Chapter 18

Having taken a few days just to relax, one morning Adam and Mary were having coffee on the verandah. They were admiring the early morning sunshine, but with just a hint of autumn in the air. It felt so fresh.

"Adam, may I tell you something. I know you'll probably laugh but I would like to give myself a name."

"As long as it's not Mary. That name will bring back memories that will haunt me." He said with a smile on his face. Mary smiled too, knowing he was teasing her.

Alright, I would like the name Margaret, so I could be called Meg. I read Little Women and loved Meg straight off, and in my fantasy world that was the name I used."

"And I love it too. It suits you very well." Adam assured her.

"Thank you. That's who I'll be then. But your father and brothers are going to be shocked, so I think maybe the time has come for me to tell them a little about myself."

"Are you sure?"

"Well, I shall have to tell them something or they will think I'm mad as well as a misbehaved woman."

"Very well, whatever you want. I will be right beside you for support, should you need it."

"Thank you Adam."

"Since we've been talking, I realise you have not yet told me about how you came about to have the money." Adam questioned.

"I knew you wouldn't let me get away with telling you about the money. Very well. Well my father died suddenly of a heart attack and I'm not sorry to say that I was glad. But apparently he had not made a Will, and one day not long after he died, a man from his bank came to talk with me. With me! Well, whatever was I to say to him. I found some material and draped it over my head like a shawl, as I had no idea where my hat was hidden, and met him in the lounge."

Adam was listening to her every word.

"He told me that my father had not left a Will and therefore I was the only beneficiary. I told him I didn't want anything from my father. Why he had not made a Will I'll never know, but he told me that was the law and that it was up to me to do with it as I wanted. He then asked if I wished to stay on living in the house and I happily told him NO. I would be leaving as soon as possible."

"That was a bit hasty, don't you think?" Adam said.

"Yes, you're right. The Bank Manager told me the same thing, to hold off for the moment. I told him I knew nothing about banking matters. He then asked me if I would like him to sell the house for me and put all proceeds together with the money already in my father's account. I told him yes, and as quickly as possible, as I needed to be gone from that place."

"And where were you planning to go, with no possessions or provisions of any kind?" Adam asked, playfully.

"Well, alright. At that time I hadn't thought it through. Happy now? So I went around the house, looking and searching for my hat. I would need that, as my hair was continually shaved off from that time I told you about, so it would take some time to grow back again."

Adam noticed a small spark of Mary Kelly in that statement and smiled.

"What are you smiling about? she asked with a frown.

"I detected a little of Mary Kelly in that last sentence and it made me realise that perhaps there is a little of her in you after all. Now continue on." Adam mildly ordered, again with a smile.

"When all had been completed and the house sold, I was told how much money there was in the account. It was quite substantial. But I didn't want it. I didn't want anything of HIS. So I told the Bank Manager to leave it just where it was. But he said he couldn't do that, but if I would agree for him to transfer the account to me, then it would officially be mine and to do with as I wished."

"But how could this be done without knowing your name, if indeed you had ever been given one?" Adam asked.

"Well you might ask. I can only surmise that he had adopted me when he married my mother and I asked the Bank Manager if I could see a balance sheet of the account first, before I made my final decision. He agreed. And when I saw it I found my surname to be Pearce. He was Thomas Pearce. So Mary Pearce was invented. The account was formalised and I had plans to make. I asked the Bank Manager, his name was Mr Welles, if he knew of a lady who could help me with things. He said he would and sent me Mrs. Dobson. She was a godsend. Oh, what have I just said."

"See, you are relaxing now. That's a very good sign."

Meg smiled at Adam. "I asked Mrs. Dobson to do some shopping for me, a bonnet, with lace trimming all round, a dress, and underthings, you know the sort of things. Oh, by the way, I know I told you I wanted none of his money, I changed my mind. I took $200 dollars from the account to buy things I thought I might need, including some wigs that I wanted and have enough money left to travel with as far west I could. And then eventually to San Francisco where I could earn enough money to take a ship to wherever, maybe Australia, and start afresh. That's what I had planned."

"I see. And do you know what could happen to you in San Francisco? No, I suppose not. There are many dangers there, especially for a woman alone."

"I might just pretend to be Tom Rider again." Meg looked at Adam with a hopeful expression. "Alright, maybe I hadn't thought it all out."

"Obviously, but let's get back to the money. "What did you decide to do with the rest of the money?"

"Well, I sat down one evening and gave it very serious thought. I knew I didn't want it, or anything to do with what was his, except to start me off. And once that was gone, I would be on my own and would have to earn money along the way for food and a bed. Which I did. But to go back to your question, I thought of what would displease and anger HIM the most. To squander the money? No. I decided it would be only just to use it for good purposes. So as I travelled along, I had the bank send money to where I thought it would do most good."

"Well that was a wonderful thing to have done. And then you ended up here in Virginia City and found me. Or I should say I found you and our adventure began, beginning badly but ended up good."

"I hope you will now use the money I gave you to design and build onto the church and school."

"I will do as you ask, and willingly." Adam said, and hugged Meg tightly and kissed her, but not too strongly, still not wanting to frighten her, knowing her past. She will need time to adjust to someone who will show her what love really is.

"I have one more thing to do with the money and that is purchase a new organ and send it to Father Phillip in Winslow. I know he won't refuse the gift. Then if there is any money left, I will send it as a donation toward the restoration of the church. And that will be the end of the money and my connection with HIM."

"Oh, there's still another thing to sort out." Adam declared. We'll have to write to Mr Welles at the bank and tell him of your change of name, but first we need to have it documented. We'll go into Virginia City and see Hiram Wood, our lawyer, and get it organised." Adam had thought of everything.

"That sounds fine." Blushing, Meg spoke very quietly, after taking a deep breath. "Would you kiss me properly, I could sense you were holding back, and I want to experience a proper kiss."

"With all my heart, Meg." Adam bent his head towards Meg and this time thoroughly kissed her, and to his surprise, she responded automatically in returning his kiss.

"Wow, that surely was a wonderful kiss." And for the moment, Mary had forgotten her previous thoughts about leaving the Ponderosa.

NB: Little Women was not written at this time, but hey, author's privilage.