Stranger In Their Midst

*I'm not sure when the banker went from Mr. Sprague to Mr. Anderson; that being the case, I didn't fight my story muse when Mr. Anderson got the job.

Chapter Ten

A cold wind was blowing through Walnut Grove when the stagecoach rolled into Walnut Grove. Nels was standing on the restaurant's store when it stopped and a fine looking Spanish gentleman stepped out of the coach. This had to be Catalina's brother, the one Jonathon had told him about. Nels hid the grin that wanted to spread across his face. If Harriet had known the real motivation behind his push for her to take Nellie and visit her mother, he was sure she'd never have agreed to leave for a whole month. Okay, maybe it hadn't been nice of him to trick her like he had…only it was easier than fighting her the whole time over her opinions and most likely interference with this Juan fellow. While he would have loved to hide any form of a smile, Nels smiled politely as the man climbed the steps.

"Is there a place around here I can get a room, Senor?" Juan stood erect and spoke in such a tone that it was all Nels' could do not to visibly cringe at the man's transparent arrogance. Business was business though, and Nels made himself stop working long enough to help the gentleman.

"We have room," he answered, "come inside. I'll get you one." He said nothing else, as he led the man inside and the gentleman did not offer any conversation. Once Nels had given him the room, he slipped into the kitchen and asked Hester Sue, who had graciously offered to help him on her day off from the blind school, to slip out the back door and go tell Dr. Baker and his wife that her brother was now in town. She did as he asked without hesitation.

Hester ran to Doc bakers, and burst into the empty waiting room. Hyrum appeared with a mother and small boy. "There Billy," smirked Hyrum, "No ore chopping firewood without an adult present."

"Yesth Doctor," squeaked the toothless seven year old, then looked up at his mother. "Guesths those apple pies will havetha wait then momma, until Tommy gets home."

Hyrum and Billy's mother laughed. "Thank you Doctor Baker, "I should have the two dollars in a couple of days or two."

"Don't worry about it, Martha. Tell you what; how about you teach my wife how to bake those famous apple pies of yours?"

"Glad too. Actually I would love to meet her."

"Oh, if you can wait around she will back in a moment. She had to run an errand."

"Maybe tomorrow Doctor, I better get George Washington here home." She laughed again as Hester sue politely held the door open for her.

"Hester Sue, is everything all right?" asked Hyrum as soon as the door was closed.

"Yes, Dr. Baker but Mr. Olsen sent me to tell you Catalina's brother just got into town. He's unpacking in the boarding House."

Meanwhile, unaware his presence was being made known to his sister or her husband, sooner than he wanted it to be; Juan unpacked and then headed to the bank. On the very uncomfortable ride to Walnut Grove, he had decided it would be easy to simply put a considerable amount of money into Dr. Baker's account and then turn around and demand to know how he, Hyrum, a poor country doctor, could have such wealth. Afterwards, having the seed of suspicion planted, it would be easy to discredit the "good doctor" in other ways…that is, once he thought about it some more.

A few birds flew overhead, a stray dog wandered by and the sound of the Mill could be heard; but overall, nothing much was moving. Juan could not see what his sister saw in such a small town. There was no fancy restaurant or social halls, no sign of anyone who had a lot of worldly wealth. For that matter, who here could possibly be "worthy of the company of any member of his family"?

Oblivious to the fact that Catalina had seen him as he entered the bank and was hurrying to get to the bank also, due to a strong feeling that had swept over her…one that said to hurry and get to the bank and see what he was up too, Juan continued with his plan. He reached into his inside vest pocket and pulled out a small pile of hundred dollar bills and handed the money to the banker. "This is to be deposited into Dr. Baker's account." Juan said smugly as he held onto his vest with both hands. The banker counted the money and looked up at the stranger in surprise.

"A thousand dollars is a lot of money sir. Are you sure you were to put it into Dr. Baker's account?" Mr. Anderson was talking. The banker too guessed who the man was and wondered what he was up to. Charles had talked to him, though, the man's actions only made his curiosity rise higher.

"If you have any questions, you should ask Senor Baker. He is the one who asked me to bring it here." Juan barely had the lie out of his mouth when Catalina, shocked but not surprised to hear her brother spouting such things, surprised Juan beyond measure by stepping making her presence very much known when she shut the front door behind her quite forcibly. She glared at him with such furry it actually scared him…and he didn't scare easily.

"That is not true!" she took a step towards her brother; he took a step back. "My husband asked you to do no such thing, dear brother. If anything, father is pulling another one of his schemes through you or you are working on your own!" Catalina looked at Mr. Anderson and asked, "I don't suppose there is a room we could talk privately, Senor Anderson."

"Yes, there is," he answered as ushered them into an empty office, closed the door and he hurried back to the tellers station. He had no wish to get in between Mrs. Baker and her brother.

"What do you want, Juan? What are you trying to pull?" Catalina stood straight and erect behind a desk and stared at her brother from the other side. The air of confidence around her was ten times stronger than it had ever been. Something had happened to her before he got here, Juan could tell. If he'd been thinking in the least, he would have quit while he was ahead. Instead, he plundered forward like the obstinate fool he was.

"I am not pulling anything!" Juan stiffened and blundered on with one lie, or delusion, after another. "Can't you see what this marriage will do to you? He's nothing but a poor country doctor! You are a lady from a better class of people! You do not belong here!" By the time he finished speaking; Juan had his nose in the air. It was enough to make Catalina laugh, and she would have, except for how serious the situation was.

Catalina's eyes were on fire and she practically flew around the large empty desk sending her brother fleeing to the other side of the room. "A better class of people? A BETTER CLASS OF PEOPLE?" Her voice rose in righteous indignation. "How dare you judge a man, any man, before you've ever taken the time to get to k now him, really know him. Hyrum Baker is more of a gentleman than you will ever be, as are the majority of these people!" She headed for the door.

"Where are you going?" Juan took a step towards his sister only to be stopped in his tracks gain.

"I don't know. Maybe, I'll visit Hester Sue over at the restaurant, drop in and talk to Reverend Alden; maybe, just maybe, I'll drive out to the Garveys or the Ingalls to visit. Both families are worth more than all your gold! Or," she purposely got a seductive look in her eyes and purred…just to embarrass her brother, "Maybe I'll go visit my husband and see about taking an early lunch." It was all Catalina could do to save her laughter for later when she left the room and the bank. The shocked, appalled, look upon Juan's face had been worth the suggestive comment it took to get it. She just hoped they would catch him in anything else he might try to pull. Neither she nor Hyrum felt like fighting him. All they wanted was for him family to leave them alone.