Disclaimer: Hi Folks at CBS, Beth Sullivan and all involved with our beloved DQ. Just borrowing them again, they will be returned in perfect condition I promise!

Author's note! A Thousand apologies for how long this has taken for me to get ready for reading. I would like to take a minute to thank all who have encouraged me, especially Anny, Kruemi and BubbySophie who have been nudging me somewhat patiently into getting into gear with this particular story and Sadie Cass who's thought provoking post helped get me writing on this story again. And all those who have left me feedback and reviews! I thank you more than you will ever fully know!!! Rx

Starting All Over Again.

By Rianne.

Chapter Four.

Whilst the girls relaxed into the mildly bubbling waters, sighing and stretching back luxuriously Michaela kept her eyes demurely to the close range. Always conscious of the way she was sitting and how much of her floated above the surface of the soothing liquid. It was the first time she had found the chance to test the hot springs here for herself. She had helped many a patient here, including Sully before the Chateaux had even been built, but her time had always been too short for her to experience them herself. They were rather wonderful. She spread her arms out a little wider, feeling the aerated water buoy her fingers as they dragged ripples across the surface.

The part of her which was relishing the adventure wanted to gage the reaction that their little debacle was creating, but the other older, quieter, more mature part of her wanted to retain a little of her modesty and reminded her that she needed to focus on the reason she came there.

She knew she must concentrate on capturing the imaginations of the girls and informing their minds and not become distracted by the soothing waters and the shimmering steam. She forced herself to concentrate so much that she actually missed Preston's hurried arrival as he came bursting through the front doors of the hotel, his focus close minded upon his tirade until he stepped out into the daylight and became distracted by all the whispers, and shocked conversations.

Preston however certainly had not missed the cause of them either; his eye had been helplessly drawn in the direction of the hot springs moments after he had burst out blinking into the sunshine, only to be rewarded by a haze of white lace and ribbons obscured by the blur of bright refracting sunlight bouncing off the mirroring surface. And was that Michaela Quinn in a bathing suit?

Before he had been given the chance to allow his eyes to focus again the arrival of a whole new group of guests won over his attention and distracted him for the moment as he turned to the doctor and informed him as they crossed to the arriving carriage. "Andrew, this couple has come all the way from San Francisco."

Right upon the edges of the power of his hearing, in a much sweeter pitch than the grumbling of his unhappy guests he could hear the girlish giggles of the red headed girl exclaiming that she thought she was in the lap of luxury. That massaged his pride even considering the source of the compliment. She certainly was in his not so humble opinion!

With Andrew still attached to his side he managed to start to speak to his first lady guest. "Welcome to the Spring Chateaux! May I?" Preston turned on the charm as he guided the lady guest down from her seat in the chateaux carriage, fawning with his usual spiel. Fighting his chaotic thoughts as he spoke, his distraction unmissably clear in his tone, but he continued in his efforts to keep it hidden. He repeated the speech with a hearty handshake bestowed upon the lady's gentleman husband. Then taking his pocket watch out to discretely peruse the time he wondered to himself how much longer Marjorie and her friends would be likely to stay.

Andrew however had found his attentions helplessly directed towards all the commotion. "Looks like we have some visitors." He announced with a new gleam in his eye completely oblivious to the Bankers anger. If there was one thing Preston A. Lodge despised it was being made a fool of.

Still unaware of the Chateaux owner's presence the women in the water continued to giggle and chatter amongst themselves, thoroughly enjoying their heated dip. Whilst around them the crowd of intrigued and offended observers continued to grow.

Louisa the bubbly red headed girl chattered incessantly, seeming to be the voice for the group for she clearly stated what they were all thinking when she happily announced, "you know it aint just taking the day off that feels so good,"

Michaela smiled at seeing her own thoughts reflected and could not help but confirm the girls musings, "Its taking things into your own hands."

Marjorie quite clearly in agreement with this added, "you can take charge of your own destiny."

Michaela, pleased to once again have Marjorie standing with her finally saw her chance to put across her suggestions. "Exactly. Well you are intelligent and capable young women."

The girls simply shook their heads incredulously, but off their looks Michaela continued to reassure them. "You don't have to do…"

Her words faded into a slightly uncomfortable silence as she thought of the best way to phrase what she wished to say without just coming right out with the words, but each passing second increased her discomfort and she finally just said, "that sort of work." Her words accompanied by a cautious shrug.

Marjorie was instantly on the offensive again. Her judgemental tone the perfect imitation of their mother.

"Now, now, Michaela, just because you didn't choose their profession does not mean they do not have a right to it."

"I'm just pointing out that they have alternatives." Michaela counter played, her countenance directed at Marjorie and allowing her the luxury of missing the disgusted glares of a rather respectable elderly couple as they passed and also to miss the final approach of Preston and a boyish looking Dr. Cook.

"Like what?" Louisa asked, now quite interested in what the Lady Doctor had to say. "I don't got a family or a husband."

Never defeated Michaela only had to think for a second before she suggested, "Well you could get another job? You could be a…" she paused again, "a waitress."

Preston who was now upon them and could not have stopped any closer to the edge without taking a dip himself broke into the conversation, "I'm afraid we haven't any positions available at present."

His face was a picture of mildly controlled anger, and his forced smile also held the gleam of a man who appreciated the sight before him much more than a gentleman of his standing should.

Marjorie, beside Michaela actually had the decency to look a little contrite as she smiled sweetly. "I decided to take you up on your offer to see your hotel." She almost fawned, twisting her hands in front of herself like a little girl begging for something from an adult.

With Preston suddenly standing so close and reining his gaze over all of them in that way Michaela found extreme waves of self consciousness ripple over her and she looked away from his gaze, wishing she could completely submerge herself under the water to get away from it. Her hands even rising a little in a hopeless attempt to cover her modesty.

"And you had the intriguing notion of bringing along a few friends."

Preston's voice dripped with so much sarcasm he practically poured the words back into the waters.

"Oh, well if you would like us to leave?" Marjorie announced, that mischievous glimmer back in her eyes as she looked around at the circle of women and they all began to rise.

Suddenly around them the observing crowd rose into a cacophony of disapproval as more and more bare flesh appeared as Hank's girls rose from the waters in a display reminiscent of a tableaux of Venuses. Quite simply a sight to behold as some of the gentleman guests even offered their hands to the younger women to aid their passage from the water onto the decking. The soft curves of bare thigh and arm and the clinging of diaphanous fabrics caused Preston's body and mind to alert in more ways than one.

"Oh no, no, please stay as long as you would like!" He cried out waving his arms around in a frantic display.

The women halted, Louisa looking up to him to meet his gaze with an alluring smile, but Preston's gaze had been captured by a sight he found much more pleasing. The usually well-hidden curving figure of a certain Dr. Michaela Quinn.

Unaware of his continued attentions it was only when she sank back to sit once again that Preston's voice shattered through to her, "Michaela, I must say, you are looking extremely well."

She just did not know what to do. In that one horrifying moment all eyes were immediately fixated upon her. The lecherous sneer in his voice seeming to echo in the steam clouded air and the grin on his face betrayed his deepest thoughts and desires and made her stomach twist in disgust despite her outward appearance of demure flushed cheeks and girlish shyness. She sank lower into the water unable to escape all the attention as Preston tipped his hat at her in a gesture laden with the kind of sleaze she would have expected from the likes of Hank Lawson.

Upon finally releasing her from his gaze Preston turned to the young Doctor, finally allowing his frustrations to bubble over as he yanked on the young man's arm, shattering his naughty, beaming smile as he dragged him back indoors ignoring his obvious reluctance.

With Preston gone the women dissolved into carefree laughter, although Michaela laughed along too she found that her heart was not quite in the mood for this any longer and the heat in her cheeks took a long while to fade.

Then before too much time had passed two uniformed hotel staff appeared cautiously at the edge of the spring, each bore a selection of cloaks just like the one Michaela had worn earlier and the women finally recognised that it was in fact time to leave.

Dressing calmly, the soothing springs having eased their rebellion into a much quieter protest they all slid off their separate ways. Michaela dropped Marjorie and the girls back in town. Marjorie heading off at full speed immediately to arrange a riding lesson for the reverend and the girls slunk cautiously towards the back entrance to the saloon, hoping to at least find Hank so angry that he had drunk himself quiet.

Michaela then finding herself alone headed out then to the meadow where Colleen and Brian were playing in the sunshine with Katie. With a relaxed smile on her face that the children had not seen for quite some time she took Katie from them instructing them to have fun with their afternoon before sliding back into the wagon and heading for home with a pleasant afternoon of her own to be spent with her youngest to look forward to.

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Over at the site of Preston's homestead even the ground was steaming for the midday sun had gained such prowess. The remaining early morning dew had risen into a hazy fog, which had floated away into the bluest sky, and the absent clouds meant that no barrier stood between Sully and that ball of fire in the vast expanse.

Swiping a heavy tired hand across his forehead Sully finally admitted defeat and sank down to his haunches, as he swigged a mouthful of lukewarm water from his canteen before pouring a liberal amount of over his head, shaking away the escaping droplets from his mane.

"Mr. Sully? I don't believe that is what I am paying you for now is it?"

Preston.

Sully bit back the acid reflux remark finding himself helped to do that by a single thought of his beautiful wife and the recognition that he and Michaela could not afford for him to loose this contract just because of a few words, words which slipped out of his angry mouth in the heat of the midday sun.

For only the second time in his life he had been forced to think seriously about money. Forced to bite back his grimace, as progress and change had impressed themselves upon what he treasured most. His freedom, the earth, nature and his family.

He still owed Daniel.

Daniel. How that name still hurt his wounded pride. He wanted to forgive, it was his nature, and yet something was preventing him from doing so. He knew that Michaela had been unaware of the pain she had been causing and from that he had been able to forgive her, knowing her innocence was just one of her many wonderful qualities.

Yet the roughness which he felt twinge in his chest always tightened his breathing and then slumped lower as if his heart sank into his stomach at the very thought of being indebted to a man who had so deviously fallen in love with his wife. He had trusted him, he had thought him a man of principles.

Daniel had never made any gestures towards Michaela, which could have been construed as anything other than acts of friendship; Michaela had taken great pains to assure him of that. It was more that he felt deceived, had always thought that only men of suspect moral character made even spoken advances towards another man's wife. It was thoughts like these that had plagued him for weeks now, plagued him throughout the construction of Preston's house. He had worked his aggression into the very structure of the building and had created such a firm and steady monument to his internal pain that it would most likely stand for much longer than they themselves lived.

Yet all his venting was not helping to ease his mind and all his thoughts of offering forgiveness seemed to slam up against the barrier of pain he had found erected in his gut when Daniel's behaviours toward Michaela had aroused his suspicions. Over time this barrier had collected these thoughts and used them as reinforcements for his anger, forming a solid block in his stomach which reasserted its self whenever he considered forgiveness and now stood between his sending that telegram to the man he had once indebted his life to.

Preston's self indulgent sigh broke his frown as with a barely disguised glare in the direction of the pompous Bostonian's back Sully slammed the lid back upon his canteen, dropping it to the ground beside his feet. The culmination of all his worst thoughts turning his heavy heart into an angry beating vibration in his chest that made him all the more determined to finish this project as soon as he could.

He stood, feeling the earlier strain return to his heavy legs as he straightened his back bearing up against the heavy weight of the smouldering sun.

Preston's eyes had lifted to the monumental growing structure before them. The perfect combination of Sully's tasteful earthy talents enlarged with an ugly melding of Preston's narcissism into a garish, showy monstrosity. The house clearly screamed 'respect me, for I have power. Look at me, for I have money.' A building made simply for show, in order to meet the Banker's overblown personal ambitions. It was not a home.

"Wouldn't like to think the entire Sully family was taking the day off." Preston broke the birdsong sweetness with the voice of a man clearly used to appreciating his own vocal inflections. A voice filled with the familiar nuances of the schoolyard boy who knows something and cannot wait to tell.

"I received a visit from your lovely wife and her charming sister this morning," Preston continued without waiting for a reaction from Sully, as he knew his opponent rarely took the bait. It was a challenge and Preston A. Lodge found challenges just his taste. Although he consciously kept a short distance from the mountain man knowing from experience that the swing of his fist could pack some serious force. He smiled to himself remembering with smug satisfaction the expression that had flickered across Mr. Sully's face when he had told him is beautiful wife was extremely 'sensual.' Even the bruises and swelling had almost been worth that look.

Preston the perfect example of the boy bullied when young always seeming to acquire the tendencies of the bully when grown.

And to Preston these recent events held an opportunity even he could not have foreseen. He had wished to approach Sully today and tell him of his new idea to enlarge a lower room and reduce a second level room into two smaller ones. This would have been his second re-think this week alone once envisioned had become absolutely essential to his happiness with the finished house and yet even he had recognised that Sully's patience was wearing thin. He had concluded that what he needed in order to help accomplish this was some kind of leverage, something he could use to his advantage and seeing Michaela dressed as she had been that morning… it seemed just as if the perfect leverage had simply floated into his hot springs!

"I have been thinking, maybe I ought to add some more rooms in on the second level," Preston continued breezing over the words as Sully's mind suddenly picked up on the fact that Preston was beaming from ear to ear and recognised that he was about to be duped and sneakily coerced into something else he did not wish to do.

"Quite a fetching outfit she was wearing, your wife, she is looking extremely well if you'll allow me to say."

Sully remained silent simply allowing Preston's words to slide over his back as he waited longingly for him to get to his particular point.

"And her sister too," Preston continued. "Although I cannot speak for her new friends. You should have words about the company she keeps."

"What about new rooms?" Sully questioned, as always disregarding the words falling profusely from Preston's mouth, useless letters in fancy combinations, useless words which decorated his speech and held little or no meaning and certainly did not hold the power and belief that his wife's speech did, her words empowered and guided by a real knowledge. It was the bumbling of a weak man who had come to recognise that his only strength lay in flummoxing those he needed things from.

"I've had to give some of my guests some compensatory items and treatments from Dr. Cook at the clinic in order to smooth over your wife and sister-in-law's behaviour this morning. I believe that your acceptance of a few changes to our current plans would be an ample way to smooth out these monies I have had to pay out and I do believe you now owe to me."

Preston did not wait for a response from his architect. Truthfully he was quite afraid of the possible response, he had played upon the one weakness he had been able to uncover about this unusual man Mr. Sully, his sense of pride. With one quick look at the frown that had recently scarred the quiet man's face so often it was creating wrinkles he turned and strode back to his carriage with an air of smug satisfaction. He would get those alterations now. That was for certain.

Sully simply stood in the shadow of his creation; he could do nothing but stand as he felt that vibrant flood of hopeless frustration well up.

He could do nothing.