Hoss's cup literally shook as he held it out for the tea to be poured. Adam cringed as he waited for Hoss to drop the delicate china and create a disaster in the eyes of the girls, which would overshadow the pleasant proceedings.

But Hoss managed to hold on and Adam breathed a sigh of relief as his nervous brother withdrew the brimming cup and placed it down on the fine lace tablecloth in front of him.

'So, Hoss, I didn't know you had a fondness for Byron.' Megan had taken Hoss's presence with polite resignation, but doubted his credentials.

'Oh Ma'am, I like it real well. Although, I ain't so fond of it as Adam.' Hoss swallowed and gave his brother am 'I'm drowning' look.

'No, I'm sure you're not.' Megan frowned and looked sideways at Adam. Sally remained quiet, sipping her tea.

'What Hoss means Miss Simms is-'

'-Megan, please Adam.' She turned to him, placing her hand on his in a casual but deliberate way.

'Megan.' Adam cleared his throat, and continued. 'What my brother is trying to say is, Byron is not his favorite. He's more into the traditional novels.

'Oh, and what precisely is his favorite?'

Adam looked to Hoss and coached him with his eyes. He'd told him all about Milton and what comments would be appropriate.

'Shakespeare!' Hoss piped up with confidence.

Adam choked on his piece of cake.

'Shakespeare?' Megan half laughed at the word. You Hoss? I find that very hard to believe.'

So did Adam, who gave his brother a bewildered, shocked stare. He certainly hadn't told him to say that! To top it all off, Sally practically burst out laughing. She knew the Cartwrights well and she'd realized that Adam was coaching his brother. She'd seen the looks between them. She'd figured out that Adam had told Hoss that to impress a woman, he needed to show an interest something she was fond of.

She was right.

After their chat the evening before, Hoss taken Adam's advice to heart. He'd thought about his brother's advice all night in fact. To impress this girl, Hoss had to think big. To get her attention he would have to come up with something special.

Adam's idea of Milton and his subsequent coaching on the subject didn't seem quite enough. Now, Hoss hadn't done too well at school in this area, but he knew Shakespeare was the best classical author, ever. Nothing would impress Megan more than that! So that became his back-up plan. He just neglected to tell Adam.'

'Shakespeare, I love it. All of it.' Hoss spoke with confidence and conviction.

Adam continued to stare at him. This was not what he'd told Hoss to say.

'I know I don't have no fancy certificate to show my appreciation of the written word, but well, it don't mean I don't love it as much as y'all.'

Adam tried hard not to jump up and drag him out of the room by his few hairs. What on earth had made Hoss say he liked Shakespeare? He'd told him very specifically what to say. Adam had a chance teaching Hoss about some of the other classic novels and poetry. But Shakespeare's plays were so difficult to grasp and interpret. Megan would soon figure out it was a lie and they'd both be asked to leave thus ruining Adam's plans. He almost had a fit when Megan moved on with her questions.

'I too love Mr. Shakespeare's works. Which is your favorite, Hoss?' They all waited with baited breath. Adam leaned forward and unconsciously covered his mouth with his hand.

'Well, truth is Ma'am, they's all kinda good.' Hoss suddenly felt like taking it all back and running. He only now realized how much trouble he was getting himself into.

'My favorite is Macbeth.' Adam piped up, trying to save the day. 'I love the evil undertones and the way Macbeth is driven almost to madness, when-'

'-Adam, please! I want Hoss's ideas on the subject,' Megan countered smoothly, and Adam fell silent again. There was nothing he could do to help his brother now.

'Well, Hoss? Don't be shy. We'd really like to know.'

Hoss swallowed and tried hard to remember all he knew about Shakespeare. Then it came back to him. In his last year of school, his class had done an extract from one of the plays. He wasn't chosen to be in it. He had to do the props. But he remembered some of the story.

'That's easy." He smiled broadly. "My favorite is Romeo and Juliet!' Hoss sat back with renewed confidence, pleased at his quick thinking.

Adam's eyes almost popped out of his sockets. Oh boy, this was going to be a disaster.

'Romeo and Juliet? Really? How romantic! That's your favorite?' Megan, now believing a little, turned her full attention to Hoss.

'Yep, sure is. And it's so sad, too.' Hoss smiled smugly, and Adam felt like crawling under his chair.

'Oh, that's my favorite too,' beamed Megan. 'I love the ending. It's so tragic don't you think?'

'Oh, yes Ma'am.' Hoss quickly took a piece of cake from the silver-serving dish and filled his mouth with it. Hopefully that would mean he wouldn't be able to answer any more questions for a few minutes.

'As I was saying about Macbeth; it's a much more powerful play, with real-'

'-Adam!' Megan swivelled around in annoyance. 'Macbeth is so droll. It has no soul. Isn't that right, Hoss?' Hoss nodded his head, unable to speak with his mouth full. 'See, Hoss is a real man, not afraid to speak his mind about liking a piece of work about undying love and sacrifice. Not many men would admit to that.' Megan's look made Adam shrink back into his chair. How had Hoss suddenly turned the tables on him?

'Far be it for me to criticize the romantic heart,' Adam answered sarcastically, "but it's hardly something real men want to watch." He glanced at his brother, giving him his special 'let's get out of here' look.

But Hoss didn't catch on as he ate a second slice of cake. He was quite pleased with himself for thinking up the idea of saying he liked Shakespeare. It certainly impressed Megan.

'You mean to say Adam, that if Romeo and Juliet was playing in town, none of the men would be interesting in seeing it?' Megan challenged him.

'Well, I think you'd have a better chance of having a full house if Macbeth were on instead. More action.' Adam drained his cup and looked at the grandfather clock in Sally's parlor. He really was ready to escape.

'All right then, why don't we put it to the test?'

'Put what to the test?' Sally asked, lost by the conversation.

'We'll put on a production of Romeo and Juliet, right here in Virginia City?'

'What?' Adam looked at her painfully as she continued. Hoss stopped chewing, frozen like a deer in his rifle's scope.

'We could all take part. We'd have to get more people, of course, but we could rehearse in the evenings, and hold it in the community hall. Our literary society in New York held a play once, for charity. We had the most splendid time and raised quite a bit of money.'

Megan chatted on about the idea, as the other three in the room just sat in stunned silence.

'But Megan, we don't have the time. We have a ranch to run,' began Adam.

'Then we'll rehearse in the late afternoon at the Ponderosa.'

'But wait, this is a difficult play. We could do something, but not Shakespeare.' Adam pleaded.

'Why is that, Adam? Afraid you won't be able to handle it?' Adam looked offended.

'Of course not, but.'

'I want Hoss to play Romeo alongside my Juliet. And Sally, you could be the nurse, or something.' Megan sipped her tea with a smug look.

'Hoss? Hoss can't be Romeo.' Adam, totally put out by her dismissal of him, looked across at his brother.

'And why not, older brother?' Hoss's face beamed with delightful surprise.

'Yes Adam, why not?' continued Megan. 'Romeo was still only a teenager, you know. You're a little old for the part.'

'Old? I'm only twenty-four!'

'That's what I mean. Hoss is eighteen, much closer to Romeo's age. I'm not yet twenty so that makes it perfect. You could maybe play Montague, Romeo's father.'

'His father! I'm not playing Hoss's father!' replied a horrified Adam.

'Don't be in it at all then. We'll do fine, won't we Hoss?' Hoss nodded benevolently, tickled that he was the center of attention for once.

'I know Adam, you can direct the play."

Adam's brows drew down depressingly. "Director?"

"You would have complete artistic control on the whole project. You're so bossy, it would be perfect for you. What do you say?' Megan, pleased with her idea, smiled brightly.

Adam remained silent for a long time, pondering the matter. Was he really that bossy? He'd only known Megan for a day and she thought so. Joe was always telling him he was too.

But he finally started to come around. He was increasingly intrigued by the idea. Director! The title was rather distinguished. He could mould the play and the actors to his will. It would be his play, his triumph. And then Megan would see how he was the worthier Cartwright.

'All right, I'll do it.'

'Oh, good. That's settled, then. Now, let's talk about the rest of the cast and the props etc. This is going to be so much fun.'

Hoss was silent as he and his brother rode home over two hours later. He could see by the tense cut of his brother's shoulders against the fading light just how unhappy Adam was with him.

It hadn't seemed like such a bad thing to say at the time. Now, Megan had a full-scale production of Romeo and Juliet in the works, and Hoss was in real trouble. Both with the play and Adam. He had to hope that his big brother would help him through it all.

'Adam, It might be fun to...' Adam turned his head stiffly and stared Hoss down. Hoss fell silent again. He hung his head and didn't say another word until they got home. After washing up, the pair sat at the dinner table and was soon joined by Ben and Little Joe.

'Well, boys, how did your afternoon tea go?' Ben had been delighted when Adam offered to take Hoss with him to have tea with the ladies. Hoss needed a little help to socialize more and Adam could provide that help.

Neither of them answered him and he looked up, annoyed. 'Well, am I talking to a wall?' Ben reached for the meat tray and took a couple of slices of beef. Little Joe stayed remarkably quiet, sensing his brothers had been arguing. It wasn't often he wasn't the one in trouble.

'It was a disaster, Pa.' Adam started. Hoss looked guiltily at his plate.

'Oh? Why?' Ben hated to think. Hoss must have broken something.

'Hoss went and said he liked Shakespeare!' Adam glared across at his brother, as if that explained everything. Ben raised his eyebrows.

'Was that all?'

'Was that all! Wasn't that enough? He made a complete fool out of himself!'

'Now you hold on just a dadburned minute, Adam. I did not make a fool outa myself! She was mighty impressed and as I recall took a real shine to me after that. You're just mad 'cause I'm playin' Romeo.' Hoss jutted his chin and took an ear of corn, reclaiming his appetite.

Ben looked from one to the other and tried to work out what they were on about.

'Well, Adam, wasn't the purpose of the afternoon to discuss the classics?'

'But Pa, not Shakespeare! He doesn't understand a word of it. Now Megan's putting on a production of Romeo and Juliet, and she's got Hoss playing Romeo,' Adam grumbled.

"Hey you two in a play?' Hot diggity!' Little Joe yelled with glee.

'Joseph! I'll not have you using that language in this house, especially at the dinner table!' Ben frowned at his youngest and then turned to Adam.

'You're going to be in a play? How are you going to find time to do that?'

'I'm not in it Pa.' Adam pushed the peas around on his plate glumly.

'Oh?' Ben almost felt like smiling as his eldest was certainly bordering on a tantrum, and seemed just a little bit jealous of Hoss's favour.

'I'm the director.' He explained with serious conviction. 'That means I have control of the whole thing. And as for our time, we're going to practice out here at the ranch in the late afternoon everyday after the work's finished. And Hoss has to do as I say.' Adam eyed his brother with anger.

Ben thought about this turn of events for a moment. He didn't believe anything would come of it, but it sounded like something that would be positive for Hoss.

'As long as it doesn't affect your work, I suppose it will be all right. And Adam, that means you'll be able to help Hoss with his lines and make sure he doesn't have any problems, doesn't it?'

He looked at his eldest with conviction.

'Yeah, I suppose so.' Adam pushed his plate away and brightened a little. After all, it was Hoss he was supposed to be helping, wasn't it? For a moment there, the budding actor in him had wanted to escape.

'What about me?' Joe piped up from his seat and gave them both a challenging look.

'What about you, little brother?' Hoss answered.

'I wanna be in it too. You're supposed to look after me in the afternoon, so I'll have to be in the play else Pa won't give you the time off. Will you Pa?'

'Well . . .'

'Pa, you can't be serious. Little Joe can't be in Romeo and Juliet!' Challenged Adam.

His eldest didn't phase Ben. 'Nevertheless there should be something he could do to help?' reasoned Ben. How about a stage hand?' Ben kept a straight face as the two young men's expressions fell.

Adam complained first.

'Pa, there's no way we're going to have Joe hanging around, causing trouble. It's going to be hard enough without him causing trouble.'

'Yeah Pa. He's gonna get in the way,' Hoss replied. His appetite deserted him once more at the thought.

'You're going to have to get used to the idea, because Joe is right. It's your job to look after him when he comes home from school. If he can't be in the play it's got to be called off. I can't spare time to look after him myself.' Ben gave them all a solemn stare.

Adam and Hoss looked at Joe, who wore a smug expression. Even though he was almost thirteen years old, he still needed close supervision. Idle time in Joe's hands was like leaving lit dynamite out in the street. Adam considered the embarrassing task of telling Megan they couldn't do the play because they had to babysit their younger brother. That was out of the question.

'All right Joe, you can be my assistant. Anything I want, you'll have to do. Fetch and carry, make props, anything. And you'd better not play any practical jokes. This is serious stuff, understand?' Adam glared a warning at his little brother and crossed his arms.

'Sure, Adam. Anything you say.' Joe giggled insidiously and attacked his food.