Sorry for the delay on this chapter, but real life jumped up and bit me this last couple of weeks!

Chapter Four

It was several miles before Joe pulled the lathered horse to a walk and allowed Sport to catch his breath. The horse snorted as he walked and Joe could feel the heaving breaths beneath him. He had pushed the horse at a full gallop and it was not sustainable. Panic had taken over and he had simply reacted and run.

As he glanced around him, Joe decided he needed to find somewhere to hole up for the night and decide what he was going to do next. It was more by good luck than anything else that he realised he was headed towards one of the line shacks that had not been used in some years. As it came into view, he noted that one side of the roof had dropped and a portion of the porch had dipped as well. If he'd stopped to look closer, he would have seen that termites had taken out a stump from under the building. It didn't matter since he wasn't planning on staying.

As Joe dismounted, he ran a hand across Sport's neck and thanked the animal for helping him escape. A sudden chill ran up his spine as he knew how Adam would react on top of everything else to the theft of his horse. It was too late to do anything about it and Joe led the horse into a corral and began to remove the tack. He didn't have any saddlebags and that meant he didn't have any brushes to work through the horse's matted and lathered coat. He looked up at the darkening sky and couldn't see any sign of rain so he laid the saddle and blanket across the railing and made his way inside before he lost the light altogether.

His father had set a list of repairs and maintenance on the line shacks and this particular one was still a ways down the list. As Joe sidestepped the dip in the porch and glanced worriedly at the roofline, he decided he had nothing to lose. It didn't really matter if the roof fell on his head while he slept. It already had!

After a while, he had gathered a lantern, some matches and a few tins of food together and made himself a supper of cold beans and peaches. He eyed off a bottle of medicinal brandy and decided a mouthful of that couldn't hurt anything either. As he took a gulp of the alcohol from the bottle, he spat it straight back out again. The raw taste burned his throat and he reached for the water canteen instead.

It suddenly occurred to him that he hadn't put out any water for Sport and he looked around for something to use. An enamel bowl was the best he could do and he poured almost the rest of the water canteen into it before heading outside into the dark. The horse came up to him at the edge of the coral and nudged at him as he held out the bowl of water. There was enough grass within the confines to make do for one night and Joe waited as the horse emptied the water.

"I'm sorry. This isn't what you deserve, but it's the best I've got."

Finally, Joe headed back towards the door, unwilling to light the lantern in case the light drew any unwelcome attention. He had enough moonlight to see by if he stayed outside, but once inside, it was almost pitch black.

"I can't stay here. And I can't keep Adam's horse."

As Joe sagged onto the floor and leaned up against the wall, he began to think through what he needed to do. There was no way he could go back and face his brother. Angelique was right about one thing – a part of him had enjoyed what she had done. His body had betrayed him and he had betrayed his brother. Adam would never forgive him. The look of disgust on Hoss' face brought tears to his eyes and he hung his head and rested his forehead on his knees. It didn't even bear thinking about what his father would think of him once he heard the story.

There was no going back. He had to leave.

Joe's heart felt like it was in his mouth. It wasn't like it was the first time he'd ever climbed up the side of the house and into his room, but the stakes had never been higher. He had no idea what time it was, but the house was silent and there was no light still shining anywhere. His family had apparently gone to sleep in spite of the fact he was not under the roof and where he should have been. What he would never know was that four men had gone to bed that night with heavy hearts and unanswered questions and none of them would be getting much sleep that night or any night for some time to come.

Joe slipped in through the window and eased his way across the room in his bare feet. He knew the layout and had done it many times in the dark. The little amount of moonlight was enough to show him the outline of his dresser and he slowly slid open a drawer and pulled a few items loose. He carefully shoved them into a saddlebag he had lifted from the barn only a few minutes earlier. Cochise had nickered a welcome at him as he slipped in with Adam's saddle and bridle and he had almost thrown aside his plan as he stroked at the horse's neck. The pinto had been a gift for his last birthday and had proven himself to be everything he had dreamed of in a horse. Somebody, and he assumed it was Hoss, had wrapped his horse's leg with liniment and a bandage. Cochise was still favouring the leg and had it raised onto the tip of his hoof. As he ran a hand down the leg, Joe could feel the heat underneath his fingers. As much as he desperately wanted to take his friend, he would never take the risk of doing permanent damage to the leg.

"I'm sorry, Cooch. You can't come. I wish that …" The words stuck in his throat and he buried his face in the horse's neck as he closed his eyes to stop the tears that threatened. "Bye, Cooch."

The horse snorted at him as he left the barn with his own tack and Joe felt his gut clench into a knot.

By the time he had gathered the few supplies he wanted, Joe pulled open his top drawer. The box inside didn't hold much in the way of cash, but it was all he could get his hands on. He knew the probable combination to the safe and the idea had flickered across his thoughts, but he could not and would not steal from his father. He took one last look around the room and felt his breath hitch in his chest. It was not the way he had ever envisaged himself leaving the Ponderosa, but there was no other way.

As he shimmied his way back down to the ground, Joe landed softly against the side of the house. He debated going into the kitchen for some food supplies, but decided he had risked enough by coming back at all. If it hadn't been for the fact he had stolen his brother's horse, he knew he probably wouldn't have come at all.

Joe slipped across the open yard and prayed that nobody happened to look out any windows as he melted into the shadow behind the barn. He pulled on his boots, gathered his tack and made his way down to the corral. There were several fresh-broke horses milling around and he reached a hand towards a big black that he'd worked especially hard on the week before. The mare had been skittish when he rode up earlier and tied Sport to the outside of the corral, but she stood and stared at him as he lifted the rail and walked the other horse inside. It was second nature to saddle a horse and despite the low light, he made short work of the job. The black wasn't so sure about the idea of having a saddle on her back again, but she finally allowed him to lift it from the railing and place it on her.

By the time he had cleared the corral and was heading into the hills, Joe was struggling to force himself onwards. If not for the memory of the raw fury on his brother's face, he may well have turned back. He would not put his father in the position of having to choose between his sons. It was a contest he had no hope of winning anyway, given all that had happened in recent weeks.

It was several hours before the sun began to rise against the horizon and Joe felt himself swaying in the saddle. He dared not stop until he reached the rocky land where he knew he couldn't be tracked. The timber was growing thicker and he finally decided he couldn't stay upright any longer. He desperately needed to find somewhere to sleep.

Clay hauled himself out of the bunk and followed the other hands through the morning's processes. Hank had pointed out where he could gather the things he needed and soon enough the door opened and somebody stepped in with a tray of food and a pot of coffee.

"There's been some kind of trouble last night. Hop Sing was in a right sour mood and we got bread and coffee this mornin'."

"No fatback!" A voice called from behind a bunk and Clay turned around to see who it was.

"Nope. Hop Sing just went off at me when I asked and you know I don't speak a word of that Chinese."

"But Hop Sing always does fatback," Josh moaned to himself.

"Wonder what happened?" Another hand that Clay recalled was named Gerry poured himself a mug of coffee and swiped a piece of toast.

"Dunno. But the doc was out here 'til all hours and Mister Cartwright looked like thunder when I seen him last night. Adam musta gone somewhere 'cause his horse ain't out there in the barn."

Clay listened and took note of the various opinions, but his gut churned as he wondered what had happened in less than two days since he had arrived.

"Well then, how come Adam's out there now?" Someone stood at the window and pointed outside.

"Dunno, but we'd best get to work and not give him any reason to bark at us."

Soon enough the handful of men spilled out of the bunkhouse and began to set to work saddling horses. Clay followed along, assuming he would get instructions from somebody about what he was to do next.

"You there, Stafford. You'll be comin' with me to the top pasture this morning."

"Sure thing."

Before long, Clay and Hank were heading north from the house. The coral was only a short distance ahead and Hank reeled his horse over towards the railing. Clay followed suit, wondering why they were stopping. He was even more surprised when Hank dismounted and reached for a rope from his saddle. He lifted the gate of the corral and stepped inside before neatly lassoing a horse.

"Just what are you doing in here?"

"What's wrong?"

"This here is Adam's horse. Ain't no reason he should be in here and not in the barn." Hank ran a hand down Sport's side and frowned at the matted coat. "He's been ridden hard and left all lathered up. Nobody does that around here. Something funny is goin' on."

Before Clay could ask anything further, Hank had turned for home and was cantering back towards the yard they had just left. Clay followed along behind him and saw Adam's reaction as they pulled into the yard. He strode forward and grabbed the lead rope from Hank's hands as the two men dismounted.

"Where did you find him?"

"In the corral with the new broke horses."

"Damn it! I'll wager he came back and took an unbranded one."

"Who came back?"

Before Hank got an answer, his boss was hurrying out of the house. "Joe came back?" The hope in his voice was soon dashed as Adam pointed beyond the yard.

"I reckon Joe left Sport in the corral and took one of the new horses. Unbranded."

Ben's shoulders sagged as he took in the comment. It made sense even if it meant his son didn't intend to face what had happened.

"We need to get tracking. He can't have gone too far."

Adam stared at his father, torn between wanting to find his brother and tear his limbs off and knowing in his gut that something was very wrong in spite of what he had seen.

"Son, we need to find him, no matter what happened."

Before Adam could respond, the door opened and Hop Sing stepped aside to allow Angelique through with Hetty supporting her arm. She looked pale and her hair hung down by her shoulders as if she had no energy to care for it. Adam strode forward and reached for her hand.

"I wish you would reconsider another day of rest."

Her face was frosty as she pointed towards the buggy. "I have no wish to stay here and be reminded of my ordeal for another minute. I want to go back to Virginia City and follow up with the sheriff on those charges."

Clay leaned against his horse and stared at the woman making her way across the yard. The hair was not its usual perfect coif, but everything else about her screamed at him. There was no doubt who she was and she had apparently outmanoeuvred him by arriving before him. Of course, he had no idea that she would have ever bothered to come to Nevada, but it was clear in his mind that nothing good could ever come of it. He sucked in a breath as he wondered how he would confront the issue with no credibility behind him. He'd lied to them about who he was. Well, maybe not lied, but he hadn't yet had a chance to be heard and he frowned as he wondered if he ever would now.

Adam nodded reluctantly as he reached for Angelique's hand to help her into the buggy. There would be no sitting beside him this day. He was surprised as she faltered and turned pale.

"Are you alright?" He grasped for her elbow and she shook it off. Her eyes narrowed as she looked behind him and Adam turned around to see one of their new hands moving towards them.

"Hello, dear cousin." The word dripped with disdain as Clay stared at the two women in front of him.

"You are no cousin of mine!"

"Believe me, I wish I wasn't, but I can't help my parentage."

"Stafford, what are you doing?" Adam growled at the man as he felt Angelique trembling beside him. He assumed it was from fear and was stunned when she pushed his hand off her arm.

"You are too late. The damage is already done and nothing will put this family back together once I am done with my day in court." Angelique laughed at Clay's face. He was a nobody who had no right to anything and she had beaten him to whatever he had hoped to achieve by coming here.

"What did you do this time, you snake?" Clay glared at the woman before him.

"She does not have to answer your questions, young man!" Hetty pushed Angelique towards the buggy and pointed at Adam. "You need to take us back to town, at once!"

"Not until I tell them just who you are. I'm assuming you haven't told them the truth."

Ben had moved up beside his son and Adam was barely holding himself in check.

"What are you talking about?"

Clay pointed at the younger woman in the buggy. "That there is Angelique de Marigny. Her uncle, Jean, was my father."

Ben gaped at him as if he had sprouted another head. He wondered briefly if Marie knew her first husband had fathered a child.

"Her name is Angelique Johnson." Adam pushed Clay in the chest and the younger man stepped backwards.

"Yes, it is. That's her father's name. But she goes by her mother's maiden name of de Marigny. It holds much more clout in New Orleans."

Angelique's lips curled into a smirk. "Of course it does. It's an old family lineage and it holds great honour."

"You mean he's telling the truth?" Ben stared at her as her smirk turned into a cruel smile. The same kind of smile that had graced Madame de Marigny all those years ago. He felt his heart thundering in his chest at the implications.

Angelique's voice dropped to a softer tone that only those close to her could make out. "I made a promise to my grandmother before she died that I would clear the debt between your family and ours. You took her eldest son and turned him against her. You took his whore and made her a supposedly respectable woman of means."

"How dare you speak of my wife that way?" Ben's hands clenched into fists as he stared at the young woman who had beguiled his eldest son. It was becoming clear that the previous night's accusation against his youngest son was not all it had first appeared.

"I will speak of her any way I choose. And believe me, I will be telling the whole sordid story just as soon as I get into court to have her son held accountable for the vile manner in which he attacked me yesterday. I have witnesses and the doctor's testimony too."

Adam was seething with anger as he watched Angelique's expression change from the injured party to a woman he had never seen before.

"I have it on good authority that no Cartwright would lie on the witness stand and you both saw what that boy did to me. I have the scratches and bruises to prove it." Angelique pointed towards her arms and face as she spat out the words. "All I can say is, thank God you both arrived when you did or who knows where it may have ended."

Adam surged forward at the implication of the threat, but before he could respond, his father's firm hand clamped down on his shoulder.

"Get off my land! I'll be in very soon to Virginia City myself to press whatever charges are available to me."

Angelique laughed as Hetty climbed over into the driver's seat and took the reins. "I have done nothing that is against the law. Your sons willingly gave themselves to me. Well … maybe one of them did."

Adam glared at her as he recalled the seductive teasing and edging closer to a line that he knew he was about to fall over. Angelique was obviously far more worldly than she had let on and it was becoming clear that he had been led by the nose from the first day she spotted him.

"I simply took your eldest son in payment for my grandmother's eldest son."

Hetty slapped the reins and the horse began to move forward. "And Marie's whelp is gone! He's run away like the coward that he is. Not surprising really, given his pedigree. Your youngest son got quite an education last night." Her subtle laughter echoed around them as each was left wondering just what exactly that meant.

Adam wanted to chase after the buggy and tear her from the seat and make her tell the truth of the night before, but Hoss' restraining hand on his other shoulder stopped him.

"We gotta find Little Joe and find the truth of what she done to him."

In the space of a few short minutes, each of them had come to realise his innocence. Adam wanted to bring up his breakfast as he stared at her retreating back. Not only had he been taken for a fool, but he had fed his brother to the wolves in the process.

He shook himself as if to clear his head. "Hank brought Sport back from the corral. We start there and look for tracks. He can't have gone too far."