Chapter 4

The next morning when they arrived in Virginia City, Hoss and Adam went directly to see if there was a wire from their father and there was. Adam opened the envelope and read aloud to Hoss, "Return in due time." Hoss looked at Adam, openly confused and then asked what the hell the wire meant. "It means," Adam said, "that he's not coming home yet but at least we know he's still there." Adam and Hoss went to the bank next and Adam withdrew cash for his trip. He also asked Mr. Newsome if they could be notified as soon as possible if their father withdrew more money and he agreed to send someone out to the Ponderosa if Ben did so.

Since Adam had already packed a valise and a portmanteau for the possible trip, he bought a stage ticket and began his journey to New York. He traveled by stage to Abilene, Kansas where he boarded the train east; he would travel by rail for the next three days to New York. After the stage, the train was a relief-Adam had his own compartment and the train had a dining car but he still slept poorly and spent most of his time looking out the window at the scenery as they flew through it. And he also spent every waking moment thinking back to the wire he had received at his first overnight stop in a small town in Colorado. Hoss had wired that work was underway on the cutting and that there was no word from their father and no more requested money. But at the next stop in Abilene, a wire from Hoss stated that their father had requested two thousand dollars. Hoss also said that Adam had received a wire telling him to look into selling the ten acres that their neighboring rancher, Tom Fairfield had always wanted to buy. Adam was beginning to feel a slight panic; his father knew as well as he that their liquidity was limited and was now wanting to sell off parcels for cash. Most of the Ponderosa's wealth was tied up in their many ventures. Adam, his anxiety building, felt that he could run all the way to New York faster than the train was traveling but after three days, he ended up in New York and Adam was a bit nonplussed at how much the city had grown since he had last visited years earlier.

Adam hired a hackney cab to take him to the Gilson Hotel and the driver stared at Adam who was wearing a black Stetson and a yellow trail coat. He wasn't dressed as the other denizens of New York were and hoping to take advantage of a naïve stranger, he quoted an excessive cost for the short trip. Adam only laughed and told the man to recalculate the fare. The man quoted another fee and Adam looked at him askance. The driver stated a much lower fee and Adam accepted. The man then jumped down and put Adam's luggage into the cab. Adam climbed in as well and began to think again what he would say and do when he came face to face with his father after almost a month's separation.

Adam arrived at the Gilson Hotel and before exiting the cab, he looked at the building, admiring the Second Empire architectural style. It was a classic example of what was becoming popular and he smiled at the brick exterior and the mansard roof-beautifully executed.

After he settled up with the cabbie, Adam walked through the stained glass double doors of the hotel and looked around the lobby with its bifurcated grand stairwell. It was impressive with its styles of Neo-Baroque furniture and the large center chandelier. He walked over to the lobby desk, dropped his bags on the plush carpet, and after managing to get the clerk's attention after the man did his best to ignore the cowboy who stood silently waiting, asked in what room was Benjamin Cartwright.

"Is Mr. Cartwright expecting you?" the clerk asked.

"No." Adam stood waiting, a slight grin on his face.

"If you will tell me your name, I'll have a bellhop take a note to him unless you have a calling card?"

"Just tell me his room number." Adam pushed his hat back slightly and stared at the man.

The clerk swallowed hard and then considered the situation. He had seen, as soon as this cowboy had walked in, that he still had a gun belt on and a holster strapped to his thigh. 'Does he thinks he's in the wild west?' the clerk had asked himself and although he had tried to ignore the man in the black hat, the man refused to leave and the longer the man stared at him, the more nervous the clerk became. Guns in public were not usual fare in New York City and neither was this man's get-up but the fact that he was not "usual" made him unpredictable and so the clerk was nervous. He decided that he would just give Ben Cartwright's room number and be done with it.

"He is in suite 34."

Adam smiled and tipped his hat, picked up his bags and headed for the grand staircase. A young man came rushing up to him. "Carry your bags, sir?"

"Thank you," Adam said and he climbed the stairs while the young man followed. Adam quickly found number 34 and tipped the bellhop who bowed and scraped in dereference. Adam stood for a few seconds outside the door and then rapped on it. He waited and then, after a few seconds, rapped again. This time the door opened and his father, still in a dressing gown stood at the door.

"Adam!" he said, obviously surprised.

"Hello, Pa. How are you?"

"Um…fine. What are you doing here?" Ben seemed to be blocking the way intentionally.

"Mind if I come in? You have a suite, don't you? There must be room for me." Adam picked up his bags and Adam pushed his way past his father. Adam looked around in admiration and gave a long, low whistle. The room was beautifully decorated with expensive furniture and elegant fixtures and there were velvet portieres separating the other two rooms in the suite. "Bedroom through here?"

"Adam, wait!' Ben called out but although Adam heard him, he walked directly to the bedroom and then stopped and dropped his luggage, a smile on his face. A woman was in his father's bed, a beautiful woman who had the most beautiful breasts he had ever seen . She had golden hair and deep green eyes and her skin was white and pink and her face had a sensuality that struck him immediately. But what also struck him the most was that although she was obviously naked, she was wearing a diamond and ruby necklace with a matching bracelet and earrings. Adam stared in admiration. He could hear his father come into the room and stand behind him.

"Are you included in the price of the room?" Adam asked the woman, grinning.

She quickly pulled the sheets up around her. "Benjamin," the woman said, outraged by this brazen man with the dark hair and eyes that seemed to see through her, "who is this fils de salope who dares to just walk in here and insult me?"

Adam laughed and the woman pulled the sheet up higher under her arms, assuming an arrogance that amused Adam.

"Hélène, this is my eldest son, Adam. I didn't know he was coming to New York."

"Hélène, is it?" Adam said and then turning to his father, asked, "Is she what costs so much? You could have found a cheaper whore, Pa."

Hélène sat up in the bed, holding the sheet with one hand and began to gesticulate with the other, shouting more insults in French. Adam understood most of them and his laughter at her barbs only angered her more, frustrated her more and she became furious and shouted even more insulting things about Adam's mother and his birth and also what Adam could do with himself. But he just stood and smiled as she shrilly screamed at him. Adam laughed and said in French, "Ne me prenez pas pour un con," -for her not to take him for a fool.

"Casse-toi, pauvre con," she screamed back.

Ben grabbed Adam by the arm and pulled him into the main room of the suite. "Adam, this is a bad time for you to show up."

"I think my timing's perfect," Adam said. "Now I know why you've been withdrawing so much money. It's been to support her, to buy her gifts, hasn't it?"

Ben stood, speechless. Then he took a deep breath. "Adam, you don't understand."

"Oh, I think I do." Adam stood and looked at his father who suddenly looked very old and frail to him and it touched his heart. And Adam did understand. He knew what effect a beautiful woman could have on a man. He himself had felt the siren's call before, been drawn into dangerous waters by the promise in a woman's eyes and maybe in another place at another time, he would have fallen for Hélène's charms and been enthralled by her-she was a stunning woman. But now he felt that it was up to him to break the spell this woman had over his father. He just didn't know how.

TBC