October 31, 1860

None of the Pony Express riders had seen Jesse's costume. He had kept it a secret and only now had taken it out of his secret hiding place after all the riders and Rachel had left the station. It was dark, so he had put it on and rode into town. Melissa had sort of hinted earlier in the week that they should go to the party together, so he had told her that he would pick her up, and they could ride together to the party. Besides he didn't want to attend it alone anyway.

Melissa was all dressed for the party when she heard a knock at the door. Opening it up she found Jesse standing there. She was glad that he was going to ride along with her to the party. She hated traveling at night alone, and Michael hadn�t asked her to the dance. She figured that was because he had told her that he wanted to surprise her at the party with his costume. Melissa had a big smile on her face, but Jesse didn't look very happy. "What's wrong?"

"This looks silly." Jesse replied referring to his Jester costume.

"So it's suppose to look funny. Everybody will notice and remember us more than anybody else there." Melissa stated. She liked her bright orange tunic with her one-piece purple body stocking trimmed in diamond shaped patches. Her and Jesse were identical except that he was a little taller then she was.

"That's what I'm afraid of. I shouldn't have let you talk me into this." Jesse shuffled his feet. He wanted to take Melissa to the party, but he didn't want to do it in this outfit.

"Aw come on." Melissa came outside and locked the PEG's door behind her. "I think you look cute in it." She gave him a beaming smile. She took his arm and started heading for the horses. Jesse gave Melissa a lift up on her horse, Braids, and then he mounted Express. The three pointed green hat felt very different from Jesse�s cowboy hat. He didn�t like it but reluctantly left it on for Melissa�s sake. Melissa pulled her jester�s hat down so that it wouldn�t fly off when her horse picked up speed.

When they arrived, Meghan showed them to the children's party room. They were the first kids to arrive. There was a refreshment table and some games set up that Meghan told the children about. Since she was the host she wouldn't be able to supervise the children's room, so she had asked Serena to do it. Serena had eagerly accepted the role. Besides the more experience with kids she would have, the better parent she would make the little darling growing inside her.

Serena had seen Meghan directing Jesse and Melissa into the children's party room, so she collected Daniel from his friends, Caller Bob, Ted and Walter, and took him with her. He could use the experience of helping her with the children, too. After Daniel left the trio, Desiree joined the group. Desiree had an aqua skirt, a white blouse with a black vest that buttoned up to her bosom, and a white cap on her head. Ted and Walter started playing their instruments while Desiree sang. Ted and Walter were wearing matching long sleeve aqua shirts, black pants, black hats, and black belts with black money pouches attached to them. Caller Bob listened for a while and then decided he should check in with Teaspoon to make sure everything was all right. Caller Bob had decided not to wear a costume to the party since he would be slipping back and forth from town to the party and vice and versa. He didn�t want strangers to see him running around in a strange outfit.

**********

Meanwhile some miles away in another town, she had just finished pulling up her black stockings and now was over by her mirror to apply her makeup, actually it was black Indian facepaint to disguise her face. When she was all finished she backed up and admired herself in the full-length mirror. Perfect, she thought. No one would ever recognize her.

She had already paid a young lad to bring her horse around to the back of the hotel. Sneaking down the back stairs as to not be seen, she slipped out the backdoor where her horse was waiting. As quickly as she could with her costume on she swung up into the saddle and took off. She couldn't wait to arrive at the party. For there was one gentleman in particular that she wanted to talk to.

It grew darker by the minute on her way to the manor. Lucky for her she had traveled the route in the daytime and knew the way there. She tied her horse to a tree away from the house. She didn't want anyone to see her arrive. She just wanted to slip in and mingle unnoticed as much as possible. She knew from the commotion and the wagons outside that the party was in full swing, and that probably everybody that was attending was already inside. She knew the house was full and that she would never be recognized with her costume. She could mingle and interact with the residents without them knowing who she was. But still she cautiously approached the house ready to run, if she saw anyone that might question her identity. She was in luck and no one was around. She entered the house and slowly went to the ballroom where all the noise was coming from. Not wanting to stand in the doorway for too long in case someone saw her and decided to wonder why, she quickly stepped into the crowd. It was somewhat crowded, but after about a half an hour, she realized that the man she sought was either very late or not coming at all.

She would keep her distance from one man in particular for she knew that without a shadow of a doubt that he would be the only one that might suspect who she really was. While ducking and dodging that man and looking for the one she wished was there, she accidentally bumped into Josie.

Someone behind her knocked into Josie and her brownie that she was holding in a napkin went sailing to the floor. Without thinking the mysterious lady knelt down and helped picked up the pieces. Josie also stooped down to grab the pieces. The mysterious lady softly apologized. Josie wasn't mad. She knew the room was crowded and it was sometimes hard to maneuver around. The lady kneeling down beside her seemed familiar, so she asked, "Do I know you?"

The mysterious lady avoided the peasant lady's face and shook her head no. Then she put the pieces of brownie and napkin into Josie's hand and moved away from her. She couldn't stick around Josie for fear that she would ask more questions. As the lady moved away, Josie thought what a cute costume.

The young lady was thinking just the opposite about Josie�s costume. Josie had on a white chemise blouse, black vest, white long skirt with red and blue material ruffles, and a blue hat. A peasant, couldn�t she have thought of something grander?

**********

Meanwhile Cody had just knocked on the boutique door. He was feeling rather distraught about taking another lady to the party, especially when he would rather be taking Jacy. But he was doing it as a favor to Teaspoon, and he couldn't let him down. He just hoped that he hadn't missed Grace, or that she thought that he was backing out because he was late.

It wasn't really his fault. Prankster had thrown a shoe on his way back from his run today, so he had stopped in the nearest town to get a replacement. Unfortunately, the blacksmith had been behind on his work, and Cody had to wait an hour for the blacksmith to even get to work on his horseshoe. Then to top it off the buggy that was left at the station for him to use was the oldest crummiest one they had. Some of the wheels were loose on it and no one had gotten around to tighten them yet. So before he could leave he had to do that. Then after bedding down Prankster, he hitched two of the express horses to the buggy. After that he quickly washed up and changed into his costume. It seemed a little snug on him, and he didn't like it much, but there was nothing he could do. He didn't have another costume that he could wear, so he would just have to put up with it. He should have tried his costume on sooner and made sure it had fit, but he had never been in the mood to do it, and so he hadn't. Oh well, it was just for one night. He could survive in it for a few hours.

All he could think about on his way into town was Jacy. He missed her very much. She was the only gal for him. He shouldn�t have got so upset with her when he found out that she had been lying about her father. He understood now why she had done it. She had used it as a defense mechanism to get through her school with the bully kids. Of course once you tell one lie it only leads to others and then you can�t get out of it. That�s what had happened to her. He couldn�t really fault her for it. It mush have been tough growing up without a father. If only he could talk to her now. He would never let her out of his sight again. She meant everything in the world to him. He had tried to forget her, but ever since she had left, he had just been going through the everyday motions, not really caring about anything, and no matter how he tried to get over her, he just couldn�t. He loved her with all his heart. He felt that he might as well be dead without her.

He knocked again and cupping a hand to his face he peered in through the door window, he saw a little light coming from the backroom, so he assumed that she was still here. As he was about to knock again, he saw her standing in the doorway. As the thought of Grace's loveliness entered his head, he shook it away. He would never settle for anyone other than Jacy. Someday he vowed that he would find her, and then he would never let her out of his sight again. Cody watched as she approached the door and when she got there, he stepped back a few inches.

Grace had stayed late at the boutique making last minute alterations to several costumes that had come in at the last minute. Rachel had assured Grace that she would leave a note for him telling him to pick her up here. She was beginning to think that Cody had somehow not gotten the message. Then she began to think that he had forgotten about her. She knew that he had a run today because Teaspoon had told her. When he was only a half hour late she begin to think that he had some trouble on his run and that he was just running late. When the half-hour turned into an hour she begin to think that he wasn't coming for her at all. When she was thinking that she would forget about going to the party and just turn in for the night, she heard a faint knock on the door. Thinking she was dreaming she listened more attentively, and then she heard it again only this time a little louder.

Grace opened the door to see her knight waiting for her. Shyly she gave Cody a half-hearted smile. Cody grinned back at her. "I'm sorry I'm so late. My horse threw a shoe, and I had to fix the buggy before we could ride in it. But if we hurry we can still make it on time."

"Oh, that's ok. Let me get my shawl and then we can go." Grace picked it up from the counter and then met Cody at the door again. He held opened the door for her and then he shut it behind her. She turned around and locked the door. Cody helped her into the buggy and then they were on their way to the party.

**********

Meanwhile back at the party Jacy was wandering around watching and listening to everybody. She was hoping that someone would say that they had found the horse thieves, and that she wasn't under suspicion anymore. She desperately wanted to come back to Dreamville. She missed her sister, a lot of her friends and especially Cody. Even if Cody hated her for lying, she could at least be able to see him if she could move back to Dreamville.

Tally had arrived at the party shortly after Samantha. Her disguise was a wolf, and Tally's costume was a Greek god by the name of Ares. Ares was the Greek God of War, and his symbols were the wolf, that was the reason Tally had decided to become Ares for the party, and the woodpecker. Tally portraying the mighty warrior was in full battle armor wearing a crested helmet and bearing a shield.

He spotted Samantha by the refreshment table. He maneuvered around people pausing only long enough to say hello to those that greeted him. As soon as he arrived by her side the first thing he could think to say to attract her attention was, "Do you bite?"

"Huh?" Samantha asked fearing that she had heard him wrong. Her mouth droop opened stunned at his ridiculous costume.

"I asked do you bite?" Tally inquired again, but this time before she could reply he said, "I hope not. It wouldn't be polite to bite the hand that feeds you." He picked up a little tart and popped it into Samantha's mouth. He smiled as he watched her automatically chewing the tart. "So how do you like it?" Tally turned around and around in a circle modeling his outfit.

Samantha stopped chewing and let the rest of the tart reside in her mouth. What could she say? His outfit looked ridiculous, but she didn't want to tell him that. "Do you know who I'm suppose to be?" Not trusting herself to speak Samantha just shook her head. "Well, while you're trying to guess, let's dance." Before Samantha could agree or disagree, Tally laid his shield aside and took her hand pulling her away from the table, and then with one hand holding hers and the other one around her waist, they began moving to the music. He whispered in her ear, "You�re the prettiest wolf I�ve ever seen."

In the other room Melissa and Jesse were discussing their jester routine while waiting for Jemima and Michael. Even though Melissa seemed to be enjoying Jesse's company she was wondering where Michael was, and what he would be coming as. She had tried to wheedle the information out of him dozens of times, but he had always clamed up. He wouldn't even give her any clues.

Entering the children's party room, he quietly sneaked up behind Melissa, grabbed her around the waist, and growled. Startled Melissa jumped and pulled away from her attacker, and she screamed as she turned around to see a dragon.

From across the ballroom Tally watched the young girl in the Kitty Kat Square Dancing costume. He had been catching glances of her now and then during the whole evening. She seemed so familiar and he had gone through the list of ladies in his head that resided in or near Dreamville and none of them fit her profile. But he just knew that he had seen her before. The man standing in front of her hid most of her view. If he would just move to one side or the other Tally could get a better view of the Kitty Kat. Samantha was talking to him so he had to bring his attention back to her.

Ian enjoyed talking to this mysterious lady. She was very attractive in her Kitty Kat costume. For the third time the Kitty Kat twirled her tail around and hit Ian in the nose with it. She was being frisky. This man was a charmer, and she loved his attention. Besides he was the only one that she could talk with that definitely wouldn�t ever recognize her.

After a while when Tally�s gaze returned to the Kitty Kat he could see her much better, the young gentleman had moved more to one side. The Kitty Kat felt eyes watching her. Uneasy she lifted her face and stared across the room into a pair of sparkling green eyes. He was staring back at her. Abruptly she finished her conversation with Ian and departed the room. As she was leaving she saw Cody and a lovely young lady entering the front door. She definitely couldn't leave that way, so she immediately turned right. She would leave by the backdoor.

Tally stared into the young lady�s face. It was hard to tell where he might have seen her before. Then he saw her eyes and in that instant he knew who she was. He excused himself from Samantha and with lots of apologizing, twisting and turning he wove his way through the room. He had to catch her before she disappeared. As he reached the entranceway and saw her heading down the hall, without realizing he said it aloud, he softly said, "Jacy!" And then took after her.

Cody and Grace were just finishing a dance when Tally was leaving. Cody thought he misheard what Tally had said, but as he looked down the hallway and saw a lithe figure disappearing through a doorway, he thought, could it be? Cody told Grace that he would be right back. The hallway was almost as full as the party room, so Cody had to weave through the maze like Tally had, too. Only Tally didn't get stopped half a dozen times by people like Cody did. Cody tried not to be rude but swiftly answered them and continued on his way.

She closed the door behind her. She had made it. Safety! She caught her breath and then holding the railing she ran down the steps of the back porch. But as she turned to the left, she heard someone. She turned back to see Tally. Oh NO! She hadn't made it after all. What should she do? Should she try to run? No, that wouldn�t do any good. If he wanted her, he would easily overtake her. Play it Cool! Maybe she could figure a way out without him realizing who she was.

"Jacy," Tally exclaimed as he came flying out the backdoor and abruptly came to a halt on the porch. She stopped, but it looked like at any minute she might take flight again. So he cautiously walked forward until he stood at the end of the porch looking down at her. To ease her mind Tally said, "Jacy you're not wanted for stealing those horses. Teaspoon's not going to lock you up. Jimmy is your alibi. He told Teaspoon that you had been working in the saloon when the horses had been stolen, so there's no evidence against you. We still don't know who took the horses, but we know that it wasn't you. So there's no need for you to run away." He paused to get his breath and then said, "Ok, Jacy?"

Stunned the Kitty Kat didn't know what to say.

Cody had just been coming out the backdoor when he heard Tally talking. He stepped beside Tally and looked down at the Kitty Kat. "Jacy?"

What should she do? Lots of ideas rushed through the Kitty Kat's head, but she couldn't decide what would be best for her to do. That had always been her downfall. She hated making decisions especially when she wasn't sure which one was the best one.

Cody stepped down off the porch and went closer to the Kitty Kat. As he looked at her from head to toe, he realized that it was indeed Jacy. Not even a disguise could hide her from him. He whooped and hollered as he grabbed her into his arms and swung her around. Finally he sat his lost love down and just hugged her to him. He wouldn't let her go again, not ever.

Kitty Kat was so startled when Cody had swung her around that she couldn't say anything. And now he was holding her so tight against him that she could hardly breathe. She put her hands on his chest and heaved herself away. Feeling the pressure Cody moved back so that he could see his beloved. "What? What's the matter, Jacy? Aren't you happy to see me?"

The Kitty Kat Square Dancer didn't know what to say, so she said the first thing that popped into her head. "I saw you. I saw you with that girl."

"What girl? Oh you mean Grace. That's Teaspoon niece. I just brought her to the party as a favor to him. If you had been here, you would have been the one I had brought. Jacy, I love you, and only you. I'm so happy that you're back." He felt like dancing for joy and that's just want he did. He danced around Jacy with that boyish charming grin on his face.

Grace who had been waiting on Cody had decided to go looking for him. She knew what direction he went in and soon she found herself in the kitchen. The back door was standing open so she moved toward it peering out into the darkness. As she got closer to the door she heard Cody talking to someone. She knew it wasn't polite to eavesdrop but when she heard him mention her name, she couldn't resist listening.

So her uncle had been the one behind having Cody ask her to the party. How could he? What a horrible thing to do? Tears streaming down her eyes, she ran blindly through the kitchen, the hall and out the front door without stopping, shoving and pushing people out of her way and not even listening to them call to her asking her what was wrong.

Meanwhile another person had also been hurt by Cody, she had seen the excited display from up above. She happened to be looking for the little girl�s room when a powerful urge to look out the hallway window overcame her. She strolled towards it and pulled the curtains back. She looked down just in time to see Cody swinging a pretty young lady around and around. Then he held her tight. Tears began rolling down the girl�s face as she watched the scene. It seemed that Cody had another girl. Forgetting all about the little girl�s room, she left the house and rode away.