Vanessa Warrick wrapped her long fingers around the weed and pulled. It didn't budge. Growling at herself, she hitched up her plain brown skirt and braced her foot against the planking of the white fence around her Aunt Sarah's herb garden, and tried again. It came loose, but sent Vanessa flying onto her backside, skirt now exposing the creamy paleness of her right calf. Blowing out her breath, Vanessa wiped her face with her right arm and stared at the weed in her left hand. "You know," she said to it, getting to her feet and gathering to pile of weeds she'd pulled moments earlier, "it's times like this that make me wish I'd stayed on the Ponderosa." There came a laugh from behind her and she turned to see her aunt watching her from the small porch of her grand New Orleans home. Vanessa let the plants drop into the trash pail and raised her eyebrows at the older woman, "What's so funny?" Sarah walked towards her niece a bright smile on her face, "You were talking to yourself again."

When Vanessa had appeared on her front stoop almost a year ago, Sarah hadn't asked any questions, just led the poor girl into her parlor and let her cry her eyes out. Between the great wracking sobs, dear little Nessa had told her about what had happened. Apparently, there was something about a man named Ethan Lamb, his brother, and how they had conspired to get the Summerset, Nessa's ranch. The two had fled to the Ponderosa to seek the help of the Cartwrights, whom Sarah only knew through reputation, and Nessa had fallen in love with the oldest boy, Adam. She had thought that was the end of her troubles, but that was really where it had started. Vanessa's father had been killed by a Paiute tribe on their way home for that fall, Nessa couldn't possibly stay with the family of her fiance while planning the wedding...that and her father wanted one last winter with his little girl. Nessa had had to take over the Summerset, and had put off her wedding plans, indefinitely. Adam hadn't really like the idea, and had come to the Summerset to claim his bride. They'd had a falling out over the situation, and Adam had left, with no guarantee that he'd ever return. Nessa had given the ranch as a wedding gift to one of her favorite hands and her best friend, and had gone after Adam. But when she'd reached Virginia City, she'd caught wind of Adam's plans to marry another woman, one Laura Dayton. She'd taken for granted that Adam could have been found attractive by another woman, and as such had taken the news hard. That was when she'd booked passage on the stage and then a train to New Orleans to start a whole new life.

Nessa shrugged and grabbed the handle of the pail, heading for the manure shed down the hill. After a few steps she turned back to her aunt, "You coming along or am I going to talk to myself the whole way there and back?" Sarah picked up the hem of her rich gown and followed her niece. "what were you talking about?" She asked, knowing the answer. Nessa shrugged again and tossed the weeds into the a pile waiting for burning near the shed, "Just thinking about stuff." Sarah looked at her niece again and took her face in her hands, "And why didn't you stay to fight for your man?" Nessa tore herself away form her aunt and started back up the hill, "If I had, you and Elizabeth wouldn't have me for company!" Elizabeth was Nessa's cousin on her father's side, and had come to stay with Aunt Sarah just before Nessa had arrived. Sarah shook her head and hurried to walk beside Vanessa, "Not that I mind, but I just asked a question." Nessa set the pail down on the porch and wiped her hands on her skirt, "I think you know why Auntie. I'd already lost, and I was about to make a fool of myself over something that was already a lost cause."

Elizabeth came out of the house then, a package in her hands, "Nessa, this just came for you." It was a smaller bundle, wrapped in brown paper and tied off with twine. Ness took the package from her cousin and opened it. It was a book, and she'd opened it upside down. Turning it over in her hands, she was surprised to see the title. The Collection of William Shakespeare's Sonnets. Opening the cover, Nessa's eyes widened as she read the hand written note inside:

To a woman whose beauty is worth a thousand words

Forever yours, Adam Cartwright