Adam saw her through the dressmaker's window and was so taken by her that he entered the shop and walked over to where she stood on the dressmaker's platform.
"Pardon me, m'am, but you sure are one beautiful woman, if you don't mind my saying so?" Adam smiled at the woman who then smiled back and gave him a flirtatious wink.
"Why, no, handsome," she replied giving her skirt a slight flip, "I don't mind your saying that at all."
She is one beautiful woman, Adam thought to himself. Damn, but she is something else.
The dressmaker smiled at their badinage; it did her French heart good to see these two young people in love since most Americans were so staid and cold in their shows of affection. And so she said, "Monsieur Cartwright, what do you think of your wife's dress for the big party? C'est plus belle, non?"
"C'est plus belle, yes." He looked his wife over with an admiring gaze and felt the stir of desire; she always did that to him.
"Well, I think it should be a little higher in the neckline," his wife said, giving the bodice a slight upward pull.
"Mais non, madam, it will ruin the line of the bodice," the dressmaker protested.
"It'll ruin the view too," Adam said with a raise of his eyebrows.
"Oh, Adam. I don't know what to do with you," she said stepping off the platform. She stopped beside her husband and he slightly leaned down and kissed her.
"I have some suggestions," he said.
"I'm sure you do." She turned and went behind the tri-fold screen.
Adam talked to her while she changed. "How about lunch? Hungry?"
She was and so after the fitting, Adam and his wife walked over to the hotel's restaurant but instead of going to the dining area, Adam took her arm and walked her over to the clerk at the reservation desk.
"Wait here," he told her. She looked at him, wondering what he had in mind, but she waited a small distance away; she never could predict what her husband would do.
"I'd like a room for the day," Adam told the clerk who responded with a surprised look.
"Excuse me, Mr. Cartwright!" the clerk said. He had never had anyone ask for a room for just one day who lived nearby. Travelers, people from off the stage, yes, they often requested a room since Virginia City was just a stop on the journey, but not a local, not someone who lived nearby, and never a Cartwright.
"You heard me. I would like a room for the rest of the day." Adam stared at the man, daring him to refuse or ask any more questions. He didn't dare.
"Yes, sir. Here's one of our best. Room 38," and he handed Adam a key.
"Thank you," Adam said. "And," Adam added, turning back to the clerk, "send up two steak dinners and a bottle of champagne. Understand?"
"Yes, sir, Right away."
"Are you out of your mind, Adam?" his wife asked. "We can't go upstairs in the middle of the day!" She was shocked that he would even consider such a thing. Although she found the thought an exciting one, she knew that people would find out that she and her husband had been upstairs in a room at the hotel in the middle of the day doing heaven knows what, and would be scandalized.
"If I am out of my mind," Adam said, his mouth next to her ear, "it's your fault. I can't think straight when you're around." And because he was so close to her that she could almost feel vibrations in the air between them, she let him lead her up the stairs.
It had long been dark by the time they returned to the Ponderosa.
That Sunday in church, as the Cartwrights walked in and took their usual pews, Ben noticed that when he greeted people, they seemed distant but he felt that he must be imagining it; there was no reason that he knew that they would behave that way. Adam noticed that people would look at him and his wife and then look away as if embarrassed. She knew why and whispered to Adam that all of Virginia City had probably heard about their afternoon in the hotel. But Adam just shrugged and said that they were married and it didn't matter; if people's lives were so dull that there was nothing better to talk about than their afternoon of love, things were in a sad state. Nevertheless, as soon as services were over, she asked Adam to please take her out to the buggy to wait for his father; she didn't want to face the townspeople. Adam said she shouldn't be embarrassed or ashamed, that she was his wife and what they did was their business and no one else's-but she knew better. She had run into the coldness from the people of Virginia City when she had first arrived in town and Adam Cartwright immediately took to the pretty, young widow when there were so many other eligible women for him in Virginia City. Why this stranger and not one of their own, people wondered?
But eventually, the ladies who were the backbone of Virginia City society came to accept her and invited her to join their quilting circle and to plan events for the church. Living so far out of town, Adam always had to drive her and pick her up and she made him promise that he wouldn't misbehave when in the company of these women. She did notice how even the older matrons smiled and gave coy looks when Adam would flatter them about their lovely frocks and their new coiffures and the cookies or cake they always offered him. And she would smile to see how charming her husband could be but he would wink at her and she would just shake her head; he was a charmer just like his father. Ah, that Cartwright charm!
And now she wondered how long it would take for the damage that had been done to be rectified or better yet, forgotten.
That Tuesday Ben went into town and saw Roy Coffee who greeted him with, "Ben, you need to pour a bucket of cold water over that oldest son of yours."
"Adam? Why?" Ben waited, wondering what fresh hell was coming his way.
"You don't know?" Roy asked. "Everyone in town does. They're all gossiping about Adam and his wife-they've caused quite a scandal." Roy couldn't help but smile as Ben obviously struggled to understand. Usually it was Joe who caused the good people of people city to give disapproving looks to Ben. Joe was often the source of gossip seeing that he couldn't be satisfied with seeing only one girl at a time and that all the young ladies of Virginia City and its environs flirted and made eyes at Joe. But Ben was used to that and Joe's attentions were often encouraged by the mother's involved; he would make a good catch and he would ensure they had beautiful grandchildren. And even Hoss was sometimes the source of talk, albeit it endearing, with his friendly ways and his shyness when it came to girls. But Adam? He had been out of circulation for over three years and any scandal about him was unexpected. Ben hoped that Adam hadn't been indiscreet and flirted with someone other than his wife—or worse.
"Okay, Roy. Tell me." Ben, his arms folded across his chest was ready to listen-and he was annoyed that Roy seemed so amused by the whole thing. Even though they had been friends for so long, Roy still found Ben's irritation at his sons' peccadilloes a source of entertainment.
"Well, Ben, it seems that Adam and his wife had a little honeymoon of sorts last Thursday afternoon according to the gossip." Roy tried to keep the smile off his face.
"What?" Ben tried to think-last Thursday. Yes, they had gone into town and come home past dark. Adam had said they ate in town and Ben hadn't thought much of it but he did remember that Hoss and Joe had exchanged looks; perhaps they had picked up on something in Adam's demeanor-or hers. Ben shook his head.
"Just thought you should know," Roy said.
"Yes, I'm sure you did…and stop looking like it's so damn funny. I swear those boys of mine need to be gelded, especially Adam."
Roy laughed-he couldn't help himself. Ben turned and left for home. He would give Adam a piece of his mind. And all the way home he practiced his speech, exactly what he would tell Adam, how his behavior caused embarrassment to him. So he stopped by the north forty where Adam was to be repairing line. And he was, working hard as he always did.
Ben looked at Adam, his shirt sleeves rolled up, wearing gloves and pulling on the barbed wire making sure that it had no slack before he nailed it in placed, and thought again about what he would say and if this was the right time and place. Well, better now that later, Ben thought, so he dismounted and walked over to Adam.
"You come to help, Pa? You didn't bring your gloves." Adam knew that his father had something serious to discuss; his brows were drawn and he was walking in his serious mode. Ever since they were young boys, Hoss and Adam knew when they saw their father "walking his woodshed walk" that they were in trouble. But now, Adam found it a source of amusement. And Ben knew that he hadn't been able to intimidate Adam for years-and wondered if he ever really had.
"Adam, I just came from town and had an interesting talk with Roy."
"A desperado loose on the Ponderosa?" Adam leaned on the top of a post and watched his father's angry expression with amusement. He knew what his father was going to say but couldn't resist poking at Ben's family pride a little.
"Roy said that you took a hotel room last Thursday for a 'small honeymoon,' as he called it."
"So?' Adam dared his father to question it. "What's wrong with that? We were in town, we felt like a little romantic. I took a room. Don't worry, Pa, I paid for it and left a generous tip for the chamber maid—the room was a bit—oh-in disorder? They may even have to burn the sheets." Adam suppressed a grin when his father's face turned red.
"What's wrong with that?" Ben boomed. "You only made it obvious that you and she, well, that you and she…" Ben realized that he couldn't think of what was wrong with it. So Adam desired his wife in the middle of the day—nothing wrong with that. Ben remembered back to when he was young and married and he himself hadn't been innocent of wanting his wife at unusual times. But then he thought, he had never been so public about it. "It's indecent!"
"No, Pa," Adam said, now angry. How could anyone think that the love between him and his wife was indecent, or the expression of it? "I'll tell you what's indecent. What's indecent is men who marry just because they need a wife and only do their "duty" to have children. That's indecent. And people who don't love each other but only tolerate their husbands or wives, that's indecent. And people who gossip and ostracize others who are only in love with each other, that's indecent. So don't come and tell me that anything—anything-she and I do is indecent."
Ben stared at Adam and knew that he had best not say anything else. Adam was right, he conceded and had a point, a good point; there was really nothing indecent about their behavior. Perhaps, Ben thought, others may be gossiping about them, but it would pass. And then Ben realized that he should have defended Adam to Roy, told him that he was glad that Adam loved his wife and that they were so happy with one another that their desire knew no bounds.
So Ben stumbled over his words and told Adam that he didn't know what to say, and that from then on, Adam's business was Adam's business and he would stay out of it. Adam just stood with his hands on his hips, waiting.
"I suppose I agree," Ben said, "that it would be more of a scandal if you didn't love her. I guess people will talk. It doesn't really matter, I suppose. Besides, this will probably be soon forgotten by town folks, that is as soon as Joe meets another pretty girl and behaves like an ass."
Adam laughed then and so did Ben. They were both relieved-neither of them really liked clashing and preferred peace.
"All right, Pa." Adam smiled at his father. "Oh," he added, turning to go back to work, "let her know I'll be home soon, would you?"
"Uh, yes, I'll tell her." And Ben mounted Buck and sighed in relief. The scandalous behavior of his eldest son would cause more talk before it died out, before people lost interest, but he decided he would support Adam-or any of his sons if their behavior came from an honorable motivation. And what could be more honorable than love?
~ FINIS ~