开云体育

-------Original Message-------

From: Colleen via Groups.Io
Date: 05/03/18 14:42:47
To: [email protected]; Samantha Walker; Linda Brown
Subject: [ladiesofthemagnificentseven] Molly's Part

Thanks for being so patient with me -

Molly listened as the sound of a horse galloping away faded. Of course Vin
would head straight back to town the moment he knew Cheyanne might be in
danger never mind the danger that might pose for him. Molly expected Buck to
come back inside the small cabin once Vin had left. Several minutes passed
and she let out a sigh. He'd ordered her to stay inside as if she were a
disobedient child. Sheer stubbornness had her walking toward the outside
before she stopped. He was angry with her and she knew he had every right to
be. What she'd done, deceiving him, lying to him was nearly unforgivable.
From the second she'd met him on that storm drenched roadway he'd been
nothing but decent and kind and good to her.

She wasn't sure there was an apology big enough for what she'd done but she
had to try. And she had to tell him the truth about herself. It was a risk
but she had to take it. She'd apologize, tell him the truth about her
background and they'd go back to town. Hopefully with no one the wiser. She
d hate to think what it would do to her reputation if the powers that be in
the town found out she'd run off with Buck Willmington in the middle of the
day, un-escorted, to a cabin.

She heard footsteps approach the cabin, boots scrape the small porch and
then Buck's form filled the door way. He took off his hat and walked over to
the small kitchen area. He was carrying a bucket and Molly watched him pour
water into a basin, splash water on his face and use a small cake of soap to
wash his hands. He dried his hands with a towel and turned to face her for
the first time since entering the room.

"Horse is bedded down," he said. Molly didn't understand his statement. He
walked over to the small stove in the corner, gingerly touching the top of
it as if to gauge the temperature. He crouched down and opened the door and
fed a few logs to the fire that had started to die down.

"Buck...what...what are you doing?" Molly asked. "We have to be heading back
soon."

The look he leveled in her direction had whatever she was about to say next
die on her lips. If she'd been asked in that instant to state her name she
wouldn't have been able to articulate the correct response. She'd been on
the receiving end of various looks from him from teasing that sparked light
in his dark eyes to a gaze that was just this side of lust. If she were
going to lie to herself she'd claim inexperience as to understanding what
this look meant. But the feminine part of her that was as old as time
understood it clearly. She was not leaving this cabin until he'd had her.

She should be indignant, she should play every inch the put out, proper lady
But she'd decided she was done lying to this man and to herself. She wasn't
a lady, put out, proper or other wise and God help her she wanted him. She
wanted him to teach her the secrets of a man and woman together, wanted him
to be the first she'd take into her body in that way. Whatever the
consequences would be she'd face them and she'd do it with her head held
high. She felt for this man and he for her. That would have to be enough to
pay the fiddler when this...dance was over.

"I was never a governess," she found herself saying. She watched him slowly
stand up. "I've...I've worked in service since I was about 9 years old but
never as a governess. My last position was as a lady's maid." Molly told him
the story about the night Darren attacked Iris and then turned on her when
she tried to stop it. How it resulted in the loss of her position with no
reference and how Dora worked it out so Molly could come to Four Corners and
take the teaching position. Buck didn't utter a sound the entire time Molly
spoke. "The only other person here who knows is Lily but not the whole story
She figured out I was a maid but I haven't told her the rest. I wanted you
to know who I really was before..." Molly felt heat flood her face.

"Molly O'Rouke you are every bit a lady," Buck replied, walking up to her.
I don't care where you're from or what you did to survive. That's not my
place to judge. But, I'm glad you told me the truth," he said, taking her
hands in his.

"You might not be so generous when I ask that you keep this to yourself.
Buck, if I lose my position I'd have no where to go. I can't go back to
Baltimore..." Buck cut her off by pulling her to him and wrapping his arms
around her. Being held like this by him never failed to make her feel safe.

"You're not going anywhere," he said to her, his voice thick with promise.

"Except back to Four Corners," Molly said. She felt his body tense and she
pulled back to look up at him. "Buck, we can't stay here much longer. I'm
sure people are going to start to wonder where we are - I left Mr. Sanchez
in charge of the school. The children are bound to tell their parents I wasn
t at the school not to mention anyone might have seen us leave town together
.." Molly was so intent on her argument she didn't notice his head dip down
before his mouth captured hers. Being kissed by Buck wasn't a new experience
for Molly. What was new this time was the way he lingered. They were in
private with no one to discover them. 'Was this how it would begin then?'
she wondered. She felt his fingers trace the row of buttons on the back of
her dress and a shiver flowed through her. Buck pulled back and leveled a
soft look at her.

"Everything's gonna be alright, I promise," he said to her, trailing the
back of his hand down her face. Molly steadied herself with a deep breath
and stepped back and walked toward the door.

"It's so quiet here," Molly said. She heard Buck walk up behind her.

"Do you miss it?" he asked. She knew he meant Baltimore.

"Some things. I miss my family and the household. I miss the smell of the
ocean and the shortbread from Berger's." She turned to face him. "Baltimore
will always mean a great deal to me. But it wasn't Baltimore that I thought
of when we were taken, when Henderson was holding me. It was Four Corners
and the life I have here. And it was you." Molly placed her hand on his
face, her thumb stroking the edge of his mustache. "My mother told me once
to never fight fate, that it will always find a way."

"Seems like good advice," he replied.

"I do trust you, Buck. I've trusted you from the moment you lifted me out of
that stagecoach and carried me across the mud."

"I'm tired of fighting fate." Molly turned back around and reached behind
her to the buttons at the neck of her dress. She got the first two undone
and looked over her shoulder at Buck. "At some point you'll have to help me,
she said. She felt his hands go to the middle of her back and the fabric of
her dress start to loosen as the buttons came open. Finally the last one was
open.

"Molly..." she turned around pulling her arms from the sleeves as she did so


"I've never been more sure of anything in my life," she answered his unasked
question as she let her dress fall to the floor.

Molly snuggled closer to the warmth that was at her back. When the scent of
sweet grass and something earthier just underneath caught her nose she
slowly opened her eyes. She was with Buck. In a bed. Naked. In Mr. Larabee's
cabin. And she was no longer a virgin.

"Well, there was that then," was the thought that drifted into her head. She
d expected to feel a sense of panic at the knowledge that what they'd done
could not be undone. Panic at what it could cost her future. Panic at any..
consequence that might result. Instead she felt content. Content and safe.
She felt him shift next to her and she turned on her back. He was awake.

"How long were we asleep?" she asked. They'd spent the better part of the
rest of the morning and early afternoon in bed. Exploring and learning each
other - Lily had been right about Buck being a good teacher. Molly felt heat
fill her face and other parts of her body as she recalled things they'd done
together. It had been borderline hedonistic and decadent and Molly didn't
regret a single second of it.

"I'm not sure," he answered, brushing hair back from her forehead with his
hand. "Are you hungry?" he asked. At his question, Molly suddenly felt
famished. She hadn't eaten since the early morning and her emotions had been
so tied up she'd not eaten much at that.

"Yes," she replied. He gave her a soft kiss.

"Let me see what I can scare up then," he said, moving to climb out of the
bed. Molly made a move to follow him as he pulled his long johns on and then
his pants. "You just stay right where you are," he said, teasing in his
voice.

"Buck? Buck, Molly? You here?" JD's voice called from outside. The startled
look on Buck's face had Molly giggling. Of course JD would interrupt this
moment - he seemed destined to interrupt them at the most inopportune times.

"I suppose it's better now than...before," Molly said.

"Buck?"

"Yeah just hold your horses kid I'll be right there," Buck called out before
walking outside.


Buck really hoped someone was dead or the town was on fire because if JD
were here for any other reason Buck might be forced to horribly murder him.

"Hey Buck," JD said. "Molly inside?" he asked.

"Yeah," Buck replied, taking a step in front of him to prevent him from
going inside. It was then that JD seemed to realize that Buck was only half
dressed.

"Okay well...um..."
"JD just out with it," Buck said.

"There's trouble with Parker. Chris's making it look like he's got Cheyanne
under house arrest. Seems Parker wired Judge Travis, wants to see Cheyanne
go to jail for helping Hawk escape. Chris figured out Molly helped. Thinks
it's a good idea if you lay low here for a bit."

"I'd like to see myself," Molly's voice came from the porch. Buck looked
over at where she stood. She'd put her dress on but judging from how loose
it fit, she'd been unable to get all the buttons done herself. Her toes
peaked out from the bottom of her skirt. Her hair was unbound sending Buck's
mind back to earlier that day when he'd slowly pulled the hair pins holding
her hair up. He'd never seen her with her hair completely unbound until that
moment. "I'll not stay here hidden while Cheyanne answers for something we
both did."

"Parker wants someone to pay," JD said. "And he don't much care who it is.
Cheyanne would want you to stay here where Buck and I can keep you safe."

"Absolutely not," Molly argued. Buck walked up to her. She was his now,
completely and absolutely and he wasn't about to let her put herself in
danger.

"Vin make it back?" Buck asked as he stood in front of Molly.

"Yeah but he left again, just wanted to make sure Cheyanne was okay.
Probably not far away but he's out of sight," JD replied.

"If we go back, if we take you into town, Vin might see it as his duty to
come back to town," Buck let the statement hang in the air. He knew that Vin
had shared with Molly when they'd gone to Bitter Creek there was a bounty on
his head for murder. He let the implication of what he was saying hang in
the air.

"I can't just leave her to face this alone," Molly said.

"You're not," Buck said, "The others are with her. When Judge Travis comes
we'll go back and it'll get straightened out." Molly let out a sigh and Buck
tried not to hear defeat in it.

"Will you please...?" she turned around and Buck quickly buttoned up the
buttons on her dress she hadn't been able to reach. "I'll pull supper
together," she said, walking back inside the cabin. Buck wanted to follow
her, take her into his arms and distract her in bed for the rest of the
night. Blowing out a breath he turned to JD.

"Let's get the horses bedded down."