Saturday Morning
"Mmmm, Matt don't go, just another 10 minutes." Kitty sleepily reached across the bed.
"Wake up. WAKE UP. Let me in."
Kitty's eyes sprang open. Who on earth was yelling and banging on the door. She blearily looked around at the bright blue room, with the large windowed balcony overlooking a garden. Not the Long Branch. Shaking her head clear, she planted her feet on the floor. Not a good start to her first full day in New Orleans. She'd been dreaming of Matt, who she didn't want to think about, and Vivi was yelling like a maniac. "I'm coming." She slipped into a robe and threw open the door. Vivi shuffled in wearing pink fluffy slippers, tears streaming down her face. She plopped down on the side of the bed. "It's Mathilda. She says her wedding is off. Kitty, I hired a caterer, servers and musicians; guests are arriving, dresses are made - and Mathilda claims she's not getting married." Kitty put a hand on Vivi's trembling shoulder. "Don''t worry, it's just nerves. I'm sure if you talk to her calmly, she'll settle down." "You don't understand, Kitty, it's your fault, all your fault. You're the one who has to talk to her." "How on earth could it be my fault?" Vivi glared and pointed to the door. "GO, go talk sense into her."
Dodge City
Behind his desk, Matt adjusted the sling he'd promised Doc he'd wear, and stared at a stack of unopened mail. Work had piled up while he was off chasing Stu Sullivan, and though he'd been at it since dawn, he'd barely made a dent. Fact was, he couldn't focus. Thoughts of Kitty kept insistently taking over his mind. Doc said she didn't seem angry with him, for not seeing her off to New Orleans. Instead she seemed tired and weary, and very eager to leave Dodge. Kitty being mad at him was one thing, they'd fought more than a battle or two. But, if she'd grown weary of him, and of the life they shared, that was a different matter. He leaned back in his chair. Kitty'd broken things off and left him, on more than one occasion, swearing up and down that she never, under any circumstances, wanted to see him or his damn badge again. He always understood. His job made demands on her heart and mind, that few people could endure, or would even try to. Yet, each time she came back, and once he went to get her. Even then he'd made it clear the choice was hers. He had no right to try and tell her what to do.
Matt took a long slow breath, and pulled a sheet of paper from a draw. Doc was right, he should send a letter to Kitty without delay. She didn't say she was leaving for good, or might not be coming back but he owed her an explanation, and more than that, a reminder of his feelings for her. The mail could take a while to get to New Orleans, so he'd best get writing.
New Orleans
Stunned by Vivi's teary outburst about the wedding, Kitty lightly knocked on the Mathilda's door. Hearing a muted "come in" she entered the large sunny room and sat on the side of the bed next to the stony-faced young woman. "Your mother says you're calling off your wedding. Did you and Jeffrey have a fight?" Mathilda shook her head, and snapped around to look Kitty in the eye. "I want to go to Dodge with you and become a saloon girl." Kitty's jaw dropped. "Wwwwhat - honey - that's - that's, you can't do that." "Why not? It worked out fine for you. You can't tell me not to do it. Kitty, I've been listening in on adult conversations since I was a little girl. Mama pretends everything's perfect for her, but it's not. I've heard papa reprimand her for exceeding the household budget, until she's practically in tears. The way she wheedles money from him, to buy things like new party shoes, is embarrassing. When she wants to travel to Mandeville to visit her cousin, she has to ask my father's permission. If you think he always says yes, you're wrong. I once overheard my parents say you started as a saloon girl, and moved up to be a respected business women. I guarantee, when you decided to make this visit to New Orleans, you didn't have to ask anyone's permission. You don't have to beg a man for money to buy shoes. Your money's yours and you make decisions for yourself. Kitty, papa tells me where I can go, what I should do, and what I'm allowed buy. If I marry Jeffrey on Sunday, he'll take over and do that for rest of my life. No, I'm going to be a saloon girl. and go from there." Kitty looked into the lovely young woman's innocent eyes. "Honey, you don't understand the life and the - the struggles and..." Mathilda jumped to her feet. "YOU don't understand. No one listens to me. GO. GO." She pointed to the door. Kitty stood quickly, knowing Mathilde was in no mood to listen. It was her day, it seemed, for being ordered out of rooms.
Vivi and Jason were frantically pacing outside Mathilda's room. Jason paused when Kitty emerged. "Well, did you talk sense into my daughter?" Kitty sighed. "She didn't want to listen to me, but Jason, maybe she needs man's point of view. You should try talking to her." "Me?" He threw up his hands. Vivi moaned. Kitty looked from one stricken parent to the other. "I have an idea. Mathilda's fiance, Jeffrey, knows nothing of this yet. Jason, maybe you should fill him in, and get him up here. He and Mathilda are in love, they're the ones who should talk." Jason nodded, glad to be let off the hook, and hurried off. Vivi put an affectionate hand on Kitty's arm. "I'm sorry for the way I spoke to you. I guess, along with my horror at the wedding being called off, it hurts that my daughter admires your life so much more than mine." "Vivi, she's confused. She knows about the struggles you try to hide from her, but on the other hand, she's so used to the comfort that surrounds her, she forgets it's there. As for me, Mathilda has a made up fantasy in her head, about my life."
Dodge
Matt set down his pen, and re-read his letter.
Dear Kitty, I'm sorry I wasn't in Dodge to see you off to New Orleans, and want to explain. I picked up Stu Sullivan's trail, and knew there was a good chance I could catch him before he killed again. When I found him, I tried to bring him in, but he fought back so hard I had to kill him. Like we talked about so often, there are men who'd rather die than be locked up.
I hope you're having a fine time with Vivi and her family, and are not worried about anything back in Dodge. Just remember that when you're away folks here miss you - I miss you. You once told me it's nice to be missed. I've sure got that covered. I miss you every day and night. You have my heart Kitty, through good and bad, challenges and triumphs, arguments and making up, no matter where you travel, you have my heart.
Yours Always,
Matt
Matt slid the letter into an envelope, and addressed it to Kitty at Vivian Claymore's residence. If he hurried to the post office the letter might go out today. It could take more that a week to reach Kitty, so the sooner the better.
New Orleans
Jeffrey Harris grimly followed his father-in-law to-be, up the stairs to his fiance's room. Until 15 minutes ago, he saw his life as pleasantly and predictably laid out. He'd already begun a career in finance with his father and was about to marry a beautiful woman who'd bear him beautiful children (though he hoped she wouldn't grow plump like her mother). He'd even put a down payment on a small but quite fine house, close to both their families. His future was firmly in place, until it wasn't. Mathilda it seems was having second thoughts, and he was told, in no uncertain terms, it was up to him to bring her back to reason.
Looking ghastly pale, the young, blond man stood outside Mathilda's door. Her parents and their guest Kitty Russell hovered right behind. He knocked gently and then harder. There was no response. Shoulders set back he turned the knob and entered, closing the door behind him. Jason, Vivi and Kitty leaned in and listened. The door flew open. Jeffrey's face was paler still. "She's gone." Everyone rushed in. Vivi shook her head in shock. "I was in the next room with Kitty the whole time, we didn't hear her leave." Kitty crossed the room and looked out the open window. "That oak tree is close enough to reach. My guess is she got to it, climbed down, and ran off. The question is off to where?" Kitty looked from Vivi to Jason to Jeffrey. They they were frozen, wide-eyed, and open mouthed. "All right." Kitty's voice was calm but firm. "Jeffrey, go around the city and look in all the places you think Mathilda might go. Jason, go to the police and let them know your daughter is missing. Vivi, face the fact there will not be a wedding tomorrow, and start notifying everyone who has to know. I'll help with that. Let's go."
TBC