Til Death Do Us Part

by MissjudyK

This story has four sections and follows Adam as he begins a new life in Boston. He is engaged, working as an engineer and singing in a prestigious choir. Wedding plans move quickly when Ben sends news that he will be stopping for a visit. Nothing goes easy for the Cartwrights and this is no different. Adam and Ben still make a great team as they face new trials

2. Til Death Do Us Part - Part 2

Part II

Ado's, To-dos, Set-tos and General Mayhem

One

A Deal Too Good to Refuse

Adam dragged himself out of bed on Monday morning feeling much the same as he had the previous day. He'd done as Melinda suggested when he'd gotten home after the family dinner and had gone to bed. But there had been no rest as he'd resumed the activities of the night before, and had only fallen into a fitful sleep toward morning. Looking in the mirror while washing up he noted that his cheeks had a pink glow. He brought his arm to his forehead to confirm the fever to which his soaked sheets and red face already testified. "I don't have time for this," he crabbed.

Just the thought of putting on a wool suit coat made him sweat more, so he opted for a white shirt with rolled up sleeves and open collar. Although he normally took a quick walk next door to see Melinda each morning, they had gone over the plans before parting company yesterday. He was leaving for work early and this gave him a little extra time to make sure everything was set for his father's arrival.

On his way downstairs, Adam checked his mother's bedroom to make sure Mrs. McIntyre had removed the covers from the furniture and opened the windows to air it out. When he had stayed in this house during his college years, Adam had often gone into Elizabeth's room trying to imagine what his mother had been like by looking over the items she had collected. Abel had changed nothing in the room since his daughter's death, so her presence had remained frozen in time.

Since his return to Boston he hadn't cracked the door to her room until today. It wasn't that he'd found out all there was to know about her or that he cared less about her history. It was more that in those first five years, his grandfather had been able to help him see the parts of Elizabeth that lived on in her son. Finding his mother within himself had given him peace about what he had lost and he no longer needed to surround himself with her possessions to feel her presence. He was always aware that everything was still there behind the door if he needed them, but he was looking toward his future this time, rather than reflecting on his past.

Abel was already up and waiting for him at the table when he got downstairs. "Another rough night?" he asked his grandson.

Adam nodded as he looked dubiously at the platter of eggs and bacon. "I'm sorry if I disturbed you."

"You didn't. It's only that you still look a little green around the gills. I'd say you were seasick if we were actually at sea. Any idea what might be causing it?"

"I thought perhaps some bad crab from the other day, but now I'm not as sure. I'll be fine."

Sadie McIntyre entered the room carrying a pot of tea and a plate of toast that she placed in front of Adam. "Try this, dear. It might do well to settle your stomach. There's honey on the table. Use that in the tea and on the toast; honey can cure just about everything."

"Thank you, Sadie." The tea did go down easily and he chewed on a piece of toast as he contemplated the day ahead. Turning to his grandfather, Adam said, "Mike is stopping by in a few minutes to take me to work. That will leave the buggy at the livery for you and Pa.

"What time is he due to arrive?" Abel asked.

Adam smiled as he told him again, "Four this afternoon. He hoped to finish a few last things yesterday and if that happened, then he'll be here this morning. I was going to meet him at the station, but Pa said that since he isn't sure which train he'll be on, he'll get a cab and meet me here instead." He had told Abel this same information several times over the last few days, but one leftover from his grandfather's stroke was an occasional difficulty holding onto non-immediate dates and times. His grandfather hadn't been having problems with this recently, so Adam suspected that this bit of forgetfulness was spurred by Abel's excitement at seeing Ben again.

The tea and toast settled nicely into Adam's empty stomach and he was rewarded with a burst of energy. He used it to clean up his room and was ready by the time his coworker pulled up outside the house. Abel was still sipping coffee and perusing the paper as Adam gathered his hat and case. "I won't be home for lunch today but I'll come home early. I'm sure you and Pa have a few years to catch up on, so you won't miss me."

He poked his head into the kitchen where the housekeeper was busy mixing batter for the cake pans waiting on the cupboard. "Thanks for everything, Mrs. McIntyre. The house looks great and the tea was just the thing this morning."

Sadie blew a stray hair away from her face as she stopped stirring to wave goodbye. Adam knew she was counting strokes and wouldn't say anything that would break her concentration.

The morning passed so quickly that Adam didn't have time to think about the constant feeling of unease in his alimentary system. He managed to take a few sips of the chicken broth he'd picked up at the café next door, yet it was enough to leave him feeling a little better again as he settled in for an afternoon of figuring foundation specifications for a new project he was supervising. Lost in a world of equations, he didn't hear the whispers and excited chattering going on outside his office, and he was startled when he heard someone speak from the doorway.

"Might you be Adam Cartwright, the new young gun at this firm?"

A broad smile replaced the frown of concentration even before he looked up. He laid his pencil down and rose to greet his guest. "Pa! Welcome to Boston!" Father and son shook hands vigorously before ending their greeting in an embrace. "I wasn't expecting to see you here, but I'm glad you found your way over. Is Grandfather with you?"

"I got lost a few times on the way here, but I did better than I thought after all the years away. Abel said he preferred to rest for a bit. I suspect he thought you and I might like some time alone." Ben took a minute to look around Adam's office and gave his son a look of pride. "You're doing well for yourself. This is some office."

"It helps to know the owner."

Ben laid an arm around his son's shoulder. "Knowing how hard you work and the way you always throw yourself into any project, I'm sure Wadsworth knows that he's getting the better end of this deal."

Adam had his father sit in an overstuffed leather chair and then put him through a friendly cross examination about everything that was going on back home. It came as no surprise to hear that Little Joe was in love. His father also said that Hoss was working harder than ever on the ranch, and since Hop Sing still cooked for four, Hoss thought it was only right to eat for two rather than disappoint the cook. Ben's description of the goings on at home had Adam laughing appreciatively until the office clerk came to the door and interrupted.

"There's a Lloyd Samuels to see you, Mr. Cartwright. He says you're expecting him."

A look of anger crossed Adam's face as he told the young man to send Lloyd in.

Ben asked, "Would you like me to leave?"

"Please don't, Pa. This guy is married to Melinda's sister, and I just met him yesterday. He has some sort of business deal he's anxious to tell me about and wanted to stop today. I told him not to come, but we might as well give him a couple of minutes and get this over with. After that we'll go look at a few of the buildings I'm working on."

Lloyd practically drooled as he realized that Adam and his father were in the office. He shook hands with both men and dove into his reason for stopping by. "Gentlemen, I represent a syndicate of investors who are going to build a new warehouse along a section of the harbor that's being renovated. The owners have only one share left in this venture and are anxious to get moving. The warehouse space already has a lease, and the investors expect that they should double their outlay in a few years. It's a lucrative deal and I thought you would want in on it, Adam."

Ben asked, "How many investors are there?"

"That information is confidential, but there are enough that the building can be put up without securing a loan and they should be pulling a profit in no time."

"Where is this building?" Adam asked as he passed his father a skeptical look.

"It's going up on the site of the old McCarty building."

Adam's brows nearly met as he tried to keep from grinning. "I see. How much is this share and how soon would you need the money. You make it sound like these people are in a hurry."

Lloyd hemmed and hawed a bit, before saying, "Each share is $25,000. I know that's a lot but I was thinking you and your father could go halves on it. As far as how soon, they're ready to go and would expect the money immediately."

Ben laughed heartily. "How on earth do you think I could come up with that kind of money immediately?"

Adam added, "And I'm not sure why you think I'dhave that much set aside."

Lloyd sounded peevish as he replied, "I assumed that after what William said yesterday about your family being so wealthy that you'd have money available for a good deal when you saw one."

Ben looked at Lloyd incredulously. "I'm not sure who this William is or what you're referring to, but I assure you I don't part with money until I know all the facts, and you've given us very few. Further, any money I do have is in Nevada. I have nothing available here."

Adam explained, "William is Melinda's father, Pa. He cited an article yesterday from the New York Times written about the congressional investigation. It noted that you were in Washington testifying and that the Cartwright family has a large ranch. It also gave the impression that you are wealthy."

Turning his attention back to Lloyd, Adam continued, "I agree with my father. I asked you for the written details of this offering. I never invest without seeing a full disclosure of the terms. And even if this was something I'd be interested in, it could take a week or more to free up the money."

Lloyd began pacing the room, promoting the deal, not with more detailed information, just more volume. "How can either of you turn down an opportunity like this? You'd double your money in no time. No one walks away from that! No one! You can find the money. Any bank in Boston would loan you the cash based on your holdings back in Nevada. In fact I could recommend a bank for you. Why don't we go over there right now? Surely you won't let small details deter you from the chance of a lifetime!"

He could have understood disappointment or even anger at not making a quick sale, but Adam had no idea what was bothering Lloyd. The man looked frightened—like a cornered animal. When Adam looked over at his father, he saw a dumbfounded look similar to his own and knew it was time to bring this meeting to an end. "I know that we're going to be family soon, Lloyd and I don't want us to get off on the wrong foot. On the other hand, there is no way I'll invest in this. You can certainly approach me again should you have an opportunity where you're at liberty to share more information and aren't in such a hurry." When Lloyd began to protest, Adam cut him off. "I can't spend any more time on this. My father just got here and we are expected elsewhere." He extended his hand as he added, "Thank you again for entertaining me yesterday and give my regards to Miranda."

Lloyd turned without shaking Adam's hand. He stopped at the door, looked back and said, "You're going to regret not taking me up on this offer."

Once Lloyd was gone, Ben looked at his son, his mouth agape for a moment before he started to laugh. "He's going to be your brother-in-law? What's the rest of the family like?"

"Melinda's father is top notch. The sister I met is sweet and their mother is…opinionated. But I can deal with that. Lloyd made me uneasy yesterday when he first brought this up, and today, he seemed almost…"

"Desperate?" Ben suggested.

"That's exactly it! Melinda said that she suspects her sister and brother-in-law are having financial problems so that might be part of it. But there's more that doesn't add up."

"What's that, son?"

"The fact that he was so vague about the project and that there was no paperwork to support it. I honestly think he might be fabricating the whole thing."

Ben's eyes widened as he frowned. "I thought the details were sketchy, but what makes you think he's lying?"

Adam moved to the drawing table behind his desk and motioned for his father to follow. He paged through the stack of engineering drawings and pulled one from the pile, laying it out for Ben to see. "Lloyd said the group he represented was building on the McCarty site. What he doesn't know is that Wadsworth is putting up the building there. I'm working on a quote for it and have met with the owners. The site is unique because it has boat bays and a dry dock area that we can reconstruct, so it will house a shipbuilding enterprise owned by one of Boston's oldest families. I'm sure that it's all private money, Pa, but I'll check with Frank in the morning to make sure. I'd go see him right now, but he's away at meetings all day."

"I'm sorry to hear that. I was hoping to meet him, but I'm sure we'll have the opportunity to get together at some point. So what do you think is going on with Lloyd?"

"It could just be that he has the property name confused up with another place. There's a McHenry building, a McDermott building, and a McCarthy as well as McCarty building. On the other hand, he might not want investors to know where the money is really going. He's promising to double their cash, and people might jump at it if they don't check into the facts."

Two

Oh, Dear, What Can the Matter Be?

Adam and Ben spent the remainder of the afternoon touring the projects Adam was working on, including the one that Lloyd had mentioned.

While they drove, Ben did his own cross-examination, finding out about the non-work things that kept his son busy. He then turned the conversation toward family, asking whether Abel's health was truly as good as it seemed, and finally said, "When do I get to meet your fiancée?"

"This evening, Pa. I expect her to arrive around five."

"Have you two made your wedding plans yet? Abel told me that she's been gone a lot but is back for good now. I imagine she'll need some time to plan the affair."

It was hard to miss the wistful look in his father's eyes. "I think we can have it arranged in two weeks."

"That's not much time, son."

Adam laughed out loud. "Why, Pa, you aren't worried about your reputation, are you? Melinda's mother said the same thing and suggested that her friends would assume we needed to tie the knot in haste."

Ben was blushing. "You know very well what I mean! I want to know if you're really going to be able to have this wedding while I'm here. I would like very much to be present, but I don't want you or Melinda to feel rushed."

The two men pulled up outside Abel's house. Adam turned to his father once they were stopped. "We both want to get married while you're here. We were seriously considering that we might elope, but your visit provided the perfect opportunity to move quickly without anyone objecting."

"What are you planning?"

"We want to be married in Abel's back yard; it's where Melinda and I first met. Grandfather has a friend, Seth, a naval chaplain, who can perform the ceremony. I purchased a ring for Melinda shortly after I proposed and it's already waiting in my dresser, so I think I'm set." He chuckled before continuing. "The men have it easier when it comes to weddings, don't they? We let the women decide on the rest of the details." Adam saw the look on his father's face and asked, "What are you grinning about?"

"This move was good for you, son. Your last year in Nevada was a tough one, but now you seem…"

"I am, Pa." Adam set the brake and exited the buggy as he thought about the word that had gone unsaid. He truly was happy, but the Cartwright family didn't speak of happiness. They ascribed the words contentment or satisfaction to their decisions, yet never spoke of the feeling that might accompany such states of mind. So many tragedies had ended times of happiness within his family. It had gotten so bad that voicing their happiness had seemed to be an omen of doom. The word remained unspoken this time as well even though Adam was hopeful that the change of location might break the string of misfortunes that had shadowed him for his entire life. "I miss you and those crazy brothers of mine, but you're right, coming here did give me a fresh start."

It was half-past six and Melinda had not yet arrived home. Abel and Ben were reminiscing about their seafaring days, but Adam couldn't keep his mind on their conversation. It wasn't like Melinda to keep others waiting. She was always prompt and would have sent a messenger if she was going to be delayed for hours. He'd expected her at five. As six o'clock had rolled around he'd became concerned, and now fear had begun to raise the hair on the back of his neck.

Mrs. McIntyre appeared in the living area to ask, "Will Miss Hayworth be along shortly? I'm thinkin' the meat will be turning to shoe leather if it stays in the oven much longer."

Adam addressed the two older men, "Pa, why don't you and Grandfather have dinner. Since the rig is still outside, I'm going to take a ride to the publishing house and see what's keeping Melinda." He grabbed his hat and was headed to the door as Ben caught up to him.

"Would you like some company?"

"Thanks, Pa, but I might miss her on the way, and I would like you to be here if she arrives before I get back."

"What is going on here?" Melinda demanded loudly after she opened her eyes and realized that she was in unfamiliar surroundings. No one answered, so she shouted again and tried to remember what had happened prior to awakening in this place.

Lloyd had shown up at her office with a big smile and the "good news" that while he'd been promoting an investment to a school principal from nearby Auburndale, he'd mentioned Melinda's work with teachers. He said the principal had already heard of her method and was anxious to speak with her before he left for home. Melinda had suggested that her assistant go for her since she wanted to get home early, but Lloyd was adamant that the man would only speak to her. He'd finally convinced her by saying this gentleman had connections that might mean a lucrative deal for her if she would take a few minutes to have coffee with him.

She'd decided that she could meet briefly with Lloyd's contact, and be on her way to Abel's on time. Lloyd had driven her to the Parker House Hotel and had introduced her to a George something-or-other before leaving with the excuse that he had another client to see. She remembered thinking that George didn't look like those usually associated with a school system. He was a large man with an offset nose that had obviously been broken and left to heal badly, and he had the pitted and blue-veined complexion of a heavy drinker. Melinda recalled thinking that he looked more like a boxer than a teacher.

She and George had entered the hotel while she'd asked questions about the Auburndale schools, and had been caught off-guard when instead of heading to the dining room as Lloyd had said they would, George had shoved her toward two other men of similar appearance who were standing in the lobby. One of the newcomers had grabbed her around the waist, and pressed the blunt end of a short gun into her ribs. He'd told her to keep walking and stay quiet or he'd use it. The group had continued on through the lobby and out the back door to a waiting coach.

That was all she could remember until waking up a few minutes ago. Her head ached and she did recall something sweet-smelling being held over her mouth and nose. While she had no idea what chloroform was like, she had read of its use to render a character unconscious in a mystery novel not long ago, and assumed that's what had been used in this instance as well. Her head swirled with each movement and for a moment she thought she might vomit. As her stomach settled again, she yelled, "Is anyone here?"

There was a rustling outside the door as a key turned in the lock and a young woman stuck her head into the room. "You'd best be quiet. Make a ruckus and I'll have to knock you out again."

Tears welled in Melinda's eyes as she asked in a softer voice, "What's going on?"

The woman came nearer the cot. "All I know is that I gotta keep you quiet."

Melinda's stomach swirled again—this time it had nothing to do with her aching head. "Can you at least tell me where I am?"

"Nope. I'll get in trouble. Is there anything I can do for you, miss?"

Melinda tried to raise her arms but remembered that her hands and feet were tied to the frame of the bed. "You might loosen these ropes so I can sit up."

"That's the one thing I can't do, lady. You want some water, I can get that, but I can't do nothing more until Georgie comes back."

Melinda said she would like that, and used the time while the girl went for the water to take stock of where she was. She assumed that she was on the second floor of a building since she could see the canopy of a tree outside the dirty window. It was still light outside but the shadows in the room were greatly elongated, indicating that it was nearly dusk. When she listened, Melinda could hear the bell of a harbor buoy and the call of seagulls in the distance. The room she was in was bare except for the bed and a dresser, and was badly in need of cleaning and upkeep, but it was enough to convince Melinda that she was in a house rather than a factory or warehouse. Putting these pieces together, she suspected that she must be in one of the seedier neighborhoods near the harbor. There had been years of effort by the city to renovate these blighted blocks of houses, but there were still some pockets of buildings being used for brothels and gambling. After seeing the painted young woman who had come to assist her, Melinda was pretty sure she knew which kind of establishment this was.

The one thing she couldn't comprehend was the reason she was here. Surely Lloyd couldn't be involved in this. He was a quiet, mousy man who was married to her even quieter sister. They lived an ordinary life. He couldn't be a criminal or associated with them…at least she had never suspected that he could be. This had to be some kind of mistake.

She closed her eyes and thought of something that did make sense: Adam. Melinda knew for certain that Adam would look for her. The scars on his body attested to the fact that he would risk his own life if he needed to. Her only question was whether he could find her. None of this was comprehensible, but she was smart enough to figure out that her life was in jeopardy. There were stories about people in Boston who disappeared and were never seen again. She began to tremble with the awareness that she might become another missing-person statistic.

Adam was reaching for the door knob as a knock startled him. He opened the door to find a messenger with an envelope for him.

Ben was soon at his son's side. "Was that Melinda?" he asked hopefully.

"No, Pa, but it might be a message explaining why she's detained." Adam ripped the envelope apart as he walked to a lamp by the sofa. As he extracted the folded page, a gold chain slid out and fell to the floor. He picked it up and his heart began to pound as he recognized it as the necklace he'd given Melinda for Christmas twelve years ago. It was a simple gold chain bearing a small oval locket. There was no picture inside, just a tiny slip of paper bearing the words, "For love's sake only." He'd noted that she'd had it on when he'd met her in Sacramento and had wondered then if she always wore it. She'd told him recently that she'd had it on every day since he'd given it to her. He was momentarily at a loss to explain the significance of it being in with the note he'd just received, and was filled with dread as he realized the chain was snapped apart. He grasped it tightly as he opened the page accompanying it. The words were printed in block letters:

YOU HAVE 2 DAYS TO OBTAIN $25,000. THIS AMOUNT WILL SECURE THE RELEASE OF MELINDA HAYWORTH. FAILURE TO COMPLY WILL RESULT IN HER DEATH. WE WILL CONTACT YOU ON WEDNESDAY.

The paper drifted from Adam's hand as he dropped onto the sofa and breathed deeply to stem the nausea and dizziness that had overtaken him.

His father retrieved the note and sat next to his son as he read it and then slipped his arm around Adam's back and held him tightly. When he and Adam had spoken earlier about how good the move had been for him, Ben had thought that his son had managed to leave behind the sorrows that had plagued his family. Now he knew that wasn't true. They had followed him to Boston after all. He finally broke into Adam's daze. "Do you have any idea what this is about?"

Adam nodded. "Is there something in there that seems too coincidental, Pa?"

"The amount of the ransom. Isn't it the same as the price of the phony investment Lloyd was promoting earlier? I remember him saying that we'd be sorry for not giving him the money. Do you think he kidnapped Melinda just to get money from you?"

"Lloyd's a coward, Pa. He had to be drunk just to insult me yesterday. I don't think he'd have the guts to hold her, but I think he must be in this up to his neck. You said he sounded desperate. I think he saw us as his last hope to get a lot of cash and when we didn't give it to him, something went terribly wrong."

Adam shook off his miasma and headed upstairs without a word. Once in his room, he opened the top dresser drawer and removed a small velveteen box. The lid creaked on its tight hinges as he stared at the wedding ring inside. His equilibrium shifted as he thought of the possibility that the woman for whom he'd selected this might be mistreated. The waves of dizziness continued as held onto the dresser for support and whispered, "Melinda."

He willed himself to push the images aside and return to his mission. Lifting a stack of clean shirts from the open drawer, he exposed the familiar black leather of his holster. He hadn't worn his Colt since arriving in Boston, but it was wrapped in muslin next to the belt, oiled and ready to go. A box of bullets was tucked deeper in the drawer and he made quick work of loading six into the chambers and engaging the cylinder. With a handful of bullets stuck deep in his pocket, he glanced again at the ring box and hurried out of the room. He was buckling the gunbelt around his waist as he descended the stairs, and he smiled wryly as he saw his father similarly accessorized, waiting for him below.

Mrs. McIntyre was standing behind Abel with her hand on his shoulder; his hand resting atop hers. She told Adam, "I'll stay with Abel so don't you worry about him. Just find that beautiful lady of yours."

Abel added, "I'm not sure what I can do to help you, but I have some savings we can put toward the ransom, and the house is worth a little."

Adam went to his grandfather. "Thank you, sir. I'll try to let you know what's happening, but you and Mrs. McIntyre can help most right now by praying." He thought a moment and added, "I'll send a messenger with a note to update you if we can't get back. Please give him anything else that might be delivered here."

His voice was tinged with grief as Abel bid his grandson goodbye. "Godspeed, Adam. Have faith that this will end well."

Out on the dark, empty street, Adam swung the rig around in such a tight arc that it seemed to hover on the right set of wheels until it was turned and headed towards town.

Ben asked, "Where are we going first?"

"Lloyd's house. I'm pretty sure he'll be holed up there, pretending that there's nothing wrong."

Melinda had dozed off again after the woman brought the water, and she awoke in darkness. Awash in panic, she tried to pull her hands free and jerked at the ropes around her ankles until the pain forced her to stop and calm herself. She remembered where she was, and breathed deeply to stem her fear. She missed the light that had been drifting in the windows the last time she had awakened. Now there was only blackness, and the skittering of tiny feet across the floor beneath her. "Rats!" she said aloud and then shivered. "Chances are they really are rats, but I'll hope for mice."

Her eyes began to adjust to the dark, allowing her to see the outline of the door with a thin slit of light at the bottom. As she turned her head to look toward the window, something snagged in her hair making her heart rate double as she shrieked. Her first thought was that the rodents had made their way onto the cot. She laughed tightly as she figured out that there was no red-eyed, long-tailed menace gnawing on her. It was just her hat pulling her hair as the straw caught on the threads of the rough mattress. How incongruous, she thought. Here I am trussed up like a Thanksgiving turkey and I'm still wearing my hat.

She had read books with kidnapping plots, but none of those ever brought up the topics that were plaguing her now. She was thirsty again, her stomach was rumbling with hunger and she really needed to use the outhouse. "Maybe when I'm out of here, I'll write a step-by-step book on what to do when you've been kidnapped," she said softly to calm her nerves. "There sure aren't any texts out there about that." Trying to think of other things, she recalled an actual "how to" book she had seen.

Working at a scholastic publishing house, she reviewed texts on everything from historic dissertations to detailed descriptions of how to accomplish a task. One particular manuscript sent to her recently was a guide to "marital coupling," promoted by the author as being an instructional text for the newly married. Melinda's job was to gauge the educational merit of submissions before sending them on to the editor and publisher. With a first glance at the Proficiency of Marital Unions, she'd blushed, returned it to its brown envelope and set it under a stack of similar-looking packages. But after remembering something her aunt had told her, she opened it again and read through it, this time taking notes…before sending the book back with a letter telling the author that it wasn't suitable for their style of publishing. Those notes were locked in her desk at home awaiting her marriage and a time to share them with Adam.

Recalling the incident with the book sent her mind off in memories her of her aunt, Lynne. The woman was thought by her family to be odd, yet Melinda had never seen her do anything scandalous or even mildly questionable in all the years she'd spent with her. However, Melinda had discovered a box of letters when she was younger. She had always admired her aunt, and hadn't ever considered that she might have led a double life. The loves letters were from the man Lynne had wanted to marry—that had come after his marriage to another woman. He'd written that he'd been forced to marry a woman from a wealthy family, but that he would always love Lynne. Then he suggested that they meet in New York to spend time together with no one being the wiser. The rest of the letters had carried on a torrid written affair, and confirmed the yearly trysts with lurid details.

Melinda had been flabbergasted years before when Lynne had taken her aside before she'd left for college, and had told her not to ever let some stuffy, tightly-corseted old crone tell her that making love to a man was something she needed to "endure" as a wifely chore. Lynne had been having some memory problems by then, and every now and then she had shared these extremely personal thoughts. She had encouraged her niece to stay open to all possibilities after she married, and to enjoy the act of lovemaking with abandon as often as possible.

What bothered the young woman most about what Lynne had done was not the sin of adultery, but rather the betrayal involved. Melinda knew what it felt like to have the man she loved choose another woman to marry. Yet she wouldn't have agreed to such an arrangement with Adam. It wasn't because she wouldn't still love him, but she knew that she could never have brought the pain of betrayal to Laura or any other woman Adam might have married. Of course things had worked out for her where they hadn't for Lynne, and Melinda was left with a deep sadness for her aunt over the decisions she'd had to make.

Her circle of thought returned her to Adam as she grasped that the situation she was in might mean that she would never see him again—never marry him or experience making love with him. She ached for him and feared losing him more than dying. "No one is going to keep me from you," she screamed at the top of her lungs. "You hear me out there? No one."

She quieted as she heard the key turn the lock. A lamp held by the pitted-faced man from earlier brightened the room slightly as he entered and gruffly told her to "shut up," before he backed out the door again.

"Please, don't go just yet," she begged apologetically. "It's so dark in here. I was just afraid and am very uncomfortable. Could you send that girl back in to help me? I promise I won't be a problem."

He paused as if deciding what to do and finally grumbled, "I guess I can do that."

A few minutes later, the painted lady returned. She placed a lamp on the rickety dresser and asked, "Whadaya need?"

"I really need to sit up for a little while. My back hurts, and I need to relieve myself." Melinda was shaken when the woman turned and left the room with no further word. "Please!" she called after her. "Please help me."

Melinda's heart returned to a more normal rhythm when the woman reappeared carrying a chamber pot. "Georgie says I can untie you for a minute to stretch and…do your other thing, but then it's back on the cot."

"What's your name?" Melinda asked softly. "I want to thank you by name."

"Most call me Maxi."

Maxi worked the knots until the ropes fell and Melinda could sit up and swing her legs off the bed. "Thank you Maxi. That feels better." Georgie had locked both women in the room, so Melinda saw no problem in asking Maxi to turn around while she used the pot. With her wardens eyes averted, Melinda removed her hat and placed it on the dresser, but wove the long hatpin through the fabric of her dress inside a fold of material.

She quickly finished her task and allowed Maxi to turn around again. "Thank you, again. Would it be possible to have something to eat? I skipped lunch today thinking I'd be getting home early to meet my future father-in-law."

Maxi's voice took on a softer edge. "You engaged?"

Melinda noticed the change and decided to share some a little more with Maxi. The woman seemed gruff one moment, yet caring the next. "Yes, I am. He's a handsome guy I met many years ago. We lost touch, and I began to think that I would never see him again. But then I met him again a couple years ago and now we are finally together."

"Sounds like you went through a lot of trouble to get this man," Maxi said as she shook her head.

A wink accompanied Melinda's response. "Some men are worth a lot of trouble, Maxi. He gave me this when I first met him." Melinda reached for her necklace and gasped when she realized it was gone. "My necklace," she groaned, "it must have come off."

"That's too bad," Maxi said sincerely.

Melinda blinked back tears as she considered the loss of her necklace, knowing that it was the least of her worries and pressed on. She had a pretty good idea what Maxi did in this house, but proceeded as though she were just another woman with an ordinary life. "How about you, Maxi? Do you have a husband or beau?"

It was hard to see Maxi's expressions in the dim light, but Melinda heard the woman sigh before she responded, "I was engaged a year ago, but it didn't work out. He was one of them men who was just trouble, and not worth cryin' over when he left."

"I'm sorry," Melinda responded. "I don't know what I would do if I couldn't marry Adam. He's all I want and need, and I'm sure he's worried sick right now."

The conversation ended abruptly as Maxi knocked on the door to be let out. She turned back to Melinda. "I'll see what I can do about something to eat."

When George stuck his head in to make sure that everything was all right before opening the door completely, he told Maxi to tie Melinda up again. "Aw, she can't do nothin'. I'm just getting her some food and you can sit outside the door until I get back. It's not like she's gonna break outta here and we're up too high for her to jump, so let her loose until she's finished eatin'."

Three

Weasels Are Not Members of the Rat Family-Although They Might Act That Way

Adam handed the reins to his father as they slowed at the Samuels's house and jumped out without waiting for the buggy to stop. There was a lamp glowing in an upstairs room, but the lower level was dark. He pounded on the door, making the nearby windows rattle with the force. When no one came, Adam yelled, "Open this door, Lloyd, or I'll break it down."

Ben made it to the porch and took over the pounding while Adam went to the windows. He cupped his hands against the glass and could see the shadow of someone with a lit cigar standing in the far corner of the room. "I can see you in there, Lloyd. Open the door."

It seemed to take forever before there was a click as the lock turned and Lloyd swung the door open. "I'm sorry, Adam. I didn't know who was out here shouting, and was afraid at first. I thought you were a thief."

Adam snorted derisively, but wasted no time playing Lloyd's game. "Where's Melinda?" When Lloyd did not reply, Adam grabbed the lapels of his robe shoving him into the house and up against the wall. "I'll ask you again; where's Melinda."

Ben touched his son's shoulder as he nodded his head in the direction of the stairway, saying, "Adam…"

Miranda was halfway down the steps. The glow of the lamp she held illuminated her wide eyes and gaping mouth. She found her voice to gasp, "What are you doing to my husband?"

Lloyd admitted nothing, but said quietly, "She has nothing to do with this. Please don't involve her."

Adam continued to hold Lloyd against the wall as he replied in a menacing voice. "That's the problem with lies and games, Lloyd, they always draw the innocent in. I'm sure that whatever trouble you're in had nothing to do with Melinda, and yet she's in the middle of it." He turned to Miranda as he loosened his grip on her husband. "I'm sorry to have frightened you, but your sister has been kidnapped."

"Oh!" she cried. "Are you sure?"

Ben explained, "We received a ransom note about an hour ago."

Miranda made her way down the steps, sank into a chair and addressed Adam as she pointed to Ben. "Is this your father, Adam?"

"Yes. I'm sorry we don't have time for pleasantries, but we have to find out what Lloyd knows about Melinda's disappearance.

Her face was a blank stare. "What does Melinda's kidnapping have to do with Lloyd? Surely you don't think he's involved!"

"Unfortunately I do." Adam turned again to Lloyd and said, "You need to tell us what you know about this now!"

Miranda was on her feet again and walked toward her husband insinuating herself between him and his accuser. "Stop badgering him, Adam." She turned to face Lloyd, "You don't know anything about this, do you, dear?"

Ben broke in, "Let's light some lamps and sit down. We'll go through this rationally." He came to stand at Adam's side and addressed Lloyd. "But we want the truth, or as you told us earlier today, 'you'll regret it.'"

With more lamps lit, Adam could see the panic on Lloyd's face, and suggested they untie the heavy drapes to cover the windows. There was something going on here that shook Adam to the core, and he felt more secure once he knew that they weren't being observed by someone standing outside. He pulled a footstool in front of Lloyd and sat facing him. "Start at the beginning and don't stop until I tell you to."

"This is very good, Maxi," Melinda said between bites of the dry bread slathered with bacon grease. She followed that with a large swig of milk. This wasn't food she was used to eating but at that moment it was ambrosia. "Is Maxi a nickname for Maxine?"

Maxi remained standing, leaning on the dresser since there was no other chair in the room. "Maxine Wilhelmina…" she stopped short of revealing her last name. "I've always been called Maxi or Willy."

Melinda chuckled knowingly. "My name is Melinda, and I've known the same problem. My sisters always called me Mel…and when they really wanted to make me mad, they called me Melvin." She won a smile from her captor for that admission. "You know, the way you're leaning on that dresser reminds me of my fiancé. He leans on everything, even himself."

Maxi gave Melinda a questioning look. "How's he lean on himself?"

"Like this." Melinda placed her plate on the bed next to her and stood, crossing her arms over her chest and leaned back against her hip.

"He got somethin' wrong with him, like a bad back," Maxi inquired.

"No, he's fine in every way that I can tell," Melinda blushed as she sighed and lost her focus for a moment, "but he's done that as long as I've known him. He lives with his grandfather and I've seen the older man do it too. Maybe it's a family trait."

A pound on the door broke into the conversation. "You two almost done in there?" it was George's voice. "You gotta get back downstairs, Maxi, it's getting busy."

Melinda shoved the last of the bread into her mouth and drained her glass. "What kind of accent does he have?" she asked as she nodded toward the door.

"Italian. Listen Mel, I have to tie you up now, but I'll leave enough length on the arm rope so's you can get off your back a little."

Melinda said, "Thank you," and meant it. Yet as she felt the ropes being slipped around her ankles, she began to cry. She sniffed and asked, "Maxi, what time is it? Since it got dark, I have no idea whether it's eight at night or two in the morning. I guess it doesn't matter, but I'm worried about Adam. He was sick yesterday and I wonder if he's feeling any better. It won't help if he's beside himself wondering what's happened to me."

Maxi pulled the last of the ropes tight as she answered. "It's nearly ten and I'm sure that by this time your man knows what's happened. It'll be up to him to figure out what to do about it."

"What does he know, Maxi?" Melinda pled, "What's this all about?"

"For being a smart lookin' lady, you don't know much about this world do you? You're being held for ransom, Melinda, and with these guys involved, it's big."

"I'm a teacher who writes textbooks and Adam is an engineer. We aren't rich and I can't believe he's involved with these men."

Maxi touched Melinda's shoulder. "Doesn't matter who started this, sweetie. It all comes down to who has ta finish it. These people only care about the money, and they must think your man has some." She checked her knots a last time before adding, "I'll leave the lamp here so it won't seem so dark, and come back to check on ya after I'm done for the night. Try to sleep. The time goes faster if you can sleep."

Melinda thought about Maxi's words. Yesterday seemed a million years ago as she tried to recall all that had been said throughout the day with her family. When they'd been alone, her sister had mentioned that she and Lloyd were having money problems, but she hadn't made it sound like it was serious. Yet it was Lloyd who'd delivered her to these people. Maybe he had been duped. She had never disliked her brother-in-law, but she couldn't see what her sister saw in him either. He always seemed shifty, and hung on the fringes of family get-togethers looking furtive.

And suddenly the fog began to lift.

She recalled that her father had told her that one of the reasons he had to sell their home was that they had lost a lot of their savings to a "bad investment." He'd even said that he could have made it through the tough times with his business if he hadn't lost the other money. William had never said outright that Lloyd had lost their money, but she knew that her father had given him some to invest as a good-faith gesture after Lloyd and Miranda had married. At the time her parents settled in Boston, she'd mentioned that Lloyd had asked her to invest in a sure thing. She'd asked her father what he thought about it and he'd become outraged. He'd actually said, "Stay away from any business with that man, Melinda. Even if there was a good deal out there, Lloyd wouldn't know it from a hole in the ground."

Melinda had been looking at her brother-in-law during dinner yesterday and saw his reaction when her father brought up the article about Adam's family. Lloyd's eyes had bugged out and he'd grinned like a cat with its paw on a mouse's tail when he'd heard the part about them having money.

She shuddered as she remembered how Lloyd had pressed his case for her to meet the "principal." She had finally given in when he'd become peevish about her unwillingness to follow through on the opportunity he'd arranged for her, suspecting that he might expect a "finder's fee" if she managed to broker a deal.

She guessed the truth and understood why Lloyd had seemed so jittery at the hotel. He had to be in some serious money trouble and was the one, as Maxi had put it, who had started this. Obviously he saw Adam as the person who could finish it…and she was the insurance.

Her initial anger was exceeded by sadness as she considered the questions she would ask Lloyd if he were here now. What kind of a man would allow this…no that wasn't right…he didn't allow it, he must have arranged it. How could he know that others would be able to raise the money to pay the ransom? She and Adam hadn't spoken about their finances in great detail. Her book royalties and job had allowed her to live without money woes, yet she had no other assets except the house she'd inherited. Adam lived simply. He had a good job, what he owned was top quality, and he didn't skimp when it came to getting what he wanted. However, that didn't mean he had "money." Wealth was an ambiguous term. Adam had mentioned once that he still had to liquidate several investments in Nevada. She'd had no desire to know whether the sum recovered would be substantial or a pittance. They had what they needed to live on and the rest hadn't seemed important. Now she supposed it was important and felt sick about it. Even if Adam or his family had money, they shouldn't be coerced into giving it away—not for a cowardly weasel like Lloyd.

Her thoughts returned to her brother-in-law. What did he think would happen if Adam was unable to pay? And was he naive enough to think that these people would let her go even if the ransom was paid…or didn't that matter either as long as it didn't affect him?

All this thinking was getting her nowhere, so she decided to do as Maxine had suggested and try to sleep. She smiled sadly as she turned onto her side and realized that Maxi had honored her word. The ropes had enough length that she could get comfortable, without being long enough to get her hands together to undo the knots. Her tears began again as she gave thanks for the honor of a brothel woman, cursed the dishonesty of someone she should have been able to trust, and clung to the love of one man who might find a way to save her.

"Why was Melinda kidnapped?" Adam demanded. Lloyd remained mute so Adam drew his Colt and pointed it at his chest. "I'll figure this out with or without you. But if you aren't going to be helpful, there's no reason to keep you around."

Miranda gasped and started to rise, but Ben took her hand and pulled her back onto the settee. He'd positioned himself next to her to make sure she didn't interfere. As she sat again, he leaned to speak quietly in her ear. "Trust Adam. He only wants the truth."

There were streams of sweat pouring down Lloyd's temples. His face contorted as if he was in pain and he exhaled loudly before he finally said, "Put your gun down. I'll tell you about it."

When a few more moments passed with no further comment, Adam poked the gun into Lloyd's chest again and said, "I'll put this away once you start talking."

Lloyd moaned as he threw his head back. With another deep breath, he began, "I honestly don't know how it got this far."

Adam was impatient. "I don't want excuses; I want to know what happened."

The flood gates opened. "My business hasn't been going well…for a few years already. I've lost a lot of money in…um…investments and while people weren't happy to lose their savings, they all understood that there was risk involved." He looked toward his wife. "Even Miranda's parents lost money, but they realized that things that can go wrong in such ventures."

Trying to speed up the story, Adam agreed. "I get it. What's that got to do with Melinda's kidnapping?"

"I promoted a deal to someone about six months back. It didn't go well, and this guy threatened to kill me if I didn't pay the money back. In fact, he wants the original investment, plus the interest I promised he'd make."

"How much in all?" Ben asked.

"Twenty-five thousand dollars." Lloyd began to cry. "This has never happened to me before, and I was afraid and thought that they might harm Miranda. I was at the end of my rope with this guy and then William mentioned yesterday about how you Cartwrights have a lot of money and I saw a way out."

Adam gave Lloyd a caustic look, "So instead of just asking me for help or telling me what was going on, you went to this person today and told him you'd get the money from us, right?" Lloyd nodded. "And when we didn't jump at your deal, you needed to give us some incentive? Tell me, who's idea was it to take Melinda for a ransom? His…or yours?"

Lloyd said nothing, but Adam already knew the answer. He stood and pulled Lloyd to his feet until they were nose-to-nose. "This person wouldn't have known about Melinda unless you told him, would he?" He shoved him back down into his chair. "Where is she, you worthless pile of horse s…" He stopped short as his father came to his side again.

Ben and Adam glared at Lloyd as he cowered in the chair. "I told him that if we'd hold onto Melinda, you'd get the money without a second thought. Anyone can see how much you care for her." Lloyd grinned strangely, as if his next statement would put all doubt to rest, "She's not being harmed."

"How do you know that?" Ben asked incredulously.

"I took her to a hotel where this guy had someone meet us. He said that they'd put her in a nice room and keep an eye on her until you got the ransom money." A glimmer of hope came to Lloyd's eyes as he added, "I even got you enough time to get the money since you said it might take a few days."

"We said it might take a few weeks, you idiot," Adam shouted. "And what makes you think that a man who threatened to harm you and your wife would treat your sister-in-law any better?"

Lloyd shriveled under Adam's sharp stare. "He promised."

Adam groaned as he realized the level of lunacy he was dealing with. He was hit with a wave of nausea and stomach cramps that made him crumple to the ottoman in pain. The illness he'd experienced the last two days had begun to worsen back at his grandfather's house and was now striking with a vengeance.

As Ben saw to his son, Miranda came to her husband and ordered, "Stand up!" He complied. "You're going to get dressed and take Adam and his father to the hotel where you dropped my sister. You better pray that she's unharmed like this man 'promised.' I'll grab your clothes from upstairs because I don't want you leaving this room. You might try to crawl away."

She turned to leave and then looked back at her husband and stared him down. "Let me see if I understand this correctly before I go. You took money from my parents and lost that, leaving them nearly destitute. You have continued to lose money that you got from other people, including someone who wants to harm us if he doesn't get it back."

She shook her head. "Why did you keep taking money if what you were doing wasn't working? And as Adam said, once you knew that you were in trouble, why weren't you man enough to tell us what was happening? Instead, you tried to get money from the Cartwrights—people you just met—and then told someone that it was all right to take my sister when that little scheme didn't go as planned?" The pitch of her voice was rising to a screech as she finished, "I would rather he had killed both of us than to harm Melinda. I might be innocent in this mess, but at least I'd be paying the price for being married to a weasel like you! Melinda and the Cartwrights have no part in this." The slap she laid across his cheek resounded in the quiet room before she headed upstairs.

Lloyd tried to leave the room, but Ben withdrew his gun. "I think you best sit back down."

While his father stood watch, Adam stumbled out the back door like a drunken sailor and tried to stem the recurring effects of the illness by breathing in the cool night air. The pain hit him again as he thought of Melinda being held captive. She was a smart woman, but she had no experience with anything like this. Looking up at a sky that was awash in glimmering stars, he mouthed a silent prayer to the creator of the celestial wonder above him. "Watch over Melinda; protect her and keep her from harm. Please give me the wisdom and strength to find her. Do with me as you choose once she's safe, but please, let me get through this first."

The dizziness began to ease after Adam expelled the bile from his stomach onto the dirt at his feet. He sighed wearily as he sat on the porch step and cradled his feverish head in his hands. An odd sense of peace washed over him as he remembered that his father was with him. The discomfort he'd first felt with his illness was becoming pain that was deep and raw. At times it felt like he had swallowed a heated branding iron that was burning its way through his gut. Yet it wasn't the pain that he feared, or even that something was so seriously wrong that he might not recover from it. His greatest fear was that whatever was happening might incapacitate him before he finished the search. In this uncertainty there was peace that no matter what happened to him, his father would continue what the two of them had started, and he would find Melinda. He added to his prayer as he gave thanks for having a father like Ben Cartwright.

Ben stuck his head out the back door. "He's ready, son; we should figure out what we're going to do next."

He chose not to comment on how tired his son looked as he passed by on the way inside. Abel had mentioned that Adam had been ill and from what Ben could see, it hadn't abated. He also knew that no matter how sick his son became, Adam would go on.

A memory of finding Adam in the desert jabbed at Ben's heart. His son had been starved and tortured by a madman, yet Adam had tried to bring Kane with him when there was no other choice but to trek out of the desert on foot. When Ben and the boys had found Adam after two weeks of searching, he was exhausted to a point where he seemed only marginally more alive than the corpse he was pulling. The recovery from that experience had taken time and Ben had feared that Adam would be a lesser man. He should have known better. The ordeal served to make Adam stronger and more determined. His son never backed down and since that ordeal, he seemed even more focused when times were the hardest.

Yet this situation was different. It wasn't Adam's life that was at stake. He and Melinda had been drawn into something they had no part in, and Adam was stabbing in the dark to figure out what had actually happened and where to go next. He had put some pieces together quickly, yet he was still a newcomer to Boston and that disadvantaged him. And the sickening thought chilled Ben that no matter what either of them did to find Melinda, the people who had her might not allow her to live even if a ransom was paid. They needed to find out where she was being held if they wanted a chance to save her.

All they could do was to follow the leads they might find. There was nothing to do except take another step so he shook off his uneasiness and joined his son.

Ben and Adam decided to send Miranda by cab to her parent's apartment for the night. She agreed to explain what was happening and bring them in the morning to stay at Melinda's house until the kidnapping was resolved.

This seemed the best solution because it centralized the group of people who would need to be contacted with information. It was a lot to ask of his grandfather, but Adam would send word to him letting him know what was happening. Abel might be older and have a few health issues, but at this point, he was the one person Adam trusted to help William keep Margaret in check. Miranda was still seething at discovering her husband's secrets and would be a powerful force as well—until the shock wore off and she fully understood the betrayal.

Despite the upheaval in Miranda's life, and Margaret's less than perfect understanding of her daughter, Adam knew that once Melinda was rescued, she would appreciate that her mother and sister would be there for her.

After Miranda was on her way, Ben and Adam stuck Lloyd between them in the buggy and set off for the Parker House Hotel. They arrived just before eleven and entered the lavish lobby.

Adam directed the group to the front desk where he addressed the clerk. "We need to know whether there's a Lorenzo Grifasi or a George Salvatore registered here." He'd managed to extract those names from Lloyd on the drive over.

The young clerk quickly responded that neither of them were in residence.

Ben spoke up, "Are there any rooms registered to young women?"

"Not that I know of sir. We have a group of lawyers staying here now, and only a few of them have their wives along, so there aren't many women here at all. But I just came on duty. Let me ask the clerk who was on all evening." He disappeared through a door camouflaged by the wood paneling at the rear of the desk area and came back with another young man.

"I'm Zeke Palmer," he told the three men. "I've been here since mid-afternoon. Mark says you have a question about someone who might be staying here?"

Adam answered, "A woman was dropped here this afternoon, and we believe that she might be staying here. However, the room could be registered in a different name."

Zeke shot Adam a wary look. "I'm not sure I should be giving out information about our guests. But I will say that we do have one room registered to a woman. What is the name of the person you're looking for?"

"Melinda Hayworth." Adam said through gritted teeth, knowing in his heart that she was not resting comfortably in a room upstairs as Lloyd had promised.

The young man's eyes brightened as he exclaimed, "Oh, then it was her!"

Adam leaned over the counter, nearly grabbing the clerk's jacket. "What do you mean that it was her? Is she here?" Adam was afraid to believe that this would end so easily. His fears were justified.

"No, she's not staying here. But shortly after I came on duty this afternoon, I saw someone I thought looked like Melinda walking through the lobby. My family owns this hotel and our house was next to the Warnimonts, where Melinda was the governess. I used to play at Nate's house all the time and she would often be in charge of us. When I saw the person I thought was Melinda, I called her name, but she kept walking, so I figured it wasn't her."

"Who was she with?" It was Ben's question.

"She came in with one man. I've seen him here before…a George something. He's kind of a rough character and that's what made me think it probably wasn't Melinda. They met up with two other guys and I got busy about that time and didn't pay much attention to what they were doing. I think they left out the back. I remember thinking that something didn't seem right. They were in a hurry and kind of pushing the woman along, but she didn't say anything so I didn't interfere."

Adam asked, "Can you tell us anything more about the men she was with?"

"Sorry, no. The only thing I know is that I once saw the one named George tagging along with Lorenzo Grifasi. Grifasi's a wealthy businessman who's held some very nice parties here. He seems like a nice enough fellow, too." He thought a moment and added, "Is Melinda in trouble?"

Ben said, "Thank you," and hurried to catch up to Adam, who had left before the clerk finished speaking.

Adam had a tight hold on Lloyd's arm while steering him to the door. "Maybe it's time we go see your friend, Lorenzo."

Lloyd wrenched free of Adam's grip as he cowered. "We can't do that. If we show up there without the money...well I'm not sure what he'd do. He was very clear that I shouldn't return. He said he'd be in touch when he wanted to see me again."

"What kind of a person did you get mixed up with? The kid at the desk says he's an affable businessman who has money. Do you know anything more about him?"

The trembling man looked at his feet and shook his head.

Ben inquired, "Where to next, son? It's getting late. Should we go back to Abel's and start fresh in the morning?"

A small smile stole across Adam's face. "We're not out West, Pa. We don't have to stop because we can't see the tracks in the dark. There's someone who might be able to help us and I know that he doesn't sleep much. He'll see us even if it is late." Although he'd decided what his next move would be, he hadn't considered that his father might not be up to an all-night trek, and said kindly, "I can do this on my own, Pa. Why don't you head to Grandfather's and we'll meet up again in the morning."

Ben sent his child a scathing look. "I'm not that old, boy." He smiled then. "I wouldn't leave you no matter how tired I am. I want to see Melinda safe just as much as you do. The circumstances are dire, Adam, but I have to say that we still make a good team. Where to next?"

Melinda's arms locked around Adam's neck as she drew him to her in a kiss. "I knew you'd come," she whispered as she eased him down onto the cot next to her. With her head resting on his chest she could hear his heart beating steady and true just as it had a few days ago in Abel's parlor.

She was suddenly crying out as she was pulled away from him. "No!" she screamed as she fought to hold on. But as she focused, she saw that she was holding Maxi's hands, not Adam's, and everything became unbearably clear again.

"You were talking in your sleep, Melinda," Maxi explained as she stroked her hair. "You kept saying Adam's name and I hated to wake you, but I thought you might need to stretch a bit before I go to bed." She began untying the knots as Melinda composed herself.

"I dreamed that he came," she said softly. "He was here next to me and I could feel his heart beating. It was so…real." The tears rolled down her cheeks as she sat up and wiped them away with the back of her hand.

"I figured it was something like that." Maxi helped her stand. "You probably should use the chamber pot too. I have to sleep for a while now and no one else will be coming in to help you. I'll bring you something to eat when I get up."

"What time is it now?" Melinda asked as she looked out the window at the black night outside.

"Around one. It was a slow night, so I'm getting to bed early. I usually don't sleep long, so you'll see me in the morning. Just stay quiet. You won't bring any trouble on yourself that way. I promise I'll be back to take care of you." Maxi quieted for a moment and then reiterated her thought. "Just remember what I said, Melinda. You keep still and they'll not think about you. Make a fuss and they'll be reminded that there's a pretty woman in here and…"

Melinda reeled for a moment as she considered what more "trouble" she could possibly bring upon herself. She had no notion of what the kidnappers were capable of doing, but Maxi's final warning had implied that they might find other ways to exact payment from her. That frightened her more than the fact that they probably didn't leave witnesses alive to tell tales. Her heart was beating so loudly that Melinda was sure Maxi could hear it, but she finally managed to say, "Thank you Maxine. You've been very kind and I appreciate it."

As Maxi turned away for privacy, she changed the subject. "When was your wedding planned for?"

Her mouth went dry at the verb tense Maxi had chosen. Melinda wondered if it was a grammar error or Maxi's surety that it wouldn't take place. She answered truthfully even though her words came out sounding like her tongue had turned to wood. "A week from Saturday." As she controlled her fear again, she added, "Adam's father is visiting so we are going to be married while he's here. You may have noticed that I'm not a young bride, so I don't want a big wedding. All I want is Adam next to me, and a preacher to say the words."

"You never been married before?" Maxi asked.

"No. It took a long time for things to work out so that we could be together, but I would have waited forever for him."

Maxi turned back to face Melinda. "He feel the same about you?"

"Yes. I have no doubt about that."

"Must be nice…I mean to love each other like that. For me, love has always been one-sided. I do the lovin', the guy takes what he wants and then moves on with nary a thought." She led Melinda back to the cot and retied the ropes. As she neared the door she looked back and smiled. "Sweet dreams, Melinda."

Four

Friends in High Places

Lamps were glowing in the downstairs windows as Adam drove the carriage up the long driveway to the Wadsworth estate. The windows he was most interested in were the ones in Frank Senior's study at the far left, and Adam breathed with relief to see the room brightly lit.

Ben observed the mansion up ahead, and said, "When you came home from school, you told me that the Wadsworth family had a 'nice' house. I'd say this is a little more than nice."

"What was I supposed to say, Pa, that it was the biggest estate in Boston? As I recall you were already thinking I'd gotten a little too big for my britches while I was away. And I didn't lie about it, did I? It is nice."

"You've got me there. Do you think we'll have to wake them?"

Adam pointed to the far set of windows. "Frank's in that room, and from the looks of it he's probably in the middle of something he can't put down. Marian, Frank's wife, complains that he stays up half the night, and that means she stays up worrying about him. It's just his way…kind of like you, Pa. He can't sleep either when there's something on his mind."

As they completed the drive to the house, Adam turned to Lloyd. "I need to know something. Did you really think you could pull this off without us figuring out that you were involved? Are you that stupid or did you think that we were?"

He shrugged. "Guess I didn't really think it through. It's just I talk a lot when I'm nervous and I must have mentioned that you were going to marry my sister-in-law, and that your family had money. When I went back yesterday and said you didn't fall for my pitch, they told me what I had to do."

"Just what did you have to do?" Adam asked with contempt.

"I already told you."

"Tell us again." Ben demanded.

"I had to convince Melinda to come with me to the Parker House. I told her a story about how I'd met a guy who wanted to buy her books, then I dropped her off there and went home. I was supposed to lay low and act surprised if you told me about her being missing. I think that asking for the same amount that I told you I needed for that investment led you to me."

"That's a shame. You really have had a rough time." Adam gave Lloyd a hateful look as he pulled him from the rig and shoved him toward the front of the house.

The door opened before they got to it. "Welcome, Mr. Cartwright." The butler escorted them inside. "I heard the carriage coming up the drive and wondered who might be arriving at this hour."

"I'm sorry to impose, Walter, but we need to speak to Mr. Wadsworth," Adam said apologetically.

Walter waved the apology aside. "You aren't the first person to arrive at this hour to see the master of this house, and I'm sure you won't be the last. Wait here while I announce you."

Within minutes they were being led down a long hallway and through the double doors of the study. Frank had a worried look as he greeted Adam. "Is everything all right, son? I was shocked when Walter told me who was here." He looked with interest at the two men standing behind Adam. "You've brought others along, so I'm assuming something is wrong."

Adam gave Lloyd a deadly stare and pointed to a chair off to the side of the room, and ordered, "Sit!" He spoke next to his boss. "Frank Wadsworth, this is my father, Ben Cartwright."

Frank's face brightened as he grasped Ben's hand. "What a delight to finally meet you. Since Adam speaks so often of you, I feel I already know you. When I heard you were coming to Boston, I made him promise to bring you out here." He laughed, "I just didn't expect that he would do it at midnight."

"It's a pleasure to meet you too," Ben replied. "Adam has always spoken of you with great admiration, Mr. Wadsworth." Frank acknowledged the compliment with a nod as Ben continued, "I met your son, Frankie, when we were in San Francisco. He traveled to the Ponderosa a few times as well. He's a wonderful young man."

"First off, how about you call me Frank, and I'll call you Ben? I've never liked the formality of last names. Adam calls me Mr. Wadsworth at work, but we're on a first name basis at the house," Frank gave Adam a pat on the shoulder, "Aren't we, son?"

Wadsworth looked questioningly at Lloyd and then back at Ben and Adam, indicated chairs for them and went to sit behind his desk. "So what brings you here, Adam? I'm sure it's not a social call, so you best tell me about it."

"Melinda has been kidnapped."

Frank gave no indication of his shock other than to draw a deep breath as he closed his eyes. "I'm so sorry." He looked at Ben. "Have you met Melinda?"

Ben replied, "Not yet. We were expecting her this evening when the kidnapper's note arrived."

Frank turned his attention to Adam. "Tell me what you know."

Pointing back to Lloyd with his thumb, Adam explained. "That's Lloyd Samuels; he's married to Melinda's sister. Lloyd finds investment opportunities and promotes them, but it seems he's been having a string of bad luck and took money from a man named Lorenzo Grifasi. When the deal went bad, Grifasi demanded his money back and threatened to kill him when he couldn't come up with it. I just met Lloyd yesterday, but he got the impression that I had money and tried to broker a bogus deal with me and my father to get the payment. When we refused to invest, he and Grifasi hatched a plot to get the money in a more creative manner. Lloyd dropped Melinda off at the Palmer House and assumed Grifasi's men would hold her there. Of course they didn't."

"I know Lorenzo," Frank contemplated. "In fact I've done business with him. He's from Sicily but he's been in Boston for over twenty years. I've heard some bad things about a group of Sicilian 'businessmen' lately, but I don't think Grifasi is part of that. He's a legitimate player in Boston's business community." Frank told Lloyd to come closer, then looked at Adam and said, "I suspect this man is lying to you, Adam."

Lloyd looked bewildered. "That's not true. It was their idea to kidnap Melinda when I didn't get the money."

Frank rolled his eyes disgustedly. "I suspect you're lying about the first part of this story—the part where you lost the investment. Men like Grifasi lose money all the time. In fact one of the business ventures I was in with him went bad and we all lost a few thousand dollars. It happens. Lorenzo didn't complain then. In fact he seemed to have a good perspective about how he gains more than he loses."

"But you're rich. He wouldn't say anything to you," Lloyd sniveled.

"That's true, but the man who sold us all on the idea wasn't rich and nothing bad came to him. If you were promoting as big deal as you say you were, then you would have lost money from a lot of people. Why aren't they all upset? Tell us the truth. I need to know what really happened before I can advise Adam on what to do."

Adam stood next to Lloyd. "He's right. You tell us now or we'll take you to Grifasi and let him do what he wants to with you."

Frank prodded, "What did you invest his money in? I've only heard of a few projects doing badly of late."

"That's interesting," Ben interjected, "Lloyd told us that he's been making a lot of bad calls. It seems like he's lost money on everything he's promoted." Ben gave Frank a knowing look. "That just seems unrealistic, doesn't it?"

Grasping Lloyd's shoulders firmly, Adam repeated his demand. "Tell us what you invested in. Don't worry about what we'll think of you. We can't think any less than we already do."

"I wouldn't be so sure of that." Lloyd shifted from one foot to the other, looking like a child found stealing penny candy. "I started out good," he confessed. "I made money for several people at first. But it was hard work and took so much time and effort."

"Every good thing does, Mr. Samuels." Frank commented with a sigh, "So what did you do that wasn't so much work and got you where you where you are now?"

"One night I was playing poker—just a friendly game, and used a little of the money I had gotten from an investor. I won…big. I went back a few more times and continued to win. I gave people back their money with interest and had enough left over to build a nice life for myself. People sought me out because I was known as someone who could find a good deal."

"That couldn't have lasted," Adam groaned. "Everyone knows that poker is a game of chance, and often rigged. Even the best don't win all the time."

"I found that out," Lloyd whimpered. "I couldn't make enough at the small games, so I started to play at the big gambling houses where the pots are larger. That's where I started to lose money, and had to sell harder than ever just to keep up. I'd gamble the money I'd get from one person, hoping to make just enough to pay off the one whose money I'd lost in the last game. But pretty soon I was losing all the time. I felt that if I could just keep the money coming in, I'd win big again and everything would be all right."

Frank demanded, "Did you gamble away Grifasi's money?"

Lloyd nodded while keeping his head down.

"And when you told him the investment went bad, he didn't believe you?"

He nodded again, still without looking up.

Frank looked at Adam and then to Ben. "This isn't good, gentlemen. I suspect that Grifasi found out what really happened." He brought his attention back to Lloyd. "Did he find out?"

"Yes!" Tears were streaking down Lloyd's cheeks. "I didn't know it, but I was playing at a place that was owned by someone who knew Grifasi. One of Lorenzo's men saw me there and told him about it."

Adam sank back into his chair and spoke quietly, addressing his boss. "This is bad, isn't it?"

Frank spoke in a sympathetic, but resigned tone. "This is more than bad, Adam. This is bad, bad. If Lorenzo has a connection to this Sicilian syndicate, he is in with some rough people. The sad part is that if Lloyd did have a reputation as someone who could make good money on an investment, Lorenzo may have trusted him and perhaps invested some of the syndicate's money on this 'sure thing' Lloyd was proposing."

Looking at Lloyd again, Frank continued, "You've broken trust with these people. I've heard that they have a strict code about such things and you betrayed them. They won't put up with that. Hell, I wouldn't put up with that. No one would, although I doubt that most people would use such extreme means to get their money back. These people aren't some local players having a friendly game. Gambling is a source of income, and I'm sure the cards are stacked in the house's favor. You lost their money to them, so you'd think they'd be satisfied that they got it back one way or another. But it doesn't work that way. It's not just about the money, it's about making you pay for thinking you could outsmart them."

Lloyd slumped into a chair, sobbing. "What's going to happen to me?"

Adam wanted to beat Lloyd to a pulp, but didn't have the energy to do it. He looked at him briefly, sighed deeply, and said, "Shut up and stop crying. You've taken the easy way out so far, but now you're going to be a man and do whatever you need to." He turned to Frank, "Any ideas how we can bring this to a conclusion and keep Melinda safe?"

There was a knock at the study doors, and a tall, well-muscled, middle-aged man walked in. "You sent for me, sir?"

"I did. Les, I want you to meet Adam and Ben Cartwright. They have a problem they're going to need some help with."

"Do you think we should be involving another person, Frank?" Adam asked with concern. "I've seen Les around the estate before and am not certain what he does for you, but I'm pretty sure I don't want him knowing about this.

Frank grinned. "I had Walter get Les as soon as I heard that it was you who had come to see me. You wouldn't have come during the night unless there was something seriously wrong. Les is head of the security force at Wadsworth. I figured he'd come in handy."

"Wadsworth Development has a security force?" Adam shook his head contemplatively. "Why?"

"We're a rich family and business. There have been attempts at kidnapping family members and people in high positions with the company for generations. I got tired of putting out fires and hired Les about 15 years back. He has men watching my family and travelling with us, and they're around the office, but they blend in so you don't even realize they're there. It just makes sense to have people trained and ready to go and has worked well. Les keeps his ear to the ground and knows more than anyone about who's making waves in this town."

Les spoke up. "What's the problem we're dealing with? I can get working on it once I know."

Frank indicated Lloyd as he explained, "This weasel got mixed up with the Sicilians and owes them big money from a poker game. At least I suspect it's a lot. How much is it?"

Lloyd answered, "$25,000."

"That's a lot for a small-time gambler like you are." Frank addressed Les again. "When Lloyd couldn't come up with the money to repay them, he told them that his sister-in-law was engaged to a man with money, and actually helped them kidnap her."

A growling noise issued from Les. "You've got yourself mixed up with some nasty people, mister. The Sicilian families are well established in New York crime, but they're just showing up here. I don't think they'll get a good grip in Boston and will be moved out by the Irish in time. They're known for having little tolerance of someone double-crossing them. Since this has gotten to the point of kidnapping to make someone else pay your debts, I'm assuming they've given you other chances that you haven't made good on." Les scrubbed his face with his hands and sighed loudly. "I have no idea what you thought was going to happen by offering your sister-in-law to these people, but I hope you said goodbye the last time you saw her, because she's not coming home. She's probably already shipped off to some other place where she'll be used in a brothel. The ransom will just be icing on the cake and their way of showing you who's boss."

Ben gasped while Adam sat silently clenching and unclenching his fists. Lloyd began to sob again.

Frank held his up hand to Les and ordered him to stop. "The woman you're talking about is Adam Cartwright's fiancée as well as the weasel's sister-in-law, and she's completely innocent in this matter. I'd ask you to show more consideration in your explanations." Les nodded as Frank continued, "I didn't mention that the debt is due to Lorenzo Grifasi rather than to someone overtly in this other group. Would that make any difference?"

Les puckered his lips as he thought. "It might. I've never heard Grifasi's name associated with any of the bad stuff going on."

Adam found his voice. 'You seem to know about these people. Where are they most likely to be holding Melinda?"

"They've bought up old houses all over the city to use for gambling and brothels. The Boston politicians keep closing them down, but they just move on to the next shack. They fix the places up a little inside but leave the outside looking like a dump so they don't draw attention. She could be at any one of them, or as I said, she could be in New York already. We go in with guns blazing at the wrong place, and she'll be gone for sure before we can find her. I'd liken this to a colony of bees though. They're spread around but they're all still parts of the same hive. Maybe we can poke it and see where the bees go…"

While Lloyd curled up in his chair and continued crying, the other four men formulated a plan to find out where Melinda was being kept. Les's earlier statements of doom were pushed aside as they moved forward on the assumption that she was alive and still in the city.

After the plans were set as much as they could be, Ben asked, "Could Les take Lloyd out of here, Frank. We need to speak with you privately."

Frank told Les, "Take him upstairs to one of the bedrooms and have someone stay with him." Addressing Lloyd he continued, "Try to get control of yourself, man. You got yourself into this and we have no use for snivelers."

Once the room was cleared, Adam stood and began to pace. "I don't know how to ask this, Frank, but-"

"You need help with the ransom."

Adam nodded. "The amount is not the issue. We could secure that in cash or gold by walking into the bank…if we were back in Nevada. The problem is time. It will take a couple of days for the wires to go through and then to process paperwork. From what Les just said, I don't think we have the time to do that. We need to act immediately."

Ben broke in, "We're wondering if you'd accept a quit claim deed for a portion of the ranch in return for cash, and I'll purchase it from you with interest once I'm back home."

Frank rose from behind his desk and came around to perch on the front edge. "I'll have the full amount available by this afternoon, although I doubt it will be touched. We won't worry about repayment unless it becomes necessary to use it."

Speaking directly to Ben, Frank continued, "I've seen you wince each time I've called Adam, son, Ben. Yet the truth is that I think of him in that way. I have always suspected that Adam got his strong sense of honor and character from his father. I don't know you well yet, Ben, but I'm even more convinced of that now." Motioning both men to get up, Frank encouraged them to follow. "We can't do any more until morning and it makes no sense for you to leave now and return in a few hours. I always have something to eat before bed, so why don't you two join me. There's food laid out in the kitchen for us. Then we'll get a little sleep."

Adam paled at the thought of eating. "I'd rather spend some time outside. Would it be all right if I'd head down to the stables?"

Frank smiled, "He's there, pining away for you. Take him out if you'd like. You can use Frankie's room when you come back, and I'll drop your father off in the room next to that when we finish."

Ben followed Frank toward the kitchen and was grateful for the plate of sandwiches awaiting them. "Might I inquire what that conversation with Adam was about, Frank?"

Frank poured a few fingers of a well-aged Scotch for each of them. He took his glass and sipped, saying, "Best sedative known to mankind. I drink a toast to Friar Cor each night." After another, longer sip he addressed Ben's question. "Concerning Adam and what's pining away for him in the stables, your son always favored one of our horses. It's a chestnut gelding with 3 white socks. He was the foal of Queen Anne's Elizabeth and England's Lord Chancellor Ellesmere." Frank snorted. "Names, not withstanding, they were wonderful horses from a long line of champions. We were concerned about some foot problems this colt had early on, so he was gelded. His name is Elizabeth's Sporting Chance and he grew to be a fine animal. Adam was drawn to him immediately when he saw the name painted on his stall. He said that you had gotten him a similar looking mount just before he left for school and he'd named it Sport. I suspected there was more to it than that, but didn't pry. Nothing seemed to relax Adam more than riding that horse."

Ben gave his host a knowing smile. "Did you know that his mother's name was Elizabeth?"

"Ah. I only knew that he was born here and his mother passed away after Adam's birth. Riding that horse must have reminded him of both his mother and his father."

The two men ate in silence until Frank asked, "What's wrong with Adam, Ben? He doesn't look well. I'd say it was the shock of all this, but he handles what life throws at him better than anyone I've ever known."

"He hasn't said much to me about it, but his grandfather said he's been ill. He looks worn out."

"If I know Adam, he won't talk about it and will tough it out the best he can. I hope he can get some rest tonight."

Adam made his way into the stables and stopped at the gate to "Sport's" stall. "Hi, old buddy," he said as the horse turned and approached him. "I haven't seen you for a while." The animal raised his head in a loud whinny and brought his nose to rest on Adam's hand. "Would you like a little exercise?"

The tack room was lined with rails holding English saddles, but as he looked around, Adam found the one he was looking for. He'd learned to ride English to participate in the hunts held at the Wadsworth estate, and did well enough to fool the others into thinking that he was accustomed to it. But he'd arrived one weekend to find a Western saddle hanging on the gate of Sport's stall—a surprise from the Wadsworth family. It had taken a little time for the horse to get used to the heavier leather and different reining style, but in time, both rider and horse adapted.

Saddled up, Adam moved Sport onto the moonlit rolling meadow at a walk. As the team regained their rhythm, they accelerated to a trot and finally a lope. Once sure that they were far enough away that he wouldn't be heard, Adam began to sing from Mozart's Requiem. This was not about practicing for the performance. He wasn't even sure that the concert would go on since he wouldn't be available for rehearsals. It was something he couldn't even think about. For now, the complicated music and concentration needed to sing the series of Latin words helped to settle his mind…and stomach.

Sport enjoyed the break, and dropped his head to chew on grass while Adam remained on his back, working through the crescendos and runs. When he finished the difficult solos without a break in his voice, he looked up at the sliver-infused night sky as he had done earlier. He was sweating with fever, yet he shivered with the thought that any misstep in hours to come might mean he wouldn't see Melinda again. As his anger and frustration built, he cried out the accusation that had plagued him throughout his life.

"Why!"

The effects of the chloroform had worn off and Melinda was now wide-awake. The lamp Maxi had left behind had sputtered and died when the flame consumed the last of the oil, and she was once again in darkness.

This time Melinda didn't cry out, but calmed herself by thinking about Adam. She craned her neck back, hoping to see the sky through the window. The tree blocked the panes, but if she angled her head just right, she could see a small patch of moonlight and stars.

She whispered, "Are you out there, Adam?" Melinda knew that when Adam needed to think, he went outdoors. He'd told her once, "My earliest memories are not of walls and rooms, but of rolling wagons, campfires, endless skies during the day and endless stars at night. Even when we finally had a house, we were still outside most of the time working trap lines first and then the ranch. There are times in the city when the walls around me close in and I have to get out, even if it's just to feel the wind in my face or make sure the stars are still there."

She'd worried at first when he'd headed for the door in the evening, and seemed not to want her company. He had finally convinced her that his need to absent himself outdoors didn't indicate anything more than a time for a little problem-solving.

"Are you finding any answers tonight, Adam? Does any of this make sense to you?" She whispered, while wishing there was some way of sending her thoughts to him. Adam had his father with him now and they would get through this together if she didn't make it home. "Stop thinking like that," she admonished herself as a wave of terror and sadness made her shiver. "They'll find me."

She wanted to believe that…she had to believe that or her panic would overwhelm her. Hoping to settle her fears, she let her mind drift back to a day in November, years ago when she and her aunt had walked next door to visit Abel. He had been holding a ladder while someone up above pruned the branches that rubbed against the house. She hadn't seen Captain Stoddard in some time. He hadn't recognized her and had let go of the ladder to tip his hat. There'd been a shout, and she'd watched in horror as the ladder had arced away from its perch against the house and the young man aloft had flown through the sky and landed upside down in a prickly hawthorn. Melinda still didn't know how Adam had survived that fall. The three of them had managed to extricate him from the branches he was caught in and she'd held his head in her lap while Abel went for help. Adam had looked half-dead, but she'd soothed and encouraged him while they'd waited, and somewhere in those moments, she had fallen as hard for him as he had through the branches. She'd gotten to know Adam in the days after the accident, and they'd come to love each other in the years that followed. She'd always teased him, saying that since she'd "saved" him, his life belonged to her.

Her breathing became regular and slowed as she continued to remember their hours together, until her eyelids became too heavy to open and she slept in Adam's arms.

Five

The Games Are Afoot

Ben was greeted by a butler as he descended the grand staircase of the Wadsworth house and was led to the dining room. He'd been awakened by a knock on his door an hour earlier and presented with a pitcher of hot water, a razor, shaving soap, and warm towels. When he'd gone to his room the night before, he'd found a nightshirt and robe on the bed and an attendant had taken his clothes away. These had arrived at his room freshly pressed within minutes of the other items. Ben had always made sure that guests were well cared for at the Ponderosa, and as his fortunes had increased out West, he'd stayed in the homes of influential people he'd come to know in San Francisco and Sacramento. None of those compared to the graciousness of this home.

Frank laid his napkin on the snowy white cloth as he rose and came to greet Ben and make introductions. "Ben Cartwright, this is Lady Marian, my wife."

Ben took the woman's hand as he said, "It's a pleasure, Lady Marian."

She laughed. "I'm not really a Lady, although my dear Frank has always called me that. I think he fancies himself as being the lord of the manor, so he gave me a title befitting his." She winked at her husband, who laughed as he leaned to kiss her cheek. She blushed as she returned her attention to Ben. "Please just call me Marian."

The three parents chatted about their children as they ate, but when she finished, Marian gave her husband a nod and excused herself, leaving the two fathers alone.

"I've sent word to the bank, asking them to deliver the money to my office by early afternoon." Frank's look turned to worry. "I didn't hear Adam come in last night, but Walter says that he's in Frankie's room. Have you seen him yet?"

Ben reflected Frank's concern. "I haven't, but I'll go check on him." He was rising from his chair as Adam entered the room.

Both men stared at the pale, heavy-eyed man who waved aside the offer of food and asked only for tea with honey. Neither man asked Adam about his health.

Frank inquired instead, "Did you ride last night?"

Adam nodded. "He's a great horse." He looked at his father, "He reminds me very much of Sport, Pa, which leads me to ask how he's doing?"

"Fine, son. Joe is the only one who can handle him. He takes him out as often as he can."

Les entered the room with Lloyd tagging along a step behind him. Pushing Lloyd toward the buffet, Les ordered, "Grab something to eat." Looking at his boss, he added, "I'll be heading out now and will meet you in about an hour. The coachman knows where to stop."

After going over their morning's plans a final time, Adam asked for a few minutes to give his regards to Marian and went off to find her. Once away from the watchful eyes in the dining room, Adam steadied himself against a table in the foyer and breathed deeply. He'd come in from his ride at around 3 AM, and had seen the bottle of Scotch on the table. Against his better judgment, he'd consumed a few ounces. It had felt good as it had warmed the chill from his body, but then it took its revenge as it repeatedly burned a path from his stomach up his esophagus and back down again. He'd slept a bit after discovering that lying on his left side relieved the constant upheaval. The morning had brought no relief from his symptoms and there was steady pain now accompanied by a nausea that didn't abate. If he'd had to describe where it hurt, he would have said it was coming from every inch of his digestive tract. But there was no time for frailty so he pushed it aside and went to find his hostess.

Melinda awoke to find Maxi standing above her with a plate of food.

"Looks like you was able to sleep. That's good." Maxi set the plate on the dresser and came back to untie the ropes. "It's gonna be a busy day for me, sweetie, so I brought you a big breakfast and found a book and catalogue to keep you busy. Merchant ships came in last night and I suppose they're unloaded by now. That means that the crews are making their way to the bathhouse, then the saloon, and will begin to show up here around noon."

Unsure of whether she should say anything, Melinda decided to ask, "Maxine, how did you come to be here? You're so different from the way I would have imagined anyone who would work in a house like this. Adam told me just the other day that he had made some big mistakes about judging people by what they do for a living instead of by getting to know who they are. I have to wonder if I haven't been very wrong about a lot of things I've put judgments on too."

Maxi sat down on the bed. "We all make judgments about a lot of things…and people, and it takes a big person to admit they're wrong. I'm here because of one of those guys I told you about yesterday. He said he loved me and I believed him. He was a good lookin' man that the other ladies swooned over. I felt proud to be by his side, thinking he was a finer person than me because he was schooled more and had a smooth way of talkin'. I felt I was lucky he chose me to love. Then the no-good brought me to this house about a year back and said that if I really loved him, I would help him out. Said he was in big money trouble and if I would work here a while, it would help him pay his debt down and then we'd get married. When I began to understand what I'd gotten myself into I tried to leave, but they told me that Clint had given me to them to pay his off his bets." Maxi's dark eyes flashed angry and cold. "That Civil War that just got fought might have freed some slaves, but people are still bought and sold. I guess as long as others don't see it, they think it don't exist."

Melinda placed her hand on Maxi's. "You know…a couple of days ago I would have been shocked by that story. I wouldn't think it was possible that someone could sell out another human being, but that's really what my brother-in-law did to me, didn't he?"

"If he's the one who 'arranged' this, then yes he did."

"You know what's remarkable about you, Maxine?" The other woman shrugged and Melinda continued, "You haven't become jaded and you don't treat others as you've been treated. You've been so kind to me. I think you're one of the finest people I've ever met, and I mean that with all my heart. I've known people who have always been blessed with the best in life. Instead of thanking God for all that's been given them by extending that blessing to others, they hold on tight to what they have, forget where it all came from, and treat others badly. I know you've had some bad times in your life, Maxine, but what you are deep down inside is still there. They can force you to do things you don't want to do, but they can't take away who you are."

Maxine turned away as she wiped her eyes with her skirt. "I'm letting you untied today, but don't do anything to make me regret it. Your door's bolted on the outside, and you can't get out the window, so take it easy and look through them things I brought." She looked at Melinda and smiled. "Thank you for them nice words. If you was anybody else, I'd suspect you were just saying them to make me drop my guard, but I find something true about you too." Maxi walked over and knocked on the door to be let out. "I'll be back when I can."

Frank, Ben, Adam and Lloyd set out in one of the Wadsworth's coaches after Les went off alone to assure that his side of their plan was in place. He'd managed to assemble the best of his team during the night, explain the situation and then had sent them to keep an eye on Grifasi's office building.

The coach stopped two blocks away from their destination and Les hopped in. "Grifasi got in an hour back, and was joined a few minutes ago by Luis Castelletti and a group of his men. Castelletti is the guy with the reputation as a son-of-a." Les stopped his assessment as he noticed the stern look his boss was shooting his way. "As I was saying, I've heard that Castelletti oversees the gambling houses and has been informally tied to several disappearances since he's been here. The police could never prove anything and his operation has grown bigger and meaner as far as I can tell."

Ben looked at Les and then to Adam. "Are we ready to put this plan into motion?"

"We sure are," Les answered. "Let's hope we catch these guys by surprise and get them to do what we want them to."

Lloyd shrank into the corner of the carriage, and refused to exit when they arrived at the Grifasi's office. "I don't need to go in there," he whined, "you know the story already, so just leave me out here."

Les reached a long arm into the corner and yanked Lloyd from the conveyance, as he hissed, "Be a man. No one's going to hurt you with us along."

Frank strode into the building, noted the nameplate on the desk and greeted the young woman in the outer office, "Good morning, Miss Parsons. I need to speak to your boss."

She smiled back. "It's good to see you again, Mr. Wadsworth. Mr. Grifasi is with someone right now. If you'll wait a moment, I'll tell him that you're here." She disappeared through the door marked "Lorenzo Grifasi", and returned shortly with the news that he would be available in a minute.

The group in the waiting area heard raised voices and saw shadows through the frosted glass in the wall that separated the office from the anteroom, but when Lorenzo ushered them into the office, it was empty. "Frank Wadsworth!" he said with a soft Italian accent, while shaking his hand. "What an honor. May I ask what brings you here?" As Lorenzo viewed the group, his eyes stopped at Lloyd. Addressing him, he asked in confusion, "What are you doing with these men?"

Frank took over as he ordered everyone to sit. "As you have already surmised, this is not a social call, Lorenzo. We have done business together in the past, and I have always known you to be an honorable man. But it has come to my attention that you did not act honorably yesterday."

Grifasi tried to interrupt, but Frank loomed over the man's desk. "I know that this man, Lloyd Samuels, lost money that belonged to you, but in your efforts to reclaim that money, you arranged the kidnapping of his sister-in-law. There's a problem with this, Lorenzo. That woman is the fiancée of Adam Cartwright," he indicated Adam. "This other gentleman is his father, Ben Cartwright. The Cartwrights are family to me, Lorenzo, so when you took the woman Adam intends to marry, you took a member of my family. This cannot stand. We will resolve this…misunderstanding…immediately."

Lorenzo pointed at Lloyd. "This man told you that I kidnapped the woman?"

Adam spoke for the first time. "He said that after he told you that she was engaged to someone with money, you laid out the plans to hold her until you got your initial investment back plus an equal amount to cover your loss of interest."

None of those present had to speak Italian to know that Grifasi was uttering a curse as he flew over to Lloyd, jerking him to his feet. "Why do you lie to these people?" He turned and balanced himself against his desk as he moaned. "I knew six months ago when this all first happened, that it would ruin me. This bug of a man took my money and gambled it in the house of Luis Castelletti. He came crying to me after that and I vouched for him to Castelletti, saying he would make good on the debt with a little time. I had invested with Lloyd once before and it had gone well, and hoped he would find a way to get himself out of this mess. But he was unable to do so…or couldn't by the means he was using. When I could stall Luis no further, he came here yesterday and gave Lloyd an ultimatum: the money or his life. It was the two of them who decided on the kidnapping."

"I'm confused," Ben questioned, 'why would this Castelletti want money from Samuels. Isn't he the one who benefited from his gambling?"

"Aha," cried Grifasi, "That's the point. I would have liked my money back, but I would have taken Samuels to court and sued him for fraud. He gambled my $12,000 dollars with Castelletti, and then wrote markers on an equal amount. With the interest on that over the last six months, he owes them nearly $20,000. I will receive nothing from this, and had no part in it except that I'm the one who made the horrendous mistake of trusting Samuels to make good, and so I am stuck with him. That's why they met here. I am now the middleman. I would end this immediately if I could—would pay Castelletti the money myself, but it doesn't work that way."

Grifasi peered over his shoulder as if being watched before continuing more quietly, "I meant no disrespect to you or your friends, Frank. I only sat by while the deal was made, knowing that if I made a fuss, I would not be here today. Even now, I am trying to go home to Italy. My family is already gone; I sent them about a month ago when I realized that being in with these men could not have a favorable outcome. I've been drawn into something I never wanted to be a part of. But once you're in, you can't get out again. I have no stomach for this…this…dark kind of business."

Adam had risen during Grifasi's explanation and turned Lloyd to face him. "Is there no end to the lies you've told us? You've endangered the lives of innocent people with your cowardice and even when given the chance to make this right, you still refuse to be honest. I have another question for you, Samuels. Mr. Grifasi says your debt is $20,000, so why are they asking for $25,000?" He looked at his father and Frank, and then back at Lloyd. "You wanted the same amount from us for your 'deal.' Why the extra five thousand?"

Grifasi said, "I know the answer to that. Lloyd asked Castelletti to make the ransom for the larger amount so that he'd have a stake for another game of poker. He practically drooled as he said that he thought you were good for it."

Lloyd dropped to the floor as Adam's fist connected with his chin.

Frank told Les to take the unconscious Lloyd out to the coach and tie him up. Speaking to Grifasi again, he said, "Why is Castelletti here? Don't bother denying it, Lorenzo. We know he's hiding somewhere and we only want the truth now."

"He came to see if I'd heard anything from Samuels. Luis wondered if the woman's family was going to come up with the money or had figured out that Lloyd was involved in the kidnapping. As I said before, this whole affair sickens me, and if I was a better man…maybe I could have done more. My only hope became that it would all be resolved quickly and I would be kept out of it." He looked down, "I am a coward too."

Ben asked, "What do you know about Castelletti?"

"Not a great deal…mostly because I distance myself from him and his business. He is distantly related to me and that's why he took my word about Samuels in the first place. I know he doesn't trust me fully though. Since this business with Samuels, he's had his cousin tailing me to see where I go and what I do. I only know that Luis runs the gambling part of the business, while a cousin, George Salvatore, the man who often shows up wherever I am, runs the brothels. George is the one who met Samuel's and the woman at the hotel and took her away."

"Do you know where they took her?" Adam asked, his voice betraying another breath of hope.

"No. These men come from a family of crime back in the old country and are seeking to establish a foothold here. I know nothing and don't ask questions. It had worked well for me…until Lloyd Samuels came along and ruined everything. I am deeply sorry that you and your fiancée have been involved in this, Mr. Cartwright. I will do what I can to help."

Frank took over the conversation again. "Please get Castelletti back in here now, Lorenzo. We will remove Samuels from these discussions entirely and deal directly with the man in charge."

Grifasi exited the back door to his office. While alone, Adam spoke softly, "I can't believe that Samuels continued to lie about this. I don't want to involve Miranda, or Melinda's family in this, but the man needs to be held accountable—even if everything should turn out fine."

Ben looked toward Frank and back at his son. "Let's see how this ends, Adam. Right now I think you're focused too narrowly. I'm sure that if we all put our heads together, we'll figure out a way to take care of Lloyd Samuels without any adverse publicity affecting Melinda's family. Lloyd is a coward, but I think he fell for the seduction of easy money and got in over his head. Being weak and without a clue about this side of life, he probably thought he could fix things. We've dealt with Castelletti's kinds of people before, Adam, and I'm sure that Frank has too, but Lloyd has probably been sheltered from them. I'm not defending Lloyd, but once he won that first hand of poker, his weakness let him think that he had struck the richest vein of gold imaginable."

Frank nodded his agreement. "There is truth in what your father says and we'll figure something out. For now, Adam, when these men come in, you are going to have to approach this as a business deal. That means no emotion. You'll do the talking because you are the one they asked the ransom of. Don't let them see how much this is torturing you. It pains me to say this, but right now Melinda is a commodity. Our success depends on you making them believe that we will turn over the ransom. You will need to be respectful of Castelletti, but be firm too. Got that?"

Ben added, "You've done this before, Adam. You've stood up to many a thug even though you've not had as much to lose. Approach this as you have always approached a business client and you'll be fine."

Adam didn't have time to answer either man as the door opened and Grifasi led a heavy, hairy man into the room. They were followed by six large, muscular, stern-looking men.

"Gentlemen," Castelletti addressed them, "Lorenzo has explained to me that Mr. Samuels will no longer be taking part in these negotiations. That's fine with me, so let's not spend time talking about the weather. I assume that I am in possession of something you would like to have back."

Adam moved to stand within inches of the larger Castelletti. "You do. And I assume that it will be returned in the same condition as when it was taken."

"Of course. Do you have the payment? If so, we can go get this messy business completed right now."

Les had prepared everyone by going through the various ways that this scene might play out. Adam knew how to respond to Castelletti's suggestion. "I trust that you are an honest businessman, but understand my concern as I ask for proof that my money will be well spent. I always make sure I'm getting what I'm paying for before going ahead with a deal. You will ask Melinda to write something that only I will understand and bring it to Frank Wadsworth's offices by two this afternoon. After I verify its authenticity, we will meet you back here at 5 PM for the exchange. Don't think you can outsmart or outgun us, Mr. Castelletti. We can match you man for man and will not hesitate to bring you and your enterprise to an end should you try to renege on the deal."

Castelletti puffed his chest. "You speak strong words, young man. I hope you have the forza d'animo to back them up."

Frank firmly interjected, "He does. And regarding Mr. Samuels. I'm sure that Lorenzo has told you that he is Mr. Cartwright's brother-in-law. You value family as much as we do, Mr. Castelletti, so you will allow Mr. Cartwright to deal with this suina as he sees fit."

"Agreed." Castelletti motioned for his men to follow him to the back door and spoke softly to them in Italian. He sent them away and returned, saying, "I have enjoyed doing business with you so far, gentlemen, and look forward to seeing you back here this evening when we will each receive what we desire."

"I will pay you only what Samuels owes you. That's $20,000." Adam's stomach turned as he negotiated with the man who controlled Melinda's fate.

"That would seem fair, but I think I shall ask the entire amount for putting up with the 'swine,' as your friend so aptly called him." He left the office without another word.

Ben remarked, "He speaks English well for being foreign."

Grifasi explained, "He was educated by English governesses just as I was; they taught us in English and we learned it well. Of course his family is wealthy for the same reasons that he is wealthy here. They are a scourge on the village where they live and their lavish life comes at the expense of those unlucky enough to do business with them." He sat down heavily in his desk chair. "I am once again sorry for all of this and admit that this is my own cowardice talking, but, Frank, if there is any way you could help me get out of this safely, I would appreciate it."

"I think I can help you with that," Ben offered. "Send word to your home to have your things prepared, get as much cash as you can and someone will pick you up here at the end of your day. They'll stop at your house before taking you somewhere safe. Travel as light as you can manage. For your own good, we can't send you directly to Italy, but I know someone who can get you somewhere you won't be found. You can decide where to go from there."

Frank looked at Ben with respect. "Well, that settles it. We should get going to my office and await the note from Melinda."

As they walked to the coach, Adam questioned his father. "I'm assuming you'll be asking Abel to use his connections for a safe passage?"

His father replied, "Of course. Abel knows the ropes on how to get someone where they need to go better than anyone I've ever known. I'll send him a note telling what to expect once we get to your office." He turned to Frank. "I'm sure you can conjure up someone to get the man to the harbor without anyone knowing what's happening." Ben thought a moment and remembered what else he wanted to ask, "By the way, what did Castelletti say that Adam better have if he was going to stand up to him?"

Frank laughed out loud and waited until they were all seated inside the coach. "Ah, yes, 'forza d'animo.' It means fortitude, but I'm pretty sure Castelletti meant 'balls.'"

Melinda was paging through the catalogue Maxi had brought earlier when she heard the lock turn. She smiled at the woman standing in the doorway. "How's your day going, Maxi? I'm thinking of ordering one of the new corsets advertised in this magazine." Noticing the uneasy look on Maxine's face, her heart began to pound. "What's the matter?"

"Nothing, I suppose. I think this might actually be good news. Your man asked for proof that you're still alive before he pays the ransom." Maxi held out a tablet and pencil. "He wants you to write something that only he knows about."

She reached for the items as the blood began to throb in her temples. Melinda looked up at the woman who had become her friend-of-sorts over the past day. "May I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"What do I do, Maxi?" Melinda's voice caught. "Tell me the truth. What's going to happen to me even if Adam pays the money?"

Maxi said nothing while biting her lower lip.

"Please tell me," Melinda begged. "I need to know what to do."

"Chances are, no matter what Adam does, you'll end up like me, Melinda," Maxi said in a low, sad voice. "I've never seen anyone go home. These people ain't a lending library. What they get, they keep and use until it ain't worth nothing anymore. Sometimes people disappear; sometimes they get shipped off to work in places like this in other cities. You're a fine looking woman, so they know that you'd attract a lot of clientele."

"But how can they get the ransom if they don't take me with them? They can't get the money for me and keep me…can they?" Melinda's breath was coming in rapid bursts.

"Sure they can. They take someone along dressed in your clothes; maybe keep her in the shadows. Once Adam arrives with the money, they show him this other person from a distance to make him let his guard down and Georgie's guys grab the cash and…"

Her face paled as she finished Maxi's thought, "Kill Adam?"

"Sounds about right, I guess. I don't rightly know for sure, but I know they won't let him go off and tell the police about what happened. I'm really sorry about this, Melinda. You're a good woman, and I hate what's happening to you. Is there any chance that your man might try to rescue you? I mean is he smart about this kind of stuff, 'cause most people wouldn't be."

Melinda thought again about the scars on Adam's body and suspected that he had a good knowledge of the world's evil. Yet she didn't know for sure if he'd ever faced anything like this before. She looked up again at Maxi. "What do I do?"

The tall, world-worn woman sat next to Melinda. "I think it depends on Adam. If you're afraid he'll walk into the trap and get hisself killed, then you write a note in a hand he won't recognize and with somethin' that means nothin' to him. He'll think that they're trying to fool him because you're already dead. He'll be brokenhearted for a while, but you can go on knowing that you saved his life. It wouldn't go well for you, though." Maxi let that scenario take shape in Melinda's mind and then offered. "On the other hand if Adam is the man you think he is, he would feel far worse if he found out what happened to you and had to live with knowing that he wasn't even given the chance to try to save you. If you know that he's that kind of man, then you write something good." Maxi gave Melinda a wry smile and dropped her voice to a whisper. "You're a smart woman, Melvin, figure out something to help him if you can."

Melinda whispered back. "Can you tell me where I am? I could work that into something."

"That'd be signing my own death certificate," she said sadly, "but you can tell him without an address. You been here with nothing to do for some hours. I know you can't really see nothing out that window, but there are other things you're aware of. Tell him what you know." Maxi waited a minute and then asked, "You know what you're gonna do?"

She nodded as she began to write and didn't look up until she was done. Melinda handed the tablet back to Maxi, saying, "There. That will have to do."

Maxi read over the words and laughed. "I don't have any idea what this means, but that don't matter much. You think Adam will understand?"

"He should." She watched Maxi leave with the message, and prayed that Adam would understand. He had told her once that life should never be given up without a fight, but she knew that she couldn't face the life that Maxi had. She prayed that Adam would find her, as she also resolved that should she end up facing the same fate as her friend, she would find a way out…or die trying.

Abel had dozed briefly during the night but had been up for hours awaiting news from Adam and Ben. Responding to a knock on the door, a messenger handed him a note and told him that he would remain outside waiting for a reply. After scanning it, Abel had Sadie McIntyre read it aloud to him to make sure he hadn't missed anything and then told the messenger to report back that he would take care of everything. He asked where he should send further news.

The messenger said, "Don't worry, Mr. Stoddard. Just step out onto your porch and someone will come. Mr. Wadsworth has sent a few men to watch the two houses: yours and Miss Hayworth's. You aren't in danger that we're aware of, but Mr. Cartwright asked that we keep our eyes open.

"Which Mr. Cartwright? Abel asked.

The messenger chuckled. "Both of them."

Abel sat at the table and asked Sadie to bring paper and pencil. She sat next to him as they went through the message one more time and made notes.

Abel, I hope that you managed to rest a bit, as we will need your assistance today.

Adam was correct in his assumption that Melinda's brother-in-law was involved in her kidnapping. We sent his wife, Miranda, to be with her parents and she will bring them to Melinda's house today. They may have arrived already. I ask that you go over there and share this with them. Adam says that you have met William and Margaret and he knows that you can help keep them calm. Their proximity will also mean that we only have to send information to you, and you can alert the others.

I would ask that you have Miranda read this message privately before sharing it with her parents. This information will be a heavy shock for her, and she will need to make some decisions. I know that you will help her sort through what might be best.

This is what has happened so far:

Lloyd admitted to arranging the kidnapping. Miranda already knows this. What she doesn't know is that Lloyd lied about the reasons. In his defense, I do feel that Lloyd was naïve enough to believe that Melinda's kidnappers would hold her at the hotel where he'd dropped her, and that she would be released unharmed once Adam produced the money. Lloyd was oblivious to the true nature of the people he was dealing with.

Adam enlisted the help of Frank Wadsworth last night. It turns out that Frank has a security team with a person in charge who is knowledgeable about the darker side of this city. Neither Frank, nor his security chief, Les, thought that Lloyd's story of being in such dire straits over a bad investment sounded plausible. It took some time, but we finally know the whole story.

Lloyd didn't lose money to investments—he gambled it away. A few years back he won at a poker game using funds he was supposed to invest. He was easily swayed by his wins, thinking that this would be a simpler way to amass a fortune for everyone concerned. Of course the winning ended, and the losses began to pile up. By then Lloyd was addicted and couldn't stop. He lost everything, including the money from Miranda's parents, while continuing to think that he could fix everything with one big win.

He began playing at establishments owned by a sinister group. In desperation, he "borrowed" money from the house to supplement his faltering income. Lloyd assumed he could sell more false deals to bring money in, but he'd become a pariah in Boston's business community and no one would invest. When Castelletti, the owner of the gambling establishment, finally demanded the money on Monday, Lloyd told them about meeting his sister-in-law's wealthy fiancé and said he'd get the money from him. When we didn't fall for his scheme, he helped them take Melinda to force our hand.

Les is aware of what's going on here, and unfortunately is uncertain about Melinda's fate even if we pay the ransom. He feels that Adam would likely be killed when he showed up with the money and Melinda would already have been sent away to work for the group's brothels before the ransom exchange ever took place. It's hard to hear such prophesies without despair, but Les also feels that he can help us bring this to a successful conclusion.

I know this is a lot to ask of you Abel, but you need to speak to Miranda and her mother to make sure they understand the implication of what I just wrote. They'll have to be strong for Melinda when she returns and need to understand what she might have gone through. We need your prayers as does Melinda. The positive in all this is that she may be kept safer because the Wadsworth name is involved now.

I can't disclose our plans. We have secured the ransom money if it comes to that. If there is any good news in this, it is that this will be over by late afternoon. I will send word when I can.

As regards Lloyd: he has done unspeakable things, yet Adam doesn't want to bring the Hayworth name into what would become a public humiliation if we turn him over to the police. Lloyd is weak, and his cowardice has put people in jeopardy. We will do whatever we can to bring Melinda safely home, but we also need to deal with Lloyd, and protect another person who tried to help him.

Here's where you come in, Abel. A man named Lorenzo Grifasi, as well as Lloyd will be brought to your house this evening. One of Frank's men will remain so you won't have to watch them. In the meantime, I ask that you arrange sea passage for two people, leaving as soon as possible. I know that you can use your connections to secure anonymous passage for both men. Lloyd should sail to San Francisco. Frank's son is there and will assist Lloyd when he arrives and get him set up with a job and a clean start. It will be Miranda's choice whether to accompany him, but he must leave Boston and I know that you can make him disappear quite effectively.

The other man, Grifasi, is probably in more danger. He is related to Castelletti, but is not like him. Grifasi's connection to us will be seen as betrayal. His own family is already back in Sicily and we want to help him get to them. I'll leave it to you to figure out how best to arrange that. It is imperative that no one other than the captain knows he's aboard until he's at sea.

Please send a message to us as soon as you can get the details in place.

Yours in prayer for a safe conclusion,

Ben

Miranda looked dazed after reading Ben's note aloud to her parents. Margaret swooned as her daughter finished and her opinion on its content was soon known.

"It's all lies! I knew we should never have allowed Melinda to live here with your sister! The woman was insane and gave our daughter such horrible notions. If she'd remained home with us she would never have found this Adam Cartwright and gotten into this mess!"

William looked at her and shook his head. "Why are you blaming Lynne and Adam? Lynne's dead and Adam's trying to get Melinda back. It's Lloyd who got her into this mess."

"I don't believe a word of it!" Margaret screeched. "These Cartwrights are using Lloyd as a ruse, blaming him to take away their own guilt. My son-in-law would never have done what they accuse him of doing."

Miranda was roused from her inertia and said resignedly, "Lloyd is responsible mother; I told you that already. He confessed to taking Melinda to that hotel. I heard it with my own ears."

William offered thoughtfully, "I said once in partial jest that the only way Lloyd could be losing so much money would be if he was gambling it away. I guess that was prophetic."

"It all makes sense to me now," Miranda confessed tonelessly as she stared ahead. "Lloyd was spending more and more evenings away from home. He'd be gone all day talking to clients, and would be in a very good mood when he'd get home after convincing someone to give him money. Those nights he'd hurry through supper and then rush out again saying he had more people to see, and wouldn't return until late in the night. At first he seemed happy, but after a few months he would return home growling and refuse to talk to me about what was bothering him. He finally said that things were a little slow in his business and that we had to cut back. He even mortgaged the house just to have money for our bills. And lately we were living on the kindness of local business people who let us run tabs."

Margaret harrumphed but was not silenced. "Well, I suppose Lloyd may have gotten himself into a problem, but I think these Cartwrights are using it to make themselves look like heroes to show us up. Why don't they just pay that ransom and be done with it?"

Miranda rose and approached her. "Don't you get it mother? Lloyd didn't understand what these people really were like. They are criminals, not people who run a poker game. They care only about the money and can't let Melinda go."

"Oh, heavens. Why are you all trying to frighten me? And why would that evil father of Adam say those things about how Melinda might be forced to work in one of those brothels. It is making me so unsettled."

William walked to where Margaret was sitting and grabbed her arm as he stared into her eyes. "You are unsettled? Is there no end to your selfishness? This is happening to your daughter. My heart goes out to her, not you! Your other daughter is in pain as well. She has lost her husband to this senselessness, and yet you only care for yourself? I'm sure it was not pleasant for Adam's father to tell us what might be happening to our daughter, but it is important to know that even if she is rescued or ransomed, she might not be the same woman that was taken away. Things like this…well…I can't imagine what it would be like to endure what she might be right now. He's warning you so that you won't be shocked, and will be prepared to give comfort if needed." He dropped Margaret's arm as he spat, "Yet I doubt that you would offer much comfort. Perhaps the best you can offer is to leave and allow others to attend to Melinda as she returns."

Margaret stiffened her spine. "I will not feel ashamed for my opinions. If Adam had simply given Lloyd the money in the first place, none of this would have happened. It's his fault that Melinda is in danger: his fault and no one else's. Melinda should never have gotten involved with such an unreliable and unsuitable person as Adam Cartwright!"

Abel joined William and Miranda in front of Margaret and locked his glare on the hateful woman. "You will stop slandering my grandson this instant, madam. Adam is the most reliable man I have ever known and he is like his father in this. Together, they have incredible strength and wisdom. They will do what they must, including giving their own lives to rescue your daughter. I'm sure that Adam regrets not giving Lloyd the money, but your son-in-law lied to cover up his trouble. Both Adam and Ben knew that something wasn't right, but they had no idea that Lloyd was in this much trouble. If he'd been honest with them, they'd have sold everything they have to help."

Margaret's face was beet red, but she said nothing as Abel continued.

"And concerning Lynne Hayworth, she was a remarkable woman. Oddly, while you have no problem noting her faults, the woman never once said a disparaging word about you in all the years I was her neighbor. She loved all your daughters, even while being partial to Melinda. As an observer, I'd say that Lynne did not influence Melinda, as much as allowed her to become everything she sought for herself. You should be thankful instead of tearing her to shreds."

Drawing a long, deep breath, Margaret appeared ready to pull Abel limb-from-limb when he raised his hand to silence her.

"A final warning Mrs. Hayworth. You use your tongue as a weapon. It is a sharp sword that you use to cut down whomever you attack with it. But there is a double edge on such a sword that cuts both ways. Should you continue to wield it without restraint or discretion, it will eventually rebound back at you and cut with deadly consequences. The trouble for you is that you are so self-absorbed that you won't even know what you've done until you suffocate on your own blood."

She gasped and then hissed as she began to rise, "William, are you going to allow this man to speak to me like this?"

William glanced at Abel appreciatively and then looked back at his wife. "Not only am I going to allow him to do so, but I will shake his hand for finally putting you in your place. He is right you know. You cut everyone in this family off at the knees with that tongue of yours and we're all tired of it. You've attacked Melinda so many times that it was only with Lynne's care that she managed to survive and become the woman she is. You will learn to control your tongue, Margaret, or you will have no one left to use it on. Now, sit down and quietly think about what you've just heard and let me know what you'd like to do about it."

Margaret sat down. Her flushed complexion had paled and tears began to roll down her cheeks, but she said nothing more.

Abel asked Miranda to come with him to the kitchen where he told her, "I know you've been given so many things to think about and you must be very unsettled right now, but I have to ask you to consider what you want to do so that I can proceed as Ben has asked of me. I suspect that Lloyd is already ashamed and will become more so when he finally understands all the mistakes he's made. He has certainly endangered a number of people, but my son-in-law senses that this came about more from Lloyd's gullibility than from an evil heart. Only you can decide whether you can forgive him and if you want to remain his wife." He touched her hand and then brought her chin up to look at him. "No one will think less of you if you wish to accompany him to the West Coast. You have some years together and you may not be ready to give up on him just yet."

Miranda stepped closer and allowed Abel to hold her. "I don't know how I feel, Mr. Stoddard. I'm numb from my head to my toes and nothing makes sense. Right now I don't know how I can ever forgive Lloyd, and it may still depend on what happens this afternoon. If Melinda makes it out of this in one piece, I might be more inclined to look past some of it, but…"

Abel patted her shoulder. "These decisions are never easy, child. I have been on Lloyd's side of this sort of situation in my life and didn't deserve forgiveness either. But I received it and it made me a better man. Perhaps it will work that way with your husband as well. I cannot tell you how to feel or what to do." He took a step back to see her face. "Do you see yourself sailing with him?"

"No."

"Then that's your first answer. I will book passage for one. Perhaps being alone for some weeks at sea will give your husband time to consider his sins. That same period will give you time to decide whether you can forgive him and see your future together. You can always join him later."

Miranda nodded. "I can't imagine that you ever did anything that would have hurt someone this badly. If you could become better for it, then maybe there is hope for Lloyd. But for now, I'll let him go and he can prove to me that he is capable of change."