Adam rode to the Lazy R and found it empty. Since Jake DuPont had been killed a few days before, the ranch's herd had been counted and combined with the Ponderosa's, and the cowhands had moved over to the bunkhouse at the Cartwright's ranch.
He tied his horse, Dealer, to the hitching post and went to the door. He knocked but no one answered. Adam opened the door and went inside. The DuPont's home was smaller than the Cartwright's, but it had always been neat and clean. Now there was dust on the furniture and the clock had run down. Adam walked through the rooms and looked under the beds, but there was no sign of Mariette.
He walked out to the barn. The animals were gone, and the hands hadn't bothered to sweep out the stalls before they left. It smelled of stale dung and straw, and Adam was anxious to leave. He checked each stall, though, as well as the loft before he decided that Mariette wasn't hiding there.
Adam went to the hitching post and stood for a minute, thinking and stroking Dealer's nose. "All right, girl, where would you go if you were eight years old and had run away from home?" He didn't really expect an answer, and he realized how ridiculous his question was. Mariette didn't consider that she'd run away from home. Her home was here, but she'd been told that she was to live at the Ponderosa. Adam wondered how he'd feel to have a new home and family thrust suddenly on him, and he knew where he would go if he ran away from them. He mounted Dealer and headed for the cemetery.
He found her there, lying between her parents' graves. Her face was dirty and tear-streaked. Adam dismounted and ground-tied Dealer before walking over to her. She was very still, and he thought she was asleep until she spoke. "I'm not going back with you. You're not my family. My family is dead. My parents are here, and I'm going to stay here."
Adam sat down beside her. "All right."
"Nothing you can say will make me go with - what?" Mariette suddenly realized what Adam had said, and she sat up and looked at him in surprise. "I can stay here with my parents? You mean it?"
"Sure," Adam nodded. "You can spend the night here." He looked around. "There's plenty of wood. We can set up camp right here, and we'll be just fine."
"You're going to stay with me?" she asked.
"Of course - I can't go off and leave a little girl by herself. Are you hungry?"
"Ye - no! Well, maybe a little," she admitted.
"I've got some jerky in my saddle bag - let me get it." Adam stood up and walked over to Dealer. He took a couple of strips of beef jerky out of his saddle bag and grabbed his canteen. He sat down next to Mariette and handed her a strip. "Here, chew on this, and then drink some water. It'll fill you right up."
Mariette began to chew on the jerky. It was tough and salty, but she was hungry. She took a sip of water and Adam asked, "How is it?"
She remembered her manners, and said, "It's delicious - it's the best jerky I've ever tasted."
Adam hid a grin. "Yeah, it's pretty good. Pa and me made it last year. Of course, it isn't as good as Hop Sing's cookies or flapjacks, but you don't like those things anyway, do you?"
Mariette looked up at him to see if he was laughing at her. She couldn't see a smile on his face, and she decided he was serious. There was a howl from the woods behind her, and Mariette looked over her shoulder.
Adam reassured her. "That's just a little old coyote."
"Are they very mean?" Mariette asked. She'd always been inside by this time of day, and the walls at her house were solid enough to keep out wild animals and cold winds. Her father had told her she would always be safe there.
"Coyotes? No, they're too little to be very mean. Wolves are what you want to watch out for." Adam stood up and went over to his saddle.
"Where are you going?" Mariette asked.
"Just to get my blanket. It's going to be cold tonight, and I want to sleep nice and warm." He took the blanket from the back of his saddle, and, wrapping it around his shoulders, sat back down beside her.
Mariette stole a look at him. He looked big and strong to her, and she wondered if he'd let her share his blanket. She was small and couldn't possibly take up much room. It wasn't dark yet, but the sun would be going down soon, and the nights were cold.
"Is Mrs. Cartwright mad at me?" she asked.
Adam thought for a minute. "No, I think she's hurt, though. She was just trying to make you feel better, and you pushed her away. Did you know you hit her in the face and made her nose bleed?"
Mariette's eyes were huge. "No! I didn't mean to hurt her that way - I just wanted to leave. Everything's so different at your house. I didn't mind visiting the Ponderosa with Father. It was fun playing with Hoss, but I always knew I could home. And now - now I can't - things are so different ." Her voice trembled and she looked down at the ground.
Adam's voice was soft when he answered her. "Yeah, I guess they are. I know how I felt when Hoss's Mama died. I was lonesome for her even though I had Pa and Hoss - he was just a baby and he took a lot of care. Then Pa went to New Orleans to sell his furs and came home with a new wife. It was hard for me to get used to Marie, but she was real nice. She told Pa that Hoss and I should have lessons every morning and some time to play every afternoon. Since she's been here, I haven't had to work so hard or so much, and I've learned a lot from her. She's a good teacher, Mariette, and a good mother."
"Well, she can't take Mother's place!" Mariette was firm.
"She doesn't want to take your mother's place," Adam spoke calmly, "but she can love you just the same and teach you just the same as your mother would if she were still here. She'd just be your Mama. And Pa, he doesn't want to take your father's place, but he can protect you and take care of you same as your father would if he were still here."
"I had a baby brother, but he died with Mother," Mariette said.
"I'm sorry," Adam was sympathetic, "but we've got a baby at our house - Joe. He's just two, but he gets into everything and he takes a lot of looking after. And at our house you'd have an older brother - me, and I'd watch out for you same as I do for Hoss and Joe. And you and Hoss have always been playmates. You'd have someone just your age to play with all the time instead of just on visits and at church."
Mariette thought about what Adam was saying. "Are you watching out for me now like you would if you were my big brother, Adam?"
Adam nodded. "I sure am - just like I would if you were Hoss or Joe."
Mariette scooted close to him. "Do you think your parents are real mad at me for running away?"
Adam put his arm around her. "I think they're real worried about you. Mariette, just as they would be if you were their own blood daughter."
Mariette thought for a minute and shivered.
"Are you cold, Mari?" Adam asked. He pulled her closer and wrapped some of the blanket around her.
"Yes." She realized what he'd called her. "Why did you call me 'Mari'?"
"Well, Mariette is a long name for a little girl," Adam explained, "and, besides, I like the name, Mari. You know Hoss's real name is Eric, but we all call him Hoss."
Mariette sat and thought about this for a few minutes. Nicknames in families were fine. She'd heard them before, and the name, Mari, was pretty - almost as pretty as Mariette. "Do you think I could go back ho - to the Ponderosa with you?" she asked.
"Yes, we might even get there in time for supper. Of course, you don't eat much and you've already had that delicious beef jerky." Adam said.
Mariette nodded. "Well, I wouldn't want to hurt Hop Sing's feelings or waste food. He wasn't too happy when I didn't eat much breakfast this morning."
"No," Adam agreed. "Hop Sing doesn't like it when you don't eat. He thinks it's because you don't like his cooking."
"His cooking is delicious," the little girl said. "I mean, I didn't eat much today, but I've had his cookies when Hoss brought them to share at church, and they were always very good."
"You need to let him know that, then." Adam told her. "Ready to go?" Adam stood and helped Mariette up. He wrapped the blanket around her, and they walked over to Dealer. He untied the big horse, and lifted Mariette up to sit in front of him in the saddle. He climbed up behind her, and she leaned back against him. He was big and warm, and she thought she was going to enjoy having a big brother.
As they rode home, Adam began to sing and Mariette joined in. When they came into the yard, Ben was leading Buck out of the barn. He looked relieved when he saw them. "Well, here are our two wanderers," he said. "Your mother's been worried to death about the two of you. I was just setting off to look for you."
Adam handed Mariette down to Ben. "We just needed to talk," he said.
"And sing," added Mariette.
"That's right," said Adam. He watched as Mariette wrapped her arms around Ben's neck.
"Adam said you didn't want to take Father's place, you just wanted to take care of me like he would if he were still here," she said.
"That's right, darling," Ben said. Mariette hugged him.
"Do I have to call you Mr. Cartwright? May I call you Papa instead?" she whispered in his ear.
Ben held her close as he carried her into the house. "I think it would be fine if you called me Papa."
He set her down and unwrapped the blanket. Marie was sitting in her rocking chair with Joe in her lap. She handed the baby to Hoss and stood up, opening her arms to Mariette. "Ma cherie, I've been so worried about you."
There was a second's hesitation, and then Mariette ran into her arms and hugged her waist. "I'm so sorry, Mrs. Cartwright. Adam said I hit you in the face, and I didn't mean to."
Marie knelt down and held her away from her so she could look into the little girl's eyes. "I know, ma petite, you were upset and wanted to get away just then." She pulled Mariette back into a hug.
"Papa said I could call him Papa instead of Mr. Cartwright. May I call you Mama instead of Mrs. Cartwright?" Mariette whispered to Marie.
"Of course, my precious one." She held Mariette tight for another minute and then released her. "What a dirty little face I see! Come upstairs with me and we shall wash it clean." Marie took Mariette by the hand and led her upstairs. When they came back down a little later, Mariette's face was bright and clean.
Hop Sing came into the great room and announced, "Supper is ready." Hoss stood at his place as Ben held Marie's chair and Adam held Mariette's. When they were seated, Ben, Hoss, and Adam sat down and Hop Sing brought in a bowl of chicken and dumplings followed by vegetables. Ben put very small portions on Mariette's plate and passed it to her.
Hoss watched carefully. "Is that all she gets, Pa?"
"She can have more if she wants it, Hoss," Ben told him.
Mariette cleaned her plate quickly, and looked up at Ben. He was talking to Marie, and didn't notice that her plate was empty.
Adam saw that she'd eaten everything on her plate, and asked her in a low voice, "Would you like more to eat, Mari?"
"Yes, please," she said.
"All right," Adam picked up her plate and offered it to Ben. "Pa, Mari would like more chicken and dumplings, please."
Ben took the plate and put another spoonful of chicken and dumplings on it. "May I serve you more green beans, Mariette? Mari, is it?" he asked Adam.
"Yes, please, Papa," said Mariette as Adam answered his father. "Mariette is such a mouthful. Besides, she may grow into Mariette, but right now she's little and Mari suits her better."
Ben put a spoonful of beans on her plate, and passed it to Adam who put it in front of her.
"Do you agree with Adam about your name, Mariette?" Ben asked.
The little girl looked up at Adam, her big brother. He nodded and winked at her.
"Yes, Papa," she said, and took a bite of chicken.
When supper was over, Mariette carried her plate into the kitchen and handed it to Hop Sing. "Thank you for my supper, Mr. Hop Sing. It was delicious."
Hop Sing looked down at the child and smiled. "I see Mariette has discovered her appetite."
"Yes, well, Adam said I hurt your feelings when I didn't eat your food and you said I shouldn't waste food, so I ate everything I was served tonight."
"Did you have enough to eat, little one?" Hop Sing asked.
"Yes, and if you make cookies tomorrow, I'm going to eat one."
Hop Sing put his finger to his lips. "Don't tell Hoss, but I saved a cookie for you." He took a cookie from a big jar on the counter and handed it to her.
Mariette giggled, took a bite, and pranced out of the kitchen.
That evening, after Ben read a chapter from the big family Bible, he looked around the great room. Hoss was sitting on the floor, leaning against his legs. Mariette - Mari - was sharing Adam's chair, leaning against him with his arm around her, and Marie was in her rocking chair with Joe in her lap. He nodded to Marie, and they all knelt and bowed their heads as Marie led their evening prayer, "Oh Lord, we pray you to visit this home and drive from it all snares of the enemy. Let Your holy angels dwell in it to preserve us in peace; and let Your blessing be always upon us. Through Christ our Lord. Amen."
Devotions done, the family sat quietly. It had been a difficult day, Marie thought, but it was ending happily. Mari would continue to mourn her father, but now she knew that she wasn't alone. She had a family to love and help her. She might not have been born a Cartwright, but she would become one over time.
