After leaving Kitty in her bedroom, David walked down the street softly singing his favorite Music Hall song – She's only a bird in a gilded cage…. He was quite pleased with himself. He'd been sorely temped to take advantage of Kitty's drunken state, but fortunately good sense prevailed, and after one ferocious kiss he'd stopped himself. Being a gallant gentleman was best, at least for now.
When he entered the Dodge House, he tipped his hat with a flourish and greeted the night clerk. He bounded up the stairs in great spirits. In the morning he'd attend to a few things, then everything would fall into place. In a little over six months his considerable wealth would be doubled. He almost felt sorry for Calvin Barker, his soon to be former partner, almost but not quite. True they'd been partners and friends for 9 years, but all good things had to come to an end, particularly if he benefited.
He thought about Calvin and their 9-year partnership. They owned most of the gambling houses and betting parlors in London, a city where betting was a way of life. They were well off, and led lives full of fun and excitement. Yet one thing stuck in Calvin's craw. One thing stood in the way of his enjoyment of life. He'd never gotten over his visit to Dodge City 10 years earlier. He'd been enormously attracted to Kitty Russell and tried everything to woo her. To his amazement, she would have none of it and rebuffed him at every turn. Discouraged by her constant rejection, he got sloppy while playing poker and was caught cheating. The marshal made him repay all the money he'd won, and unceremoniously tossed him out of town.
Totally humiliated, and wanting to put distance between himself and Dodge, Calvin made his way to London. That's when they met, became partners and started their gambling empire.
About a month ago, while they were drinking in a pub in London, Calvin became gloomy and started talking about Dodge City. For the umpteenth time, he told the story of his dismal stay and Kitty's utter rejection of him. This time, when he finished the tale, he said that his one consolation was his belief that no man could win Kitty from the marshal. David found the notion totally ridiculous and laughed. Calvin took offense and a bet arose - a bet with very high stakes. If David went to Dodge and got Kitty to marry him within a month, Calvin would hand over his half of their gambling empire. If David spent a month in Dodge with no wedding bells, his half would go to Calvin. They further stipulated that if a wedding took place, in order to prove it was not a trick, the couple had to stay married for 6 months.
David opened the window of his Dodge House room to breath in the sweet night air. Being sole owner of the most profitable gambling houses in London was within his grasp. He and Kitty would soon be married. Of course, she had no knowledge of the bet. She only know he was head over heels in love, and desperate to marry her. Six months after the wedding, he'd collect his winnings and decide what to do. Maybe he'd keep her. She was beautiful, no doubt good in bed, and knew her way around a gambling table. She could be useful. Of course she'd have to tolerate his mistresses, and understand that having children was out of the question. The last thing he wanted was a runny nosed kid running around. It might be simplest to dump her. It would be a bit of a shame to leave her penniless on the streets of London, but he'd heard she'd been a whore at one time. She could always pick up the trade again to feed herself. If she was good at it she might even be able to save enough to get back to America.
The Next Day
Kitty pried her eyes open and blinked against the sunlight streaming into her room. It was noon.
With a pounding head, dry throat and tongue that felt like moss was growing on it, she gingerly got out of bed and filled a glass with water. As she drank, she wryly wished it had been her beverage of choice the previous night. She slowly sat down at her vanity and looked in the mirror. The day old, smeared make-up, blood shot eyes, and tangled hair were stark reminders of her loss total loss of judgment and good sense. Last night, after seeing Matt in pain, the thought she might be leaving without knowing if he'd live or die had thrown her into turmoil. Now viewing the situation with more clarity she knew there was nothing to be done. She'd made a choice and Matt being shot didn't change anything.
Doc's Office
"NO, NO. I don't want to shoot. Please."
Matt's desperate cries woke Doc from his uneasy slumber in a chair. He firmly pushed Matt down and spoke soothingly. "It's all right."
Matt continued yelling, "NO, NO"
Doc tapped Matt's cheek gently, "Wake up Matt, wake up."
Matt opened his eyes, and slowly realized where he was, "Kitty…" He stopped, years of habits die hard. He remembered what he'd seen and whispered, "Who is he Doc?" No answer. "Doc?"
Doc knew he had to answer, but saying the words aloud was hard. Finally he spoke. "His name is David Miller. He showed up 11 or 12 days ago, and started hanging around the Long Branch right away. I'm not sure what he does or where he came from, but he dresses fancy, has a British accent and seems to have a lot of money. It was obvious he fell for Kitty right away." Doc rubbed his mustache, "and she – well she - took a liking to him pretty quick. At first they sat together drinking, then went out for meals. He took her to the Ladies Auxiliary Sociable – Matt, she hasn't tried to hide it. They seem to be in love."
Doc looked Matt in the eye, "She's marrying him Matt. I don't know when, but soon."
Wanting to offer comfort he added, "Matt, she came up here last night because she cares about you."
"She came out of a sense of obligation and pity."
"No Matt. Even if she's in love with someone else, she'll always worry and care about you. 18 years of feelings don't disappear, even if they change."
Matt whispered, "It's for the best. Kitty is with someone who can give her things, make her happy. A man who hasn't done things that no one should ever...…" His voice drifted off and Doc looked at him with consternation and concern.
"Listen here, you've done more to help people, keep them safe and bring justice to this territory than any one else could have. Folks are mighty grateful to you, as they should be. That's why a crowd's gathered outside hoping to hear you'll recover."
Matt shook his head grimly as if Doc didn't know what he was talking about. Doc knew his friend well, and spoke quietly, "Matt what happened with that bank robber?"
Matt spit out the words, "If you must know Doc, I killed a boy. Probably not even 15 – more likely 14, 13 even."
Doc digested what Matt had said, and his voice became stern. "Let me guess. It turned out that the bank robber you were chasing was a teenager, and you had to shoot him in self-defense. An individual, who I might add, chose to rob a bank and shoot three people."
"A boy Doc, he was just a boy."
Matt closed his eyes to end the discussion. Doc felt helpless and inadequate. He could treat Matt's wound, but the there was a deeper pain that neither medical school nor years of living had taught him how to fix. Kitty probably could, but he sure couldn't.
Doc cleaned and re-bandaged the wound and then quietly stepped outside his office. A crowd had formed below, hoping for an update. "Folks, things are looking better. Barring infections or set-backs, the marshal will live."
Sam was standing in the crowd. He nodded at Doc, acknowledging that he would tell Kitty.
TBC
