CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Josie awoke the next morning to strong daylight pouring through her window. She sat up and was startled to see the clock read a few minutes past eight a.m. She realized she'd forgotten to set her alarm clock the night before.
"Everyone else must have been up for hours!" she cried as she threw back the covers and sprang to the floor. She threw on the same dress she'd worn last night, braided her hair, and scurried downstairs.
To her surprise, everyone else was just finishing up breakfast. Once again, they rose to their feet as she entered the room.
"I'm so sorry, Uncle Ben," she said breathlessly as she sat down in the chair Hoss drew out for her. "I forgot to set my alarm clock. First time I've ever done that."
Ben waved a hand dismissively in her direction. "We've all made that stagecoach ride from San Francisco. It's exhausting. I'm glad you slept so well. Besides, it's a holiday. Once we're done eating, we'll load up in the buckboard and head into town."
Josie polished off her scrambled eggs and sausage in record time, and the family was soon on its way to Virginia City, Ben driving himself and Josie in the carriage, and Adam, Hoss, and Little Joe aboard their horses. When they reached the meadow outside town where the festivities were being held, it seemed that all the Nevada Territory and most of California had already arrived. Several of the Cartwrights' friends recognized them as they rode up, and by the time Ben helped Josie from the carriage, more than a dozen people were gathered around them, anxious to meet Benjamin Cartwright's niece from Washington, DC. Josie was stunned.
"We may have told a few people you were coming," Little Joe explained.
"A few?" Josie asked, laughing. "It looks like you told the entire territory!"
She found herself caught up in a whirlwind of introductions, most of which she had no hope of remembering. Everyone was complimenting Ben on his beautiful niece, asking Josie about Washington and the war, and exclaiming how Adam and Josie looked like siblings. Ben and Adam corrected several people who referred to her as "Miss Cartwright." Josie was "Dr. Cartwright," and they wanted everyone to know it. Dizzy from the flurry of people, Josie was grateful when Little Joe extricated her from the pressing throng and took her across the meadow to meet some of his own friends. She was shaking hands with Joe's friend Mitch when a tall, slim young man with unruly dark-blonde hair stepped forward.
"Hi, Josie," he said softly.
"Hello…" Josie trailed off in confusion. The young man sounded like he already knew her. "I'm sorry, but have we met?"
The young man blushed and kicked at a clod of dirt. "I guess you don't remember me. I'm Simon. Simon Croft. We met in-"
"Carson City!" Josie finished. "Oh, my goodness, Simon!" She pumped his hand. "I do remember you—quite well in fact. I just didn't recognize you. You're so grown up." She smiled at him —a gesture he quickly returned.
"Maybe we can have some more dances tonight," he suggested.
"I'd like that." Josie smiled, pleased to discover another person besides her cousins whom she already knew.
Adam showed up and greeted Joe's friends. He raised an eyebrow at Simon, but the younger man was still staring at Josie and didn't notice.
"I think Pa wanted to show you off some more," Adam said to Josie.
Josie sighed and bid her new acquaintances farewell. Adam led her back to Ben, who introduced her to some more of his friends, including Virginia City Sheriff Roy Coffee.
"Why, Ben," he said as he shook Josie's hand, "she is even lovelier than you described."
Ben smiled proudly. "Words don't do her justice."
Josie shook her head in mild embarrassment as Roy looked from her to Adam and back again.
"Are you sure they aren't brother and sister?"
"Yes," Ben said. "Quite."
Roy turned back to Josie. "I do hope you enjoy Virginia City. We're certainly glad to have you, and I'm sure your old uncle here is glad to have a woman around the house."
"Thank you," Josie said, "though I do not expect he'll find me much help. I intend to set up a medical practice as soon as possible, so I hope to be busy."
"An ambitious Cartwright," Roy mused, then grinned. "Imagine that. Well, I have some more people to see, so you all have fun today!"
"We will, Roy, thank you," Ben said.
"Uncle Ben, is Dr. Martin here?" Josie asked. "I was hoping to speak with him."
"Unfortunately, Roy told me that Paul was off delivering a baby. I doubt we'll see him."
Josie was disappointed—she really wanted Dr. Martin's advice—but she could drop in on him when she came back to town to buy clothes.
They spent the rest of the morning looking at the quilts, pies, and dresses the ladies in town had brought in for judging and stopped periodically so Josie could meet more people, including some of the owners of neighboring ranches. Ben greeted everyone by name and asked about their homes and families, and Josie's admiration for her uncle increased as she saw how much people respected him. Adam, too, seemed to have earned the esteem of the citizenry, and Josie had never been prouder to be a part of the family.
As they were heading back toward the carriage to collect their picnic lunch, however, Ben did something incredibly odd. All morning he'd been greeting friends and neighbors and delighting in conversing with them. But as they approached the carriage, he froze mid-step and ducked behind Adam and Josie. He pushed them a little closer together so their shoulders were touching and ordered them not to move. He even pulled off his hat so it didn't stick out from behind Adam.
"Uncle Ben!" Josie declared. "What in the world-"
"Shhhhh!" Ben cut her off.
Adam chuckled as he recognized the approaching figure who had inspired his father to hide.
"Well, hello, Widow Hawkins!" Adam greeted the woman cheerily, if a bit too loudly. "However have you been?"
"Oh, Adam Cartwright!" the widow exclaimed in a thick Cockney accent. She was past middle age, perhaps a dozen years older than Ben, and had gussied herself up for the day's festivities. She wore a white, lace-trimmed dress with matching gloves, hat, and parasol, and had wrestled her gray hair into a teetering up-do. She grasped Adam's outstretched hand warmly. "So lovely to see you! And ooo's this? Well, she must be that cousin of yours we've all 'eard so much about! But where's your father? I was 'oping to chat with 'im today, that fine specimen of a man." She looked distinctly put out.
"I'm afraid we left him behind us somewhere," Adam said. Josie barked out a single "HA!" but managed to transform it into a faux coughing fit. She dared not catch Adam's eye.
"Oh, that's too bad," Widow Hawkins replied. "I'll 'ave to keep my eyes peeled for 'im, I will. But if you see 'im first, you tell Ducky I said 'ello."
"I'll certainly do that."
"And please tell 'im not to be a stranger. Ee's always welcome 'round my boarding 'ouse, ee is. Of course," she paused for dramatic effect, "if ee can't make it, you're always welcome yourself, dearie." She patted Adam on the cheek, winked at him, and swept away. Adam and Josie rotated as she passed to keep Ben concealed from view.
When the older lady was out of earshot, Josie burst out laughing.
"Ducky?" she shrieked. "Ducky?"
Ben peeked around Adam to be certain Widow Hawkins was gone and then emerged, settling his hat back onto his head. He glared sternly down at Josie, but his niece only laughed harder. She was so overcome that she rested one hand on Adam's shoulder for support while she drew out her handkerchief and wiped the tears from her eyes with the other.
"That was nothing," Adam said. "You should see what 'appens when she actually gets 'old of 'im." He mimicked the widow's accent perfectly.
Josie doubled over in fresh hysterics.
"You should watch out yourself, 'Dearie,'" Ben sneered. "She seems to be less choosy these days about which Cartwright she ensnares."
Adam's smirk vanished. "Let's just go get our lunch."
As they reached the carriage and Ben extracted their picnic basket from underneath the seat, Hoss jogged up.
"Pa!" he gasped as he caught his breath. "Pa, Widow Hawkins is here, and she's lookin' for ya."
"Yes, we noticed," Ben replied. Josie snorted and Adam smirked again. Ben glared at them both. "One of you go get Little Joe and tell him it's time to eat," he ordered. He turned toward the carriage and pretended to fuss with a bolt.
Adam ran off to collect Joe, while Hoss and Josie spread out their picnic blanket and lunch.
"Poor Pa," Hoss whispered to Josie. "The widow's been tryin' to sink her claws into him for years."
"Yes, she didn't strike me as Uncle Ben's type." The cousins shared a smile but hushed as Ben turned back toward them.
After they ate, Josie relaxed in the shade of a large oak tree and watched the men pitch horseshoes. Little Joe got bored with the game pretty quickly, and he and Josie crossed to the other side of the meadow to watch the children's three-legged race. Joe was unimpressed by the youngsters' efforts.
"We coulda beat 'em," he said with a sly smile at Josie.
They spent the rest of the afternoon watching and participating in the various games. Josie learned that the Cartwright brothers were Virginia City's reigning tug-of-war champions, and she and Ben cheered them on to another victory.
After the match, Josie and Ben were waiting for their victors to rejoin them when a blond lady in her early forties sidled up to Josie and stuck out her hand.
"You must be Miss Cartwright," she said.
"Dr. Cartwright, actually," Josie corrected her with a friendly smile.
"Oh, yes, of course," the woman scoffed. "I'm Mrs. Laurel Bailey, my husband runs the barbershop here in town, and as I understand you'll be here for a while, I'd like to invite you to join the Virginia City Ladies' Guild." She said the group's name with reverence and smiled as if this invitation were the greatest honor one person could ever bestow upon another.
Josie cringed inwardly and hoped her face didn't betray her. She'd thought she'd avoided ladies' societies when she got out of going to Boston. She flashed what she hoped was a gracious smile.
"That's very kind of you. I expect to be busy setting up my medical practice, but I will certainly keep it in mind."
"Your medical practice?" Mrs. Bailey asked in disbelief. "My dear, Virginia City already has a doctor."
"Yes, but Dr. Martin is the only doctor between Carson City and Placerville. That stretches one man awfully thin."
"Yes, of course." Mrs. Laurel Bailey sounded unconvinced. Then she sneered, "Well, if you can manage to find the time, we would be delighted if you would deign to grace us with your presence." She nodded to Ben and flounced away.
Josie stood befuddled for several moments as she watched Mrs. Bailey's retreating figure. She turned to her uncle.
"Did I say something wrong?"
Ben's heart nearly broke at the sight of Josie's big hazel eyes glistening with rejection. He laid a reassuring hand on her shoulder.
"No, sweetheart. You're just a reminder to her that some women have more important things to do than sit around and gossip. Don't give her another thought. She isn't worth it."
Adam watched this interaction from several yards away where he was rehydrating after the tug-of-war match. He couldn't overhear the conversation, but he was certain Josie had just become the target of one of Mrs. Laurel Bailey's infamous disparaging remarks. That woman could give Aunt Rachel a run for her money, and Adam's blood boiled. He was only slightly appeased when he saw his father comforting Josie. He wanted to march over to Laurel Bailey and slap her right in her ugly mouth, but having been raised better than to strike women, he instead marched over to the booth where the cooks from the town's hotel were churning ice cream. He bought two enormous bowlfuls and rejoined Josie and Ben. He handed Josie one of the bowls.
"Thank you!" she exclaimed. Her eyes lit up, all traces of dejection gone, and she dug greedily into the ice cream.
Hoss and Little Joe had caught up to them by then, and Hoss stared jealously at Josie's ice cream.
"Hey," he protested, "where's mine?"
Adam used his spoon to point over his shoulder to the ice cream stand. "Back there, waiting for you to buy it yourself." He took a huge bite of his ice cream. "Mmmmmm," he sighed, closing his eyes. "That is good." His eyes popped open, and he smirked at Hoss.
"Dadburnit, Adam," Hoss grumbled. He grabbed Little Joe's arm and dragged him toward the ice cream stand.
"Get me one, too, while you're over there!" Ben called. Little Joe turned and saluted his father as he stumbled along behind Hoss.
When the sun went down, the townspeople migrated to the dance floor that had been built for the occasion. Josie honored her uncle with the first dance, and then danced with Adam, Hoss, and Little Joe in turn. She realized too late that she should have avoided dancing with Joe, who despite his reputation as a ladies' man, was not a skilled dancer and repeatedly stomped on her feet. She sat down for a few moments to rest her aching dogs, and she was watching in amusement as Ben ducked behind people to avoid being spotted by Widow Hawkins when someone thrust a cup of lemonade under her nose. She glanced up right into the deep brown eyes of Simon Croft.
"Thirsty?"
"Yes, thank you!" she said, accepting the lemonade. Simon sat down on the bench next to Josie and sipped his own cup of lemonade.
"So here we are again," he said.
Josie smiled. "Yes, here we are."
The pair chatted for several minutes. Simon told Josie about the success of his father's ranch and how pleasant it was to have the Cartwrights as neighbors, and Josie filled him on her life in Washington and her time at medical school.
"So you're a genuine doctor, same as Doc Martin?" Simon asked.
"Genuine as they come."
Simon ran a hand through his ornery hair. "A lady doctor. Imagine that." He smiled. "You must be real smart, like Adam."
"Oh, goodness no." She paused. "I'm much smarter than he is." They laughed.
The band fired up a new song, and Simon extended his hand to Josie. She smiled and accepted it, and the couple set out onto the dance floor. He hadn't lost a step since they last danced, and they once again caught the attention of everyone on the dance floor.
Adam was taking a breather from dancing with the banker's daughter, Mary, when he caught sight of Josie and Simon.
"Him again," he muttered as he toyed with his gun belt.
"What's the matter?" Mary asked, her blue eyes wide.
Adam gestured toward his cousin and her dancing partner. "Simon Croft."
Mary followed Adam's gaze and saw Simon and Josie. "They dance very well together," she observed. Adam grunted in reply, setting Mary to giggling. "You're like a big old mama grizzly. The Crofts are a delightful family. Simon won't do anything inappropriate."
"Darn right he won't," Adam grumbled, his right hand resting on his Remington.
Mary giggled again. "Come on." She tugged his arm. "Let's dance some more."
Adam let Mary lead him back onto the dance floor, but he kept a careful eye on Josie and Simon the rest of the evening. When the band announced its last dance just before ten o'clock, he excused himself from Mary's company. He approached Josie and Simon and extended his hand. "Dr. Cartwright?"
Josie grinned and then gave Simon an apologetic glance. "Sorry, Simon. My last dance always goes to Older Brother."
Simon nodded and graciously extended one arm, indicating his concession. He stepped off the dance floor, leaving Josie and Adam to their dance.
Josie lit up when she heard the music begin.
"A waltz!" she declared. "Perfect."
She beamed through the entire song. For a few minutes, she was nine years old again, sweeping around a dance floor with her favorite cousin. Adam could hardly believe his luck. Just three months ago he was planning an all-too-brief trip east which he'd expected would end with another painful goodbye. Instead, Josie was here in Nevada, living on the Ponderosa like she had always been meant to. At the end of the song, he pulled her into a tight hug, which she happily returned. Then they rejoined the family to watch as a few men from the mining camp set off dozens of brilliant fireworks. It was a perfect ending to a wonderful day.
After the fireworks, Ben circulated through the crowd to say a few goodbyes, and Josie took the opportunity to slip away from her cousins and say goodbye to Simon.
"Thank you," she said, shaking his hand. "I had a lovely time."
Simon smiled. "My pleasure." He hesitated for a moment, still holding onto her hand. "I was wondering," he said slowly, "would it be all right if I called on you sometime?"
Josie completely missed his meaning. "Of course! Uncle Ben says neighbors are always welcome on the Ponderosa. Everyone would be glad to see you. Goodnight!" She skittered back to her family, leaving behind a flummoxed Simon.
"That ain't exactly what I meant," he said, scuffing his boot along the ground.