Chapter Five

Rachel told Adam how both her brothers as well as the boy she was to marry had been killed in the war. Her mother had broken down after the deaths of her sons and she soon fell ill and died and then her father died of the influenza. So Rachel saw Elias' advertisement in their town's paper for a housekeeper and she answered him. He wrote back offering her the job and he sent her five dollars for the fare. She had been delighted when she saw Sonny, they took to each other and she was educated enough to help him with his numbers and reading. And then Elias had told her that he couldn't have a young girl around the house and if they weren't married, she'd have to go. Rachel, having no place else to go, married him.

"I don't want it to seem that Elias was…well, he was good to me and I had nothing else, no one else…Elias is right, I talk too much. I need to wake up Sonny for school." Rachel headed out after placing a plate of pancakes and a pitcher of syrup before him. "We're out of butter—I didn't have time yet to churn any. Sorry."

"That's all right." Adam said as he reached for the pitcher. But then Rachel stopped beside him. Elias had walked in.

"Where're you in such an all-fired hurry to go?" Elias asked. "Coffee ready?"

"Yes, coffee's on the stove. I have to wake up Sonny."

I already did," Elias said. "Now get me some coffee and what's for breakfast?" It was then that he noticed Adam and stared as if he had forgotten who this man with dark hair was.

"Morning," Adam, said as he ate a forkful of pancakes.

"Morning." Then Elias spoke to Rachel who had just ladled batter on the hot griddle. "Come here."

Rachel looked at Adam and he saw fear in her eyes. She walked over and Elias grabbed her arm and pulled her into the next room. Adam sat, barely breathing while he listened. He heard a slap and a small cry from Rachel. His instinct was to jump up and go to intervene, to strike Elias and ask him how he liked being hit but something in him was dead; he wasn't chivalrous and he wasn't a hero—he was just a tired, weary, heart-sick man who had nothing and who now was nothing. And it wasn't his business. This was between a husband and a wife and he had no right to interfere—none. He was merely a passing stranger.

Elias tried to keep his voice down but Adam could hear.

"You had no right to go in that trunk and you sure as hell had no right to give him or anyone Danny's clothes to wear. Stay out of what's none of your business, understand?"

"It's just until I can wash his clothes, that's all. I didn't think you'd…it didn't seem like such a bad thing. I'm sorry."

"You just keep your hands off things and your mouth shut. Now go make breakfast and don't go palaverin' just because you have someone here who'll listen."

Elias sat down at the table and Rachel quietly served him breakfast. Adam noticed the red mark on her pale skin. Sonny came in pulling up his suspenders with one hand and rubbing sleep out of his eyes with the other.

"Mornin' Mr. Cartwright," the boy said as Rachel placed a plate of pancakes in front of him.

"Call me, Adam, okay?"

"Okay, the boy said. "Thank you, Rachel," he looked up at her. "What happened to your face?" The boy's brow furrowed as he watched her pour him a glass of milk and place it on the table.

Elias answered his son. "Nothing happened. Now eat and get to the Bowens before they take off for school without you."

"Yes, sir." Sonny ate but kept glancing at Rachel until she left the kitchen and she never returned until Sony had left for school and Adam and Elias had gone to town for supplies.

Rachel walked into the empty kitchen. She saw that the plates and cups and utensils had all been rinsed and stacked by the sink and the table was still slightly damp from being wiped. She smiled. It must be him. Elias and Sonny never stack their plates—just up and leave. He has manners and thought of me. Rachel sat in Adam's vacated chair and wondered about the dark man who had ridden up. He stirred her in a way that Elias never did—probably never could and she wondered what it would be like to kiss him and to lay with him—a man who would consider her pleasure instead of just his own. Foolish woman, she told herself and wearily rose to wash the dishes.

Adam sat alongside Elias on the buckboard. He didn't know how to broach the subject of the clothes he was wearing or even if he should but somehow he wanted to defend Rachel.

"It was nice of Rachel to offer to wash my clothes for me. The last time they were washed was when my horse and I were almost drowned crossing a swollen creek—my horse slipped on a rock and I thought we were both done for. And I'll be damned but my horse didn't manage to right himself and get to the other side before I did." Adam chuckled at his story but Elias didn't; he wasn't in a good humor.

"Rachel pokes her nose in where it doesn't belong. I don't begrudge you clean clothes, Mr. Cartwright, but those were my son, Danny's. It was my place to offer them to you—not hers. She never knew my son so I guess to her his memory doesn't mean much. It was odd this morning seeing you wearing them—put me in mind of my boy and brought his loss all back again. That might make me a fool, to still feel the way I do about losing my son, but every day I miss my boy."

"It's hard to lose someone and I don't think a person ever gets over the loss but Rachel is a good woman—kind and gentle. You're lucky to have her. Maybe she needs a bit more kindness directed her way. Women are like that."

"Rachel gets what she deserves. My first wife, she knew her place and she didn't talk constantly about foolish things and was a hell of a lot warmer. Rachel acts like a stranger to me sometimes."

"I've found all women are different. Whether that's good or bad, I don't know. It takes time to learn each woman but they all have things in common."

"Yeah," Elias said, "that slit between their legs."

Adam started to respond that no, Elias was wrong-women, all women, want to know they're appreciated and loved but he stayed quiet; it wouldn't do to show too much interest in the Fell's marriage. After all, in a few weeks or maybe days, he'd move on and this stop would only be a memory, just another milestone on his journey home. They rode in silence the rest of the way to town.

"Mornin', Mr. Sweet," Elias said. "I have a list of things I need."

"Mornin',Elias," Mr. Sweet replied nervously. He looked over at Adam who stood behind Elias and who looked around the mercantile at the merchandise. "Um…you have the money to pay for this, don't you?" Mr. Sweet seemed nervous as he fingered the list.

"Put the stuff on my bill. I don't owe you anything. I paid it off with that basket of eggs from Rachel's chickens and those aprons she made. I don't see them hanging in here anymore so you must have sold them."

"Yes, yes. They were mighty popular—sold them quickly. If your wife wants to make more, I'll be glad to give her the fabric—I'll give you two bolts of print homespun; the women like the prints and the way Rachel mixes the prints to make them fetching. I'll sell the aprons once they're finished and put the money as a future credit. Mrs. Fell's mighty handy with her needle. But, um…I was told not to give you any more credit—cash only."

"Who told you that? Truck? Did Jeb Truck tell you that?" Elias' face reddened as he became angrier.

"Well, um…I was told that you're losing your ranch and not to give you any more credit 'cause you might be leaving any time now. I'm sorry, Elias. It's been a hard winter and people haven't paid their bills and I have my own to pay. Cash only."

"I asked you…" Elias began to shout and pounded a fist on the counter and Mr. Sweet backed away against the shelves behind him, fear on his face.

Adam stepped up and put a hand on Elias' arm as he addressed Mr. Sweet.

"Were you told to not give me credit? A war veteran?" Adam smiled in anything but a friendly manner.

"I don't even know who you are, mister?"

"Then that means no. Open up a line of credit for me, please. I won't be going anywhere for a long time." That wasn't Adam's plan, to stay for any great length, but suddenly he was determined to remain; he always fought for the underdog except in the war but that was because he didn't realize that there was more than one group of people being beaten down. Mr. Sweet hesitated. "Name's Adam Cartwright and although I'm usually a peaceful man, if I have to wait much longer for this list to be filled, well, I might become impatient." Adam slid the list further across the counter.

"Yes, Mr. Cartwright." Mr. Sweet approached again and reached under the counter which caused Adam to undo the trigger loop of his gun in its holster and rest his hand on it. "I'm just getting my book out—no gun." Adam relaxed and Mr. Sweet pulled out a ledger and started a page of credit for Adam Cartwright and then he set about filling the order.

"Thank you, Mr. Cartwright," Elias said and put out his hand. Adam shook it.

"Call me, Adam."

"Elias. I'll wait out by the buckboard."

Adam watched Elias walk out and through the window, saw him climb up to the seat. Adam fished around in his pocket and pulled out the few coins he owned; it was all the money he had so he had been careful to slip the money in his pocket from the wool trousers before they were to be washed. He walked over to Mr. Sweet. "Throw in a nickel's worth of candy. Here." He handed the money over to Mr. Sweet. "And give me a length of that blue ribbon with the rest. Adam poured the remaining coins in the store-owner's hand. He watched as the man measured out and clipped a length of the bright blue grosgrain. Mr. Sweet rolled it and was going to put it with the items he had already gathered for Adam but Adam put out his hand for it. "I'll take it if you don't mind." He slipped the roll of ribbon in the shirt pocket. Even though Adam knew he shouldn't buy her anything since it wasn't his place, he wanted to give the blue ribbon to Rachel for what she had endured for his sake. He knew that it would make her smile and he wanted so much to see her smile.