In frustration Molly pulled her hair down and angrily pulled the brush through it again before twisting it up on to her head again. She secured it with several pins sighing at the sight that greeted her in the mirror. She had never before given much thought over her appearance. Now for the first time she realized that nothing about her was quite right. She wished her hair were a lighter color like Lily's or even the jet black of Cheyenne or Bo Jun's. She thought of the three other woman and how beautiful they each were. Lily with her figure that all of the men noticed and her perfect skin and the way she carried herself always with grace and purpose. Cheyenne and Bo Jun were each exotic and reminded Molly of the fairy stories that her father used to tell her when she was a girl. Each of them had a strength that Molly only wished she had.

She turned her head from side to side watching herself in the mirror. She hadn't taken the care she should have of late in keeping out of the sun and now several freckles had formed on her nose and cheeks. She stood smoothing down the front of her dress with a sigh. Nothing about her appearance at all this evening was appealing to the young woman. She wore her green dress, the one she'd worn when she'd arrived in town several months before. It was a simple dress and a color she favored with beige lace that trimmed the front. She pinched her cheeks several times hoping to get some color that would cover the freckles she now had. No, there was nothing appealing about the young woman that stared back at her in the mirror.

Dune mewed at her from his spot on the bed and she gave the cat a scratching on his ears which caused him to purr at his mistress and twitch his tail back and forth. She hoped that dinner with her professor would be over quickly this evening so she could just come home. She knew she shouldn't have accepted his invitation anyway. Molly blew out the lamp in her room before grabbing her pouch and walking out of the house.

It wasn't appropriate in Island society for a single man and woman to appear in a public place unescorted. Likewise, it would not be appropriate for a man to "call" on a young lady without someone present. The solution most times was for a neighbor or member of the family of the young woman to act as an escort or for the pair to simply meet at a public place and part ways in the same fashion at the end of the evening. Molly told herself all of this was perfectly acceptable for her to be doing since the proper etiquette was being followed. She pulled the door shut behind her and turned around to see Cheyenne standing there, her arms folded across her chest.

"You are still going," she said to her. Molly took a step toward her friend.

"Cheyenne, I told you it was different. The circumstances, who he is, all of it is different than what happened to you. He leaves tomorrow and then the town is having the Independence Day celebration and everything will be as it was before." Cheyenne uncrossed her arms and walked up to the girl.

"It is not different. It is the same. A man forced our spirits from us. They do not deserve to live for that and here you dine with the man that did this to you."

"Cheyenne, please," Molly begged, noticing the agitation in her friend's voice. "I have to do this. I wish there was a way to make you understand."

"There is none," Cheyenne said walking away from her. Molly watched her go before walking toward the heart of town to the hotel's restaurant. She passed the saloon and noticed almost too late that Chris Larabee was sitting outside in a chair just a few feet from the saloon's entrance. He was not one she wished to cross paths with especially since he looked seemingly agitation about something. He looked up and met her eyes. He saw her hesitate for a moment before continuing to walk toward him.

As she passed him she smiled, nodded and said in her soft voice, "Good evening, Mr. Larabee." He nodded back and said,

"Molly," in simple reply. He watched her walk to the hotel and inside and noticed Cheyenne lingering not far from the entrance to the hotel. She seemed on guard about something and he wondered if it had to do with the young school teacher that had just passed him. She made eye contact with him and gave him a simple nod and he knew from that gesture that whatever was bothering the woman wasn't something he had to be concerned with. He leaned back in his chair and continued to stew over what he'd over heard that afternoon in Lily's room.

Molly walked into the hotel's restaurant and saw her professor seated at a table. He stood upon seeing her. She stopped for a moment before walking to the table. He pushed her in to the table as she sat down before sitting himself across from her. He had to resist the urge to tell her his true feelings as he looked at her. She was so beautiful. To everyone in this town he knew she was just a girl, a child. To him she was almost a goddess. She had dressed simply this evening but was still radiant. He imagined what she would look like in the green silk he had waiting for her to wear on the night he would propose to her. His smile grew broader at the thought of their wedding and more precisely their wedding night. This time she'd give in to him.

"I took the liberty of ordering us some wine," he said to her just as the waiter appeared with a bottle. The waiter poured them each a glass and the professor waited for him to leave the table before picking up his glass and raising it. Molly followed in suit knowing he was going to propose a toast. "To beginnings," he said to her.

Molly didn't quite understand but acknowledged the toast by touching her glass to his and taking a sip of the red wine. Wine was a luxury to her, something that was only had during the holidays. She suddenly felt as if all eyes were on her as she set the glass back on the table. The meal was the longest Molly could ever remember spending. The professor did most of the talking while Molly commented where appropriate. She could see out the window where they sat a figure across the street pacing and knew it was Cheyenne.

A group of people were being seated next to the table they were at. Molly didn't recognize them as being residents of the town. One of the men announced to the waiter they were just there for dessert and coffee. The professor was talking about what he'd be teaching in California when a comment spoken by one of the women at the table caused Molly to almost freeze.

"Well I just can't imagine that any parent of this town would just simply not say something when the school teacher is friendly with a woman like that. She owns the saloon for crying out loud!" Molly knew the woman they were referring to was Lily. "What do you suppose the girl would think if she knew the truth about her," the woman lowered her voice but Molly could still hear her. "Murdering her own husband," she finished with a huff.

Molly's mouth went dry. She reached out with a shaky hand for her wine glass but the wine had the opposite effect that she wanted it too. The professor noticed, he had heard only a fraction of what was being said at the table behind Molly but could tell it upset her greatly and that only enraged him.

"My dear, are you alright? Would you like some water?" he asked her at the same time waving the waiter over. Molly only nodded, tears stinging her eyes as she heard the woman again mention Lily. The water was brought and Molly took a sip. "Is that better?" the professor asked her. Molly nodded. "Do you know the woman they are speaking about?" he asked her quietly. Again Molly nodded.

"She is a friend of mine, my best friend here," she said to him. "She's been...ill," she chose her words carefully. "She very nearly died, how dare they speak of her that way!" she had to struggle to keep her voice down.

"It seems that gossip is an epidemic no matter where you go," the professor said to her. "That all it is, just gossip," he said placing a hand on hers. Molly just nodded to him.

"I'm sorry to have ruined the evening," she said softly and in a way she was. What had happened between them so long ago seemed almost forgotten.

"The evening is anything but ruined," he said to her. "I am afraid, however, that it is near an end and that's the only thing that I am disappointed by," he told her. The pair stood and made their way out of the restaurant. Molly noticed that Cheyenne was directly across the street from them watching them. "I have heard about the celebration the town has planned for Independence Day," the professor commented to her. "I'll be sorry to miss it, especially the dance."

"I hope that you have a safe journey," Molly said to him. "Thank you for dinner." The professor took her hand and raised it to his lips.

"My dear, the pleasure was entirely mine," he said before turning to walk back into the hotel. Molly let out a sigh of relief as Cheyenne made her way across the street to her.

"Are you quite satisfied?" Molly snapped at her before realizing her tone of voice. She knew the woman was only watching out for her. "I'm sorry," she said, shame in her voice. "That wasn't fair. Walk home with me?" she asked her. Cheyenne looked ready to say something else but thought better of it. She had a feeling this girl's struggles were only just beginning. She said nothing but stepped next to Molly as the pair made their way slowly up the street toward Molly's house.

The next morning dawned clear and bright. Molly woke to the mewing of Dune letting her know that he wanted to be let out to start his days adventures. Molly padded to the door with a quilt wrapped around her to let him out. The jangle of a coach drew her attention to the street where the stage coach was making its way to the stop near the hotel. A sense of relief filled her as she knew her professor would soon be on that coach and away from here. She returned to her room and dressed for the day. She checked her watch and saw she would have some time to see Lily before school started.

Lily had been up and about more but tired easily. It wasn't hard to see that she'd lost weight and Molly also knew she hadn't been sleeping much. Lily had come to mean so much to her. Molly picked up her books and made her way out the door toward the saloon. It was quiet this early in the morning. JD sat at a table with Buck, Vin and Josiah. She smiled at them noticing Ezra was behind the bar not looking fully awake. Molly made her way up the stairs to Lily's room and knocked softly on the door in case she wasn't awake yet. The door opened a crack and Molly could see that Lily was still in her nightgown. She opened the door wider at the sight of Molly and gave her a smile.

"Good morning, Chere," she said to her letting her in the room.

"I just wanted to see if you needed anything before school," Molly said to her. "I could make you some breakfast?" Lily gave her a smile, she had never known anyone quite like this girl. She had always worried about someone else before herself and had a genuine good heart which Lily knew all too well was a rare thing.

"I'm just fine. Come and tell me about your dinner last night," she said, patting a spot next to her on the bed. They had come to have many talks in this spot. Molly noticed it had been moved toward the window so the morning sun could come in. Molly sat down next to her and told her about the dinner leaving out the part about the people talking about Lily. She had wanted to ask her about her husband but bit her tongue knowing it wasn't her place. Lily had gone through enough heartache without that being brought out. Molly noticed a shawl hanging on a hook near Lily's dressing table. It was the most beautiful thing Molly had ever seen. She stood and went over to it.

"Oh Lily, this is so beautiful," she said fingering the fabric. Lily stood up and walked over to the girl. She took the shawl off the hook and wrapped it around Molly's shoulders.

"It looks quite good on you," Lily said to her. She took the girl's hair and brushed through it with her fingers noticing how much longer it had gotten since she'd been here. She twisted it into a soft bun near the nape of her neck noticing how much older it made the young woman look. "So what will you be wearing to the dance?" she asked Molly. Molly turned her hair spilling out of Lily's hands back down her back.

"I'm not certain," Molly answered. JD had asked her a couple of days before if she would like to go with him for the day to the celebration. "More than likely my peach dress. What will you be wearing? You have so many pretty things." Lily just shook her head.

"No, chere, I don't think I'll be going this time," she said to her.

"You have to go," Molly nearly cried out. "It won't be the same if you don't." Lily allowed herself to laugh.

"Trust me, you will be too preoccupied to notice that I am not there," she said to her. Molly then knew that Mr. Larabee probably hadn't asked Lily to go. 'I could live to be 100 and never understand that man,' Molly thought to herself. "Now you should get to school, you don't want to be late," Lily said leading her to the door.

"I'll stop back at dinner time," Molly said to her, giving her a kiss on the cheek before walking down the stairs.

"Are you gonna ask her?" Buck chided JD as he noticed Molly walk upstairs to see Lily as she did most every morning.

"Buck will you just leave it alone? I'm sorry I even mentioned it!" JD said in frustration. He had made the mistake of asking Buck's advise for how he could ask Molly to go riding with him after school that afternoon. None of them noticed how Vin seemed to squirm in his seat at the topic of conversation. A few minutes later Molly made her way back down and as a joke Buck pushed at JD's chair with his foot, causing it to slide in Molly's direction and nearly sending the young man toppling. Molly heard the noise and looked over at JD who glared at Buck before turning to Molly and taking off his hat.

"Good morning, John," she said to him.

"Hi, um, can I walk with you?" he said to her, not wanting to ask her in front of everyone. She smiled at him and took his arm and the two made their way out into the street. "It's gonna be a nice day," he commented.

"Yes, it is," Molly answered him.

"So then do you think, I mean would you like," JD hated the fact that he was stammering all over the place. He was thankful Buck couldn't hear him or he'd never hear the end of it. "I'm wondering if you'd like to go riding this afternoon with me?" JD finally blurted out. They had reached the school and most of the children were there playing near the front door. "I mean I know you don't have a horse but I'm sure that Lily would let you use hers or you could even take one from the livery for a few hours," JD said to her. Molly wasn't quite sure how to answer him.

"That's just a nice invitation," she started.

"So then I can meet you here after school then?" JD said cutting off the rest of what she wanted to say.

"I'm sorry, John, but I'm afraid my answer has to be no," Molly replied, almost stammering herself. She hated the look of disappointment that crossed his face. "It's just that, well the celebration is tomorrow and there's so much to do to get ready for it. But I am looking forward to the day tomorrow," she said, placing a hand on his arm. He just nodded and made himself smile at her.

"Sure, I mean I guess I didn't even think of that. Maybe another time then. You should, the kids are waiting for you," he said to her before turning to walk back up the street. He would avoid the saloon for now. They'd all come to know soon anyway that she'd turned him down.