I have had some nice guest reviews and I thank you, but I am still deleting them as I won't open that door again; it's too easily abused.

III

Adam held the reins, guiding the light, two-wheeled buggy to their house, Sibella seated beside him. The cabriolet had been a purchase for Sibella, a way for her to get to town or to the Ponderosa, although he discouraged that; he didn't like her traveling the lengthy distance to the ranch house by herself, but Virginia City was only a little over three miles from their modest homestead on the edge of Cartwright property. The flashy blue roan mare was Adam's gift as well. He had seen the mare at a horse auction where he and Hoss were selling Ponderosa stock and knew Sibella would fall in love with the small horse. Sibella had named her Delilah.

It was past noon, the sun a little to the west. And since they had left town, Sibella had sat in silence. It worried Adam and he wanted to distract her from the gory scene she had stumbled upon. Although she considered herself sophisticated at 25 years, Sibella was still young in many ways and Adam felt the overpowering need to shield her from life's harshness.

"How's your headache?"

She didn't turn her head toward him. "Better. Thank you."

He'd need to try another way to distract her. "Sibella, why is Pa watching Noah? Is Mrs. George ill?" Mrs. George was their housekeeper and watched Noah when necessary.

"What?" This time, she did turn and as always, Adam's heart beat a bit faster, he loved her so despite her stubbornness and occasional silliness.

"Why is Pa watching Noah?" And then it came to him. "Are you still trying to arrange a romance between them?"

"No…well, Mrs. George is a widow and she does think your father is handsome, and since she's working on a new dress for the spring social, well, I thought that perhaps if your father saw her sewing, it might occur to him to ask her about the dance…" Sibella went silent and studied her husband. He was attempting to get her mind off the murder and she loved him all the more for it but he did often treat her like fine china. "Adam, I know what you're trying to do and I do appreciate it, but I can't help thinking about Mme. Adair. One day she was alive and the next, dead. It's so awful."

Sibella slid closer to Adam and slipped her arm through his as he drove the horse. "I want to thank you for, well, for not treating me like a hysterical woman. I suppose in a way, I was. Nothing like that has ever happened to me before, seeing something like that. It makes life - more real and all I could think of was to find you. Does that seem foolish?"

Adam smiled. "No, not foolish at all. And I'm glad you came to me. I imagine it's been an awful experience. But just put it out of your mind."

"How can I do that? Just put it out of my mind." Sibella released his arm and sat straight. "Just tell me, Adam. How am I supposed to put it out of my mind?"

"Perhaps I misspoke," Adam said patiently. "I suppose you can't, but just rest in the knowledge that Sheriff Coffee will find her killer."

"I don't think he'll find the killer. Why, Adam, he wasn't even looking. He just stood there asking all sorts of ridiculous questions – twice! I could do better at solving her murder than he can."

Adam noticed the sudden expression on Sibella's face. She had an idea and if it was anything like her other ideas, it meant trouble.

"Sibella, what are you thinking?"

She looked at him innocently. "What, dear?"

"I asked what you're thinking, but I don't know why I bother since I already know."

"You always think you know me so well. So, tell me, darling – what am I thinking?"

"That you want to do a little detecting on your own. Am I right or am I right?"

"Why that's just silly. I wouldn't even know how to go about solving a murder." She folded her gloved hands together in her lap, looking at the passing landscape. "But I do feel I owe her something."

Adam pulled back on the reins, stopping the two-wheeled buggy. "Now, you listen to me, Sibella" She still looked at the trees set back from the narrow dirt road. "Sibella!" Adam said, "look at me." She slowly turned her face toward him.

"We should be seeing the jonquils soon, don't you think?" Sibella asked.

"Don't change the subject. When it comes to what happened today, you need to mind your own business," Adam said, shaking his finger at her as he did at Noah when telling him, no. "I'm serious. If there's a woman-killer on the loose, the last thing I want is for him to think you're on to him."

"Do you think a killer is on the loose, Adam? I mean someone who wants to kill again. Do you really think that?" Sibella's eyes grew large. She hadn't considered the idea that the person could kill again, come creeping about looking for women alone in their homes or unescorted on the Streets of Virginia City. What about all the widows or saloon maids who lived alone in a back room somewhere. Her heart began to pound with actual fear. It made her realize that up to now, she had felt completely safe. But that was due to Adam; he always made her feel safe and loved.

Adam sighed and snapped the reins again. In another ten minutes, they'd be home. "No. I don't think so but just because I don't, doesn't mean there isn't one."

"Why don't you think so?" Sibella couldn't help but admire Adam; he was so handsome and yet so intelligent. And so stubborn.

"First, if whoever it was, killed just to enjoy killing, then it was a pretty cold killing."

"I don't understand."

"If he wanted to kill a woman, any woman, because he took pleasure in it, then it would have been slower – more methodical. He would have strangled her or molested her first…" Adam stopped talking.

"Or molested her? You mean forced himself on her?" That also hadn't occurred to Sibella and she felt a tightness in her throat, one hand flying up to clutch her neck.

"Sibella, let's not talk about this anymore. You've told Roy what you know and now it's not our business; it's out of our hands. I'm not going to speculate anymore."

"Well, it may not be your business but it is mine!" Sibella said, anger rising. "Mme. Adair was murdered in her shop and the women of Virginia City – why all the women around here need to be made aware that a killer is on the loose! At the next Women's Auxiliary meeting and the quilting bee, I'm going to bring up protecting ourselves, learning how to handle a gun and…"

"Sibella! Enough! Now you listen to me! You won't be going into town until this matter is resolved. You're going to stay at home with Mrs. George and Noah and I may even post Chauncey with a rifle to guard the place—or to make sure you don't leave. Do you understand me? This isn't a game."

"I never said it was. But I do think it's important that we women learn how to defend ourselves. I was taught archery in school and my father once showed me how to handle a .22."

"A bow and arrow? Sibella, do you really think you can walk around with a quiver on your back or hefting a .22 rifle everywhere?"

"No, but that's not the point. Why I was reading just the other day, that in New York, some women are even boxing – in rings. Granted, it seems that men just want to see two women wearing bloomers hit one another, but it's beginning to attract financial backers. And there are even classes in places like Philadelphia and St. Louis that teach women how to use ordinary items such as a parasol, as weapons! Deadly weapons!"

"God forbid," Adam mumbled to himself. "Something else to worry about; Sibella and her parasol."

"What was that, Adam?"

"Just this – you are not to go to Virginia City or anywhere else until this is over. I'm not going to say it again."

"Oh, Adam. Really. I'll go where I…"

"Sibella, if you behave like a child, I'll treat you like one – a recalcitrant child – and take you over my knee. Do you understand?"

"You'd like that, wouldn't you?" Sibella asked, fuming at Adam's threat.

"Well, I'd enjoy the view." And Adam turned the horse into the drive up to the house.

~ 0 ~

Not even waiting for Adam to hand her down, Sibella stepped down from the buggy and huffed into the house. Adam just didn't understand that the world was changing and that women could take care of themselves – if they were taught. It didn't matter though, what Adam said; somehow, she would arrange for a shooting class for any woman who wants it. Maybe even boxing lessons. And if she used what feminine wiles she had, Sibella figured she cold possible convince her father-in-law or even Hoss to teach them. Maybe even Adam himself.

"Missus, you're home early," Mrs. George said as she placed Noah down. She had been sitting on the sofa, dandling Noah who had cookie crumbs smeared on his mouth and hands. He smiled at his mother and toddled over to her.

"Yes, I didn't manage to – something happened and Mr. Cartwright brought me home. Where's my father-in-law?" Sibella looked about after pulling a handkerchief out of her reticule to wipe Noah's face and hands as he begged to be picked-up, raising his arms and tip-toeing while demanding, "Up! Up!"

"Mr. Cartwright was called back to the Ponderosa. Unexpected guests. An old friend from somewhere or something. I was going to put Noah down for his afternoon nap. He's had lunch and a cookie. His bottle's ready."

Sibella held Noah on one hip and pulled off her bonnet with one hand as he reached for the ribbons. "I'll put him down. Bring me the bottle, will you?"

"Yes, ma'am." Something was very wrong, Nellie George thought. The Missus seemed distracted and her hair was tousled. Perhaps she and the Mister had pulled off the road for a tryst. It was a possibility but then, Sibella would be in a far better mood.

Sibella was heading for the stairs when Adam walked in and Noah began to cry out, "Papa! Papa!", stretching his arms out. "Down, momma, down! Want Papa!"

"Just like you men to stick together," Sibella said, putting down her son who ran, tumbling once, to his father's waiting arms.

"What can I say, he's my boy," Adam said, kissing his son's dark head. "How's my little man?"

"I make the child clean and presentable and he wants you." Sibella pulled off her leather gloves and waved them for emphasis. "That is the perfect example of why women need to bond together to protect ourselves and each other. We can't depend on men at all." And she continued up the stairs while Adam grinned after her. He did like to watch the sway of her skirts.