Scary Mary ~ Chapter 1
It only took one bullet. The little animal jumped once and lay still. Joe put his gun back in his holster looking down at the dog.
Barney laughed and slapped Joe on the back.
"I never thought you'd do it, he's deader than a rattle snake in a frying pan Joe" he laughed.
Joe looked up at the sudden gasp of horror.
She ran over throwing herself to the ground beside the dead animal. Despite protests from some women who had gathered she took the dog in her arms and rocked slightly back and forth, tears streaming down her cheeks.
"Rusty," she whispered in agony, her finger's lost in it's sandy coloured fur.
"I had to," Joe choked out. "The carriage hit him, his back was broken. I'm sorry."
"You don't need to do no apologies Joe, that's the law of the land right there. Animal's need to be shot iffn they are no use no more."
"Shut up Barney," Joe snapped.
"I'll bury him," Joe went to take the dog from her.
"No!...no," she got slowly to her feet. a small crowd had gathered and they watched as she walked slowly in the direction of home crying softly to herself, still carrying the dog.
"She's a strange one," the women tutted as they watched her go.
"If she worried more about finding a man who'll keep her and less about a mangy dog she'd be a sight better off," they nodded to each other.
~o~
Annie served him up beef casserole and biscuits, his favourite. Joe gave her a brief smile but picked at the food in front of him half heartedly.
"Something happen at the mill," she asked softly.
Joe shook his head. "I'd sooner not talk about it," he told her.
"You know how Adam gets," she smiled. "he want's everything done yesterday. He doesn't mean to rial ye Joe."
"It weren't Adam, I said I don't want to talk about it," he told her sternly.
She smiled her apology and got on with eating her own meal.
Annie's apologetic smiles always softened Joes heart.
"I'm sorry," he said eventually.
"It wasn't Adam, it was Mary Morgan," he told her.
"Mary Morgan, what did she do, she is a bit of a strange fish."
"She didn't do anything Anne, it was me. I shot her dog."
She looked at him with gentle eyes as he continued the tale.
"He ran out in front of a carriage Annie. he came back to the curb and his back was twisted, his right leg..." Joe didn't continue with the gruesome narrative.
"Annie, he was suffering. I had to shoot him."
"It sounds like you did Joe but..."
"But..." Joe's eyes began to well up.
"People were laughing Annie as if it were funny. She had him in her arms and she was cryin and people around were laughing."
Joe swiped at his face as he spoke.
"Every time I see her in town that mangy dog is following behind her. God damn it, why don't she get some real friends Annie." Joe swiped at his face again.
"You didn't take her best friend. you gave him peace." Annie took his hand as she spoke.
"You know enough about animals to know when their time is up. If you had left it to her she would have taken him home, nursed him for days watching him suffer and he would have died anyway. You saved him from suffering on Joe."
Annie's words penetrated Joes heavy heart and the feelings of guilt he had been harbouring all day began to fade.
"I just wish there was something more I could have said or done."
"There wasn't Joe. Nothing you could say would have made a difference. She'll get over it in time, time is a great healer but it does no good making yourself uneasy about it. it was an accident Joe. In time she'll see the sense in what you did."
Joe looked into Annie's kind face.
"Thanks Annie. " he said sincerely.
"Now eat that up while it's still warm," she told him mock sternly.
"Or you won't get no apple pie for desert."
"Yes ma'am," Joe smiled, his good humour beginning to return.
~o~
Ben considered himself a lucky man as he rode along in the carriage gazing out at his beautiful land. For once it was not the Ponderosa which had him filled with such happy thoughts but the beautiful elegant woman sitting beside him enjoying the night air. Rebecca Morgan smiled wistfully as she gazed out at the shimmering lake they were passing.
"Oh Ben, can we stop here a minute," she asked.
Ben immediately pulled the carriage to a halt.
He gazed at his beautiful companion transfixed by her ivory skin and full red lips. To Ben she was like a finely carved sculpture.
"This land of yours is the most beautiful place on earth," she said as she took his hand and gazed out onto the lake.
Ben was forced to take his eyes from her face and look too.
"I think so," he smiled.
"You are so fortunate Ben, a beautiful place to live, three fine sons. You must be very proud."
Ben smiled with delight at the praise of his boys.
"Oh they're alright," he said. "could be a handful when they were young. Joe particularly was highly strung."
"Yes Joe," she repeated, lost in her own thoughts.
Ben frowned then.
"I heard what happened in town the other day, I'm sorry. I know Joe is too," he told her.
"What happened in town?" she asked.
"Joe was forced to put Mary's dog out of it's misery. he told me about that. He was most sorry and hoped..."
She waved it off.
"Hush Ben, it was of no consequence. Mary has gotten over it now." she told him.
"Animals die out here all the time, tell Joe to think of it no more."
Ben smiled taking her hand.
"I treasure the day I met you Rebecca," he muttered.
He leaned in and kissed her softly and tenderly on the lips.
~o~
Mary sat gazing into the fire. She did not look up as her mother entered the room.
"I thought you'd be gone to bed by now," her mother asked, putting her hat and muff down on the small table by the door.
"I couldn't sleep," Mary told her, without looking up.
"Oh for heaven sake Mary. It was just a dog. Can't you focus. There are far more important things to consider. Like your mother for instance is going out with the most eligible bachelor in all of Virginia city." Rebecca smiled to herself.
"A thousand acres Mary, a thousand. He has mines, saw mills, bonds." Rebecca sighed happily.
"Mary, if this pans out the way I plan it, we won't have to find someone to marry you. He'll keep us both."
She stroked her daughters cheek.
"Now I told you momma would fix everything, how bout a smile."
Mary obliged smiling weakly up at her mother.
"Good now keep that smile because we are having dinner at the Ponderosa tomorrow."
Mary's smile quickly vanished.
"Mamma I can't, that Joe he..."
Rebecca addressed her daughter sternly.
"Mary you are not going to ruin this for me. Pull yourself together. It's been hard enough for me since your father passed away. I have debts mounting up and a daughter in her twenties no one wants to marry. But that's alright darling because as I told you before momma will fix everything. A match with Ben Cartwright will solve all our problems."
Rebecca squeezed her daughters chin.
"Oh what an awful face you have when you frown. Cheer up Mary. Your momma will end a very rich woman yet."
Mary smiled. "I think I'll go to bed. I have an early start in the morning."
Mary closed her bedroom door and her smile disappeared. she gazed around at the shabby dolls and picture books, reminiscence of a happier time. She sat on the bed and picked up Rusty's cloth collar. She had made it for him last Christmas. A single tear fell glistening onto her hand.