A/N Since I neglected to do so earlier...just a reminder that these characters don't belong to me, with the exception of the offspring our characters were never allowed on the series. Also, I know little to nothing about 19th century banking procedures and right now I have limited internet access with which to research, so I am completely winging it here.

Chapter Seven

"We'll be right with you, Mr. Bodkin," Matt called after the retreating banker. Kitty reached out and put her hand on his arm.

"Matt…." The stricken look on her face nearly broke his heart. "You don't think my father…?"

Matt pulled her and Maddy toward him, not caring that they were standing out on the street. "I don't know, honey. Try to stay calm until we find out what's going on, all right?"

Kitty looked into his eyes, holding onto the trust she had in him with everything she had, and nodded. "All right." Her father's hasty departure hurt, and it was frightening to think that he might have actually succeeded in stealing not only from her but her whole family, but Matt's presence was comforting. Whatever her father had done, she wasn't going to let it beat her down. She had too much pride for that.

"I doubt he could have done anything that can't be straightened out, Kitty," Matt said, more to reassure her than anything else. He hoped it was true. If not, he would start out after him as soon as he could get Kitty and the baby settled somewhere for the night and gather a few provisions. It wouldn't take him long to catch up with that stage.

Mr. Bodkin ushered them into his office, shaking Matt's hand and pulling a chair out for Kitty. His demeanor had changed since their conversation on the street and he seemed almost jovial by comparison. On every other occasion Kitty had done business with him, his manner had been nothing less than serious. In fact, the last time, when they took out the mortgage on the farm, he had been downright gruff, although that probably had something to do with the fact that Kitty was transferring all the money in her account out of Dodge City. He understood it was for Kitty's protection, but he certainly hadn't been pleased. It had been obvious that he considered Kitty's money to be Matt's money now that they were married and as such should have been used to buy the farm outright. It briefly crossed her mind that he thought she had gotten what she deserved for "not knowing her place" or even that he was in on whatever her father had done, but she quickly dismissed the latter thought. In spite of his attitude toward her, Mr. Bodkin was a professional and she had never known him to break the law. She sincerely hoped this wasn't his usual behavior when he was about to foreclose on someone's mortgage.

Bodkin took his seat and re-stacked the already neatly stacked papers on his desk. "Well, as I said earlier, it's a good thing I caught you before you got out of town," he began. "I wanted to be sure everything was in order before coming to you, and that's taken most of the day."

"Mr. Bodkin," Kitty said wearily, "I know this almost certainly has something to do with my father. I've got a tired and hungry baby here, so why don't you just say whatever it is you have to say so we can all go home. If we still have a home to go to, that is."

"If you still have-" A look of confusion crossed the banker's face. "Mrs. Dillon, I'm afraid you misunderstood. I'm terribly sorry if I gave you the wrong impression earlier. You haven't lost anything." He chuckled slightly and Kitty gave him a look of disgust. If only the man would quit beating around the bush. She looked at Matt and he read her thoughts once more. I haven't lost anything except my father. Again.

"All right, Bodkin," Matt said with an irritated sigh. "Kitty asked you and now I'm asking you. What's all this about?"

"Mr. Russell came in just after we opened this morning. He was quite insistent on knowing the details of the mortgage on your farm, even after I explained that we didn't give that sort of information to just anyone who asks for it. He seemed to think his being your father, Mrs. Dillon, gave him the right to the information."

"Huh!" Kitty muttered, shaking her head. "He would."

"Just settle down, Kitty," Matt said gently. "Go on, Mr. Bodkin."

"I told him to take that up with your husband," Bodkin continued. Kitty exhaled audibly at this, but clamped her mouth shut and said nothing. Matt reached over and put his hand on her shoulder.

"Is that all?" he asked.

"No, it isn't. Once I finally had him convinced I wasn't going to tell him anything about your financial situation he wrote out a draft on a New Orleans bank, handed it to me, and asked if that would cover it."

"You mean to tell me he tried to buy our mortgage?"

Kitty heard the anger in Matt's voice and put her hand on his arm to restrain him as he moved to rise from his chair. "Matt."

"No, Marshal, that's not what I'm telling you." Bodkin began to flip through the stack of papers, looking for the one he wanted.

"Mr. Bodkin!" Kitty snapped, her control finally having reached its limit. "What exactly are you telling us, and will you be doing it sometime tonight?" Maddy had never heard her mother raise her voice in that way before. Startled, she let out a wail that caused Kitty to give the banker a smoldering glare before turning her attention to the baby. She rocked the baby, cooing and whispering in what sounded like gibberish to the two men, until her cries had subsided to occasional whimpers.

"Well, then, Bodkin, what is it?" Matt asked with exaggerated patience.

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Dillon, Marshal." The man looked genuinely contrite. "I didn't mean to upset the baby. Here it is in a nutshell. It took nearly until the close of business this afternoon to verify the authenticity of the funds, but what it boils down to is that your father has paid off your mortgage, Mrs. Dillon, with a sizeable amount left over."

TBC