Four
"I'm sorry, sir," Mrs. Maxwell said as Lilly still refused to speak or even look at any of the Cartwrights the first two days she was there. She clung to her nurse and it was all that Mrs. Maxwell could do to keep Lilly in her own seat at dinner since she tried to crawl in her nurse's lap, whining to be held, and it took much encouragement for the child to agree to eat anything. Hop Sing tried his best to make what he believed children would like, fried chicken and mashed potatoes, but Lilly just sat and looked down, kicking her shoes together until Mrs. Maxwell made her stop the noise.
When Lilly had first arrived at the Ponderosa, still sleepy but awake, both Hoss and Joe were waiting. They were supposed to be out on the property but this was too much of a draw. So when Mrs. Maxwell was still holding the child, Hoss and Joe began to fuss over her and the child shrank away, hiding her head. The two stepped back and looked puzzled at each other. Usually children loved them, took to them right away but here their own niece wanted nothing to do with them.
"Why don't you take her in the house, Mrs. Maxwell," Ben had said. "Upstairs, third room on the left is for Lilly; you have the room across the hall."
"If it's all the same, Mr. Cartwright," Mrs. Maxwell said, "I'll room with the child. I always have, ever since she came back from the wet nurse. If I change the habit now it would be too upsetting; she's been upset so much lately. She needs to have someone with her."
"Oh, well, of course—if you think it's for the best." Ben looked at his sons who were standing by helplessly and their feelings had been hurt that their niece was avoiding them. "Hoss, Joe, take the cases upstairs to the bedroom with the two singles." Ben turned back to Mrs. Maxwell. "You let me know if there's anything you need."
"Yes, sir. Thank you." She nodded to Hoss and Joe who picked up all the pieces of luggage and led their guests into the house.
Hop Sing who had come out of the kitchen to meet the guests but decided to keep back instead said, "What wrong with child? Why she so scared? I know mother gone and father not here, but why she so afraid?"
Ben turned to Hop Sing and vented his frustration on his cook. "How the hell do I know what's wrong? She wouldn't have anything to do with me either and you don't see me getting upset!"
"If you no upset," Hops Sing said, his jaw jutting forward and his hands flailing, "why you yell?" And Hop Sing turned and walked back to the kitchen asking the air, "Why you yell at Hop Sing?"
Ben sighed deeply. Events hadn't been as he had envisioned; his beautiful granddaughter wanted nothing to do with him and that broke his heart. He tried to see the matter intellectually as he knew that today was the first time they had met, but he had hoped to find a link to Adam in the child but she had behaved as any stranger's child would have behaved toward him. But then Adam had become a stranger these past years and Ben finally realized it.
It took Lilly quite a while before she became comfortable with the all-male household but Ben was finally able to kiss her goodnight although she quickly ran to her nurse as soon as he did. Then they would go upstairs to bed.
"You think her ma being dead has kinda made her so…I don't know…skittish?" Hoss was usually good with children but Lilly was standoffish and just shook her head no when he offered to let her ride on his horse with him or to play a game of checkers.
"I don't think she knows her mother's dead," Joe said quietly.
"What do you mean?" Hoss asked.
"Well, my room's next to theirs and the other night when I was in there reading, I could hear Lilly asking Mrs. Maxwell when her mother was coming for her. Mrs. Maxwell said that her father would tell her that when he came to see her and then Lilly asked where her 'papa' was."
"And?" Hoss was eager to hear more. He had asked his father about Adam's wife, how she had died, but Ben had just snapped at him and said that he knew nothing; no one felt it necessary to keep him informed about anything anymore and then he stormed out leaving Hoss open-mouthed.
"Mrs. Maxwell said that as soon as he was through with his business back home and felt better that he would come visit her. And then Lilly started to whine and fuss, you know, like children do when they're tired and don't know what they want and Mrs. Maxwell started telling her that you were her 'papa's' brother and wasn't that funny? She also said that Lilly should make certain to kiss you goodnight every night like a good child does to her relatives, like she kisses her papa and her momma."
"What happened then?" Hoss asked.
"Lilly just cried until she fell asleep. There was nothing Mrs. Maxwell could say or do that made her happy. She offered to read to her, to sing to her—Lilly wouldn't have anything but her momma and kept crying for her."
Ben, who had been sitting and listening, shook his head with concern. "That poor child, that sweet little child. I wish Adam would hurry up and get here." And Ben pulled out his pipe and packed it. He struck a match and held it to the bowl, puffing on it.
"Member when I'd light your pipe, Pa?" Hoss asked.
"Oh, yeah," Joe said giggling. "You almost set Pa's nose on fire one time when you held the match too close."
The three began to reminisce about the good times they had when Hoss and Joe were children, laughing and joking, until Joe mentioned Adam and then quiet fell.
"I think I'll turn in," Hoss said. But he stopped, a thoughtful look on his face. "Pa, you think Lilly'd like a pony?"
Ben slapped his palm on the chair arm. "Hoss, I think that's an excellent idea. Go see Conover. He's got those ponies. Buy one—a pretty one."
"I sure will, Pa. Think they'll have a pink one?" Ben and Joe laughed and Ben felt a little more optimistic—but he hoped Adam would hurry.
Lilly adored the pony but had never been on a pony or alone on a horse before and she was afraid of it.
"Is it gonna bite me?" Lilly said, standing away. Hoss had convinced Lilly to come outside to see her new pony.
"Nah, she won't bite," Hoss said. "Here, I'll show you how to make friends with her."
"What's her name?" Lilly asked, still holding back.
"Sunny—she's got that yellow coat, kinda like the sun. But now if you don't like Sunny, we can name her anything you want. Do you want to name her something else?"
Lilly shook her head no. "My Momma's got a horse—a big, grey one that she rides all the time at our other house. Its name is Phantom and my Papa, he's got bunches of horses at our house and he and Momma go riding all the time. Sometimes Papa takes me on his horse and I get to help with the reins."
"Your other house?" Hoss asked.
Lilly nodded. "We got two houses. We got one in the city. Momma calls that the business house 'cause that's where Papa has his rolls of papers that got drawings of houses and buildings and all. But Momma and I like the country house best 'cause that's where her horses are and the cats for the stable. I get to pet the cats and they sometimes have kittens but Papa gives them away 'cause he says we have too many cats and not enough mice."
Hoss looked at Joe who was standing with them and watching and Joe gave an almost imperceptible shrug implying that he didn't know what to do.
"How about we give Sunny some sugar? Would you like that?" Lily nodded and Hoss showed her how to place a sugar loaf in her flat palm and offer it. Lilly did as Hoss showed but the first time she felt the pony's chin hairs on her hand, she dropped the sugar and pulled her arm back.
"She tickled me," Lilly said. Hoss laughed and then Lilly giggled too.
"C'mere, Sweet Pea," Hoss said picking Lilly up and holding her in one arm and kneeling down. "Watch me again." Hoss showed Lilly how to feed Sunny another sugar loaf and then Joe came out with carrots. He showed Lilly how to hold the carrot and Lilly laughed at Sunny's flexible upper lip and the sound she made as she snapped the piece of carrot off. Then Joe handed Lilly a carrot and she fed the pony.
"So you like Sunny?" Joe asked as he kneeled next to Hoss. Hoss maneuvered so that Lilly could pat Sunny's neck.
"I like her lots. Wait 'til my momma sees Sunny."
Hoss and Joe exchanged glances and Mrs. Maxwell who had been watching and smiling came forward.
"Now, Miss Lilly. We have to get some clothes for you to wear to feed your pony. After all, you'll have to take care of her too, won't she Mr. Hoss?"
"Yes, ma'am, that's right. How'd you like to go into Virginia City tomorrow, you, me and Mrs. Maxwell and buy you some cowboy clothes? And you know what? I think I can find me a nickel in my pocket to buy some penny candy for a certain little Sweet Pea."
Lilly nodded and then she put her small arms around Hoss' neck and kissed his cheek.
"Why thank you, Lilly. I do believe that's the sweetest kiss I ever done got, as sweet as one of them sugar loaves."
Lilly giggled.
"Hey, what about me?" Joe complained. "Don't I get a kiss?" And Lilly, still giggling, reached out an arm and Joe moved close enough so that she put could her arm around his neck while Hoss held her. She kissed Joe's cheek as well.
"Mmmm, mmmmm!" Joe said. "You're the prettiest girl to ever kiss me!"
And Ben, who had been standing at the door to the barn smiled. It seemed that Lilly was finally warming up to them; she had even taken to kissing him goodnight without Mrs. Maxwell's prompting and Ben's heart soared whenever her little voice would call out, "Grampa." But it was almost two weeks and no word had yet arrived from Adam. Ben wondered if Adam was going to abandon his daughter, leave her in their care now that his child was safely on the Ponderosa. Something wasn't right—Ben knew it and had the urge to travel to Connecticut and see matters for himself—but that would be foolish and he doubted he would be welcome.
