Chapter Seven-The Truth and Its Consequences

Matt Dillon stood at the end of Front Street, watching Kitty take the hand of the boy she'd just introduced as her son, Thad. Tucker Ferrin's boy…The big man kept his watchful eye on the pair as they slowly walked away, noticing the townsfolk who'd passed her on the boardwalk glance back over their shoulders for a second look.

Those second glances helped the man who loved Kitty Russell understand why she'd declined when he'd invited her and her son to supper at Delmonico's. Instead, she'd asked if he'd mind bringing supper to her rooms, so the most important men in her life could get to know each other. He had of course agreed, eager to hear how on Earth she'd ever gotten mixed up with the likes of Tucker Ferrin. The boy must be around nine years old. She was awfully young…Maybe Ferrin attacked her? There has to be a good explanation.

Kitty and Thad walked hand in hand down the boardwalk, heading toward the Long Branch, somewhat oblivious to those around them. As they neared the General Store, a thought occurred to Kitty.

"You know what?" she smiled as she stopped in front of Mr. Jonas' store, still holding the boy's hand.

"What?" he stared into her smiling face.

"You've had a rough couple of days. What do you say we head into the store and get you some sugar candy?"

"Oh, that'd be great!" he bounced up and down, using his toes as springs.

Kitty led the child to the counter. Here goes nothin'.

"Good afternoon, Miss Kitty," the shopkeeper greeted, not taking his eyes off Thad as he spoke.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Jonas," she chewed the inside of her cheek, noticing him staring at the boy. She quickly glanced around the store, grateful they were his only customers at the moment. She took a deep breath, "Mr. Jonas, I'd like to introduce you to my son, Thad." She patted the boy's shoulder, "Thad, this is Mr. Jonas. He owns the store."

Wilbur Jonas plastered a smile on his face while eyeing the boy over the rim of his tiny, rounded spectacles. "Well, what do you know?" he nodded, "I think we rode together a little while back on a stage. We just didn't formally meet."

"Yes'sir, we sure did. I'm Thad. Thad Russell." He politely held out his small hand, grinning from ear to ear. Kitty's heart constricted at the pride the boy had exuded as he introduced himself with the name he'd been given at birth. The name he'd been given before she had made her devasting decision.

The older gentleman shook the boy's hand. "Wilbur Jonas. Glad t' know you, Thad." He tilted his head toward the jars of colorful confections lining the counter. "What do you say to a few pieces of sugar candy? As a welcome gift."

Thad glanced up at Kitty, his eyes sparkling, "Can I?"

Kitty grinned, "You most certainly can." She watched as he ran over to closely examine each jar, his nose nearly touching the containers. Turning her attention back to the shopkeeper, she added, "I could also use some canned milk, a third and fourth level McGuffey reader, and a slate with some chalk."

"Sure thing, Miss Kitty," he turned to start retrieving the requested items. "Getting the boy ready for school, are ya?"

"Sort of," she sighed, rummaging through the small rack of boy's pants, "I want to see what he knows before I take him to the schoolhouse."

"He's been with his Pa, has he?" Mr. Jonas glanced over his shoulder, watching the lovely redhead hold some pants in front of her boy.

Kitty heard the question but pretended she hadn't.

"We'll take these pants along with the other items. What do I owe you?" Her expression hardened. Her eyes narrowed and her lips tightened, sending the nosy man a silent message.

Quickly realizing he'd overstepped his bounds, he gulped, "That'll be three dollars and twelve cents."

"Did you include the sugar candy?"

"Oh, no, Miss Kitty. That's on the house." He pushed the small brown paper package wrapped with twine in front of her.

She handed him the money and cradled the package with one arm. "You have a good day, Mr. Jonas." She nodded her head toward the door, "C'mon, Thad."

"Yes, Ma'am. Thank you for the sugar candy, Sir," he smiled, holding up his tiny bag of gum drops.

"You're welcome, Boy."

Kitty's heart sank when she'd heard the quiet "tsk tsk" that escaped the man's lips as they exited the store. She hoped with all her might that her son hadn't heard it. In a last-minute decision she said, "Let's go in the back way, Sweetheart. I don't want you walking through the saloon. It's no place for a child."

XXXXXXXX

"C'mon in, Marshal," Thad invited, opening the door to Kitty's rooms, "Mama's finishing getting ready. We fell asleep on accident."

Matt stepped into the room, holding a small crate. "I bet you two were tired. But regardless, I'm not surprised Kitty's keeping her gentlemen waiting. You'd best get used to that." He unloaded the food he'd picked up from Ma Smalley, noticing that the small round table in the corner of the room had been meticulously set for the three of them. Two places had been set with water goblets, one with a glass of milk.

"Smells good," the boy leaned against the table as he watched Matt. "What is it?"

"Nothin' fancy, I'm afraid. Beef stew, biscuits and honey, and some apple pie for dessert."

Thad plopped himself onto one of the wooden chairs, sitting with his hands tucked under the outsides of his thighs. He puffed out his cheeks, slowly releasing his breath as he pumped his legs back and forth.

"Sorry to keep you waiting," Kitty apologized as she entered the room, closing the door to the water closet behind her. She smoothed her hand over her midsection, straightening the skirt of her powder blue day dress. She beamed at her fellas, the two sets of blue eyes smiling back at her. "I had a hard time deciding what to wear."

It did not go unnoticed by Matt Dillon that she only wore a modicum of face paint; mostly powder to hide her smattering of freckles. This small change made her look younger and more innocent.

"You look very pretty this evening," Matt complimented as he approached her and uncharacteristically kissed her on the cheek while in the presence of another person.

The loving gesture took the redhead by surprise. She stroked his cheek with the palm of her hand, "Why, thank you. You don't look so bad yourself, Cowboy."

Thad broke their trance. "Mama, the marshal brought us some stew and pie! Can we please eat? I sure am hungry." He rubbed his stomach for added effect.

"Sure. Matt, can I get you a drink?" she motioned toward the bar cart.

"The water is fine, Honey." He took his seat, redirecting his attention to the child, "So, Thad, tell me a little about yourself."

Kitty began to ladle the stew, watching the boy's expression as he answered, "Well, I'm eight and a half and I've lived in a lot of places. But you already know that. I came here from New Orleans. I lived with a friend of Mama's for two years. That's the longest I lived anywhere in my whole life." He stuffed half of a honey-soaked biscuit into his mouth as he continued, "And before that, I was in Biloxi," he swallowed, "That's in Mississippi."

"Young man," Kitty pursed her lips, arching her brows to meet her small fringe of copper bangs, "what have I told you about talking with food in your mouth?"

He penitently lowered his head, not meeting her gaze, "Sorry."

"Who lives in Biloxi, Kitty?" Matt made sure to finish his question before shoveling a spoonful of the hearty stew into his mouth.

The redhead traced her finger over the rim of her water glass, not making eye contact with either of her dining companions. She practically whispered, "My friend Claire agreed to keep Thad for a while."

The astute marshal changed his line of questioning. He first looked at Thad, then his lady. "How would you two like to go with me on a little fishin' trip tomorrow? I took the whole day off."

"Oh! I'd like that a lot!" the boy jumped out of his chair. He looked hopefully at Kitty. "Mama?"

Kitty beamed, reaching to squeeze the big man's hand. "I think that sounds wonderful. Spring Creek?"

"Where else?" Matt winked, silently acknowledging their special place.

"I like fishin'. You ever spit in the water for good luck, Marshal?" Thad took a large swig of his milk as he sat down.

"Can't say that I have, Son," Matt grinned as he continued to hold his gal's hand on top of the table.

Kitty's heart skipped a beat at the sound of her beau calling her child 'son'.

XXXXXXXX

Matt sat on the settee, one leg casually crossed over the other. He held a nightcap in each hand, one arm stretched across the back of the sofa, the other resting on his thigh. Clutching the crystal tumblers, he carefully watched Kitty close the door to the adjoining bedroom. She smiled as she clasped her hands behind her back, sashaying toward him.

"He asleep?"

"Not yet," Kitty took the drink he offered before sitting next to him. "He asked if he could read a little. I told him just for a few minutes because we have a long day ahead of us tomorrow."

Matt pulled her closer, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. She happily nestled into his embrace, tucking her legs onto the settee, next to her body.

"You ready to share your story with me, Honey?" He rested his chin on top of her head.

She nodded, her cheek rubbing against his well-worn blue shirt. "I am," she whispered.

The man who loved Kitty Russell gently lifted her chin to meet his gaze. "I'd like you to start with Tucker Ferrin. Did he hurt you all those years ago?"

Her nearly paint-free face flushed at the directness of his question. "If you're asking if he raped me, Matt, the answer is 'no'." She concentrated on her fingers fiddling with the buttons on his shirt. "He started out as a customer in Joplin…"

He took a long, slow sip of his whiskey before pulling her into his chest again.

"After a while, we became lovers. Tucker had a way with women. He could be very charming, believe it or not. I was such an idiot...I still can't believe I was so gullible." She wiped away a tear.

"You were young, Honey. Don't feel bad about it. Everyone wants to feel loved."

"I'll just get on with it," she sat up straight, looking him in the eye. "I got pregnant and decided to keep it to myself for a while. I didn't know that Tucker was also seeing my friend, Ellie McCullough. She helped manage the House of Lords-"

Matt's eyes narrowed as he interrupted, "Wait. You worked at the House of Lords? That place is known all over the country as being top notch. It's a sight to behold."

"It is," she confirmed, leaning her head against the back of the settee. "Ellie's father, Mr. McCullough, was one of my bosses. He was always very kind to me. Let me serve drinks and deal mostly. I only had to work the third floor every now and again. Ellie taught me a lot about keeping the books and taking inventory. We became best friends."

Kitty suddenly stopped speaking, sucking in her quivering bottom lip.

"Honey?" Matt gently squeezed her shoulder.

Her eyes narrowed as she deeply inhaled, "It seems Tucker was quite a potent man. He also got Ellie pregnant. She told him immediately when she missed her courses and of course, a man like Tucker Ferrin jumped at the opportunity to marry into the House of Lords dynasty."

The big man kissed his lady's forehead as she took a small sip of her libation. He sighed, "So how did Ellie end up with your son?"

Kitty rolled her glass between her palms, "Being the bastard he was, Tucker took off a couple of months later, for God only knows where. I finally told Ellie I was pregnant, too, but I told her I didn't know who the father was. I figured there wasn't any point in breaking her heart. I loved her too much. She invited me to live with her at her father's house once I was too big to work. She and her father saved me, Matt." Her sad, big blue eyes locked with his understanding ones. "At least I thought they did."

He cupped her cheek, pressing the issue, "How did Ellie end up with Thad, Honey?"

Kitty swallowed hard. "Ellie lost her baby after a few months. She was devastated…so distraught. She didn't want to go back t' work. Hell, she barely talked." Kitty got up, crossing the room to refresh their drinks. "Mr. McCullough would bring home the books and receipts and I'd take care of them. I also took over the ordering of the inventory. He would bring me the inventory numbers and he even sent the drummers to the house. I became a good negotiator." She turned, a smile gracing her face as she headed back toward the settee with their drinks in hand. "That's when I realized that I had a future in business, Matt." She half-grinned, handing him his glass, "That's when I knew I wouldn't have to always earn my living on my back."

"Kitty-" he groused, clearly uncomfortable with her choice of words.

She cut him off, "That's the God's honest truth. You don't have to protect me from my past, Cowboy." She began to walk aimlessly around the room. "My time came, and Ellie was with me and the doctor when Thad was born. It was a fairly straightforward delivery after twelve hours of labor." She took a long sip of her drink and stared out the window. "Ellie knew immediately that Tucker was the baby's father. I thought she'd be angry, but oddly, she seemed happy about it. Almost giddy," Kitty turned, finding herself face to face with Matt.

He whispered in her ear, "You don't have to finish, Honey. I think I understand."

Pushing against his chest, Kitty's wide eyes darted back and forth as she searched his. Thoughts raced through her mind, wondering what he thought he knew. She scoffed, "I can promise you, Matt, you don't understand. You can never understand what it's like to be an unmarried mother or worse yet, the child of a whore."

The big man placed two fingers over her lips, "Kitty, you know how I feel about that word."

She pulled his hand away from her mouth, "I love you, Matt, but honestly, it doesn't matter how you feel about the word. It was a fact. And Mr. McCullough knew it. He fiercely loved his daughter, unlike my poor excuse for a father." She strolled over to the bed, keeping her back to him. "I thought Mr. McCullough was looking out for me, too. In retrospect, I think he just wanted Ellie to come back to him. To be like her old self. I realized after I'd taken off for Abilene alone that he'd known just the right things to say to me."

Kitty hummed a lullaby, rocking her baby while the spring sunlight warmed both of them as they sat next to the floor-to-ceiling window in one of the guest rooms of the McCullough mansion. She slowly traced the outline of Thad's jaw, marveling at what a handsome boy she'd birthed.

A knock at the door shook her from her reverie. "Come in," she softly responded, remaining seated in her rocker.

"Good mornin', Kitty," Simon McCullough greeted as he entered the well-appointed room. "How's the boy today? What is he, close to two months old now?"

She proudly gazed at the child in her arms, "He turned two months yesterday."

"He's a fine-looking boy, Kitty," the middle-aged man paced in front of her, his hands clasped behind his back.

The twenty-year-old redhead studied her host's uncharacteristic nervous behavior. "Is everything okay, Mr. McCullough?"

"I, uh, just wanted to know if you were going to return to the House of Lords? And if not, what your plans are to earn a living. Babies are expensive, ya know."

Kitty stopped rocking and lifted the sleeping baby to her shoulder. She'd known this moment would come, since nothing in the world was ever free.

"I don't think I'll go back to the saloon, Sir. Unless I could work in the office, kinda like I have been. I mean, I'm a mother now."

"A mother without a husband." His tone seemed different, edgier.

She slowly stood and turned toward the window, observing the people of Joplin tending to their daily business. She sighed, "I'm more aware of that than you are, Sir."

He folded his arms in front of his chest. "That Ferrin turned out to be a real son of a bitch, didn't he? Gettin' to both you and my Ellie. I'd like t' get my hands on 'im."

Kitty gasped, her eyes growing wide. She turned to face the man who'd been so kind and generous toward her. "How did…I don't underst-"

"I'm not blind, Kitty," he interrupted, "I see the boy resembles him. And if you think for one second Peregoy and I didn't know who you entertained in your room, either for a fee or for free, you're not as smart as I thought you were."

She studied his expensive shoes as she spoke. "I didn't know he was courting Ellie. I promise you, Mr. McCullough. Ellie is the closest thing I've ever had to a sister. I never would've hurt her."

He lifted her chin, "Child, I don't fault you in any way. Ferrin is the scum of the Earth. A con man. He reeled both of you girls in. One pretty one and one with money. There's a chance he really loved you, Kitty. Now, my Ellie…she is smart and kind, but hardly a looker like you."

"Mr. McCullough! Ellie is beautiful!"

"My point is, Kitty, my Ellie isn't as strong as you. She's completely fallen apart since losing her baby. Hell, she hasn't even been back to work. You've picked up all her slack, and for that, I'm much obliged."

"It's the least I can do, after all you've done for me and Thad," she reached out to touch his hand.

"You don't owe me nothin', Honey. I just couldn't leave ya stranded. I like you, I really do. But maybe, just maybe, we can help each other one last time." He briefly squeezed her hand.

She bounced her son in her arms, swaying back and forth. Her lungs constricted as a feeling of dread grew in the pit of her stomach. "How?" she whispered.

"Ellie still loves the man, God help her. She'd give anything to raise his child," the mustachioed man nodded toward Thad.

Kitty scrunched her nose, knitting her brows together. She hoarsely and slowly asked, "What are you saying?"

"I have to get t' work, Honey, so, I'll be direct. You're a nice girl. But you're a saloon gal. A whore. A whore with a bastard child. You don't have a job, a house, or a ring. My Ellie has all those things. Look around this place," he lifted his arms into the air, surveying the opulent room, "This could be Thad's home permanently. The boy could have anything his heart desired. And most importantly, he could have a name."

She stared at him through a misty curtain of blue. She sniffled, clutching the now squirming baby to her breast, "He has a name. His name is Thaddeus Joseph Russell."

"You know what I mean, Kitty. You're not naive. You think about it for a few days. What kinda future would he have with you? Who will care for him when you work? How will the children at school view him? Or their parents for that matter?"

Ellie McCullough's father cupped Kitty Russell's paint-free cheek. He sighed, "I like you, Honey. You're gonna be somethin' someday. I can feel it. Besides, you'll marry and have other babies. But Ellie, she's too attached to that damn Ferrin t' marry again, so Thad is her only chance to be a mother. And my little girl already is somethin'. She's an heiress to my empire with a ring on her finger. Think about what kind of future you'd like for your boy."

TBC