Author's Note: Character's thoughts are written in italics

LET THE GAMES, I MEAN, THE DINNER BEGIN !!!!

Sean decides to speak first. "Good evening everyone. Pa, I hope that you don't mind Marita joining us for dinner."

Ned looks up at Sean and says, "Course not, Marita is always welcome here anytime."

"Thank you Mr. Logan," Marita says and smiles. There are two seats left at the dinner table and both are to the right of Vivian.

"I really hope that Sean uses his common sense and sits between Marita and Vivian," Ned thinks.

"I know that he's not dumb enough to let Marita sit next to Vivian," Jeremy thinks. Sean, being void of common sense, pulls out the seat right next to Vivian for Marita to sit down.

"No common sense at all," Ned thinks.

"Oh ya, he's dumb," Jeremy thinks while grinning.

Instead of just sitting down, Marita stretches her eyes at Sean as everyone watches them. "If looks could kill," Marita thinks. Finally Sean uses his noodle of a brain and offers Marita the other chair, and he seats himself between Marita and Vivian.

"What is Vivian doing here?" Sean thinks

"I'm sure Sean's wondering what Vivian is doing here," Ned thinks; so, he decides to speak up. "Vivian just decided to stop by and say hello, and since it was so close to dinner, I invited her to stay. Only after she said that she hadn't eaten a decent meal all day. So, any volunteers for saying grace?" Ned looks around the table.

"I will," Jeremy volunteers. Everyone begins to grab the hand of the person next to them. Sean looks at Marita and smiles as he grabs her hand and entwines their fingers.

Vivian sees the way that Sean holds Marita's hand. "Oops, I've almost totally forgotten that it is a tradition to join hands for prayer at the Logan dinner table. C'mon Sean, let's join hands," Vivian says sweetly.

Sean slowly places his hand coldly into Vivian's hand. "Maybe I should've let Marita sit in the middle."

Jeremy thinks, "Sean's gonna hate me for this, but I love to see him squirm. Everyone's head is bowed and their eyes are closed. Jeremy begins, "Dear Lord, we thank you for this wonderful day that you have blessed us with. We thank you for the..."

Sean opens his eyes squeezes Marita's hand. Marita opens her eyes and looks at Sean. He mouths the words, "I'm so sorry, I love you." Marita looks at Sean and mouths, "I know, I love you too." They both re- close their eyes. Jeremy is still praying, "...and we thank you for the gentle breeze in the air, and the lovely scent of honeysuckle..."

"What is he doing? He's doing this on purpose?" Sean thinks. He looks over to Vivian to see that she is already staring at him.

"Sean, you may not know it yet, but as soon as little Miss Marita leaves, you're mine?" Vivian thinks and smiles at Sean.

"...And we ask you to help us to be more loving toward one another and help us to do unto others as we would like done to us..." Jeremy's still praying.

"Hm, hmmm," Ned clears his throat and cuts Jeremy off by saying a long, "Aaaaaamen."

"The next time we ask you to pray, we'll be sure to bring our pillows," Clay comments.

Finally the meal is served, and everyone begins eating. "I just can't believe that you're leaving Marita, I'm really going to miss having my big sister around. I'll have to write you every week just to ask you questions?" Alice says.

"I'll miss you too Alice, and you better write me," Marita says.

Vivian joins in the conversation, "Alice, Marita is going to be way too busy with her studies and with um...getting familiar with Boston, but you can always talk to me."

Marita sees the angry look that Sean has on his face and knows that he is about to tell Vivian something. She reaches under the table and squeezes his hand and smiles at him. Sean looks back at her and nods "okay."

Alice looks strangely at Vivian, "Thanks for the offer Vivian."

"Yeah Marita, I'm really going to miss you too. Now, when I need help on my lessons, I'll have to..." Lexy is saying as she is interrupted by Vivian.

"Now Lexy, let's not focus on the negative. Marita has been given a wonderful opportunity to make something of herself and to find happiness in Boston. Let's be happy for her," Vivian says.

Sean begins loosening his tie around his neck, he's about to explode. "You shoot bullets, but I can shoot back," Sean thinks.

Ned sees Sean preparing to retaliate and jumps in, "Actually Vivian, Marita was not given this opportunity, she earned it. She has done nothing but exemplary work for me, and she deserves this."

Sean smiles at Ned and gives a nod that says, "Thanks Pa." Sean finally speaks, "Also Vivian, Marita has earned the opportunity to do something that most other females will never be able to do, and she will come back to Lexington and have a real edge on everyone else." Sean sees the smile wiped off of Vivian's face, "See, it's not nice when the bullets are returned," Sean thinks.

"Why are they sticking up for her? They act like she's perfect. I've got to keep it together. Take a deep breath. I know that she has some flaws, we'll just have to find them. Well that really is wonderful," Vivian says trying to force that fake smile again.

Dinner is now finished and Alice and Lexy get up to begin clearing the table. Jeremy and Ned leave the table.

"Oh Alice, let me help you," Marita says.

"Now she's offering to do dishes, but I suppose that's what she should have been doing, not playing the uppity colored secretary to Ned. She's finally in her place," Vivian thinks.

"No Marita, I've got it," Alice responds.

"Look, if we work together then we'll get it done faster," Marita says as she gets up to start helping.

"Good little Miss Perfect is gone, now I can start working on Sean," Vivian thinks and turns to face Sean.

"Ohhh no, you're not gonna get a chance to flash that fake smile with me. I guess I'll help too," Sean says as he gets up.

"Sean, you're gonna do dishes," Clay says unbelieving.

"Yeah, I'm gonna do dishes," Sean says.

"Marita what have you done to my brother ?" Clay asks Marita. Vivian is now at full attention listening.

"Well, I told Sean that he is a grown man, and he should be able to fend for himself," Marita says.

"So Sean knows how to do dishes. Gosh Marita, why didn't you tell me this before," Alice says smiling.

The three work and finish cleaning while Vivian watches the way the Sean and Marita interact with each other. Marita takes a wet rag and slaps Sean with it on the bottom. Sean goes back and slaps Marita and Alice with his wet rag. Lexy decides to defend them and hits Sean with her rag from behind. Then all three of the ladies begin hitting Sean with their rags. "They are so....so....natural," Vivian thinks. "Stop this right now Vivian. That isn't natural, colored people need to stay in their place, and ladies shouldn't engage in such ridiculous things as rag fights," Vivian thinks as she gets up to go into the kitchen to stop them. As she walked into the kitchen with the three girls hitting Sean, Lexy's rag flies out of her hand and onto Vivian's head covering her face.

Vivian screams loudly, "Get it off of me." Sean, Marita, Alice, and Lexy look at each other and burst out laughing. "I said, get it off of me," Vivian yells again.

By this time Ned, Jeremy, and Clay are coming toward the kitchen, "What's going on in there?" When they see the sight of Vivian, Clay and Jeremy burst out laughing also which just encourages Sean, Marita, Alice, and Lexy to keep laughing at a stiff Vivian with a wet, dirty rag covering her head and face. Ned fights the urge to burst out laughing, and removes the rag from over her head.

"Who's responsible for this?" Ned asks half laughing, half serious.

Ned's youngest child steps out, "I am Pa," Lexy says.

Ned, still holding in his laugh, kneels down to Lexy, "Now Lexy, you need to go and apologize to Vivian."

Vivian is still as stiff as a statue. "I'm sorry Vivian, but the rag just slipped and well, I'm sorry."

"Your apology is accepted, I'll just have to go and get my hair done again. It's late, I must be going. Sean can you walk me to my carriage?"

Sean decides not to object and walks Vivian to her carriage. As soon as Vivian and Sean close the front door, Ned let's out his concealed laughter.

Vivian has said nothing to Sean. "You know Vivian, it really was an accident," Sean says.

"Sean, your toying with Marita is not an accident. I can't believe that you would be so cruel to anyone, even a colored."

"Vivian, you're wrong, that's not the way it is with Marita."

"Sean, you're giving her false hope, treating her like a member of the family. I'm just glad that she's getting away from you. She has a real chance Sean, one that you will NEVER be able to give her," Vivian says.

Vivian's words stung Sean. "I gotcha now Sean Logan."

"I don't care what you say, Marita and I love each other. Nothing or no one can or will change that," Sean says.

"Love, you call this love. What is your definition of love Sean? Sneaking around and having little rendezvous. If that's what you want, you can go down to the saloon to get that."

"It's not like that with Marita. We have fun together; we love each other purely for who we are."

"Yeah right Sean, you think that you're the only man in Lexington that has liaisons with colored women. What makes you different is that most men wait until they are married to take a colored mistress, not take a colored woman as their first. Sean, you just better hope that she doesn't conceive."

"You think that... Vivian you're wrong about us. I would never do that to her. We have never...been that way with each other."

Sean begins to walk away. "I love her Vivian and she will come back to me."

"Sean, you just don't want to believe it. Once Marita sees what she can have, she won't come back to Lexington to rendezvous with you."

Sean goes back into the house.

"Sean what's wrong? What did Vivian tell you?" Marita asks.

"Nothing, I'm not going to let what she says or does interfere with the next two days."

"Good, so you ready to take me home?" Marita asks

"Yes," Sean says.

On Marita's doorstep, Marita sees that Sean is deep in thought. "Sean are you sure that you're okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine. I just want to spend as much time with you as possible. So can we spend the day together tomorrow, there is somewhere that I want to take you?" Sean asks.

Marita knows that Sean is not fine, but she decides to trust him and just enjoy her last two days in Lexington. "Yes, I'll make breakfast for you, and then I'm all yours." Marita says.

Instead of kissing her on the lips, he kisses her hand, respectfully. Marita is shocked by this, but she smiles at him anyway. "I love you Marita...I truly love you," Sean says.

"I love you too, and I'll see you tomorrow," Marita says.

That night Marita lay in bed wondering what Vivian said. Sean was perfectly fine until he went outside with her. "I really wish that he would talk to me."

Sean lay in bed that night and dreamed of Marita, which was not unusual, but this time the dream was different.