A/N: And we're back again with Mrs. Wharton and the Lesser Breeds. I admit, this episode took a while to write. It's not my favorite, but I tried to overlook that. Better ones coming that my head wants to skip ahead to.
I did give Joe and Annie a scene with just the two of them since we haven't gotten that dynamic much lately. And then there's Mrs. Wharton herself. Anyway, entertainment only, I only own my OC. Enjoy!
"Hey, Pa! Annie! Candy's back!" Hoss bustled through the front door carrying luggage behind Candy and a haughty-looking older woman, wielding a parasol – umbrella? – like a sword. Annie stopped halfway down the stairs. Who was this? Her pa kept going and greeted Candy.
"Mr. Cartwright, I'd like you to meet Mrs. Wharton."
"Mrs. Wharton, a pleasure." They shook hands. Hoss cleared his throat.
"They got robbed on the stagecoach not fifteen miles from here." Her heart skipped a beat and she rushed the last few steps, skidding to a halt beside her pa and the boys.
"No," Ben breathed. Candy nodded.
"Cleaned us out."
"That's terrible news."
"Look on the bright side," she quipped. "At least you didn't get shot."
"Almost," he corrected with a wry chuckle. "No thanks to milady's stolen jewels. I had the stage drop us off at the Vernon's. We borrowed a rig, I ran into Joe and Hoss on the way in." He turned his hat over in his hands. "I figured you could put Mrs. Wharton up here."
"Well, of course. Sit down, Mrs. Wharton, please."
"That's very kind of you, Mr. Cartwright –" He led her to the arm chair.
"Make yourself at home."
"But Candy practically dragged me here," she continued. "I must get into Virginia City to notify the authorities." Candy shook his head.
"I keep telling you, the stage driver will do that." The woman wrung her hands and tapped her parasol/umbrella on the floor.
"Is there a British consul hereabouts?" Her father blinked.
"A British … no."
"An Army unit?" Annie and her brothers exchanged amused looks. Just where did she think she was?
"Really now, you're much better off here tonight. Just make yourself comfortable. There's nothing you can do until daylight anyway. Boys, will you take Mrs. Wharton's bags up to the guest room?"
"All right, Pa." They started up the stairs and Mrs. Wharton surveyed the room.
"This is your home, Candy?"
"Yeah." Annie hid a smile. Took him long enough, hadn't it? The woman blinked.
"You led me to believe you were a servant." He looked amused and grinned.
"No, ma'am, it was you that told me I was." She thought for a moment, then nodded decisively and headed for the stairs.
"Perhaps I did. Do you think I might have a cup of tea?" Hoss nodded.
"Yes, ma'am, we'll fix it right up." She glanced over her shoulder.
"Oh, and do lace it with a tot of rum, won't you?"
"Yes, ma'am." They vanished around the turn of the staircase and Ben shook his head. Candy chuckled under his breath. Annie raised her eyebrows.
"That's … that's quite a lady there. Where'd you meet her?" Candy hummed agreement and threw her pa a look.
"That's a long story."
"Oh?" Candy nodded and dug into his pocket.
"First of all, I finished the job you sent me to do. There's the contract, signed and sealed." He handed it over for inspection.
"Good." Ben tucked it into his vest. "Now … the lady. Hm?" He sat down in front of the fireplace. Candy turned his hat over in his hands. Annie perched on the arm of the chair next to the fireplace.
"Well, when I finished the job, I decided to take a look around San Francisco. I met her on the Barbary Coast," he said with an amused grin. Annie choked and Ben's eyebrows rose.
"Did you?" He folded his arms. "I can understand why you might have been there, but what about her?"
"Be glad you didn't end up shanghaied. Pa almost wound up in China, what was it, seven or eight years ago now?"
"Hush. It was a long time ago." Candy chuckled.
"She was there to find a steamer office, so I took her over. She called me her good man, said virtue should not go unrewarded and offered me a job. My fare back to Virginia City and six bits a day to fetch and carry." He shrugged. "Seemed like a good deal."
"I can't imagine you playing footman," Annie snickered. He flashed her a grin.
"Where's she going?"
"Around the world." Ben's eyebrows shot into his hairline. Annie's eyes bugged out of her head.
"By herself?!"
"Believe me, she doesn't need anybody else."
"Except to fetch and carry. What is she, some landed lady or something?"
"Personally, I'd have to say something." He chuckled again. "She actually reminds me of you, if you added about forty or fifty years." She blinked at him a moment while she gathered her thoughts.
"One, I would never wear that scarf or whatever it is. Two, same goes for that umbrella/parasol thing. Three, I'd travel in something a lot easier to move around in, case in point being the robbery. Four, I suppose I should be glad you're not comparing me to a horse again, but I'll give that one some time, I'm sure it's coming. Five, where in the world would she get the idea you're a servant? You never do anything you're told."
Ben dissolved into laughter and Candy soon followed.
"Hey, Annie?" She turned at her brother's call.
"What?" Joe brought Cochise up beside Reno and they ambled along at an easy walk behind the slow-moving herd.
"Call me curious." She flicked him a glance.
"About what?"
"How come we never do anything together anymore? Lately, you and Candy have been thick as thieves. Ever since …" he trailed off and she stiffened in her saddle.
"Don't mention that name."
"All right, I won't." They walked on in silence. "I just wish you'd talk to me," he finally said. "Look, we've all heard the gossip, none of us believe it, you ought to know that."
"If I thought you believed it, I might have used Adam's trick." Joe's face froze; it was the first time either of them had openly spoken about their older brother in five years, save a veiled reference a time or two. "Joe, that's not the issue, okay?"
"Then what's the matter?"
"Why would something be wrong? When have we had time to do anything besides work and drag each other out of trouble? Besides, I didn't ride into town with him and Mrs. Wharton, did I?" Joe thumbed his hat back.
"I'm actually surprised you didn't."
"Why? He's a grown man, can take care of himself."
"Usually," Joe pointed out.
"No different than the rest of us." She reined Reno around a downed tree. "What do you really want to ask?"
"Who, me?" She threw him a dirty look over her shoulder and he chuckled. "What makes you say that?"
"We're twins, I can read you like a wild horse." He chuckled again and rubbed the back of his neck. He worked his jaw and blew out a breath.
"Well … here goes nothing." She stopped Reno and turned him sideways, blocking the trail, one eyebrow raised. "Well …"
"I'm waiting."
"I know nothing happened in that mine."
"That's not a question."
"I know, I know, just let me get it out, okay?" She leaned on the saddle horn and waited, chin in hand. "I asked you before if you were jealous of Laura and you said you weren't, not like I meant it, anyway. And I believed you."
"So what changed?"
"We ran into Anne." He played with Cochise's mane. "I heard you. And I didn't believe it anymore."
"Your choice." She turned Reno and put the gelding to a trot. Joe rushed to catch up.
"Wait a minute!"
"We've got a herd to move and we're wasting daylight, we've got to leave for the Johnson's place this evening, get the roundup started come morning."
"Come on, Annie, you can't fool me, I'm your twin, I know how you think."
"Then you should know to leave well enough alone." He snapped his fingers.
"See? That – that right there tells me I'm right. Look, there's nothing wrong with liking Candy. You think Pa would be mad, is that it? Because he's 'just a foreman'?" Annie yanked Reno to a halt so fast the gelding snorted in protest. She rubbed his neck and regarded her brother with cool detachment.
"If that's what I was concerned about, I wouldn't deserve him in the first place."
"Well, then, what is it?" A mirthless laugh rang out and she turned Reno, booted him into a lope.
"If you're so smart, you tell me," she called back over her shoulder.
"Your pa back yet?" Candy met her at the front door later that afternoon. She laid her gun belt and hat on the sideboard before answering. They might not like it, but she wasn't going to the Johnson's after all. Two days around Joe right now was two days more than she could handle.
"He's in the barn. Why?" He looked uncomfortable for some reason. He looked around and leaned in close.
"She found her brooch in the Silver Dollar. The girl who had it said the guy who gave it to her might be in Vallejo." Annie blinked.
"She doesn't –"
"Yep."
"Does she have any idea how wide open that town is?"
"Sweetheart, it wouldn't matter if they were at the bottom of the Pacific, she'd still go after them."
"She goes to Vallejo, she could end up in a pine box." Candy shrugged. The door opened again and her pa walked inside, the boys trailing him on either side. Her spine stiffened when Joe caught her eye and she turned away. Ben frowned.
"Something the matter?"
"Yes, Mr. Cartwright." Mrs. Wharton descended the stairs, the veils on her hat fluttering. "My jewels are in Vallejo. Now, where is that?"
"Well, that's about half a day's ride from here."
"But, Sheriff Coffee said he couldn't go."
"It's out of his jurisdiction, ma'am," Joe spoke up. She frowned.
"Well, who has jurisdiction?"
"The United States Marshal, when he's there, which isn't very often," her pa explained. "And when he isn't there, that's a very wild and wooly place."
"Sounds fascinating." The look on Candy's face spoke volumes.
"Um, Mr. Cartwright? I got an idea. You all have to be over at the Johnson place for that roundup, but you don't need me there, right?" Annie stepped forward.
"And I could keep Mrs. Wharton company. It might only be two days, but she'd still be alone with all of us gone, and that wouldn't exactly be hospitable, would it?"
"You don't have to go to any trouble on my account, dear. Don't listen to her, Mr. Cartwright, I'll be perfectly fine by myself."
"No, Annie does have a point. It's no trouble, Mrs. Wharton, I assure you."
"Well, if you insist." She didn't look pleased, and Annie could hazard a guess as to why.
"We'll be back in two days, and Candy should be home by then as well. Then, we'll figure out what to do from there."
"Have a pleasant journey."
"Thank you, ma'am." They collected their saddlebags and rifles. "Annie, keep them out of trouble, please, will you?" The door closed behind them, and Mrs. Wharton huffed.
"Them? Slip of the tongue, he surely couldn't have meant me." She turned to Candy. "Just what have you gotten yourself into, young man?" Annie laughed and sat down on her ma's settee.
"If you have a couple of hours, I could tell you. And that's just what I know about."
"You're not helping," Candy muttered.
"Well, I don't know about you two, but I'm rather hungry. When will Hop Sing have supper ready?"
"He's probably lurking around the corner with a platter of something."
"Hop Sing no lurk," the cook announced as he left the kitchen with a platter of chicken and dumplings. "Hop Sing know when to serve dinner, no lurking necessary." He set the platter on the table and stepped back. "Everyone eat." One finger stabbed at her face. "Missy Annie no say bad things about Hop Sing after I save your life or I go back to China." He bustled back into the kitchen, muttering in Chinese.
"Gracious." Mrs. Wharton raised a hand to her throat. "Is he always like that?" Candy shrugged. Annie shook her head.
"That was mild. Walk into his kitchen uninvited and move things around and you'll see what I mean."
"Hm. It might be rather interesting. Almost like the time I wandered into a Sultan's harem. Accidentally, of course." Annie and Candy exchanged glances, eyebrows in their hairlines.
Just who was this woman?
"Annie!" Rapid pounding on her door jolted her out of a sound – for once – sleep. Had she overslept? She scrambled across the room and threw open the door.
"What time is it?" From the glimpse she'd gotten out the window, it couldn't be much past six.
"Mrs. Wharton is gone."
"What do you mean gone?"
"Hop Sing came to me and said her bed hadn't been slept in. Already checked the barn and the buggy is missing."
"Of course it is." She scraped a hand through her messy hair. "Saddle the horses and we'll ride out as soon as I get ready." Why had she ever thought the woman would let them handle it? "It'll take both of us and even then I doubt we'll make any headway."
"Yep. She does remind me of you, sweetheart."
"I wouldn't have wandered into a Sultan's harem."
"She probably thought it was a tea party." He grinned. "I'll meet you at the barn." He hurried down the stairs and she closed her door. And she just thought she'd have a peaceful couple of days away from Joe's prying.
They rode out less than ten minutes later, following the tracks. Candy looked up a few miles on. "Straight as an arrow."
"You're surprised?"
"Not by that." He tossed her a sideways glance. "Surprised you and Joe didn't give each other frostbite last night."
"He feels like he has to remind everyone who's older sometimes."
"Uh-huh. And you're not going to tell me what started it."
"No." They topped a hill and Annie pointed down at the road. "There she is. She found some friends." They shared a look and took off down the hill.
"Mrs. Wharton! Wait a minute!" The British woman drew the buggy to a halt, her friends nodded greetings as they rode up.
"Hi, Candy." He stopped Scout beside the buggy and Annie reined up beside him.
"Good morning. How did you find me?"
"Hop Sing told me your bed hadn't been slept in, and the buggy was gone. So, we figured you were on your way to Vallejo."
"How perceptive."
"What are these two for?" Annie jerked her chin at the outriders. Mrs. Wharton turned on the seat with a satisfied smile.
"I met them on the road and engaged them as guides."
"They couldn't guide a dog across the street," Candy remarked bluntly. "Charley, Al, get back in your holes."
"Aw, come on, Candy."
"You men, stay right where you are."
"No easy pickings today, get moving." Annie pushed Reno forward, shoving into the closer chestnut. Mrs. Wharton's face darkened.
"Now, see here, young lady!"
"You heard us, move!" The two drifters shrugged and backed their horses to ride away. Mrs. Wharton sniffed in disgust.
"Those men were quite competent and extremely courteous." Candy didn't even blink.
"And along around nightfall they'd crack you over the head, very courteous, and pick you clean."
"And you are unmannerly and highhanded." He grinned and shook his head.
"No need to thank me, ma'am." The older woman sniffed again and adjusted the lines.
"I suppose you want me to turn back." They traded looks and responded in unison.
"Yes. Under the circumstances," Candy went on, "that's the only sensible thing to do."
"Fiddlesticks." Annie leaned on her saddle horn, chin in hand. This woman was a character and a half.
"Mrs. Wharton, that town is dangerous and there's nothing there worth looking at."
"We'll see. In any case, my mind is quite made up." She slapped the lines over the horse's back and the animal trotted off. They traded looks again and rode after her.
"Mrs. Wharton," Annie tried to measure her tone, but the woman was getting on her last nerve and it wasn't even seven o clock. "Let me reason with you. You're going to barge into Vallejo, right? If you intend to tell them you want your jewelry back and expect them to roll over and play dead you are sadly mistaken."
"I have a plan," she replied calmly. She looked up at them with a sly smile. "You see, I found myself in a similar situation in Wazirabad about eighteen months ago. I gave some backsheesh to a Pathan mullah, it worked wonders."
"You gave what to who and where?"
"I don't think I got more than half of that."
"Wazirabad is a town in Afghanistan. Very wicked, I might add."
"Wicked," Annie repeated. Candy shook his head.
"Mrs. Wharton, this town, whatever you call it, it don't hold a candle to Vallejo. Half the men in that town'd kill their brothers for fifty cents cash or a dollar credit."
"We'll see." She gave them a haughty smile. "Backsheesh is a bribe. It works anywhere."
"Your jewelry might not even be in Vallejo, chances are it's scattered around." Annie was getting dizzy; it was like a child's seesaw, one would try, then fall back and the other would ride up. For all the good it was doing.
"The only way to find out is to go there." Annie threw up her hands and backed off. She was done. Candy leaned out of the saddle.
"I've a good mind to throw a rope around you and get it over with." Mrs. Wharton looked around at both of them with infuriating calm.
"I might remind you two that I'm old enough to be your mother, and as such am entitled to a certain freedom of decision."
"All right. I figure I've done just about anything that can be done."
"I appreciate that. There's no need to involve yourself further."
"All right. All right. All right!" He snapped and yanked Scout to a halt. Annie rode up on his right and they watched the buggy pull away.
"Good day," the woman called over her shoulder. Candy turned and stabbed a finger in Annie's face.
"I take it back, she's worse than you. I can reason with you to some degree, but her? I'm beginning to wonder if her husband passed away to get some peace and quiet."
"That's hardly polite."
"But valid, you have to admit." His face twisted. "Oh, no. You don't suppose she's carrying …?"
"Probably." They turned their horses and loped after the buggy.
"Wait!" She stopped the horse and they reined up. Candy jumped down and leaned on the buggy. "This money, do you have it on you?"
"Yes." Annie closed her eyes. Candy sighed.
"How much?"
"Slightly in excess of five thousand dollars." Candy's face fell. "You're a bigger fool than I thought." Mrs. Wharton's eyebrows shot up.
"Sir."
"It's all right. I'm an even bigger one. I'm going with you."
"We're going with you," Annie corrected. "We just got you cleared of murder a couple weeks ago, I'm in no mood to deal with that again for at least another year."
"Suit yourself, sweetheart."
"Well, the two of you clearly have some explaining to do about certain matters, but that can wait." Mrs. Wharton clucked to the horse and they rode off. "Let's go, children."
It was a pleasant ride that would have been better if they hadn't been going to Vallejo. Candy made them wait on the other side of the last hill. Mrs. Wharton wasn't pleased about the delay, but they'd managed to convince her it was for the best.
Mostly.
"When I was your age, I'd already been to the Continent and back several times. One little Western town will hardly be the death of me."
"Ma'am, Vallejo isn't 'one little Western town'." Candy reappeared before Mrs. Wharton could answer.
"Vallejo's just past the next hill." He jumped down and held out his hand. "Now, I want you to give me that money."
"Whatever for?"
"Because I want to hide it under that rock." He pointed over his shoulder. "Unless you have an argument." Her eyebrows rose.
"No." Finally. "The idea has merit." She reached for the waistband of her skirt. "Turn your back." Candy complied and she pulled out a money belt.
"I don't know what the record is for bamboozling a lady, but if you go into Vallejo with that much money somebody's gonna set a new one."
"Here." He took the belt and tucked it under the large rock.
"I want you to mark this spot in your mind, just in case something happens to us." Mrs. Wharton nodded slowly, he climbed back on his horse, and they rode over the hill into Vallejo.
It hadn't changed from the last, very short, trip they'd been forced to make about three years ago. Men whooped and rode their horses in circles in the town square, such that it was, firing into the air. Candy rushed them to the lone hotel in town and ushered Mrs. Wharton inside. Annie followed a hair slower, collecting her saddlebags, and eyeing the men on the street to make sure no one showed unnecessary interest in their horses. By the time she reached the desk, Candy already had the key to an upstairs room overlooking the main street.
They headed upstairs, and he unlocked the door. Mrs. Wharton looked around and tested the bed. "It's the best in town," Candy said. It was also the only one in town.
"It will serve." She left the beds and bustled over to the balcony doors and pushed through them. Annie darted after her, nearly crashing into Candy. "Marvelous. Marvelous!" Candy leaned on the railing and Annie slouched against one of the support columns. "Is it some sort of occasion or holiday?"
"No."
"Just another day in the middle of the week."
"Well!" She scurried back inside and they ran after her.
"Hey, hey!" Candy caught up to her first. "Mrs. Wharton, you gotta stay here."
"I am not."
"I'm gonna try and get your jewelry back, but I can't do a thing if you're gonna worry me to death," he pleaded. "As a favor, let me try by myself first, please?"
"What about Annie?"
"She can keep you company. I know she keeps a deck of cards in her saddlebags, if nothing else." Mrs. Wharton perked up.
"Cards? Could we play draw poker? It did look interesting, you know." Candy seemed to melt with relief. Annie unbuckled the bag and pulled out the deck. "You'll have to proceed slowly until I get the hang of this." Mrs. Wharton settled herself on the closest bed and rubbed her hands together. "This is so exciting." Behind the woman's back, he mouthed thank you, and ducked out the door after tossing the key on the dresser. "Wait a moment, could we play on the balcony? I'd like to watch the town."
"Whatever you want, ma'am." Annie followed her outside, dragging the ratty chairs with her, and they settled down to play. She shuffled and dealt, explaining the rules as she went, then they settled in to play.
"So, if I decide a card is no good for my hand, I can discard it and select a new one from the deck?"
"On your turn you can."
"I see." They played in silence for a while, then Mrs. Wharton glanced at Annie over the top of her cards. "That Candy is a very nice young man." Annie bit back a grin and drew a new card.
"Even when he's unmannerly and highhanded?"
"Especially then. I'll take two cards, if you please."
"Ma'am, I know what you're up to."
"Oh, dear, was my bluff not satisfactory?"
"Mrs. Wharton."
"Fiddlesticks, you're a lovely young woman, I'm sure you've had plenty of offers. My question is, why are you not married? The men around here can't all be as blind as that one."
Her chest tightened and she carefully laid another card on the table. "The men around here," she answered slowly, "only want my share of the Cartwright empire. Your turn."
"Ah. Once burned, twice shy, is it?" Annie scraped a hand through her hair and smothered a growl. Why was everyone determined to invade her privacy?! She threw her cards on the ground.
"Look, we're friends, that's it, okay? Anything you think you see is explained by the fact we were held captive in a mine shaft for a month by some insane old man who was mad at Pa. That's all, there is nothing there, all right?" Mrs. Wharton regarded her for a moment over her cards.
"If you say so, dear, perhaps I'm a romantic old fool." She shifted in her chair. "Do you think this hotel provides chamber pots or shall I have to traipse downstairs to an outhouse?"
"If they don't, you could always use the spittoon."
"How vulgar." She laid down her cards. "I think I saw one, I shall return momentarily." She went back inside and closed the balcony doors. Annie carefully leaned back in her chair, tapping her nails on the arm.
One minute … three minutes …. Judging by the angle of the sun, it had been almost ten minutes and Mrs. Wharton wasn't back yet. They really didn't have a chamber pot? She pushed out of her chair and knocked on the balcony doors. "Mrs. Wharton? Mrs. Wharton?" Annie inched the door open and peeked around the corner, but the room was empty.
She darted inside and ducked under both beds, finding two chamber pots. Like a lightning bolt, it hit her, and she scrambled to her feet. She grabbed her hat and shot out of the room. How hard could it be to find an eccentric old woman in a one horse town?
Annie scanned the square, but there was no sign of her. She ran to the livery, but the horses were still there, thankfully. "If a British lady happens by and wants to take out the buggy we brought in, don't let her. And that goes double for the saddle horses." She slapped a couple dollars in the man's hand and hurried on.
Think. Not at the hotel, or the livery. Or the mercantile, or the doctor. The saloon? Well, not unheard of according to Candy. She stepped up to the bat wing doors and poked her head inside. Nothing.
Across the street, Candy shot out of the hotel like his tail was on fire. Oh, no. He looked up and their eyes met. His widened and he ran across the street. "What are you doing out here?"
"She gave me the slip."
"Oh, no." He closed his eyes. "How?"
"The necessary."
"The one thing you wouldn't suspect." He propped his hands on his hips. "I bet she went to get the money."
"All our horses are still there and I paid the livery man to keep her from taking –" She froze, mid sentence, as another option revealed itself. "Uh-oh."
"What?"
"She could have rented from the livery."
"Ride out, see if she picked up the money. I'll see if I can find where she went." He slapped his hat against his leg and looked around. "Unbelievable."
Annie ran for the livery, saddled Reno in no time, and galloped back over the hill to the distinctive rock. She jumped down, turned it over, and smothered a growl. She slammed the rock down and scrambled back into the saddle.
Back in Vallejo, she pulled up in front of the saloon and hurried inside. Candy stood at the bar, talking to the bartender. "Supposing I was such a lady and I kind of had a half-wit notion to bribe somebody to buy some information about some stolen property. Who would I go see?"
"John Carmody, the druggist." Candy glanced to his right, the men standing there nodded in confirmation. Annie slipped up on his left and leaned on the bar.
"Yep."
"Thanks. Let's go." She followed him outside and they made their way to the druggist's shop. The man looked up from his scales when they entered.
"Good afternoon."
"Yeah, have you seen an English lady today? Kind of bossy? Mrs. Wharton?"
"Why, yes, I spoke to her not too long ago." He picked up a dish of white powder and a scoop, then returned to his scales. "Fine woman. You don't see strength of character like that much anymore."
"Go on."
"She wanted my assistance in getting some jewelry back. I thought I could put her in contact with the right party, so I asked her to wait in the back room there. Got a hold of Ed Horn. They had a little conversation and went off together a while ago."
"You sold her to him," Candy accused. The druggist laughed, his wire rimmed glasses catching the light.
"No!" He laughed again. "Well, I did charge Ed a trifle for the information."
"Of course you did," Annie said tartly.
"Where'd they go?" Candy slipped a few bills out of his vest pocket and the druggist's eyes narrowed.
"Well, that's hard to say." Candy placed a couple on the empty side of the scales and waited. The little man eyed the money.
"It's not going to get any easier," Annie said. The druggist nodded slightly and set down the dish.
"Ed runs with Billy Buckman and that bunch. We're a tolerant community."
"So we've noticed," Candy remarked dryly.
"But they can get a little rambunctious and noisy for our taste. So they got a cabin out to the south of town. I don't guarantee it, but they might be there." Candy slipped another couple bills onto the scale and tucked the rest back into his pocket.
"That's to keep your mouth shut about talking to us."
"It's a pleasure to do business with you folks." He collected his money and Candy jerked his chin at the door. "Oh, I'll throw something else in, won't cost you a nickel. Don't get caught with them after dark."
They left the shop and Candy shook his head. "Why is it us? How come your pa never gets tangled up in these messes?"
"Oh, he does, we just don't mention it later. How many times has he brought up Endicott? Or when he almost got hung in Tin Bucket?"
"What do you wanna bet she's in there right now?" Candy whispered over his shoulder as they crouched in the trees on a rise overlooking the cabin. Annie peered over the downed stump in front of her and squinted into the night.
"Not a chance, Canaday, we both know she is."
"So what now?"
A gun cocked, freezing them both where they crouched. Candy slowly turned around. "You ought to stick to fighting. You don't sneak worth a darn," the man holding the gun taunted. Candy raised his hands and Annie followed suit.
"Most of the time I do. I guess I got a lot on my mind."
"You want to see our place? Go ahead."
"Yeah." They stood up and picked their way down the hill, flanked by the two men. One stepped in front to open the door and usher them inside. Two more men stood up as they came in.
"Found them thrashing around outside."
"What do they want?" The man directly behind Candy chuckled.
"Looking for her." The man in front that she guessed to be the leader smiled coldly.
"They found her. Tie 'em up." Annie looked across the room to Mrs. Wharton perched on the bed, her face a blank mask as she stared straight ahead. One of them grabbed her by the arm and Candy stiffened.
"Hands off the lady." They laughed and ignored him. Annie raised an eyebrow, warning him not to go any further. They ended up seated side by side in front of the fireplace. Candy shook his head and turned to Mrs. Wharton. "Figured we'd find you here." She glanced at the men and wandered over to lean against the rough wooden support posts.
"I suppose I owe you two an apology."
"Yes, ma'am I believe you do." She lowered her voice.
"Mr. Horn agreed to return my jewels for $5,000." Candy shook his head.
"I could have gotten them for half that." Mrs. Wharton ducked her head.
"He wanted a thousand in advance. I went to get it, and they followed me."
"Now, they've got the money, and the jewels, and you," Annie pointed out. "And us. Just once, sometime, could you do like you're told?"
"Isn't that like the pot calling the kettle black, sweetheart?" Candy hissed under his breath. She snorted and threw him a look.
"I know I can be willful, rather difficult. Unfortunately, at my age, I'm not at all likely to change." Her face changed. "Besides, I'm usually right." Candy shook his head.
"Hey, lady." The leader slouched against the support posts. "Let's us get back to business." He caught Mrs. Wharton's arm and pulled her over to the table. She sat down without a trace of fear. "now, what's in the money belt,, it stands to reason you got a whole lot more somewhere else. Do you get my drift?"
"You're holding me for ransom," she snapped. "I concluded that over an hour ago."
"Well, that's fine." The leader, Horn, Annie figured, worked his hands. "Now, I expect you're gonna give me some big hoop-te-doo about the amount." Mrs. Wharton raised her chin.
"There'll be no discussion of money, until we talk about my jewels." Horn scowled.
"We are gonna talk about money."
"After you return my jewels." Horn looked confused for a split second, then he grinned and slouched into a chair.
"Do you want me to have Billy boy here carve off one of your ears?" Mrs. Wharton sniffed.
"Well, if I were younger, the prospect of disfigurement might carry some weight."
"Well, now, it hurts considerable."
"A gentleman in the Sudan who had had first-hand experience told me the pain is vastly exaggerated." She and Candy looked at each other and shook their heads with amused smiles. Mrs. Wharton had the grit of a Cartwright, that was for sure. Horn jerked his chin at the one he'd called Billy.
"Go ahead." Billy stood, and Candy tensed. Mrs. Wharton merely raised her eyebrows.
"Have you considered the possibility of shock? I may not survive and then you get nothing." Horn scraped his hands over his face. Billy tipped his head.
"At her age and all, Ed, she might be right." Mrs. Wharton huffed out a laugh.
"This man, he's your chieftain or leader, whatever you call it?"
"Yeah."
"He's not overly intelligent, is he?" Annie smothered a laugh. Candy closed his eyes, looking to her like he mouthed something along the lines of why me.
"Watch your tongue. You know we can always toast his feet to the fire. Or maybe cut off her ear, how would you feel then? She's young enough to care." The woman shrugged with a haughty sniff.
"It would have to be for your own enjoyment then, they have no money other than what I was to pay them for escorting me here. And I'm not about to lose my jewels to save a couple of strangers." Horn looked back at them over his shoulder and Candy laughed nervously.
"Oh, all right. You can have the stuff back." Horn left his chair and paced a few steps closer to his friends.
"Thank you."
"Now, about the money."
"I want my jewels physically here in front of me."
"Sure." Horn shook his head. "Fetch 'em." One of the others left the cabin and Mrs. Wharton stood.
"The money is in a bank in San Francisco. How can we get it to you?"
"You just send a telegram." Horn snatched a pen and paper off the table and held it out to her. "Tell 'em you want that much put in the bank here in Vallejo and then you just write us a note that says hand it over." Mrs. Wharton chuckled lightly.
"I didn't know you were capable of anything more complicated than waving a gun in somebody's face," she said as she took the paper and pen from him. Horn's face went red. Candy closed his eyes again. Annie shook her head. She would have thrown up her hands if she wasn't tied up. She was pushing her luck.
"Lady, you're beginning to get me mad."
"Wait till you've been around her for a while," Annie muttered, and Horn threw her a glare. Mrs. Wharton sat down and began to write. The cabin door opened and the fourth man returned with a set of saddlebags. He dropped them on the table and dug out a long, thin box and handed it to Horn, who set it on the table beside Mrs. Wharton. She opened the case and examined the contents, taking long enough that Horn finally snapped at her.
"Are you satisfied now?"
"They're all here," she said imperiously and went back to her letter. "How much is the ransom?"
"Um …" Horn looked around at his buddies. "$25,000?" Annie and Candy both stared at each other in shock. But Mrs. Wharton didn't so much as blink.
"Splendid. With that amount at your disposal, you'll probably debauch yourselves into early graves and the world will be rid of you." What? She was actually going to pay it?
"That's our worry," they laughed. Mrs. Wharton stood up and collected her jewels.
"I keep these." She handed Horn the letter. "And they go free as well."
"Oh, sure."
"I'll also want the freedom of this cabin."
"Anything you want." She nodded and pushed through the four men, heading back to the bed. Candy shook his head, a bemused smile tugging at his mouth. Annie couldn't agree; it was too easy, at least to her mind. Mrs. Wharton set her jewel case on the bed and drew the curtains, giving them a wink just before the fabric closed. They traded looks.
What had she done now?
They passed an uncomfortable night in front of the fireplace, neither one sleeping a wink. "What do you think?" Candy whispered.
"She did the same thing Pa has in the past. A lot of wealthy people use code words in their correspondence and if it's not there, the bank or whatever will just ignore the letter."
"They are not gonna like that." Annie threw him a look that said of course they wouldn't. He shrugged. "How are we going to get out of this mess?"
"We could always walk right out the door, but I think they'd object."
"I'm serious." He leaned in closer. "We both know they are not going to let us go after they get that money."
"Question is, does she realize that?"
"I hope so, they aren't going to let us explain it to her, that's for sure. So when do we make our move?"
"Same time you'd pick: when they retrieve the money."
"That's what I figured, too." Candy glanced around the darkened room. "All we can do now is wait." So, they waited.
By the time Horn and his buddies woke up, the sun had been above the horizon for almost twenty minutes. Mrs. Wharton sat stiffly on the edge of the bed, where she'd been for about twice as long, smoothing her hair by the reflection of someone's shaving mirror. The men began to move around the cabin and she walked over and sat beside them, rather mechanically, Annie thought.
"Candy?" she whispered very softly. "Do you think they'll release us alive?" He turned and look at her, but didn't say anything at first.
"Well …"
"The truth." he looked away, and she nodded once.
"My conclusion exactly." Her gaze wandered around the cabin. "They're going to kill us in any event."
"Mrs. Wharton …" The woman cut her off.
"Any telegram I send requesting money has to include the code word 'Absolom'. I didn't include it." Candy heaved a sigh.
"Thanks for telling us. Mr. Cartwright will come looking for us, I guarantee it."
"We can't count on him," she dismissed.
"Yes, we can," Annie hissed under her breath. "They'll be in Vallejo soon, they've probably already started this way."
"No, no."
"Hey," Horn called out from across the room. "No talking over there!"
"We'll have to try and escape," she breathed, and stood. The mirror fell from her lap and shattered.
"Hey, that was my mirror!" One of them jumped off his bunk and bent to collect the shattered pieces.
"Oh, I'm very sorry." Mrs. Wharton bent to help him.
"That's bad luck," one of the others announced in a grim tone. "I don't like it, no sir."
"Oh, it's not bad luck for us," said the one who'd started breakfast. "Only for the one that broke the mirror."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah. That's the way it works. Breakfast is ready. Now, come on and get it or I'm gonna throw it out."
"I bet we'd be better off it you did," Horn said. Mrs. Wharton and the other fellow finished picking up the broken glass and she went to the stove.
"Oh!" She grabbed the man's hand. "Disgraceful." He jerked his hand away and Horn laughed.
"Why, old Dunne got his whole life story packed under them fingernails."
"Oh," she moaned, and left the stove, hurrying back to Candy. She picked up her skirts and settled beside them.
"Hey, what are you doing?"
"Untying them so they can eat." She went to work on the knot. Horn shook his head. Annie held her breath as the woman slipped a shard of glass into Candy's hand.
"What are you doing?" he breathed.
"I have a plan," she whispered back.
"Don't you get no ideas now, either one of you."
"With four of you here? I wouldn't think of it," Candy said calmly. "And if I wouldn't, she really wouldn't." Mrs. Wharton finished untying them and they made their way to the scarred table in the center of the room.
Breakfast was rushed and within fifteen minutes, they were tied back up and back in front of the fireplace. But Candy still had the glass shard, not that they needed it with both of them there, but Mrs. Wharton had no way to know they'd long ago perfected escaping.
Horn retrieved paper from his saddlebags and laid it in front of Mrs. Wharton. "It's time for us to go into Vallejo and get our $25,000. Write that note to the bank."
"Very well." She began to write and Billy tried to peer over her shoulder.
"What are you going to say?" She didn't look up.
"Pay to the bearer on demand the sum of $25,000. Being placed on deposit at my order by the Golden Gate Bank of San Francisco. Signed, Mrs. Elizabeth H. Wharton." Horn picked up the paper and squinted at it. She studied him. "Should I read it to you again?" He glared.
"I can make it out. Let's go get it." He nudged Billy and the two of them began to collect their gear. Mrs. Wharton looked over at them and Candy subtly shook his head, but, as Annie had feared, the woman ignored his warning. She collected the breakfast dishes and headed for the stove. Candy shook his head again and looked down at Annie. She shrugged.
What did he think she could do? The woman just flat out did not listen to anyone.
"Lady, what are you doing?" They jerked around and saw Mrs. Wharton shaking out a burlap apron while she glared at Dunne.
"I'm going to wash the dishes."
"You just leave them dishes be."
"Whether you like it or not, I'm going to wash them." She glanced past him at them. "By myself if I have to."
"I ain't helping, lady."
"Oh, they could use a good scrubbing," Horn muttered as he and Billy went by on their way to the door. "We won't be gone long." They left and Mrs. Wharton started on the dishes.
She and Candy traded speaking glances, the quirk of an eyebrow or tip of a chin telling everything they needed to know.
Untie each other?
Will they notice? They both took a peek around. Neither man seemed too interested in them at the moment. The glass would take longer to cut through the rope than it should take them to undo the knots.
What if they catch us?
They might either way. Candy shrugged ever so slightly and they shifted so they could reach the knots. She lost track of time fairly quickly, the minutes marked by the clink and clatter of dishes in the pan.
"How long are you gonna keep up that clattering?" Dunne bellowed. Mrs. Wharton leveled him with a steady glare.
"Until they're clean." She threw a quick glance at them and seemed to start when she noticed they weren't using the glass. Annie gave her a subtle nod and her eyes widened. She licked her lips and called over her shoulder, "you there at the table, I need more water."
"Go fetch it yourself," Dunne snarled.
"She ain't supposed to go outside the cabin," the other man said slowly. Annie never had caught his name. Dunne shook his head.
"If there's one thing I can't stand, it's an uppity, bossy, female." He slammed his coffee cup down on the table and stalked outside. Annie felt the last knot give way and she nodded again. Mrs. Wharton nodded back. Candy eased his hands free and tensed.
The woman picked up the pan of dirty water and left the stove. She drew even with the last man and hurled it over his head. Candy leaped and pushed her out of the way as the man came up off his chair swinging his rifle like a club. Candy landed a hard punch, but the man just swayed on his feet, a dazed look in his eyes. Mrs. Wharton raised her eyebrows. Candy struck again and the man collapsed into him.
"You're losing your touch, Canaday."
"Oh, hush." He lowered the man to the floor and grabbed his pistol. Annie picked up the rifle and they both turned to Mrs. Wharton. She took off the apron.
"Well, let's get on with it."
"This is foolishness," Annie pointed out. "All we had to do was wait on Pa."
"And we'd never hear the end of it, you know it, and I know it. Your brother would love to taunt us with it for the next six months at least." Candy led the way to the door and cracked it open. "Come on." They snuck across the yard and hid behind a couple trees. Dunne appeared toting a bucket of water. Candy jumped out and hit him twice. The man sprawled on the ground and Candy dove for the saddle horses next to the cabin. "Come on!"
"No, the buggy!"
"Hang the buggy! Come on!" Annie grabbed the woman's arm and tried to pull her to the horses. Mrs. Wharton closed her eyes.
"A lady does not ride astride."
"I do it all the time."
"I don't care how you ride! Come on!" The woman shook her head. The sound of hooves coming closer had Candy shaking his head in disgust. He jumped out, gun drawn. "Hold it!" Horn and Billy drew rein. "Take your guns out with your fingertips and drop them on the ground." They slowly complied and he walked forward. Annie stepped out from behind the tree and worked the lever on the rifle.
"Don't think about it, boys. One of you might get him, but I'll get you." Billy urged his horse forward, pulling Candy's attention off Horn for a split second, and the fight was on. Annie growled under her breath and fire off a shot that went missed.
Then, the rifle was yanked from her hands and Mrs. Wharton took aim. Two shots later, Horn and billy both lay sprawled on the ground. The woman turned to her with a triumphant smile.
"You could have made me hit Candy!"
"Your finger was not on the trigger, my dear. It was perfectly safe."
"Yes, it was!" A noise behind them spun her around. "On your feet!" She worked the lever again, and Dunne crawled off the ground, hands raised. "Drop that pistol on the ground, you ruffian. Just use your fingertips." Dunne did as he was told. "Get into the house."
"Yes, ma'am." He backed inside the cabin.
"Close the door and keep it closed," she demanded in that haughty tone. The door thumped and Annie closed her mouth with an almost audible click. Candy stumbled across the yard, looking dazed. He grabbed the rifle and closed his eyes, his shoulders drooping in relief.
"Mrs. Wharton, I'm grateful for the thought behind what you did just now."
"You're welcome."
"But … if I ever said anything good about you, I take it all back. If I was not … bathed in luck, you could have shot me just as easily as them." His face reddened; Annie had never seen him this … out of sorts. "You're a wild, reckless woman!"
"Shoulder shot. Leg shot," Mrs. Wharton said matter of factly. "Luck had nothing to do with it. I am, by common agreement back home, the best wing-shot in the county." She looked past him. "Those men need tending. After that, we'll get my jewels."
Wing-shot? Annie stared after her as she walked over to the groaning outlaws. "Who'd have thought she could –"
"Don't say it." He scrubbed a hand through his messy hair. "As it is, I may never set foot on the Barbary Coast again."
"It's for the best, we'd have a devil of a time getting you back from some ship six months out for the Orient." Annie plucked the rifle from his hands and laid it over her arm. "I could have handled it myself."
"I know you could, but she didn't. Have to give her credit for trying, I guess. I might give her more later when I fully convince myself she didn't come that close to hitting me."
"I'll get the horses saddled." He looked down.
"Please do."
They waited outside the hotel in Vallejo, Hoss seated in the buggy talking to Candy, and Joe and their pa watching the front door. Annie leaned against the buggy next to Candy.
"I do want to thank you all for everything you've done for me." Mrs Wharton hurried outside and made her way over to them. Ben smiled and swept his hat off.
"Mrs. Wharton, there's no thanks due to us. We got here too late to help unfortunately, but those two did all the helping."
"If ever you should come to Hertfordshire, Mr. Cartwright, do come and stay with me." Annie felt eyes on her, and she glanced over her shoulder. Candy mouthed one word over and over again: no.
"Well, thank you very much."
"I shall be home again in about a year." They all exchanged looks, but no one commented. She turned and held out her hand. "Special thanks to you, Candy, and Anne, dear." Candy smiled.
"Any time, Mrs. Wharton." She nodded and turned again.
"Goodbye, Joseph."
"I sure wish you'd spend some time with us at the ranch." Oh, no. Please no. There was no telling what trouble she'd get into.
"I'm going into the Dakotas."
"The Dakotas?" Annie blinked. What could she want there?
"Yes. I've long wanted to see some red Indians in their natural environment. Particularly the Blackfeet or the Sioux. And I've met a gentleman who will guide me there." She turned and smiled at a man leaning against a support column in front of the hotel. "Good bye, all."
Was the woman crazy? Hoss shifted on the seat as she walked away. The rest of them looked at each other. She had to be crazy. The Sioux? Blackfeet? "Pa, don't you think we ought to try and stop her?" Candy shook his head.
"It's no use. Those Indians –" Annie rested her arm on his shoulder.
"Are just going to have to look out for themselves," she finished with a laugh. Then, the rest of them joined in.
"I know what you mean," Joe cackled. "She reminds me of you."
"But your sister can be reasoned with. Mrs. Wharton? Not in this lifetime."
