From Highlands to Homecoming by Margaret P.

(Thanks to betas Terri Derr and Anna Orr for their invaluable support and advice.)

Chapter 36: Women Troubles (Words: 3,224)

"What are your intentions?" Sarah Johnson cut another slice from the loaf for Murdoch. Alarmed by his wife's boldness, Daniel turned to help their daughter construct her sandwich. The friends were sharing lunch. It was the first day Murdoch had made it into town in weeks. "You've asked Marcy to go to Saturday's dance, even though you must know she's been seeing a lot of Charlie Dane."

"I didn't know she was seeing more of Charlie. She can't be very serious about him. She agreed to go with me." Murdoch buttered and spread pickle on his bread, then added some corned beef and lettuce. "It's too soon for me to have intentions. Marcy must know that."

"Catherine was right. You are clueless when it comes to women." Sarah looked vexed. She bit forcefully into her own sandwich, but put it down after chewing only one mouthful. "Look, Murdoch, I've grown to quite like Marcy. Her mother is a fright, but Marcy is all right. At the moment I think she is torn between you and Charlie. If you haven't any serious plans, I think you should make that clear."

Murdoch thought Sarah was making a mountain out of a mole hill, but he agreed to talk with Marcy on Saturday evening at the town dance. He collected her as arranged at seven o'clock, and they walked to the barn at the edge of town where the dance was being held. Mr and Mrs Adams did not follow them. Mrs Adams had a bad cold and was confined to her bed. Her husband bowed out too.

"Of course Father says he is staying to take care of Mother, but I'll guarantee you he'll settle down at the table with his insects and pins and be so engrossed in mounting his latest finds that he won't hear her if she does call out." Mr Adams was a keen amateur entomologist. He would often be seen exploring the woods and fields just outside of town. Murdoch always suspected that the hobby offered him the one thing he could never get at home—peace and quiet.

Marcy and Murdoch danced almost non-stop for the first hour, but then he left her talking with friends while he went to get some punch. He was half way to the refreshments table when Charlie Dane stepped in front of him. "I want a word with you, Lancer. I don't want you seeing Marcy. It's not on. A man should be able to go away on business for a couple of weeks without having another fellow making a move on his girl."

"I didn't know she was your girl, Dane. Does she?" Murdoch tried to go past, but Dane was not finished with him.

"Stay away from her." The assistant bank manager puffed out his chest, trying to look bigger and more important than he was. "I'm not afraid of you, Lancer."

Murdoch listened to his bluster with mild amusement. "I never said you were. Look, I enjoy Marcy's company, I asked her to the dance and she said yes. That's all there is to it, so will you please let me pass."

"I've a good job and I'm being promoted. What can you offer Marcy? You're still married. Even if you do intend to get a divorce, it will take ages."

"Divorce? Dane, I don't know what you're talking—"

"You bastard!" Charlie Dane took a swing for Murdoch and sent him staggering back. Murdoch was no longer feeling very friendly. He came back at Dane with a right hook of his own, and within seconds they were having a full blown fracas.

"Keep away from her." Charlie took a swing and missed.

Murdoch socked Charlie in the stomach, winding him. "Why should I? It's up to Marcy."

Head already down, Charlie rammed Murdoch forcing him back into the bales of straw behind him. Marcy broke through the by-standers. "Stop it! What on earth are you doing?"

"I don't want you seeing him. You're my girl." Charlie wiped his bleeding lip with the back of his hand. "I don't know what you see in him. He's married and has no intention of getting a divorce."

Marcy looked from one to another, gaping but unable to speak, her face pink with embarrassment. If she gained any pleasure from having two men fight over her, she hid it well. Murdoch and Charlie stood panting and glaring at each other with Marcy, arms outstretched, between them. Daniel pulled Murdoch away and George Nicholls, the bank manager, dragged Charlie back. "Pull your head in, Dane. You're bringing the bank into disrepute. Do you want to lose that promotion before you even start?"

Charlie Dane slouched off to the opposite side of the barn. Sarah consoled Marcy in private, but eventually they returned to where Daniel and Murdoch were waiting for them. The rest of the evening felt awkward as everyone skirted round the reason for the fight and what was said.

"Marcy, I enjoy your company, and I would like to keep seeing you, but for now it does have to be just as friends. I'm not ready for anything else yet." Murdoch escorted Marcy to her front door. "I hope you understand."

"I don't know what to say, Murdoch. I'm very fond of you and Charlie. I need time to think." Marcy opened the door. "Thank you for taking me to the dance. Good night."

Murdoch rode home. He did not like the idea of Marcy seeing Dane, but how could he make a commitment to her when he was still married to Maria? How could he make promises to any woman when he was still in love with Maria? That was the truth of it, no matter how hard he tried to deny it. He was still in love with Maria and it was eating him up inside. He could not wait to get the next drive over with; then he could start preparing to search for Johnny—and Maria—again.

He had already organised a few things. With Paul in Sacramento, his biggest problem had been who to leave in charge. José and Cipriano were good foremen; for the day to day management of the ranch there were none better, but neither liked dealing with the financial side of things, and if anything unexpected came up he was not confident they would cope making the necessary decisions. Cip might be able to handle things in a year or two when he had more experience, but José could barely read and write and these days the person in charge needed to be literate. Besides José was slowing down generally; there was a good chance he would not want to be foreman much longer. Murdoch first thought that he would ask Don Frederigo to keep an eye on things, but Frederigo Caldera had a wedding to attend in Los Angeles in October. He offered to return in time for Murdoch to leave at the beginning of November, but Murdoch knew he would prefer to stay away longer and visit his family in Mexico. The problem was solved by Henry Conway.

After their re-introduction at the Adams's, Murdoch and the Conways dined together regularly. Murdoch invited them to Lancer and then they invited him to their ranch. Soon their dinners became an accepted routine every couple of weeks. The threesome shared interests in ranching, literature and many other things. Murdoch taught Henry more about cattle and California, and Henry gave Murdoch interesting insights into American business and politics. Aggie was the real surprise; not only was she no shrinking violet, but she also proved to be a discerning judge of horse flesh. Murdoch had a lot of fun bidding against her at an auction in Morro Coyo in August. By that time, their friendship was so well-established that when Murdoch said he was worried about inconveniencing Don Frederigo, Henry immediately offered to step into the breach. "If you trust me, that is?"

"Of course I trust you. José and Cipriano would see to all the routine ranch work. Are you sure you wouldn't mind? Thank you, Henry."

That settled Murdoch headed to Sacramento on the final drive of the season in good spirits. A few legal arrangements to enable Henry to sign on his behalf, and he would be free to leave as soon as work at the ranch allowed. In addition, he could now visit Paul without fear of making him feel guilty about leaving.

Paul and Angel O'Brien were renting a house on the south side of Sacramento. Paul had found work at a nearby timber mill. Angel was at home with baby Teresa, but at least now she was within walking distance of her beloved shops and social amenities. No longer part of the small ranch community and with Paul gone all day, Angel was rather lonely for the first few weeks, but according to Paul's last letter she was much more settled and happy again. In contrast, Paul was finding the noise at the mill a bit of a strain, and he was looking around for another decent-paying job.

After concluding his business, Murdoch followed the directions in Paul's letter and approached a row of timber cottages late afternoon. He should not have too long to wait before his friend got home from work. Murdoch knocked on the door expecting to be greeted by Angel, but instead Paul answered the door, looking like death warmed up.

"My God, man, what's wrong?" Murdoch followed Paul into a neat living room.

"She's left us, Murdoch. Angel's run off with some fancy pistol-shooting show-off." Retrieving a crumpled letter from the dresser, Paul shoved it into Murdoch's hands and went to lift his crying daughter from her cradle.

Maria had not left a farewell note. She could not write. Murdoch had tried to teach her, but she was never interested enough to put in the effort needed to learn. He had always wished for a note, some explanation or statement of regret, something that showed she had thought of his feelings at all when she stole away with Johnny and the heirlooms he was saving for Scott. When he read Angel's letter he changed his mind. Not knowing was better than the callous, thoughtless words Angel left for Paul.

Dear Paul

I am leaving you. Please do not follow me. I will not change my mind. I am in love with someone else. I am not cut out to be a housewife and mother. I am going to travel and live life again. Teresa is next door. Mrs G. thinks I am going to the market, but Carl and I will catch the steamer to San Francisco. It is better this way for all of us.

Angel

"Mrs Graham was waiting for me when I came home from work last night. Angel said she would only be an hour and that was before lunch—if only Mrs Graham had sent for me when Angel didn't come back." Paul paced the floor, looking haunted. "Sshh, little one, it will be all right. She's wet but I don't know how to change her. I'll have to take her next door."

"Give her here. Have you got a clean diaper?" Murdoch took his goddaughter and the diaper from her distraught father and laid Teresa on the table. It was easier changing a girl, no sudden fountains to dodge. He was not surprised Paul did not know how. Most men left all aspects of child-rearing to their wives.

"I went looking right away. Mrs Graham wasn't happy, but I had to try. They caught the midday riverboat, her and her fancy man. I'm going after them, Murdoch. I'm going to kill that bastard, Bolton, and bring Angel home. You could take Teresa to Lancer for me. Estella or one of the other women would look after her while I'm gone and I would be back as soon as I found them. It wouldn't take long."

"Even if they stayed in San Francisco it could take ages, Paul. You know how big the place is now. Anyway what good would it do? She says in her letter she loves him and won't come back."

"But I love her, Murdoch. And Teresa needs her."

Murdoch settled Teresa back in her cot. "Paul, I don't think it will do any good."

"Why not? If I kill the mongrel, Angel will come back. It's no different to Maria and Johnny. You're still looking for them. Why should I give up so easily?"

"I love, Maria, but I don't know if she still loves me. Killing Cole wouldn't make her change her mind though, I know that. Sure, I'd enjoy shooting him or beating him to a pulp, but it wouldn't make Maria love me." Murdoch was stunned by his own words. He had gone over and over events and feelings during the past months, but somehow putting the whole situation into words for Paul seemed to make it real for the first time; more than that it explained why he still felt the way he did. "The only thing that might persuade her to come back would be Johnny. She might give us a second chance for his sake. Maria wouldn't want to be parted from Johnny. She took him with her. I hate her for that, but I think it's why I still love her too. Maria didn't leave Johnny behind."

"Angel left Teresa. How could she do that? How could she leave either of us when we love her so much?"

Murdoch did not know how to answer that question. He and Paul talked long into the night. For most of it Paul was still determined to chase the runaways and kill the man Angel had run off with. His name was Carl Bolton. Mrs Graham had described him as smooth with a fancy waistcoat, jacket and shoes that had never seen a hard day's graft. Apparently he had come to the house on more than one occasion while Paul was at work. Mrs Graham recognised him too from the small theatre near the centre of town where Paul and Angel had first met.

That morning Paul had sent word to his employer he would not be at work. Leaving Teresa with Mrs Graham again, he had gone to the theatre and banged on the stage door until the manager had emerged from his office. Angel had been to visit some old friends about three months before. She had seen their act advertised on a billboard. While at the theatre, she had been introduced to the latest sensation, Carl Bolton and his Wild, Wild West show; suave pistoleer, pretty swooning girls in skimpy costumes and a genuine Indian to be shot dead every evening—except Sunday—and matinees on Thursdays and Saturdays. The theatre manager was none too pleased to lose his best act. Bolton's fellow performers were not too pleased either, because the handsome Carl had left without paying their wages.

"Selfish bastard stole my wife and hurt a lot of good people. Now you're here and can take Teresa, I can go after them. I'll kill him and bring Angel back to Lancer with me."

"And how long would she stay, Paul? The woman who wrote that note would not be content to remain out on the ranch. She wasn't even satisfied with being in town when family and household stopped her from doing the things she really enjoyed. If her affection for you and Teresa wasn't strong enough to stop her running off this time, what makes you think she'll stay if you murder the man she says she now loves and drag her back against her will?"

"I don't know, Murdoch, but I've got to try. Don't I? I owe it to Teresa to try."

"You remember what you said to me the night after you stopped the fight between me and Haney? You said I owed it to my son to stay alive and out of jail. You were right, and that's what you owe Teresa. You're no good to her if you're dead in a ditch, miles away searching or behind bars. Angel doesn't want her. I'd take care of her for you, of course I would, but she needs her daddy, Paul. She needs you. Don't sacrifice your daughter for the sake of revenge or for a woman who doesn't love you anymore."

Finally the message sank in. Paul grudgingly accepted chasing Angel and Bolton would be pointless and more importantly, harmful to his daughter. After that, it only took a little encouragement for him to agree to return to Lancer with Murdoch.

"Come and stay in the hacienda until you decide what to do. I'm leaving in a month. You could mind the house for me and take care of Teresa at the same time—learn how to change a diaper. I've arranged everything for the ranch, so you wouldn't need to get involved with that unless you wanted to. You could concentrate entirely on your daughter for a while. It would do you both good."

"I wouldn't feel right staying in the hacienda. Maybe one of the cottages."

"They're all full, but what about the annexe? Those rooms are nearly finished. We could make a few alterations and turn some of them into a home for you and Teresa. You could do some of the work if you want or I'll set Pedro onto it over the winter. You might need to use the kitchen in the hacienda until it's done, but it's ready now for just sleeping and living."

It was agreed. Paul and Teresa would move into the annexe, a single story extension to the main hacienda, originally intended for offices and guest accommodation. Murdoch had been gradually finishing off the rooms, getting Pedro and others with building skills to do a bit each winter when the ranch was quiet. Until Murdoch returned in the spring, Paul would help with the renovations and do other odd jobs, but mainly he would take care of his daughter. Both men knew the women of the ranch would be eager to help, but Paul needed some time to heal. Being Teresa's main caregiver would help him get over Angel. When Murdoch got back, they would talk about what else he could do. He was not interested in the responsibilities of foreman or Segundo now, but in time he might feel differently.

When they arrived back at Lancer Murdoch spent some time helping his friend and goddaughter settle in, but then he began preparations to renew his search for his wife and child. This time he intended to cross the Sierra Nevada before heading south to Phoenix, Tucson, Nogales and west as far as El Paso del Norte once again. Luisa Flores would become sick of the sight of him, if she did not cooperate and help him find his family. Don Acosta had reported Maria had been in Matamoros early in the year, but word from Don Contanado had come only a few weeks before; a gambler with a beautiful companion had spent some time in Nogales in June. It had to be them. Everything was ready. He would depart the next day. Nothing would change his plans.

Except, perhaps, an unexpected visitor.

Notes:

1. Marcy Adams (Dane) features in The Prodigal, Series 1, Episode 7

2. Aggie Conway features and Henry Conway is mentioned in The Rivals, Series 2, Episode 24.

3. Paul O'Brien features in The Homecoming / The Highriders, Pilot/Series 1, Episode 1 and is mentioned in Yesterday's Vendetta, Series 1, Episode 16 and Angel Day and her Sunshine Girls, Series 1, Episode 19

4. Angel O'Brien (Day) features in Angel Day and her Sunshine Girls, Series 1, Episode 19