Ben bathed the child, with Scamp's help, but Cass kept calling for Little Joe. She seemed fixated on him. He gave Hop Sing Francesca to clean but she shrank in the wash and the stuffing started to come out. Cass became hysterical.
"Cassandra, I'll buy you another one - "
"I want Francesca! I want Francesca!" she sobbed.
"Francesca was her mother's name, you see," Joe said.
Ben sat down for supper. He tried to sit her on a cushion on his knee, avoiding the weals on her bottom and legs, but she fought against him. He reprimanded her very gently. "Now, Cassandra, stop this."
She was immediately quiet, watching Ben with frightened eyes. "I'm sorry, Mr Cartwright."
"It's alright, darling, but you must eat something. You are extremely thin."
"Don't beat me!"
Ben laughed. "Of course I won't beat you! I'd never beat you."
"Papa beats me."
"I know, but no-one will beat you here."
"Don't you remember, Cass?" Scamp said. "I told you no-one'd beat you again."
"It's just that Francesca was my friend. And now she's dead." Sobs racked her little body.
"You've got new friends now, Cass," Joe said, laying his hand on hers. "And Pa'll buy you a new one."
"A lovely big doll. Would you like that, Cassandra?"
"Yes, sir. Thank you, sir." But she looked sad and huge tears dripped down her face.
Ben stroked her hair gently and kissed her cheek. "I know Francesca meant a lot to you, honey. But think of it this way. You've got a huge set of new friends. Me and Scamp and Joe. We'll look after you until we can get it sorted out with your father - "
"I don't want to go back!"
"Well, he is your father and he has to know where you are. We'll have to tell him."
"But...he'll beat me again!"
"He'd better not," Joe growled.
Ben saw his older sons watching him and his eldest grimaced. "I just don't know how a man could whip a tiny child like that."
"No, Adam, neither can I. But either you or Hoss will have to go out to Anderson's Field tonight to tell him. I've no desire to be accused of kidnapping."
"I'll go, Pa."
"Don't send me back!" Cass whimpered. "It hurts when he beats me!"
"We'll have to get the Sheriff involved," said Hoss.
"Yes. Although Sullivan has the law on his side. Maybe we can get something sorted out. Don't worry, Cassie, we'll not let anyone hurt you any more."
She plugged her thumb in her mouth and leaned her head against his chest. She was badly hurt and frightened and Ben lost his heart to her. Tentatively her arms crept around him. "I'll try not to be a bad girl, Mr Cartwright."
"I know you will. That's because you're a good girl. I can tell. You're a good, brave girl. And you'll be obedient, won't you? You know what 'obedient' means, don't you?"
"No?"
"It means doing as you're told. And the first thing you must obey me on is to eat. I want you to eat as much as you possibly can. Will you do that for me?"
"Yes, sir, I'll try."
He filled up her plate with beef stew and put a dumpling in. Adam started laughing. "She'll never be able to eat all that, Pa! Look at the size of her! The plate's nearly as big as her!"
"She can have a good go, can't she? We've got to build her up, she's as thin as a rake." He kissed her on top of her head. "Now you, young lady, get your spoon and start chomping!"
He tickled her and she giggled, despite her tears.
"I'll have great trouble in not beating that man to a pulp."
"You mustn't, Adam. It'd make everything worse. I know it's tempting...but she is still his child. If we antagonize him too much it'll be impossible to get anything sorted out."
"I saw the marks, Pa."
"There'll be a very warm corner in hell waiting just for him one day," said Hoss.
"Yes, well, we have to deal with this world, not the next, Hoss." There was the loud sound of a spoon clattering and noisy gulping. Ben looked down in amazement. "Good Lord, child! Easy! You'll be sick!"
She paused, her eyes becoming large. She seemed terrified that she would anger him. "You-you did tell me to eat, Mr Cartwright."
"So I did," he smiled. "Just try to eat a little slower, OK?"
"She's starving, poor little thing," Scamp murmured. "I wonder when the last time was she got enough to eat."
She had eaten about three quarters of it and put her spoon down. "I've got tummy-ache."
"I'm not surprised. Well, you've been bathed, clothed - " he picked at Scamp's enormous shirt which was tied around her tiny body with a sash " - well, sort of - fed and you've had some ointment on those nasty welts. The only thing left is for you to go to bed."
"Little Joe'll take me?"
"Yes, Little Joe'll take you."
"I do miss Francesca," she said, sliding off his lap and standing in front of him, her head bowed.
"I know you do, honey. But I'll see what I can do tomorrow. I know Francesca'll be looking down from heaven and she'll love your new doll and be pleased you've got a new friend."
"Do you think so, Mr Cartwright?"
"I know so."
"She won't be angry?"
"Of course she won't." Joe picked her up carefully. "She loved you. Just like we do. We can't be angry with those we love, Cass."
She nestled into him and he took her upstairs.
"She adores that boy, doesn't she?"
"I think it was where he defended her against those girls, Pa," said Scamp. "They were cruel to her and he spoke up for her."
Adam sighed and went to get his coat. "Probably hasn't known much kindness in her life."
"We'll make up for it, won't we, Adam?"
"Of course we will, sis," he winked, strapping on his gun belt and reaching for his hat. He did not add there was no guarantee about how long she could stay.
Cassie would not relax until Joe told her she would stay until she fell asleep. She lay on her stomach, her hand in his. She awoke, several hours later and howled with fear. Ben lay down with her, wrapped her in his arms and she lay, the thud of his heartbeat in her ears.
"Lay on top of me, honey, you don't want to make those nasty welts hurt. I'll cuddle you and wrap you up in this nice warm blanket. Warm?"
"Yes, sir, Mr Cartwright."
"Mr Cartwright is very formal. Would you like to call me Uncle Ben?"
"Yes, sir - I mean, Uncle Ben."
"Good girl. Go to sleep now."
She fretted slightly on his chest. He pulled her in tightly, his cheek beside hers and she savored his smell. It amazed him she could show such affection when she had only met him that very same day. He realized the child was crying out for love. He stroked her hair and sang to her in a soft voice, as he had his own young children. He could think of no suitable lullaby and searched his brain, finally choosing a song he had heard so many Christmases as a boy, The Coventry Carol. The medieval melody was age-old and beautiful - soporific even to him.
Lully, lullay,
Thou little tiny child,
Bye, bye, lully, lullay.
O sisters too,
How may we do,
For to preserve this day
This poor youngling
For whom we do sing
"Bye, bye, lully, lullay"?
He decided to omit the verse about Herod in his raging, slaughtering the innocents. She was starting to breathe heavily.
That woe is me,
Poor child for thee!
And ever mourn and may,
For thy parting
Neither say nor sing,
"Bye, bye, lully, lullay."
He paused but she was not snoring yet.
Lully, lullay,
Thou little tiny child,
Bye, bye, lully, lullay.
For nearly two thousand years the baby Jesus had shone His example over the world. Ben realized the child he was nursing was innocent and defenceless. He kissed her, knowing she was asleep. She had murmured something before she had dropped off; he had heard her words over the soft tune.
"I love you, Uncle Ben."
"I love you too, child."