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Five

Hearing a man, Sibella raised her head and with that, she immediately slipped underwater. She rose to the top again, sputtering. She pushed wet hair off her face and saw a man sitting a horse and grinning down at her. He was a little younger than Adam, she guessed, with sandy blond hair, a friendly smile, broad shoulders and a handsome face. No, she quickly decided, more delicate than just handsome—almost beautiful the way one would imagine a Greek god. He was the epitome of the male form from what she could see and, Sibella considered, had he been German, a dueling scar would be the only thing marring his otherwise flawless, perfect mien. But perfection, Sibella thought, was predictable and therefore, boring.

"Now," he said, looking down on her, "if you'd been singing snatches of tunes and wearing a gown that floated about you, surrounded by any 'weedy trophies,' I'd think you were Ophelia just floating along to her demise. But I prefer you as a live woman; so many more possibilities."

"What are you doing here?" Sibella hoped she sounded braver than she felt. "You're trespassing!" Sibella moved her arms and scissored her legs in the water to stay upright. Her mind raced. She noted Delilah had moved off about 50 feet, probably startled by the horse and rider, and was cropping grass. But her clothes were still folded and waiting at the base of the tree, her underclothes on top of the stack. What if he took them and left her to ride naked about the countryside like some crazed Lady Godiva?

He laughed again. "No need to run for the sheriff and report me although I would stick around to see that, but I am on a mission for my one true love—at least she was but now that I've seen you…well, you do make a man reconsider…among other things."

As cold as the water was, Sibella felt her face grow hot. She visualized herself floating on her back and of what parts the man had viewed; she may as well have stood naked in front of him. "So did you ride over here just to peep at me?" Sibella was stirring herself into righteous anger but a tinge of fear marred her tone.

"Put your mind at ease. I saw a riderless horse, alone, and rode over to see if anyone needed help. And now that I see you're more than capable at taking care of yourself, I'll be off, regretfully, but I must. You were a glorious sight."

"Well, you better leave because my family owns this land and I can describe you to Sheriff Coffee!" She hated to feel so helpless and various scenarios ran through her imagination, none of them good. Sibella noticed the man's face quickly change. No longer was he smiling and flirtatious but pursed his lips and sat straighter in the saddle.

"Well, with such a threat, I'd best get on." He turned his horse's head to ride away, but then, he looked back at Sibella with the oddest expression, "Take care, my beauty and be careful who you hang your heart on if you don't want it broken."

He made no sense to her, but part of his remark did. "I'm not your beauty!" she shouted but he just rode away, his jacket flapping out like wings.

Her heart was thudding at what, in her mind, was a close call. The man could have dragged her out of the water and flinging her on the ground, had his way with her or worse although she wasn't quite sure what "worse" might be unless it was death. Sibella watched until he was out of sight and then, very quickly, she dressed, glancing about the whole time. It might be in his character to ride around and come up on the far bank. Her fingers shook as she tried to attach the cameo stick pin, sticking herself instead. "Oh, damn this thing!" Sibella sucked on her wounded fingertip and then jammed the pin into her vest. Her chignon was wet and half tumbled down, most of the pins having already fallen out. Sibella raked her fingers through her hair and caught more pins which fell onto the grass. She jammed her hat on over her wet hair and headed out to Delilah.

Whenever she would approach the horse, Delilah would trot further away and soon, Sibella was hot and red-faced; they had covered almost 100 yards. She sat on the grass, folded her arms over her drawn-knees, and buried her head in them, crying in frustration and self-sympathy. Everything was so horrible! And then she felt the horse's breath and the gentle snuffling of the velvety muzzle. Sibella looked up and slowly, so as not to startle the horse, reached out for one of the fallen reins and stood up, the horse moving about. Sibella managed to catch up the other rein and holding them both as best she could, she tightened the cinch, lowered the left stirrup and once she was successfully back in the saddle, re-buckled the stirrup higher, the horse surprisingly patient.

"Okay, girl," Sibella said gently patting Delilah's neck and calming her own breathing, "let's get to the Ponderosa before Adam sends out a search party."

Holding Delilah to a slow canter, Sibella was finally close to the Ponderosa and saw a small buggy on the road; it was obvious a woman was driving the single horse. As Sibella rode closer, she recognized the woman who had turned to see the approaching rider. She stopped the buggy and Sibella stopped Delilah at the side of the road.

"Sibella, what happened to you?' Esther Graham was obviously surprised at Sibella's appearance; Sibella who could only guess how she must look. She tucked a loose strand of her auburn hair behind one ear; Not only had her dip in the lake caused the loss of hairpins but chasing Delilah had shaken loose those that had survived the water.

"Oh, I…it's too long to explain but I'll ride along with you. You are going to the Ponderosa?"

"Well, yes. That is if the invitation is still extended."

"Oh yes. Of course. Let's go." And Sibella offered a weak smile as Esther snapped the buggy reins.

~ 0 ~

Sibella tied Deliah off while Esther stopped the buggy in the yard. A ranch hand came from the barn.

"Mrs. Cartwright, Mrs. Graham, can I take care of your horses?" He was obviously surprised at Sibella's appearance as his brow furrowed and he stared longer than was polite.

"Yes," Sibella said, pulling off the bowler she wore and shook her hair. "Thank you...Miles, isn't it?" Miles was one of the older men who worked at the Ponderosa, helping with the horses and anything else Ben Cartwright set him to do.

"Yes, ma'am. Miles." He had a scruffy beard and Sibella remembered he always had an odd smell of tobacco and liniment.

"Miles, then. Mrs. Graham is staying for dinner and will need the buggy later."

"Thank you, Miles." Esther said, smiling as he helped her down.

"Sorry to hear about your husband, Mrs. Graham. He was a brave man and a kind one too. Every time he was here, he always had a friendly word for me. Him and Adam Cartwright, well, they were two of a kind. Never saw two friends so close." Miles held the buggy horse's bridle.

"Thank you," Esther said. "Yes, they were very close. All three of us were." Miles nodded and turned the horse's head to bring the buggy closer to the paddock. Esther turned to smile at Sibella. "Such a nice man." But Sibella wondered if the comment about the three of them, Esther, Morgan and Adam being such close friends was a pointed comment to emphasize how Sibella never really belonged and was an outsider. But right now, she had more pressing matters to concern her as there was a strange horse tied to the hitching post.

Sibella opened the front door, Esther behind her, into the room. Joe was giving a laughing Noah a piggy-back ride around the dining room table which was set for Sunday dinner. Joe whinnied like a horse but he stopped cold when he saw Sibella. Even Noah looked surprised to see Sibella and cried out, "Momma. Momma! Look!" Adam's back was to the door; he was sitting on the settee beside an unknown man and both turned at the sound. Sibella caught her breath; it was him, the stranger at the lake who was now calmly sitting beside her husband. Both men stood and the stranger said, "Well, if it isn't my mermaid." Sibella clutched her shirtfront, fearing she might faint. She didn't but if he said more, she still might.

"What do you mean by that?" Adam asked the man.

The man chuckled uncomfortably. "Nothing really, Mr. Cartwright. Just a little joke of sorts. Well, you have the contracts so just make any changes. If all of you will excuse me, I'll be off. I'm having dinner with Millicent and her mother. Enjoy yours." And as he passed Sibella, he nodded and said, "Mrs. Cartwright." He put on his hat but before he walked through the open door, he tipped his hat to Esther and said, "Mrs. Graham."

"Sibella," Adam said in low tone, "go put yourself together. You look like hell."

"Yes…I…" She tossed her hat on the credenza by the door and ran her fingers nervously through her damp hair, snagging another hair pin. She stared at it; her mind was unable to focus. Hoss and Ben had also stood up at the women's entrance, too surprised to say anything. Sibella ducked her head and hurried to the stairs and as she quickly took them, she heard Adam say, "Esther, glad you came for Sunday dinner. Come in." Ben, Hoss and Joe all welcomed Esther but what broke Sibella's heart was hearing Noah call out, "Essie, Essie," and she could imagine him putting out his small, plump arms to hug her.

Dinner was convivial but Sibella said almost nothing; she hadn't been able to put her hair up as there were no hairpins in the guest room, or even braid it without a ribbon to keep it. All she could manage was to comb it, and adjust her wrinkled clothing which was even grimy in spots, and go down to dinner where she sat quietly so as not to draw attention to her disheveled state. But what also bothered her was she had taken such care dressing before going to Esther's and now, even in her dreary, black mourning dress, Esther looked lovelier.

Sibella picked at her food. Adam asked why she wasn't eating and Sibella replied she wasn't really hungry. Noah sat on Hoss' lap and chewing a chicken leg. The child would offer it to Hoss after every bite. But Hoss would decline, telling Noah it was his fair and square and to eat it himself. And the dinner went on the way it usually did with guests, with everyone keeping the conversation light. Then they sat in the great room and drank coffee with slices of Hop Sing's cream cake until darkness fell. Hoss insisted on accompanying Esther home; she couldn't ride alone all that way in the dark, he said, and Joe volunteered to go along as well. Adam said he and Sibella should leave as well but Ben insisted Noah, who was asleep on his lap and hugging an old stuffed bear of Joe's, be allowed to stay the night; he'd bring the child home tomorrow morning. Adam suspected his father anticipated he and Sibella might have matters to discuss alone.

~ 0 ~

"And that was all, Adam. I didn't tell him who I was, but I said my family owned the property. I suppose he just put two and two together when he saw me at the house." Sibella noted the ride home was bumpier than usual; Adam seemed to hit every bump and rut and she bounced around beside him often having to grab the side to stay on the seat; she was sure it was intentional.

The stranger, Adam had informed her, was Thomas Miller, Miss Pear's fiancé. He had brought over a timber contract and an order for cattle to be read and approved or to make additional conditions of delivery. Miss Pear had worked Saturday morning in the office so timelines could be met. The folders were on the buggy floor at Sibella's feet.

"You believe me, don't you?" Sibella asked. "Don't you?"

Adam turned and looked at Sibella. With her hair loose, her small chin and big eyes and the soft look on her face, he thought she resembled a young girl more than a grown woman with whom he had lain and who had born him a son. And she touched his heart in a manner and to a depth no woman before had. "Yes, I believe you. And had I seen a riderless horse, fully saddled, I would have checked it out as well. I can't fault Miller for that but I doubt I'd have been so lucky as to find someone like you swimming in that lake."

"Well, you already found me."

Adan snorted. "Yes, I found you although sometimes I wonder just who clapped on to whom first. But maybe it's that Miller got an eyeful of you in the all-in-all that's bothering me. Well, that and, you were lucky someone worse hadn't come by. I should be thankful for that. I just feel off-balance lately and I don't like it. Every morning now, when I open my eyes, I'm at peace for a few seconds until all my worries and troubles rise up before me."

"I know, Adam." Sibella slid closer to him and slipped her arm through his, holding it with both of hers and rested her head against it. "I wish I could help more. With Morgan's death and Miss Pear's engagement…" Sibella raised her head. "What's her first name again? What did he say?"

"Millicent."

"Oh, yes. Millicent. I never thought of her having a first name." And she leaned against Adam again while he chuckled.

"Oh, Sibella, my love. You really need to start considering others more." But to soften his words, he kissed the top of her head. They were on the downside of the slow rise and he could see their house and surrounding buildings in the clearing. He couldn't help but admire his work; he had planned well.

And that night as he held Sibella next to him, her head on his chest, Adam went over the days' incidents, sorting them so they made sense; something kept him in turmoil; it was like an itch he couldn't scratch. Then, in a flash, he knew; Miller had tipped his hat to Esther and called her Mrs. Graham. He hadn't known who Sibella was at the lake so how did he know who Esther was? Had they met before and if so, where? Perhaps church but even though Adam wasn't a steady attendee, he couldn't recall seeing Miller there. Miss Pear and her mother, yes, but not Miller. It troubled Adam and it took him another two hours to finally fall asleep.