Adam put his hand on the doorknob and turned it slowly, letting the door swing inward silently on its oiled hinges. It was early, and the light that came through the window was pale. He stood for a moment and watched the quilt softly rise and fall with Eula's breathing. Her dark hair, usually coiled in a knot at the back of her head, or plaited, spilled over the pillowcase in a way he found almost perversely pleasing.
He came over to the bed, leaning down to whisper in her ear.
"I have to go into Virginia City."
She awoke immediately, as he knew she would. He put a finger to his lips, indicating the still open door with a tilt of his head.
She sat up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. They'd finished a week's worth of branding just the day before and she was allowing herself a rare sleep in.
She looked him over. He was dressed all in black, save for his coat. She suddenly realized she was only in her nightgown, a state of undress in which he had never seen her. She pulled the covers up and he gave her a barely disguised grin.
"Have you often snuck into my room while I slept?"
"No, but maybe I should start."
He leaned down again and gave her a kiss, then whirled around and headed for the door. If he was caught in her room they would have a lot of explaining to do, and he doubted anyone would believe he'd only slipped in to tell her he would be gone for the day.
"Adam, wait!" she called, as quietly as she could.
She boldly tossed back the covers and ran across the room, throwing herself into his arms. Hurriedly she took hold of his collar and captured his lips in a passionate kiss.
"You do try me," he said huskily, crushing her to him once more before rushing out the door. He wanted a clear mind and a direct line of thought; he needed now to be his reserved, logical, and levelheaded self. His and Eula's future depended on it.
He neither hurried nor dallied on the way into Virginia City. He set a comfortable pace and travelled the distance in no more and no less time than usual. He had been both anticipating and dreading this day. Blythe had agreed to a meeting with his lawyer, but Adam hadn't mentioned it to Eula. There was every chance that it would go spectacularly badly and if so, he wanted to keep it from her as long as possible.
He recognized his own horse and buggy coming down the street when he dismounted in front of his lawyer's office. He'd broken the smart little bay to drive himself, and the buggy had come from St. Louis. They'd used it to leave the church at their wedding, taking it on the first leg of their honeymoon.
When it got close he was surprised to see that Blythe was not driving. Instead, a man in a grey suit held the reins. Blythe leaned over and whispered something in the man's ear before fixing Adam with a haughty glare.
They both disembarked and Blythe looped her arm through the man's, just as she used to do with him once upon a time. He asked himself if he was angry at the sight of another man with his wife, but his response came back immediately and with fervor: most certainly not. He was reassured that all feeling he had perhaps held for Blythe was well and truly gone.
"Adam, this is Edward Stanley. Edward, this is Adam," Blythe introduced them as if it were the most natural thing in the world to be there on another man's arm.
Neither man offered his hand to be shook, but while Adam wore a look of bemusement, Edward's was one of plain meanness.
Once inside, Blythe gestured to a chair in the hall, and then offered her cheek to Edward, who turned her by the chin and pressed a kiss to her lips, gripping her possessively by the waist.
Adam raised his eyebrows and went into the office before the pair had separated. The wheels in his mind were turning; he could see now the purpose of this meeting. Blythe had intended to make him jealous, this Stanley fellow was meant to be paraded out to make him believe he was at risk of losing something valuable. Yes, he knew how Blythe thought - but he also thought how he could use this to his own advantage, if only he played the role she had designed for him in her mind. If she thought she was making him suffer, he might just get all that he wanted and she would even think it had been her idea.
Adam took his seat and Blythe shortly came in and took hers. She straightened her hat and smoothed her skirts, perching daintily on the edge of the chair.
How looks deceive, Adam thought to himself, recalling the many abuses he had suffered at her hands.
She looked demurely at him and he mustered up a scowl.
"I appreciate your coming in, Mr. and Mrs. Cartwright, divorce is obviously a difficult - "
"And just who is Mr. Stanley?" Adam demanded.
"What's it to you?" Blythe said, examining her gloved hand intently.
"Haven't I got a right to know the man who's kissing my wife?" he retorted.
"Perhaps we - " the lawyer attempted to intervene. Adam gave him an almost imperceptible shake of his head and, ensuring Blythe wasn't looking, a quick wink.
"No, you haven't! Besides that, soon I won't be your wife."
"Oh really?"
"Yes!"
"Suppose I say no?"
"You will do no such thing. This divorce is the only good idea you've ever had, I'm through with you. Edward intends to marry me. I love him, and nothing will come between us."
Adam cast a glance at the lawyer, who discerned his meaning and quickly pushed a packet of papers across the desk towards Blythe.
"The proffered settlement, ma'am."
"I'll take no less than $6,000."
"$4,500 has been tentatively set, a fairly generous - "
"Maybe Edward Stanley has no money of his own," Adam chimed in. "Maybe he's sent his woman in here to beg for more money to keep him, he did look like a wastrel, I noticed that right away. That man hasn't got a dollar to his name, I thought."
"I'll have you know he has plenty of money!" Blythe picked up the pen and signed the top paper, nearly putting the pen through it.
The lawyer shuffled quickly to the next page. "About the house - "
"No doubt Mr. Stanley expects to be provided a home by his wife. Some men make such poor providers themselves. I built that house with my own two hands, I'll wager he couldn't work a hammer if his life depended on it."
"We'll be living in San Francisco, I wouldn't live in your unimpressive little ranch house for anything," Blythe said hotly, scrawling her name on the signature line.
"We now come to the contents of the marital home," the lawyer said, looking back and forth between Adam and Blythe in bewilderment.
"You know," Adam said to the lawyer, "I've never had much respect for a man who would bed a woman where she'd already lain with another man. There's something of the prostitute about it, isn't there?"
The lawyer tugged at his collar uncomfortably. Adam knew he was being crude, his father would have taken him to task if he'd ever spoken in such a way at home, but he had discovered Blythe's weak spot and he wasn't about to let up.
"I'll take not a damned thing from that house, excepting the dressing table and the settee from my father."
Adam turned to the lawyer, who hastily added a few lines to the document before once again turning it to Blythe, who was so agitated she had to cross out her name after an error and sign it again.
"I believe that concludes our business. Mr. Cartwright, if you would also sign..." he handed the pen off to Adam, who wasted no time in applying his signature where indicated.
As they were leaving, Adam overheard Stanley demanding to know what Blythe had received. Blythe was so flustered she could hardly speak, and she gave Adam a dazed look as he went by. He knew she'd soon work out that she'd been had, but now it was too late. The deed was done, and he would soon be a free man. For once, Blythe's temper and impetuousness had worked in his favour.
He found when he untied Sport from the hitching rail that his hands were shaking. An excited thrill welled up in his belly and rose into his chest. He began to laugh, a deep, resounding laugh that continued as he swung up into the saddle. He let out an uncharacteristic whoop as he gave Sport his head and let him race recklessly down the street, he didn't want to waste any time getting home.