Joseph, My Son
Chapter 15
The summer was coming to a close, and it was more than three months since Eleanor and Andy had moved into the Williams' home. Joseph had been unable to convince his wife that it was safe to take the baby to the Ponderosa's big house, or even to the closer home of his brother Hoss. His family had seen the child only once in all that time, and it had taken some intense discussion to accomplish that. And he and Eleanor had not been intimate since Andy's birth.
When Joe had arrived for his weekly overnight visit at Thomas and Anna Williams' house, he was determined to speak to his wife and settle things.
"Not now, Joseph. You should wash up. We'll have dinner and then you and I can speak," Eleanor pronounced.
"I can wash up quickly enough. Let's talk now," he replied in a dangerously quiet voice.
"You stink of the animals. I can't have a discussion with you if you smell like that."
"You didn't seem to mind when we were first married. You seem to have forgotten how I would come home and sweep you into my arms first thing. But I guess you've decided that being a rancher's wife is not to your liking. You want to be a grand lady in a house in town, don't you? Your relatives are telling you that that is the life you and our son deserve. You've forgotten that the Ponderosa is as civilized as this house, maybe more so. My family doesn't hide behind obfuscations and white lies. We don't force each other to turn our backs on the people we love. We realize that you can't 'go it alone' and that dressing up, knowing the 'right' people, the 'right' things or pretending to be something you're not will make you more than who you are. Hard work, humility and helping the other man does that."
"Joseph, I will not be talked to like that. You seem to forget that I am not only your wife, but a lady from a very prominent family. You may think that your 'frontier kingdom' makes you the king of the world, but it doesn't," she sneered. "All I want is a respectable life for myself and my son."
Joe exploded. "You seem to have forgotten several very important things as well, Eleanor. First, Andrew is my son as well. You would like to forget that wouldn't you? The other thing you'd rather not acknowledge is that the Cartwright 'frontier kingdom' is paying for all your fancy clothes, jewelry ,and carriage. I know how much you're spending and on what. I wouldn't begrudge my wife those things if she still was my wife! But you seem to be quite content to be a spouse in name only. Now hear this and hear it well; come back to the Ponderosa, you, and Andy. I've told you time and time again, if you want to live somewhere other than where our house is, I will build you a new one. But you have to live with me as my wife. You have to let me have a hand in raising our son. And you have to stop living according to what your mother and aunt tell you. The choice is yours. Come back home with me tomorrow, or on Monday we should start the divorce proceedings."
Eleanor sat down heavily on the parlor divan; her hand drawn to her face in absolute shock.
XXXXX
Ted had worked hard all summer long. He'd grown another inch, developed more muscles in his arms and legs and was bronzed from the long hours out of doors. Adam looked at him and wondered if the clothes he was planning to take to Harvard would even fit him anymore. He remembered when he'd first arrived in Boston; his fellow students and professors looked askance at his calloused hands, his few shirts, pants, boots and one dark suit. If it hadn't been for his maternal grandfather Stoddard taking him in hand, he never would have been able to settle into such a sophisticated atmosphere despite his agile intelligence. Ted would have an easier time of it; he wasn't the first of his family to attend college.
Adam stood with the young man and his sisters waiting for the stage to arrive. Prudence's morning sickness had disappeared, and she was as energetic as she'd ever been. Sally Ann had a few more weeks before she would move into the schoolhouse apartment and begin the school year. She too had become tanned and had learned about the rigors of keeping house on a ranch. He knew that the two women were going to miss their little brother; the summer had been the first time these three Whitman's had been together for a few years. He mused that it was a different relationship when siblings were grown than it had been when they were children. He had been the leader with his brothers when they were young. Why, he'd had a hand in raising them! But now that they were adults, the relationship was more balanced. As the eldest, he still had a certain leadership role, but it was less defined and less formal than previously. Hoss and Little Joe were mature, dependable men now. They could enjoy each other for their differences, not just those traits that they shared. And sharing was the key word. As children they had shared games, toys, adventures. Now they shared visions, convictions, and dreams. 'Family' had a specific, almost spiritual meaning to them. They had grown to be united in ways they had never imagined possible years before.
The stage coach arrived at last, and as Adam had expected Prudence and Sally Ann parted from Ted with a few quietly shed tears. What surprised him, however, was how deeply sad he himself felt at the young man's departure.
"Now we know you're going to busy with your studies…and other things, Teddy," said Prudence, "but we expect you to write. If you can't write to each of us all the time, that's all right. Just as long as you send one of us a good, long letter we can share."
"And remember not to get yourself into any real trouble," added Sally Ann. "You know Mamma and Pappa are expecting you to be a credit to the family."
Ted did his best to reassure his sisters. He really wanted the goodbyes to be over and his journey started. He dutifully kissed them and then turned to shake Adam's hand. He was surprised when the older man pulled him into a bear hug.
"You did very well here this summer, Ted. Not just the ranch work, but the designs we came up with. I'll start on building them once we get the cattle down from the summer pastures and I'll let you know how they work out. I think we might even be able to patent them. What do you think of that?"
"You really think that so? That would be fantastic! Adam, thank you for everything. I really owe you so much." With a few mutual slaps on the back between him and his mentor, he climbed onto the coach and was off in a cloud of dust.
"Well, ladies, sad as it is to see him go, I do think that since we are standing here, we might go and enjoy a nice luncheon at the hotel. What do you think?" He offered Prudence and Sally Ann an arm each and they walked down the street.
XXXXX
Joe hadn't said anything to anyone about his ultimatum to Eleanor. She had begged him for one week to think about the options he had presented to her, and he had allowed her that.
He'd been quiet the entire week, but that was how he'd been all summer. Tonight, after Ted's departure and a near-silent supper, he excused himself from the table having barely touched his food. He went out toward the barn and spent the time brushing down Cochise and trying not to think about the answer he would receive when he got back into town the next afternoon.
At the dinner table, Ben and Adam exchanged worried looks. The youngest Cartwright son hadn't shared the explosive discussion between him and his wife with anyone, but then again, there was no need to. The situation was more than clear. What was new was Little Joe's increasing silence as the week had worn on.
"I think I'd better go talk to him," Ben said, standing. "Something is going to happen tomorrow. I want to let him know we'll be there to help him pick up the pieces if necessary."
"Pa, I'm sure Joe will appreciate our support, but don't you think it's time that he picks up his own pieces? I can imagine he's turned whatever this is going to be over in his mind for a long, long time. If you swoop in and tell him that you'll handle the consequences for him, he'll never be able to convince Eleanor and her family to let him have a say in their son's future."
"I suppose you're right. It still is hard not to be, well, a father."
"Sometimes being a father means being a supporter, not a director. I know it's not easy for you to make that shift, but you've got to, Pa. Now, go ahead, go and listen to him, put a hand on his shoulder and tell him you're behind him, no matter what."
Ben slowly strode across the yard to the barn. He could hear Joe talking to Cochise, murmuring indistinguishable words. Ben pushed open the barn door to see tears on his son's cheeks when he looked up.
"I love her so much and I hate her so much, Pa. How can that be?"
XXXXX
Hoss was expecting a busy week ahead. Nebbie was just about ready to birth her foal, Hansel wasn't happy about being weaned and even tried to nip Jill once when she denied him her teats and he, Adam and Sally Ann were going to clean up the schoolhouse and repair anything that needed attention. Thankfully, Pru was no longer feeling sick in the mornings. It had been really hard to stand by as she had thrown up most mornings when all he could do was offer her a cool towel and sympathy. Why did human females have to suffer so much to birth a child when the wild animals went about it with much more ease? He knew what the bible said and what the preachers preached, but didn't good women like his Prudence deserve some grace?
He had put Hansel and Jack into the Clydesdale's original corral and moved Jill, Mitchy and Nebbie into the larger one he had just finished. As he was crossing the yard on the way to the house and breakfast, he met up with Sally Ann and a basket full of eggs.
"Good morning, Little Sister," he said, giving the young woman a warm hug. "The chickens still laying well?"
"Well, we have to keep an eye on the oldest hen. She misses a day here and there now. You might have chicken stew down the road."
"Well, I guess that's just the way life is. How are you feeling about moving into the rooms in the schoolhouse? You won't feel lonely, will you? After all, you'll be spending the weekends with us."
Sally Ann smiled at her gentle brother-in-law. "I'll be fine, Hoss! Don't worry about me. Besides, from what Pru tells me, I'll be too busy marking papers and preparing lessons to be lonely. Although, I have to admit that it would be nice to find a young man to spend some time with. I heard there's going to be a Harvest Dance soon. If you take Pru, will the two of you take me along?"
"Why of course! You don't even have to ask. I can't see Joseph feeling like going, but Adam will sure be there and I think he'd be happy to escort you. Now let's see what your sister has cooked up for breakfast. I'm starving, but then again, no one ever accused me of having a poorly appetite."
Prudence had just finished milking the cow when Adam arrived with the buckboard and tools and supplies. While he handed Sally Ann onto the bench, Hoss spent a few moments with his wife.
"Now, I don't think Nebbie is going to have the foal today or even tomorrow, but if she does, you know what to do, don't you?"
"Yes. If it's a simple birth, I can handle it, Eric. If it's not, I'll summon someone from the big house. You couldn't do much more yourself. Now, don't forget the picnic basket with lunch in it."
Adam could feel the buckboard shift as his brother sat himself at the back, his legs hanging off the end. He idly thought that maybe they should swap out the horse currently pulling the conveyance for one of the Clydesdales, but then decided that it wasn't necessary…yet. What he also didn't realize was the happiness and heartache that would bring the afternoon to a close.
While they were making their way to Virginia City in the still-cool summer morning air, Sally Ann struck up a conversation with Adam.
"May I ask a favor," she began.
"Certainly," he replied.
She started to laugh, but quietly. "I've exhausted Hoss's library of animal husbandry books, and I'd already read everything that my sister has. Would you mind if I borrowed a book from you?"
"Not at all. I assume that you would prefer poetry, novels or history to mechanics, architecture, and engineering?"
"Well, I think I might start with the novels. But after I go through all of your fiction and history, I might just try the engineering. I'm quite good with mathematics, although Teddy was always the best at geometry."
Adam laughed. "I can see it now; Miss Sally Ann Whitman, the world's first female engineer! Why we could start a firm with your brother. We'd call it 'Cartwright, Whitman and Whitman'. What do you think?"
"I think you shouldn't make a joke out of it. I could do it, if I had a mind to, you know. As I think of it, I might quite like designing houses and buildings. So be careful what you sneer at, Adam Cartwright."
Putting a hand to his chest, he answered in all sincerity, "I would never sneer at any of the Whitmans, especially the women. I've come to learn in the last two years that you are a formidable lot of strong females."
"Good. I'm glad that you recognize our finer points. You do know that you are escorting me to the Harvest Dance, don't you?"
"I am?!" Adam said in total surprise. "Yes, of course I am. How could I not have known?" he answered, playing along. Naturally, he reasoned, Sally Ann was only using him in order to not have to appear to be uninteresting to the young men in town. He was a suitably "safe" companion. Why, he was at least fifteen years older than her! But he'd make it look good for her sake.