and scowled.

“By his first wife, who happened to be related to Walter Gregsons wife…another thing that drew them here as well.” Joe explained.

“So I take it that you don’t particularly like these Burgoyne boys?”

“We think they went in for a spot of rustling, Pa…from us, Luke and Derwent….all neighbouring ranches to Greigson and Burgoyne land.”Joe glanced up at Ben and saw the dark eyes darkening, the generous mouth tightening.

“Have you seen Nate about it?”

“Not yet…”

Ben sighed and leaned back in his chair, he nodded…”Very well then, we’ll go into town to morrow and get this rustling business sorted out.”

Hester stood up, brushed down her skirts and then kissed Ben on the top of his head, she decided not to mention that he was beginning to go bald, perhaps he knew that already…

“Happy homecoming, Pa.”

Ben shook his head and reached for his pipe, he held it in his hand for a moment, and sighed as memories of Joyce rose to the forefront of his mind….Joyce, he’d loved her enough to want her for a wife …and now here she was, back in his life again, and married to a man who had at one time been closer than a brother to him.

Chapter 34

RETURN TO LIBRARY