Chapter 5
"A doll! Can you believe it?!" Lizzie yelled. "After all I've done to make amends and he gets me a DAMN DOLL!"
"Elizabeth Cartwright, lower your voice!" Shanda Dee snapped at her irate friend. "If Miss Miller hears you swearing you'll be in hot water for sure."
"It's recess, Shanda Dee. You know Miss Miller stays in the school at recess."
"Yes, I know that, Lizzie Cartwright! It doesn't mean someone won't hear you and squeal!"
Lizzie kicked a clod of dirt on the ground then plunked down onto the pine log beside her friend. The two sat in silence for a few moments, Lizzie still fuming.
"So what does your doll look like?" Shanda Dee inquired quietly.
Lizzie rolled her eyes. "What does it matter what it looks like? It's a stupid doll!"
"I was just curious. You don't need to be so snippy."
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be snippy. It's a painted china doll with long, curly brown hair and a pink dress," she said then began to grumble under her breath. "Pink! That's not even my favourite colour!"
"I never saw a doll like that in Mr. Guthrie's store," Shanda Dee said.
"He had it ordered in from St. Louis," she sighed.
"St. Louis? That's impressive. My pa has never sent away for anything for me."
"Who's side are you on, Shanda Dee Holbrook?!" Lizzie barked.
"Not everyone's pa is rich, Elizabeth! For my last birthday my pa bought me a new slate for school and I was happy to have it. Just because you didn't get your silly dress doesn't mean he doesn't care about you. Sometimes you can be so greedy!"
Her friend's reaction surprised Lizzie greatly. It was very uncharacteristic for Shanda Dee to disagree with her so strongly. Usually she was a soft spoken girl and one that went along with Lizzie's views. This new display of gumption was not one that Lizzie was particularly fond of. She needed to put the girl back in her place. "How dare you call me greedy?!"
"How dare I?! How dare you, Elizabeth Cartwright! Your family dotes on you and gives you presents galore. You barely study and then complain when you get a 'B' instead of an 'A'. Wyatt is sweet on you and makes you lovely jewelry, but none of that is good enough for you, is it? You just keep complaining and wanting more! In case you haven't noticed that is the definition of being greedy! GREEDY! GREEDY! GREEDY!" and with that Shanda Dee stomped away leaving Lizzie in a state of unbelief.
Lizzie sat back down on the pine log. I'm not greedy, she thought. Just because my family is wealthy does not make me greedy. She's just jealous, is all. Jealous of my nice things, my intelligence and green with envy that Wyatt Fuller wants to be MY beau and not hers! I don't need friends who are jealous of me in my life!
Lizzie looked over the school yard to see Shanda Dee talking with a group of girls, which included friend Sally Quinn and her cousin Katie. They were huddled together as they spoke and would occasionally shoot a nasty glare in Lizzie's direction.
"What's ruffled your feathers?" a voice behind her said. Lizzie turned to see Maisy standing beside the pine log. Brooding over the argument she had just had with Shanda Dee, Lizzie had not noticed Maisy approach.
"Leave me alone, Maisy," she snarled.
"Well that's a fine 'howdy-do' for your sister."
"I want to be by myself, Maisy. Is that so hard to understand?"
"What Wyatt Fuller sees in a crabby snit like you is beyond me," Maisy shot back then walked to join the other girls in their private circle.
Wyatt Fuller! Lizzie had been so absorbed with the whole 'doll' fiasco that it had actually turned her attention away from her beloved Wyatt. She scanned the school yard and found him playing marbles with a few other boys. She stood up, brushed off her dress, straightened her spine then proceeded to march up to Wyatt and the group of boys. He was hunched over about to make a shot against Bobby Ritchie when a shadow appeared over the circle. They all looked up to see who dare disturb their game. "Wyatt, may I speak with you?" Lizzie asked boldly.
A few of the boys began to snickered, but Luke – who was among the group – was quick to voice his objection. "Can't you see we're busy here?"
"I wasn't speaking to you, Lucas Cartwright!" Lizzie snarled.
Before Luke could reply, Wyatt stood up. "I'm gonna finish this game then I'll meet you on the schoolhouse steps," he said calmly. Lizzie gave a slight smile, a quick nod of the head then sauntered over to the school and sat on the second step to wait for the boy she loved.
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Adam Cartwright rode into the front yard of the Ponderosa. He was tired from his long day and wanted nothing more than to wash, eat and go to bed. However, he knew being a father of seven would not allow for such indulgences. For the most part Adam never minded because it meant he could spend time with his family, but today he was longing for a quiet end to a hectic day. When he spied Maisy sitting on the front porch with her arm over a crying Mary's shoulders, Adam knew the day was to last much longer than he wanted.
He rode up to the porch and dismounted his horse. "What seems to be the problem here?" he asked as he loosely tied Sport to the hitching rail.
"One word," Maisy said with a sneer, "Lizzie."
"What has she done?" Adam asked, not sure if he wanted the answer.
"She's locked us out of the bedroom and Mary has her doll in there and Lizzie won't let her in to get it. She's being down-right impossible, Pa! You need to get up there and show her who's boss!" Maisy stated angrily. Mary still sat beside her, quietly sobbing.
"Oh, I do, do I?" Adam smirked. His Maisy had definitely come a long way, but that initial spitfire quality was ever present.
"Yessir, you do!" she said adamantly. "Elizabeth has no right to keep us out of our own room! And she definitely has no right to PUSH us out of OUR room."
"She pushed you out of the room?" Adam asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Yes she did! Almost broke poor Mary's arm the way she was thrown into hallway!"
Adam tried to keep a straight face. The girl didn't back down when there was injustice, something he loved about his daughter. She may not be his biologically, but the girl was 100% Cartwright! "After I put my horse away I will go and speak to Elizabeth. Don't worry, Mary, all will be dealt with, all right?"
Mary's tears subsided slightly and she gave her father a slight nod of the head.
"I can make sure your horse is wiped down and fed, Pa," Maisy offered.
"Thank you, Maisy."
"Sure thing, Pa!"
When Adam entered the house he heard Maisy bellow, "BENNY! LUKE! COME PUT PA'S HORSE AWAY AND DON'T FORGET TO WIPE HIM DOWN REAL GOOD!" Adam just rolled his eyes and closed the door behind him. He met up with Evelyn in the great room as she darted out of the kitchen.
"What is that infernal yelling?!" she inquired.
"Major Maisy is addressing her troops," he smiled.
"I have a feeling there will be a mutiny before too long," Evelyn sighed.
"Yes, but if anyone can handle a mutiny it's our Margaret Jane."
"How very right you are, Adam dear," she agreed then kissed her husband's lips softly.
"How long have Mary and Maisy been locked out of their room," he asked.
Evelyn looked at him with a puzzled expression.
"I gather you are unaware of Elizabeth's actions?"
"This is the first I'm hearing of someone being locked out of their room," she admitted.
"I figured as much."
"Adam Cartwright, are you insinuating that I am not a mindful mother?!"
"I said nothing of the sort, Evvy," he sighed. "It appears that Elizabeth may be assuming some old habits that I thought were dealt with."
"Would you like me to speak with her," Evelyn asked.
"I think your caring ways are best suited to Mary at the moment. She's out front with Maisy and crying."
"Oh, my poor Mary!" Evelyn said then bolted out the front door.
Adam took off his coat, placed it on the hook by the door then did the same with his hat. He was about to climb the stairs when he realized he still had on his gun belt. "Not the best thing to take into the room of an emotional young female," he said to himself as he took the belt off and put it into a drawer of his office desk. Adam then walked over to the built-in wall hutch in the office alcove, poured himself a glass of a brown-coloured liquor from the decanter and downed it in one big gulp. He had a funny feeling this wouldn't be the last drink he was going to have this evening. Slowly Adam climbed the stairs to Lizzie's room.
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TO BE CONTINUED…
Thank you all so much for your patience. I've had much going on in my life and was unable to give my writing the attention I wanted to. Thank you for your kind reviews and for taking the time to read. Cheers! - Skarlettgirl