Dance Partners 7

Thanks again everyone for the fabulous and detailed reviews. YOU make my day. Nevada Rose, so good to see your name on a review. Haven't seen a story by you for a while. Hope all is well.

"I can't believe this was going on all this time and I never heard a word of it." Kitty seethed, later that day as she paced angrily around her room. "How come it is you never heard it?" She fixed Matt with a scowl.

"I don't know, Kitty." Matt shrugged, treading carefully around the infuriated red head. "I don't always hear things first, you know. Usually you hear them before I do."

Kitty stopped her pacing and looked over at Matt, her shoulders slumping in defeat. "I'm sorry, Matt." She shook her head, trying not to cry. "You're right. I… I just never… Why would someone spread something like that? I mean, it wasn't bad enough to say that you and I had separated but then to say that I'd… I'd… With just anyone? I've never been so embarrassed and hurt in my life. Why did they do that, Matt?"

Matt stepped over to her, and pulled her into his arms, hugging her tightly. "I don't know, Honey. It's the most senseless thing I've heard in some time. But I promise you, I will get to the bottom of this."

"How?" She sniffled against his shirt. "None of those men heard that rumor from the same person. Hell, half of them couldn't even remember who they'd heard it from."

"Well, I've got some ideas." He kissed the top of her head. "But I'm gonna have to get out of here, if I'm gonna put any of those ideas into motion. You gonna be alright?"

"Sure," Kitty sniffed with a sarcastic tone to her voice. "As long as I don't leave this room, I'll be just fine."

Matt gently pushed her back and tipped her head back with a finger to her chin. "I will figure this out, Kitty. You've got to trust in that. You've got to trust in me."

Kitty pulled him back to her, hugging him tightly for a moment longer. "I do trust you, Matt. I'm just… It just hurts to have a rumor like this spreading around about me. Every one of those men down there honestly thought that I'd… Ewww, I don't even want to think about it."

"Then don't." Matt told her as finally released her and started for the door. "Don't think about it and don't worry about it either. We'll get this figured out and put a stop to it. Alright?"

Kitty nodded with uncertainty. "Yeah," she sighed.

Matt donned his hat and started to leave but the defeated and hurt look on her face stopped him. Crossing back over to her, he pulled into his arms one last time, claiming her lips in a kiss full of promises. "I'll take care of it." He told her one last time, before turning and finally leaving the room.

"I sure hope so." She whispered as he closed the door behind him.

Matt strode quickly down the street and entered the jail. He had no idea where to even begin looking for the culprit in this little plot but he knew somehow he needed to get this thing stopped. Throwing his hat on the peg by the door, he stepped over to get a cup of coffee when he heard spurs on the boardwalk outside.

"Matthew," Festus practically yelled as he walked in. "I jes heard the most troublesome…" He stopped when he saw the look on Matt's face. "I guess ya heered the same thing." He said quietly.

"Yeah," Matt nodded, taking his coffee to his desk. "I heard. So did Kitty."

Festus dropped his head. "I'm real sorry about that there news, Matthew. She shore don't deserve nothing like that there to be did to her."

"No, Festus, she doesn't." Matt agreed. "But I have a feeling it doesn't have anything to do with what she deserves. Someone started this rumor and they were pretty sneaky about it too. Kitty is usually the first one to hear rumors but she knew nothing about it until today, nor did I. That tells me someone didn't want us to know anything about it for a while."

"Ya got any ideer who that there someone is?" Festus asked as he ambled over to the stove for some of the coffee.

"Nope." Matt shook his head. "I've not had much time to check either, cause I just heard about it. I'll tell you what though, we need to find who did it, and why, and get this thing stopped."

"Well, me and Newly can kinda ask around town like and see if'n we kin find out nothing." Festus volunteered.

"Yeah," Matt nodded as he stood and strode towards the door. "That's a good idea, Festus. I think I'll do the same. You all meet me here in a couple of hours, will ya? Maybe one of us can find some answers."

Two hours later, two very dejected looking men sat at the small table in the jail with hot cups of coffee in front of them. Matt had talked to scores of people, as had Festus, and yet no one knew, or at least would admit to knowing, where the rumor originated.

"Ain't nobody got any ideers, Matthew, on where it come from." Festus shook his head in irritation. "I done been up and down this here town, a tryin' to track it down, but evrabody done heered it from somebody else. I cain't find nobody what knows where it started. Leastways, nobody who'd admit to knowin'."

"Same here, Festus." Matt sighed. "There were a couple I suspected might know more, but other than beat it out of them, I couldn't get them to talk."

"Yeah, I know'd what ya mean." Festus rubbed his chin. "And they was some, I jes wanted to wale the daylights out of cause they was so plain stupid to believe them there tales what got tolt in the first place. Like ol' Halligan. I done tolt him it weren't the truth. Not nary a particle of it. But he still believes it. Some people ain't got the sense God gave a goose, is all."

"I know, Festus." Matt knew how Festus felt about Kitty and that he would do anything to protect her. But 'waling the daylights' out of anyone wouldn't solve this problem. Or at least he didn't think it would, no matter how tempting it was.

"Well, maybe Newly'll have some ideers." Festus hoped aloud. "He should be back purty soon."

Just as he spoke the door opened and Newly walked in. Matt and Festus both looked up with expectant, hopeful faces.

"Marshal, I've got someone you need to talk to." Newly said, as he stepped inside, followed by another.

TBC