Okay guys I know this is a rough chapter but please bare with me as I was trying to hurry it along so I can get to a part I have been dying to write for a long time. So the next few chapters will FINALLY get to my big storyline. I will try and update a little more regular but I can't make no promises with my hectic college schedule and work. So please forgive me. Hopefully with me getting to this I can get rein spired and get through this in on to some fun stuff. Thank you guys and please review :)

It had been 3 months since the girls came to live on the Ponderosa. Ben and Adam had quite the little talk with Lila about Ross and besides a few little incidents things seemed to have calmed down. Lila was able to spend Saturday afternoon with Ross at the house under supervision of one of the adults. Lila didn't like this but after 12 trips to the barn by both Adam and Ben she started to understand that she wasn't going to win this fight. Now Lila still tries things and pulls pranks but she has started to improve.

Lila was still strung between Joe and Ross to her families' annoyance. Joe was still determined to win her back and had made some progress only to lose it in the end. Ross all the while was happily luring Lila in to help his father in some business trades. At the present moment Ross was ahead and had asked Lila to the Autumn Ball this Friday night much to Joe's dismay.
Isabelle was fitting in perfectly. She helped Hop Sing with dinner every night but Saturday. Saturday was Isabelle and Hoss's night out, Hoss always made it a surprise to where he was going to take her and Isabelle loved it that way. Although neither would admit it they were already together even after their trip to the jewelry store for an engagement ring. Everyone knew it was just a matter of time before it was made official and then Joe could collect his bets.

Adam and Kathleen were not on great terms at the moment either. More letters and gifts had come to Kathleen in the last week and Adam was convinced Kathleen had a guy on the side and was furious with her. Kathleen wasn't about to take this nonsense and abuse from anyone let alone Adam, especially when she hadn't done anything wrong, so she had been ignoring him that is until he confronted her the night before the dance.

Kathleen was sitting in her bedroom brushing out her hair. Dinner was running a little late so it had given her a chance to just be alone in her room to think over things. One thing kept coming back to her thoughts as she pulled an old letter from her things, and that was her old love from before the accident, Her Fiancée Duke. She had been head over heels in love with the guy at the time. They had met at a dance in Carson City in '57; Duke had come up to her in his navy blue suit and literally swept her off her feet out onto the dance floor where they had danced all night long. That night she fell for him and they had been together ever since. They spent countless hours together just talking and getting to know one another he was a good 6 years older than her, but she didn't care she loved him. So when he proposed to her she didn't even hesitate to say yes. Kathleen's parents liked Duke and he was good to her sisters, but there was always this thin line between him and her family that he never crossed. Thinking back now she could see how foolish she had been to jump into things so quickly but it was in the past. She remembered reading the article in the paper that he had been shot and killed in a bank robbery right after her parent's accident. Kathleen fell back against the wall in silent tears at the flood of all the memories. How different would her life be now if things had been different? Would she be happily married now with children? Kathleen didn't even hear the knocking at the door or the door open.

"Are you alright?" Kathleen looked up to see Adam's concerned face. She quickly wiped away stray tears as she picked herself off the floor.

"I'm fine Adam just going through old memories." She looked down at the letter and Adam did too. Just seeing a letter Adam jumped to conclusions and immediately started hounding her again.

"You are reading his letters again? Who is he? You wouldn't be acting like this if you didn't know him," Adam was pacing the room with his arms in the air as his words came out like daggers. He didn't he stop to see Kathleen's face tense up," Seriously Kathleen I can't believe you have been lying to me about this. I thought we were actually starting to become close friends and you pull this? Why you are no better than…"
She jumped up and almost flew to Adam's face stopping him in his tracks. Her eyes were alight in furious flames ash she yelled out, "This isn't his letter Adam it's my Fiancée's," She seemed to growl out that last part before taking a step back to try and calm her temper. She glared up at him waiting for his reaction to this.

Adam choked at the words he heard, and had to check to make sure he heard right. Fiancée, She was engaged? He couldn't believe it. He had jumped to conclusions again. He could feel the jealously tear up inside him. Is that what all this is? Jealously?"

"You're engaged?" He asked in disbelief, hoping the answer would be different. His eyes were wide and his heart pleading as he waited for her answer which seemed to take an eternity to come.

Kathleen let out an exasperated sigh as he finally comprehended. It's not like this was the first time he had acted without thinking and she doubted it would be the last. As much as he drove her crazy she was starting to actually potentially develop feelings for this stubborn man. She could almost feel Adam's panic and had to admit it was pretty cute," I was engaged. 5 years ago to a man named Duke Williams. You don't have to worry he has been dead for 5 years"

Relief washed over Adam at those words, but he was still curious about this man that had won over the heart of Kathleen. Now was not the time though he had something he had to do first.

Walking up behind her he placed his hand on her shoulder to turn her around. "Kathleen I apologize I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions like that, or speak to you in that way. I didn't come here to fight I came here to ask you If you would consider letting me take you to the ball tomorrow?"
Adam stood there holding his breath waiting for her answer. He searched her face and eyes for a hint of any kind but found nothing.

"Yes, you may take me, but you have to lay off this obsessing over whoever has been sending these things. I don't know who it is, but I did get a letter yesterday saying they will see me at the ball so maybe we can get our answers tomorrow."

Okay everyone So we finally know who Duke is. What do ya'll think and how do you think this Ball is going to go? I can tell you know that it won't end well and this isn't the last we have heard of Duke.