LOST AND FOUND - PART 1

CELEBRATION

CHAPTER 5

Late afternoon of the next day the four men were standing in the huge entrance hall and Adam's brothers were making fun of the fancy, black embroidered, rose-colored velvet vest he was wearing with his black suit. He refused to be offended and just smiled and said, "You'll understand in a minute."

He had no sooner said that when they heard a woman's voice saying, "Is everybody ready?" They all turned and looked up the staircase.

Thea smiled down at them from the middle step, her long, curly black hair loose and flowing down her back. A gold circlet came to a downward point in the middle of her forehead and a matching gilded belt circled her hips. The dress was made of the same material as Adam's vest and was medieval in style.

Her long sleeves hugged her slender arms closely and came to points on the backs of her hands. The sweetheart neckline dipped low in the front then rose up in the back, cradling her slender neck. The dress was form fitting down to the girdle at her hips, then the skirt fell into graceful folds with a small train in the back. Her smile was sweet and her fine hazel eyes looked down at them all with true affection.

She continued down the steps and Adam went to meet her as the other three men continued to stare. When Adam took her hand he said, "We all look like rough peasants compared to you," he bowed at the waist and kissed her hand.

Laughing, she looked at his vest and said, "Alright, who couldn't keep their mouth shut? This dress was supposed to be a secret."

He laughed, "Haven't you realized yet that I know all and see all?" as they came forward and joined the group. Ben took her other hand and said, "My dear, you are absolutely stunning." She flushed a becoming pink, and taking her hand back from Adam she stretched up on her toes to kiss Ben on the cheek.

As she stepped back and smiled up at him, her head cocked to the side. "Would you mind if I called you 'Pa' too?" she said shyly.

Ben leaned down to kiss her on both cheeks, "I would like that very much," he said and saw the quick shine of tears in her eyes before she put her arms around him. They stayed in each other's arms until they heard Adam clear his throat, "I hate to break this up, but the great horde will be descending on us any minute."

Thea stepped back and put a hand to her mouth. "Oh, you're right," she turned away and noticed all the smiling house staff watching from the two arches on either side of the hall. "Places everybody!" she laughed then turned to Hoss and Joe.

"You two will stand next to me and I will introduce you, while Adam introduces your father." She took them both by the hand and pulled them toward the door where Adam and Ben were already standing by the wall to the left of the raised entrance.

A young man stood at attention next to the door and Joe recognized him from the front desk at the hotel. He had seemed extremely unfriendly before, but now he nodded pleasantly at Joe as a knock sounded on the door.

The influx of guests began, and the first to arrive were Wes and his fiancé'. When the couple was standing in front of Thea Wes said, "Mrs. Cartwright, may I present my intended Dulcy Miller?" his craggy face shone with pride.

Thea stepped forward and took both of the other woman's hands in her own. "I am so pleased to finally meet you," she said as she smiled up into the tall woman's gorgeous face. Dulcy smiled back, "Thank you so much for inviting me, Mrs. Eden...I mean Cartwright."

Thea took stock of the other woman's brilliant blue eyes, flame-red hair, and beautiful figure. "Wes is part of our family and we think very highly of him. That means you are family now too, so please call me Thea."

Joe and Hoss exchanged looks; they were in agreement that Adam had chosen well in his wife and their eyes shone with pride in their new sister. Thea then introduced Dulcy to them and after the couple moved on Joe leaned forward across Hoss and mouthed "Wow!" to Thea. She giggled, "She is gorgeous isn't she? But more importantly, I think she and Wes will be very happy together."

Hoss looked at her out of the corner of his eye, "If you say so ma'am," and all three laughed.

A constant stream of people went past and an hour later, when it slowed to a trickle Thea called a halt to the receiving line. Leaving Adam to show Ben around, she took Joe and Hoss by the hand and pulled them through the crowd. She didn't give them a chance to ask where they were going and in a moment she stopped in front of a willowy blonde with a pretty face and sparkling gray eyes.

"Michelle, I am so glad I found you," Thea said, pulling a smiling Joe forward. "Would you do me a huge favor and show my brother-in-law around? He's only been here for one day and I don't want him to get lost in this monster of a house."

Michelle smiled at Thea then her laughing eyes went to Joe. "For you, Thea," she said with a slight French accent, "I would do anything, no matter how difficult or painful."

Thea grinned at her, aware that the girl knew what she was up to. She took Michelle's hand and placed it in Joe's saying, "Thank you, love. I won't forget your kindness." She took Hoss's arm and started tugging him away as Joe raised an eyebrow and nodded his thanks to her.

Hoss was chuckling, "So who did you pick for me?"

Glancing up at him, she murmured, "You know," and in a moment they stopped in front of a petite strawberry blonde with a well-endowed figure, pink cheeks, and warm brown eyes.

"Cassandra! There you are, you're the only one I know I can trust to show my new brother-in-law around."

The girl smiled up at Hoss shyly and her cheeks turned pinker. Hoss nodded at the fresh-faced young woman, "Pleased to meet you ma'am," he said and as Cassandra took his arm he mouthed "Thank you," to Thea.

She winked at him and hurried away to make her inspection of the house to be sure everything was running smoothly. It took some time because everywhere she went people wanted to talk to her, especially about the new family members, but she kept managing to escape.

After she checked on the children, she made her way to the ballroom and found Adam standing exactly where she knew he would be, waiting for her so they could start the show. She hurried forward, took his hand and smiled up at him, her eyes glowing.

"You must be having a very good time." She nodded and the two stepped up onto a raised area at one end of the ballroom. Adam went to the piano and Thea picked up a violin. All conversation in the room stopped.

Adam put his hands to the keys, but what he started to play sounded off, unlike any recognizable tune. He stopped playing and gave Thea a puzzled look, scratching his head. She came over, turned the sheet music right side up, and then patted him on the head. The room erupted with laughter.

Ben was standing close to the stage on his son's left and when Adam turned his head to look at him he winked. His father nodded back, a pleased look in his eyes at the new facets to his son's personality.

Adam started playing what at first sounded like a light, classical tune that eventually devolved into "Get Along Home, Cindy, Cindy." By that time Thea had stopped playing the "violin" and was playing the "fiddle." When the crowd finally recognized the tune there was more laughter and people paired up to dance. Adam left the stage when that song was finished, but Thea stayed to play an Irish jig with the musicians who had been hired for the celebration.

She was smiling as she left the stage and came up to her husband and her father-in-law. "Is anyone else hungry?" she asked and both men nodded. As she took Adam's right arm and Ben's left she said, "Ooo, every woman here tonight is going to go green with envy when they see I've got the two handsomest men here all to myself."

Adam laughed, "Just because you played an Irish jig doesn't mean you have to pile on the blarney now." Ben chuckled and Thea slanted a sideways look at her husband.

"All right then," she said looking at her father-in-law and dropping Adam's arm, "I have THE handsomest man here tonight all to myself," and she walked away with Ben, her nose in the air. Her husband shook his head and followed closely behind.

Two hours later Joe finally managed to talk Michelle into going into the garden to walk with him. As they rounded a bend in the path, they heard voices coming from a gazebo that was covered with climbing roses. Joe smiled as he recognized one voice as Adam's. The smile was wiped off his face when he heard a female voice with some kind of accent. He looked down at Michelle, unsure about what to do. Then he made up his mind, led Michelle away, and asked her to please wait for him on a bench under a blossoming pear tree.

He marched toward the gazebo, but stopped when Adam said, "Joe, don't you dare come in here."

Joe put his hands on his hips and answered, "Who's in there with you?"

"Theadora."

"That doesn't sound like her."

"Go away Joseph, this is none of your business."

"But..."

"Joseph, GO!"

Joe clenched his fists in frustration then turned on his heel and walked away, but did not go back to Michelle. Instead he doubled back and hid behind some latticework near the gazebo. He didn't have long to wait. In a few minutes Adam appeared on the steps, putting his suit coat on, and Joe could hear the female voice.

"Il mio amore, non andare. Rimani qui con me, lontano dal mondo," and Thea appeared on the top step.

Adam looked up at her and took her hand, "One of these days you're going to get me into some serious trouble." She just laughed, and Joe smiled in relief. He stayed where he was and almost didn't dare to breathe as the couple went past. He decided to wait a few moments before coming out and going back to the bench and to Michelle. But when he reached the flowering pear tree he saw Adam sitting on the bench, alone.

"Where's Michelle," he asked, standing in front of his brother.

"I sent her inside with Thea."

"Why?"

"So we could have a few words in private," Adam answered and then stood. He stepped up to Joe until they were almost nose-to-nose. Joe had to stop himself from taking an instinctual step back.

Adam looked him in the eye, "I do not cheat on my wife Joseph, and I can't believe you thought I would."

Joe kept his eyes on Adam's, although he wanted to look down and away from the expression in his brother's eyes - he actually looked hurt.

"I may not remember a lot of things, but I'm sure I would never have done something like that even as the 'old' Adam."

His younger brother did look down then and hung his head. "You're right, I'm sorry."

"Joe, when a man apologizes to another man he looks him in the eye."

He looked up then and he could see Adam was no longer angry or hurt, just exasperated. Looking him in the eye as instructed he said, "Please accept my apology."

Adam nodded and put an arm around Joe's shoulders and started to guide him toward the back door. "Joe, I know you have to have time to get used to the changes in me, but my basic character has not changed. Being a man of integrity is very important to me, so please remember that. I don't even want to hear anyone joke about it."

He stopped at the back door and turned to look at Joe, "A man's good name is the only thing he has that is truly his own. Understand?"

Joe nodded and his brother smiled as he opened the door and waved him in. "Oh, and by the way, I didn't know you were hiding there waiting for us to come out. Thea did and I think she's a little irritated with you right now, so you might want to avoid her if you can."

Adam patted Joe on the shoulder. "Be afraid, young man," he said seriously then walked away grinning. That's when Joe decided it might be a good idea to hide in Adam's office for a while.

He carefully made his way there and heaved a sigh of relief as he backed through and closed the door. He turned around then and nearly jumped out of his skin when he came face-to-face with Thea. As he collapsed against the closed door he put a hand to his chest. Thea looked at him impassively with narrowed eyes.

"Having a heart seizure?"

Joe shook his head.

"Good, I don't want to feel sorry for you right now."

Joe took a deep breath, "Before you go any further just let me say I'm sorry, I never should have doubted Adam, and I never should have stayed to spy on you two."

Thea put her head to the side and looked at him intently. Apparently satisfied that Joe meant what he was saying, she relaxed.

"I'm sorry, too, Joe. But I can't help being protective of Adam." She smiled ruefully, "I know it's stupid, I mean he's a big boy and he can take care of himself. But I just can't stop, it's a habit hard to break."

Joe nodded; glad they were on friendly terms again. "How did you know I would come in here?"

"I knew Adam would warn you and I figured the logical place you would go to hide out is here."

"Do you want to go back to the party now?"

"No, I need a little time to myself. I love these celebrations, but they are exhausting." She turned away, "You go ahead and please do me a favor? Ask your father to come see me."

"Sure," Joe quickly agreed and surprisingly didn't ask any questions as to why.

"Thank you," she said as he slipped out the door.

Thea removed the gold circlet and gilded belt then curled up on the sofa to wait.

Ben walked through the door about fifteen minutes later and came to sit next to her. He took her hand saying, "Are you alright?"

She nodded and turned to him. "Pa, I've desperately needed someone to talk to for a long time." Her grip on his hand tightened as she continued, "You know your son better than anyone, you've known him his entire life, and I don't think he has changed all that much since you saw him last. Do you?"

He shook his head, "Actually I think the changes I see in Adam are for the better", he smiled happlily. "I guess what I really mean is that his personality has expanded, adding on, but not really changing."

The sighed in relief, "I'm so glad, that is what I thought."

He laughed, "Is that all you needed me for?"

She looked down and said a faint, "No," then seemed to make up her mind and looked up at him with troubled eyes.

"I believe I know who did that terrible thing to Adam and why. What I am not sure of is whether or not I should tell him." A single tear trailed down her cheek, "It's going to hurt his heart terribly, but may help him with recovering his memories." She put her hands over her face, "I just don't know what to do."

Ben did not answer her right away; he was taking his time to think this problem through.

"Well," he finally said, "it seems to me that if you were to tell him, now would be the perfect time."

She dropped her hands and looked at him, startled.

"I mean he has recovered his family now and that has definitely eased his mind. And I believe that helping Adam recover his memories is more important than trying to shield him from a harsh truth. After all, what are we without our memories?"

Thea nodded as she appeared to relax. "Thank you. I can see where Adam got his intelligence."

Ben gave her a dubious look, "I think the party has wound down and since there's no time like the present, would you like to tell him now?"

"Yes, while I still have the courage."

"I'll go send Adam in."

"No please, bring him in along with Joe and Hoss. You all deserve to know what happened." He patted her hand and went out the door.

She was shaking with nerves by the time they all came filing through the door. Adam took one look at her and hurried over. As he sat down next to her and took her hand he searched her face anxiously, "What is this about Theadora?"

His brothers and his father settled themselves into chairs surrounding the sofa and were quiet.

When she turned to look at him she was clenching her jaw so hard it shook. Her throat worked convulsively as she lost the battle with her tears, so she just let them flow.

"I believe I know who attacked you and why."

His expression showed he was badly shocked by her words, "You do?"

"I don't have any proof, but it all fits with what I saw and heard that night."

Her husband just stared at her, seemingly more baffled than anything else.

"Just please listen to what I have to say and then judge for yourself." She took a deep breath, "You and Allan were similar in build and coloring, weren't you?"

Adam shook his head to clear it, "Yes, but how did you know that?"

"Because I saw him. When I found you alive in the morgue Allan was on the table next to you. And the man I think did that to you was on the other side." She shuddered, "I was the one that performed the post mortem and signed the death certificates after I had taken care of you."

"So you saw the man who tried to kill me."

"Yes, I saw both of them."

"Both of them?"

"Yes," she looked at Ben, "you understand now, don't you?" He nodded.

She reached out and took her husband's other hand. "Adam," she said as gently as she could, "Allan didn't take you to Chicago to help him. He brought you there to take his place."

His hands tightened convulsively on hers and she winced slightly, but didn't pull away.

Adam looked around at his gathered family and breathed, "My God, that thought never occurred to me," he loosened his grip on her hands as he began to consider all the ramifications of this revelation.

"It wouldn't have occurred to me either if I hadn't seen the two of you laying side-by-side. And I recognized the other man. He was a professional killer."

"How did you know?"

"Even criminals go to the hospital and need doctors - the oath I took keeps me from turning them away." She sighed, "I also called in a lot of favors and all the information I received fit. Allan owed a lot of money to some very seriously evil people who were threatening to kill him. Since the two of you looked so much alike he figured he could have you killed by being beaten to death so no one could tell the difference. Then he would leave his identification on you and dump your body somewhere." She rubbed a hand over her face, "Unfortunately for him, but fortunately for you, the thugs caught up to him before they stamped out every spark of life in you."

"I find this so hard to believe."

"I know, but I think I'm right."

"Somehow I know you're right, but that doesn't make it any easier."

She put her head down and leaned into him, "I'm so sorry," she said with a choked voice. His arms came around her and he held her tightly.

"What are you sorry for? You didn't have anything to do with it. And I'm glad you told me, this straightens out a lot of things I just couldn't understand before."

"But he almost destroyed you and you loved him like a brother," she insisted.

He took a deep breath, "Sometimes you have to look evil squarely in the face to take away the power it has over you."

"Then I did the right thing?" she still sounded unsure.

Adam leaned back to look her in the eye. "Yes," he simply said then gathered her even closer to him.

She hid her face in his chest and allowed herself to finally cry away the anxiety she had carried for six years.

Adam looked up when his father stood. "Thank you," he said as Ben came up to him and gave his shoulder a hard squeeze. He motioned to his other sons to follow him, and the three quietly left the room.

When they were on the other side of the closed door Joe spoke in a tight voice, "If that monster wasn't already dead I'd kill him myself."

Ben clapped his youngest son on the back, "I think you would have to get in a long line to do that, Joseph."

Hoss nodded in agreement, "But Thea would be first."

The three went up the stairs and to bed, although none of them would get much sleep that night. Neither would Adam.

Thea had soon fallen asleep exhausted, so Adam had stretched her out on the sofa with her head in his lap. He was trying to stay still and not disturb her, but more memories had started coming back to him and the pain in his head kept increasing.

"Damn," he said under his breath and started to rub his temples. In a few minutes the flood slowed, but the pressure did not ease. He shook his head as he sensed something coming and could almost see it. Then the vision of Allan, holding a gun on him and smiling with cold, dead eyes lanced through Adam's brain with a white-hot jolt of agony. Without making a single sound, he passed out.

The sun was just beginning to rise when he came to consciousness again and he looked around the room for a moment trying to place himself. When he put his hands to his face he realized he had bled from the nose.

"Oh no," he slid carefully out from under Thea and went to a mirror that was hanging by the door. The bleeding wasn't bad, but he didn't want anyone to see it.

He almost laughed as he peered into the mirror - he thought he looked like he had been on a weeklong drinking binge. He winced at a stab of pain then quietly left the room and went down the hall to a water closet. He filled the sink with cold water, stuck his whole head into it and kept it there for as long as he could, then came back up gasping for air. Then he did it again. After the third dunking he started to feel almost human again.

He pulled a towel from a rack and briskly dried his face, beard, and hair. When he looked in the mirror again he decided he didn't look good, but was no longer in danger of frightening his children. He began to stroke his beard saying, "Hmmm..." Maybe it was time to think about shaving it off.

After hanging the towel up to dry, he went to the front door and stepped outside, closing it quietly behind him. He leaned back against the wall to the side of the door, folded his arms and watched a gorgeous sunrise as he realized he was finally whole again. All of his old memories had come back and somehow meshed with the new ones. He didn't know how, he was just thankful to God that it had happened.

His thoughts then turned to Allan's filthy betrayal and he actually smiled because he remembered one of Thea's favorite sayings. He said it out loud to himself, "No good deed goes unpunished."

The front door opened then and he glanced back to see his wife standing there. She looked at him uncertainly until he held a hand out to her. She took his hand and he pulled her in front of him and put his arms around her as she leaned back against him.

They watched the rest of the sunrise silently and when the last of the brilliant colors faded from the sky Thea sighed and said, "Umm...Adam, why are you all wet?" He started laughing even though it hurt, and bent his head down to rest his cheek on her hair.

Thea stretched, "I'm so sore from sleeping on that sofa, I think I'll go take a hot bath before everyone gets up." She started for the door, then paused to give him a familiar look over her shoulder with a wicked grin. She went inside.

Adam was still leaning his shoulder against the wall, waiting, when Thea hurried back, took him by the hand and yanked him through the door.