CHAPTER TWENTY NINE

"Oh, my heavens!" Mrs. Brighton shrieked. "This pretty young thing must be AnnaLynn! And she's even more lovely than I imagined!"

"Pleased to meet you, Mrs. Brighton," AnnaLynn greeted. "You certainly do have a lovely boarding house."

"And she likes to pway tea pawty!" Mary whispered.

Mrs. Brighton beamed. "Now, I hear tell that AnnaLynn makes the best cookies in Canada," she said as she gathered Mary into her arms. "So, once she's settled in, maybe AnnaLynn will make some for our very next tea party!"

Mary threw her arms around Mazie Brighton's neck, wiggled even closer into her chest, and hugged with all her might.

"I can help!" Danny added. "I'm a real good cookie appremice!"

AnnaLynn giggled as she tousled Danny's hair. "Well, then, Mr. Apprentice, what's say we meet in the kitchen later this afternoon, if that's all right with Mrs. Brighton and Miss Kinkead."

Both ladies spoke their approval and moments later, the three children had disappeared upstairs to settle AnnaLynn into her room.

"Well, if you don't need me," Mrs. Brighton announced, "I'd best skedaddle to the store. I believe we are in need of some flour."

"Oh, please, Mrs. Brighton," Mercy said as she reached for her bag, "let me run and get the flour. After all, it's for AnnaLynn's cookies."

"Nonsense, child," Mrs. Brighton replied as she grabbed hold of Mercy's shoulders and directed her, with a smidgen too much force, toward the staircase. "Your little one just arrived and you should help get her accustomed to her new surroundings. Besides," she added as she placed her hat atop her head and primped it into place in front of the long, rectangular mirror, "not only will I enjoy watching AnnaLynn and those little imps baking in my kitchen, but I was planning on doing a little baking myself." She hurried to the credenza and checked inside her bag. "I'd like to send some cookies off to Carrie and the Cartwrights. Not that Hop Sing - he's their house man - isn't taking good care of their needs, mind you." She flung the front door open and hesitated just long enough to finish. "But I'm willing to bet that even Mary could make better cookies than Hop Sing! Now, I won't be long. Make yourself at home."

Mercy smiled as Mrs. Brighton toddled down the path toward town. She felt the heat that had risen in her cheeks at the mention of the Cartwrights. Good thing she was walking away from me. How would I have explained . . .? Oh my. If Mrs. Brighton goes to the Ponderosa, she could mention . . . And then . . .

"Miss Kinkead," Danny called, "AnnaLynn needs some help, please."

"I've got to get things straightened out before all of this gets out of hand!" she thought as she bounded up the stairs.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

"Good afternoon, Mrs. Brighton," Mr. Reichert said, tipping his hat. "I'll be heading over to your boarding house in a bit to speak with Miss Kinkead. Might you know if she's in?"

"Good afternoon. Why, yes, she is, Mr. Reichert. And I must say, the poor thing has been beside herself ever since your meeting last week," Mrs. Brighton replied. "I hope I'm not overstepping when I say that I do hope you'll be carrying good news when you see her."

"I'm afraid I'll have to leave the telling of the details of my visit to Miss Kinkead," he replied with a smile and a wink, then whispered over his shoulder as he headed toward the boarding house. "It wouldn't be appropriate for me to divulge any specifics, don't you know?"

Mrs. Brighton beamed. In the matter of a few short weeks, she'd grown to admire Mercy and had become quite fond of her, Danny and Mary. The thought of them moving on, should Mercy not find work, had caused Mrs. Brighton several fitful nights' rest. Knowing now that they and AnnaLynn would be staying on in Virginia City filled her heart with joy and put a bounce in her step as she continued on her way to the store.

Had she hesitated, she might have noticed the shadow as it disappeared further into the alley.

So, the fair maiden will be staying in Virginia City, along with those two, no make it three, brats. Now, if Carrie would just do my bidding, ole Adam might just wake up and find himself with a new name, locked in some filthy, disgusting loony bin! Stu skipped a step in celebration of his impending success. Virginia City will be buzzin' when they cart the high and mighty Adam Cartwright away in a wagon with his pa and brothers left to stand in the street and watch! Stu laughed aloud at the vision forming in his head. He licked his lips in anticipation before cutting directly in front of several men as he flung open the batwing doors to the Golden Nugget Saloon. After ordering a bottle of whiskey, Stu dropped heavily into one of the few vacant chairs in the far left corner. He thumped the cork from the bottle, sending it flying across the room, poured himself a glass after taking a swig directly from the bottle and leaned his chair back on two legs.

A toast to my father. The man who hated me and drove my ma to an early death. The man who told me over and over that I wasn't right. The man who tried until the day he died to send me away . . . to have me locked up just like ole Adam Cartwright's gonna be. To my father!