CHAPTER 10

Adam sipped his beer and waited. He spent the time phrasing and rephrasing the words he would use to tell Joe about Katherine's departure. Even more difficult, he sought the best way of telling his family about his relationship with Katherine should she fail to leave on the evening stage. Only the truth and all of it will stop him. He took a swallow of beer and considered ordering whiskey for his next round. Oh, yes, a drunken confession would be just the thing. He banged the mug onto the table and appreciated his own sarcasm. He listened to his father's voice in his head: You're the eldest, Adam. You set an example for your brothers and always will, rather you want to do so or not. "Yes, Pa, I know," he mumbled even though his father was not present. Will you understand, Pa? Surely you don't think I'm like Caesar's wife, above reproach and pure as the driven snow. He chuckled drily and without mirth. No, I don't suppose you do, but I'd like to allow you and my little brothers to maintain some delusions.

"Adam Cartwright. Now I haven't seen you in a coon's age." Adam looked up to see Harvey Biddle walking toward his table. Harvey called to the bartender and took a seat across from Adam.

"It has been a spell, Harvey. How have things been?"

"Fair, fair to middling. Business at the hotel is good. Some interesting guests too." Harvey accepted his beer from one of the saloon girls and took a large swig.

"Interesting guests?"

"Like that high-toned Miss Cummings. Not too many fine ladies from back East come out here on their own." Harvey took a second swig. "But then, well ..."

"Well, what?" Adam could hear the innuendo in Harvey's voice.

"With Cartwrights for, umm, friends." Harvey shrugged and took another drink.

Adam bit off a retort and asked calmly, "Has Mrs. Cummings settled her bill?"

"Settled her bill?" Harvey sputtered in surprise. "She told you she was leaving?"

"I was under the impression that she was taking the afternoon stage."

"Well, she didn't say anything to anybody at the hotel, and seeing how she had Fred arrange for the livery to rent her a buggy for the day..."

"A buggy!" Adam's posture stiffened.

"Asked him about sending a note out the Ponderosa way too." Harvey's lips settled into a smug grin as he watched Adam Cartwright rise.

"You'll have to excuse me, Harvey." Adam managed to keep his voice nonchalant.

"Of course, Adam, of course." Harvey sipped his beer and watched Adam's departure.

Adam mounted Sport. Mentally he cursed both Katherine and himself. Managing to keep his horse at a walk, he maneuvered through the crowed city streets but sunk in his heels the minute they achieved the open road.

It's your fault, Cartwright! Then his father's voice added to the mental scolding. Lies of omission are as bad as any other, son, and can cause as much harm. Adam's sardonic grin was directed at himself. Lies of omission had always been his deceit of choice. Then Ben Cartwright delivered his final mental order: It's your mess, boy; now clean it up!

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The shouting became intelligible as Adam rode into the yard where saddled horses and Cartwrights populated the area in front of the ranch house. He watched Little Joe break free of their father's hold on his upper arm, back up, and explode with rage.

"You're my father, but you're not God! How can you judge her? You don't even know Katherine." Joe's voice was hoarse with fury.

"But I do." Adam's statement carried to his family's ears, and each head turned to see Adam swing down from Sport. Both Joe's and Ben's mouths opened to speak, but Adam continued in the same cool yet forceful tone. "Katherine Cummings, Mrs. Horatio Alistair Cummings of the prominent Boston Cummings." Adam did not see the surprise that came into Hoss's and Ben's eyes because his gaze was reading his younger brother. "She told you that she was married." Adam made it a statement, but Joe replied anyway.

"So, she's a widow." Joe's attention was now settled on his older brother. He took a step toward Adam that managed to radiate defiance. "My mama was a widow when Pa married her."

Before Adam could reply, Ben exclaimed, "I wasn't seventeen!" Neither son responded to his words, their focus being solely on each other.

"If Katherine is a widow, she doesn't know it. Her husband was alive and in good health when she left him. She may or may not be divorced."

"Divorced!" The word burst from Ben like a volcanic eruption.

"You..." Joe growled the syllable. "She said you'd lie." He spat the words at his brother's feet as his hands curved into fists.

Adam ignored the insult but stopped advancing and kept his eyes on his brother's hands. "What I say is provable. It will take a few days perhaps, but it is easily proven who is lying." Joe's entire body signaled he's intention, and Adam was able to sidestep his brother's attack. Hoss and Ben both moved forward as Little Joe turned and advanced toward Adam again. In seconds, Little Joe found himself pinned by his middle brother's massive arms.

Hoss spoke softly into his little brother's ear. "We agreed to talk. Now, it's time to go inside and do just that." Joe bucked and tried to break Hoss's hold.

Ben drew in a deep breath and reined in control. "Joseph!"

Little Joe looked at his father and then at Adam. Recognizing his position, he stilled, and Hoss released him. "Damn you all," he declared before he turned and walked into the house.

"Pa." The name came from both Adam and Hoss. Though the tone was different, the request was the same.

Ben held onto his self-control. "We'll talk." He followed his youngest. Hoss exchanged a look with Adam. Then the two of them walked into the house together.

Little Joe had slammed his body into his brother's favorite blue chair, crossed his arms, and taken on the posture of a sulky but defiant seven-year-old. His body delivered the message that they could make him stay and hear but they could never make him listen. Ben stood in front of the fireplace as Adam came to stand behind the settee. Hoss moved himself into position beside Little Joe's chair. Ben surprised his youngest by addressing his eldest.

"You knew this woman in Boston?"

Adam placed both hands on the back of the settee. "Yes."

"Is she the person we spoke of before you left?"

"Yes," Adam replied as his fingers tightened their grasp.

Ben paused to review in his mind the statements his son had made in that discussion thus allowing Little Joe time to interject, "She spurned him, Pa. That's why he hates her. He tried..."

Ben swung his attention to his youngest. "You will allow me to finish speaking with your brother."

"Fine." Joe's chin dropped to his chest as he shut out his family.

Ben turned back to Adam. "Shall we do this question by question, or would you rather just tell us what we should know?"

Adam released his hold on the settee and slid his arms across his chest. He glanced over at Little Joe and then turned back toward his father. "You might want to sit down, Pa."

Ben seated himself on the hearth and then sent his son a look that declared procrastination was no longer acceptable.

"I meet Katherine my last year in college. We didn't travel in the same social circles. I met her at the cemetery in fact. I knew only what she told me of herself. I spent a great deal of time with her. I allowed her to distract me from my studies. I fought with Grandfather. I..." Adam paused in his toneless recital to swallow the bitterness the words brought to his mouth. "I fell in love with her."

Little Joe's head snapped up. "But she didn't love you! That's why..."

"On the contrary, little brother, she told me many times that she loved me. What she failed to tell me was that she was married. She was young; she seemed so innocent; I never even wondered..."

"She was a married woman?" Ben's eyes were burning as he fixed his eldest with a powerful glare.

"She married Horatio Cummings when she was fifteen. He was fifty and quite wealthy; she had been his ward since she was ten."

"It's no wonder," Little Joe leaned forward, and Hoss' hand settled on his shoulder.

Adam turned toward his brother to deliver the next blow. "No wonder that she took her first lover at seventeen."

The growl that issued from Joe's throat was feral, but Hoss managed to keep him in the chair.

"We will hear Adam out." Ben's pronouncement filled the room. Little Joe glared at them all but did not speak.

Keeping his eyes on Little Joe, Adam swallowed and continued, "She was practiced at keeping secrets when we met. It was nearly four months before I found out who she really was, that she was married, that she had no intention of leaving her husband, that I was not the first." Adam took several steps closer to Joe. "I didn't just listen to gossip, Joe. Katherine admitted it all to me." Joe struggled against Hoss' restraint and then went still.

"You broke it off?" Ben's question demanded an affirmative answer.

Adam schooled his face and answered, "Yes." Don't ask how long that took, Pa.

"Why did she come to Virginia City?" Ben's voice had grown low and harsh.

"She ran away from her husband. That's all I know about it except that she said he planned to divorce her."

"Why did she come here?" Ben repeated.

"She wanted to... to renew our relationship." Adam straightened to his full height and looked directly into his father's glare. "I told her that would never happen. I left on my trip. It never occurred to me that she would sink her teeth into Joe."

Ben decided that the rest of his questions could wait until he was alone with Adam. He turned his attention to his youngest. Little Joe sat slumped in his chair as if something had drawn all the air out of his body. The simple truth was that he had not been able to continue to fight the knowledge that his brother would never stand and outright lie to his family. Ben walked over and stood looking down at his son.

"Do you believe your brother?"

"Yes."

"You have seen this woman for the last time?"

Little Joe stood. He stared over Ben's shoulder at Adam. "Did you, did you and she..."

"Commit adultery?" Adam finished for him. Joe nodded slowly. "Yes, yes we did."

Joe twisted away and then dashed up the stairs. Adam turned to his father.

"It won't matter if he sees her again; like I told Katherine, Joe will never settle for my leavings." He spun on his heel and strode out of the room.

"Oh, Lord!" Hoss spoke for the first time since entering the house. Ben hoped God viewed the words as a prayer.