Chapter 10 – No More Secrets

"I thought she'd never leave," Belle told her twin as soon as their mother was gone.

"You have to tell them what you saw, Belle," Maudie proclaimed. "You can't keep hiding it."

"It's gonna get daddy in trouble!" was the distraught reply.

"But it's the truth, and why would it get daddy in trouble?"

Belle hesitated before she answered. "Because he shot the marshal."

"It was in self-defense," Maude countered.

"They're not gonna believe it."

"You have to tell them. If you don't, I will."

"Alright, alright, I'll tell momma after supper," Belle finally acquiesced. "But I still think she's not gonna believe me."

Belle was proven correct when she finally told her mother after supper. "Momma, Belle has something to tell you," Maudie blurted out, not waiting for Belle to start.

Doralice glanced at her oldest daughter. "Oh, she does?" She turned her attention to Belle. "You want to tell me something, Belle?"

"Momma, I . . . well, I want to tell you what I saw."

"Alright, I'm listening."

Several minutes of silence followed, before Belle finally blurted out, "Daddy shot the marshal."

"He couldn't have, Belle. You must be mistaken," Doralice was quick to respond.

"No, momma, I'm not. Daddy shot Marshal Cole, after the Marshal shot him."

"But how . . .?"

"I don't know. I just know that it was Daddy. I saw him drop the gun. Then he fell."

Doralice was all set to argue with her daughter when she stopped. "Will you tell that to your Uncle Bret tomorrow?"

"Do I have to?"

"Yes, you have to."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Alright, go on up and get ready for bed. I'll be up in a minute." The two girls hurried upstairs, while Doralice tried to determine if what Belle had told her could be true. Was it possible? Was that why she couldn't remember firing the shotgun? But how? Bart had already been hit by Cole's shotgun blast, how was he capable of picking up the shotgun and firing it? That gave her pause to think. Maybe he didn't have to pick it up. Maybe he had it in his hands, and all he had to do was pull the triggers. But she didn't remember seeing him holding it. And he couldn't have picked it up after he was shot. Her head was spinning and she was halfway up the stairs when she decided to leave it to Bret tomorrow and stop in to see how her husband was tonight.

She was surprised to find Bart awake, just staring out into space. "Hiya, gamblin' man. Looks like you're doin' some deep thinkin'." She sat down on his bed and took one of his hands in hers. "How's the shoulder feelin'?"

"Not too bad," he replied, hopeful that she wouldn't insist on his taking any more laudanum. "Putting the girls to bed?"

"Yes, even though they're too big for me to be doing that. I guess they'll always be my babies."

"Mine too, even after they get married and go off to make a new life for themselves. What's got you so worried? There's wrinkles in your forehead that weren't there yesterday."

"Bart, do you remember anything about the shooting? Anything at all?"

"Not much, blue-eyes. I remember Cole pounding on the door, something about I was under arrest, and then I opened the door and the next thing I knew I saw shotgun barrels and heard the gun go off. Then, nothin' but pain."

"Did you have our gun in your hands when you opened the door?"

"I ain't sure. Do you think I shot him?"

The blonde thought about it for a minute. "I don't know, baby. Bret's comin' back tomorrow morning. Maybe you'll remember by then." She tucked the blankets in around him and stood, then kissed him on the forehead. "Goodnight. Sweet dreams."

"Goodnight, blue eyes. I love you."

"I love you too, gamblin' man."

Doralice closed the door as she left and went down the hall to Maudie and Belle's bedroom. She could hear the girls giggling as she got close. "Alright you two, what's all the noise?"

Lily Beth came running from her sisters' room, and the giggling stopped. "What were you doing to that child?"

"Teasing her," Maudie answered.

"Tickling her," Belle replied.

"Well, neither one of those is nice. Time for bed, you two instigators."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Yes, momma."

"Momma, is Uncle Bret really comin' back tomorrow mornin'?" Maudie asked.

"Yes, he is. We'll get this all straightened out then."

"Goodnight, Momma."

"Night Maudie."

"Goodnight, Momma, I love you."

"Goodnight, Belle. I love you both very much."

Doralice leaned over and turned off the kerosene lamp, then closed the door. Fits of giggling broke out before she could get away and she opened the door back up. "No more giggling." All giggling instantly ceased, and Doralice made her way back downstairs. She pulled an afghan from the arm of the settee and laid down herself. She was so exhausted that she fell asleep almost immediately, and dreamt about Marshal Cole chasing her all night.

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