As soon as Katherine had swept her way from the room, Scott wanted to call her back again. Or go after her. Angry with himself for

what he'd said to her.

He looked at Val. "Now I've done it," he said, blaming himself. "Shot off my mouth and got her dander up."

"I don't think it takes much to ruffle her feathers, Scott," Val said, trying to sound reassuring.

"That doesn't matter. I know what she's like, and I still lost my temper. I should have let you come over here alone to talk

to her."

"You're bein' awfully harsh with yourself," Val said, and gave Scott's shoulder a sympathetic slap.

"Can I keep Charlie here?" Scott asked, knowing the answer, but asking it anyway. "Against Katherine's say-so?"

Val gave Scott a long look, and said in obvious regret, "You know you can't, my friend."

"Well-" Scott hesitated, thinking. "I'm going to go try and talk to her again."

"I don't think that sounds like a very good idea," Val cautioned.

"I need to try," Scott said. "She might decide to withdraw all visitation from us with Charlie."

"What about the lawyer? Beets?" Val asked. "You said he thought the visits were good for Charlie. Maybe you can talk to

him, and he'll intervene."

"It's a good idea," Scott agreed. "But-" he hesitated.

"But what?"

"Even if he does intervene, it would be a few days at least. Maybe longer. What about today? I don't think I can walk over

there and tell Charlie she doesn't get to stay, as was agreed," Scott said.

Val looked serious, sympathetic.

"Isn't there something you can do?" Scott asked him.

"I wish there was, Scott." After a moment's hesitation, he said, "You go on and try talking to our Miss Katherine again. See if you

can reason with her." He smiled slightly. "Turn on the charm that had all the ladies in Boston fanning themselves. In the meantime, I'll

see what I can think up."

Scott nodded, and went out into the hotel lobby again. From behind him, Val's voice said, "Remember. Charm."

Scott walked with purpose up the stairs, to the hotel room that he'd brought Charlie to the evening before. And knocked.

"Who is it?" came Katherine's voice, sounding irritated.

"It's Scott."

The door was opened, and Katherine stood there.

"What is it, Scott?" she asked, curtly.

"I'd like to speak to you for a couple of minutes."

"I think we just did that," Katherine said, her eyes cold.

"I was hoping that we might try again," Scott said, and although he couldn't bring himself to smile at her, he did try to

inject some warmth into his voice.

"I don't see any point to that," Katherine said.

"I'd appreciate it, if you'd try," Scott said.

Katherine's eyes ran over him and she stepped aside, gesturing him into the room without a word.

Scott stepped into the room, and Katherine closed the door behind him. Then she waited, her hands folded, in obvious

impatience.

"If it sounded as though we were accusing you of something, that wasn't the intention," Scott said.

"What was your intention then, exactly?' Katherine demanded.

"To let you know Charlie's worries. Her fear. To see if you knew of any reason why she might be worrying about

this-"

"Worrying about being kidnapped, you mean?" Katherine asked.

Scott nodded.

"I told you and your friend, the sheriff, that Charlotte is prone to manufacture up stories to suit her

purpose, if she feels the need," Katherine said.

"I don't agree," Scott said, and as Katherine's color rose high in anger, Scott added, "I don't think she's lying about

believing it. Or about being frightened. That I believe."

"Well, then," Katherine said. "I believe we are at an impasse again."

"I said I think that she's truly believing it," Scott said. "I didn't say that I'm accusing you of having anything to do with it."

"Well, even so-" Katherine said, and let her voice trail off, looking at him.

"I'd like you to reconsider taking Charlie back with you on the next stage, and let her stay," Scott said.

Katherine studied Scott, and Scott knew she was trying to discern if he was willing to plead. To beg. And he was.

"I think that Charlotte has spent perhaps too much time with your family recently," Katherine said, and Scott felt

as though he'd been punched in the stomach. She was going to deny his request.

"It's been beneficial for her," Scott said. And, then, hating the smug expression on her face, he added, "I know that Banker

Beets feels the same."

"Ah, I wondered when you would bring up Mr. Beets," Katherine said. It was plain to Scott that Katherine took his last

statement as an open invitation for warfare.

"I know about your visit to see him," she went on, and Scott felt a sense of panic that she might indeed know about the

direction of his conversation with Mr. Beets.

So he waited, not wanting to give anything away concerning his wish for guardianship.

"You're an intelligent man, Scott," Katherine went on. "A misguided man, but still intelligent. You must know that I

didn't make a sudden visit here to this desolate place because I wanted to see your family's ranch?"

"I didn't think it was for that reason," Scott said, keeping his tone quiet. "I had hoped that it was because you wanted to see Charlie, however."

Katherine's face flushed in deep color.

"Of course I wanted to. Charlotte and I have a complicated relationship, but that does not alter the feelings that I hold for

her."

Rather than call Katherine out on her last statement, Scott pressed on. "Am I correct then, in assuming that Mr. Beets

suggested you come and visit here?"

"That would be correct. Congratulations, Scott."

"For what?"

"For causing me to become so flustered, as to reveal such a thing to you," she said. She went to a small table across the

room, and poured herself a small amount of brandy.

"Would you care for a drink?" she offered.

"No, ma'm. Thank you."

"Ma'm, again? I thought we'd gotten past that, Scott." And Katherine smiled at him, a full out smile that showed Scott how she

was able to persuade people to see her side of things.

Scott stood there, waiting as she drank her brandy.

"This has been quite a morning," she said then.

"Yes, it has."

"I should find out about the time of the next stage arrival," she went on.

"I can look into that for you."

"Thank you, Scott." She smiled at him again.

Still he was quiet, unable to bring himself to smile back. He was willing to talk, to reason, even to plead, and if necessary, humble

himself to the woman standing in front of him. But to smile at her? He couldn't do that.

"I'd consider it a personal favor, if you'd let Charlie stay, as we agreed earlier."

"A personal favor?" Katherine asked, seizing on the words immediately. "Well, my goodness."

Scott recognized her attempt to undermine him, to embarrass him. He maintained his even expression. Neither friendly nor

unfriendly.

"It's not right to break a promise to a child," he said.

Katherine drew herself up with a deep breath, and surveyed him, looking to Scott as though she was considering.

"She can stay for the next week," Katherine granted, and Scott's first reaction was relief.

"After that, she will need to return home again. It will be time for her to begin her lessons in French that I've arranged

for her. It will soon be time for a final decision about her schooling for this year, and what boarding school she should attend."

Still relieved about having a week for Charlie to stay, Scott was nonetheless disconcerted by the comments about boarding

school. He used every ounce of restraint in his ability to say nothing about it. He said only, "You can send a telegram when

you want me to bring Charlie back to Stockton."

He would not, he told himself, offer to do it without a direct commandment from her.

"Alright, Scott," she said, giving a brief nod. But no smile this time.

Scott nodded in return and went out, with neither one of them saying goodbye.

L

He was outside the hotel and on his way back to Val's office when he remembered his promise to Katherine, to find out about

the stage schedule. Since he had no intention of going back up to her room with the information, and he definitely did want her gone

on the stage, he found one of the McGuire twins, not entirely certain which one that it was, since they were identical. He gave the kid a nickel

and told him to find out about the stage leaving for Stockton and take the information up to Room 19 in the hotel.

When he got back to Val's office, he saw as he passed the window, that Johnny was inside, and he and Val were involved in a game

of checkers, while Charlie stood watching, leaning on Johnny's shoulder.

Scott stood still for a moment, unobserved from inside the jail office. Considering, he went back across the street

to the telegraph office. He sent the telegram to Mr. Beets, and hoped, in his desire to be quick about it, that he had used

the correct words.

Thinking then, that he'd done everything he could do at that moment of time, he went back over to the jail and inside.

The two checker-players looked up as he came in, as did Charlie, whose face lit up in relief.

She came running to him, wrapping her arms around his waist. Scott knew that any other time that sort of welcome

from Charlie would have his heart leaping in happiness. At that moment, though, as he gave Charlie a hug in return and patted

her back, he felt only frustration, and inadequate.

"I was worried about you!" Charlie told him, looking up into his face.

"No need for you to worry," he said, trying to sound off-hand.

"What did Katherine say?" she asked then. "Mr. Val wouldn't tell me."

Scott looked to Val, and Val, pausing in his next checker move, said, "I told her that we'd talk to her about it when you got over here."

"What did she say?" Charlie asked again.

"Let me sit down for a minute, and catch my breath," Scott told her. "You still have some coffee, Val?"

"Still some in the pot there," Val said.

Scott went over to pour himself a cup of coffee, after Charlie had dislodged herself from his side.

He went to sit in a chair beside the table where the checker board was set up. The game had paused, and Scott met his brother's

eyes, each of them reading the other's emotions.

Charlie had come back, to lean against him as he sat down.

"Katherine's decided not to go back to Lancer with us today," Scott said firstly, addressing Charlie, and leading with what

he knew she would consider good news.

Instead of looking relieved, however, Charlie looked, instead, suspicious and worried.

"How come?" she asked.

"She just felt as though she needed to get back," Scott said.

He could tell that Charlie was wise to the fact that there was more to his short statement, but she only said, "Well, that's good, then. What

did she say about the man in the hallway?"

Scott sighed. "Sweetheart, she says there was no man in the hallway. At least not one that she spoke with."

"I told you that she would deny it all!" Charlie said, immediately becoming agitated. "She's a first-class liar!"

"Charlie-" Scott began.

"What about the man in the lobby? Did she deny that, too?" Charlie demanded.

As Val and Scott exchanged a glance between them, Charlie's instincts zeroed in. "You didn't ask her about that?" she said. "Why not?"

She was being sassy, and Scott knew he couldn't let it go on any longer.

"There is no reason why she can't have a conversation with somebody in the hotel lobby if she likes," Scott said.

Charlie was clearly flummoxed by his reply. "But that could be an important part of all this!" She turned her big eyes

on both Scott and Val combined. "What sort of investigative work is that?"

Already feeling as though he'd put in a full day, though it was still mighty early, Scott stood up, and put a hand on

her small shoulder. "Excuse us for a few minutes," he said, and Val nodded, while Johnny looked sympathetic.

He applied enough pressure to Charlie's shoulder to steer her to the door, and then, once he'd opened the door, outside. He pulled

the door closed behind them, and sat down on the wooden bench outside the office.

"Sit down here," he told her, gesturing to the spot beside him.

"Val said he was old, and that he could tell when people were trying to fool him!" Charlie burst out, still standing. "And I knew she

would deny it all! But I thought you two could see thru her, to the truth!"

"Sit down. Right now," Scott said, sounding severe.

Charlie sat down with a plop, looking at him with accusing eyes.

"We talked to her. We discussed it. We let her know your worries about it. There's no foundation to accuse her of

knowing anything about you being kidnapped," Scott said.

"But-" Charlie began to argue.

"Stop," Scott said. His tone was quiet, but there was enough of a threat in it to cause the little girl to listen. She halted anything

she had been going to say and looked at him. Though still accusingly.

"We are not going to let anything happen to you. We will keep you safe." Scott put as much assurance and firmness into the

words as he was able to.

"If you can," Charlie said, so softly he could hardly make out the words.

"What?" he asked, in a sharp tone.

"If you can. You might not be able to. And, I'm only worried for you and Johnny. And everybody else at home."

"Johnny and I can take care of ourselves. And take care of you and everyone at home, as well," Scott said.

Charlie looked at him, plainly still unconvinced.

"I think you'll feel better once we're home," Scott said. He, himself, felt more than ready to go home.

"It's a long way from town to Lancer," Charlie said.

Though he knew very well what she was getting at, Scott said, "Meaning what?"

"The man's probably watching for us to leave town. And then he'll be lying in wait-"

Scott caught Charlie up with a swiftness that startled her. "No one is going to be 'lying in wait', as you put it. We'll have

a totally uneventful ride home from town. Now, I'm sorry that you were scared, and worried. But everything is going to be

fine."

When he could tell that she was preparing to come forth with another comment about the mysterious man, Scott

felt his temper slip. "Charlie, that's enough," he said, in the strongest tone he could remember using with the little girl before. "Right now,

at this particular moment, I do not want to hear another word about any of this." He paused, eying her. "I mean it," he said, sternly.

Charlie eyed him back, taking in his tone, and the expression on his face.

"Do you understand?" he said, in finish.

Charlie nodded in response.

"Alright. Good," Scott said, feeling a sense of relief. He looked over Charlie, seeing that, though she looked properly subdued

from his sharp tone, there was a glimmer still, of stubbornness in her face.

Scott, feeling worn, decided to ignore that small slice of stubbornness. As long as she didn't use it in a wrong way, then

she could continue believing the worst of the man in the hotel lobby. She would, Scott told himself, see that there was nothing to

it all when they had an uneventful ride home.

He stood up. "You should thank Val for being so kind to you this morning," he reminded her.

Charlie stood up, as well, though she said nothing, only walking in front of Scott and going inside the jail.

Scott, closing the door, saw that she went past Val and Johnny, who had continued their checker game, and on

back towards the back of the jail.

"Where are you going?" Scott called after her.

"Have to finish back here," Charlie said, and disappeared towards the jail cells.

Scott looked at Val and Johnny and sighed.

"She won't see reason, huh?" Johnny guessed, correctly.

"No."

"Well," Val said, sounding a bit like an indulgent uncle. "She'll come around. Does she have to go with the aunt today, on the

stage?"

"No. She approved a week's longer visit," Scott said.

"And then what?" Johnny asked, quietly, so Charlie wouldn't overhear.

"Then it's back to French lessons, and boarding school."

"That's not right," Johnny said. "Shippin' that little kid off, so far from home."

"I've got a couple ideas," Val said, and when the brothers looked at him in question, he went on. "I don't want to say for sure until

I've found out more. In case I'm wrong, I don't want to get your hopes up."

"I appreciate anything you do," Scott said.

"Have a drink," Val told him. "Looks as though you could use one."

"I won't refuse it," Scott said.

So, after the three of them had had a shot or two of whiskey from the drawer in Val's desk, they were preparing

to head for home.

"I'll watch to see that our Katherine gets on that stage," Val told Scott.

"And I thank you for that."

Scott stood up, calling to the back of the jail. "Charlie! We're going."

A few moments went by, and when she still hadn't appeared, Johnny said, "I'll get her."

He went towards the back, and gone only for five minutes or less, he reappeared, leaning against the doorway between

the office and the cells.

"Scott, you might wanna go back there," he said.

Talking to Val near the open doorway of the office, Scott looked at his brother. "What's going on?" he asked.

"Says she won't come," Johnny said. He looked, Scott saw, somewhere between amused and put out.

"What do you mean, she won't come?" Scott asked, incredulously.

Johnny shrugged. "Says she's stayin' here, at the jail, so the two of us won't get shot up by the kidnapper."

For a moment, a long moment, Scott was utterly flabbergasted. What in the world was going on in Charlie's

mind?

"What the hell," he muttered, and stalked past Val, and then past Johnny, towards the cells. When he saw Charlie, sitting there

on one of the cots in one cell, with the cell door securely closed, he felt his temper begin to rise again.

He put a damper on it, as best as he could. "If this radical behavior is to make a point of some sort, well, I'm not

impressed," Scott said, putting his hands on his hips.

Charlie sat on the cot, still and quiet, just looking at him.

"Alright, Charlie, enough," he said, and looked to the wall above the cell where the keys usually hung. The hook was empty.

He looked to the next empty cell. No keys hung above that door, either.

"Val!" he called out. "Where's the keys?"

Val appeared nearly immediately. "Keys are right where they always are," he said.

"No. They're not."

Val cast a glance about, and then looked to Charlie. Johnny had by now appeared behind Val, as well, and all three

men were looking at the little girl.

"Alright, Just Charlotte," Val said, his tone still even and cajoling. "If you've taken my keys, you need to hand them back over."

It hadn't occurred to Scott that Charlie would have taken the keys, to lock herself in, and ensure that she would not have the cell unlocked.

He could see that Val was correct in his assumption, because Charlie's face showed guilt quite clearly.

"Charlie-" Scott began again, furiously. "You are making my palm positively itch."

"What does that mean?" Charlie asked, looking less staunch.

"It means you're getting a spanking. Now give the keys to Val. Right now."

Charlie stood up from her seat on the cot, her face showing that she recognized she'd gone too far. Three grown men stood

only inches from her, with only the safety of the cell door between her and them.

She stayed back far enough from the bars, twisting her hands together. "I just wanted to keep you safe-" she began, repeating

her previous words.

"Hand over the keys, pequeno," Johnny said. He was more surprised than anything else, by the lengths that

Charlie had gone to.

"I can't-" Charlie said, letting her voice trail off.

"What do you mean, you can't?" Scott demanded, feeling as though the top of his head might blow off.

"I gave them to a boy, outside the window," Charlie said, gesturing towards the window of the cell.

As Val frowned at her, and began to scold about what she'd done, and Scott looked as though he was

at a loss for words, Johnny said, "What boy?"

"Just a boy," Charlie said, looking unsure. "I've seen him at the store-"

"What was he wearin'?" Johnny asked.

"A brown shirt. And a hat."

"That describes half the kids in this town," Johnny said. "How old is he, you reckon?"

"Maybe about my age," Charlie said, looking frightened.

"What was he going to do with the keys?" Val demanded of her, and now he was angry, as well.

"He said he would bring them back-" Charlie said. "After a little while."

"Let's split up, and try to find the kid," Johnny suggested, and the three of them turned to go out.

"What about me?" Charlie asked, in a small voice, and Scott, being the last of the three to leave, paused to

look back at her.

"What about you?" he asked.

"Shouldn't somebody stay here, with me?" Charlie asked, and then noticeably wilted under the glare Scott gave her.

"I'd say that you're perfectly safe in there, from a kidnapper, or anybody else," Scott said, and then felt badly when Charlie

looked at him with those big eyes. It wasn't right, no matter how angry that he was with her, to belittle a child's fears. Even if

the supposed kidnapper was only real in her imagination.

So he amended his words somewhat, to return Charlie's line of thinking to what to expect once the keys were found.

"Or at least you're safe enough in there, until we get the door unlocked. Then, you're not going to be quite so safe," he

finished severely, and raised an eyebrow at her.

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