William
Sitting in the Headmaster's office, Evi and Scott were waiting for the child to be brought to them, then they heard screaming in the hallway.
"William! You must obey!" The Headmaster yelled.
"No! I do not want to meet more people! Leave me alone! Go to hell! The boy cried back.
"That's enough!" Scott growled severely from the doorway. This surprised the child, who immediately stopped yelling.
"Headmaster, can you leave me alone with him, please?"
"He has already been beaten more than once, Mr. Lancer!"
"A not really effective method! I don't intend to beat him."
"Okay, if you change your mind and want the cane, it's behind my desk! Be tough!" The man informed him.
Scott waited for the door to close and sat down.
"Come here boy, in front of me!" Scott ordered softly but firmly.
The child obeyed, uncertain.
"Relax! I meant it when I said I didn't mean to beat you and I never would! I can sometimes spank if you deserve it, with my hand or my belt," but you'll never have a bruise! Never! No matter what you do! It's a promise, okay?"
"Yes sir."
"Well, do you know who we are? Why we want you, specifically?"
"No sir."
"My name is Scott Lancer, this is my wife Evi, her maiden name is Sims, like yours, right?"
"Yes sir."
"She's also your daddy's daughter, but not your mum's, which makes her your half-sister. Do you follow?"
"Yes sir."
"This makes us your closest legal relatives and responsible for your care, Therefore you have no choice, you must come with us. It is the law." Scott said firmly.
" I will not!" The child replied, shouting.
"Keep it down little boy! My words were not a request."
"You don't understand. I would like to come! But I can't!"
"Why? Explain it to me. I will always listen to you, even before I punish you. You can trust me, I will not lie to you!"
"You can trust us William. My husband is telling the truth, he won't hurt you." Evi said softly.
"I have a little sister, Louise, she is also my half-sister. We have the same mother but not the same father. As our last names were different, we were separated. No one made the connection and I could not do anything! I don't know where she is and need to find her!"
"Oh my God!" Scott exclaimed.
Evi had made the connection too! The story coincided too much to be accidental, plus, now that she thought about it, they looked alike!
"What did I say?" William asked surprised at his reaction.
"Your little sister, is she seven? Does she have a saucy mouth and can be a real little terror, like you just were?"
"Yes sir. How do you know this?"
"We met her! in the stagecoach on our way here! I know where she is! We are going to go get her!"
"But she's not your family! There's no connection like me, you mean you want to adopt her too?" William was crying, big silent tears streaming down his cheeks!
It melted Scott and Evi's hearts.
"My boy." Scott said hugging him, the child flinched. "If she's your family, then she's ours! Yes, we'll of course get her before we get home, I promise!"
The child was hugging Scott like a lifeline now! Crying against his muscular chest, it had been a long time since William had been hugged. Once the child was calm, Scott put him back in front of him.
"Do you want me to look at your back? I would like to see the damage from your punishments." Scott asked.
"Yes sir, okay," William gently took off his shirt.
"Turn around, don't worry I won't touch you." Scott informed quietly.
"Oh my God, Scott!" blurted Evi.
The child was covered in bruises and welts on his back! He was even cut in places!
"Evi? Turn around, please. Let me look at his butt." Evi obeyed.
"Don't be afraid, I won't brush against you." Scott murmured. It was even worse on his butt!
"You can get dressed. Go get your things. We're leaving now! I'm not leaving you here another minute!"
"Yes sir!" Said the happy child, it was already not the same little boy!
"William?" The child turned around.
"You will never be beaten again! I promise you!"
"Yes sir! Thank you sir!"
William was actually respectful.
The headmaster entered the room."Did you give him the cane after all?"
Scott was crazy!
"This child is covered in blue bruises and wounds!" Scott yelled. "Check with my lawyers for the papers, I'm taking him with me now!"
"Sir, it is impossible!"
"I said now! My son is a Lancer! He will never be beaten again!" Scott took the cane and snapped it in half against the desk! "I'll tell the authorities, an investigation will be opened for the other children! A child may deserve a spanking, God knows I have no problem giving it out, but not like that!"
William had collected his things, he heard it all behind the door. Scott was mad! Speaking up for him, to help him!
"Thank you, Mr. Lancer," said the child, entering and hugging the man on his middle.
"Come on, let's go! Try to stop me!"
The headmaster was not brave enough to take on an adult man! It was easy to beat a helpless child! Before he left, Scott really wanted to punch his fist directly into the Headmaster's jaw, he didn't.
"I'm tougher than a ten year old! I won't hit you, because I teach my kids to control their mood and fighting with fists is never the solution." The headmaster didn't budge.
Scott walked over to the sheriff, where he went to denounce the mistreatment of orphaned children.
Then they stopped to send two telegrams, the first to his father to explain the situation, the second to the orphanage in Santa Fe, so that Lou would not be adopted. He then booked three train tickets to Santa Fe the next day.
He also wrote and sent a long letter to Sam.
They had lunch at the restaurant. William had never eaten in a restaurant! And a fancy one!
"I can eat?" William asked.
"Of course! You're not going to sit and just look at us!" Teased Evi.
"What do you have in your little bag? Do you need clothes?" Evi asked.
"No Ma'am! I don't cost much! I wear only one pair of pants and my shirt. I sleep in my underwear! I don't need anything! I promise!"
Scott and Evi laughed!
"Don't worry about the money William, that's okay. Finish your lunch and we'll go shopping."
While Evi was choosing a suitcase and some dresses and items for Lou, Scott bought the boy: a suitcase, two sleeping shirts, three dress pants, one pair for riding, one for work, one belt, four shirts, some underwear, socks, three sweaters, a scarf, a warm coat, a hat, cowboy boots, and a pair of dress shoes.
"All this for me sir? I will never succeed in putting it all on together!"
Scott burst out laughing. "You do not wear it all at once, son."
"You can also choose a book, a toy and some candy for the trip. Choose the same for your little sister".
"Really? Thank you sir!"
Scott also chooses a book and a toy for Sam and for Johnny.
Seeing the hotel, William almost fell backwards!
"Are you rich sir?"
Scott burst out laughing!
"Yes, William, I can't hide it from you, I'm rich. But in return our family has higher standards than others in respect, discipline and good manners. We breed and sell cattle and horses, it's hard work but it gives us a comfortable future. Don't worry about money anymore, we have it."
"Yes sir!"
"Go on in the tub and take a bath, call me if you need help," Scott said.
"What if I refuse? Are you going to beat me?"
Is that a challenge? Already? Thought the man.
"I told you I would never beat you, William! I will not even give a spanking just yet, until you are healed. However, I can restrict your fun, make you stand in a corner, make you write a hundred lines! Depending on the offense of course, take away your book and your toy, make you write an essay, you want me to continue?"
"No sir!, I want to take a bath!" The child teased.
"That's not what seemed to me!" Scott replied.
"Are you angry with me?" The boy asked.
"No, but I could be if you weren't in your bath when I got to three! One. Two "
The kid ran to get into his tub which made Scott and Evi laugh.
"Yes my love, if you have to punish him soon, the test is a good idea! so I can see where he is in school." Evi informed.
"Alright honey, you're right, this will be the test then.
"Thank you my love! He's a good boy! Nothing to do with the tornado we were told about!"
"Yes, I suspected, he needed a bit of authority, precision and love, he's your brother! He couldn't be that terrible! And finally I think we're gonna end up having our ten children!" Scott teased.