DISCLAIMER: The characters of the MAGNIFICENT SEVEN belong to MGM, Trilogy, CBS, and TNN. No profit is made from this fan fic in any way, shape, or form except fun. However, I do not want my original characters borrowed or used without my knowledge or consent. If you are unsure if a character is canon or an original, please click here on original characters for an extensive list of my characters and when they were first introduced in my fan fiction.
The description I have given of the Barbary Coast is taken from chapter 12 of A la California Sketch of Life in the Golden State by Col. Albert S. Evans dated 1871 and can be found at http://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/History/1870/evans.htm
SPECIAL THANKS to Linda Backer who has graciously allowed me to borrow several events from her wonderful pieces of MAGNIFICENT SEVEN fan fiction, "Red" and "Vocabulary" especially.
SPOILERS: Ella Gaines from Obsession and my fictional account of what happened to her in my fan fic Are We There, Yet? As well as a mention of Working Girls and Vendetta
ALSO: I realize the town of Tombstone was not founded until 1879, but for purposes of this piece of fiction, I have moved up the discovery of silver and the actual founding of Tombstone to the early 1870's and not its original date. I am using a lot of poetic license with this piece of fiction, but I am not writing it as a historical document, only for entertainment. If you want historical information on Tombstone you can find it at http://www.cityoftombstone.com/tshistory.htm
I am also using poetic license and borrowing from the Battle of Adobe Walls. You can find information on Adobe Walls at this URL: http://www.pan-tex.net/usr/p/pampa-hist/pa03000.htm. {This link is not available anymore. Here is a link to another site with information on the Battle of Adobe Walls.} This site features: "The following story comes from the book "Ride the Wind", subtitle: The Story of Cynthia Ann Parker and the Last Days of the Comanche, by Lucia St. Clair Robson, Ballantine Books, New York, 1982, Page 580-585."
RATING: PG13
"So this is the Barbary Coast."
"Yes, it is my friends. If there is a vice or form of debauchery in which you have the financial means to indulge, it is here it can be found."
Ezra Standish spread his arms out in a gesture to encompass the notorious street full of gaming hells and debauchery. Buck Wilmington was grinning from ear to ear looking very much like a man in heaven as first one bold young woman leaned out of a window and made suggestion after suggestion to him and his friends. A little rat faced man slivered past Vin Tanner who was leaning against a post giving that half smile, half smirk that told the world nothing, but his friends knew that he was in the mood to party with them. Then, the little man bumped into JD. Vin straightened up as did Buck and Ezra, all on alert now. Vin put his hand on his very large and wicked looking knife warning the little rat faced man that justice would be swift and painful if he did not give JD's cuff links back. JD Dunne stood fascinated trying very hard not to let his mouth drop open in amazement as the rat faced man grudgingly dropped JD's cufflinks and watch into his open hands. The sights and sounds he was experiencing were pounding against his senses. The smells bespoke filth, whiskey, women, and things JD didn't want to know. Casey Wells, his young lady in Four Corners, would have his hide if she knew about this, but JD didn't want to leave San Francisco without having experienced the Barbary Coast. Besides, he was a single man, not some love-struck pup tied to some gal's apron strings; plus, his friends would not tell on him.
The four men had waited until late in the evening when the children were in bed, and Chris had reluctantly dressed in an evening suit in order to escort Mary out to dinner with John and Alexandra. It wasn't Mary he was reluctant to escort, but the fancy clothes he had to wear in order to do it. The black evening suit reminded him of the last time he had let a woman cajole him into such attire as this. Ella Gaines, he had worn that evening suit she had insisted upon the night he had discovered she had paid to have his wife and son killed. Hopefully she was rotting in the river that had swept her away from her attempt to kill Mary.
Josiah was practically barricaded in the Terrell library where he had discovered a whole section of philosophy books. The fact that Henderson had read and studied the same books as Josiah had proved to be the beginning of a philosophical debate that continued from morning over black coffee until evening over brandy. Since Henderson was allowed use of the library on his down time, he was very familiar with all its perks, so the two men had finally been sent off by their friends and employers to debate to their hearts' content. Nathan was just as bad having been given the full use of Dr. Connors' office, medical library, and medical friends. The two retired colleagues had taken to Nathan's enthusiastic commitment with delight, so much so that it left four of the seven with nothing to do that evening.
When four handsome and virile men became bored, it was best to allow them the opportunity to release some of that pent-up energy in a somewhat boisterous fashion. Chris and John Terrell knew the four were going to check out Lydia's Palace of Pleasures in the notorious Barbary Coast district, but they had wisely adopted ignorance about Lydia's house of ill repute. What they did not volunteer knowing could not get them in trouble with John's wife, who was also Vin's aunt. The others wisely did not mention that John Terrell knew about Lydia from the Pinkertons' investigation of Vin Tanner and his friends, or that he had allowed that information to slip in the presence of Buck Wilmington and Ezra Standish during a late night card game.
So, with the unspoken promise that the women would never find out about their venture into the 'badlands', the four friends went off on their own adventure. They felt safe in the knowledge they would be leaving town tomorrow afternoon on the train for home. This was their last night in this fascinating city, and all but Ezra had admitted their longing for the wide-open spaces of the West. Only Ezra's bond with his friends made him willing to depart this vibrant city to return to his quaint little town he now called home. However, he had in mind a great future for Four Corners when the train finally made the small town an economic boomtown. Ezra Standish had plans to invest, and he had plans that included his friends. This time they would invest with him, and it was in this mood of absolute certainty in a future teeming with money that Ezra set forth with his friends for a night of gambling, women, and drinking, and not necessarily in that order. JD's question shook him from his reverie.
"They really shanghai people here, Ezra?"
"Individuals who are not discriminating in their choice of companions have often regretted their evening's pleasures when they have awakened to discover that they are now miles from home with nothing but blue waters in sight." Ezra paused long enough to wink at Vin Tanner as he answered their younger companion's questions. He stepped gingerly over a drunk lying half out in the street, and then sidestepped the aging streetwalker who was willing to rob him as quickly as she would pleasure him. Everything had a price here, even walking down the street. "You would be well advised, Mr. Dunne, to stay close to Mr. Tanner, Mr. Wilmington, and myself in order for us to fully enjoy the riches of entertainment this particular location can afford us in relative safety. I, for one, plan to push Mr. Wilmington into the path of danger should the need arise. This was, after all, his idea." Wilmington snorted as he led the others toward Lydia's Palace of Pleasures.
JD looked at Vin with raised eyebrows. "He said this place is a lot like Purgatorio, only they talk English here, well most folk do. Best we stick close and watch each others' backs, 'cept Buck if Alexandra an' Mary find out where we are." Vin smiled as JD shook his head understanding the warning. The last time they had chased those stage coach bandits and the stolen gold to Purgatorio, JD had found himself alone in a filthy alley facing five very mean and very drunk men who were looking for trouble and someone they could take it out on. They hadn't counted on the little fella havin' six friends who were meaner than they were when someone threatened one of their own. By the time Vin and Buck had found JD trying to fight his way out of the alley, the others had come running to help. The fight ended with two bandits dead and three wounded. None of the seven were hurt.
"Don't want to wake up on no ship going somewhere I don't know what they're sayin'. That'd be like being stranded in the middle of a blizzard with just Maude an' Ezra." JD's attempt at humor earned him a snort of laughter from Vin and a friendly cuff knocking his hat to the ground from Ezra. Without missing a stride and without any evidence of guilt, Ezra non-chalantly strolled past the muttering kid and laughing tracker. He paused several steps from a newer looking establishment as the others walked past him. Ezra withdrew a very elegant silver flask from his inner coat pocket and smiled as he read the very inelegant inscription, the light from the street lamp flickering off of his gold tooth.
ES,
Drink in good health and remember that
never has one man sacrificed his flask or
his ass so willingly or so bravely for
a friend and brother.
From VT, CL, BW, JS, NJ, & JD
The silver flask was a constant but affectionate reminder that Ezra had taken a bullet in 'his lower back hip' not his ass. He had ridden with the posse to find the men who had shot and then tried to kill Vin Tanner for a bounty that no longer existed. His flask that he kept his expensive brandy in had been mortally wounded in that altercation, and soon after his return with his friends to Four Corners he had been presented with an expensively wrapped box as he and his friends had gathered for dinner in the hotel dining room. Ezra had no idea that his friends even knew this day was his date of birth until Mrs. B and Glory had wheeled the giant cake out of the kitchen. The Terrells, Nettie and Casey Wells, Mary Travis, and many of their friends appeared from out of thin air, and the celebration had commenced.
It was much later when everyone but his six friends had gone home or up to their rooms, and they were sharing the last bottle of whiskey that Mrs. B had turned a blind eye to. Vin Tanner had unceremoniously dropped the box into his lap. He had carefully opened the box expecting any moment for something or someone to trigger the joke this so obviously was. Instead, Ezra had been astonished when he saw lying in the delicate paper the sterling silver flask with its elegant design. He had turned the gift over and over examining the fine craftsmanship that had apparently been expended in the making of this priceless gift. So engrossed was he that he failed to notice his six friends grinning and poking one another in anticipation. It was when he turned it over the second time that he finally focused on the inscription in very ornate print. He read it, and then he read it again. Then, as the laughter began bubbling up uncontrollably he looked at his friends, his brothers.
"Mr. Tanner," Ezra tried to control the laughter, "pray tell, was this your idea or was it a group effort?" He had almost succeeded in controlling his laughter when JD proudly answered for Vin.
"It was Vin's idea to get ya the flask, but me and Buck told 'em what to engrave on it cause Nathan wouldn't let him and Chris ride to Eagle Bend to get it." The others waited to see how Ezra would react to not only the inscription but to the depth of feeling behind it. Then, Ezra collapsed laughing in his chair clutching his most prized possession against his heaving chest. The others relaxed and joined him in another round of laughter and camaraderie. When they had all received their thanks from the man who had taken the biggest gamble of his life by putting his faith and trust in this very diverse yet similar group, they each fell into reflective thought. The quiet was becoming a little too pronounced when Buck, who was as fond of hearing his own exploits as he was in telling them, broke the silence.
"Hey, ya gonna stay with the Terrells in San Francisco an' pick up your ma and pa's things, Vin?"
The tracker had paused and looked askance at Buck.
"I ain't goin' to San Francisco to go meetin' folks I don't wanna know and go lookin' through that trunk. I told Alexandra we'd all stay with 'em if she promised not to try and parade me around all her fancy friends. And, I ain't goin' just to look through that trunk of stuff."
"Now, Vin, you have to go and get that stuff. Your ma and pa would want you to have it." JD was shocked that Vin had dismissed his parents' belongings and letters to one another without a second thought. "Don't you want to read the letters from your parents?"
Vin squirmed under the scrutiny of six pairs of interested eyes for a moment. He blinked once, then twice, then once again before he finally answered. He frowned at his best friend as Chris grinned knowingly at the younger man. Chris Larabee had already heard all of Vin's excuses not to escort his aunt to San Francisco and visit with her in all her wealth and splendor. It was almost as if Vin Tanner was a bit frightened of going anywhere near the expensive estate where his aunt and her railroad baron husband lived, but John Terrell had once again left his family to conduct business. He had extracted a promise from Vin and Chris that the seven men would personally escort his wife and children back to their home in San Francisco. That was why he had insisted that all of the seven, along with Mary and Billy Travis, stay at the Terrell estate. He had in turn assured his skeptical nephew by marriage that his aunt had no desire to change him in any way.
Truth be told, Vin really wanted to see whatever legacy his parents had left for him, but he was determined not to allow his friends to have any opportunity to tease him about it. It was bad enough that Ezra and Buck were talking about all of the suits he was going to have to wear that Alexandra would surely buy for him, so he would not shame her in front of her friends. No way in hell was he going to wear some damn monkey suit and get shown off like a circus animal to all Alexandra's curious friends. He had finally agreed to trust Alexandra when she told him that her friends would accept him as he was, or they could all go find another friend with more money than her. He had laughed realizing that his aunt was really a lot like him when it came to what people thought, but Ezra and Buck had a way of making him nervous with all their talk of fancy clothes and fancy dinners with all those different forks and knives. Why the hell would anyone want to use more than one fork and knife at a meal? His thoughts were interrupted by an impatient Buck.
"Well, you gonna sit there blinkin' all night or ya gonna tell us why ya don't want to visit your aunt an' pick up them things. Most people would jump at the chance to find out what their parents thought was important enough to keep for their son." Vin turned his glare on Buck. It didn't do any thing to shut the big man up. "What? You scared them little twins won't let ya come home?"
"Or maybe you might find the wealth and comfort in which your family lives appealing, and you won't want to associate with us beggars any more?" Vin looked at Josiah like he had grown horns. When he saw the big man grinning at him, Vin's wicked sense of humor chased whatever anger he had brewing right out of his head.
"Y'all are just scared I'm gonna turn into another fancy man like Ezra here."
As the others laughed uproariously at the thought of Vin staying still and cooperating long enough to be groomed and dressed like Ezra, the gambler sat back in mock horror. "I doubt that any amount of soap or any scissors sharp enough to groom that unruly mass of hair exist in the entire city of San Francisco. However, I am willing to wager that I could, for a handsome fee, turn our wild man into a gentleman of the finest class."
"What? And ruin a perfectly good wild and woolly man?" Alexandra Terrell had come down the stairs with Mary. She was standing behind Vin as the men began to get up. Her indication that they did not need to be so formal with her was met with six men remaining seated. Placing her hands on Vin's shoulders in a gesture of affection he allowed few people, Alexandra smiled wryly as she explained Billy was sleeping over with Jamie and could Chris walk Mary home. The others had watched as Chris had already fastened his hand around Mary's elbow and was walking with her to the door. They were so engrossed in their discussion they didn't even notice their friends smiling in delight, or so they thought. Just before he exited into the night with Mary, Chris paused at the door and looked back at his friends. He gave them a smile that bespoke a devil may care that Buck had been hoping would return in his oldest friend but thought he had been mistaken when Mary and Chris had barely spoken to one another upon their return from Garrison. Ezra and Vin saluted one another as Buck and JD both put a gold piece into their outstretched hands. Vin leaned forward towards the ladies' man.
"See, I told ya, Bucklin. All Mary has to do is show up, and Chris is up and stompin' around like a stallion. Things have just been too busy for him to do anything about it." He expounded no further, but Buck was in too good a mood to begrudge Vin his moment. Ezra was in the mood to gloat as well.
"You see, my young friend. No man is impervious to the charms of a woman such as Mrs. Travis when she decides he is the one for her."
Alexandra rolled her eyes and gave an inelegant snort. "I believe it was I who arranged to have Billy stay over at the suggestion of the two of you. I really think you should give the money you conned back." Her hands were now on her hips as she gave that look to Ezra and Vin. Their four friends had retained control of their laughter while the two had grudgingly handed the gold pieces back to Buck and JD under Alexandra's watchful gaze. They even held their laughter as she turned her elegant self around and walked to the staircase. Vin's hand gripping Buck's shoulder cut the wolf whistle on his lips off before it began, and the others still remained silent. It wasn't until JD looked around and spoke that he had the rest howling in laughter.
"Ain't she the one who won the bet in Garrison cause she guilted Vin into being a good patient for Nathan?" The men leisurely made their ways home after that.
It was JD who recalled Ezra back to the present as the three men stopped in front of a ramshackle building. The only bright paint that was present anywhere was the sign that announced, "This is it! Lydia's Palace of Pleasures! You think Emily remembers me?"
Ezra paused and grinned at JD. "My oh my, our lovely ladies have certainly made a fine living for themselves. I am so proud to have taught them so much."
Vin snorted, and Buck shook his head. "Yeah, walkin' with a book on yer head is learnin' real important stuff, right Bucklin?"
"Oh yeah, Vin. Why the most fascinatin' woman I have ever known walked around with a book on her head. Course that was all she had on." Buck's lascivious tale was cut short as the door opened and a man came storming out. Emily stood there wearing lace and silk that exposed most of her bosom and a lot of leg. Her angry tirade at the man stopped and her mouth dropped open. The quiet and newly painted hall was filled with a delighted scream as she flung her arms around JD and Buck.
"Lydia! Nora! You ain't gonna believe who the cat drug in!"
Lydia appeared with Nora and one of the other girls at her side as several well-dressed gentlemen looked on in curiosity from a private salon off to the left. Walking up to Vin Tanner she held her hand out as he took it in his and returned her smile. A young woman they did not recognize draped her arm around Ezra as she pulled him further into the heart of the building. The door was shut behind them and the noise of the street was shut off completely. Somehow Buck had managed to grab the attention of two young women. Emily showed no signs of releasing JD any time soon.
"Gentlemen, it's a pleasure to see you again." Her smile was dignified, but it only lasted a moment until the real Lydia gave a saucy toss of her head and grabbed Vin Tanner by his suspenders, pulled him close, and kissed him soundly. "Never did get to thank you properly, did I?" Nora grinned as she appropriated one of Vin's arms.
The raspy voice answered as she ushered the men and women into a large parlor that had an ornately carved bar down one side. Elegant wooden tables and chairs sat upon plush, red carpet. Lydia had indeed done well for herself and her girls even if the outside look as disreputable as all the other saloons and cat houses that lined the boardwalk. "I reckon that 'n a gut warmer are purty fine fer sayin' thank you to a messenger boy." The comment drew an amused but somewhat secretive grin from Lydia. Nora decided that finding out what this shared joke was between the laconic Tanner and Lydia would be fun. That is if she could get the tracker away from her partner any time soon. The party, however, was just beginning.
"Ralph! Bring me some whiskey over here!"
It was near midnight and Emily and JD were sitting at a back corner table near the fireplace. The dancing fire had cast shadows in the cool evening obscuring the inhabitants of the table for most of the night. The young man was feeling no pain by this time, a sympathetic Emily taking good care of him. Despite his earlier bravado, when the others had been taken upstairs to the other girls' rooms, Emily had firmly taken JD in hand. His heart had begun to pound in anticipation. Finally, he was going to become a man! He'd come close several times, but always some force of nature had interrupted his call of nature. When she had kissed him soundly he had responded with everything he was worth. He was really enjoying it, too. At least that is what he kept telling himself every time the image of Casey Wells invaded his thoughts. Emily finally noticed his inattention and stopped her roving hands.
"JD? What's wrong, sugar?"
JD sighed and shook his head in resignation, "I can't, Emily. I like you a whole lot, but I just can't. I'm sorry." He dejectedly began to pull his boots on. Emily was scowling at him. If she had known he couldn't, she would have chosen that gambler fella, but he was busy now, claimed by a porcelain face framed by jet black hair and blue eyes that would send man after man overboard in shark infested waters to do her bidding. Collette, the new girl from New Orleans was the epitome of a wild cat encased in satin, silk, and manners that belonged in the finest of plantation sitting rooms. Those twins from Chicago already had Buck firmly in their clutches. Nora and Lydia, well neither one was willing to relinquish the tracker, so they had each grabbed one of Tanner's arms and had escorted their willing but slightly flushed victim up the stairs. She started to say something really cruel until it hit her. JD didn't look like he couldn't, so that meant that he wouldn't, which was a whole new kettle of fish altogether.
"You got a girl, JD?"
"Yes, Miss Emily, I do. An' I just realized how much I really care for her." JD looked so damned dejected that Emily tossed her head and laughed.
"Sugar? That girl know what a fine catch she's got in you?"
JD just sighed again, looked at Emily, and shrugged his shoulders. "I don't think so, Miss Emily. If I tried that with Casey, her aunt would smack me from here to Tuesday, and Vin would help her, but not as far as I would smack myself if Casey found out I did somethin' with you. I don't want to cause her no pain at all, but Buck's never gonna let me hear the end of this one."
Emily took pity on the young man and held out her hand. "JD, I think you and me need to get us a bottle of whiskey and figure out what lie we're gonna tell your friends. OK?" She tossed him a saucy wink and turned towards the door. Pausing, "'Sides, I can't let no one think I'm losing my touch." The two conspirators looked at one another and burst into laughter. They went down the back stairs, grabbed a bottle of the best whiskey, stole the platter of food the cook was taking to one of the rooms, and sneaked into the back corner where no one noticed them. There they sat drinking and talking quietly about what JD was going to do the next time he saw Casey. By the time they were noticed by the other inhabitants of the room, it was midnight. JD had choked several times at some of the things Emily told him, but that was much earlier before the whiskey had drowned his sorrows and loosened his tongue. It was then that the Worth boys entered Lydia's Palace of Pleasure.
The Worth boys were the sons of Finian Worth a self-made millionaire who had used his gold mine and sharp wits to place himself at the head of a very lucrative mining company. His own sense of grandeur matched his pocket book, yet he was disappointed to notice that only his money made his rowdy and conceited heirs welcome in San Francisco. He was disappointed but not enough to do anything about disciplining his sons. The fact he cared more for his empire and little for his well-connected wife and spoiled sons had a lot to do with their lack of respect for anyone they deemed beneath them. That fact was lost on John Terrell who had rendered the eldest son unconscious and would have succeeded in doing more than bruise the younger two while a very amused Vin Tanner stood looking from Alexandra's side when she intervened to stop her husband. Alexandra had pointedly informed her husband and laughing nephew that the so-called gentlemen were simply not worth the aggravation of having her husband jailed for killing them just because the eldest had tried to force her to kiss him. Tanner had merely smiled icily when the Worth boys threatened their revenge. His low growl indicated the subject was closed as he unceremoniously backhanded the second oldest Worth into the shrubbery as he brushed past them to follow his aunt and uncle into the carriage. His aunt never saw a thing, but John Terrell had grinned in appreciation.
Justice was twenty-five, proud, and really quite stupid when it came to his own perception of his importance in society. Neither he nor his brothers had inherited their father's sharp wit nor their mother's relentless drive for power and influence. They had inherited a lion's share of pride and the superior view that money made all things possible. It had angered and insulted the Worth boys beyond imagining to be humiliated at the hands of John Terrell and more especially Vin Tanner, and they longed for revenge. However, Terrell was by far the richer and so much smarter than the worthless boys. San Francisco tolerated the Worths because the mother had connections everywhere. She used her disinterested husband's money to ensure the necessary clean up after her sons and to buy information with which she used to blackmail society matrons to put up with her and her sons. Fear of her husband and the knowledge that Alexandra Terrell had far more connections and money was enough for her to caution her foolish sons not to strike out at Terrell or his immediate family directly. The man was known as fair and honest but deadly where his family's safety was concerned. Finian Worth was of no help to his wife and sons when he had told his son that if Justice was stupid enough to tangle with Terrell's wildcat wife, he deserved the bruises he had received. Worth was smart enough to know that he needed to ship his ore on Terrell's railroad, so the boys were left to take their humiliation out on the poorer and less protected elements of society.
Their mother had sought out information and paid handsomely for it. So unbeknownst to Finian, Lucretia Worth had discovered a way to strike out and humiliate Alexandra Terrell and bring the woman to her knees; at least she thought she had concocted the perfect plan. Her plan centered on those whom Alexandra held dearest to her heart - her family. Since her husband strictly forbade Lucretia to strike at Terrell directly, she decided to strike indirectly, and that indirect way to hurt and humiliate Alexandra Terrell, thus her doting husband, was through one Vin Tanner. Her hopes were dashed when she discovered much to her dismay that the young man, although uncaring of gentlemanly appearances, was so much the gentleman in word and deed that the women of San Francisco society had elected to put the young man in the guise of a young hero. This obviously well bred young man had triumphed even though he had been torn from his rightful heritage and loving relatives by savages. So noble was he that when he finally could be persuaded to break his silence and speak about those horrifying times, he declared in that raspy voice the women felt was so attractive that these same savages had treated him as a beloved son of their chief. Of course he was being noble in order to shield their delicate sensibilities. His quiet manners were not the silence of contempt of people who refused to see the truth for what it was but only saw the money of his family's fortune. No his quiet manners were just a result of shyness, and the fact that his story had been read by all the society matrons and their eligible daughters who regarded him as a diamond in the rough only in need of polishing. With an eye on the fortune in which he should rightly share, many of the women had made themselves available to him. His refusal to entangle himself with them only added to the excitement of the chase, much to the amusement of his family and especially his friends. His friends - it did not hurt the intriguing mystery of the young man that he had by his side six steady and true friends, men whose exploits were already legend.
They were the tragic Chris Larabee dressed always in mourning for his beloved wife and son and Ezra Standish the dashing, gentleman gambler. Handsome Buck Wilmington possessed the ability to make every woman he deigned to turn his attentions upon feel like she was the most beautiful woman in the world. Then there were the young JD Dunne whose enthusiastic joie de vivre was well balanced by the wise philosophy of the enigmatic Josiah Sanchez whose voice alone could mesmerize the women. Even the dark skinned Nathan Jackson had knowledge and a passion for healing that transcended the color of his skin. Together the seven men made fathers and most sons envious yet respectful of the strength of the seven men who apologized to no one but took responsibility for themselves and others directly upon their shoulders. Mothers secretly swooned over them while warning their daughters to beware those handsome but dangerous men. They literally took San Francisco by storm, yet they were quiet and subdued in the few appearances they had made in public.
When the startling rumor began that Vin Tanner was a known killer wanted for murder, Lucretia sat back and waited for society to expunge both their latest hero and his family from their midst. However, Lucretia was beyond crushed as her plans for revenge withered and died before her very eyes. In the space of a few tea parties and brunches the rumor was squelched by Alexandra with her own cleverly planted stories and the heroic accounts of the Magnificent Seven by M. Travis in the SAN FRANCISCO MONITOR. No one thought to connect the lovely widow Mary Travis with the reporter M. Travis. Only those women who had been carefully chosen for their loose tongues were met with and charmed by Alexandra, Mary, and Alexandra's friends. Soon, the word began to spread through these powerful society mavens that they had been told by none other than Alexandra Terrell herself that the gallant young man had been framed, and the governor of Texas had himself given Vin Tanner a pardon. The death of her schemes forced Lucretia into her lonely mansion where she took her hatred and loneliness for a society who shunned her out on her sons who were tied to her apron strings by the generous allowances she gave them. It had only taken them less than two weeks to make Vin Tanner and his aunt the objects of their hatred. They could do nothing to Alexandra Terrell, since their father had threatened to cut off both his wife and sons for nearly making John Terrell his enemy.
Business prevailed, and Finian Worth took steps to protect the only thing he ever truly loved - his company that he had built from the ground up. Taking steps to rein in the antics of his wife and sons, he severely limited their flow of cash. Their mother had blackmailed and alienated her own family so often that even they refused to lift a finger to help. Alexandra Terrell and her children could not be touched, and the six very deadly men whom Tanner called friends were the only obstacle between them and their revenge. Their frustrations built as they saw the Terrells out and about with the seven men who seemed very much a part of Terrell's close knit circle of friends. So it was in murderous moods the Worth boys had gone slumming in the Barbary Coast. It had been sheer luck that had brought them to Lydia's this night, and it didn't take long for one of them to recognize JD as one of the men who was friend to Terrell's nephew.
"Les!" Herbert Albert Finian Worth had had a speech impediment as a young boy with slow growing teeth, so his brother Lester Taggart Worth had become Les Worth. His brother had suffered the humiliation of being pegged Les Worth by his brother by shortening Herbert's name to his initials, Haf Worth. "Isn't that the boy who is friends with that scum Tanner and them damned Terrells?"
"I believe that for once, Haf, you have actually done something right. Mother would so proud and even generous if we could but bring her the head of Tanner or at least hurt him by hurting one of his friends." Justice looked at his brothers and grinned. "Shall we have some sport with him before we kill him?"
"As long as I can enjoy the delectable Emily afterwards, I think that might be the perfect thing to brighten our poor mother's unhappy mood." Les Worth smiled in anticipation.
"Kill him? Do we have to kill him? Can't we just beat him up?" Young Haf was not quite as far gone as his older brothers, but he was cut off by Justice.
"No, we don't have to kill him, but Les and I want to kill him." Justice smiled cruelly at his 'soft' younger brother. "This is not the time to develop a conscience, Haf." With that Justice and his brothers made their way to the back table. Ralph saw the mood the Worths were in and sent young Larry to fetch assistance from the law and young Mae to alert Miss Lydia. Trouble was brewing; Ralph could feel it in his bones.
The pounding on the door brought Nora to her feet as Vin Tanner sat up. The sheet pooled at his waist as he reached over to grab his pants and the knife he had carried with him. No way in hell was he walking around the infamous Barbary Coast unarmed. He knew Ezra had his derringer and Buck a small gun, but he had opted for a knife when he found that those denizens of the area were more prone to knives. Knives made no noise, yet when wielded by men as well versed in their uses as Vin Tanner and Nathan Jackson were, a knife was more deadly than a bullet. Truth was folks scared more easily when faced with a man wielding a blade than a gun, and that fright could be used to the advantage of the man who could fight with a knife.
Vin indicated that Nora should open the door with a nod of his head as he pulled on his pants. People just didn't go banging on the doors to the rooms in Lydia's establishment without reason. Lydia stood draped in her wrapper, a thunderous expression on her face. Whoever had interrupted was going to be in a lot of trouble if the house was not on fire or the whiskey had run out. Her face softened as Nora opened the door to a flushed faced Mae.
The young girl had arrived by stage from the south country looking for excitement and had been rescued by Nora from life on the streets. Eighteen and full of the same amount of energetic exuberance JD possessed, she was all eyes and hair the color of warm honey. She paused only long enough to run an appreciative eye over the man standing by the bed in nothing but his tan pants. The mischievous grin and twinkling blue eyes with which he had greeted her when she had finally looked up at his eyes made her sigh in disappointment because he had already buttoned his pants. The wink he gave her made her forget the reason she had come upstairs in the first place. Then she had reluctantly turned back to Lydia as a loud noise was heard in the saloon below, breaking glass and wood. Lydia raised one eyebrow in alarm. If anyone broke that new French chandelier she had paid so dearly for they would be banned from her house for life. Better yet she'd get Tanner to threaten to skin the guilty party alive until she had the money for her chandelier in her hand.
"What is it, Mae?"
"Ralph sent me. The Worth boys are here, and they're after one of those men that came in with this fella tonight."
"Which one?"
"The young one with Emily, had dark hair and a bowler hat."
Vin was already pulling up his suspenders and walking to the door. He turned to Nora and said curtly, "Go get Buck and Ezra. Lydia, ya got a gun, or better a rifle I can use?" Nora had already slipped past him through the door while Lydia fastened her wrapper securely.
Nodding her head, "I'll go get ya the Spencer." As Vin made his way out of the door, Lydia stopped him with a hand to his elbow. "If you're gonna kill somebody, don't get blood all over the new rug." A feral grin reminiscent of Chris Larabee appeared on Tanner's face.
"I promised my aunt I wouldn't kill nobody while I was in town. Ain't about to break my word over them three fools."
"Oh Lord!" Lydia shook her head and then called out to the retreating form. "Don't go breakin' that chandelier. Took me three months of hard work flat on my back to pay for all those damned pieces of crystal!" Vin threw a knowing grin over his shoulder but bit back his retort as Lydia disappeared into her office to fetch the rifle. Ezra joined him. Wearing his pants with his silk shirt hastily thrown on and feet as bare as Vin's, he carried his derringer tucked in the waistband out of sight.
"What's this about those worthless miscreants threatening our young sheriff?"
"Don't know, but Mae came up sayin' Ralph said JD was in plenty of trouble." They had reached the top of the stairs as an older man wearing a long evening coat, collar upturned and hat pulled low over his eyes, entered the establishment. Buck joined them on the stairs. He had his long johns on and as Vin and Ezra raised questioning eyebrows as to his state of undress, the scoundrel just grinned and went about his business.
"Let's go get the kid before he kills someone." They entered the saloon on the heels of the older man just as Haf Worth came barreling to a halt at the feet of the older man. The young man sported a rapidly swelling, bloody nose. His scowl and terse remarks were cut short as his mouth dropped open in surprise as he looked up at the man towering over him.
"Father?" He closed his mouth as his father handed him a pristine white kerchief to press against his nose.
The three men trying to make their way around the obstacle presented by Finian and his youngest son paused just as Emily jumped on Justice's back and began pounding him with her fists. It distracted him long enough for JD to yank free from Les Worth. He ducked neatly down and rolled the middle Worth off of him and onto the floor. Then following all that Vin had taught him about fighting in close quarters with the odds against stacked against him, JD struck out with fist and foot and rendered the middle Worth breathless as foot met stomach and fist met jaw. Buck snorted in pleasure and slapped Vin and Ezra on the back in pride and delight.
"Would you look at him and that little gal? Hell, he's a pistol, ain't he?"
"I must concur that our young friend has learned his lessons from our learned friend in the art of fighting without scruples quite well." Ezra grinned back at Vin and Buck as JD squared off against Justice. Haf slowly stood next to his father. The unspoken command in his eyes made the young man realize that now that he had his father's attention, continuing to get beaten by a man no bigger than himself and a girl would not be in his best interest. Finian raised an eyebrow in appreciation. At least one of his sons showed he had a calculating mind. He would have to pay more attention to this one, Herbert was it? The other two, Finian had long ago lost interest in them. They couldn't even win a fight against one young man and a woman. A man in the other corner lifted a chair and started to swing it in an arc deciding he'd have better luck that night fighting instead of playing cards.
Finian nearly laughed allowed as Vin Tanner moved swiftly in that direction and with one swift punch knocked the would be fighter down. Ezra and Buck showed their weapons to any other man willing to join in the fight. Everyone indicated the fight was between JD and Justice. Emily was off to the side being held back by Ralph. Les Worth had been pulled out of the way by several of the girls as tables, chairs, and drinks were moved out of harms' way. Les tried to get to his feet, but slipped on the whiskey that had been spilt when they had upended the table on the boy. He fell to the floor in a resounding plop that made Haf laugh out loud. JD landed another solid punch to Justice's jaw as Lydia showed up with her rifle. Vin relieved her of it as he pulled her out of the way when the two men tumbled to the floor and rolled towards her. They made their way over to where the others stood in time to hear Haf exclaim in admiration.
"He's a fighter, that one! Where'd he learn to fight like that?" Haf had asked no one in particular, but Ezra had seen the question in the senior Worth's eyes and decided that the old rascal and the younger son were not half as bad as the other two.
"Mr. Tanner taught him. He in turn was taught by the Comanche and the Kiowa."
"I knew it. I spent some time learnin' from them myself back when I was young and full of vinegar." He actually winked at his younger son. "Might tell you 'bout those days you ever come down to the office instead of causin' trouble around town, Herbert."
Speechless for just a moment, Herbert grinned at his father, "Could you start now, Sir? I would like to buy you and these gentlemen a drink." Buck picked up a nearly full bottle off of a nearby table.
"I could use a drink. Boys?"
Father and son sat down with Buck and Ezra to enjoy the ringside seats. Lydia pushed Vin into a chair with a shake of her head. She grabbed the bottle before Buck could drink from it.
"I'll go get you boys a bottle of the best whiskey and some glasses. I got a reputation to think of." As she trailed her hands across Buck's shoulders she winked at Tanner. "Besides, drinks are on me as long as you keep my chandelier in one piece."
"And blood off your rug." Tanner grinned knowingly as he leaned back in his chair resting the rifle next to him. That was when all hell broke loose.
Justice had finally noticed that his father was sitting next to his worst enemy along with his brother and Tanner's friends. A rage came over him as JD landed a blow that sent Justice tripping over his brother Les and into the wall by the fireplace. His hand hit a sharp object and blood spurted from the puncture wound in his hand. His humiliation was complete as he heard someone shout out to JD to finish him and come have a drink. He grabbed the offensive poker with his good hand. He rose screaming from the floor enraged and swinging his weapon in an arc at JD. JD managed to step aside and shove Justice away from him only to have Justice lose his balance and go careening into a deadly collision with Nora who had just walked into the room to watch the fight. Vin was closer to her than the others, and he threw himself between Justice and Nora lashing out with his feet as he went. The poker was deflected from skewering both Vin and Nora, but Vin felt the searing pain as the poker tore the flesh on his lower left chest. Nora was on her knees beside Vin tearing pieces of cloth from her petticoats to try and stop the bleeding. Finian and Herbert rose to their feet shouting at Justice to stop while Ezra and Buck had followed Vin into the fray. Buck easily lifted Justice and tossed him over his shoulder to land at his father's feet while Ezra answered Lydia's call to fetch more cloth to press against the bleeding wound.
Disgusted by his son's murderous attempt, Finian grabbed his battered son by the scruff of his neck and ordered him to leave Lydia's immediately. Pointing to Les, "Take him with you." He dismissed both his elder sons as he turned to see how badly Tanner was injured. It was Les's horrified yell that prevented Finian from being shot in the back by Justice. Justice had seen the rifle where Vin had left it leaning between the table and chair. Grabbing it he had turned and aimed it at his father.
"Haf, he's going to shoot Father!"
Herbert turned to shove his father to the side knocking Ezra over a table while Les shoved the barrel of the rifle up as Justice pulled the trigger. The shot went wild as the shell traveled haphazardly searing a burning a path through the flesh of Buck's side and ricocheting off the brick of the fireplace to neatly slice, of all things, the rope that held the chandelier securely in place. The hand cut glass crystals that had been fashioned by hand in France and survived a perilous journey at sea came crashing down right on top of the table that Ezra had tripped over just as he regained his feet. As he scrambled amidst the screams and yells to get safely away from the crashing crystal, he inadvertently tripped over a chair and hit the side of his head a glancing blow on the edge of the table. He fell to the floor unconscious. Lydia stood in the ruin of her once beautiful saloon and felt like sitting down beside the unconscious Ezra Standish and crying. Instead she stood her ground and surveyed the damage.
An angry Emily had taken an empty bottle and struck the struggling Justice over the head. His two brothers silently let him drop to the floor, horrified that he was so far gone that he had been willing to kill their own father. Finian himself was speechless that his own son had nearly killed him only to be saved by his two younger ones. JD Dunne was battered and bruised, one eye swollen shut, but on his feet as he silently knelt down by Ezra and nodded to Buck and Vin that the gambler was indeed alive and just knocked out. He could already feel the knot forming right behind Ezra's ear. Buck Wilmington sat on the floor beside Vin Tanner and was using some more of Nora's petticoats to staunch the flesh wound in his side. Several women made their way over to the wounded men to help. Vin was leaning against Nora as she applied pressure to the stab wound on his chest. Lydia's new rug was covered in whiskey, blood, and cut glass. The chandelier that had been Lydia's pride and joy was in a thousand pieces on top of a crushed table on the floor. Several uniformed men entered just as Vin managed a lopsided grin in Lydia's direction.
"Sorry 'bout the mess." Her eyes opened wide momentarily and then she burst into laughter. Shaking her head, she turned to the officers of the law. Before she could speak, Finian Worth broke in.
"That man there. He tried to kill me, and these men were injured trying to stop him. If you will secure him, I will make certain that all damages are paid for and these men are tended to."
When the officer in charge looked at Lydia, she shook her head in agreement. So did everyone else in the room. None of the men wanted their families to know where they were. Finian would take care of Justice in the morning, but for now, he had damage control. If word of this got out, he could be ruined. Moving swiftly, he began giving orders while he wrote out a man's name on a card and handed it to Lydia.
"This man will come round tomorrow morning at nine. You will present him with a bill, and I will pay whatever sum as long as you remain discreet." Lydia nodded her head in agreement. Looking around, she smiled at the men who had not fled at the first sight of the police.
"Gentlemen, please. Ralph will be happy to serve you drinks in the adjoining dining room." Looking at Finian and smiling broadly, "An unknown benefactor would like to buy you all a drink." Taking their cue from her, the other patrons toasted Finian Worth. On the morrow, no one would even remember where or why Justice Worth had been arrested and taken away to jail. Finian Worth could be a generous friend.
Ezra began to stir. Water sloshed in his face by the now hurting JD was enough to wake him up to a dizzy and pounding head.
"What just happened here?"
"You want the long version or the short one?" Buck was grinning ear to ear.
"The shorter the better, Buck." Ezra's head hurt too much to think much less listen.
"Short version," Buck looked at Vin who was grinning back at him. "If Chris don't kill us, Alexandra will."
"Oh my good Lord. Just shoot me now." Ezra closed his eyes as JD clutched his ribs and laughed. The others standing next to them joined in.
Two carriages rolled right up to the front door of the Terrell estate at around two in the morning. Lydia, Emily, and Nora had accompanied Finian on his way to delivering the four men. Actually, with Buck and Vin encouraging Herbert and Lester, their carriage had sped at breakneck speeds through the streets of San Francisco, and they had arrived several minutes before the second one containing Finian and the ladies. They insisted on entering the front door and not the servant's entrance where Finian had wanted them to go. Despite the various wounds and the aches and pains they had suffered, they were all laughing and having a great time. It was, they decided, the very best time they had experienced in San Francisco. Certainly, they were not feeling contrite. On the contrary, they were boastful and quite willing to go out and wreak more havoc upon the Barbary Coast.
A little ferret-faced man had seen the fancy carriages pull up with the Worth boys driving one of them. He quite naturally assumed that Justice had more than likely beaten senseless some well-heeled patron, and his father and brothers had arrived to carry the man off and persuade him to drop any charges against the eldest son. He had seen the police carry Justice off and had heard of the ruckus inside Lydia's. Too poor to pay for service in the Palace of Pleasures, he had quickly gathered several friends, and they had decided to take their chances and relieve the Worths of whatever cash they might have on hand. Unfortunately, ferret face had tried to relieve Ezra of his wallet and silver flask. Dizzy or not, the gambler could smell a pickpocket downwind from an outhouse in scorching heat. His friends, old and new, jumped to his aid and within seconds, ferret face and his four friends were thrown into the alley unconscious where they proved to be an excellent example to those who would try and rob any of Lydia's clientele.
It was right after this that Finian and the ladies had hurriedly bundled the four into the carriage driven by Herbert and Lester and told them to take the shortest route to the Terrell estate. They had not considered that Buck and Vin could con the boys into showing how well they could handle a fast moving vehicle through the city streets. It was in this noisy and triumphant state that Finian had actually tried to deliver Tanner and his friends to the Terrells, but he knew that a man such as himself had to be prepared for the inevitable foul up especially when the hastily contrived 'best laid' plans went awry. He was trying his best to silence the four men, but having been confined in the city on their best behavior for nearly two weeks had finally taken its toll on Buck and Vin.
The usually quiet tracker seemed to get increasingly louder with Buck's less than subtle encouragement, and JD and Ezra felt the need to vociferously blame Buck and Vin for their injuries. Buck took exception to that pointing out, with Vin's help of course, that if JD had been in a room where he belonged instead of pining over Casey to Emily, there would have been no meeting with Justice Worth and no need to rescue JD. Ezra had to agree then that it was indeed JD's fault. Lydia had already given up trying to silence anyone and was sitting in the open doorway of one of the carriages with her chin propped on her hand watching with interest the scene unfold before her. A woman couldn't help but admire a group of wild and woolly men who looked as good as these four did, and Tanner had shown he was no one's boy, messenger or not. She smiled in satisfaction, remembering that Tanner was in no way a boy. He was all man in every sense of the word.
Emily and Nora joined in the argument each taking up for JD or Vin. It was in this state that Henderson had unlocked the front door. Josiah and he had been on their way from the library to the kitchen when they heard the carriages clop to a stop in front, and the boisterous men literally fell out of the carriage. Philosophical discussions could work up a mighty appetite, but they forgot their need for sustenance when they heard all the noise. Recognition of just who the guilty parties were, and hearing who was pointing the finger of guilt at whom, had Josiah and Henderson moving towards the door in an attempt to silence the rowdy ones before the entire household was awakened. John Terrell and Chris Larabee had both appeared from out of thin air to investigate the noise while Buck regaled Josiah and Henderson with the tale of their exploits. The twin smirks upon the faces of Emily and Nora told the preacher all he needed to know as the smell of perfume and whiskey on three of the four permeated the air.
Chris had smiled at Lydia but made no move towards the woman. He seemed to be enjoying the fractious noise of his friends as they bickered, but he was waiting for something or someone. John Terrell was chatting with the senior Worth, and Lydia caught a flash of golden hair appear at the window. Mary Travis was here. Lydia acknowledged Chris's distance with a smile. The Travis woman had won after all. It didn't take a genius to figure that out. Even if there were no legal ties between them, it was obvious that there was a connection between the two that Larabee had no desire to endanger by openly consorting with a prostitute, even one who considered herself a friend. That was all right with Lydia, though. Her life in San Francisco had taken a turn for the better, and she always had been a 'love 'em and leave kinda gal'. Her friendly liaison with Finian Worth almost guaranteed her future and that of her friends. His recent offer of discreet financial backing had come at a time when she and the girls were ready to expand their business and move on to higher circles and more money. With his silent partnership, her fastest growing house would soon be the most expense cat house in San Francisco. She had the means now with which to indulge herself when old friends came calling like tonight. You had to love those boys bred and raised in the Wild West. There was an inherent freedom in their confident swaggers that always appealed to Lydia. It wasn't until the woman who bore an amazing resemblance to Vin Tanner appeared like an apparition that Lydia realized just how much she enjoyed her new found safety and peace of mind.
Alexandra Terrell had been watching and listening from just inside the door. The more she heard and saw about the night's adventures, the angrier she had become. It wasn't until the twins had arrived and she heard Billy tell Jamie and the girls that those ladies were dressed a lot like those ladies where his grandparents lived. They were the women from that big house at the end of town that his grandmother's friends would not let them near their men or their children. It dawned on her who and what these women were, and she turned to Mary with a question in her eyes. Mary could only smile and say that Lydia and her girls had needed the help of the seven at one point to stay alive.
Then, Alexandra saw the blood on Vin's chest clearly as he moved and the light cascaded over his chest. That was it. That was when her temper began boiling, bubbling into dangerous realms. Her own nephew, the one she had searched for nearly twenty years had preferred to spend his last evening in San Francisco at a house of ill repute in the company of loose women. He had refused to go out with her citing that he would just be an uncomfortable odd man out with the couples. The others had declined as well stating that they had plans to see some more of San Francisco before they left. She had assumed Ezra wanted to gamble, and Vin and the others wanted to go along for the show. 'He had plans to go with his friends all right, plans to go to a, well, a whore house!' Not only that, but he had gotten into a bar fight and was still bleeding from the wound on his chest. When she heard that he had been stabbed with a poker from a fireplace pulling a girl who worked at the place out of harm's way, she snapped.
"If you are finished waking the household after your thrilling night on the town, and you are finished bleeding all over my front steps, you just might want to come inside before you catch pneumonia. We've already done that before." With that she turned to Finian Worth and curtly gave her thanks. She held her hand up to stop him when he would have explained to her. John turned around, suddenly admiring the horses that were stomping their feet in the cold morning air. She turned her back on the men and ushered the children back inside. Her eyes were still blazing when she turned back to look at the men who were all silently staring at her. If John or Chris Larabee started laughing she would kill both of them. Chris wisely turned his smiling face to the same horseflesh John was so studiously admiring. Their shoulders could be seen shaking slightly. Alexandra nodded curtly to Lydia and the girls.
'Buck was right,' Lydia thought as she retreated inside to the safety of the carriage. This must be the Alexandra who was going to kill them. Nora and Emily who had been in the midst of the argument also knew when it was time to fold, and they climbed quickly into the carriage with Lydia. Having tended to the men who had shown him that he really did have two sons worthy of his notice, Finian Worth took his leave of John Terrell and indicated to his sons that they had three lovely ladies who required an escort back to Lydia's place. The two carriages drove off into the darkness as the targets of Alexandra's anger began to realize they were not quite invincible. Mary had taken the children in hand leaving her friends to the mercy of the angry woman. John Terrell stood silently admiring his wife while he enjoyed watching his nephew and his friends squirm. Never once since they had met had Vin Tanner been the target of his aunt's displeasure, but the quiet young man was in for it, and John decided to sit back and enjoy the fireworks.
Vin had been amazed when his aunt had taken one look at the blood on his shirt and the exposed bandage, turned her back to the four wounded men who were now leaning upon each other for support, and then without speaking pointed up the stairs. The scowl she shot at her laughing husband and Chris Larabee was enough to silence even them for the moment. Buck, who never liked being at odds with any woman, tried to cajole her from the temper that was actually making him nervous. The scowl was turned on him as Josiah grabbed Vin and hauled him up the back stairs to an equally scowling Nathan Jackson. Ezra started to speak, but one look silenced him completely. JD tried for the hurt look, but any protest of innocence was cut off when Alexandra reached out, took hold of his ear, and marched him to the foot of the stairs. Buck's mouth shut immediately, his honeyed words dying a quick death before they were uttered. Looping Buck's arm around his shoulder, Chris followed. His shaking shoulders indicated his silent laughter as Buck hissed at him.
"Will you stop? She's mad enough to shoot someone." Chris answered him with a grin that turned back into silent laughter. Mary Travis stood at the top of the stairs with four children in their bedclothes sticking their heads from behind her elegant robe with big eyes watching the proceedings. She looked like she was strangling on something. Vin knew she was trying to keep the laughter threatening to erupt in check. Mary was mean, as mean as Larabee, and they both deserved one another. Vin began praying that a higher power would keep the twins from commenting. They, too, looked like they were ready to burst open with questions, and they would want details, details he had no intention of discussing with two six year old girls. One word from them was all that would be needed to send Alexandra's temper straight to hell. Then it might get ugly.
She rarely lost it, but once angered, she was a sight to behold. He knew what his own temper was like when it erupted, and he had this strange feeling that he was witnessing just how he might appear to others when he was royally pissed at someone or something. Of course he had more control over his temper that a mere woman, so he would never get this excited over the antics of his friends. Why on earth she was pissed at him he had no idea. 'She was just his aunt, not his wife or mother.' Then he remembered the twins earlier as their inquisitive heads had nearly swiveled completely around as they had been looking back and forth taking in every detail. It was a good thing they were leaving in the morning because Vin did not want to be around when the twins wanted to know who those ladies were and what he had been doing that made their mommy so upset. Hell, family could be real trying sometimes, especially the female variety. This was all Buck's fault any way. If he had not insisted on looking up Lydia and the girls, he never would have had to leave a warm bed to get stabbed stepping between some spoiled brat and his pa.
Nathan had one hand under Vin's right arm holding him up as Josiah passed Buck and Chris on the stairs on his way down to help get Ezra and JD up the stairs.
"Ow! Nathan!" Vin yelped as the healer practically lifted him off of the floor and began hauling him down the hallway past the twins and Billy and Jamie, and into the room Alexandra had designated as his. Before dropping Vin on the bed and completely ignoring his protests, Nathan waved Chris into the room with Buck.
"Put that one in that chair. I'll go help with those other two fools." Shaking his head in disgust, Nathan brushed past Chris and Buck.
Chris deposited Buck in the chair by the bed and flopped on the bed causing Vin to wince in pain. Leaning against the big footboard, Larabee grinned in absolute glee at his friends.
"Well, well, well. You boys seem to have really enjoyed yourselves tonight, but did you have to have so much fun?" He got a pillow in his face from Vin as an answer, and Buck looked over his shoulder for Alexandra before answering his friend.
"Hell, Chris, ya shoulda been there. First Lydia and the girls were real glad to see us." Buck leered at Chris and then Vin. His side was beginning to really hurt something fierce, but he had had such a damned good time the pain was a small price to pay. "Ask Vin. Lydia and Nora latched on to him so fast it made your head spin." Chris raised an eyebrow and looked at Tanner who had a wicked grin on his face. Chris laughed and, winking at him, he turned back to Buck. "And there were these twins, Chris, I swear they could make ya scream. . . ."
Ezra's complaints were loud as were JD's as Nathan entered gently pushing JD in front on him. He pointed to the footstool by Buck.
"Sit there, and shut up. Josiah, put Ezra in that chair by the fireplace there. Don't even say it, Ezra, or you're gonna have another knot on that thick head a yours." He acknowledged Dr. Connors with a grin that took much of the threat from his words. "We're gonna need some hot water and lots of carbolic, Doc. You want to help patch these fools up?"
"I'll help him, Uncle Neil. It's awfully late." The twins raced from behind their mother and jumped on the bed with Vin and Chris. Chris laughed when Vin winced in pain. The two girls wrapped their arms about his neck and whispered loud enough for all to hear and for his ears to ache.
"You better tell Mommy you're sorry real quick." Lisha was full of good advice on how to divert an angry parent. Sometimes it actually worked.
"Yeah, tell her you're really, really, really sorry, an' that you'll never go slubbing agin." Lison looked at Lisha who was frowning at her.
"Slumming, not slubbing." Lison's mouth formed an 'O' right before she kissed Ours, turned and kissed a laughing Our Chris, and jumped from the bed to Ezra's lap. She wrapped her arms around him to comfort him as he grunted like he was in pain.
"Did you get hurt, too, Our Ezra?" Her blue eyes were tearing up and as soon as Ezra could, he grabbed one of two spinning Lisons to keep his own head from spinning and making him dizzy.
"No, my dear, but I seem to have a huge volcano at present trying to erupt from inside my head that is causing me considerable discomfort."
"Want me to kiss it an' make it better?"
Smiling, somewhat satisfied that her daughters had inflicted the pain she as an adult must not, Alexandra saved Ezra from any further injury from her child. "Lison, kiss Our Ezra gently on his cheek and get down from his lap. Our Nathan and I have to check out his head before he can go to bed. Lisha, go with you sister. You both need to be in bed." The twins knew that tone granted no arguments, so they each kissed the wounded men and even Our Chris one more time. Then, they were treated for their prompt obedience when their daddy swooped them up and swung them around and out of the door. Their laughter echoed down the hall way.
Vin was finding the pattern on the quilted coverlet quite fascinating as he fingered the stitching. He felt those blue eyes so like his own boring into him. Alexandra stood over him looking down glaring with her hands on her hips. He could hear the tapping of one elegant shoe on the polished wood floor. He ventured a peak and saw a little glimmer in the corner of one of those expressive eyes. The corner of his mouth turned up in response. Buck saw Vin's face go from worried to mischievous in that one upturned corner of his mouth. It was time for some levity as Ezra would say, and the twins were right about apologizing really fast. Knowing that twitching lip indicated Vin had seen an answering gleam in his aunt's eyes Buck took the initiative. Sometimes saying something totally outrageous would chase the anger right out of a woman.
"He's really, really, really sorry he got laid tonight instead of going out and getting bored to death." Buck saw Alexandra's shoulders shake and saw what he knew was a matching twinkle in Vin's eyes.
"Aw hell, Buck. You're gonna get us all killed with your good ideas. Will you shut up?" JD had his head turned away from everyone as Nathan was going over his ribs very gently.
Nathan had ducked his head and was trying to stifle the laughter that was threatening to consume him. Buck's outrageousness had chased the anger right out of him. He couldn't wait to hear what the hell had really happened at Lydia's. He almost wished he had been there. JD didn't see the somewhat startled looks on everyone's faces, but he did hear the snort of laughter from Chris and the giggle that erupted from Mary before everyone, Alexandra included, started laughing. John Terrell walked back into a room that had his wife sitting next to her nephew on his bed laughing as tears ran down her face. Vin was trying to get control as he held his chest to keep it from hurting from the laughter.
Mary was scandalously sitting on Chris's lap engulfed in the same laughter that had paralyzed everyone in the room. JD was grinning and holding his sides. Josiah was sitting on the floor leaning up against Ezra's chair laughing while Ezra sat with his head clutched in is hands and his shoulders shaking. Nathan had dropped his bandages on the floor, and Buck was sitting there like a cat that had just caught the canary. The grin on his face indicated he had caused this mayhem, and when he repeated what he had said that had caused all the ruckus, he finally dissolved into laughter as he witnessed John's reaction.
It was nearly five in the morning when everyone had finally found their own beds. Ezra would be dizzy for several days, but he had been extremely lucky. So, too, had Buck and Vin. Their injuries had bled more than anything, the damage being minor. JD had several bruised ribs and would have a huge black eye, but other than that he was mostly bruised from the incident. It had been decided that Chris and the others would leave that afternoon as planned on the train, and that Vin, Buck, Ezra, and JD would follow at the end of the week. All had protested they were fit to travel, but one thunderous look from Alexandra had silenced them all. The walking wounded would begin their journey home to Four Corners a week behind their friends. Buck suggested ways to while the time away, but Chris and Josiah had been able to convince him to wait before he got another really good idea. Larabee, Sanchez, and Jackson boarded the train having gotten solemn promises from each of the four that they would stay out of trouble on the way home, and each man meant to honor their word. They just didn't know that there were factors lurking about that would make keeping their word so very difficult.
Continued in Part Two
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