MARCH 4, 1861
Charlie nervously walked up to the door of the station house and knocked. Rachel
answered the door. "Rachel, is Grace in, can I talk with her?"
"Sure, Charlie, let me go get her. Would you like to stay for dinner? It's almost
ready."
Charlie looked around. If Grace said no, then he wouldn't feel comfortable staying for
supper. But then again he could send regards through Grace. "Sure." He smiled.
Rachel left to get Grace who was setting the table. "Here, let me do that, you have a
visitor."
Grace was surprised when she looked at Rachel's smile. Is it Ike? No, Rachel wouldn't call
Ike a visitor. Who could it be? She was presently surprised when she saw that her visitor
was Charlie.
"Hello, Grace"
"Hello, Charlie. Rachel said you wanted to see me?"
"Yeah, uh, can we take a walk? I want to talk to you in private." He replied as
he motioned to Jimmy, Buck, and Kid who were walking up the steps.
"Alright, but we can't be too long. Dinner is almost ready."
"I know, Rachel invited me to stay." He said as he took Grace's hand to lead her
down the steps.
As they walked around the station, Charlie talked. "Grace, I had a good time at the
Valentine's Dance."
"I had a nice time, too." Grace smiled, not sure where this was going.
"I've been thinking. I would like to get to know you better, so I asked Teaspoon if I
could court you, and he said that if you wanted me to it would be alright with him."
Charlie paused for Grace's answer. When she just stood there facing him shocked and
confused, he asked, "So, Grace, can I court you?"
"Me?"
Charlie looked up and saw Lee coming in from a ride and teased Grace a little bit.
"No, Lee over there. Yes, you." He was just trying to make his point that he
wanted her. She was shy, and he knew that. Matter of fact that's what drew him to her in
the first place.
Grace blushed a little bit and smiled, "Really?"
"Really." Charlie grinned.
Thinking that Teaspoon would have said no, Grace suddenly frowned and then asked,
"What did Uncle Teaspoon say?"
Charlie repeated what Teaspoon said, "He said that I could court you only if you
wanted me to."
She smiled and said, "Well alright. What does this mean?"
Charlie thought about how to word his answer. While courting meant that he was thinking
about marriage, he thought that if he said that to Grace, it would scare her off.
"Well, it means that we get to know each other better, find out our likes and
dislikes by spending time alone or with a chaperone if that you make you feel more
comfortable. We can go on rides, walks, picnics, out to eat, and things like that. I think
that if we had a chaperone, it would make Teaspoon more comfortable." Charlie laughed
nervously. Grace smiled. She liked the idea of Charlie courting her.
Ike had over heard Charlie ask Grace to court her, and he also over heard her answer. When
he saw that the conversation was over, he stepped up to them, and signed, "Rachel
said that dinner is ready."
"Thank you, Ike." Grace said and the three of them went to the house and ate
dinner.
When Charlie got back to the restaurant, Charity was closing up. She had already sent
Lilly and Clover home. "Well, I take it that your talk with Grace went well?"
She grinned.
"Yes it did."
"And what about Caly?"
"The more time I spend with Caly, the more I find out that she is just a
friend." Charlie said. "If you can handle the rest I'm going on home."
"Go home, Charlie." Charity said as she smiled. She was happy for her surrogate
brother.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The next day Grace rode towards town. She had been told on several occasions not to ride
alone, but today she wanted to think. Yesterday she had told Charlie he could court her.
It was not something she regretted. In fact she had found herself thinking more about the
man each day since the Valentine's dance. Before Charlie Grace had thought she was in love
with Ike, now she questioned just what feelings she did have towards him. She knew she was
hurt by the way he had been acting towards her since yesterday. Ike knew that Charlie was
now courting her. Charlie had stayed for supper and everyone had been told. Since then Ike
had been avoiding her. The two usually sat and talked after breakfast, and sometimes he
even helped her to clear the table. Not today he had left without even saying goodbye. One
thing she didn't want to lose was his friendship. But she was confused, Ike was the one
who said he thought it would be best for them to just be friends.
She was almost to Willow Manner when something on the trail caught her eye. She got down
off of 'Buttercup' and walked her over towards what appeared to be some kind of bag.
"I wonder if Luke or Meg dropped this?" She said to herself and she lifted it up
to inspect it. She was about to look in it when she heard a rider approaching.
Ike had seen Grace take off on her horse and was signing to her that she shouldn't be
riding to town alone, but Grace hadn�t noticed, so he took off after her. He hopped
down off his horse and walked over.
Grace frowned when she saw Ike lecturing her and signed, "I'm a big girl, Ike. I can
take care of myself."
Ike looked down to the small four foot ten inch woman and shook his head. Then he looked
to the bag and signed "What's that?"
"I was just about to look when you rode up," she opened the bag and her eyes
widened "Oh my God look at all this money!" Inside were stacks of bills.
Ike took the bag from her, looked inside. He signed, "this looks like a bank bag.
Someone must have stolen it. We need to take this to Teaspoon." He put his hand on
her shoulder and signed again, "this is a good reason why you shouldn't be riding
alone Grace." He looked around then back to her, "too dangerous if someone took
this there is probably more and that person might be out there right now watching."
Ike had no idea how right he had been. Someone had seen Grace lift the bag and fled when
the rider had approached.
Soon the two mounted their horses with Ike riding close to Grace they headed towards town.
Charlie was walking out of his restaurant when he saw Ike and Grace ride into town. He
smiled and started to walk over but something inside told him something was wrong the
closer he got. He walked faster and was at Grace's side to help her dismount, "Grace?
Is everything all right?"
Ike frowned, got off his horse, then he tied both his and Grace's horses to the post. He stood quietly watching the two and let Grace explain.
"I was riding to town and I saw something." She pointed to the bag.
Charlie looked over, "You found a moneybag?" He recognized it was in the
standard bag the banks used. "Good thing Ike was with you. Whoever dropped that
probably had more."
"Ike wasn't with me. Well not until after I found it."
"You were alone?" Charlie looked to her then to Ike.
"Yes," Grace quietly said.
Ike walked away and went inside the jail. He came back out signing, "Teaspoon's not
here. I'm going to go find him."
Grace nodded, "I'll take the bag over to my store and wait."
"Not alone you won't," Charlie said taking the bag from Ike. "Ike, I'll stay
with Grace and the money, and you find Teaspoon."
Ike stood for a moment and watched as Charlie protectively put his arm around Grace and
led her over to the shop. He shook it off and went in search of Teaspoon.
Once inside the shop Charlie locked the door and put his hands on Grace's shoulders,
"My dear I want to ask you to please not ride to town alone anymore. If you had been
just a little earlier, who knows what else you may have come across." He pulled her
to him and hugged her then looked at her while cupping her face, "Promise me you
won't."
"Okay," she quietly looked to him and smiled.
Awhile later Teaspoon, Buck, Cody, and Ike entered the restaurant. Cody took the money
over to the bank and the others rode back out towards Willow Manner to look around. Grace
had wanted to go along to show them but was told not too and again was given a stern
lecture not to go any place alone for a bit. Charlie noticed Teaspoon looked a bit worried
and knew he probably had the same fears he did. Someone may have been around or
backtracked to see Grace.