PT.3
The Trade!

Kitty and Francine (Franny) pushed through the batwing doors. Sam and Newly were standing at the bar. "Sam, Newly, I want you to meet my old friend, Francine Lewis-Ashton."

Neither Sam or Newly could take their eyes off of her. This didn't go un-noticed by Kitty.

"It is certainly a pleasure, Miss…"

Quickly, Francine spoke up. "Oh, please. It's Francine or Franny."

"Well, Miss Franny, Welcome to Dodge." Newly said taking her hand between his own. Newly couldn't get over the striking resemblance to Patricia.

"Well, gentlemen, it's my pleasure as well to meet any friend of Kath… Kitty's." She quickly picked up on that they didn't refer to her as Kathleen.

"Sam, I'm going to take Franny up and get her settled. Maybe you could bring us some tea?"

Sam was still fixing his gaze on Franny.

"Sam?" Kitty interrupted his thoughts.

"Oh, yes, Miss Kitty."

Then Kitty motioned Franny towards the stairs. "We can talk in private in my rooms." Kitty showed her the room she had fixed.

"Oh, Kitty! This is so beautiful. I hope you didn't go to much trouble."

Shaking her head, "No, Franny, not at all. But I would have. Get settled and then we'll have our tea in my room. It's just down at the end of the hall."

'Wonderful. I'll just be a moment."

Kitty, waiting in her room, stoked the fire to assure it would be comfortable while they chatted then a light tap on the door. "It's open." Kitty said. "Come in."

Franny had removed her outer coat and hat and freshened her face. Entering Kitty's room, taking in the décor. "Oh, my, Kitty. This is beautiful as well. You have done well for yourself."

Tilting her head and smiling, "It's comfortable and it's home. Come sit. I have to ask, it's been so long. What brings you to this part of the country?"

Franny became somber and quiet.

"Franny, did I say something wrong?"

Now looking at Kitty with sadness in her eyes and lightly shaking her head as she fiddled with her hands. "No. No not at all."

"Well then, what?" Kitty now noticed her eyes beginning to tear up. "Franny? What is it? You can tell me."

"Oh, Kitty, I know we haven't seen one another in such a long time but I need your help."

"Of course, honey. How can I help?"

"Well, this isn't easy."

"That's okay. Here have some tea and take a deep breath and tell me."

Sipping slowly on her tea, then exhaling slowly she looked at Kitty and blurted out, "Help me hide!"

Just a bit shocked, Kitty was wide-eyed. "What? Help you hide? Why?"

"If he finds me, he'll kill me."

"Who, Franny?"

"Victor."

"Victor?" Kitty repeated.

"Yes, he's my husband. Victor is from a French aristocratic family. I don't want to be married to him anymore. I can't be."

"Franny, honey…" reaching out to touch her hand, "you could divorce him and…"

Before Kitty could finish, "Oh, no. He wouldn't hear of it, nor would his family."

Huffing out a breath, "Well, he'll just have to hear of it."

"Kitty, you don't understand. No one in his family ever divorced. He says it would shame them."

"Do you love him?" Kitty asked.

"I… I…"

"Honey, it's a simple question."

"Not anymore." As Kitty began to reach for her arm, Franny flinched.

"Relax, Honey. It's okay, you're safe here. Are you ok?"

Now tears trickling down her cheeks, she slowly rolled up her sleeves to expose bruises.

"OH, FRANNY!"

"This is nothing." Franny said trying to hold back more tears.

"You mean there's more?" Kitty said furrowing her brow. Franny just nodded. "Oh, Honey, let me get Doc."

"NO! NO! You can't tell anyone."

"Doc's a friend of mine, Franny. You should be looked at. I can bring him here and no one will know. Please?"

Thinking for a moment, placing her hands across her stomach. "OK, if you think it will be safe. You trust this Doc person?"

"With my life." Kitty answered. "Look, you stay here and I'll go get him. You can lie down till I get back. Franny, I promise it will be just fine." Then she headed for the door.

Kitty walked right past Sam and Newly, as well as several customers, saying not a word. Climbing the stairs to Doc's, Kitty could only imagine what this man had done to her friend. Knocking on the door as she opened it, Doc was sitting at his desk deep in thought, combing through his journals for something to help one of his patients.

"Curly, you look engrossed. What is so interesting?"

"Oh, Kitty. Hello. I was just trying to research some medicine for ol' Mrs. Collins."

"Still ailing, huh?"

"Yeah, she is."

"Doc, Mrs. Collins is…"

"She's old, Kitty. But I'm still her doctor."

"Yes, you are, and a very good one too."

Taking off his glasses, puckering up his mouth. "Young Lady, I know you didn't come here to compliment me on what a good doctor I am, although it's nice to know someone in this town notices. What brings you here?"

"Doc, you know me too well." Smiling. "Doc, it's my friend, Franny. I think she could use your help."

"Franny… Franny who? Don't ever remember you having a friend named Franny."

"Oh, you've never met her. She got in this afternoon on the stage. You'll understand when you see her, but we need to keep this quiet. Ok?"

"Kitty, is there something I should know?"

Unsure what to say, "Doc, you'll understand when you see her. Please?"

"Ok, let me get my bag. Where is she, the Dodge House?"

"Oh, no. She's with me at the Long Branch."

"Ok, young lady, lead the way." And they walked down the stairs.

Turning to look at Doc, "Curly, if you don't mind, can we go up the back stairs?"

"What? Why?"

"I'll explain later."

Franny jumped up when she heard the door to the back stairs. "Who's there?"

Kitty quickly entered, followed by Doc. "It's me, Franny, and Doc is with me. Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you."

"No, Kitty, it's ok. I guess I'm just…"

Kitty smiled. "I know, Honey. Doctor Adams, this here is my friend Francine, Franny. Franny this is my dear Ol' friend, Doctor Galen Adams."

Tugging his ear and swiping his mustache, "Well now, Kitty, where have you been hiding this beautiful young woman?"

Now looking a bit scared. "Hiding? I'm not… Kitty, you promised."

"Relax, Franny. I haven't said anything."

"So, Miss Francine…"

"Oh, please, it's Franny."

"Ok, Miss Franny. Kitty tells me you may be in need of my services."

"Oh, really. I told Kitty I was okay."

"No, Fran, you can tell him. Better yet, show him. Doc here is a good man and as I said I trust him with my life."

Franny dropped her eyes, then began to roll up her sleeves.

Doc didn't need to know how, he guessed from just the bruises. "Oh dear. How long have you been like this?"

"About two weeks." She said still not looking either of them in the eye.

"This is bad. Are you experiencing any other…"

Before he could finish his sentence, "Doctor, I guess you'll want to see this too." Kitty began to excuse herself to give then privacy. "NO! Kitty, stay, please." Franny began undoing her shirtwaist. She had her back to them and the bruises on her arms were nothing compared to her back.

Kitty took a deep breath. "Aw, Franny!"

Then as she turned, with partially exposed breasts, the bruising continued. Franny rested her hands at her mid-section. "I'm so ashamed. I was crazy to think he'd let me leave."

"Young Lady, you listen to me and listen closely. This is just wrong."

"Oh, Kitty, what am I going to do? My family will never understand. My mother will never except me back. Even with my ba…" Then she stopped.

Doc looked at Franny then back to Kitty. "How long?"

"What?" She said looking at him with questions in her eyes.

"How long have you known, you are with child?" Now the tears began to fall. "Oh, Honey, it's going to be alright. You're safe here." Doc pulled Kitty aside. "Kitty, honey. You should talk to Matt about this."

"I can't, Doc. I promised."

"What are you going to do?" He asked.

"Well, I guess for now, when you're finished here, I'll hide her out here. What else can I do? Besides, from what she has told me, he'll never look for her here."

The train pulled into the depot and as passengers disembarked, no one could miss the extremely exquisitely dressed gentleman.

Festus was standing, talking to the conductor.

The man said, "Excuse me. Can you point me to the nearest hotel in town?"

"That'd be the Dodge House, Mister. It be the only hotel in Dodge."

The man was terribly high strung, at least for Festus.

"Boy, can you deliver my things?"

At first Festus paid no attention.

"BOY! My bags!"

"You be a talkin' ta me, Mister?"

"YES! See that my bags get to the hotel promptly."

"You jest a hold on there, fancy man. I'm not yer boy. I'm the deputy in Dodge."

Turning his nose up, and under his breath, saying, "This Dodge City is a dirty town." As the man arrived at the Dodge House, Howie was assisting another guest. The man was very impatient. "Sir, if you don't mind I'd like a room."

"Excuse me, Mister, but I'll be with you in a moment."

The couple, standing at the counter, just looked at him. Then the husband said, "I'd figure a well presented man as yourself would have better manners and upbringing."

"What would you know of my upbringing? Anyone, in this hamlet, would know nothing about…"

Quickly, the man stopped him. "Sir, I'm going to kindly ask you to limit your ill minded comments in the presents of the missus."

He just let out a huff as the couple ascended the stairs. He directed his attention to Howie. "Now, if you would kindly give me a room and let me see your sign in ledger."

Howie now with a tight jaw, "A room I can oblige. As for my ledger, I'm afraid not."

"Well then. Give me the room number of my wife, Francine Bousselot and be quick about it."

"I'm afraid we have no one by that name."

"Are you certain?"

"Yes, I am." And handed him a room key.

Festus was still annoyed. "That stick–fiddled yeahoo, a talkin' ta me like I be his servant." Puffing out a breath of air, not paying any attention to who was around. "Why, I'll git on him like ugly on a ape."

TBC