On Monday morning the plans, which had been made at the picnic to track down Charlies husband for bringing him to a divorce were set in motion: Telegrams were sent to the lawyer in New Orleans as well as to a Pinkerton office. A visit at Hiram Woods office unfortunately but expectedly confirmed that beating up ones wife was no crime in Pennsylvania and hardly anywhere else.
The visit at the 'Territorial Enterprise' was much more pleasant as Dan DeQuille was all but grateful and obliging when Doctor Mathews entered his office and informed him to his astonishment that he was allowed now to write about her what ever he wanted. He could not help however to wonder about such a complete change of mind, the more as she was accompanied by Adam Cartwright of all people. He remembered not only one quarrel during the last years about articles concerning his family, which that Mr. Cartwright did not approve of. So Dan DeQuille took care that Doctor Mathews signed a disclaimer, confirming her unconditional consent with writing and publishing about her.
When they left the editors office Charlie shook her head. "Are you already regretting it?" Adam softly asked.
"No, I do not regret it, I know it has to be done, but it feels so completely wrong."
The article was released still within the same week and Charlie was amazed that it did not embarrass her that much as she had expected: Dan DeQuille had decided for a matter-of-fact-style for the better part of the article, except when it came to the presentations at the festivities: The description of Charlies performances had become rather lyrical and Hoss and Joe did not get tired to read the article again and again at the dinner table:
"'Although no prove at all would have been required, Doctor Mathews made clear for everybody who listened, by her perfect piano playing and her soulful signing that besides the capable and experienced physician there is also a passionate woman concealed within her enchanting appearance. Her duet partner was Adam Cartwright.' Hey elder brother, he even mentioned you, what did you have to pay him for that?"
Joe quoted his favorite passage and Hoss continued:
"Yes, even your name was spelled correctly, although your singing was not really soulful, I noticed that myself, despite your enchanting appearance!"
They laughed themselves silly over the text.
Adam, who had returned meanwhile to the Ponderosa just gloomily picked around on his plate and mumbled:
"I wish I could wipe the floor with that DeQuille for such a piece of crap!"
"Keep calm son," Ben tried to set the minds at ease, "you know, what it is meant for!"
"Of course I do Pa, that is actually the only thing, which prevents me from exploding."
During the following weeks they all lived under a kind of tension, because they urgently waited for news but feared them at the same time. However for all other inhabitants of Virginia City their normal lives went on, which brought some distraction also to the life of Charlie and her allies:
A few days later Charlie was called to a little farm near Virginia City. As a matter of habit she drove now in her buggy with one of the Ponderosa hands riding beside her. When she arrived at the farm, a boy of approximately ten years came out of the house and looked a bit unkind at her.
"Where is Doctor Martin?"
"A good day for you as well! Doctor Martin is busy in Virginia City but I am a Doctor of Medicine as well, I work in Doctor Martins practice. I came here to look for your mother. Your neighbor Mr. Prentiss told us she had an accident, is that true?"
When she made a few steps towards the boy he jumped up and shied away from her. Charlie hesitated and continued softly:
"I did not introduce myself, please excuse. I am Charlotte Mathews, you can call me Charlie if you want and this is Jimmy Andrews, a friend of mine who accompanies me, he will stay outside the house if you prefer. May I see your mother now? She is inside I suppose?"
The boy slowly nodded and said: "I am Jeb Halstead, please come in Doc Mathews."
Inside the little house there was a woman, probably in her late thirties and a little girl of maybe six years with blonde braids, anxiously looking at Charlie.
"How do you do Mrs. Halstead?" and she introduced herself again. "Mr. Prentiss told us your arm would be hurt, may I have a look at it?"
"Hallo Doc Mathews, thank you for coming here, yes it is my arm, I fell, I mean I stumbled and fell to the ground and now it is a bit swollen, but it is not too serious. It was just Ed, I mean Mr. Prentiss, who insisted to send here a Doctor, I mean I did not want to make any fuss about that."
Charlie, who had softly sampled the womans arm, meanwhile murmured:
"I daresay Mr. Prentiss was absolutely right! Look the line from your upper arm to the wrist is not straight, but the wrist is bent to the right. I suppose your radius bone is broken. We need to fix that, otherwise the arm will heal in this way and you might probably unable to use it properly."
"Fix it? What are you going to do with me?"
The womans voice had risen considerably, she was visibly in horror.
"You do not need to be afraid Mrs. Halstead, I have some anesthetic medicine with me, which we will apply, so you will sleep during the treatment, I will try very much not to cause any additional pain for you."
"Sleep? How long?" Mrs. Halstead seemed not to be calmed.
"Just a short time, only that long to spare you the pain of the treatment and to allow your body to recover from the accident and the treatment a bit."
"But the children, someone needs to take care for the children meanwhile!"
"I will stay here of course Mrs. Halstead as long as the anesthetic works and can also take care for your children that long. My cooking skills are actually shameful, but I should be able to make them a sandwich in case they'd become hungry."
"My husband, when he comes home..."
"I will explain everything to him, please Mrs. Halstead, do not worry but relax; this would make it so much easier for me and for you as well!"
Finally the woman gave in. The two children stood at the bedside, anxiously looking at Charlies ministrations, how she customized the respiration mask to their mothers head and how she applied some ether to it to anaesthetize her. After a few breathes Mrs. Halstead was fallen into a deep sleep.
Charlie explained to the attentively watching children what she would do. "We need to get this broken bone straight again, as it has been before. Therefore I must draw very strongly on your mothers hand, which would have been awfully painful to her, but while she is sleeping she won't feel anything of that."
And Charlie drew up the sleeve of the womens blouse and froze. All over the slim arm there were to be seen bruises in different colors: Fresh ones in red and blue and older ones in green and yellow. She checked the other arm, which looked very much the same.
The boy had realized Charlies gazes and commented hastily: "Mum had a lot of accidents recently!"
Charlie looked at the boy. When she met his eyes, that were anxiously and imploringly looking at her, she realized that he knew the whole story, but tried to protect his family from any outsiders.
"Yes Jeb, I can see that," Charlie went on cautiously; "do you and your sister have accidents too?"
"No" he replied with lowered eyes "it is just Mum."
"I see."
Charlie replied, and truly she did see how this little boy was ashamed because she apparently knew what went on behind closed doors. However she had to take care for this issue at a later point of time, now the radius fracture had to be treated. So she tore Mrs. Halsteads hand that much and that long until the radius bone was set in its place again.
She took away the respiration mask and played with the little girl - Annie - until her mother regained consciousness. As Mrs. Halstead seemed to be able to move the hand correctly, although at the moment of course in pain, Charlie was satisfied, splinted and bandaged the hand and bid good buy.
Jeb had been doing some chores outside the house meanwhile and Jimmy, her guardian for the day, helped him. Charlie approached the boy before she left:
"Jeb, your mother will be fine again, it just takes some time before her hand is working properly again. May I assume that you will help your mother during the recovery period?"
"Of course I will and so is Annie but she is of course still little."
"That is mighty good of you, you are a brave boy!"
After a short hesitation she decided to raise the issue, the boy should know that he was not alone with his burden:
"Jeb, there is something I want you to know: these accidents, your mother had, nobody has to endure them. It is not easy and it needs a lot of courage and it costs quite an effort, but it is possible to leave them behind. Believe me Jeb, I do know what I am speaking about, I know it literally!"
Jeb tried apparently to contradict, but Charlie put a hand on his shoulder and said calming:
"Please do not be afraid, I will not interfere, I leave everything up to your mother and you. I only want you to think it over and to speak with your mother about it when she will be better: These accidents can be ended, just keep that in mind. If you want or need some help, just tell me. Have you understood this?"
Jeb looked at her very seriously and nodded slowly.
"Good, this is good Jeb. I can leave now, your mother is quite fine after the treatment, but she still needs rest. I will come back tomorrow, to see, whether everything is fine with her and you, alright?"
Jeb nodded again "Yes, please come again."
"I will for sure Jeb, I promise!"
Driving her buggy away she decided to return to the farm every day from now on to look for Mrs. Halstead, as the womans self-confidence would have to be built up. If she would not want to put an end to the violence herself, anybody was able to do a thing in her favor, how Charlie knew only too well!
When Charlie returned to the Martins' house she found a message that Adam would take her out for dinner that evening. Her heart jumped in joyous expectation. It felt so good to be rid of the fear to fell for him and to involve him deeper into her desperation. He was involved now as deep as possible but he did not seem to mind.
She hurried to make herself presentable, but when Adam knocked at the door she still felt her hair to be a frizzy catastrophe and all her dresses looked as if they had been made for a person of twice her age. That was actually a disadvantage of being in love, before coming to Virginia City she did not care much for her appearance, which saved a lot of time as she realized sighing. Adam however seemed not to have any complaints, he drew her inside the house and embraced Charlie in a never ending kiss - at least Charlie wouldn't want it to end.
They broke up when they heard someone making a mild throat clearing sound. Paul was smiling at them.
"Sorry for disturbing you, but I became afraid the International House would be closed until you'll have finished your .. greetings."
Adam tipped his hat, while he was looking a bit embarrassed, opened the door and ensured Paul:
"I'll take good care for her!"
"You better do so, my dear boy!"
When they had ordered their dinner at the restaurant Adam informed Charlie: "We have the first reply!"
She turned pale at first but than briskly inquired: "From whom? And what is it?"
"It's from Pinkertons. Their agents inquired about the house in Philadelphia."
"And? Don't keep me in suspense!"
"Here, you can read it for yourself: It seems to be uninhabited already for a couple of years, probably he left shortly after you ran away, but on the second page there is the real surprise."
Adam pointed to the middle of a page.
"The house and the land plot belong to me?" Charlie had to fight not to shout this through the restaurant.
Adam nodded "There is no doubt about it, all registrations; all documents name you being the legal owner."
"Me? But how can I legally own it when I did not know anything about it - wouldn't there taxes have to be paid for the land plot and the house during all those years?"
"Apparently for these thing had been taken care as well: Look at the second but last paragraph on that page: There had been made a deposit in trust for you where the taxes had been taken from all through the years by a bank in Philadelphia. You had no idea I suppose?"
"No, not in the slightest! But ..I mean ... this makes no sense at all, because everything I owned had become his property when we married So even if the plot and the house were once registered in my name because of a heritage or the like - he could have claimed all of it as my husband. I don't understand this!"
"And he wouldn't be the type, who relinquished anything he might have claimed, I suppose?"
"No, never in a million years! I heard him quarreling with his 'valets' about pennies when they made an errant for him, he has always been disgustingly greedy. I always suspected my Grandfather had offered him some money to marry me, and that he was that angry with me because he had to take me on top of that capital."
Her eyes looked sad again. Adam took one of her hands and drew her face with a finger under her chin towards him, to look straight at her.
"You do know how twisted this is, don't you? Every man who is not completely out of his mind, would gladly give everything he has for making you his wife. I at least would do so."
"Well, maybe you will have to, I am still so much afraid about what will happen when he really finds me."
"Please do not worry too much my dear; everything that happens now is inevitable: Your situation is no longer bearable, that marriage needs to be ended and we just do what needs to be done."
"I know" Charlie replied, fondling Adams hands, "I know".
"So we have the astonishing new fact that you own a house in Philadelphia and someone took care that you can keep it, by having paid the taxes during the last years. Do you think it was your Grandfather?"
"I have to admit that I can hardly figure him, doing anything good for me, but I have no idea who else could have done it. On the other hand if Grandfather was the noble donor, the college does not fit in."
"What do you mean?"
"Grandfather would surely not have taken any care to let me go to college. During the short time I spent at Aspenvale Manor, between Aunt Freddie had died and my ... well you know, he made very clear what he thought of a college education in general and for girls in particular. I doubt that he would have spent a single dime for that purpose."
"Hhmm you are right, this does not make any sense at all. So either the money for the Philadelphia house did come from your Grandfather and a second, still unknown donor took care for college or both the money for the house and the college came from one, still unknown donor, who wanted you apparently good. Which option seems more probable to you?"
"The second of course, that everything in Philadelphia had been provided by one donor, one who wanted me good and therefore cannot be my Grandfather."
"You don't have any idea who this could be?"
"The only persons, who really wanted me good, were Aunt Freddie and Doc Simmons - before I came here of course. But if there was made a deposit at a bank, shouldn't they know where the money came from?"
You're right, they should know, but I'm not sure they are willing to disclose this, but the Pinks will check the matter for sure!"
"I cannot see that Aunt Freddie had the means to provide for that. Equinox Mansion was surely a beautiful place but it was rather small and she did her horse breeding more for fun than for the earnings. I always supposed she lived from the residues of her Mathews-heritage, which she must have spent nearly completely for my education. I figured that out later, when I became aware how expensive the tutors must have been, which she had engaged for me. Her husband was without any money. That is why Grandfather disdained her so much. As far as I remember he came from Ireland and was a brewer. He died already before I came to Aunt Freddie."
"Did you say the name of her house was Equinox Mansion?"
"Yes, you know her birthday was on March 21 and his on September 23, both equinox days."
Adam seemed to be lost in thoughts.
"What are you brooding about?"
"I am not sure, something about equinox rang a bell, I ll tell you as soon as know. So it seems we need to find this unknown donor and why your husband" Charlie winced a bit "did not claim the place in Philadelphia for himself, do you agree?"
Charlie nodded. "It seems that one thing we learn, just leads to at least two things we need to clarify."
"We are just at the beginning of the search, in the end there will surely be more answers than questions. And we have found a new fried of yours."
Charlie looked quizzically at Adam.
"The unknown donor! Do you remember, when we started the search there had been only persons you disliked outside there, now we discovered at least one friend."
"You are right; this is good, isn't it?"
"It is for sure! Let us drink to this unknown friend." And they had their wineglasses clinked.
Charlie now started to bring up the other issue, she was occupied by: "There is another thing I need to talk to you about, do you know the Halsteads?"
"Is that the family on that little Snake Creek farm, north from here? Not very good, what about them?"
"Mr. Prentiss, the elder one, Mr. Ed Prentiss I mean, had asked me today to look for Mrs. Halstead, who had an injured arm."
"And?"
"When I was there I discovered that she gets beatings, probably rather regularly. The son practically confirmed it. It is so typical - he blames himself that he cannot protect his mother, but he is just ten, imagine what he must feel!"
"What are you going to do about it - I assume you are not telling me about it just for entertainment?"
"I will go there every day from now on and look for Mrs. Halstead. If he becomes aware that she is not all alone in the world, he might be a bit more careful."
"You need to be careful, Charlotte! When you leave Virginia City you need to take someone with you, you must not drive alone from now on. Jimmy can stay here for the remaining week. Please do not go anywhere without him or one of his replacements!"
Charlie nodded: "You have my word!"
"However I am glad to hear that you do not plan more drastic measures like kidnapping the family or the like."
"I have to confess I would prefer to do so, but I know that no measure will work until Mrs. Halstead is not willing herself to end it. I know that for sure."
Adam just nodded and caressed her hands. He understood.