"Adrien," Adam called from the front door, "are you ready yet?"
"I'm coming, just hold your horses" she replied as she ran down the stairs. It had only been a few days since she arrived, and the two had not spent much time apart.
"I thought I told you six o'clock," he said sternly
"When do I ever listen? And besides, you know me, I like to be fashionable late," she kidded.
He gave her another stern look.
"Don't look at me like that," she retorted
"Adrien, you're not the prima ballerina anymore. That behavior won't work anymore."
"You aren't my father, and secondly, I am on time."
"It isn't just that."
"I don't see what you're so worried about, they can't start until I get there."
"Well, they could hire someone else," he retorted.
"Then tomorrow you're taking me into town, and I'm getting on the first stage out of here. That may be happening anyway no matter what I do."
"No, you're not, you're staying and I'm finishing painting the inside of this house. I have what we need at the ranch."
"It's about time you get started," she kidded.
"Don't worry, next week, I'll bring everything over and I'll get this place fixed up for you," he began to explain.
"Adam Cartwright, I don't think that you're listening to me…"
"Alright, alright, I'll get started tomorrow"
"No, we'll get started tomorrow"
"Adrien, I can't let you…" he begged.
"You can't let me do this kind of work. Well let me tell you something. I grew up on a ranch too, if you don't remember, and I've done just as hard of work as you have. If you think that you can underestimate me just because I'm a woman, then you can just leave it alone and I'll do it all myself."
"Down girl."
"I'm not a horse either, Adam Cartwright," she nagged, but a gleam still in her eyes.
"Can we go? You can finish chewing me out on the way to town."
"Fine." She answered, mockingly indignant.
"Just one request, leave enough of me to fill that seat at the meeting," he stated, the mood still light.
"Alright, alright, I was finished with you anyway."
"Can we leave now?"
"I never said we couldn't" She opened the door and walked out.
Adam grabbed the reigns and climbed into the buggy.
"Well aren't you going to help me up?" Adrien cried out indignantly.
"My word woman, first you don't want to be treated like a lady and now you do. When will I ever figure you out?"
He gave her his hand and pulled her up into the carriage.
"So, what should I expect tonight?" she asked beginning to get nervous.
"Nothing you won't be prepared for." Adam sat silent for a moment. "I'm on the board along with Pa, so no matter what happens, you won't be alone."
"Why are you on if your father is too?"
"I'm the only person in town with a college degree."
"What's the point of this meeting anyway?"
"We want to make sure that you're the person for the job."
"But didn't you already hire me or is this because you all thought that you hired a man."
"Don't worry Adrien, you're the first teacher we've had that's passed their certification exam as well as you did. I think that we can sway the board. Since I know you and what you're capable of, I can vouch for that. You have a very good chance."
They rode on for what didn't seem long enough to be the mile and a half to the schoolhouse before it was in view. Adrien's stomach was beginning to tie itself in knots.
Adam tied the horse to the hitching post on the side of the building and went to help Adrien down. Adam headed for the door of the schoolhouse.
"Aren't you coming?" he asked as soon as he realized that Adrien was not following him.
"Adam, I don't know if I can do this," she answered, her nervousness beginning to show.
"Why is this prima ballerina so nervous? I thought I told you, you have nothing to worry about."
"This is different, it's not as simple as dancing or waiting tables in a café. I'm a performer. Now I have to be myself."
"No, it's not the same, but it's nothing you can't handle."
"But this meeting isn't all, what about after the summer's over and school actually starts?"
"Adrien, you can handle it. Now let's go."
He headed for the door again. This time she followed.
As she entered the room the eight men looked up and stared. Adam shut the door behind her and moved to her side.
"Gentlemen, this is Virginia City's new teacher, Miss Adrianna Cooper."
The men nodded and sat down at a long table that had been placed in the center of the room. She went to sit down but then she realized there wasn't a chair for her. Ben remained standing.
"Why don't you take a seat at your new desk?" he said.
She quickly sat down and tried not to look scared. This time, she handled her nervousness by looking everyone in the eye.
"First of all, Miss Cooper, we'd like to welcome you to Virginia City," Ben continued, "We hope you are happy here."
"Thank you very much, I'm getting along quite well."
"Well, we all know you have a new house to get settled into, so we won't be long. We'd just like to give you the interview that we couldn't get with you all the way on the east coast. Shall we get started?"
He sat down and another man spoke up.
"Shouldn't we introduce ourselves first?" one of the men suggested.
"Thank you, that almost slipped my mind," the first said as he again stood.
"This is Loren Slicker," he began, "he runs the local mercantile…."
The man he pointed to gave Adrien a slight nod, which she returned.
"… This is Jacob Bray," the man continued apparently going clockwise around the table, "he runs the bank. This is James Lodge, the head of the Miner's Association and then we have Gary Roberts who owns the hotel. This is Roy Coffee, the town sheriff, and then we have the head of the Cattlemen's association, Terry Ingram. This is our Mayor and head of the school board, Hamilton James. And of course, you have met myself and my son Adam."
Adam smirked at his father's comment. It became obvious to Adrien that Adam had told his father very little about her.
Ben continued, "All we're going to do tonight is ask you a few questions to make sure you're the person for the job." He sat down and looked around the table waiting for someone to start.
"What have you been doing since you left school?" This time the question came from Mr. Ingram.
"Well, my schooling was a bit different. But my formal education ended about 5 years ago when I gained a position in the Boston Ballet.
"What did you do there?" Mr. Ingram countered.
"I was ballet dancer. I was 15 when I was accepted into the company," she answered.
"She was the youngest person to gain a position in the company, and she was dancing lead roles within 6 months of joining the company," Adam added. The rest of the board looked at him shocked.
"I'm sorry. I didn't realize it when we were corresponding with applicants, but upon meeting Miss Cooper when she arrived, I realized that we had known each other in the past," he added.
"Why did you quit the ballet, Miss Cooper?" This question came from Mr. Lodge.
"My love for the dance has been drained, and all the years of pointe was beginning to take a toll anyway. I haven't danced for almost a year now. I've been helping with family things for the last year."
"What family things would this be?" Mr. Lodge pried further.
She looked at Adam; this man was cutting to close. She could tell by Adam's face that he knew it too. Adam shot an angry look to his father, telling him these questions were not necessary.
"Mr. Lodge," Ben cut in, "why don't we let someone else have the floor?"
Adrien let her breathe go. Mr. Lodge did not say another word the rest of the night.
Sheriff Coffee spoke up.
"How much experience do you have in teachin' Miss?"
"I haven't actually taught on my own, but I did some tutoring of younger dancers in the ballet."
The rest of the night went on with questions like that of the Sheriff's, and no one mentioned anything about quitting the company, but that night Adrien never got back to the confident feeling she'd had before the mention of the her family.
That night, riding home, Adrien did not say a word. Adam could tell by her silence that Lodge had stepped on some toes. She hadn't mentioned any family issues in the time that she had been here. He knew so little of her parents. Her mother had been in and out of Adrien's life and had passed while she was in Boston. She had never talked about her father much before. Adam suspected he just was not a big part of Adrien's life. Anyone could tell just from her conversation that she adored every one of her siblings. Whatever had happened, Adam concluded must be quite a rough subject if she panicked at its mention. He wanted to talk to about it, but he thought it could wait; she was too rattled tonight. Maybe she was just rattled enough to let it out and he shouldn't let it go.
"Adrien, I know it's a sore subject, but I'd really like to know what's going on or has gone on since…."
"Adam, please," Adrien cut him off, "Not after tonight."
"You did just fine, Adrien. I'm with Lodge a little bit. I would like to know what happened."
"Adam, I don't want to talk about it."
They pulled up to Adrien's house. She got herself down this time.
"Adrien, wait," he called out suddenly. He climbed out of the buggy and walked up to the porch steps. The moonlight streamed from the sky and lit her face.
"Adrien, I…I …I just wanted to tell you," he stammered as he took a few steps closer to her, "I…I…I'm really glad you're here." He had Adrien in his arms now and he bent down to kiss her.
"Adam, please…" she turned her head away.
"What's wrong Adrien?" he asked confused.
"Things have changed. I can't. We've changed too much."
He let her go and headed for home, wondering what she meant, his feelings had not changed for her, was she saying that hers had? But she acted like she still…
He had never been more confused in his life.