Chapter Eleven

Adam arrived at five sharp to pick Rebecca up. Mrs. Bailey answered the door, inviting Adam in while he waited for Rebecca to come down stairs. "She's real excited about this dance, Adam. Don't you disappoint her now. And don't you hurt her. She's been hurt enough."

Adam turned to Mrs. Bailey with furrowed brows. "I don't know what you mean. Who's hurt her?"

"You probably think I'm crazy saying something like that. After all, she has such sunny disposition all the time. And that's the problem Adam…no one can be that happy all the time. She's been hurt…frightened. Not by any one person, but by circumstances. But then, so have you, haven't you?"

Adam was about to ask what she meant when Rebecca appeared on the stairs wearing the dress she had made. "I'm sorry I'm late," she said. "I had to make one minor adjustment."

"That's alright. Mrs. Bailey and I had some time to talk," he said, then turned back to Mrs. Bailey. "And I hope we have a chance to finish our talk…soon."

"You two go on or you'll be late," said Mrs. Bailey, shooing them out the door.

Adam escorted Rebecca down the front steps. "I thought we'd walk. It's a nice evening," said Adam, taking her hand. "That's a pretty dress. I don't remember seeing it in Mrs. Lewis' shop."

"You didn't. I made it," she said, timidly smiling. The dress was made of white fabric, with a white skirt overlaid with layers of an almost sheer material trimmed in lace adorned with yellow ribbon. The top was fitted, and cut to sit off her shoulders with the neckline trimmed in the same ribboned lace.

"The house looks very nice. I see you've had a chance to pull the dead plants out of her front yard. I thought I told you I'd take care of the outside."

She cut her eyes up at him and drew in the side of her mouth. "Tell me about this barn dance. What kind of dancing is it?"

"Well, it's a little less formal than the normal dances, of course, this being held in a barn, but it's more like folk dancing. Occasionally we get an Irish jig. There's a fair number of Irish in Nevada."

"Oh," she said nervously.

"Don't worry. Just listen and watch. There are no wrong steps. Most people just move their feet. The main difference is that the crowd is a bit more rowdy at a barn dance."

She smiled up at him and held his hand in both of hers. "Alright."

When they walked into the barn, dancing had already started. He guided her toward the back to stand near the dancers so she could see what they were doing. Then he took her hand and pulled her into the middle, raising her arms up with his so that others could dance between them and under their clasped hands. When it was their turn to dance through the arch of arms, he guided her through, and in the end, she was laughing.

The next dance was an Irish jig, and she discovered she was already familiar with it, having done this as a young girl around a campfire with her father and other miners. She held her skirt up just enough to see her feet, stepping in time with the fiddle music; she and Adam dancing side by side.

Adam watched her laugh as she danced, her eyes sparkling, her hair dancing right along with her. He couldn't remember a time when he felt so carefree.

When the dance was over, they were both out of breath. "Would you like something to drink?" asked Adam, panting and grinning from ear to ear. She gasped for air as she laughed and managed only a nod. "Wait here. I'll be right back."

Mrs. Lewis found her and asked about her dress. "That's not one of mine, but it's very nice. Where did you get it?"

"I made it."

With her eyes wide and her eyebrows raised, Mrs. Lewis looked closely at the dress, checking the seams and the trim work as she turned Rebecca around. "Rebecca, I am in need of an assistant. The job is yours if you want it."

"Mrs. Lewis, thank you. But I've just gotten settled at Mrs. Bailey's, and I don't want to leave her for long periods of time."

"That's alright. I need help with the sewing, and you can do that from home." Rebecca agreed to come by the store the next week to begin work."

While she was still waiting for Adam, Rebecca found that the network of Virginia City gossip never rested. Every way she turned, she heard it. "She's just a poor girl from the mountains. He's just being nice to her." She turned. "I heard she's a long lost niece of Mrs. Bailey, and Mrs. Bailey is leaving everything to her. You know Mr. Bailey left the old woman a fortune." She took a few steps toward the door. "I understand she can't even read. Poor thing. She's a mountain girl, and you know the Cartwrights. They're always taking in strays. Adam probably brought her to find her a man to take care of her."

She backed up, and bumped into Adam. "There you are," he said. "I lost you for a minute."

She looked away. "I want to go."

Adam set their drinks down on a table and took her arms. "What's wrong?"

She collected herself and stood up straight, looking him in the eye. "I…I don't feel well. Would you take me home, please?"

"Alright," he said, taking her hand, eyeing all the women standing around them.

Before he took more than two steps, a man tapped him on the shoulder. "Cartwright, why don't you introduce me to your lady friend there."

Adam wrinkled his nose and squinted at the man's reeking breath. "Not now. We're leaving."

"Now wait a minute," said the man, grabbing Adam by the shirt and pulling him into the dance clearing. Didn't you bring her here to introduce her around? Maybe find her a husband?"

Adam's nostrils flared. "That's enough. Get out of my way," growled Adam as he shoved the man to the side.

The man swung at Adam, and he ducked. Then Adam swung back and the man ducked, but Rebecca was still standing behind him. When Adam saw her, it was too late to stop his forward motion. To Adam, everything slowed down to an excruciating crawl as he felt his fist connect with her chin, then watched her head snap back and her eyes roll and shut as she fell backwards to the ground. When she landed, he saw her body bounce as it settled into the sawdust on the ground. The man stepped back out of the way as Adam dropped to the floor, scrambling to her side. Everything thing in the barn stopped and a circle slowly formed around Adam, who was holding Rebecca in his arms.

He picked her up and stood, but before he left, he turned to the crowd. "Is all your gossip worth this?" he asked angrily. He carried her back to Mrs. Bailey's house where the doctor arrived shortly after. Someone from the dance had gone for him.

When Dr. Martin came back downstairs, he stopped and sighed. "Couldn't you have pulled that punch just a little?"

Adam tightened his lips into a line, and then blew out a breath. "I did."

Dr. Martin patted his shoulder. "She'll be alright. Her jaw isn't broken…miraculously. But, she's going to be very sore, and I wouldn't be surprised if the whole side of her face isn't black and blue by morning."

"Thanks, Doc." When the doctor left, Adam turned back to Mrs. Bailey. "Would you mind if I stay until she wakes up?"

Mrs. Bailey grasped his arm and squeezed it. "Leave the door open. Good night, Adam," she said smiling, then went into her bedroom, closing the door behind her.

Adam went back upstairs, sitting in a chair next to Rebecca's bed where he fell asleep…waiting.