LOST AND FOUND - PART IV
NIGHT'S DREAM
Chapter 32
The sun had just set on New Year's Eve and Ben was pacing in the front hall of the cream-colored house. The adults were all getting ready to attend a costume party at the Sage Brush, which was being hosted by Hal and Adam. Most of the costumes they would be wearing had been borrowed from Dante's opera company.
Ben had gone with an obvious choice - Benjamin Franklin - and was waiting for the rest of the family to come down. He came to an abrupt stop when Hoss appeared at the top of the stairs. Ben took in the details - a full reddish mustache and beard, a crown, and fourteenth century clothing. Hoss stared back at his father and they both started laughing at the same time.
Giving a mocking little bow when Hoss reached the bottom of the stairs Ben said, "Your Majesty! But where is the Queen?"
Still chuckling Hoss turned and yelled up the stairs, "Wench! Attend me!"
"I'm COMING!" Dora yelled back.
Hoss gave his father a sideways look and shrugged, "Thea told me to say that," he explained.
Ben smiled and was about to answer when they heard quick footsteps and Dora started down the stairs. Her fourteenth century court dress was made of yellow brocade and the flat, deeply pointed front panel of the low-cut bodice was heavily embroidered with gold thread in sunburst designs. She wore a heart-shaped cap made of the same materials and had a yellow tissue- of-silk veil fastened at the back. The sleeves puffed up high at the shoulder then narrowed to fit tightly at her wrists. A black wig and stiff ruff around her neck completed her costume.
Hoss in his black velvet came forward and took her hand to help her down the last few steps. He escorted her up to his father and Ben bent to kiss her hand saying, "Anne Boleyn, I presume?"
"Thou art indeed perceptive, Dr. Franklin!" Dora said and chuckled as she curtsied to him.
"Pa! You look just like him!" Hoss enthused.
Ben smiled, "And you make a very believable Henry VIII." Hoss smiled back at his father, "Not bad, huh?"
"Just remember Hoss," Ben said and quoted the man he was dressed like, "'He that falls in love with himself will have no rivals.'"
The three started laughing at themselves, but then turned back to the stairs when they heard light, pattering footsteps coming. Cassie bounded into view, paused to carol, "Hello!" to them then bounced down the steps.
The three watched her with incredulous stares, then cracked up laughing at her naughty grin. "Little Bo Peep?" Dora finally managed to gasp out.
"But of course!" Cassie chuckled and skipped across the hall to make them laugh again. Her pink dress stopped just below the knee, revealing the legs of huge, white ruffled pantalets. An oversized pink bonnet was tied under her chin with a gigantic satin bow while two large sausage curls framed her face. White stockings and flat black slippers covered her shins and feet.
She skipped back up to them and poked at Hoss with the crooked staff she was holding. "Henry, what have you done with my sheep? Have you eaten them again?" she teased and they all practically howled. They'd never seen this side of Cassie before.
Ben took off the small spectacles he was wearing and wiped away a tear of laughter. "I can't believe that's really you, Cassie!"
She chortled, "I'm not Cassie, I'm Little Bo Peep!"
Dora was still trying to get her breath back when Hoss said, "Hey Pa, you gonna be able see through them things?"
"Of course!" Ben said as he lifted the spectacles Hoss was asking about and poked a finger through an empty frame. The rattling thump of a tambourine caused them to turn toward the stairs and look up. Thea stood on the fourth step down. A tight red vest partially covered her white, full-sleeved, low-cut blouse, and a full skirt in alternating stripes of white and red stopped just above her ankles. Her long, black curly hair was unconfined and flowed over one shoulder then down to her waist. She flicked her hair back off her shoulder, shifted the tambourine to her left hand, and then turned to hold out her right.
"Come on, don't be shy," she said to someone they couldn't see. Those standing in the hall were startled when someone dressed entirely in brown leaped down onto the step Thea was standing on. He was bent over due to a pronounced hump on his back and he lurched as they both started down the stairs. Their mouths fell open when they realized it was Joe.
He jumped down the last few steps and capered up to them. He had one eye closed and his mouth pulled into a hideous leer. "Esmerelda!" he croaked with a strange giggle then turned to scuttle back to Thea. Grabbing her hand, he dragged her up to the group who were still standing there with their mouths open. "Esmerelda!" he said again and lost control as he started laughing hysterically. The entire group broke up then.
When they were finally able to talk again, Ben turned to Thea. "You make a lovely gypsy Thea, but where is Adam? I would have thought you two would be dressed as a couple like Hoss and Dora."
"Oh," Thea said breathlessly, "he's already at the Sage Brush. He didn't want me to see his costume beforehand so he got ready over there." She laughed again. "When I got the idea of being Esmerelda I asked Joe to be the hunchback because I just couldn't see Adam like THAT," she gestured toward Joe who had begun to caper again while shouting, "The bells!"
Ben sighed and put on a serious expression as he watched his youngest son's antics. Then he quoted Franklin again. "'Life's tragedy is that we get old too soon and wise too late.'" Even Joe laughed at that one.
"Well," Ben continued with a sigh. "If everybody is ready, we should get going. You know how much Adam dislikes people being late." They all scattered to put on coats and wraps, then the group hurried out the door and across the street.
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When they entered the dimly lit Sage Brush everyone was startled when a tall figure in a hooded robe suddenly appeared in front of them and said, "Welcome," in a deep, hollow voice. The man was completely covered by the robe and his face was obscured by the shadow cast by the hood. He held a long staff in one hand that had a crystal ball at the top and he waved them into the room with the other. "Come, join us," that strangely hollow voice said and Thea laughed while the other's looked on.
"And who are you supposed to be?"
"I am called Merlin," that odd voice answered her.
"Oh, very nicely done!" she said as she shrugged out of her coat. Turning back to the rest of the group she said, "Come on, I'll show you where to put these." After giving the tall figure another top to bottom inspection she laughed again and led the way toward a front corner of the room where an attendant was taking wraps.
Joe glanced back at the dark, mysterious figure that was still guarding the door. "Who WAS that?" he asked Thea. "Adam, of course."
"No, that didn't sound like him." Joe shook his head. Thea nodded back. "Yes it is. I might have been fooled too, but he forgot one thing - his hands. I would know those hands anywhere, Joe."
Her brother-in-law smiled then, taking her word for it. "Like the man said," he continued, "let's join the party!" He bent over, arranged his face in that hideous leer again, grabbed Thea's hand and dragged her toward the rest of the guests. Cassie giggled and hurried after them, while Ben, Hoss, and Dora followed at a slower pace.
Adam continued to stand by the door, startling everyone as they arrived. Some people laughed, but most of the female guests would let out a scream of some sort when he would suddenly appear before them. Thea had been moving through the crowd and having a good time when Adam rapped his staff loudly three times on the wooden floor to get everyone's attention. They all turned in his direction.
"Their Majesties, King Arthur....Queen Guinevere," his loud, echoing voice intoned and the lights around the room were turned up. There were shouts, applause, and whistles when Dylan as King Arthur, and Barbara as Queen Guinevere moved at a stately pace to the center of the room. The crowd made a circle around them, they turned toward each other then Barbara curtsied and Dylan bowed elegantly. The musicians hired for the evening suddenly began a sprightly tune and they grinned at each other as they started dancing. Other couples quickly joined in and the party went into full swing.
Matt, dressed as Abraham Lincoln pulled Cassie into his arms and they romped away. Thea found herself dragged into the dancing by Daniel Boone, known to his friends as Nate, while Hoss and Dora quickly joined in.
Adam was still standing by the door and he chuckled as he removed something from his mouth then threw the hood of his robe back. Thea danced by in Nate's arms, took one look at her husband and shrieked. His head was completely bald!
Letting go of Nate she streaked through the crowd, ran up to her husband, and just stood there with a hand over her mouth. "Good God, did you shave your head?" she asked, horrified. Adam looked down at her impassively for a moment then cracked up laughing as he peeled the fake scalp off.
His wife sighed in relief then jumped, startled at the chorus of voices that burst out laughing right behind her. She turned to see their usual group of friends and family gathered there. Grinning, she turned back to grab Adam's hand. "Come on Merlin, let's shake a leg." He paused only long enough to prop his staff against a wall and shrug out of his robe.
Underneath he had been wearing medieval clothing in a forest green. His tunic was sleeveless and he grinned when Thea eyed his bare arms admiringly.
"Interesting idea, Merlin dancing with a gypsy," he said, pulled Thea into his strong arms and whirled her away. Ben turned to Cassie, offered her his arm, and nodded toward the dancers with a twinkle in his eye. The young woman blushed slightly then took his arm. They moved away just as a stocky man dressed in an executioner's costume complete with a black hood and fake long-handled ax stopped behind Dora. Sensing someone's presence, she looked over her shoulder then gave a little scream. He fingered the edge of the ax and his eyes glittered at her through the holes in the black hood. Then he started to laugh and they all knew then it was Mike.
He bowed to Dora when she smiled in relief as he propped the ax against the wall. Pulling the hood off, he grinned saying, "May I have this dance, your Majesty?" She nodded and took Mike's arm as they went to join the throng.
Hoss glanced at Matt, who was standing next to him with a frown marring his usually pleasant face. The young doctor was watching Ben dance with Cassie closely and the big man had to stop himself from laughing. Adam had asked them all to do everything they could to keep the couple apart tonight. Matt needed to learn he couldn't keep Cassie dangling forever.
Four dances later, Matt still hadn't managed to regain possession of Cassie. Hoss had distracted him when Ben returned with her so when he turned around at the sound of her voice it was only to see her being swept away by Nate. At his look of irritation Ben had caught his eye and quoted Franklin cryptically, "'Wise men don't need advice. Fools won't take it.'" Then the older man moved off.
The next dance with Cassie was claimed by Dylan who simply cut him off by striding out onto the dance floor to take her from Nate. When that dance ended he was about to do the same thing when Thea appeared in front of him with an expectant look. He hesitated, unsure about what to do. She took his hand, saying "Come on, Matt," and dragged him out to dance with her.
Adam offered Barbara his arm and she smiled her acceptance while Ben and Dora followed.
Thea managed to delay Matt long enough so he couldn't get to Cassie before Hoss had swept her away. Then he started to get seriously annoyed and not a little suspicious. When the musicians took a break he looked impatiently around, but couldn't see Cassie anywhere. Thea had spirited her away somehow.
Dylan was standing next to Ben then and he leaned down slightly to speak to the older man in a low voice. "Do you think he's starting to catch on to what we're doing?"
Ben just grinned and had another Franklin quote ready, "'Three may keep a secret if two of them are dead.'" Both men burst out laughing, then laughed even harder when Matt looked at them suspiciously.
Some time later his face lit up when he saw Thea and Cassie making their way toward him, but then ground his teeth when Adam appeared out of nowhere to take her in his arms as the music began again. Matt heard someone clearing their throat next to him. He turned to see Ben standing there giving him a chiding look. "'When the well is dry, we know the worth of water,'" he quoted then turned and walked away, leaving Matt to think about the meaning of the words.
Thea was standing near the bar and trying to control her urge to laugh. She had been watching Matt all night, highly amused by the young man's frustration. When she saw Ben coming she gave him her wide smile then asked, "So what quote do you have for me?"
Ben grinned down at his daughter-in-law. "To err is human, to forgive divine, to persist devilish." She couldn't help but laugh at how appropriate his words were.
"So you think it's time to stop tormenting Matt and see what happens?" He nodded. Thea sighed. "Do you think it worked?"
The older man shrugged, "'Nothing in life is certain except death and taxes,'" he quoted with a wicked grin then put his arm around her shoulders as she leaned against him weak with laughter.
Joe had been having a fine time shocking the young ladies with his hideous appearance. No doubt they had all expected him to be wearing a romantic costume to enhance his good looks. But he had not been doing his duty in helping with the conspiracy, so he approached his father and sister-in-law cautiously.
He relaxed slightly when the two just smiled at him and he hurried to apologize. "I'm sorry I haven't been helping with Matt and Cassie, but it looked to me like I really wasn't needed."
Ben turned to his youngest son. "'The absent are never without fault. Nor the present without excuse,'" he quoted while giving his son a irritated look. Thea shook her head at him with a big grin so Joe couldn't help but laugh at his father's cleverness.
"Have you actually said anything of your own since we got here, Pa?" Joe asked, feeling like being a little clever himself.
His father gave him an annoyed look then laughed as he said "No, at least not until now!"
The three of them were laughing when Adam and Cassie joined the group. Matt instantly started toward them. Adam put his arm around Thea's shoulders. "Is it time to let Matt off the hook?" he whispered in her ear. Thea giggled and nodded her head as they all watched the young doctor moving in their direction.
Matt didn't say a word when he reached them, he just took Cassie in his arms, gave them all a disgruntled glance and swept her away. Those left behind tried to muffle their mirth at that look, but didn't have much success.
Joe, still feeling a little devilish reached out, grabbed Thea's hand, and dragged her off to dance before Adam could react. He couldn't help but smile at his wife's startled expression. Ben just shook his head.
The two men stayed there for a while, conversing quietly when Adam turned and spotted Barbara standing by the front door alone. No doubt she wanted to go outside for a breath of air, but hesitated doing so without an escort. When he turned back, his father had struck up a conversation with a friend so he made his way toward her by skirting around the crowd. She smiled when he reached her.
"Thinking about going outside for a bit?" Adam asked and she nodded while trying to fan herself with one hand.
"It's gotten so hot in here with all these people!"
Adam laughed as he nodded then offered her his arm. They hurried outside then sat down on a bench to the side of the door. He leaned back and crossed his bare arms while taking a deep breath.
"Adam, I just have to know how you made your voice sound like that! I never would have known it was you."
He laughed again and pulled something from a pocket. The small device made out of celluloid looked like a cone that had the bottom half cut off. An elastic cord was attached.
She looked at it for a moment then was startled when Adam placed the half- cone to her lips and said, "Keep your lips inside the cone and say something."
"Something," she said and grinned with delight when it came out sounding hollow and mysterious. They both laughed.
Adam stretched the cord out. "This kept it in place." "So THAT'S why you had the hood almost covering your face!"
"Right! Clever girl," he answered her and noticed when she shivered. Grabbing her hand he said, "Looks like you've cooled off enough Barbara. Come on, let's dance!" The two of them hurried inside and joined the crowd just as the next dance started.
Thea was being twirled around by Joe his enthusiasm getting the better of him, so she was breathless when the dance ended. She looked up gratefully when Hoss appeared and gave Joe a pointed look. The young man took off to find another partner, aware that midnight was fast approaching.
The next dance was slower in pace and Thea was just smiling up into Hoss's beard-covered face when the music abruptly stopped and the musicians jumped up to count down to midnight. The entire crowd joined in.
"Five...four...three...two...one! Happy New Year!"
Applause, whistles and cheers resounded throughout the room. Thea threw her arms around Hoss and hugged him tightly. "Happy New Year Hoss!" she yelled so he could hear her. He chuckled, and then surprised her by picking her up with his hands under her arms, lifting her up, and gently kissing her on the lips. She stared back at him with wide, round eyes, then cracked up laughing at the naughty grin he gave her while kicking her feet that dangled at least a foot off the floor.
Dora had been dancing with Dylan, a mismatched King and Queen. When the cries of "Happy New Year!" began he cupped her face in his hands, bent down and took her mouth in a deep kiss. When he pulled away, she followed him, threw her arms around his shoulders and kissed him back. All of a sudden, she realized what she was doing and jumped away from him with a squeak of dismay. Looking at her horrified expression, he burst out laughing. He had experienced a lot of different reactions to his kisses, but horror had never been one of them. Leaning down he whispered in her ear, "Dora, it was just a kiss. Don't worry, I won't say a word." She smiled back at him in relief and the two turned away from each other to join in the singing of "Auld Lang Syne."
Adam and Barbara had whirled to a stop when the music ended and shouted out the countdown with everyone else. When the New Year had been rung in Adam badly startled Barbara by grabbing her then bending her back over one arm. His smile turned into a wicked grin and his eyes shone with mischief and he slowly bent his head toward her and captured her mouth with his own. That kiss seemed to last forever and when he suddenly brought her upright again she gasped and shook her head to clear it. When he saw her expression he laughed and said, "Happy New Year, Barbara! When you're with me at midnight you take your chances!" He raised his eyebrows and gave her a half-smile. She couldn't help but start giggling helplessly at that.
Matt looked down into Cassie's sweet face. They had not been dancing when the music stopped, but were in a shadowed corner near the front door. She smiled up at him, everything she had come to feel for this man shining in her eyes. Suddenly he knew that everyone was right - he would be the biggest ass on the face of the earth if he let this woman get away. He bent his head to peer into her eyes intently. "Cassie, would you consider giving your hand in marriage to the biggest idiot to ever walk the face of this earth?"
Surprised, her eyes opened wide and she couldn't help but let a giggle escape. This was not the most romantic proposal ever heard, but WAS thoroughly Matt. Throwing caution to the wind for the first time in her life, she reached up, pulled his head down and kissed him with every bit of the desire she had been feeling for him since they first met.
Matt was the one who finally pulled away and he looked down at her with new eyes. "Oh my, Little Bo Peep. Who would have ever guessed?" They both started laughing when he bent down to pick her up and swing her around. Then they hurried off to find their friends to announce the good news.
The party was far from over and it took some time before Adam's friends and family eventually found themselves in a group again. Everyone except Ben - no one had seen him for some time. They had gathered near the front door and everyone was watching expectantly when Matt and Cassie came toward them. Adam and Thea had their arms around each other with Thea resting her head against his chest. She looked up and he looked down at the same moment - from the looks on Matt and Cassie's faces it was obvious the plan had worked so they grinned at each other.
When the couple reached the group Matt opened his mouth to announce their engagement, but he never got a chance. Almost as one they all shouted, "Congratulations!" and burst out laughing at his expression. The two were pulled into the group and suddenly everyone was hugging and kissing everyone else. When the noise died down they heard someone clear their throat.
They all turned to see Ben standing there and he surveyed them all with a solemn look as he correctly read their expressions. "I believe if anyone here is an expert on marriage that person would be me, so just remember children," he said then quoted Franklin for the last time with a wicked smile. "'Keep your eyes wide open before marriage, and half-shut afterwards.'"
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Their little group dispersed after Ben's final words of wisdom. Sometime around two o'clock the entire crowd was treated to the ridiculous sight of Mike chasing Dora around the room with the long-handled ax. Hoss laughed so hard he lost his fake beard when the two began running around him, like two moons orbiting a planet.
Matt and Cassie spent the rest of the night in each other's arms whether dancing or not. Ben watched the antics for a while, but decided to go back to the cream-colored house and call it a night.
Adam continued to entertain everyone by telling their fortunes while Thea read people's palms. He was also picking their pockets. By the end of the night a pile of belongings was on the bar and some would not even be claimed until a few days later.
Most of the guests did not even think about heading home until the first rays of pale golden sunlight were seen casting shadows down the street.
But Adam and Thea had left the party and were outside watching. They were both wearing their coats and ready to cross the street for home, but had paused to appreciate the beauty unfolding. Their breaths smoked in the frosty air as they stood as they had months before on the morning after Adam regained his memory.
"Another year," he said as he rested his chin on the top of her head. Thea shivered so he quickly unbuttoned his coat and wrapped her in it too. She sighed.
"So much has happened in the past year..." Thea said then sighed again.
"The next thing you know Matthew, Thomas, and Benjamin will be running instead of crawling," he mused. "Alexander and Annalise will be going to school in the fall," Thea mourned.
"Don't say that too loud, the schoolteachers might hear you and walk out," Adam laughed. "I just can't believe they turn five years old today."
"I know, and it seems like they were born only yesterday." "I'll miss them being in the house all day," she said low.
"I know, love." He kissed the top of her head and tightened his arms around her.
"Dora is getting married. Cassie is getting married. The house is being emptied," Thea's voice rang with the tones of both happiness and sorrow.
Adam chuckled. "I was just thinking about Hoss being a father," he explained when she looked at him over her shoulder. She grinned.
"He'll be a wonderful father."
"I know, but if his children are anything like ours, and I'm betting they will be with a mother like Dora, he'll be going slowly insane too."
"Well, then you two can share a room at the asylum," Thea giggled.
"Nope, if I'm going you're coming with me."
"Alright."
"Remember what I told you, don't try to get away, it will only lead to unnecessary bloodshed."
Laughing, Thea shook her head. "That goes for you too, you know."
"Yes, I do."
"Good."
They fell silent as the sun finally cleared the horizon and the first day had begun. She looked at him over her shoulder again as he let go and she stepped out of the shelter of his coat. Turning around she grabbed his hand and started tugging him across the street.
"What's your hurry?" he laughed and his eyes darkened when she met his gaze. Thea gave a quick shriek of laughter then began to giggle helplessly as he scooped her up into his arms and ran for the house. She was still laughing as he carried her inside and shut the door against the bitterly cold first day of what would hopefully be a better year for them all.
NIGHT'S DREAM
Chapter 32
The sun had just set on New Year's Eve and Ben was pacing in the front hall of the cream-colored house. The adults were all getting ready to attend a costume party at the Sage Brush, which was being hosted by Hal and Adam. Most of the costumes they would be wearing had been borrowed from Dante's opera company.
Ben had gone with an obvious choice - Benjamin Franklin - and was waiting for the rest of the family to come down. He came to an abrupt stop when Hoss appeared at the top of the stairs. Ben took in the details - a full reddish mustache and beard, a crown, and fourteenth century clothing. Hoss stared back at his father and they both started laughing at the same time.
Giving a mocking little bow when Hoss reached the bottom of the stairs Ben said, "Your Majesty! But where is the Queen?"
Still chuckling Hoss turned and yelled up the stairs, "Wench! Attend me!"
"I'm COMING!" Dora yelled back.
Hoss gave his father a sideways look and shrugged, "Thea told me to say that," he explained.
Ben smiled and was about to answer when they heard quick footsteps and Dora started down the stairs. Her fourteenth century court dress was made of yellow brocade and the flat, deeply pointed front panel of the low-cut bodice was heavily embroidered with gold thread in sunburst designs. She wore a heart-shaped cap made of the same materials and had a yellow tissue- of-silk veil fastened at the back. The sleeves puffed up high at the shoulder then narrowed to fit tightly at her wrists. A black wig and stiff ruff around her neck completed her costume.
Hoss in his black velvet came forward and took her hand to help her down the last few steps. He escorted her up to his father and Ben bent to kiss her hand saying, "Anne Boleyn, I presume?"
"Thou art indeed perceptive, Dr. Franklin!" Dora said and chuckled as she curtsied to him.
"Pa! You look just like him!" Hoss enthused.
Ben smiled, "And you make a very believable Henry VIII." Hoss smiled back at his father, "Not bad, huh?"
"Just remember Hoss," Ben said and quoted the man he was dressed like, "'He that falls in love with himself will have no rivals.'"
The three started laughing at themselves, but then turned back to the stairs when they heard light, pattering footsteps coming. Cassie bounded into view, paused to carol, "Hello!" to them then bounced down the steps.
The three watched her with incredulous stares, then cracked up laughing at her naughty grin. "Little Bo Peep?" Dora finally managed to gasp out.
"But of course!" Cassie chuckled and skipped across the hall to make them laugh again. Her pink dress stopped just below the knee, revealing the legs of huge, white ruffled pantalets. An oversized pink bonnet was tied under her chin with a gigantic satin bow while two large sausage curls framed her face. White stockings and flat black slippers covered her shins and feet.
She skipped back up to them and poked at Hoss with the crooked staff she was holding. "Henry, what have you done with my sheep? Have you eaten them again?" she teased and they all practically howled. They'd never seen this side of Cassie before.
Ben took off the small spectacles he was wearing and wiped away a tear of laughter. "I can't believe that's really you, Cassie!"
She chortled, "I'm not Cassie, I'm Little Bo Peep!"
Dora was still trying to get her breath back when Hoss said, "Hey Pa, you gonna be able see through them things?"
"Of course!" Ben said as he lifted the spectacles Hoss was asking about and poked a finger through an empty frame. The rattling thump of a tambourine caused them to turn toward the stairs and look up. Thea stood on the fourth step down. A tight red vest partially covered her white, full-sleeved, low-cut blouse, and a full skirt in alternating stripes of white and red stopped just above her ankles. Her long, black curly hair was unconfined and flowed over one shoulder then down to her waist. She flicked her hair back off her shoulder, shifted the tambourine to her left hand, and then turned to hold out her right.
"Come on, don't be shy," she said to someone they couldn't see. Those standing in the hall were startled when someone dressed entirely in brown leaped down onto the step Thea was standing on. He was bent over due to a pronounced hump on his back and he lurched as they both started down the stairs. Their mouths fell open when they realized it was Joe.
He jumped down the last few steps and capered up to them. He had one eye closed and his mouth pulled into a hideous leer. "Esmerelda!" he croaked with a strange giggle then turned to scuttle back to Thea. Grabbing her hand, he dragged her up to the group who were still standing there with their mouths open. "Esmerelda!" he said again and lost control as he started laughing hysterically. The entire group broke up then.
When they were finally able to talk again, Ben turned to Thea. "You make a lovely gypsy Thea, but where is Adam? I would have thought you two would be dressed as a couple like Hoss and Dora."
"Oh," Thea said breathlessly, "he's already at the Sage Brush. He didn't want me to see his costume beforehand so he got ready over there." She laughed again. "When I got the idea of being Esmerelda I asked Joe to be the hunchback because I just couldn't see Adam like THAT," she gestured toward Joe who had begun to caper again while shouting, "The bells!"
Ben sighed and put on a serious expression as he watched his youngest son's antics. Then he quoted Franklin again. "'Life's tragedy is that we get old too soon and wise too late.'" Even Joe laughed at that one.
"Well," Ben continued with a sigh. "If everybody is ready, we should get going. You know how much Adam dislikes people being late." They all scattered to put on coats and wraps, then the group hurried out the door and across the street.
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When they entered the dimly lit Sage Brush everyone was startled when a tall figure in a hooded robe suddenly appeared in front of them and said, "Welcome," in a deep, hollow voice. The man was completely covered by the robe and his face was obscured by the shadow cast by the hood. He held a long staff in one hand that had a crystal ball at the top and he waved them into the room with the other. "Come, join us," that strangely hollow voice said and Thea laughed while the other's looked on.
"And who are you supposed to be?"
"I am called Merlin," that odd voice answered her.
"Oh, very nicely done!" she said as she shrugged out of her coat. Turning back to the rest of the group she said, "Come on, I'll show you where to put these." After giving the tall figure another top to bottom inspection she laughed again and led the way toward a front corner of the room where an attendant was taking wraps.
Joe glanced back at the dark, mysterious figure that was still guarding the door. "Who WAS that?" he asked Thea. "Adam, of course."
"No, that didn't sound like him." Joe shook his head. Thea nodded back. "Yes it is. I might have been fooled too, but he forgot one thing - his hands. I would know those hands anywhere, Joe."
Her brother-in-law smiled then, taking her word for it. "Like the man said," he continued, "let's join the party!" He bent over, arranged his face in that hideous leer again, grabbed Thea's hand and dragged her toward the rest of the guests. Cassie giggled and hurried after them, while Ben, Hoss, and Dora followed at a slower pace.
Adam continued to stand by the door, startling everyone as they arrived. Some people laughed, but most of the female guests would let out a scream of some sort when he would suddenly appear before them. Thea had been moving through the crowd and having a good time when Adam rapped his staff loudly three times on the wooden floor to get everyone's attention. They all turned in his direction.
"Their Majesties, King Arthur....Queen Guinevere," his loud, echoing voice intoned and the lights around the room were turned up. There were shouts, applause, and whistles when Dylan as King Arthur, and Barbara as Queen Guinevere moved at a stately pace to the center of the room. The crowd made a circle around them, they turned toward each other then Barbara curtsied and Dylan bowed elegantly. The musicians hired for the evening suddenly began a sprightly tune and they grinned at each other as they started dancing. Other couples quickly joined in and the party went into full swing.
Matt, dressed as Abraham Lincoln pulled Cassie into his arms and they romped away. Thea found herself dragged into the dancing by Daniel Boone, known to his friends as Nate, while Hoss and Dora quickly joined in.
Adam was still standing by the door and he chuckled as he removed something from his mouth then threw the hood of his robe back. Thea danced by in Nate's arms, took one look at her husband and shrieked. His head was completely bald!
Letting go of Nate she streaked through the crowd, ran up to her husband, and just stood there with a hand over her mouth. "Good God, did you shave your head?" she asked, horrified. Adam looked down at her impassively for a moment then cracked up laughing as he peeled the fake scalp off.
His wife sighed in relief then jumped, startled at the chorus of voices that burst out laughing right behind her. She turned to see their usual group of friends and family gathered there. Grinning, she turned back to grab Adam's hand. "Come on Merlin, let's shake a leg." He paused only long enough to prop his staff against a wall and shrug out of his robe.
Underneath he had been wearing medieval clothing in a forest green. His tunic was sleeveless and he grinned when Thea eyed his bare arms admiringly.
"Interesting idea, Merlin dancing with a gypsy," he said, pulled Thea into his strong arms and whirled her away. Ben turned to Cassie, offered her his arm, and nodded toward the dancers with a twinkle in his eye. The young woman blushed slightly then took his arm. They moved away just as a stocky man dressed in an executioner's costume complete with a black hood and fake long-handled ax stopped behind Dora. Sensing someone's presence, she looked over her shoulder then gave a little scream. He fingered the edge of the ax and his eyes glittered at her through the holes in the black hood. Then he started to laugh and they all knew then it was Mike.
He bowed to Dora when she smiled in relief as he propped the ax against the wall. Pulling the hood off, he grinned saying, "May I have this dance, your Majesty?" She nodded and took Mike's arm as they went to join the throng.
Hoss glanced at Matt, who was standing next to him with a frown marring his usually pleasant face. The young doctor was watching Ben dance with Cassie closely and the big man had to stop himself from laughing. Adam had asked them all to do everything they could to keep the couple apart tonight. Matt needed to learn he couldn't keep Cassie dangling forever.
Four dances later, Matt still hadn't managed to regain possession of Cassie. Hoss had distracted him when Ben returned with her so when he turned around at the sound of her voice it was only to see her being swept away by Nate. At his look of irritation Ben had caught his eye and quoted Franklin cryptically, "'Wise men don't need advice. Fools won't take it.'" Then the older man moved off.
The next dance with Cassie was claimed by Dylan who simply cut him off by striding out onto the dance floor to take her from Nate. When that dance ended he was about to do the same thing when Thea appeared in front of him with an expectant look. He hesitated, unsure about what to do. She took his hand, saying "Come on, Matt," and dragged him out to dance with her.
Adam offered Barbara his arm and she smiled her acceptance while Ben and Dora followed.
Thea managed to delay Matt long enough so he couldn't get to Cassie before Hoss had swept her away. Then he started to get seriously annoyed and not a little suspicious. When the musicians took a break he looked impatiently around, but couldn't see Cassie anywhere. Thea had spirited her away somehow.
Dylan was standing next to Ben then and he leaned down slightly to speak to the older man in a low voice. "Do you think he's starting to catch on to what we're doing?"
Ben just grinned and had another Franklin quote ready, "'Three may keep a secret if two of them are dead.'" Both men burst out laughing, then laughed even harder when Matt looked at them suspiciously.
Some time later his face lit up when he saw Thea and Cassie making their way toward him, but then ground his teeth when Adam appeared out of nowhere to take her in his arms as the music began again. Matt heard someone clearing their throat next to him. He turned to see Ben standing there giving him a chiding look. "'When the well is dry, we know the worth of water,'" he quoted then turned and walked away, leaving Matt to think about the meaning of the words.
Thea was standing near the bar and trying to control her urge to laugh. She had been watching Matt all night, highly amused by the young man's frustration. When she saw Ben coming she gave him her wide smile then asked, "So what quote do you have for me?"
Ben grinned down at his daughter-in-law. "To err is human, to forgive divine, to persist devilish." She couldn't help but laugh at how appropriate his words were.
"So you think it's time to stop tormenting Matt and see what happens?" He nodded. Thea sighed. "Do you think it worked?"
The older man shrugged, "'Nothing in life is certain except death and taxes,'" he quoted with a wicked grin then put his arm around her shoulders as she leaned against him weak with laughter.
Joe had been having a fine time shocking the young ladies with his hideous appearance. No doubt they had all expected him to be wearing a romantic costume to enhance his good looks. But he had not been doing his duty in helping with the conspiracy, so he approached his father and sister-in-law cautiously.
He relaxed slightly when the two just smiled at him and he hurried to apologize. "I'm sorry I haven't been helping with Matt and Cassie, but it looked to me like I really wasn't needed."
Ben turned to his youngest son. "'The absent are never without fault. Nor the present without excuse,'" he quoted while giving his son a irritated look. Thea shook her head at him with a big grin so Joe couldn't help but laugh at his father's cleverness.
"Have you actually said anything of your own since we got here, Pa?" Joe asked, feeling like being a little clever himself.
His father gave him an annoyed look then laughed as he said "No, at least not until now!"
The three of them were laughing when Adam and Cassie joined the group. Matt instantly started toward them. Adam put his arm around Thea's shoulders. "Is it time to let Matt off the hook?" he whispered in her ear. Thea giggled and nodded her head as they all watched the young doctor moving in their direction.
Matt didn't say a word when he reached them, he just took Cassie in his arms, gave them all a disgruntled glance and swept her away. Those left behind tried to muffle their mirth at that look, but didn't have much success.
Joe, still feeling a little devilish reached out, grabbed Thea's hand, and dragged her off to dance before Adam could react. He couldn't help but smile at his wife's startled expression. Ben just shook his head.
The two men stayed there for a while, conversing quietly when Adam turned and spotted Barbara standing by the front door alone. No doubt she wanted to go outside for a breath of air, but hesitated doing so without an escort. When he turned back, his father had struck up a conversation with a friend so he made his way toward her by skirting around the crowd. She smiled when he reached her.
"Thinking about going outside for a bit?" Adam asked and she nodded while trying to fan herself with one hand.
"It's gotten so hot in here with all these people!"
Adam laughed as he nodded then offered her his arm. They hurried outside then sat down on a bench to the side of the door. He leaned back and crossed his bare arms while taking a deep breath.
"Adam, I just have to know how you made your voice sound like that! I never would have known it was you."
He laughed again and pulled something from a pocket. The small device made out of celluloid looked like a cone that had the bottom half cut off. An elastic cord was attached.
She looked at it for a moment then was startled when Adam placed the half- cone to her lips and said, "Keep your lips inside the cone and say something."
"Something," she said and grinned with delight when it came out sounding hollow and mysterious. They both laughed.
Adam stretched the cord out. "This kept it in place." "So THAT'S why you had the hood almost covering your face!"
"Right! Clever girl," he answered her and noticed when she shivered. Grabbing her hand he said, "Looks like you've cooled off enough Barbara. Come on, let's dance!" The two of them hurried inside and joined the crowd just as the next dance started.
Thea was being twirled around by Joe his enthusiasm getting the better of him, so she was breathless when the dance ended. She looked up gratefully when Hoss appeared and gave Joe a pointed look. The young man took off to find another partner, aware that midnight was fast approaching.
The next dance was slower in pace and Thea was just smiling up into Hoss's beard-covered face when the music abruptly stopped and the musicians jumped up to count down to midnight. The entire crowd joined in.
"Five...four...three...two...one! Happy New Year!"
Applause, whistles and cheers resounded throughout the room. Thea threw her arms around Hoss and hugged him tightly. "Happy New Year Hoss!" she yelled so he could hear her. He chuckled, and then surprised her by picking her up with his hands under her arms, lifting her up, and gently kissing her on the lips. She stared back at him with wide, round eyes, then cracked up laughing at the naughty grin he gave her while kicking her feet that dangled at least a foot off the floor.
Dora had been dancing with Dylan, a mismatched King and Queen. When the cries of "Happy New Year!" began he cupped her face in his hands, bent down and took her mouth in a deep kiss. When he pulled away, she followed him, threw her arms around his shoulders and kissed him back. All of a sudden, she realized what she was doing and jumped away from him with a squeak of dismay. Looking at her horrified expression, he burst out laughing. He had experienced a lot of different reactions to his kisses, but horror had never been one of them. Leaning down he whispered in her ear, "Dora, it was just a kiss. Don't worry, I won't say a word." She smiled back at him in relief and the two turned away from each other to join in the singing of "Auld Lang Syne."
Adam and Barbara had whirled to a stop when the music ended and shouted out the countdown with everyone else. When the New Year had been rung in Adam badly startled Barbara by grabbing her then bending her back over one arm. His smile turned into a wicked grin and his eyes shone with mischief and he slowly bent his head toward her and captured her mouth with his own. That kiss seemed to last forever and when he suddenly brought her upright again she gasped and shook her head to clear it. When he saw her expression he laughed and said, "Happy New Year, Barbara! When you're with me at midnight you take your chances!" He raised his eyebrows and gave her a half-smile. She couldn't help but start giggling helplessly at that.
Matt looked down into Cassie's sweet face. They had not been dancing when the music stopped, but were in a shadowed corner near the front door. She smiled up at him, everything she had come to feel for this man shining in her eyes. Suddenly he knew that everyone was right - he would be the biggest ass on the face of the earth if he let this woman get away. He bent his head to peer into her eyes intently. "Cassie, would you consider giving your hand in marriage to the biggest idiot to ever walk the face of this earth?"
Surprised, her eyes opened wide and she couldn't help but let a giggle escape. This was not the most romantic proposal ever heard, but WAS thoroughly Matt. Throwing caution to the wind for the first time in her life, she reached up, pulled his head down and kissed him with every bit of the desire she had been feeling for him since they first met.
Matt was the one who finally pulled away and he looked down at her with new eyes. "Oh my, Little Bo Peep. Who would have ever guessed?" They both started laughing when he bent down to pick her up and swing her around. Then they hurried off to find their friends to announce the good news.
The party was far from over and it took some time before Adam's friends and family eventually found themselves in a group again. Everyone except Ben - no one had seen him for some time. They had gathered near the front door and everyone was watching expectantly when Matt and Cassie came toward them. Adam and Thea had their arms around each other with Thea resting her head against his chest. She looked up and he looked down at the same moment - from the looks on Matt and Cassie's faces it was obvious the plan had worked so they grinned at each other.
When the couple reached the group Matt opened his mouth to announce their engagement, but he never got a chance. Almost as one they all shouted, "Congratulations!" and burst out laughing at his expression. The two were pulled into the group and suddenly everyone was hugging and kissing everyone else. When the noise died down they heard someone clear their throat.
They all turned to see Ben standing there and he surveyed them all with a solemn look as he correctly read their expressions. "I believe if anyone here is an expert on marriage that person would be me, so just remember children," he said then quoted Franklin for the last time with a wicked smile. "'Keep your eyes wide open before marriage, and half-shut afterwards.'"
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Their little group dispersed after Ben's final words of wisdom. Sometime around two o'clock the entire crowd was treated to the ridiculous sight of Mike chasing Dora around the room with the long-handled ax. Hoss laughed so hard he lost his fake beard when the two began running around him, like two moons orbiting a planet.
Matt and Cassie spent the rest of the night in each other's arms whether dancing or not. Ben watched the antics for a while, but decided to go back to the cream-colored house and call it a night.
Adam continued to entertain everyone by telling their fortunes while Thea read people's palms. He was also picking their pockets. By the end of the night a pile of belongings was on the bar and some would not even be claimed until a few days later.
Most of the guests did not even think about heading home until the first rays of pale golden sunlight were seen casting shadows down the street.
But Adam and Thea had left the party and were outside watching. They were both wearing their coats and ready to cross the street for home, but had paused to appreciate the beauty unfolding. Their breaths smoked in the frosty air as they stood as they had months before on the morning after Adam regained his memory.
"Another year," he said as he rested his chin on the top of her head. Thea shivered so he quickly unbuttoned his coat and wrapped her in it too. She sighed.
"So much has happened in the past year..." Thea said then sighed again.
"The next thing you know Matthew, Thomas, and Benjamin will be running instead of crawling," he mused. "Alexander and Annalise will be going to school in the fall," Thea mourned.
"Don't say that too loud, the schoolteachers might hear you and walk out," Adam laughed. "I just can't believe they turn five years old today."
"I know, and it seems like they were born only yesterday." "I'll miss them being in the house all day," she said low.
"I know, love." He kissed the top of her head and tightened his arms around her.
"Dora is getting married. Cassie is getting married. The house is being emptied," Thea's voice rang with the tones of both happiness and sorrow.
Adam chuckled. "I was just thinking about Hoss being a father," he explained when she looked at him over her shoulder. She grinned.
"He'll be a wonderful father."
"I know, but if his children are anything like ours, and I'm betting they will be with a mother like Dora, he'll be going slowly insane too."
"Well, then you two can share a room at the asylum," Thea giggled.
"Nope, if I'm going you're coming with me."
"Alright."
"Remember what I told you, don't try to get away, it will only lead to unnecessary bloodshed."
Laughing, Thea shook her head. "That goes for you too, you know."
"Yes, I do."
"Good."
They fell silent as the sun finally cleared the horizon and the first day had begun. She looked at him over her shoulder again as he let go and she stepped out of the shelter of his coat. Turning around she grabbed his hand and started tugging him across the street.
"What's your hurry?" he laughed and his eyes darkened when she met his gaze. Thea gave a quick shriek of laughter then began to giggle helplessly as he scooped her up into his arms and ran for the house. She was still laughing as he carried her inside and shut the door against the bitterly cold first day of what would hopefully be a better year for them all.