Chapter 3: …Or What You Will, Part 3

"Journeys end in lovers meeting, every wise man's son doth know."

II, iii, 46

"So, what brings a couple of southerners like you two all the way to Nevada Territory to get married? There must be plenty of ministers where you come from." Adam surreptitiously shifted in the saddle, slowing Sport still further. They were almost at a crawl as it was, but they weren't far from the cabin now and he was hoping to get a little more information before they added a fourth to their party - if the minister was indeed more than an invention of Troy's fancy.

"Why it was convenient, given - " Cressie jumped in brightly, then fell quiet at a glare from Troy.

"That's enough, Cressie. Don't see as it's any business of yours, sir," he added witheringly.

Adam shrugged. "Just curious. After all, looks like I'm going to be the only witness to your wedding - seems like I should know a little more about you - more friendly."

Troy scowled. "If you're wise, you'll mind your manners and stay as ignorant as possible. For your own good."

Adam smiled soulfully. "Ah, well, wisdom has never been counted among my virtues, I'm afraid. Why exactly was it you couldn't meet Cressie again? Seems pretty callous to me. I thought you southern boys were supposed to be so gallant."

Troy's face reddened. "Now you see here - I would have met Cressie except there was no way to meet her and still - I mean, it was a matter of - " he caught himself. "I said this was none of your business!"

"So you did. Just seems odd, is all. You must have known she'd have trouble managing on her own - she's not much of a horsewoman."

Now it was Cressie's turn to be indignant. "Now, I am not so bad! It's just I'm used to a sidesaddle! It's not my fault - "

"I didn't know anything of the kind!" Troy cut in irritably. "How can you NOT be a horsewoman, for the love of heaven, when - "

"Well, I like that! Here I was, trying to manage astride with no saddle at all, which is, I assure you, a very different thing - "

"And why you couldn't take a few minutes to saddle the animal - you must have known that riding bareback across rough terrain at night was not going to be easy - "

"Oh! And of course, the way station had just dozens of saddles lying around for carriage animals! And as if I have EVER saddled my own horse in my entire life and knew how to go about it! Really, Troy, you are the most exasperating - you have no appreciation at all of what I've been through!"

"What you've been through!" Troy's voice rose. "And I suppose you think it was easy for me! Do YOU have any appreciation of what it was for me to - " He caught sight of Adam's face and narrowed his eyes suddenly. "What-all are you smiling at?" he demanded.

Adam raised his brows innocently. "Was I smiling? Just enjoying the ride, I suppose. Pretty day, isn't it?" Troy opened his mouth, then clamped it shut. Adam's smile grew. "But I'm afraid I lost the thread of the conversation. Why is it you said you couldn't meet Cressie again?"

Troy's face twitched. "I didn't say," he muttered.

Adam nodded genially. "Then I didn't miss it. I'm sure you have an excellent reason - I just can't imagine what it would be."

"I told you before it was none of your business. Now I don't want to hear another word out of you." He gestured to Adam's handgun, tucked in his own belt, significantly.

Adam nodded solemnly. "Of course. Pre-wedding jitters. I understand perfectly."

They rode for a moment in silence.

"Surprised you could find a minister to come all the way out here and marry you, though. Most have an objection to traveling so far to marry a girl who's barely of age without parental permission. It's kind of a moral issue. Where did you say he was from again?"

Troy glared at him.

Adam didn't seem to notice. "Not Virginia City. I know Reverend Smith, and he'd never agree to it. Not very comfortable traveling outside of town for one thing."

Troy's glare deepened.

"Now, I suppose you could have gotten someone from Genoa - they have at least two there that I know of - but it just doesn't seem very likely. That's an overnight trip, probably two nights, by the time you get all the way up here and I have to believe they'd want SOME explanation as to why you wouldn't just go to the church. Very few ministers of my experience approve of elopement."

Troy was clenching and unclenching his jaw now.

"Of course, there's Placerville, but that really is a long way away. It's almost impossible to imagine - I'm sorry, did you say something?"

Troy choked. "I did not."

"Oh." Adam blinked balefully. "I thought you did. Well, I hope you didn't fall into the hands of one of those traveling medicine fellows? From what I hear you can't be at all sure afterward that you're legally married."

Cressie looked uneasy. "Troy - " she began.

"I did not!" yelled Troy. His horse shifted nervously and he took a minute to get him back in hand.

Adam looked sympathetic. "They can be so temperamental sometimes, can't they? Maybe you should walk him for a while. He's been carrying two for quite a ways."

Troy stuck his chin out. "Now you see here! I don't need you to tell me how to handle my horse or my fiancée!"

"Of course you don't," Adam agreed soothingly. "You do whatever you think is right."

Troy gave him a look of pure hatred. He glanced over his shoulder at Cressie. "Cressie, honey, maybe we'd better lead him for a little ways. We're not far now."

Cressie obediently slid to the ground and Troy followed. "You too," he said gruffly, gesturing to Adam. "And I don't want to hear another word out of you."

Adam dismounted and gave Sport a pat. They continued on foot for a ways before he broke the silence again by asking cheerfully, "So how is it you know about the location of this cabin? Seems unusual since you're not from around here."

"Now I warned you - " Troy had the handgun out and in his hand almost instantly, cocked and aimed.

Adam eyed him thoughtfully. Good. He'd been wanting to see that draw again.

Cressie actually made a convulsive snatch at the pistol, gave Adam a guilty, remembering glance and pressed her hand against her heart instead. "Troy! What on earth is the matter with you? What are you doin'? Where are your manners?"

Troy was directing a seething look at Adam, but he glanced briefly at Cressie, uncertain. "Goll darn it, Cressie, he - "

"He what?" Cressie was honestly perplexed. "He asked a few questions is all - perfectly natural ones. What on earth has gotten into you? I feel like I don't know you at all!"

Troy opened his mouth to retort, glanced at Adam in sudden suspicion.

Adam smiled at him. Think round three is mine, Mr. Lewis, the smile said.

Troy closed his mouth with a snap and turned away, yanking irritably at his horse to follow. The horse let out a snort of protest and flattened his ears and Troy, with a burning stare at Adam, eased up on the animal.

Cressie frowned at him.

"Quite a temper, your fiancé," Adam murmured, lowering his voice, but not enough to prevent Troy from overhearing.

Cressie shook her head. "I just don't know what's got into him. Usually he's so charming."

"Well, happens to a lot of prospective grooms, I guess, as the big moment approaches - the sudden thought of the upcoming responsibilities…wife…children…steady job…home to build…only natural, I guess. I'd be nervous myself. How about you, Cressie? Any nerves now that you're so close?"

"N-no…" Cressie sounded a little hesitant, though, gazing uncertainly at Troy. "I spose you're right and it's just nerves."

Adam nodded agreeably. "Always good to know how nerves are going to affect a man, too - after all, married life brings a lot of things to be nervous about - especially once the children start coming. Some men even turn to the bottle. Not that I'm suggesting Troy would do anything like that - I'm just speaking generally, you understand."

"Of course." Cressie slid a dubious peek in Troy's direction.

"Just as well, too. Temper and bottle are a bad combination."

"I don't drink more than any other fellow!" Troy burst out, unable to keep quiet any longer.

Adam gazed at him, his brows lifted in mild surprise. "Of course," he agreed pleasantly. "That's just what I was saying."

"No you weren't!" Troy protested heatedly. "You were sayin' that I - that a man's temper - " He broke off, confused. "You - you just shut up and stop puttin' ideas in her head, that's what!" he finished lamely.

Adam considered him seriously. "Of course. Mustn't have a wife with ideas in her head."

Cressie looked at Troy indignantly.

Troy balked. "That's - that's not what I was sayin', and you know it! What I mean is - why, you - thunder, you - " He stepped up to swing and Adam stood still to let him, but a glimpse of Cressie's face stopped Troy dead and he pulled his punch at the last minute and let his arms fall. Red rushed from his collar upward to his forehead. He looked at Cressie guiltily, his expression pleading, then he turned on his heel abruptly. "Cabin's just up ahead," he growled and began walking again, his hard gaze on Adam.

Adam was well aware they were closing in on the cabin - he was even more keenly aware of the time - it would take him and Cressie the better part of the day to get back to the Ponderosa, with or without Troy, and he was hoping to reach there by dark. Even if they spent the night at the line shack it was a long haul - and he had a bad feeling about this minister. Right now the odds weren't too objectionable, especially given Troy's level of composure - he had no desire to unbalance them further.

They pushed their way into a small clearing where a ramshackle cabin stood and Adam's eyes went automatically to the rustic hitching rail. "Looks like your minister's late. Lucky I'm here to chaperone."

Troy gave him a look that made his opinion on the quality of this luck passionately clear but he only said, "Might have staked his horse a ways away, in the brush."

"Really. Now, why would he do that? Some private time to pray and meditate before the ceremony?"

Adam thought he almost had him then - Troy's shoulder actually jerked convulsively under the instinct to swing - but though he choked and sputtered, in the end Troy only pulled the guns from his saddle with a series of ferocious yanks and said, "Get them saddlebags for me. Come on with me, Cressie."

Adam swore silently to himself. One good punch and he was sure he could disarm Troy - inside would only make things that much harder.

He tied Sport and went to pull Troy's saddlebags. They were decent quality, but noticeably roughed up, especially one corner…he stopped and looked at it more closely. Almost, he thought after a minute, as if someone had taken a file to it. Curious, he looked underneath the damaged flap. Couldn't see much, but as his thumb rubbed over it he could just make out an impression - the reverse side of an embossing.

Two letters. He remembered the neckerchief and Troy's shooting stance and gave a low whistle. Well, well, well. That explained so much. He slung the bags over his shoulder and went to join Troy and Cressie.

Troy was showing Cressie the small, dim interior of the cabin - not that there was much to see: a bed built into one wall, a set of tilting, creaking shelves, a greasy window and a sad, broken down table and chairs by a poor excuse for a fireplace, but Cressie was looking at it with starry eyes.

Adam sighed. Would he have found this romantic at eighteen? He grimaced. Probably.

"Brought your saddlebags." Something in his tone must have alerted Troy, because he looked at him quickly, his face suddenly alarmed and cautious. "Nice. Army issue, hm?"

Cressie's face paled. She and Troy exchanged a frantic, frightened glance.

Adam smoothed the bags under his palm. "I'm guessing by your expressions that your absence from the ranks is - um - unofficial?"

"Adam, " blurted Cressie hastily, "I know what you're thinkin', but Troy isn't really desertin'…"

"No doubt. Just as you didn't really steal a horse, hm? Please, fill me in - this one I'd really like to hear."

Troy had the gun in his hand in a flash. "That's enough out of you," he said harshly. "You just couldn't mind your own business, could you? Now give me those bags, nice and easy, and get over here."

Adam glanced to make sure he knew where Cressie was, well behind Troy and out of harm's way, then shrugged. "Sure." He started toward Troy with the bags in his outstretched hand.

Troy reached out his hand to take them, holding the gun steady.

Adam judged the distance carefully then swung. The bags hit Troy's gun hand, sending the bullet harmlessly into the plank floor, even as Adam's other fist met his chin with a crack.

Troy was looking up from the floor and holding his jaw almost before he knew what had happened, Adam's gun pointed in his face.

Adam couldn't decide which was more satisfying, the feel of his gun snugly back in his hand, or the feel of Troy going down under his punch. He eyed Troy consideringly. Maybe the latter. He'd been wanting to do that for quite some time.

Cressie was screaming, "Adam! What are you doin'! Oh, Troy - " even as Adam backed himself toward the open doorway.

"All right, Cressie - that's enough. You're coming back with me."

Cressie stared from Adam to Troy. "Are you crazy? I'm goin' to be married, Adam! What on earth - I know you think Troy - if you'd only let me explain - "

Troy made a move to get to his feet and Adam cocked the gun warningly. "You can explain to your heart's content on the way to my place. For all I care Troy can come along - he's welcome to talk to the sheriff or a military tribunal and explain his case and he can court you too if your father says it's all right - even if he doesn't, if Troy clears things up. But right now, Cressie, before you get in so deep you can't get back out, I suggest you come with me."

Cressie hesitated. "And what if I don't want to?" she challenged.

Adam smiled. "Then I guess it will be my turn to kidnap you. Come on, Cress. You know I'm right."

Cressie looked at Troy. "Adam, I love him - " she whimpered.

Adam was unmoved. "Then lucky for you true love keeps. You can love him all through his trial and visit to the stockade and beyond. But for right now, we're going home to straighten this out."

Cressie's eyes filled.

"It's not going to work this time," Adam warned firmly. "So you might just as well save the water." He held out his free hand to her. "Come on."

Cressie's voice caught in a sob. "You just don't understand. What it's like to be young and in love…"

"Yes, I know," agreed Adam dryly. "That is indeed my fate, to squash young love wherever I find it in favor of the dull and hideous practicalities of life. Come on - you know I'm not going without you, and I'm certainly not staying around here."

Cressie made a move toward him, stopped to look back at Troy.

Adam sighed. "All right," he said resignedly, fixing his eyes on Troy. "The hard way, then. Why don't you tell her your real name?"

Troy's face went white with shock, then red. "How - ?" he began, then, with a glance at Cressie, "I don't know what - "

"Don't even try it. Just come clean with her. It's the least you owe her."

Cressie was staring at Troy now. "Troy, what…?"

Troy's face was almost purple. "Sir, what do you mean by - "

"Fine, fine - " Adam brushed the words aside impatiently. "I don't know what your real name is but I do know it's not Troy Lewis. And I may not know everything that's going on here but I intend to, once Cressie's someplace safe. So if you really love her you can either come clean now - "

He was aware of it - some slight movement in the air behind him, even before he caught the change of expression on Troy and Cressie's faces. He was equally aware that he was never going to make it, that round four would not be his, even as he began to turn, but instinct was stronger than reason and he was turning to look anyway, gun following, when he felt the blinding blow that dropped him to his knees.

He wanted to tell Cressie to run, foolishly, since he was blocking the only door and there was no place to go, but he couldn't seem to form the words, even if he could have made himself heard over the sound of her shrieking. Tears next, no doubt, he thought blearily - hope somebody has a clean handkerchief.

He reached down in hopes of steadying himself just as Cressie's cries rose in pitch and he made out the sound of a rifle cocking behind him.

That girl sure can scream, was his last conscious thought.

Then he pitched forward into darkness.

TBC

Oh, you had to know it wasn't going to be that easy, right?

You're right, drmweaver, but in fairness to Hoss and Joe, who could possibly guess what's really going on with Adam?