A Change in Plans

An ATC for "The Foundling"

by Lilyjack

Chapter 42

"The Letter"

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December 26

Dear Doc,

I'm real sorry it's taken me this long to write, but it took a while to buck up my courage for a lot of reasons. I don't know how much Matt has told you, or if he's told you anything at all, but I'm living in St. Louis now.

I married Quint Asper. He and I had a baby girl named Lucy on December 18. The birth was an easy one with no problems, despite the fact that I reckon I'm really too old to be having a child just like you said. I guess I had the luck of the draw though. Lucy is perfect. She is the light of my life.

Since Festus doesn't read, I won't write him a letter, but will you please share this letter with him? I just want him to know how awful much I appreciate the way he supported me back in the spring when I was caring for Baby Mary. He believed in me when I needed it most.

I hope that everyone is happy and healthy. Tell Floyd I appreciate him doing such a fine job of running my business and that he will be well compensated for his efforts soon. I intend to wire him extra pay sometime this week. Tell him that I've sold the Long Branch with the provision that he gets to stay on with the new owner. I wish him the best of luck working with Hannah Cobb. I hear she's a real nice lady.

Well, I guess that's about it. I just wanted you and Festus and Newly and everyone else to know I missed you all. But I also wanted you to know that I'm happy now, and I feel like I have my whole life ahead of me.

With love and best wishes,

Kitty Russell Asper

Doc, slowly lowered the letter and removed his spectacles, rubbing his eyes wearily. Gingerly folding the letter and sliding it carefully into his coat pocket, he gazed bleakly at his silent audience of two, Matt Dillon and Festus Haggen.

Matt sat behind his desk, scowling and appearing distinctly uncomfortable, worrying a pencil in his hand. Matt hadn't yet divulged to Festus anything about this whole matter aside from the fact that Kitty was safe and living in St. Louis. Until now, Doc had been the only one any wiser. That was because he'd stumbled upon a St. Louis newspaper reporting on the successful business enterprise of Mr. and Mrs. Quint Asper. Matt closed his eyes. He reckoned the cat was out of the bag, and now everyone was going to know what a fool he'd been, in more ways than one.

An uneasy expression had settled over Festus's squinty-eyed face as he sat in his battered wooden chair. He studiously avoided his companions' eyes, staring instead down at Doc's hat lying on the table in front of him where they'd all played checkers countless times over the years.

"Matt…" Doc shook his head and quietly inquired, "I didn't ask you this before, but what in blazes did you say to Kitty in St. Louis?"

Matt pressed his lips together in a grim line, shot a look at Festus who looked for all the world like a whipped pup. Then he sighed, admitting, "I didn't say anything to her, Doc."

Doc's brows drew together questioningly.

"I mean, I saw her, but I didn't talk to her. What I saw…" Matt hesitated, shaking his head. "Well, she and Quint were on the front porch of what I assume was their home, and that was more than enough for me."

Doc frowned. "So you didn't say anything?"

"Doc, I was too damn mad, too surprised, to talk to her. I left her a note."

"A note? Why on earth didn't you have a talk with her? What did you say in the note?"

"Well, I…" Matt scratched his head. "It's been quite a while, Doc. Months… I don't remember exactly…"

"Oh, for heaven sakes, man, just gimme a general picture!"

"Well, I told 'er I knew she was in St. Louis and not New Orleans like she'd been tellin' me, and…" Matt leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms across his chest. "…and that I hoped she and Quint had a nice life."

"Well, of all the…" Doc slowly shook his head as his eyes drifted closed. "Why would you say somethin' like that to her?"

"But it was true, Doc!"

"You never gave her a chance to explain! You can't throw somethin' like that at her and then tuck tail and run!"

Matt curled his lip at him. "Doc, I didn't…"

"Yes, you most certainly did!" Doc looked to Festus for support, but Festus was staring a hot hole in the tabletop, his index finger absently tracing the pattern of nicks and scratches in the wood.

"Doc, she kissed him! I saw 'er!" Matt exclaimed. "And, well, she was expecting!"

"How big was she?"

"What?"

"How big was she, Matt?" Doc curved his arms in front of him in imitation of a pregnant belly. "How far along?"

Matt exclaimed in exasperation, "Hell, I don't know, Doc. I'm no doctor!"

Doc frowned, placed his spectacles back on his face, and carefully withdrew the letter from his pocket. His lips moved silently as his pale blue eyes scanned Kitty's handwriting. Suddenly he stopped and dramatically pointed a finger at the page. "Right here! Listen to this. 'I married Quint Asper. He and I had a baby girl named Lucy on December 18.'" Doc looked pointedly at Matt, waiting.

Matt stood, throwing out his hands. "I heard that the first time you read it, Doc."

Doc swept back his coattail, jammed a fist onto his hip. "Can you not add, Matt? Or maybe subtract is what I should say?"

Matt looked at Doc in consternation. "I don't get what you're sayin', Doc."

Doc impatiently took in a deep breath before speaking. "It generally takes a baby approximately nine months to gestate in the human female, Matt. That takes the conception date back to March! Kitty didn't leave here until July!"

Matt bluntly argued, "Kitty wasn't pregnant when she left here."

"How do you know?!"

"Well, I…"

"Exactly! Kitty bore your child, Matt! Lucy is your daughter!"

"That can't be."

"Why not?"

"Kitty would've told me she was gonna have a baby!"

"Why, Matt? Why would she have told you? You'd made it clear you wanted no part of marriage, a family… You've been saying that to her, or ignoring her appeals, for nearly twenty dadgum years! And think how you and I both treated her when she had baby Mary. She wanted to keep that baby and all we did was argue against her." Doc shook his head as Matt dropped back into his chair, face ashen.

Doc continued in dismay, "There's no denyin' it…I'm at fault, too. I helped drive her away. I thought I knew what was best for her. We all thought we knew what was best. Except for Festus here." Doc paced the floor, gesturing to the bewhiskered man who hadn't uttered a word since Doc began reading Kitty's letter. Doc declared, "Apparently he was the only one with a lick of sense in this whole debacle!"

"Duh-bock-what?" Festus quietly spoke up at last.

"Oh, never you mind! Festus, I'm mad at myself. For being pompous and presumptuous, thinkin' I know everything. When I couldn't see what was right smack dab in front of my face!"

Matt's forehead furrowed. "Doc, it doesn't make any sense. Maybe…" He restlessly stood up again, his fingers raking through his hair. "Well, unless she was seein' Quint all along, right here in Dodge, without me knowing."

"What?!" Doc fairly exploded. "Matt, you, more than anybody, should know…"

Festus urgently lifted his index finger in the air. "Doc?"

"…that Kitty would never…"

The scraggly deputy rose from his seat a few inches. "Doc!"

"What in thunderation do you want, Festus?!"

Festus cleared his throat quietly, his eyes shifting to Matt and quickly back to Doc again. He raised his palms and spoke in a calm voice, "Now, Doc, afore you go gittin' yerself all het up, jest set right down in this hyere chair. Cause there's somethin' I reckon I orta say."

Doc eyed him askance, but then tiredly plopped down in the proffered chair, absently rubbing his chin with a thumb.

"Much obliged, Doc." Festus awkwardly stood, removing his hat and holding it before him. "I reckon I got nary a dog in this hyere hunt, so I ort not t' say nuthin' a'tall…"

Doc harumphed and opened his mouth to speak.

Festus held up his hand, politely requesting, "Now, Doc, hear me out. I think this is purty important. Cause Miss Kitty, she is my friend." Festus's chin rose as he spoke, his voice quiet but unwavering. "I reckon she's about the finest lady I ever did meet. Don't git me wrong, you fellers is my friends, too. But Miss Kitty, she ain't hyere to, what ya' might say, defend her ownself." Festus turned to Matt and earnestly gazed at him. "Matthew, Miss Kitty, she always believed you hung the moon. I could see it in 'er eyes ever time she looked at ya'."

Matt's gaze fell. He stared at his desktop, littered with reports, wanted posters, arrest warrants, telegrams...ephemera that had occupied a lion's share of his time for over twenty years now. A bone-deep sigh escaped his lips as he considered those stacks of paper.

The hillman's bristly face softened as he smiled. "But I seen how she shore did love that little taterbug Mary, too. Miss Kitty was a mighty good mama t' that youngun'. It was a plumb shame she had t' go and give Mary to Miz Baines."

Festus looked at Doc, but the elderly physician's mouth thinned as he hastily averted his eyes, staring down at his lap instead.

Festus continued, "I seen how sorrowful she was after givin' that little baby away." Festus turned to Matt. "I don't reckon I've seen Miss Kitty in such a bad state since…well, since that time Mace Gore and his gang took over Dodge and shot you down right out hyere on Front Street. Miss Kitty thought you was dead, Matthew, and it tore her heart plumb to pieces."

Doc and Matt glanced at each other, then looked to Festus as he straightened his spine and said, "So me, I'm real gladsome fer Miss Kitty, that she's got her own little baby to keer for and to love. And Quint, why, he's my friend, too, and I don't reckon a finer feller coulda made Miss Kitty happy by askin' her to marry up with him. And that's all I'm a'gonna say about that." Festus swallowed hard. "Now…I'm a'headin' down to the Long Branch…gonna drink me a beer t' Miss Kitty and little youngun Lucy. You fellers can come join with me iffin ya' git a hankerin' to.

And Festus Haggen donned his hat, nodding politely to his longtime companions. His spurs jangled as he swept out of the marshal's office and down the boardwalk.

tbc

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