Chapter Two

Like they had on the day of Hannah's arrival the previous year, the Cartwrights woke early the next morning and could hardly down their breakfasts. They were out to door and headed for town well ahead of schedule. Josie and Ben rode in the buggy, and Adam and Little Joe followed along on horseback, with Pip trotting alongside. Josie giggled as she remembered Aunt Rachel's reaction to Pip last year and couldn't wait to see the look on her aunt's face when Fionn brought Conall over that evening.

They arrived in town nearly an hour before the stagecoach was due, but Hoss and Patience met them at the depot, so the family spent the time catching up. Everyone was disappointed that Patience's belly hadn't started to poke out yet, but they all had a good laugh when Hoss patted his own midsection and said "Sure! Get excited about her belly, but you've been complainin' about mine for years!"

As the laughter faded, Ben suddenly ducked behind Hoss. The big man opened his mouth to ask his father what was going on, but he promptly clapped it shut when he spotted Widow Hawkins sashaying her way across the street toward them. Ben must not have leapt out of sight quickly enough, because as soon as she reached them, Clementine reached behind Hoss and yanked Ben back to the front of the group.

"Oh, Ducky, I can't tell you 'ow excited I am to be seein' your sister again!" she gushed as she gave Ben's cheek a hard pinch.

"Good morning, Clementine," Ben stammered, trying to step backward out of the widow's grasp but succeeding only in treading on Adam's foot. "And yes, we're all very excited for Hannah to arrive."

Clementine threw back her head and laughed. "Now, Ducky, you know we're all excited to see 'annah, but I was talkin' about Rachel!" She threw a sideways glance down the street. "And it seems I'm not the only one."

All six Cartwrights followed the widow's gaze down the street and saw Sheriff Coffee striding towards them.

"Good morning, everyone!" he said when he reached them. "Fine morning for a stagecoach isn't it? By sheer coincidence I thought I'd greet the stage this morning, and here your family's arriving today!"

The Cartwrights each greeted the lawman in turn. They all had to avoid making eye contact with one another for fear they'd burst out laughing at the sheriff's "coincidentally" deciding to meet the stage that morning. But at least Roy's arrival had distracted Clementine's attention away from Ben as they settled back down to wait.

When they spotted the first dust cloud of the approaching stage, all the Cartwrights leapt to their feet, Josie and Little Joe hopping from foot to foot with excitement. As the bright-red stagecoach rolled to a stop, Ben stepped forward and opened the little door.

As she had the previous spring, Rachel Stoddard filled the doorway with a voluminous hoop skirt. She blinked in the bright sunlight as she extended her hand to Ben, who helped her step down to the ground.

"So good to see you, Benjamin!" she proclaimed as she gave her brother-in-law a demure peck on the cheek before practically launching herself at Adam and Josie. Josie gave her the quickest of hellos before passing her off to Hoss and pushing her way through the throng of Cartwrights to the stagecoach door. Adam followed and extended his hand just as Hannah appeared in the doorway.

Hannah took Adam's hand but barely gave her beloved nephew a hello before throwing her arms around Josie.

"Mama!" Josie cried as tears ran down her cheeks. She clutched her mother tightly as Pip bounced happy circles around them. "Oh, Mama, I-"

Hannah stepped back and grabbed Josie's shoulders in a tight grip. Her eyes were wild. "Josie, have you any word from your father?"

Josie blanched. "No, Mama, I haven't." Her chin quivered. "I was going to ask you the same thing."

The color drained from Hannah's face, too, and Josie gripped her mother's elbows for fear she would collapse. Hannah bit her lip, unable to reply, and for the first time in her life, Josie looked to Rachel for an answer. Rachel let go of Hoss and turned to Josie.

"We were already aboard ship when the battle was fought," she explained. "We didn't even hear about it until we reached Panama two weeks ago. Your mother's been frantic ever since. We were hoping Jacob had wired you."

The family's excitement died in an instant.

"No," Josie whispered. "I haven't heard a thing." Adam saw her begin to tremble, and he stepped behind her and put an arm around her shoulders. She leaned into him as if he were the only thing keeping her upright. Ben stepped over to Hannah, whose eyes were about to spill over with tears. He pulled her into his arms in a warm embrace.

"Welcome back to Nevada, Hannah," he said, kissing her forehead. "As I've told Josie, I'm sure we'll hear from Jacob soon."

"Ben, it's been a month," Hannah replied.

"I expect he's just having trouble getting word out," Ben said. "I read that General Grant's men are tearing up railroad tracks and telegraph lines and just about everything as they move south. We just have to be patient."

"Yeah, Aunt Hannah," Little Joe said, stepping over to her. "I been tellin' these clowns that for almost a month. Uncle Jacob's fine. He's just busy beatin' up on General Lee."

Hannah gave Joe a watery smile and then grabbed him up in a huge hug. "I'm glad to see you back on both feet," she said, patting his cheek. "Been staying out of trouble?"

"Oh, yes, ma'am!"

Adam and Hoss barked out a loud "Ha!" in unison, and Little Joe and Josie both shot them a withering gaze. Hannah was ignorant of their arrest in Genoa, and Josie hoped to keep it that way.

Ben extended an arm to Hannah and suggested they'd all feel better after some lunch. Hannah took Ben's arm with one hand and Little Joe's with the other, and the trio started down the street toward the International House. Adam turned to offer his arm to Rachel, but she'd already grabbed the sheriff's arm and taken off after Ben, Joe, and Hannah. Adam shrugged, put his arm back around Josie's shoulders, and escorted her to the restaurant.

If not for Clementine Hawkins and Sheriff Coffee, lunch would have been a subdued affair. But the widow and the lawman were so excited to be reunited with Rachel that even Hannah and Josie perked up a bit. By the time dessert arrived, Adam had elicited a small smile from Josie by pulling goofy faces every time Roy fawned over Rachel – which was often.

Spirits were higher on the ride back to the Ponderosa. The Cartwrights managed to jettison Widow Hawkins at her boardinghouse on the basis that there was no extra room in the buggy, but Roy rode along on his own horse, claiming he needed to visit some people in that direction anyway. Adam's wedding occupied much of the conversation on the ride home. Rachel was relieved he was being married in a church, and everyone else was relieved that the subject of Molly's Catholic baptism never came up.

"Adam, I'm so happy for you," Hannah said, smiling up at him as he rode alongside the buggy on Sport. "I didn't get a chance last year to get to know Molly well, but she seems like a wonderful young lady."

"Indeed," Rachel agreed. "And I can't tell you how relieved I am that you're finally settling down. I'd begun to despair for the future of the family!" Roy joined in Rachel's laughter, but everyone else rolled their eyes.

"Well, you know Aunt Rachel," Hoss piped up from his and Patience's wagon, "I ain't no Stoddard, but at least we got the future of the Cartwright family comin' right along." He reached out a meaty hand and gently patted his wife's belly.

Rachel beamed at him. "I cannot wait to hear all about the little one when she arrives," she said genuinely. "I only wish I could stay long enough to meet her."

"How do you know the baby's a girl?" Little Joe asked.

Rachel glanced over at him and blew out an impatient puff of air. "Women just know these things, Joseph. I wouldn't expect you to understand."

Little Joe sneered at the back of Rachel's head and mimicked "I wouldn't expect you to understand" in a very soft, high-pitched voice.

Hop Sing was waiting in the front yard when the family rode in, and he hustled over to the buggy to greet Hannah and Rachel. Ranch hands materialized to unload the luggage and take care of putting up the horses and wagons so the Cartwright men could go inside and enjoy their family reunion. Once the ladies were settled in their rooms, everyone relaxed in the living room to catch up. Rachel and Hannah had little to report from Boston apart from war news – though away from the fighting, the city had, like all other major cities, mobilized to provide their share of soldiers and supplies – so the Cartwrights caught the ladies up on Ponderosa news instead. Josie told them about traveling to Sacramento with Adam the previous fall, very neatly leaving out the part where she and Adam captured the bank thieves. She decided her mother already had enough to worry about.

As if sensing Hannah's anxiety, Pip sat next to her chair all afternoon, his heavy chin resting on the armrest. Every so often, Hannah would scratch the wolfhound's ears.

"You're such a good boy, Pip," she said. "And I can't wait to meet your son tonight." She turned to Josie. "Fionn will bring Conall, won't he?"

"Absolutely. Conall won't let Fionn go anywhere without him."

"Oh joy, two of them," Rachel muttered, casting a sideways glance at Pip.

Little Joe saw his opportunity to get back at Rachel for her earlier snide remark to him.

"Don't worry, Aunt Rachel," he said with a wicked grin. "Conall's not a pure wolfhound like Pip. He's got a lot of actual wolf in him. That's what happens when you get one of the Paiutes' dogs into trouble. Chief Winnemucca drops by the ranch, says you have to take responsibility…"

Josie giggled as Rachel's jaw dropped, but before she could reply, the family heard a commotion from the front yard. The men and Josie leapt to their feet to investigate.

"Mr. Cartwright!" two voices shouted from outside.

"That's Molly!" Adam said.

"That's Fionn!" Josie chimed in at the same time.

"They're early," Ben said, glancing at the grandfather clock as he hurried to open the door. "I hope everything's all right."

The family spilled onto the porch as Fionn helped Molly down from their wagon. Conall tore into the yard moments later, but even Rachel paid him no heed as the family hurried over to them. Having been at the front of the pack, Ben reached the wagon first.

"Molly, Fionn, what is it? Is something wrong?"

"Telegram for you, Mr. Cartwright," Molly said, thrusting a slip of paper at Ben. "Morris heard I was comin' out here tonight, and he stopped by me shop askin' if I could bring it to you. Had a feelin' you'd want it right away."

Ben scanned the message and nearly collapsed backward into Adam.

"It's from Jacob," he said, his hands trembling. "Well, from one of his aides, anyway. Says he's all right but the Army's in hot pursuit of General Lee and he may not be able to get word out to us again for quite some time."

Hannah and Josie burst into tears and fell into each other's arms. Patience squealed with delight and hugged Hoss and Little Joe, while Adam laid a hand on his father's shoulder until he was sure the older man was steady. Even Rachel ran a hand down her face and dabbed at one corner of her eye. Roy tentatively reached an arm around her shoulders and grinned when she didn't protest.

Once she'd collected herself, Hannah snatched the telegram from Ben and read it a dozen times. Meanwhile, Adam zipped over to Molly and gathered her into his arms.

"Thank you for bringing this," he whispered in her ear. "Thank you so much."

"Thank Morris," Molly replied. "He brought it to me."

While everyone finished exchanging relieved hugs – even Hop Sing got caught up in one of Hoss's bear hugs – Josie fell against Fionn and buried her face in his shoulder. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her forehead.

"It's all right, Hey, You," he whispered. "Your Da will come home to you."

Josie nodded. "You should meet my mother. Officially, anyway." Fionn had met Hannah at the Cartwrights' party the previous year, but as Josie had been courting with Simon at the time, their introduction had been brief. Josie dusted a bit of the trail off the front of Fionn's shirt before looping her arm through his and leading him over to her mother.

"Mama! I'd like you to meet Fionn." Her chin high, Josie beamed as she gave Fionn a little push toward her mother. "Fionn, my mother, Hannah Cartwright."

Fionn smiled and extended his hand, but Hannah pulled him into a big hug.

"It's so wonderful to meet you, Fionn," Hannah said. "Josie's told me so much about you in her letters."

"Likewise, ma'am," Fionn said, blushing slightly. "Not in her letters, though. She's told me about you in person."

Hannah laughed and released Fionn as she turned toward Rachel. "Please, meet my sister, Rachel Stoddard."

"Ma'am," Fionn said, extending his hand to Rachel. She pricked one eyebrow and briefly clasped his hand.

"Josephine tells me you're a farmer?" she said.

"Yes, ma'am. Own me own farm about an hour from here." Rachel continued to stare appraisingly at him, and Fionn stared right back, smiling but never breaking eye contact. "Might say I'm a self-made man like Mr. Cartwright. Or your own fine father, from what Josie and Adam tell me."

Josie caught Adam's eye, and the cousins grinned at each other as Rachel's other eyebrow raised.

"Your farm's as big as the Ponderosa, is it?" she asked, the corners of her mouth twitching upward. Josie could have sworn she saw the hint of a twinkle in her aunt's usually steely eyes.

Fionn chuckled. "Not yet, ma'am."

"Well, Mr. O'Connell, I like a man with ambition." Rachel cast a gaze at Roy Coffee when she said this. "And thank you for bringing us our good news. Though do be careful driving around at breakneck speed, would you?" To Josie's great shock and relief, Rachel smiled at Fionn.

Fionn smiled back. "Yes, ma'am."

"Especially with my fiancée in the wagon," Adam said, grinning as he stepped forward with Molly on his arm. "Aunt Hannah, Aunt Rachel, I think you remember my bride-to-be, Molly."

Hannah pulled Molly into an embrace just like she had with Fionn.

"Molly! So good to see you again! Business going well?"

"Yes, ma'am, Mrs. Cartwright," Molly replied. "After that first gown I made for Josie, I've been very busy." She turned and clasped Rachel's extended hand. "A pleasure to see you again, Miss Stoddard."

"Lovely to see you again, dear," Rachel said. "So glad to hear your business is thriving. Now, let's all go inside where we can talk properly, rather than standing around in this dusty yard."

In minutes, everyone was settled in the great room, chattering away with one another in various combinations. Rachel monopolized Molly's time, asking her for all the wedding details Adam had already given her and occasionally casting sideways glances at Roy. Josie, Fionn, Little Joe, and Patience crowded around Hannah and told her all about the library. Adam soon gave up trying to get a word in edgewise to Hannah and turned to Hoss to discuss their plans to bid to provide lumber for a railroad trestle to be built over Humboldt Canyon in the northern part of the territory. Ben just sat quietly in his armchair next to the fireplace, staring at the telegram that Hannah still held, turning it over and over in her fingers as she asked polite questions about the Virginia City Library.

Adam smiled as he gazed around the room at all the Cartwrights, Stoddards, and O'Connells gathered in the big house. He smiled a little bigger as he imagined the addition of a tiny Cartwright that fall, and hopefully, another one by spring. He glanced at Josie and Fionn and hoped that maybe by this time next year, they'd even be planning another wedding. He stepped over to Molly and planted a kiss on the top of her head. She looked up and smiled at him, reaching behind her to squeeze his hand.

Their adoring gaze was broken by Hop Sing calling them all into the dining room for supper. Adam choked on a bark of laughter as he saw that Hop Sing was wearing the tuxedo Rachel had bought for him last year. Rachel, in fact, was the only one who didn't find it funny. While everyone else swallowed their laughter, she lit up with joy and complimented Hop Sing on looking like a proper gentleman.

Hop Sing, as usual, had laid out a feast, so Ben quickly blessed the food, throwing in extra thanks for the news of Jacob's safety, and everyone dived in.

"Molly, Adam tells me you've been to Boston," Hannah said as she cut into her roast chicken.

"Yes, ma'am, we landed there when we first came to America," Molly replied.

"It's a wonder you didn't stay," Rachel chimed in. "There are thousands of your countrymen there."

Fionn's knees hit the underside of the table as his spine stiffened, drawing everyone's attention. Josie cast him a puzzled look as Molly caught his gaze and shook her head.

"Our Da wanted to come west," she said quickly. "Had dreams of the opportunity on the great frontier, he did." She gave Rachel a tight smile.

"A common ailment among men," Rachel said, shooting a glance at Ben.

"Have you had any trouble in Boston, Miss Stoddard?" Roy asked as he poured gravy over everything on his plate. He was so busy staring at Rachel that he didn't notice the gravy was about to spill over the edges of his plate. Hoss snatched the gravy boat away from him just in time.

"Trouble, Sheriff?"

"I heard there was some trouble with riots in New York City last year. Didn't know if you'd had any problems like that in Boston."

Fionn gripped his fork so tightly that his knuckles turned white.

"Oh, yes, those dreadful riots!" Rachel said, shaking her head. "Unfortunately, yes, we did have trouble in Boston, just as Hannah and I were returning from our visit here, in fact. Though I suppose no one could really be surprised given all the- well, given the assortment of Boston's population."

"Just say it, Miss Stoddard," Fionn spat, his eyes blazing, all traces of his and Rachel's earlier congeniality gone. "Given all the Irish. That's what you were goin' to say, isn't it?"

"Unfortunately, it was the Irish in both Boston and New York who rioted. It is nothing personal, you understand. I find you and your sister most agreeable."

"How good of you."

"Hang on," Hoss cut in. "I'm confused. What riots are you talkin' about?"

While Fionn decimated his chicken, Ben sighed and explained. "Last year, the government started drafting men into the Union Army. It didn't go over so well in the big cities, and a lot of the people rioted. Things got worse when the police tried to put it down. I read that the riots in New York lasted four days. Police were being beaten to death all over the city, newspaper offices were burned. Even the Negroes were attacked. More than a hundred people were killed. Unfortunately, most of the rioters were Irish immigrants." He cast Fionn a sympathetic gaze.

"Why were they attackin' the Negroes?" Hoss asked. "Seems like they'd go after the Army offices."

"This war is about ending slavery," Patience observed. "Negroes represent everything people are getting drafted for."

"And at least the Negroes have the charity of the abolition societies on their side. The rest of us are left to rot," Fionn added.

"But to kill innocent people-" Rachel protested.

"I'm not condonin' what they did, ma'am," Fionn said. "Just sayin' I understand why they were angry. Can't expect a man to be happy about goin' off to die in a war to save someone else's children when his own are left to starve in a filthy tenement."

"But why was it just the Irish rioting?" Little Joe asked.

"Because it was just the Irish gettin' drafted to fight a war for a country that doesn't even want us here," Fionn seethed between clenched teeth.

"That's not true," Rachel contended. "People of all ethnicities were drafted."

"But it's mainly the Irish who ended up goin' to war."

"My dear boy, the Irish had the same opportunity as everyone else to pay the fine and avoid going into the Army. If they chose not to take that opportunity-"

"Chose not to take the opportunity?" It was only Adam's hand on his shoulder that kept Fionn from leaping out of his seat. "The fine was three hundred dollars! Where's an Irishman supposed to get that kind of money?"

Rachel set her shoulders and poked her chin high in the air. "The same way as everyone else: hard work and frugality."

Adam wracked his brain for a way to defuse the situation before it completely ruined the meal, but he came up blank. He cast a frantic glance at his father, but Ben looked just as stunned as he felt. Hannah was chewing on her lower lip, and tears streamed down Molly's face, but it was too late to stop Fionn's reply.

"We'd love to, Miss Stoddard," Fionn said, his voice dangerously low, "but the good people of America have made that impossible. My family would have loved to stay in Boston, but me Da couldn't find work. Everywhere he went he ran into signs that said 'No Irish Need Apply.' Stayin' in Boston would have left us no better off than we were in Ireland durin' the famine! That's why we came west. Not that the West has been much better. Da was a master beer crafter. He should have been able to find good work anywhere in the country, but as soon as people heard his brogue, they sent him packin'. It's a miracle we didn't starve on our way west, and then we had to work for pennies on the docks in San Francisco just to keep food in our mouths. It was only Molly's dressmakin' allowed us to put away enough to buy our farm. Course that was after Da died of consumption because he wouldn't let us spend money on a doctor. But sure, Miss Stoddard, the Irish could just pay the fine."

A hush settled over the table, and Adam had to sit on his hands to keep from applauding Fionn's monologue. Everyone sat still as statues, their eyes darting between Fionn and Rachel. Adam silently willed his aunt not to say anything further.

"I will remind you, Mr. O'Connell," Rachel began, "that it was the politicians in Washington who passed the Enrollment Act. If the Irish are so upset over it, perhaps they should consider such issues when they vote."

Now Fionn did leap to his feet. "You can't be serious!" he shouted. "Vote? We'd love to vote, ma'am, but most of us can't because your dear politicians have made it damn near impossible for us to become citizens!"

"Aren't you an American citizen, Fionn?" Josie asked, her eyes wide. "You've certainly lived here long enough."

Fionn glanced down at her, his face red. "No, me love, I am not. Nor do I have any hope of becoming one any time soon. I can't afford the court fees, despite all me hard work." As if suddenly remembering himself, he looked around the table at all the shocked faces. His shoulders slumped, and he jammed his balled-up fists in his pockets. "I'm sorry, Mr. Cartwright," he said to Ben. "Supposin' I should see meself out." He turned to leave.

"Sit down, son," Ben said gently. "Finish your supper. You've done nothing but give everyone some much-needed perspective." Rachel looked ready to protest, but Ben cut her such a sharp look that she clapped her mouth shut.

Fionn swallowed hard and dropped into his chair, slouching down as much as possible and meeting no one's gaze as he shoveled his meal into his mouth. Adam gave his shoulder a squeeze and then turned to Molly, who was wiping her eyes with her napkin. He leaned close to her ear.

"I told you he'd keep things interesting," he whispered and then gave her cheek a quick peck. Molly smiled through her tears.

"Aye," she whispered back.

No one spoke for the rest of the meal, creating such an uncomfortable silence that Adam was eternally grateful to Hop Sing for choosing that night to serve pudding flambé for dessert. The appearance of a dessert set afire delighted everyone and helped to dissolve the dark cloud that lingered over the table. But as soon as the plates were cleared away, Fionn excused himself, muttering something about needing to check on his horses, and darted out of the house. Adam knew he'd find reasons to stay in the barn until it was time to drive Molly home. His heart sank for his soon-to-be brother-in-law. Fionn had wanted so badly to make a good impression on Hannah, and Adam knew he thought he'd ruined it. If only Fionn had looked up from his plate after his diatribe. He would have seen the triumphant smile on Hannah's face. Adam glanced over at Josie, and his heart sank further. Suddenly finding herself without Fionn next to her, she looked about to burst into tears. Adam sighed and started for the door, but Ben laid a hand on his arm.

"You stay here with your aunts," he said softly. "I'll see to Fionn."

Adam gave his father a grateful smile and settled himself on the settee next to Molly while Hoss helped Hop Sing pass around brandy and coffee. He patted the space on his other side, encouraging Josie to sit with him, but she plopped into an armchair next to Hannah's and laid her head on her mother's shoulder. It seemed that another awkward silence was about to beset the family when Patience saved the day.

"Miss Stoddard, Hoss and I are beginning to set up our nursery, and I was wondering if you could tell me what's fashionable now. I'm afraid it takes us a while to get that sort of news way out here. Living in Boston, I'm sure you're much more knowledgeable."

Adam could have kissed her.