I follow the boys down to the bottom of the stairs where Pa was waiting for us.
The boys walk out the door. Pa touches my arm and looks at me worriedly.
"How are you holding up?" he asked. "I'm fine Pa I just want to get it over with" I told him. He smiles at me and we walk out of the house.
We arrived at the Court House to see Judge Longworth waiting outside for us. I could feel butterflies in my stomach as I take a deep breath.
We climb out of the wagon and walk up to the Judge. "Morning Ben, boys I hope you don't mind but I would like to Amelia alone in my office before we started the proceedings" he said cheerfully.
I look up at my father and brothers before walking with the judge to his office. Now I know how Little Joe feels when he has to have a talk with Miss Jones after school unfortunately it's a lot worst to be ask to talk to a Judge alone in his office than to stay after school with Miss Abigail Jones.
He sits me down at a chair across from where he sat at his desk. "No need to be nervous Amelia I just want to ask you some questions, alright" he said pleasantly.
Too nervous to speak I nod my head 'yes'. "Do you like living with your father and brothers on the Ponderosa?" he asked.
"I love it there is no place on this Earth I rather be than with them on our ranch" I told him.
"The next two questions I'm about to ask you I want you to be completely honest with me, alright" he said. I nod my head and waited for him to ask me.
"Has your father ever laid a hand on you?" he asked. I was aghast by the question and I felt my temper was about to burst. How dare he ask me such a ludicrous question?
"Of course not" I told him defensively. "Alright then have Adam, Hoss or Joe ever hit you?" he asked annoyed.
"No" I told him getting angry. "Who told you that my father and brothers hit me?"
"I'm not at liberty to say" he told me but I knew it was a bunch of bull.
"Martha told you that didn't she?" I yelled.
Before I realize what I was doing I stormed out of the office and marched down the hallway to the waiting room where Pa, the boys, and Martha were.
The boys and Pa got up when they saw how angry I was but before they could ask me why I slapped my Aunt in the face as hard as I could.
"Amelia what on earth is wrong with you!" she exclaimed. "Funny you should be asking me that wicked witch" I screamed.
Before I could slap her again Pa and the boys pulled me aside. "What happen?" Pa asked concerned.
"She told the Judge that you all hit me" I told them trying to calm down. "She did what?" Pa said getting angry.
Pa was about to confront her when the Judge yells at us to go into the courtroom.
Once we entered the room Martha sat at the table on the left and Pa sat at the table on the right with the four of us sitting behind him on the row of chairs.
I sat next to Adam who sat next to Joe who was sitting between him and Hoss.
The Judge sat on his thrown in front of all of us. He looks at Pa and Martha and says "I am only say this once each of you is gonna have a chance to speak and if either of you speak out of turn or out of line I will throw you out of this courtroom is that understood"
Pa and Martha both said "Yes your honor". The Judge bangs his mallet on his desk. "Martha" he said.
Martha stands up from her seat. "Your honor I love my niece as though she was my own and I know for a fact that her mother my sister Catherine would want her to live with me someone who is suitable to take care of Amelia's needs" Martha said.
"Ben Cartwright is an unfit father to Amelia. He lets her walk around like her brothers when she should be acting like a young lady. Ben doesn't have experience to raise a girl or business" she declared.
Adam looks down at me and saw me rolling my hands into fists. He touches my hand and leans over to my ear whispering to me saying for me not to let her get it me.
Pa was angry when he slams his hands on the table and shouts "I OBJECT!" I guess I have my father's temper instead of Martha's thank god.
"Your honor my daughter is being well taken care of between myself, her brothers and our cook Hopsing. I may not be a perfect father especially when Amelia is concerned but I try to give her all the love and guidance she needs and I can assure you so does her brothers" said Pa.
"Your honor my boys loved their sister more than anything in the world and I can assure you there aren't more dedicated brothers or loving brothers in this territory than Amelia's brothers. If anyone shouldn't be rewarded custody of my daughter is Martha. She made Amelia believe that she wasn't a Cartwright by foraging a letter supportively from my wife, Amelia's mother Catherine. Somehow Martha manage to get a hold of Catherine's will and has been using it to manipulate my daughter" Pa told him.
"My wife's dying wish was for me and the boys to take care of Amelia. I can assure you that Catherine would never ask me to send our daughter away especially to live with Martha" Pa said his voice cracking with emotion.
Tears started to run down my cheeks as I heard my father spoke about my mother. Adam holds my hand.
"YOU'RE HONOR THAT'S A LIE! I NEVER DID ANY OF THOSE HORIFFIC THINGS ESPECIALLY TO MY NIECE" Martha yelled.
The Judge bangs his mallet on his desk and yells at them to hush. "Amelia is a fine bright girl. By the way she looks it shows that she is being well taken care of and despite what I was told of her being abuse I have not seen any indication that she has been abuse in anyway by her father and brothers"
"I see no reason what so ever why Amelia shouldn't stay with Ben and the boys. With that said I grant full custody of Amelia Rose Cartwright to Ben Cartwright and his sons" the Judge announced.
I was so relieve when he said that that I jumped up from my seat and hugged and kissed my brothers and my father.
As I was hugging my father and telling him how much I love him I could feel someone grabbing me from behind and before I realize what was going on I was grabbed apart from my father and restrained.
I look over my shoulder to see that it was Martha who was holding me and dragging me by my arms out of the courtroom.
"Martha please let me go" I begged her but she seemed not to notice. "I'm sorry Amelia I can't do that I already lost my sister I can't afford to lose her daughter either by Ben Cartwright" she said coldly without any emotion in her voice.
"I promise to come and visit as much as I can and we can keep in touch" I tried to persuade her but there was no use to persuade a woman who has clearly and completely lost her mind.
She tosses me in her buggy as she climbs in. She grabs the reins and before I knew it we were racing out of town. I WAS BEING KIDNAPPED BY MY OWN AUNT!