Can't Hear You Over the Wedding Bells....by Terri

Rosamond woke up the next morning hardly believing the events of the night before.
I went to New Orleans to get away for a weekend and I come back someone's bride, she thought.
Billy Bob lay next to her, his arms wrapped around her. Mrs. William Robert Montgomery--what a mouthful!
How did I get here? Two months ago I was living a semi-carefree life in Chappaqua with two men and two women. It all went wrong when John brought Daniel into our lives. Her eyes started to mist. She wiped the tears away. Oh, this is great! This was my wedding night and I am already crying over....John.
Billy Bob stirred, then started to wake up. "Good morning, Mrs. Montgomery!" he said sleepily. "Fantastic wedding, fantastic wedding night! Where do you want to go for breakfast?"
Rosamond rolled over and looked into his deep blue eyes. "Why don't we order room service? We have to catch a plane back home."
Billy Bob said, "Great! You order anything you want while I jump into the shower."
Billy Bob left the room.
Rosamond hastily dialed Eleanor from her cell phone.
"Hello?"
"Eleanor, it's me. I only have a minute. What's been going on?"
"Oh, we're making progress on the Bidwell murder case. Bethia is getting info from Vinnie Paponetti."
"How's my room?"
"Pretty well trashed. William kicked Daniel over to the Castle. He's breathing fire and damnation about you."
"Has-has John called or come home yet?"
"No, why?"
" I just wondered."
"So what's this about Pierre DuPre?"
"You wouldn't believe it, El! He's still alive. Ancient as all get-out and he started harrassing me, calling me a sorceress, an enchantress, voodoo. He told Billy Bob he would disinherit him if he stayed with me."
"So what happened?"
"Billy Bob is now disinherited."
There was a hesitation.
"You sound like you want to tell me something, Rose."
"Hmmm? No, nothing. I'll be home around 3:00 PM. My car is at LaGuardia."
"OK, see you then."
Click!
She hung up just as Billy Bob came out of the shower.
"Sugah, when are you going to get your things and move in with me?"
"I've been meaning to talk to you about that. I don't want anyone to know quite yet."
"WHAT?"
"Well, with the studio, I have to help them with their press release, they may not want it revealed just yet, what with my big scenes coming up. I think they want the public to think that me and my co-star are an item. It's all publicity. It will just be for a little while. Please understand! And I don't think you want your grandpere to find out the news just yet. Plus your following at the Dew Drop Inn. I think your crowd needs to get used to seeing me with you and think of us as a couple. I know it sounds stupid."
She looked thoughtful. "Billy Bob, do you think we rushed into this in the heat of...whatever heat this may be?"
He kissed her on the nose. "Isn't that why most of us get married anyways? Besides, we have a baby on the way! You never did tell me when the baby is due, Rose"
"It's due in...May. But it could be early, you know."

Rosamond had ordered breakfast for Billy Bob and only a light breakfast for her.
By the time they finished they were packing to leave for their flight and heading for the airport.
On the plane, Rosamond sat quietly wondering what she was going to do.What oh what have I done? Did I marry Billy Bob because I love him? Because I needed protection from Daniel? Did he marry me to spite his Grandpere? Did he rush it because of the baby?
When the plane dropped its landing gear on the runway, Rosamond's heart thumped.
Rosamond looked down at the wedding band Billy Bob had given her. They picked up their luggage and Billy Bob saw her safely to her car. "I don't agree with this secrecy, Rosamond. I will give you one week to straighten out everything and move into my house. You are my wife now and you belong with me." He kissed her and closed her car door. "Will I see you tonight? I'd better! After all, it's still our honeymoon!
Remember--ONE WEEK!"

John pulled into the carpark out back, opened the back door and yelled, "I'm home!"
Bethia and Eleanor came out of the kitchen. "Hey, how was Lake George?'
"Beautiful! I would LOVE to show it to Rosamond!"
Bethia and Eleanor exchanged looks.
John grabbed a beer out of the refridgerator. "Where's Rosamond?"
The two just shrugged their shoulders. "Out?"
John picked up the newspaper and read the headlines. "Prominent OB possible suspect in wife's murder. Dr. Roger Bidwell..."
He looked up. "Bidwell...Bidwell..where did I see that name before? Wait a minute! The vitamin bottle in Rosamond's room. His name was Bidwell!"
John looked from one to the other. "What is going on?"





Now Hear THIS............by Coralynn

"She's pregnant, John," Eleanor tells him, "She just found out."
"Pregnant!?" John tries to assimilate the new information, then smiles, "Well, looks like I'm going to be a Papa!"
"Hopefully," Eleanor isn't too comfortable with John assuming the baby is his.
"You mean it could be......" John starts, then jams one fist into the other hand, "Not....."
"We won't know until a DNA test is done. I looked it up on the internet, and one can be done on a fetus, though it's risky, but in cases like this, it may be crucial to know."
"Where is she?" John is genuinely concerned.
"I'm not sure. She's been out a lot the past couple days. I have a lunch date in the City with Jerry, so if she returns in the next couple hours I won't be here, but you may want to be."
"I most definitely want to be!" John says with conviction, "Poor Rose! She's been carrying this emotional burden by herself for too long."
"You're a good lad," Eleanor tells him with admiration in her voice, then feels she has to tell him the latest,
"William banished Daniel from the house because last night Daniel trashed Rose's bedroom looking for pregnancy information. I believe he's living with Henry over at the Castle, that is if Henry and Luke will take the bastard in!"

John looks at her, startled, "Daniel is that out of control?"
"Must be, to have done what he did. Now I have to get over to Jerry's place, but I won't be gone too long. Hang in there!" she gives him a gentle pat.
He smiles, "Thanks, El, I know you're on my side!"

Eleanor goes inside just as the phone begins to ring.
"Eleanor here!" she announces into the receiver.
"El! This is Jerry!" she hears, "Could you also bring Bethia with you? Roger is meeting us at the restaurant and wants her there. Seems he's found out something!"
"I'm sure she's free to come. Let me ask her and we'll be over soon."
Eleanor goes to the area Bethia has set up as her sewing station; waits for the machine to stop whirring, and, getting Bethia's attention, asks, "Can you go with me into the City? Seems Roger has found out something important and is meeting us for lunch and asked that you be there, too."
Bethia turns off the sewing machine and grabs her purse, "I'm THERE!" she announces.

Within the hour, the four are sitting in a quiet area of a mid-town restaurant.
"What did you find out?" Jerry asks Roger.
"Well, last night I drove past the building in which Ruth has, or had, her apartment. Noticed lights on and wondered if she'd put her fixtures on timers, but since that was something she never did when we lived together, I thought I'd be wise to check out the situation a bit closer, so.....I went up to her floor and listened outside the door of her place. Heard loud voices, male voices. Didn't stick around. That's all I needed to know."
"Who do you think is living there?" Bethia inquires.
"My first guess would be the Mob," Eleanor says quickly, "They no doubt took her keys when they robbed and shot her."
"My thoughts exactly!" Roger agreed, then turned to Bethia and asked, "Do you have Vinnie on the case yet?"
"Met with him this morning. He's on it. Said he'd tell me the minute his informant gave him any useful info."
Jerry leans forward toward Roger, "If the Police were brought in on this, they'd raid Ruth's apartment, which would only serve to scatter the Mob and alert them that someone knows more than they hope anyone knows. Then they'd cover their tracks and it would be harder to bust them. Do you agree?" he asks them all.

The other three nod.
"Here's the plan," Roger says softly, "We meet tonight at my place, drive over to Ruth's apartment building to make sure those guys are still in her place, then send one of us in wearing a wire. We need proof. But right now, let's mull this over and perhaps one of us will come up with an even better plan. We meet at 8 at my address," which he passes out to each one.
"This works out well with my schedule," Eleanor tells him, "As I'm taping the sports news earlier, then I come straight from the taping, meet the rest of you at Roger's place. Jerry can drive Bethia in with him, and we can take it from there."
Bethia shudders and hugs herself, "This is getting scary!" she admits.
Roger puts his arm around her back.
"Well do fine, though, Beth, just fine!" he assures her.
Eleanor isn't admitting to the fear she also feels, but puts in a little silent prayer, "Please God!"

When Jerry and Eleanor and Bethia return to the big house they see an unfamiliar car in the driveway.
"It could be Vinnie!" Bethia tells them, "Wonder what he's found out. Let's go in and see!"
Vinnie is sitting near his car on a patio chair and rises when he sees them approach.
"Think I got what ya wanna hear!" he says happily.
They all go inside.
They sit around the kitchen table. William isn't there, which is a relief to them all. John is in his room. Good. This is as 'private' as you can get in that household.

"You work fast!" Bethia compliments Vinnie, "What did you find out?"
"OK, here's da skinny on it: Big Brucie was the wise guy who used Ruth as a Courier. I think he's some kind of second cousin. She was delivering to Hapless Harry across town, who was de fence. They noticed she had to be skimming the diamonds, so they hired a trigger man named Violent Vic ta bump 'er off. The diamonds are in Hapless Harry's possession, though Duke wasn't sure just where Harry is because he hasn't been seen in de neighborhood in a couple days. Must be holed up someplace else."

"Perfect!" Jerry almost jumps out of his chair, "Vinnie, you just gave us exactly the information we needed. How can we repay you?"
"Ahhhh, wasn't nuthin'," Vinnie says modestly, "Duke owed me one, so I'm glad dis helped youse guys! Well, gotta go ta work! See ya around!"
Vinnie leaves and soon they hear his car driving away.
Jerry makes a steeple with his hands, then turns them inside out,
"It has to be Brucie, Harry and Vic in Ruth's apartment. Rog said he heard male voices, so there are more in there than just one guy. We have to get someone IN there, though."
"I'LL go!" Bethia states firmly, "I can pretend to be ohhhhhhh let's see, what, a delivery person, a visitor to Ruth who isn't aware yet the woman is dead......let's see, what else?"
"If you were a visitor it would be too easy for them to turn you away at the door, though," Eleanor concludes.
"Yeah, that won't do. So what can I pretend to be?"
"Let's think on it a little longer. Right now I hear John coming down the stairs, so, till later, ladies, I must bid you a fond adieu."
"Bye Jerry, thanks a million!" Bethia calls out as he leaves.


HEY, LITTLE MAMA, I'M HOME!........by Terri

Rosamond drove home from the airport but she hardly remembered the drive at all.
Move out of Winding Willow? Guess so, I'm someone's wife now.
She had a knot in her stomach when she pulled into the carpark and saw John's 'Vette there.
She left her luggage in the storage space, no sense drawing attention to the fact that she was gone all weekend. She ripped the baggage tags off her luggage and stuffed them in her console. She took off her wedding band and put it in her pocket.
As she walked in the door, John was sitting at the kitchen table finishing off some leftover pizza. He looked up and smiled tentatively at her.
She smiled hesitantly and said, "How was Lake George?"
"Oh, just wonderful. I'll have to take you up there someday. It's peaceful and quiet.
Not at all like the nuthouse we live in! I really missed you, honey."
He got up and put his arms around her. She backed away slightly.
"Hey, why the big pull-back?"
"I'm just tired. I have to go upstairs and see the mess that was left behind."
"You haven't seen it yet? Eleanor said Daniel trashed your room on Saturday night, it's now Sunday afternoon and you haven't seen it yet?"
Rosamond thought quickly. "Monique at work had some of the girls over last night. Kind of a 'grown up slumber party' and they wanted me to come. Well, the girls made some Margaritas and I guess all of us had too much to drink so I had to stay overnight. We just finished cleaning up her apartment. You know, all the makeup and stuff we dragged out. The 13th century never had slumber parties and I wanted to go."
John looked worried. "Should you be drinking?"
"Why not?" Rosamond was lying about the drinking and had no idea that John knew she was pregnant.
He looked at her. "Rosamond, I know all about it."
Rosamond fingered the ring in her pocket. "You..you couldn't possibly! I didnt' tell anyone! It wasn't planned...it just sort of happened.."
John took her in his arms. "I know, honey, I know."
She leaned her head against his chest and sobbed. "I guess it was the moonlight.."
She was talking in gasps"....Daniel...protection....take care of me..."
John smoothed her hair, "Yes, ....I know....moonlight does strange things to people...
Daniel should have used protection...yes, I'll take care of you..."
What Rosamond was trying to say was that it was the moonlight that made her take the plunge. That she got married to protect the baby from Daniel and that Billy Bob would take care of her.
Rosamond stopped crying and looked up at him.
"What are you talking about?"
"The baby, of course. What are YOU talking about?"
"WHO TOLD YOU ABOUT THE BABY?"
John said, "I found the bottle of vitamins in your room with Dr. Bidwell's name on it. I just thought you were run down. Until I read the article on Dr. Bidwell's wife's murder. It said he was an OB. Eleanor told me then that you were pregnant when I demanded to know what was going on."
"Eleanor told you? ELEANOR told you? How could she do that to me?"
John said, "Whoa, back off, babe! It's not Eleanor's fault. I just about had it figured out. She just confirmed what I must have known in the back of my mind all this time. This certainly explains alot. The sickness, the tiredness, the stress... "

John continued, "What I need to know is this, Rosamond--whose baby is it, mine or Daniel's?"
Rosamond sat down. "I honestly don't know." She started to cry again. "It is probably yours or Daniel's."
"That's what I thought..wait a minute! What do you mean--'probably'?":
"There's an outside chance it is Henry's."
"Henry TUDOR? THAT TUB?"
Rosamond snapped, "Don't gross me out, John! I'm talking Henry Plantagenet."
"WHAT? A guy that has been dead for 800 years? Rosamond, this is not a Sci-Fi movie!"
Rosamond stood up. "You think I would make up something as far out as that?"
John put both hands on her shoulders and sat her down again. "Take it easy, honey. Eleanor said they can do a DNA test on the baby. It would be risky but we may have no other choice..."
Rosamond jumped up. "Oh, no you don't! No one is sticking a needle as big as a javelin spear in ME! So just get that idea out of your head!"
John sighed. "OK, OK, take it easy. Let's put this all on hold. Maybe we should go upstairs and survey the damage that Daniel did." He helped her up to her feet.
They walked up the stairs. Rosamond cautiously opened the door to her room and gasped. "There should be yellow crime scene tape all around here! What the heck was he thinking?"
John stared. "Well, he was thorough, that's for sure."
All around there were upturned dresser drawers. The mattress was halfway off the bed and flipped over. All picture frames and glass were smashed. Her clothes were strewn all over the floor. Some of them were shredded. She went into the bathroom and saw the mirror smashed. She started shaking.
John came over to her. "Honey, it's only glass. Together we can clean up the mess."
Rose whispered, "It--it's just like that time with Henry...smashed glass, furniture upturned...see the beer bottles? Daniel must have stayed here and had a few...what was he looking for?"
"I don't think he was looking for anything in particular. He was just throwing a temper tantrum. Let's go downstairs and talk. Calmly and decide what we are going to do."
They went downstairs and sat on the couch. "When did you first think you were pregnant?"
"I didn't. Eleanor had to tell me. I had never been this sick before. I started getting sick in Austin..."
"Austin? So you DID go to Austin. With him?"
Rosamond looked stricken. "I had to get away..those tabloids. I didn't plan it..I just ended up there."
John sighed. "OK, that's in the past. That cowboy is over and done with. Let's move on from there. IF this baby is Daniel's, I am willing to accept him or her and raise the baby as my own. Of course, I would prefer the little one was mine. Let's leave Henry out of the picture for now."
Rosamond said, "I doubt very much it is Henry's"
"OK, that simplifies things. Whose baby do you think it is?"
Rosamond said, "I honestly don't know, John. Could be either one of you."

They heard a commotion in the kitchen. Daniel was rummaging around in the refrigerator. He came out of it loaded down with cold cuts, cheese, mustard, mayonnaise, all the fixings for a sandwich. He dumped them on the counter and took out three slices of bread.
John came out to the kitchen. Rosamond was following John, hiding behind him.
"Just what the hell do you think you are doing? I thought you were banned from the house!"
Daniel continued to build his sandwich, and he popped open a beer. "Hey, William kicked me out of my sleeping quarters but I gotta eat! So, what's new with you, John?"
"New with me? NEW WITH ME? Why don't you tell me what's new with YOU? Since when are you in the demolition business?"
Daniel calmly spread mustard on his bread. "Hey, the little bitch had it coming to her.
Running off for the weekend with that cowboy when she's carrying my progeny. Never did find out where she went to. But boy, is she going to pay for this one!"
Rosamond could stand it no more. "YOU LYING SNAKE! You totally trashed my room! How could you! And you have no proof that this baby is yours! You sneak!"
Daniel looked at her calmly. "Oh, yes, missy, that's my baby! John, why don't you explain how you and Elizabeth never had any kids but you told me she had a passel after she went off and married a shoemaker after she got dumped by Rev. Jackson?"
John grabbed Daniel's beer and threw it against the wall. Daniel got a surprised look on his face. "Nice shot, Johnny boy! But you missed the trashcan. No points for you!"
John yanked Daniel off the chair and threw him against the wall. Daniel aimed a kick at John's midsection but John grabbed his leg and yanked him on the floor. John jumped up to land on Daniel but Daniel rolled out of the way. Once again, the Gwinnett boys were punching and rolling, swinging and ducking. They were pretty evenly matched. Rosamond picked up Daniel's sandwich, took the cheese out and ate it while they were duking it out.
"You total slimebucket! You drugged me and then took advantage of my girl...."
"She wasn't your girl! She knew it wasn't you no matter what that trollop says...."
Lamps were being knocked over, dishes were being bumped into and falling on the floor, shattering.
"Give it a rest, John, it was no big deal, she was a King's mistress for crying out loud..."
"She wasn't anymore, you lying weasel...."
"Well, hells bells, ask her about that cowboy...."
The fight escalated through the sliding glass door. Rosamond could hear them yelling at each other out in the yard.
Her cellphone rang.
"Hello?"
"Hey, my darliing wife! Just checking to make sure you got home OK."
"Yes, things are about the same around here. Makes me wish I was still in New Orleans."
"Are you coming in tonight?"
Rosamond sighed. "I have a mess to clean up here. Some sort of cosmetic exploded and there is glass all over my room. Looks like I will spend half the night vacuuming up glass."
There was dead silence on the other end.
"Look, we're married now. I have a right to see my wife. Good grief, Rose, we haven't even been married 24 hours and I have to make an appointment to see my wife? I don't think so, honey! I am giving you a week to straighten out..whatever it is you need to straighten out....and then I expect a wife to BE a wife! Hey....what's all that yelling and commotion?"
Rosamond closed the sliding glass door. "Just the TV on a little loudly."
"I WILL see you tonight. Just so we are clear on that. I'll meet you down at the Dew Drop about 7:30. I have to feed the horses and clean out their stalls. See you then, I love you. Bye!"
"But, Billy Bob....."
Click!

William came home to a sight that broke his big fat heart.
John and Daniel were continuing to slug it out. But this time they had moved it to William's beloved vegetable garden.
Cabbbage leaves were broken. Carrots were uprooted. John and Daniel were both covered in tomato sauce. Uncooked.
William started to hyperventilate. Rosamond walked calmly out and gave him a paper bag to breathe into. William sat down on a rock and put the bag over his nose and mouth. Rosamond said calmly, "Breathe in..breathe out..in....out!"
Then she crossed her arms and said, "Ah, it breaks your heart, doesn't it? Heard it WAS coming along nicely, too, William. Quelle domage!"
She turned to walk in the house. William took the bag away from his face long enough to yell at her retreating back, "I DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED AGAIN BUT GUARANTEED YOU ARE THE ONE TO BLAME!" Rosamond kept walking.
John and Daniel both looked up from their slugfest. John had Daniel by the hair and held him at arm's lenghth. Daniel continued to swing away.
"Oh, Hi, William...you're back."
Daniel was swearing and swinging. "Come on, Johnny, your arm has to get tired sometime!"
John continued to hold him and said to William, "When Daniel would throw a temper tantrum, Mum would just let him go at it until he wore himself out." To Daniel he said, "Had enough?"
Daniel huffed, "Not nearly enough, I'll knock your rotten head off, sucker!"
John said to William, still holding on, "My, my, wherever did he learn such language?"
Daniel swore, "When I get done with you, I'll teach that little whore a lesson..."
John by this time had had enough. He swung his leg out and knocked Daniel in the back of the knees, kicking his feet out from under him. Daniel went face down in the snap bean stalks. John got on his back and twisted his arms around him.
Daniel struggled.
"Apologize now, like a gentleman, Daniel. Come on, it's easy! Repeat after me, 'I'm sorry I called Rosamond filthy names, I promise I won't do that again..' "
"GO TO HELL, JOHN!"
John said calmly, "Ah, Danny boy, you ought not to say things like this."
He pushed Daniel's face down in the dirt and then got off his back.
William sat there with his hand over his heart. "Can't breathe..can't breathe..."
John said, "Sure you can. Just slow down." He looked closely at William's face. "I do think you ought to lay off the carbs and get to a gym, William. You are a heart attack waiting to happen."
John walked back in the house. Daniel got up and wiped the dirt from his face with his sleeve.
William continued to sit there catatonically until Eleanor and Bethia pulled up in the driveway.
Bethia turns to Eleanor, "Well, you KNEW it was bound to happen!"
"Yes, but NOW what are we going to use for fresh salads?"


THE CAPER.........by Coralynn

The group assembles at Roger's place and has a strategy session for over an hour.
Marilyn is there as well, as she thought she offered to play a part, and they gladly accepted any help they could get.
"Do we all have our assignments clearly in mind?" Roger asks them all.
They nod.
Since Roger has a very large car, the five pile in it and soon they're approaching the building where Ruth had her apartment.
They are silent, which may be from nerves, or just the nature of their mission.

Roger silently parks the car and signals Bethia to start.
He then phones the Police on his cellphone, gives them the address, and tells them to stand by.
They watch as Bethia goes into the building.
Eleanor exits the car and climbs the fire escape, finally resting right outside an open window, something they'd hoped for but didn't think they'd get.
When she reaches her spot, she peers inside ever so carefully.
She hears:
"OK, Vic, ya got da gun, but ya shoud gettit oughta here, how many times do I have to tell ya dat?"
"I don't see why, Harry!"
"Ya don't, cuz yor stoooopid!" Vic smacks Harry's shoulder.
"Nobody's ever gunna suspec us!" Vic brags, "When I doooo a job, I doooo it right!"
Eleanor is also wearing a wire, and turns up the volume to make sure she's getting this on tape.
A knock is heard at the door.
Big Brucie comes out of the bathroom just then and opens the door.
Eleanor can see Bethia standing there holding an empty pizza box, and hears her say,
"Pizza delivery!"
She quickly marches over to their table and plops the box on it.
Good! Eleanor thinks, At least it got her inside!
Another knock is heard at the door.
Eleanor thinks, oh-oh, we didn't count on this!
She can just make out a fellow in a Dominos pizza delivery uniform.
"Dominos!" the fellow says as cheerfully as he can, considering he's in the room with some pretty rough looking characters.
Brucie pushes a 50 onto the fellow, and saying "thank you so much!" he leaves.
He then goes to the table and flips open the pizza box Bethia had brought in and sees it's empty.
"So who's the Dame?!" Harry growls at Bethia.
"A stooooolie," Vic concludes, and grabs Bethia around the neck, holding a gun against her head.
"Is that the same gun you used to kill Ruth Bidwell?" she croaks out of her constricted throat.
"Yeaaaah, what of it? You want you should take a bullet like she did?"
Eleanor presses a button she has sewn on the inside of her costume, which sends a buzzing to Marilyn's handheld square.

There comes another knock at the door.
This time Brucie flings the door open impatiently, then reels backward, crossing himself like he was in church, his eyes all but falling out of his head.
There stands Marilyn in a filmy white form-fitting dress, who says, breathily, "Singing Telegram for Big Brucie!" The other men, as superstitious as Brucie, cross themselves as well.
"Hap-py birrrrrth-daaaay to -- you!" she begins to sing. "Hap - py birrrrth-day.....to.....you......"
This is Eleanor's signal.
Still wearing her Wonder Woman costume from the TV sportscasting, she leaps through the window and twirls the golden lasso in the air, which circle Vic and Harry, pulling them together like a vice.
Big Brucie is so startled he just stands there.
The Police then break down the door and collect the evidence. (The door was unlocked, but the Police wanted to make a dramatic entrance.)

"GOOD WORK!" the older of the 4 Officers says to Bethia and Marilyn and Eleanor.
As fate would have it, reporters then enter the room and take photos of everything and everyone.
"Here we go again!!" Bethia groans.


THREE MEN & A BABY....by Terri

Daniel walked over to Henry's castle and went inside. Henry exclaimed, "What happened to you? You look like you fell in the LaBrea Tarpits!"
Daniel wiped his face on his sleeve. "Brother dear and I had a difference of opinion."
Henry was all ears. "Really? What this time?"
Daniel grimaced in the mirror and checked his face for new bruises. His wrists where John had wrenched them back were showing bruise marks.
"Oh, just trying to take credit for impregnating the resident strumpet."
"WHAT? Rosamond is with child? NO! She's pulling that trick again?"
Daniel grinned, "No trick! She' going to have a baby-MY BABY, not John's. She already saw a doctor."
"Well, I'll be! Are congratulations in order? Are you going to marry her?"
Daniel shrugged. "I haven't even thought of that. If it will keep her away from that cowboy and put the screws to my brother, yeah, I might."
Henry said, "What makes you so sure she will have you?"
Daniel shrugged, "For once in my life, I'm NOT sure."

John stormed back in the house breathing fire about Daniel. Rosamond was putting the sandwich fixings back in the refridgerator.
John walked without a word to the freezer and took out some ice. He filled an icepack and put it to his jaw. Rosamond walked over and without a word, took the ice pack from him and looked at his jaw.
"It's not too bad. Keep the ice on to keep the bruising away."
John took her wrist and looked her in the eyes. "I'm so sorry, Rose. Sorry you had to shoulder this by yourself and didn't come to me with it right away."
She couldn't hold his gaze and dropped her eyes. "Don't beat yourself up over it, John." She gave him back the icepack and went upstairs.
John smiled, and thought,"She 'fessed up about being with child." Then he sobered, "But she refuses to have a DNA test while she is pregnant. I offered to be the father regardless of if it's mine, Daniel's or Henry's. I haven't asked her to marry me yet. She's had enough to deal with. And I am trying to get used to the idea of being a daddy."
William staggered in the house, clutching the remnants of his carrots and cabbage.
"I hope you are satisfied! If we get one bowl of cole slaw out of this, we will have spent 200.00 on it, because that is what my seeds, fertilizer, and bug spray ended up costing me!"
John said, "I'm sorry, William. Daniel just pushes my buttons! Especially since Rosamond..."
"Especially since Rosamond what?"
"Er, especially since Rosamond had her room trashed. I need to help her clean it up."
"Well, looks like you are going to do that alone. I just saw her pull out and head south on Hwy 141."

Billy Bob walked into the Dew Drop Inn. Bobby Joe waved to him and Billy Bob came over. "Well, did you see the old man down in Louisiana?"
Billy Bob said, "Boy, did I ever! He's still cranky and cantankerous as can be."
"Bet you really missed Tequila Sunrise while you were down there."
Billy Bob broke out in a grin. "She came with me. Aw, hell, Bobby Joe, I just have to tell someone or I'll burst!"
He motioned Bobby Joe closer. "Rosamond is going to have a baby and she is now Mrs. Montgomery!
Bobby Joe rocked back on his feet. "YOU"RE KIDDING!" He started laughing. "REALLY? Congratulations! When? Where? How?"
"Simmer down and I'll tell you! Grandpere gave me such a hard time about Rosamond. Remember that brothel story concerning him?"
Bobby Joe started laughing. "Boy, do I ever! That's a legend down there!"
"Well, Grandpere insisted that 'Tequila Sunrise' as you so affectionately call her, was THE Rose that he tangled with. He's really lost it this time! Called her alot of old Creole names, some I'd never even heard of, but believe me, I got the gyst of it! We had words and he threatened to disinherit me. Again. Driving back, Rose blurted out that she was pregnant. She started crying and one thing led to another and I got in contact with Francois LaGrange, he helped me out rushing the paper work and an hour later she's standing with me at sunset on the banks of the Mississippi River exchanging vows with me. But there is only one glitch. She wants to keep it secret and I am giving her a week to get her act together."
Bobby Joe whistled, "Well, you totally blew me away!"
Billy Joe said, "Not a word to Verla or anyone! Especially not to Daniel. I am about two shakes away from firing him but he's the best fiddler around. I'll just have to keep my eye on him."
Bobby Joe clapped Billy Bob on the back. "Guess you took my advice and went out to stud! If it's a boy, what are you going to name him?"
Billy Bob just smiled. "Austin."
Rosamond pulled into the parking lot of the Dew Drop Inn. She saw Billy Bob's pickup in the lot. She parked next to him and walked in.
Billy Bob caught sight of her and came over, put his arm around her possessively and they sat down at the bar.
Bobby Joe smiled, "Hey, Tequila Sunrise! What will it be?"
Rosamond sighed. She really needed a drink after that wild scene with John and Daniel.
"A Bloody Mary, please, Bobby Joe."
Billy Bob spoke up. "Spring water with lemon or a glass of milk, Bobby Joe."
He looked at Rosamond and said, "I can't believe you'd even consider alcohol."
Rosamond looked over at Billy Bob. "What are you doing, deciding for me what I drink now?"
Billy Bob said, "As long as you are carrying that baby, you'll start taking care of yourself."
"I'm sorry, Billy Bob. I wasn't thinking."
"Well, you'd better start thinking, little girl."
Rosamond was taken back. Was this the same man? Or had the pod people come and taken the REAL Billy Bob away?
"So did you clean up the glass in your room?"
"Hmmm? No, I guess I'll worry about it when I get home."
"What do you mean, 'when I get home'? For cryin' out loud, Rosamond, we've been married only 24 hours and already you are bailing on me? Un,un, you're coming home with me. To the ranch."
"But, you told me you'd give me a week..."
"To let everyone know we got hitched in New Orleans. Not for you to go to your bed and me to mine. No, honey, it doesn't work out that way."
"But.. but what do I tell William?"
"What does he have to do with this? He's an adult. He most certainly should understand people do occasionally spend the night together. OK, so you don't want to let it slip that we are married yet, but heck, I'm sure we aren't the first couple he's seen slip away for a night. Now get your things and let's go."
Rosamond picked up her purse. "What shall I do with my car?"
"Leave it here, we can pick it up in the morning."
"Goodnight, Bobby Joe."
Bobby Joe looked up and said goodnight. He looked at Rosamond.
He thought, well, Tequila Sunrise, for a new bride, you look pretty bummed.


CELEBRITIES......AGAIN!!.......by Coralynn

After the Caper, Eleanor, Bethia, Marilyn, Roger and Jerry spend about two hours with the Media Circus, answering questions, having TV crews and newspaper reporters and photographers cover the story from all angles.

When they finally get to leave the apartment Ruth used to live in, Roger suggests, "Come over to my place and we'll celebrate!"
Everyone agrees and they are soon entering Roger's large apartment.

They flop down on couches and chairs, exhausted.
"It's about time for the 11 O'Clock news!" Roger notices, "Let's see if our Caper is on yet."
Sure enough, the first channel they go to has it in detail.
"BREAKING NEWS: A channel 7 exclusive!" (our group laughs at that claim) "Eleanor the TV Wonder Woman, Bethia the Lottery Millionaire and Sally Reynolds, Marilyn Monroe look-alike winner crack open the Ruth Bidwell murder! Using a unique and inventive strategy, the three women obtain confessions from 3 Mafioso."
An interview with the women is then shown, after which they turn off the TV.
"We'll be all over the front page or the morning papers again!" Bethia exclaims, then laughs, "William will have a coronary!"
"Is it going to be hard to leave the house again without reporters stalking us?" Marilyn is concerned.
"We'll see. Maybe they'll be satisfied with what they already got tonight, but don't bet the farm on it!" Eleanor remarks.

"You all look exhausted!" Roger comments, "Would you like to spend the night here and drive back to Westchester County in the morning?"
"YES!" they all agree.
Roger has a surprising number of bedrooms in his place, and is able to put Eleanor and Marilyn in one; Jerry in another, and Bethia in yet another.
"I don't even care if I don't have a nightie with me, I'm going to fall asleep in my clothes!" Marilyn says happily.
They all nod.
"I could fall asleep standing up!" Eleanor comments, "Though, I have to admit that this costume is restricting. Do you just have an old bathrobe I could wear, Roger?"
He goes to his closet and brings one out, tossing it to her.
"Many thanks!" she takes it into the bedroom.
Bethia is still sitting on the couch when Roger joins her, taking her right hand and smiling proudly at her.
"You are a real trooper, Beth! Whoever would have thought?"
"I know!" she gets a twinkle in her eye, "I'M supposed to be the most mild one of the group, too! That just shows what you can do when you have a cause worth fighting for!"
"That must have been the old Beth," Jerry muses, "Because this new Beth is one courageous lady!"
"Must be from spending so much time with Eleanor. She went on the crusades, after all...."
Bethia stops cold.
What is she saying?
How could she have let that slip?
"What crusade was she on, the one for the Equal Rights Amendment?"
Bethia has never heard of that, but is relieved,
"YES!" she answers eagerly, "That one!"
Roger examines her face more closely, "Beth, I think there's more to it than that. Anything else you'd like to tell me?"
"Not really!" she's wishing she had gone to bed right away like the others.
"We can talk about it in the morning, when we're fresh! Goodnight, little tiger!" he smiles and leaves the room.
Why does he think there's more to the story? she wonders, That's what I get for being with someone so sharp. Nothing gets by him!
She drags herself off the couch and goes to bed.
But sleep eludes her.
She lies there thinking, will Roger remember and bring it up the next morning the way he said he would?
No doubt.
How much will she tell him, and will he believe her or think she's delusional?

She gets out of bed and makes her way back into the living room. Luckily a small lamp is on so she doesn't trip over the furniture.
She sees someone sitting on the couch: Jerry!
He sees her approach and motions for her to join him, "You can't sleep either, Beth?"
"No! Too much excitement, plus I'm probably over-tired so I can't nod off, plus I'm concerned about something I told Roger. YOU know him well; let me run it by you 'cause I sure need some advice!"
She tells him the conversation she had with Roger and how she slipped up.
"If somehow I can't cover for my big slip-up, and end up telling him the truth about our real time-frames, what do you think he'll say? Will he think I'm delusional?"
"Only if he thinks I am as well," Roger smiles, "Remember, I actually went on a time-travel with you."
"That's right! if he thinks you're sane, perhaps he'll think I am as well."
After a minute of silence, Beth adds: "I just met this man and I think he's terrific and I was hoping he'd get to know me as a normal person before he has to accept that I was born in 1613. I know there are little things in a person's past that they don't tell everyone, but what if Roger and I really become a couple? What happens if we get married, let's say? I know, I know, I'm getting way ahead of myself. Futurizing like crazy. If we fell in love and got married, it would be false advertising if I hid the fact that I was born well over 300 years before he was. Plus, and this is huge: I'll never age now that I'm out of my original time. I can live another few thousand years, easy, so when he's 80 yrs old I'll still look 27!"

Jerry looks pensive, then says, "Let's cross that bridge when we come to it!"
"Yeah, I guess. Now that I've talked to you maybe I can sleep. Thanks, Jerry!"
"Anytime!" he gives her a little hug and she goes back to her room.
This time she falls asleep.


WEDDING BELL BLUES.....by Terri

They pulled into the driveway of the Double B ranch.
Billy Bob got out and opened the door for Rosamond. "Well, here we are. Home!"
Home! This isn't 'home' to me.
'Home' is Bethia and Eleanor sitting around the kitchen, drinking coffee and talking.
'Home' is William sitting in the middle of a rose or vegetable bed crying his heart out because someone pillaged the garden.
'Home' is Henry and Luke sitting in the Castle jamming all night long, with Marilyn sitting in and Luke drooling over her.
'Home' is Daniel leering at me.
'Home' is Daniel and John duking it out.
'Home' is.....John. She pushed thoughts of John out of her mind.

Billy Bob put his arm around her and they walked up to the door. "I've been meaning to ask you, hon, what doctor are you going to?"
"Dr. Roger Bidwell, he's on Park Avenue in the City."
"The one whose wife was murdered? Oh, no, you're going to one of my friends, he's an OB and I trained his horse. Dr. Matthew Underwood."
Rosamond looked at him. "Are you out of your mind? You think I'm going to a friend of yours for pre-natal care? Have a friend of yours....see me? No way, no how!"
Billy Bob looked at her. "You'd rather go to a doctor who just may have murdered his wife?"
"My friend Bethia trusts him. And I trust Bethia's judgement. I like Dr. Bidwell. He's the best OB-GYN in New York City. I was fortunate to get an appointment with him."
"As far as seeing a 'friend' of mine, aren't you being a bit childish...and modest?"
"What's that supposed to mean?"
Billy Bob hugged and kissed her. "Aw, come on, we'll talk about this later. We've only been married 24 hours. It's still our honeymoon!"
"I..I still have to call William. They..I mean he...will wonder where I am."
Rosamond picked up the receiver. Billy Bob gently took it out of her hand.
"No, Rose. William is a big boy. He will figure it out."
And with that he took her hand and led her upstairs.

"What do you mean, she was heading down Hwy 141?" John said to William.
"Well, she just got in her car and left. Doesn't she usually go out at night? Some place on 141?"
John had a worried look on his face. "She used to. I thought she gave that up."
He headed towards his car. "I'm going to get her and bring her home. She shouldn't be out. She needs her rest."
John burned out of the carpark and out towards the road.
William stood there scratching his head. Since when can't a healthy 22 yr old woman go out and have a nice evening? Rest is for pregnant women and old ladies!
He shrugged his shoulders and walked over to the vegetable garden to salvage maybe
a Caesar salad out of it.


John burned rubber all the way to the Dew Drop Inn. He slammed into the parking lot, throwing sand and gravel all over Rosamond's car. Good! She's here!
He walked into the Dew Drop Inn and his eyes adjusted to the darkness. He took a careful sweep of the room, no Rosamond.
No problem, I can wait. John went up to the bar and ordered a scotch and soda.
Bobby Joe looked at him and said, "Aren't you even going to say 'hi', Daniel?"
John realized that the barkeep thought he was Daniel. Maybe I'll keep it this way, he thought. I may get more information out of him.
" Hi to you, too. Guess I'm just a little preoccupied." What the hell was his name again?
"Hey, Bobby Joe, another round for the guys over on table seven! Beer all around and one whiskey sour."
'Sure thing, Verla!"
Bobby Joe. Verla. John filed that away for future reference.
"So what's on your mind, you look like you got burned. A woman?"
"Yeah, Bobby Joe, I guess you could say that!"
"I see you are taking my advice and staying away from Rose."
Advice? Since when?
"Haven't seen her in a while but I see her car is here. Where is she, ladies' room?"
"Hell no! You just missed her and Billy Bob. They left for the evening. Don't expect to see them back until tomorrow. They gotta come up for air sometime!"
What was he talking about? Rose wouldn't stay out all night, not now, when she's been so sick.
"They left? Together?"
"Sure. Why not? They're..." Bobby Joe shut up, since he was sworn to secrecy.
"They're what?"
"Uh, ......dating?"
"Dating? DATING?"
"OK, so that's an archaic expression for it."
"So where did they go?"
"Well, doesn't it stand to reason they'd go back to his place? Look, Daniel, a piece of advice. You cannot impose, and you can't stick your nose into something that you don't understand. Especially now."
John said, "Oh, I understand. Perfectly. Now--set 'em up again and don't stop until I can't say 'when' anymore."
It was late into the night when John had ALMOST enough to drown the memory of Rosamond.
He went outside and got into his car. He saw her Miata sitting there. He wasn't thinking clearly. He got out and took a crowbar and smashed all the lights in.
Then he got in his car and drove it fast---in reverse.
Aw, what a pity! Smashed the whole back end. Ooops, forgot the windshield!
He got the crowbar again and smashed it to pieces. He rammed her car--again and again. Well, it will be worth the higher insurance rates.
Even though he had a momentary rush of vindication, there was a dull ache in his heart that would not go away.


WHAT HIT THE FAN??............by Coralynn

The house seems awfully quiet to William as he leaves his room and proceeds down the stairs.
Where is the usual hullabaloo? Where are the angry voices? The smashed crockery?
"Good," he thinks to himself, "A peaceful day. A day with no emotional crisis of any kind. I could use a day like this!"
He hears a door open upstairs and sees John making his way down, too.
John doesn't look to be in a great mood, but maybe he just didn't sleep that well.
William waves "Mornin'" at him and goes out to collect up his 5 morning newspapers.
He gathers them up, then goes around to the side yard to see how bad his gardens look.
Totally ruined.
He wonders if it's some kind of retaliation from his housemates or are the Gods angry at him? Or a combination thereof?

He goes in the house, heads for the coffee maker and draws off a cup.
"Ahhhhhhh, this is the life!" he says aloud to John as he sips his coffee and opens his newspapers.
John doesn't respond.
William wonders what the matter is, but this day is starting out so well, he'd be better off not knowing.
He smoothes the first newspaper out to his full capabcity.
Ahhhhhhh, how I love the smell of a new morning newspaper! The feel of it, even the printers ink getting on one's hands, what pleasure!
"My my," he thinks, "that's one huge headline! OH? Someone solved the Ruth Bidwell murder did they? How nice. Just a minute.....just a minute.....why do I see a photo with Eleanor, Bethia and Marilyn in it? What did they do now?! OH MY GOD, they solved the murder! He reads: 'Eleanor leapt into the room in her Wonder Woman Costume and lassooed the criminals.' Eleanor can lassoo? What did Beth do? Sally Reynolds sang "Happy Birthday" similar to the way Marilyn Monroe sang it to JFK at that famous birthday party. HUH?!

"Look at this, John!" he shoves the first paper across the table at John, and opens a second one.
Another photo of the three women. Huge headlines read:
"Millionaire, Wonder Woman and Marilyn Monroe clone Solve Bidwell murder in Daring Escapade!"
He muses aloud, "Why don't people tell me what's going on around here, why is that John? Do you know? In order to know what some of our group did the night before, I have to read the next morning's paper!"
"That's rough," John says, but without enthusiasm.
"John, why don't you get a check-up? You look listless."
John rises and fills up his cup again.
"Problems with Rose?" William decides to stick his neck out and ask.
John shrugs.
Just then they hear the sounds of cars in the driveway.
Eleanor, Bethia, Marilyn and Jerry come bursting into the kitchen via the back door.
"DID YOU SEE?" Eleanor asks William, "We're all over the newspaper this morning? Ohhhhh, look guys, here we are!"
They gather round the table where the newspapers are.
William really wants to know, so he just out and asks:
"Is there any reason why you people can't tell me what's going on and the only way I ever know your activities is by reading them in the headlines of the newspaper?"
Eleanor tweaks his cheek and pats it, "Now, now, Willie, don't be an old grump!"
She called him Willie! NObody calls him Willie and lives! He is feeling even more passed over and neglected.
John returns to the table with his coffee, "Did you by any chance run into Rose in your travels?"
Eleanor frowns, oh-oh, here's trouble.
"Not unless she joined the Mafia in the last 24 to 48 hours!" Bethia quips.
Hmmmmm, William wonders, since when does Beth have a smart mouth? Must be Eleanor's influence.


Valentine *CRASH* for you *CRASH* Babe! *CRASH*....by Terri

That morning Rosamond rolled over and grabbed for her alarm clock. Where was it? She opened her eyes. Nothing was familiar. Oh, yes, the Double B ranch. My new home.
She looked over at Billy Bob sleeping soundly. She tried to slip out of the blankets. I've got to call home and think of some reason why I am not there. As she started to get up, Billy Bob reached for her in his sleep. Guess it will have to wait, she sighed.
After they dressed and had breakfast, Billy Bob said, "Come on, we'll go get your car. And here---be sure to take your vitamins and that morning sickness pill. That baby needs all the nutrition he can get."
Rosamond was a little irritated, "I know, honey, but it's not like it's my first.."
"First what?"
"Uh, first priority of the day."
Rosamond was quiet on the drive to the Dew Drop Inn. As they pulled up, a horrific sight greeted their eyes. "What happened to my car? LOOK AT IT!"
Billy Bob took off his shades. "Whoa, someone really got ripped last night! Shouldn't have parked it here. Should have parked around back, babe. It's not the first time something like this has happened. Better call your insurance company and I'll call the tow truck."
Within 30 minutes, the tow truck took the Miata away. "Maybe you should consider a more family size car, darling."
"But I like the Miata!"
"Not practical, little mama."
"You go on, Billy Bob, I'll catch a cab back to the house. I know you have to be back for that shipment of horses from Mr. LeJeune's estate sale."
"Will you be OK?"
"I've got a cellphone. I'll call now."
They kised goodbye. "See you back at the ranch about 4:00" Billy Bob said. "Don't be late."
Don't be late? Since when am I on a time schedule?

The cab came within ten minutes. As it pulled up in the drive, she thought about what she could tell the rest of them. I know! Someone totalled my car and I got stuck in the city overnight. Stayed at good old Monique's.
As she was walking up the driveway, Daniel was going into the house.

"What are you doing here again? Haven't you caused enough problems?"
Daniel chafed his wrists where they were swollen and bruised.
Rosamond looked at his wrists and turned them over. "How did this happen?"
"Oh, John pinned me to the ground. Twisted my arms around my back. He used to do that all the time when we were kids. He learned it from Little Feather."
Rose rubbed his wrists. "Doesn't seem to be broken."
Daniel held her hands. "You do care, Rose!"
She grabbed her hands back. "Like hell I do! What are you doing here anyhow?"
"I came to pick up some more of my clothes. Everyone thinks I am stealing John's clothes but I happen to have bought my own. What are you doing in a cab this hour of the day. Where's the Miata?"
"Some creep ran into it in the City in a parking garage."
"That's funny--John's Corvette got wrecked, too. Front AND back!"
"Wow, what are the chances of that?"

Bethia and Eleanor were scrambling eggs and frying bacon and telling William of their exploits. They were both talking at once so Jerry was filling the men in on the details and making more sense.

Rosamond and Daniel came walking in together. Everyone turned around and looked at them. Glances were exchanged. Rosamond caught them. "Don't give me that look, I just saw Daniel outside. He's only here to pick up some clothes. I spent the night at Monique's house. Someone totalled my car in the City and I had to have it towed."
Finally John could take it no more.
He exploded. "YOU LITTLE LIAR! I went to the Dew Drop Inn last night! The barkeep told me you had gone off with that cowboy and then you come in here with this cock and bull story about your car being hit in the City! It was parked at the Dew Drop Inn all night long. And I know because I stayed there until 2:00 AM! You never came home! Never called! You spent the night with that cowboy. Daniel was right! You ARE a whore!"
Rosamond looked like she had been slapped.
Willliam was catatonic.
Bethia and Eleanor were watching this like a car accident in slow motion. Daniel leaped up to sit on the cabinet, fascinated at John losing it with Rosamond.
Jerry just stared.
"I loved you! I always have! I put up with alot from you. I even decided to forget about that little jaunt you took to Austin. How many little trips have there been? That garbage you gave me about staying at Monique's house. Now I am wondering how many people are lined up for a father's day card from you. How many, Rose? I count at least four. FOUR SUCKERS in the last month! "
John was totally out of control by now.
"First it was Henry, then Daniel, then me, then Billy Bob Montgomery, then me, then
Billy Bob Montgomery. What about the barkeep? Maybe even Marty Henshaw?"
John took his coffee cup and threw it against the wall.
"I agreed to be a father to the baby you are carrying. Well, I rescind the offer! It must be Daniel's. Go off with him! You both have the morals of alleycats and you are two of a kind. Unless you want that cowboy! If so, he can have you because I have had ENOUGH!
Oh, and by the way? When you check the Miata, look for black paint on the car, because it matches the red paint that is on mine! Oh, yeah, baby, I trashed your car and I enjoyed every minute of it! EVERY SINGLE DENT IN THAT CAR IS A VALENTINE FROM ME TO YOU! So go off with Daniel...or Billy Bob! Have that baby all by yourself!"
Rosamond stood up, all 5'4" of her. She took her coffee cup and threw it at John's head. She missed by inches.
"I won't have this baby by myself and I will tell you why. BECAUSE I MARRIED BILLY BOB MONTGOMERY IN NEW ORLEANS LESS THAN 36 HOURS AGO!"


The FAN is really spinning NOW!.......by Coralynn

When some people feel frustrated, they can barely speak.
This is not the case with William, nor has it ever been.
"Pregnant? Married? Billy Bob WHO?! I don't think I've ever heard of him!
You didn't bring him around to meet me, Rose! You're supposed to DO that, you know, get my input on whether or not he's appropriate husband material!"
Rose collapses in a chair and says nothing.
Daniel is on a roll: "It's MY baby! You have a hell of a nerve going off marrying that cowboy!"
"Is NOT your baby!" John disagrees, "I didn't mean it when I said it was!"
"Is SO!" "Most definitely is NOT!" "IS!" "NOT!" "I think I'll leave you guys to duke it out among yourselves," Rose says as she stands up and begins to walk toward the staircase that leads up to the bedrooms.
Daniel grabs her arm roughly, "NO you don't, you lying, cheating WHORE!"
Eleanor goes over and puts a hammerlock on Daniel, dragging him away from Rose.
As she does this, Marilyn comes in from the yard where she's been trying to collect up the damaged veggies from William's ruined garden.
She sees Eleanor struggling with Daniel, so, without any more explanation than that, she marches over to Daniel and socks him in the nose, which immediately begins to bleed.
"DAMN!" Daniel yells, "Get that crazy bitch out of here!"
William is at the end of his tether.
"I banished you from this house, and yet you insist on coming back here. I hope she broke your nose. I hope it begins to run crossways on your face. You are to leave here this instant and not return, do you understand that? If we have to get guard dogs and train them to attack when they detect your scent, we'll do it!"
Daniel stamps off out the back door, yelling over his shoulder, "You'll be SORRY, Rose, just you wait!"

"OK, are you guys satisfied?" Rosamond cries out, "First John tells me off, then William, then Daniel. Anybody else wanna yell at me?" she looks around the room.
William's ire has been spent, and he asks her in a nicer tone of voice, "What are you going to do, Rose, move to wherever it is this Montgomery man lives?"
The three women, who have remained silent throughout the tirades Rose has had to endure, would like to know as well, and lean toward her in anticipation of her answer.

"Billy Bob says I'm to be back at the ranch by 4pm sharp, don't be late, he said, those are his words, and in a totally different tone of voice than I've ever heard him use before. Now he sounds almost mean!"
"You are married to him after all," Bethia comments.
"I KNOW! I know! But why is he all of a sudden telling me what to do? He was so sweet before."
Eleanor sits by her and takes her hand, "Look, Rose, some men are like that. If you're the wife of a man like that you are his property."
"I am most definitely NOT anyone's "property"!" Rose wails, "I don't want to live at the ranch. I want to live here!"
Marilyn sits on the other side of Rosamond, "I don't mean to be unkind, Rose, as you are one of my favorite people in this world, but why did you......"
"I was desperate!" Rose cuts her off. "Neither John or Daniel were being nice to me, well, actually, John was, but he was at Lake George all weekend, so what could I do?!"
William clears his throat:
"Not meaning to give offense, Rose, but you don't marry one man just because the man you really want is out of town for the weekend. What kind of reasoning is that?"
"I wasn't thinking clearly!" is all Rose can answer.
All five people exchange glances and shake their heads.
Marilyn claps her hands in glee: "We could hide you in the blue house!"
That stops everyone dead in their tracks.


If Only the Beach House Walls Could Talk......by Terri

"The blue house! Oh, I couldn't! Now that it's all out in the open, I guess I HAVE to go to the ranch to live. I won't be that far away. I'll come see you everyday."
John was standing in the doorway and said quietly, "You do realize you still have to work with me, don't you, Mrs....MONTGOMERY, is it?"
He looked totally miserable. Then he turned on his heel and left the room.
Rosamond sat there and tried to explain herself to William. "I went to New Orleans because Daniel was hitting on me...again. And..and I didn't want to be alone in the house with him. " She didn't want to tell anyone that she didn't trust herself, because Daniel was a wonderful lover in spite of the fact that he was a jerk.
She went on to relate the encounter with Pierre DuPre. William's mouth dropped open. "I just had a complete breakdown in judgement. Then I got the phone call about Daniel knowing I was pregnant and trashing my room. I HAD to protect my baby. I knew that a baby is always considered to be the husband's until the DNA proves otherwise. Billy Bob proposed to me on Long Island a few days ago. I thought he was safe. He was so sweet to me. He loves me. I know this. And I love him."
Bethia asked, "The way you love John?"
Rosamond started tearing up. "No."
She continued. "I told him I was pregnant and he right away assumed the baby is his, and I didn't want to come back to New York and have Daniel insist on his parental rights. So I panicked and Billy Bob offered to do right by me so I took it then and there."
Rosamond looked at William. "I screwed up, didn't I?"
William sighed and touched her hand. "Yes, Missy, .....big time."

Billy Bob went out to the Long Island restaurant to see his cousin Jameson.
Jameson was in his office, going over invoices. Billy Bob knocked on the door.
"Hey, Jameson, busy?"
"Always got time for you!"
"Can I borrow your beach house this weekend?"
"Don't see why not--Anastacia is home and that means I can't, well....I can't use it!"
"I need it for my honeymoon."
"WHAT?"
Billy Bob grinned. "Yep! I got married Saturday night in New Orleans. Rosamond and I had a quickie wedding."
"Boy, you move fast! One step ahead of the shotgun?"
Billy Bob grinned. "Yep--we're going to have a baby!"
Jameson sat back down. "Well, I'll be! Another generation grafted onto Daniel Gwinnett's family tree! Bet that reprobate didn't know what he started the night he spent in the hayloft with Mehitable!"
Both of them laughed.
Jameson got serious. "I remember where I met Rosamond before. I probably shouldn't tell you in light of the fact that you just married her."
Billy Bob sat on the corner of Jameson's desk. "But you will. You Yankees are so forthright and honest!" Billy Bob made a paper airplane and shot it across the room.
"OK, out with it! Where did you see my wife before?"
Jameson sighed. "It was when you were wrapping up your trip to Austin. We had a big storm that weekend. It shut down the Long Island Expressway. Well, I was taking tables in and it was blowing really hard. I noticed a couple that had been in the restaurant earlier. They must have gone walking on the beach after dinner, sometimes couples do that. I noticed them because the woman was a real looker. The way they were with each other, I assumed they were newlyweds, the way they looked at each other all through dinner. Really combustible chemistry. You don't see it very often. Anyhow, they were stranded so I offered them my beach house overnight. I gave the guy a couple bottles of wine and the key to the house. He was most grateful--and most generous. They stayed overnight. I stopped in the next evening. Looked like a romantic time. The wine bottles were in the trash, the fire had been going, I think they played some CD's. It's battery run, because the electricity had gone off."
Billy Bob shook his head. "No, Jameson, you're mistaken. She left me that Thursday and I flew home the next day. I talked to her."
"Ever hear of cellphones, William? Anyways, I think I have it somewhere...."
Jameson shuffled papers around. "Here it is! He wrote me a check to cover some incidentals. The name on it is....here! John Gwinnett. Address is---224 Winding Willow Drive, Chappaqua NY 10514"
Billy Bob grabbed the check, studied it for a minute and gave it back to Jameson.
Then he turned and walked out of the room. Jameson called out, "Still want the key?"
Billy Bob came back, took the key and said, "Yes. But first I have to get to the bottom of this and then lay down the ground rules."
And with that he left.


Rosamond walked slowly up the stairs. Guess I should start packing my stuff up.
She pushed the door open to her room. Celeste had vacuumed up all the broken glass and laid all her clothes on the bed that Daniel had trashed. The rest were hung up. Dresser drawers were put back. Bless her!
Rosamond walked into the bathroom and looked over the sink vanity where the mirror used to be. Now there was a black hole where Rosamond's reflection used to me. Just like me, she thought. A black hole where I used to be.
She gathered up a few boxes and began to stuff her things into them. She was trying hard not to cry or throw up. Whichever came first.
There was a knock on the door, softly.
"Come in, Bethia." Only Bethia knocked like that.
John pushed the door open but stood out in the doorway. His eyes locked with Rosamond's. She dropped her eyes and said, "Don't look at me like that, John."
"Why not?"
"I did what I had to do."
He still stood in the doorway. "You couldn't stay home one weekend. You couldn't wait for me. I wanted to marry you. I would have married you. You just couldn't wait. Why did you run to New Orleans? To...him. How long have you been carrying on with Mr. Montgomery?"
She gestured with her hand. "Look at the room. Celeste did what she could. But it is still trashed. Daniel even put his fist through the wall. Over and over again. Could I expose a little baby to a father like that? I was scared. You weren't around."
Her voice started to rise. "Why didn't you take me to Lake George with you? Why did you LEAVE me?"
John walked in and shut the door. "I didn't expect you to run off and get married in less than 24 hours after I left. How could you? HOW COULD YOU?"
"I DON'T KNOW WHY I DID IT! OK?"
John reached in his pocket and pulled out a ring. It was a diamond solitaire set in gold. "I wanted to surprise you with it when I got home. I planned to take you out to dinner and formally propose. Well, I guess I got my answer. And how, did I get my answer. I can hear it now, 'I'm so sorry, John. But I am already taken.' Yeah, my timing was a little off."
Rosamond looked up at him with tear-filled eyes. "John. What do we do now?"
John put the ring back in his pocket. "We say good-bye. We end it. I'll move on and you'll go home to your husband. Have your baby. One question, though. Is there a chance it is Billy Bob Montgomery's baby?"
Rosamond whispered, "No. Not a chance. Not even Henry's.The baby is either yours or Daniel's. Of that much I am sure."
John asked her softly, "Do you love Billy Bob Montgomery?"
Rosamond blurted out. "NO! Not the way I should. I have loved only one man totally and completely. That man is you, John Gwinnett. Only you."
With that, John swept her into his arms.


ROGER GETS HIS PROOF..........by Coralynn

Another car pulls up in the drive.
Jerry looks out and declares, "There's Roger. Must be Mrs. Grunwald didn't deliver today after all!"
Roger comes into the house and tells Jerry, "I only have a couple hours; Mrs. G isn't going to hold off having that baby much longer! What did you want to tell me? Sounded pretty important over the phone."
Jerry looks about to see where they can talk in private, and gestures toward the back patio.
"Beth, can you come out here with us?" he asks, trying not to be heard by the others.
The three go back onto the patio and sit on the cold chairs.
"Ooooo," Bethia remarks, "These chairs sure are cold in the autumn!"
She's nervous because she knows what the topic of conversation is going to be and she's been dreading it.
Jerry begins, "Beth told me that you think there's more going on than meets the eye, and you're correct."
Roger leans forward in anticipation, "Yes. The way she casually mentioned that Eleanor had gone on the crusades made me wonder...."

"And rightly so," Jerry continues, "As the Eleanor in question is really Eleanor of Aquitaine."
"No way!" Roger laughs.
Bethia is sitting there on pins and needles. He won't believe it, she thinks.
"How do you know this? What proof do you have?"
"Roger, you know me well. You know I'm not taken with flights of fancy, am I correct in this?"
"Yes."
"Most of the people who live here are time travelers," Jerry tells him with conviction, looking him straight in the eye.
"Sure. Right. Come ON Jerry!"
"I went on a time travel with them just a couple weeks ago, so I know!"
Roger's mouth turns up on one side in skepticism, "What time did you visit?"
"1961. We went to rescue Marilyn Monroe, who would have died in 1962."
"She DID die in 1962!" Roger insists.
"This is parallel reality," Jerry tells him, thinking geeez, that's probably not going to sit well with someone as scientifically minded as Roger.

"No lie."
"No. No lie. There's no good reason to make this stuff up, Roger. I don't enjoy looking like an idiot. But this really happened. We whisked Marilyn into 2002. She won that look-alike contest hands down. Why? Because she's the genuine article!"
Roger sighs audibly and looks at Bethia, "So when were you really born?"
"1613," she says softly, trying to maintain eye contact, but finding it almost impossible with Roger's expression being so strange.
"You really expect me to believe that?!" "It's true," Bethia continues in her soft voice, "I wouldn't make up something that bizarre if it weren't true. I'm with Jerry: who wants to be taken for a raging fool?"
"I'll need more proof than that!" Roger looks from one face to the other.

Bethia and Jerry sit there thinking, trying to come up with a way to prove it to Roger.
Finally Jerry announces, "We'll take YOU on a time travel, that'll prove it. What era would you like to visit?"
Roger smiles crookedly and answers, "I've always wanted to witness the French Revolution, can you take me to that?"
By now Roger is almost laughing in his derision.
"Wait here; I'll be right back!" Jerry says, motioning for the other two to stay put.

While he's gone, Roger keeps looking at Bethia as though she were some sort of specimen under a miscroscope, which makes her more and more nervous.

When Jerry returns he has William with him.
"William has agreed to take us to the French Revolution!" Jerry declares happily.
Bethia objects, "But you have to stay there 48 hours for the coin to recharge. You could get killed!"
William grins, "Ohhhh Beth, I have a way to keep the coin active. You and John didn't know about it when you used it on your own. I can take them there and get them back almost instantly."
Her face relaxes somewhat, but she's still concerned.
Roger still thinks this is poppycock, even if Jerry swears it's not, so he stands up and says with mock bravado, "Let's GO men!"
Jerry and William get Roger in a circle with them, join hands, and the spinning colored air soon zaps them away.
Bethia says softly, "God speed!"

Bullets are whizzing in the air and flags are being unfurled on the battlements.
Roger can't believe his eyes. This is either the French Revolution or he's had a tainted cup of morning coffee!
The sound of singing can be heard; "Do you hear the people sing, singing the song of angry men, It is the music of a people who will not be slaves again!"....on it goes.
"HEY! I saw that on Broadway!" Roger yells over the sound of the battle.
William yells even louder, "Do you want more proof? Do you want to stand here till one of us gets shot, or shall we return posthaste?"
"I'm sold! Let's go home!" Roger actually reaches out and grabs the hands of the other two men in his eagerness to leave this place.
"OK then.....here we go!" William gets the coin activated and in a few seconds they're back on the patio of the big house.

Bethia sees them and rushes over, "Roger! Now do you believe us?"
"Hell YES!" he answers, "And I'm going to have to figure out how Herb Kretzmer ever got hold of the words of that song! Sonofagun!!"
He plops down on a patio chair and looks at the others with renewed interest.
"So, as you were saying, Beth, Eleanor went on the crusades. Then what happened?"


Is There an OB-GYN In the House?........by Terri

Rosamond dissolved in John's arms. He kissed her and she returned his kisses with equal fervor. Then she pulled back. "NO! This is wrong! I-I'm married now! I've only been married for two days and I-I can't!"
John held her close. "Rose, I love you. You love me. You made a mistake. I'm not letting you go again. If I hadn't brought Daniel here, we probably would be married now. It's all my fault. If Daniel hadn't been here, you never would have been with him, thinking it was me. You wouldn't have gone on that spending spree and ended up at that bar."
Rosamond said, "Don't blame yourself, John. I've made so many stupid mistakes. I made a deliberate move by getting married. I have only myself to blame."
Rose broke away and started putting things in boxes. "I have to go. I have to be back by 4:00."
"Who said?"
"Billy Bob. He told me to be home by 4:00 and don't be late."
"Rose, this doesn't sound right. This sounds like something Henry would do."
Rosamond picked up a box and then bent over and moaned.
John rushed over to her. She was doubled over.
"What's wrong?"
"I don't know. I-I had a cramp. Ohhhhhh! There's another one. Oh, no, please.."
John helped her to the bed. "Lay there. Don't move. I think Dr Bidwell is downstairs with Bethia. I'll go get him."
She looked at John with pleading eyes. "Please hurry. Ohhhh!"
John rushed down the stairs. Dr.Bidwell was sitting on the patio talking to Jerry and Bethia. "Dr. Bidwell! You've got to come quick! Rosamond is upstairs. She's having terrible cramps!"
Bethia jumped up. "I've got to go to her!"
Dr Bidwell went to the car and got his medical bag.
Bethia came into the room and held Rose's hand. "Rose! Take it easy! Dr. Bidwell is here."
Roger came into the room. "Hi, Rose, what's wrong?"
Rose was pale. "I started getting these terrible pains. Ohhhhh! There it goes again!"
Dr. Bidwell said, "I want her to go to the hospital for observation. I'm sure it's just due to some sort of stress, but I'd feel better if she goes. Rosamond, I'm going to give you an injection. It will relax you and it won't hurt the baby."
He gave her the injection and she started to relax.
"Should we call an ambulance?" John said.
Dr. Bidwell said, "No, let's get her into my car. It will be faster. I'll carry her. She's pretty lightweight. Are you ready, Rose?" She nodded.
They took Rose and put her in the car.
"Bethia? Do you want to drive with me?"
Bethia said yes, and then grabbed Rosamond's purse. "She'll need this."
John wrung his hands nervously. "I'll follow in my car."
They pulled out and within 15 minutes were at the hospital.
Dr. Bidwell got a wheelchair and admitted her to the hospital. He gave Bethia the admission forms. "Could you fill them out for her, please?"
Bethia frowned at the space that said 'NAME' and wrote reluctantly, Rosamond Montgomery.
John came rushing into the hospital, out of breath. "Is she OK? What about the baby?"
"Dr. Bidwell is the best, John. She'll be OK."
"I should be with her."
Bethia said gently, "I don't think so, John."
He turned to Bethia. "I love her, Beth. If anything happens, I blame myself. I never should have totalled her car. The names I called her! The things I said!..."
Bethia touched his arm gently. "Don't beat yourself up over this, John. Why don't you go get some coffee? I'll wait here for you. Just relax."
John reluctantly left. The cell phone in Rosamond's purse rang. Bethia answered, "Hello?"
"Hey, Sugar, where are you? I told you to be home by 4:00."
Bethia said, "I'm sorry, this is Rosamond's friend Bethia. Who is this, please?"
A long pause. "I'm her husband."
Bethia said, "Rosamond is at the hospital. She was at our house packing a few things and she got cramps. Fortunately her doctor was there visiting me and he admitted her to the hospital."
"Is she OK? What hospital?"
"She's in for observation and she is at St. Joseph's Hospital."
"I'm on my way..."
"But..."
Click!

Dr. Bidwell came out of Rosamond's room.
John and Bethia rushed up. "How is she, Roger?"
"She'll be OK. But this little lady needs quiet. She's been through alot the last few days, what with getting married. I'm glad she's married to the baby's father."
John and Bethia exchanged glances. Roger caught that and said, "What?"
Bethia said, "Is there a room where the three of us can talk?"
Roger led them down the hall to his office. He put his feet up on the desk and leaned back. "OK, what's going on?"
Bethia and John looked at each other. John cleared his throat. "Now that you know we are all time travelers, let me explain..."
He related how he and Bethia had picked Daniel up and all the subtrefuge that Daniel had played out. He finished with, "So you see, the baby very well could be either Daniel's or mine. This so-called husband of hers has nothing to do with it. My question is this: is there a test we can do to determine paternity? Not that it's important. But it would prove without a shadow of a doubt to this Mr. Montgomery that the baby is NOT his and he can then get a divorce and let Rosamond and I get married."
Roger sighed. "Yes, there is an amniocentisis that we can do. It draws out fluid and tests the cells. But I won't do it."
"Why not?"
"Rose is under great stress. An invasive procedure like that would take unnecessary chances with both her and the baby. I'm sorry, John, you will have to wait until the child is born."
"Can I see Rose now?"
"Sure."
They walked down the hall to Rosamond's room. Roger said, "You've got visitors but only for a few minutes. You need your rest, Rosamond."
Bethia patted Rose on the shoulder. "Hey, sweetie, how are you feeling?"
Rosamond smiled weakly. "I'm a little better. Bethia, do you mind if I talk to John for a minute? Just a minute."
Bethia smiled and said "I'll be right outside."
"Thanks, Bethia. I couldn't ask for a better friend."
John pulled a chair up next to her and stroked the hair out of her face. "Hey, darling, you gave me quite a scare. Did the cramps stop?"
"Yes, Dr. Bidwell said I need to stay calm and need rest. Too much running around. Fortunately I am off work the rest of the week."
Roger stuck his head in and said, "John, Rosamond needs her rest."
"OK. I'll see you tomorrow. I love you." He kissed Rosamond tenderly.
Bethia was waiting for him in the hall. John sighed. "She just has to be alright. Bethia, I just know that baby is mine."
Bethia held his hand. "We just have to be patient, John. I know, she took us all by surprise with this marriage. I don't know what she has planned. But Roger told me that the baby will be assumed to be Billy Bob Montgomery's because she' s married to him."
The elevator door opened and Bethia looked up to a totally gorgeous guy. Almost as good looking as John. He asked at the nurses' station. "I am here to see my wife.
I am William Montgomery."
Bethia and John stopped in their tracks. Bethia walked up to him. She held out her hand. "Mr. Montgomery? I am Bethia Adams. Rosamond's friend. We brought her to the hospital." Billy Bob broke out in a smile. "It's very nice to meet you, Ms. Adams. Rose always set such store in her friendship with you."
Bethia turned and introduced John. "This is our good friend John Gwinnett."
The smile left Billy Bob's face and each man was sizing the other one up.
"May I see you outside, Mr. Gwinnett?"
"Sure."
They walked outside and without one more word, Billy Bob punched John in the jaw.
"That's for the beach house in Long Island. I know all about it. Jameson told me. And now if you will excuse me, I have to straighten a few things out with my wife."

Billy Bob knocked on Rosamond's door.
"Come in."
Billy Bob opened the door. "Hey, honey! How are you feeling?"
Rosamond smiled weakly. "I guess I'm better. Dr. Bidwell said I need to rest and not get stressed out."
"How long will you be here?"
"Probably just overnight."
Billy Bob sat down on her bed and pushed the hair back out of her face. Just like John had done. "I love you, Rosamond. With all my heart."
"I know that. I-I love you, too."
"Now why don't you tell me about Jameson's beach house?"
"What do you mean?"
"I went to see Jameson today. I told him we got married and he said to say congratulations. But that's not all he said. He remembered where he had seen you before. Seems that you paid a visit to the beach house with John Gwinnett. A romantic overnight romp. Right after you left me in Austin. Care to explain it?"
Rosamond nervously fingered the blanket but couldn't look Billy Bob in the eye. "We had gone out for dinner. We were stranded. After all, we work together. We were going over scripts."
"Explain the wine bottles..the fire...the romantic music..."
Rosamond looked at him. "We had some wine. The night turned chilly with the storm. The music, well, there was no light to go over our scripts so we just turned on the CD player. We were out by the next morning. Do you have a problem with that?"
"I don't like it. But as long as nothing happened.."
He leaned over and kissed Rosamond. "I'll let you go to sleep now."
Then, "Oh, Rosamond honey?"
"Yes, Billy Bob?"
"If John Gwinnett comes near you again, I'll kill him."


Hospital Blues.....by Coralynn

Rosamond looks up at Billy Bob with shock and tells him, "But we work together!"
"That's another thing.....you're to quit that job. I make enough money to support a family and no wife of mine is going to work!"
"I can't just up and quit! We're in the middle of a plotline where my character is needed!"
"Too bad; let them write in that your 'character,' as you put it, dies in a planecrash."
"Noooo, I can't, I just can't. I won't!" she defies him.
"You will give the excuse that you're having a difficult pregnancy and can't continue working, and you'll do it first thing tomorrow morning!"
Rosamond sobs, "Nooooooo, please!"

Roger Bidwell approaches her hospital room, and, being that the door is ajar, overhears this conversation.
He steps into the room and tells Billy Bob, "Rose has to rest now, so you'll have to leave. If her condition changes for the worse, we'll phone you."

Billy Bob scowls and looks at Roger with a hostile expression, "I'm her husband and I have the right to be here! But you are to notify the nurse's station that under no circumstances are they to admit John Gwinett."
He strides out of the room.
Roger takes a chair over and sits near the bed in which Rosamond is now sobbing uncontrollably.
He takes one of her hands and repeats over and over, "Rose, please stop crying and listen to me, please Rose!"

She finally gets herself under control and says in despair: "What shall I do, Dr. Bidwell, whatever shall I do? Billy Bob has taken over my entire life. He wants to coop me up at the ranch. He demands I quit my job....he won't let me see John!" which again causes her to cry.
"The situation will resolve itself, Rose. If I have to keep you in the hospital for a week to get you some peace, I will. I even have the authority to ban Billy Bob from visiting you."
"You DO?!"
"Yes. He'll throw a tantrum, no doubt, but if I have to put a guard outside your door, I will! Tell me, are you thinking of leaving him?"
"I would leave him in a heartbeat if I just knew how!"
"Take this sleeping pill, it won't harm the baby. You have to sleep for a good 10 hours to let your mind rest and repair whatever caused that cramping."
She takes the pills and smiles up weakly at Roger, saying in a voice full of despair yet just a little hope, "You're a wonderful friend. I have so many wonderful friends....."
Her eyes get heavy and she closes them.
Roger turns off the overhead light and quietly exits the room.

Mrs. Grunwald's delivery comes next. Fortunately it's her 7th child and the procedure is swift and uncomplicated.
By now it's approaching midnight, and, as Roger returns to his apartment, he looks forward to a few hours of sleep.
As he steps inside his apartment he hears the phone ringing. He decides to let the answering machine take the message, but something tells him this may be important, so he picks up.
It's Bethia.
"Hi Roger, I hate to bother you so late at night, but how is Rose?"
"Billy Bob made her upset by demanding she quit her job, but she's now sleeping and I hope she gets to stay under for at least ten hours. She's pretty well trashed physically, mentally and emotionally."
"What is she going to DO?" Bethia is becoming upset.
"Not sure, Beth, but if I have to I'll ban Mr. Montgomery from seeing her as long as she's in the hospital."
"Glad to hear she's getting some sleep, and you need some, too, so I'll talk you to tomorrow!"
"Yes, let's talk tomorrow.......and Beth......I think your friendship with Rose, yours and Eleanor's, is what is going to see her through this."
"I sure hope so. Bye, talk to you soon."
They hang up.

Billy Bob is back at the ranch seeing the new horses, making sure they've settled in to their new home.
Speaking aloud to the horses if no one else, he declares, "I'll get her out of that hospital and back here where she belongs. She's my WIFE for God's sake! She's MINE. That may not be my baby she's carrying, but since we're legally married, I'm the legal father, and no one is going to say otherwise! She will stop seeing that John Gwinett. He's the one causing all the problems! So help me, if I ever see him again I may do something I'll regret later, only because jail is not my favorite place, but if I have to......."
He sees headlights coming down the long driveway, illuminating the stable yard as it comes to a halt behind the house.
"Who is that......and at this hour?" he wonders.

He turns on the floodlights and sees one person emerge from the car.
It's either John or Daniel, hard to know which.
He checks to make sure his rifle is in the niche where he last placed it. Good, it's there.
The 'interloper' soon nears where Billy Bob is standing and calls out, "It's Daniel!"
Since Daniel and John are identical twins, Billy Bob is still not convinced.
"How do I know that?!" he says in a guarded tone of voice.
"Listen, man, why would John come out here to see you?"
BB can't think of a reason, but he is still distrustful.
"I'm Daniel, ya know, the one who sings?" Daniel then launches into one of the songs he sings at the DDI.
"OK, OK, you've convinced me!" Billy Bob holds up his hands in a "stop" motion.
"What do you want, Daniel? Have you heard about Rose being taken to the hospital?"
"NO!" Daniel is obviously out of the loop on this type of information, WHY?!"

"She had some cramping, and that trouble-maker, Dr. Bidwell, put her in the hospital for observation. I told him to put John on a "do not admit" list, too!"
"Is she losing my baby?!" Daniel is upset, "How dare she? That bitch! She'll do anything to thwart me! She'll claim it's John's too, to keep me from having my parental rights!"
"I don't think she's losing the baby, whether yours or Johns or mine or whoever's it is, but having her in that damn hospital keeps me from bringing her here to the ranch where she belongs!"
"Well, John is one guy who is for sure NOT going to raise that child!" Daniel expounds, "Not if we have to kidnap Rose out of that hospital and put electric fence around your ranch."
"I already have that!" Billy Bob is insulted that anyone would think he didn't already have security measures.
"Tell ya what," Daniel gets a conspiratorial tone, "I'll nose around the big house and see what I can find out. Maybe listen in on what their plans are."

"That would help," Billy Bob agrees, "After all, you live right there, and don't you share a room with John? Hmmmmmm, this could be good."
"I live at the castle now," Daniel lets him in on the new development, "William banished me from the house."
Billy Bob raises one eyebrow, "Banished?!"
"Yeah, banished for trashing Rose's bedroom, but there are times when everyone is off somewhere, so, when I see all the cars gone I can go over and snoop around. William doesn't know I still have a housekey."
"Hard to overhear their plans when you can only be there when they're all gone somewhere!" Billy Bob says in disgust, "You had to get banished, huh? Wellllll, what on earth are you going to find out if you can only go when no one else is there?"
"I can find evidence," Daniel brags, "I'm good at that. In fact, I'm an expert at that. I'll get something on John that will keep him away from Rose permanently."
Billy Bob shakes his head in disbelief, "OK, then, have at it!" he tells Daniel, shakes hands with him and then watches him stride back to the car and leave.

"HA!" he thinks, "Does that goon actually think that I am going to let him have his 'parental rights' any more than John? What universe does his mind live in, anyway?" and with that he turns off the floodlights and starts back to the house.


CONFAB at the BIG HOUSE...........by Coralynn

Everyone is up early. The rain pounding on the roof is so loud it makes sleep difficult, so, one by one, they grab robes and meet up in the kitchen
Bethia asks the group, "Now what are we going to do to help Rose?"
"What CAN we do?" Marilyn puzzles, "That Montgomery guy is her legal husband after all. How do we get around that?!"
"But he's demanding she quit her job!" Bethia objects. "What kind of husband is that??"
John sits up straighter. "Quit her job? Why? So she can't see me?"
"I think that's a big part of it," Bethia informs him, "That, plus the fact that he wants her almost under lock and key out there at the ranch."
"Well, this will never DO!" William gets into the conversation, "I will not allow it!"

Eleanor smiles at him, "William, as much trouble as you've complained that Rose is, you still feel a loyalty to her, don't you?"
"YES! She's one of US!" he says strongly, banging his right fist on the table, making the coffee cups vibrate.
Bethia brightens, "William! I have an idea. Tell me if you think this is crazy or not. Somehow you take Billy Bob Montgomery on a time travel trip....I've got it! Take him to the French Revolution the way you did Roger. Leave him there!"
William frowns and purses his lips, "That is against my ethics."
"Forget your stupid ethics for a minute, will you, William?" Eleanor gets excited, "You could take him there and bring him back, but scare the bejeebers out of him so that he knows he isn't dealing with amatuers!"
"But he'd TELL!" William states, "He'd blow our cover!"
Eleanor sits beside William and puts her hand on his arm, "But he would never be believed! People would think he'd gone stark staring mad! That sounds good to ME!"

They all sit at the table, sipping their coffee, thinking about this plan. Would it work? How could they get BB to take hands?
"OK, then, here's what we do," William begins, "We tie him up, arms, legs, and take his hands where they meet behind his back. That actually works. I had to do that to someone once. Noooooo, don't ask me the details. It worked, though. Now we have to figure out how we'll get him tied up."
John speaks up, "If you and I and Jerry and maybe even Roger went out there in a group, we might be able to overpower him."
"Unless he has a gun," Marilyn cautiously puts in.
Bethia looks out the side window and tells the others,
"I see Daniel standing outside the castle, looking this way. Wonder what he's up to? We'd better keep an eye on that guy and under no circumstances are we to let him know any of our plans for Rose. He is just nasty enough to try to stop us."

William clears his throat and announces, "Here's what we'll do. You women go about your normal daily activities. John and Jerry will accompany me out to the Montgomery ranch. El, do you have Jerry's phone number?"
She hands it to him and he places the phone call. After a few minutes he hangs up and tells them that Jerry is coming over right away, and that Roger will be coming with him.

William, John, Jerry and Roger see the ranch ahead of them and slow the car. "We'd better park down the road a bit," Jerry suggests, "If he sees this car he'll be on the alert and the element of surprise is important."
They do so, and the four men then walk up to the main ranch house, hoping one of the doors is unlocked.
The front door is not locked, strangely, and they enter the house, closing it very quietly behind them. They hear noises in the kitchen.
Giving each other "go ahead" signals with their eyes, they slowly make their way in that direction.
Billy Bob has just drawn off a cup of coffee when suddenly he is being overwhelmed by several people. He struggles to free himself, but finds they are successfully tying him hand and foot.
"WHAT THE HELL are you doing here?" he yells just before the gag is placed in his mouth.
"Wanna go on a little trip, do you, Billy Bob?!" William leers, "Want to see a really interesting episode in world history do you, Montgomery!"
The men position themselves so that both of BB's hands are in the circle. He does all he can to shake it off, but doesn't have enough mobility in his wrists to do so.

The air swirls and turns several colors.
Billy Bob's eyes show extreme alarm.
Next thing he knows he is in the middle of a raging battle. Bullets are whizzing by just inches over his head.
The sound of singing is heard: "When the beating of your heart echoes the beating of the drums, there is a life about to start when tomorrow comes...."
Billy Bob is still bound and still struggling. They remove his gag.
"Anything you wish to say there, Mr. Montgomery!" William yells in his face.
"Where in hell am I?!" BB is panicked.
"Ever hear of the French Revolution?" John mocks him, "Or were you out smuggling cattle the day it was discussed in History class?"
"You people are witches!" Billy Bob almost screams, "Get me out of here!"
William bends down and tells BB in an intense voice, "Remember this the next time you tell Rose what she can and cannot do!!"
The men get the circle together again and are back in the kitchen at the ranch within seconds.
Billy Bob's eyes are still registering fear and shock.
They leave him tied up, exit the house, get back into William's car and drive away.


"How'd it go?" Bethia and Eleanor and Marilyn rush toward the men as they enter the house.
"Perfectly, just perfectly!" William is full of good cheer, "How did you think it would go?? We have that Montgomery guy so freaked it's wonderful!"
"Gotta run now," Roger says, "But I'll be in touch. Thanks for including me in your plan! Just wait till Mr. Montgomery comes to the hospital again and has to face ME! He'll be petrified! But.....getting back to that song we heard yet again at the French Revolution! I have a plan. Whenever we want to unsettle this man's nervous system we get out a CD of "Les Miserables" and play it over the phone at him! HA!!"
William laughs heartily as Roger leaves.
"Good man! Good man!" he keeps saying as he tries to control the laughter.
"What song is that?" Bethia wants to know.
"Some sort of battle song they sang during the French Revolution that apparently made it into a Broadway show. Roger recognized it immediately when we took him there yesterday, and by all that's holy they were still singing it today when we took Billy Bobby or whatever asinine name he goes by."

Everyone smiles, though only Eleanor knows what Broadway musical it is.
"I have a CD of that," she announces, "So just let me know and I can have it playing whenever you prefer!"
"Can I listen to it?" Marilyn asks, "I missed a lot of good shows, you know. Anything between 1961 and now I've never heard!"
"Come to my room and I'll put it on," Eleanor gestures for Mailyn to come with her and they disappear up the stairs.


Billy Bob spends the next hour working his way free of the ropes tying his hands and feet. He finally stands up and jogs in place in an attempt to make the blood flow more freely to his extremities.
"Now I know I've gotta get Rose out of that hospital! Those people are totally insane! I don't know what that French Revolution thing was all about, but I do know that those people are vicious and would go to any lengths to ruin my marriage. Gotta get to the hospital right now!"
He dresses, bolts down a bowl of Cheerios, and is on his way. He takes several deep breaths as he approaches the hospital visitors desk and requests a pass to Rose's room. Must act normal, must act normal, he keep telling himself.
The person on duty hands him the pass without even asking who he is. Good. For all I know, he thinks, that Bidwell bully could have rescinded my visiting rights.
He takes the elevator up and is soon standing outside Rose's room.
He hears a male voice and listens in.
"Any cramping during the night, Rose?"
"Just once, Dr. Bidwell, and it was slight. Hardly woke me up. I feel so drained, though. Should I go home, wherever home IS now, or stay longer?"
"Stay till at least this afternoon," he tells her, "And if you have no further episodes, you can be released IF you feel ready. If you don't, of course you can stay longer. I'm here to keep you healthy, you and the baby, not to see you in turmoil."
As Roger leaves the room he passes right by Billy Bob. Roger gives BB a meaningful look which sends chills down BB's spine. That witch! or warlock! That spawn from hell, how dare he interfere in the relations between a man and his wife?

Rosamond sees Billy Bob come in the room and turns away, facing the windows, which look out on a yard awash in rain.
"Ready to go now, sugah?" he asks softly, trying to sound less threatening than he did the day before.
"Nooo, not yet. Dr. Bidwell said I should stay here a couple more days!" she lies, trying to keep her voice steady.
"You're coming home now, Rose. Right now. I heard him say you could leave, so don't lie to me. I know better."
He reaches into her nightstand and brings out her street clothes.
"Here, put these back on!"
"No."
"You are coming home, Rose. I love you, I need you, I will look after you much better than the strangers at this hospital ever would. You're my wife."
"So you keep reminding me," she tells him with an edge to her voice.
He approaches the bed, pulling her into a sitting postion, then pulling her legs over so they dangle off the side of the bed. He removes her hospital gown and begins to fumble, putting on her bra and panties. Giving up in disgust, he stuffs them back into the bag and simply jams the dress she had been wearing when she arrived over her head and pulls her arms through the armholes, the way you would a small baby.
She doesn't resist, but neither does she cooperate.
"I haven't been signed out by the Doctor," she suddently remembers, "You can't leave till the Doctor signs you out."
"He's not your Doctor anymore. You're going to MY Doctor from now on. That Bidwell is a quack."
He pulls her into a standing position. She goes limp and falls back on the bed.
"Must I carry you out?" he gets her standing again. "Now, here we go, honey, you and me, back to our love nest."
Rose hangs her head in defeat and allows him to walk her out of the room.
The nurses at the Station look at them, confused, and begin to rifle through paperwork to see if Mrs. Montgomery has a release form from her Doctor.
By the time they realize there is no such document, BB and Rose have taken the elevator down to the ground floor and are proceeding across the parking lot to his car.
Roger is paged.
When he appears, the nurses tell him that Rose Montgomery has just left the hospital in the company of what appears to be her husband, although they aren't totally sure that's who it was.
Roger looks out the window that overlooks the parking lot and sees a car driving away very rapidly.
"DAMN!" he exclaims.








TRAPPED........by Terri

"You know, this is so uncool sitting here in just this cotton sundress and no underwear! The least you could let me do was change by myself!" Rosamond flashed her eyes, showing a bit of her old spirit.
"Well, we didn't have time. In fact, that reminds me..."
Billy Bob picked up his cell phone and dialed the hospital. He asked for Dr. Bidwell.
"Sorry, Dr Bidwell just left the hospital. Can I take a message please?"
"Yeah, tell Dr. Bidwell that Rosamond Montgomery is no longer a patient of his and her records are to be transferred to Dr. Matthew Underwood." With that he hung up.
"There! That takes care of that!"
Rosamond was aghast. "I told you I have no intention of having this baby with your doctor. Dr. Bidwell is the one I want and Dr. Bidwell is the one I'm going to get."
"Over my dead body."
"Whatever."
Rosamond looked at him. He looked the same. He still had those flashing blue eyes and beautiful smile. But what of this personality change? He was so like Henry.
"Dr Bidwell is going to wonder. He ordered me to bedrest for the next day or two. Don't you care about the baby?"
"OUR baby, Rosamond?"
She was quiet.
"One thing you may want to keep in mind, Mrs. Montgomery, is that even if the DNA test proves that I am NOT the father, legally I am. That means I call the shots on the child. But you'd better darn well pray that baby is mine. I am willing to overlook in time that little indiscretion back at Jameson's. I figure technically you weren't cheating on me since we weren't married. And you said nothing happened."
Rosamond was silent. They pulled into the carpark of the Double B and he opened the door to the car. "I'll send someone for your things tomorrow."
Billy Bob put his arm around her. "Oh, come on, Rosamond, put a smile on your face for me! In New Orleans you couldn't get enough of me!"
She shrugged him off. "That's before you tried to take over my life."
"Well, Rose, that was before I found out you couldn't be trusted."

Billy Bob went down to the stables to work out some of the new horses. Rosamond watched him from the upstairs window. She waited until she saw him go in the barn then she dialed the number to the house.
"Hello?"
"Eleanor, it's me!"
"ROSAMOND! Are you OK? Roger is here and is telling us how Billy Bob took you out of here without being discharged. Are you OK?"
"I'm OK, at least as OK as I am going to be. Is John there?"
"Sure, sweetie"
John grabbed the phone. "Honey, are you alright? How's the baby?"
Rosamond sighed. "I'm alright. I'm not going to do anything for the next day or two. I have to rest. I CAN'T lose this baby. It's--it's a reminder of what you mean to me, John. I'm so sorry."
John said, "Darling, there is nothing that we can't fix. Nothing that can't be undone."
Rosamond said, "We'll see. Right now I am not going to think of anything but keeping this baby safe."

Billy Bob came in a few hours later from the stables and took a shower.
"Where do you want to go for dinner, Rosamond?"
"Nowhere. I am too tired."
"You have to eat. Come on downstairs."
They went downstairs and she saw that Billy Bob had set a candlelit table. She smiled in spite of herself but after dinner, when Billy Bob reached for her, it was John's face she saw.


Rosamond woke up to the sun streaming in the windows, the birds singing and Billy Bob sleeping with his arms wrapped around her. She tried to shift without waking him. She looked at him with a pang of regret and tried to imagine her life if John had not come into it. She imagined that she would have been perfectly content with Billy Bob. But John WAS in her life, and there was a great chance that the baby she was carrying was John's. Three days ago I was a carefree, single woman with a wonderful job and a man that unfortunately I jerked around too much. Now I am married to a man who wants to control my every move. She tried to slip out of bed but Billy Bob snuggled up next to her and whispered, "Good morning, sugah." He kissed her on the neck. Rosamond sighed. Oh, well, at least he's good!
That same morning, John was pacing back and forth, worrying about Rosamond. Finally he could stand it any more and knocked on Eleanor's door. El opened it and said, "What's up, John?"
"El, you just HAVE to call Rose for me! Obviously I can't. I'm really worried about her. She's supposed to be at work today and I don't know if she will be there. I HAVE to make sure she is alright."
"Sure, John, but I don't know if she will be able to talk to you."
Eleanor dialed Rosamond's cellphone.
"Hello?" Rosamond answered cautiously.
"Hi, Rosamond, It's me. How are you feeling?"
"Better, no more cramping. How is...everything there?" She put her hand over the receiver. El could hear, "What? It should be by the sink. If not there, in the medicine cabinet..."
Then, "OK, I'm back. He couldn't find his razor."
"Rose, someone wants to talk to you."
Rosamond was silent. Agian it was "What, honey? No, on the left side... I'm sorry, El. OK, uh, go ahead."
Eleanor handed the phone over to John. He grabbed it and whispered, "Darling, are you OK? "
She whispered. "He's right in the next room, so I have to .....no, honey, there's another bottle under the sink."
John held the phone back and looked at it, puzzled.
"Rose?"
She whispered, "I'll explain later." Then she called in the distance, "I'll be right there, darling." To the phone she whispered, "I have to go. NOW!"
Click!
John sat there on Eleanor's bed. "I can't believe it. She called that...that...she called him 'darling' and 'honey'. What gives, Eleanor?"
Eleanor took the phone. "If I know Rose, she has a plan."

Bethia was getting dressed when her phone rang. It was Roger. "Welll, it happened! Montgomery released me from the care of his wife. I can't believe it--and to Matt Underwood, no less!"
"Is he any good?"
"Let me put it this way, he has had a few harrassment suits against him. But since she's Montgomery's wife, she'll probably be OK. I worry about her, though. She's at a breaking point and needs alot of rest. I was glad to find out the reason she didn't know which twin's baby it was was because she was duped."
Bethia said, "Well, Rose is one of a kind. She's a little...freeer than some people. Guess it comes with being Henry's mistress."
"Henry who?"
"Didn't you know she is THE Rosamond Clifford that Henry Plantagenet put Eleanor away in a locked castle for?"
"But they seem to be good friends!"
"Well, not always. You see, Roger, once upon a time...."

Rosamond sat there bundled up in a terrycloth robe when Billy Bob came out of the shower. She smiled sweetly at him. "Honey, I really have to go into work. I am under contract and you certainly don't want a lawsuit on your hands. It's so unnecessary. Please, I have to work."
Billy Bob frowned. "No, Rose. No way. I absolutely forbid it."
She jumped up. "You forbid it? You FORBID it? What is this, the 12th century? I have had enough 'forbidding' to last me a lifetime!"
Billy Bob looked at her strangely. Rose's speech pattern and accent changed dramatically from the trace of British accent she had. It was a dialect and inflection he had never heard before.
"Hast thou no sense of fairplay, you black-hearted knave? Wouldst thou throw me in a dungeon?"
Billy Bob was shocked. He put his hands on her shoulders. "Rose! Honey, please calm down!"
Rose started breathing in gasps. She sat down and then doubled over again. "Ohhhh! Billy Bob, please, get Dr Bidwell on the phone."
Billy Bob steeled his jaw. "No. NO WAY!"
He got the phone and dialed his friend Dr. Underwood.
"Matt? Montgomery here. Yes, yes, thanks,... I guess in May...listen, I have a problem. The wife here is cramping....no, she just got out of the hospital for it...Dr.Bidwell was the one who put her in.....you'll be there?...OK. we're heading out..."
He turned to Rose. "Dr. Underwood is meeting us at his office. Let's go."
Rose sat up. "I feel better now. It was just a little cramp."
"Oh, no. little girl! We're going to get this checked out."
Rose stood her ground. "At least let me get dressed. WITH UNDERWEAR this time!"
She slammed the bathroom door.
Billy Bob sat there. puzzled. She must have studied Shakespeare in England. Damn, that litte girl had a great command of the works of Shakespeare!

Rosamond came out of the bedroom. Billy Bob said, "Let's go."
She pleaded with him, "Please, I trust Dr. Bidwell. He is trying to make sure I have a healthy baby."
"WE, Rose."
"Pardon?"
"WE have a healthy baby. That is why I am taking you to Matthew." He grabbed her firmly under the arm and steered her towards the car.
Within 20 minutes they were in Underwood's office. An hour later, Rose came out and Dr. Underwood called Billy Bob into the office.
"I don't see any problem other than stress. She needs to take it easy, no emotional upsets. If all goes well, you'll be a father by April!"
Rose paled and Billy Bob looked uncertainly at Dr. Underwood. "Are you sure? April?"
"Well, we will know more when we do a sonogram, but yes, my calculations are April."
Underwood shook Billy Bob's hand and said, "Congratulations, again, hey, that horse you trained is doing really super, the wife rides him all the time..."
When they got down to the car, Billy Bob stared straight ahead. "Want to explain this April/May business, because if it is April there is NO WAY this is my baby."
Rose sat defiantly in her seat. "I don't care what you think or what that so-called doctor said. It is May. Who would know better, that quack with the cold hands or me?"
Billy Bob shrugged. "Doesn't matter, I am still the legal father."

Rose waited until Billy Bob went to get horse feed in Saratoga. She called John.
"Darling, he'll be gone all afternoon! I told him I had to go shopping for maternity clothes and he let me have the Thunderbird. I have to see you."
John said, "Rose, I don't want to do anything to jeopardize your health or cause you undue distress."
"Forget that. If I don't see you, John, I will scream! Can we meet?"
"Bethia said that whole floor in the blue house is vacant. Can we meet there without interruption? Just to talk."
"I'll see you there at noon. He'll be gone all day. We are supposed to go out to dinner with Dr Underwood and his wife. I have to be home by 4:00 but I'll leave now, run by the Little Mother's maternity store, shove alot of clothes in a bag and meet you at noon."
John grabbed a quick shower and headed towards the blue house.
Rosamond went to the mall, quickly grabbed rack after rack in her size. He can well afford it, and besides, I am a pro at quick shopping as John well knows."

Within an hour, Rosamond pulled up on the next block and put the car in a small parking lot. At least if anyone is driving by, it will look like I am shopping. She walked around the corner and walked up the steps and rang the bell.
John answered the door and without a word, Rosamond fell into his arms.

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