The Angels

"You did what?" Ben bellowed. He stood up when Adam sprang the news on him after arriving home. And Hoss and Joe on the settee were obviously uncomfortable, Hoss examining his cuticles and Joe looking at the floor, his hands crossed in front of him as he leaned over.

"I asked Cecile to marry me. Why is that so hard for you to believe?"

"Why, in the name of all that's holy, did you do that?" Ben blustered. He and Adam stood facing each other as they had many times before, both determined.

"Because I love her," Adam simply answered.

Ben looked at Adam and saw by his face that he was really in love; Adam loved Cecile Turpin and therefore had taken the next step. Ben felt shamed in the presence of Adam's open emotions and lowered his voice and his eyes. "Have you talked to her father?"

"No, not yet. Cecile wants to talk to him first. I think she hopes to smooth the way for me."

"Hoss, Joe, would you leave us?" Ben asked.

"Yes Sir," Hoss said and nodded to Joe and the two went upstairs.

"Adam, are you sure that you know what you're doing?"

Adam gave a small laugh. "I know what I'm doing, Pa. You act as if I'm just a kid. I've known what I thought before was love and wasn't-this is different. I know this is love and not just affection. Oh, Pa, I love her so." He smiled at the thought of Cecile.

"Cecile is so young and you've only been with her alone, what? Twice? Three times? Maybe you should wait longer, court her some more before you marry her? Get to know her better."

"No, I want to start our life together as quickly as possible. For some reason, I feel the need to hurry."

"Adam, sit down." Ben motioned to the settee.

"I've talked about this enough, Pa. I'm going upstairs and read a little. It'll be a busy day tomorrow."

"Please, Adam, over the years, I've heard things-rumors that weren't really rumors, gossip that you should know about."

"I'm not interested. People have heard gossip about me that isn't true so why should I listen to any about Cecile?" Adam rested his hand on the newel post. "I'm going upstairs and if you're so against my marrying her, we'll live in the hotel until I can build us a small place. I'm marrying her, Pa-I've made up my mind. I love her but what's most important, she loves me. Try to remember how that feels-to be so loved." And Adam went up the stairs.

Ben sank back down on his chair and rested his head in his hands. "Lord, help us all," he muttered.

Adam heard the hollow pounding of the doorknocker but the sound took a few seconds to get through his heavy sleep. He grabbed up his robe, slipped it on, and tying it, went into the hall where he met his father also heading downstairs and then Joe and Hoss behind them. Adam and Ben looked at one another and then, once downstairs, they grabbed their guns off the credenza and Adam pulled the bolt and carefully opened the door.

"Cecile! What…" Adam put his gun down and reached for Cecile who stood before him shivering in her nightgown. "Come in, sweetheart. Come in." Adam put his arm around her and pulled her inside. He noticed that she was barefoot. He glanced at the clock-it was 2:35.

"Come here and sit down," Adam said as he led Cecile to the settee. "Pa, get me a blanket, please and Hoss, stoke up the fire, would you?" Ben looked at Hoss and Joe who stared back at him. Ben nodded to Hoss who poked up the ashes and started the fire going. Adam put the blanket around Cecile's shoulders and then sat beside her on the settee. "Hoss, Joe, leave us alone, would you?" Adam asked, glancing at them.

"Yeah, sure, Adam," Hoss said. "C'mon, Joe, let's go back to bed." As they climbed the stairs Adam could hear them whispering, wanting to know what was wrong, why Cecile had shown up in the early morning hours and only dressed in a nightgown, her hair wild and her feet bare.

Ben had looked outside and saw that Cecile had driven out in a small rig and left it in the yard. He closed the door and sat in a side chair and watched as Cecile looked helplessly at Adam.

"What's wrong, Cecile? What's happened?" Adam reached out and lightly stroked her cheek.

"They said that I shouldn't marry you-that I had sinned and wasn't worthy of you."

"Who, Cecile? Who said that? Your parents?"

"No, no-not them. The angels."

"The angels?"

"Yes. I had always been happy with them but tonight-they were waiting in my room. I only managed to get away when they were praying for me. I can't go back because they'll take me away and, oh, Adam, I can't bear to leave you. Please. They said I wasn't clean enough for you-I had sin on my soul and I would taint you-that I needed to be cleansed. They told me to go to the river." Cecile looked off and spoke in a low voice, "Drown my world with weeping…if it must be drowned…"

"Cecile," Adam said, "look at me—pay attention. Those words were from the poem—they were in the poem. You must have dreamed them."

Cecile looked at him. " No. It was the angels and they said for me to get in the river and to let the waters wash me but the river, it's so cold and so strong-it would have taken me away, carried me with it. Where did you say it emptied?"

"Pyramid Lake." Adam kept his voice calm hoping to sound reassuring.

"Yes-Pyramid Lake. That's too far away, Adam. You said it was. I could've never come back to you-I would have been lost-new spheres, new lands. Oh, Adam, what am I going to do?"

Adam pulled her into his arms. "You're going to stay here with me. At least tonight."

"Adam, you can't let her…" Ben started to protest.

Adam looked over Cecile's head at his father. "Pa, please. Let me do what I need to do."

"But her parents will be worried. You can't just keep her here."

"I'll take care of it." Adam gently rocked Cecile back and forth on the settee, soothing her, his voice low and calm. "You'll sleep in my bed. You'll be safe-I'll make certain of it. In the morning, the angels in your room, they'll be gone. They'll know that you're pure and good. I'll take care of everything." And she leaned against his chest. He rested his cheek against the top of her head and felt her relax in his arms.

Then he looked up at his astonished father. "Pa, will you make some warm milk for Cecile?"

"Warm milk?"

"Yes, please, if you would."

Ben shook his head but went off to the kitchen. A few seconds later Adam followed him.

"Put a few grains of laudanum in it-I want her to sleep. I'm going to see her parents after she's asleep to tell them she's here."

"Adam, this is…this is trouble, her staying here."

"Please, Pa. Let me handle it."

Ben threw his hands up in frustration. "All right, Adam. I'll let you. I just hope that you know what you're doing." And Ben sat with Adam and Cecile as she drank the milk he had heated; she held the coffee mug with both hands and sipped the warm milk, apparently not noticing the slight bitterness of the laudanum. Adam kneeled at her feet with a basin of water, washing off the dust and dirt with a wet cloth and drying them with a towel. Angels have no use for shoes.

"C'mon, sweetheart, let's you and me go upstairs. I'll put you to bed." Adam, held Cecile next to him and led her up the stairs to his room. Ben shook his head in disapproval.

Cecile placidly allowed Adam to tuck her in, her eyes following him.

"Now, you go to sleep. Okay, sweetheart?" Adam bent down and kissed her forehead. He reached for the lamp.

"Don't, Adam, please. Don't turn it off. Leave it on."

Adam looked down at her and he caught his breath. She is the loveliest thing I've ever seen. Her dark hair spread out behind her on the pillow made the contrast of her pale skin more obvious. Her eyes were bright and he knew from touching her face that she was slightly feverish, overexcited. He stroked her face and she looked up at him trustingly.

"I'll just turn it down. Now you go to sleep-you'll be safe here. I'll sit by the bed and watch over you. Is that all right?"

"Yes. Thank you, Adam."

He smiled and then went to his desk and pulled the chair next to the bed.

"Adam? You believe me, don't you?"

"Yes, I believe you." And Adam watched while Cecile went to sleep.