Grisham

Grisham couldn't believe it. After all he'd done for the guy, even the Viceroy would rather trust the Queen than him. Or was that "use"? Grisham shook his head as he headed to get his haircut. God, did the Viceroy really think he could use the Queen? And Helm? Forget it! That guy made a loose cannon on deck in a storm look safe. Grisham hoped he wouldn't have to run into Helm today. He needed some space to think and plan. He could probably stitch up either the Queen or Helm separately, but both at once was gonna take some work. He figured he could pull it off, though. After all, Montoya had known that his Captain had been angling for his job for years, but he still hadn't killed him. Grisham smiled to himself. That was Montoya's big mistake--he was way too confident. He might have the upper hand now, but if Grisham just waited long enough, he'd get his chance. Ironically enough (considering they were the Colonel's enemies, and all), that chance would come a lot sooner with Helm and the Queen out of the way. Helm in particular seemed determined to keep Montoya alive, which was pretty funny considering how much they hated each other's guts. At least...he was pretty sure they did.

As he came out of the alleyway, in the opposite direction from the Viceroy's messenger boy, Grisham saw Tessa Alvarado's maid, Marta, hurrying back into the market. That old witch! Has she been listening to them? That could be a problem. He strode toward her as she pretended to busy herself with some widow's weeds piled in a cart. Yeah, like he couldn't tell what she'd been up to. He wondered if he could denounce her for theft right there in the market. Nah. It wouldn't stick. As he approached, he saw her cringe. That brought a smile to his lips, and then an idea to mind. When he'd told the Viceroy's messenger boy that he could get him the Queen, he hadn't known exactly how to go about it. He didn't actually know her identity. On the other hand, he had a good suspicion, and if he just left old Marta alone, he'd get a good test of it in no time. Besides, Marta wouldn't fail to tell Tessa Alvarado what he'd said about her father. Alvarado would come gunning for him, no doubt about that. Whether or not she was the Queen, who would care once she was out of the way? Montoya might be disappointed if the Viceroy got to her lands, and all that gold on them, first, but that was between Montoya and the Viceroy. Grisham didn't need to get involved, just to get the ball rolling and see where it went.

He narrowed his eyes at Marta's hunched shoulders as he passed behind her. And if Tessa Alvarado got in trouble, Helm would leap right to her defense. Not that Montoya would put up with that. He'd do whatever it took to slap Helm down, maybe even hang him, if Helm pushed it too far. Hell, any plan was a good plan if it ended with Helm swinging from a rope.

Grisham passed on by. He could almost hear Marta's sign of relief as he headed toward the doctors' office.

He came up the steps to the office and walked right in. What the hell, the doctor was supposed to be on call all the time. Even if Helm was there, Grisham enjoyed ignoring his constant bitching about knocking first before coming in. He liked getting in under the doc's defenses.

Pirenne looked up from his desk, startled. "Oh!" he said. "Just a minute, Monsieur." He got up from the desk and went to the door of the surgery, where he began speaking to someone inside in a low voice. Damn. So, Helm was here. Probably seeing some peasant about his bad back.

Curious and impatient, Grisham stepped further into the room. "Look, Doc, are you gonna cut my hair or what? I don't have all day, here." He came up behind Pirenne and peered past him into the room, even as Pirenne moved to block him. He heard a gasp from the blonde woman sitting to his right across from Helm's desk. Good Christ, it was Vera!

"What the hell are you doing her?" he said, which was not what he'd meant to say at all.

"You don't have to answer that, Vera," he heard another woman say. He looked down, startled, to see Tessa Alvarado sitting next to Vera, her hand gripping Vera's arm as if to keep her in her seat. What the hell was she doing here?

Helm stood up, glaring at Grisham. "What do you think you're doing?" he said, as if echoing Grisham's thoughts. "This is a private medical consultation. In deference to the ladies, I'll ask you politely, once, to leave before I throw you out."

Against his better judgement, Grisham bridled at the insult. "Hey, where do you get off being so high and mighty? I had an appointment, too, you know."

"Robert, he did have an appointment," Pirenne said in English in a warning tone as Helm started around his desk. Grisham had to give the Frenchman credit for guts--he was standing his ground between them as Helm advanced on the door.

"I don't care. I want him out," Helm replied in the same language. Even though it was his mother tongue, Grisham could barely understand the doctor through the man's anger and heavy accent. Not that he needed an elaboration. Since he was in town on personal business, he'd left his sword and pistol back in his quarters. Cursing himself for being so stupid as to get within range of Helm unarmed, he backed up a step as Helm came across the room.

Pirenne blocked Helm, his arms outstretched. "Robert--non!"

"Get out of my way," Helm said, shoving Pirenne aside as he came through the door after Grisham. His voice was calm and he spoke Spanish again--probably for the benefit of the ladies--but Grisham wasn't fooled. Helm was some almighty pissed off. Grisham took another step backwards, wondering if it would be overkill to go back to his quarters and get his gun.

"Doctor, stop, por favor!" To his astonishment, Grisham realised it was Vera. Helm hesitated, looking as nonplussed as Grisham felt. Both he and Pirenne moved aside as Vera squeezed through the door between them. She approached Grisham and stopped a few feet away, just out of reach. God, she looked cute, even under these circumstances. Grisham thought about closing the distance between them, then caught both Helm's and Pirenne's looks and stayed where he was instead. Vera looked at him sadly. Normally he liked the way she pouted, but not this time. This time it didn't look like a game. "He deserves to know, too," she said over her shoulder to the others.

"Deserves to know what?" Grisham said. As Vera rubbed her belly, her sad look deepening, a horrible suspicion stole over him. "Deserves to know what, Vera?"

Tessa squeezed out between Helm and Pirenne, came up behind Vera and put her arm around Vera's shoulders. "It's all right. You don't have to do this."

Vera looked at her and smiled. "Yes, I do, Tessa. It's all right. Everyone here knows what is going on."

Helm came up on Vera's other side, glowering at Grisham. Pirenne turned and followed Helm, watching him. Grisham watched them both warily. "Do what, Vera?" he said, distracted by keeping an eye on Helm.

"I'm pregnant."

Grisham's mouth dropped open. Shocked, he stared at her, forgetting all about Helm. "What? But...that's not possible. We haven't...We..."

"We parted last fall. I know. I asked for time to think, to heal, and to allay Gaspar's suspicions. And you gave it to me willingly." She smiled at him. It felt like a dagger in his heart. At that moment, he hated her. "I will always be grateful to you, especially since there is now no confusion about the father. The baby is not yours, Marcus. It is Gaspar's."

He narrowed his eyes at her. "Now, why do I find that real hard to believe?" Vera? Faithful to Gaspar? Hah! She couldn't even be faithful to one lover, let alone her old, impotent husband. Anyway, Gaspar couldn't father a kid. She'd told Grisham that a thousand times. It was her big excuse for sleeping with half of Alta California, to give Gaspar a son.

She looked rueful. Oh, yeah. She knew how it sounded. And here came the lower lip sticking out. "I did not think you would believe me, Marcus, but it is true. This has been a very hard year for me, which has made me rethink many things about my life. I am going to have Gaspar's child." The lip stuck out some more. "I cannot see you anymore, Marcus. People would talk, more than they have already. I do not want my sins visited upon my child. I want him, or her, to grow with a better life than I had, a cleaner life." She sniffled. "I will understand if you cannot accept this, though I hope that you will. It will be much easier for all of us if you can."

"So, that's it, huh? 'Gracias and adios'? I don't think so." He took a step forward. Vera didn't move, but Tessa stiffened and stepped in front of her. So, of course, Helm had to get in front of her, which left him and Grisham eyeball to eyeball.

"As I said before, get out," Helm said, so quietly that Grisham wasn't sure anybody else heard it but him.

"I'm not finished here," Grisham snarled back. He sized up Helm. Maybe their previous fights had been inconclusive, but he was willing to give it another try.

Pirenne bulled his way between them, pushing Grisham back even as he blocked Helm. "Non! Gentlemen, this is not acceptable. There are ladies present."

Grisham snorted. "I can take it outside, Doc. How 'bout you?"

"Non. Do not even think about doing that, Robert." Pirenne glared at Helm, who seemed to sag as he calmed down. Calming down himself, Grisham started calculating his odds against both men. He didn't like them at all. He thought he could beat Helm, with a little luck, but not both Helm and Pirenne. And he wasn't the type for hopeless battles, in the name of love or lust or anything else. Retreat seemed the best option...for now.

"This isn't over," he told Vera, whose sad expression didn't change. "Don't think I'm gonna just leave quietly so you can go on and have a happy life with your husband. I'm not that kind of guy and you're sure as hell not that kind of girl." She didn't answer. He half expected her to call him back as he turned and stomped out the door...but she didn't do that, either. Instead, as he stood on the steps, Helm came out behind him and tossed his hat after him. Grisham had forgotten it. Embarrassed, he picked it up, then stared around at the curious crowd that was gathering. "What the hell are yo all staring at?" he snarled. Looking fearful, they backed up as he pushed his way through them.

Once alone again, he went for an aimless walk, seething. What the hell did she think she was doing, dumping him like that? Did she think she could sleep around Santa Elena without anything coming back to bite her? Well, she was in for a big surprise. And those meddlers Helm and Tessa Alvarado... He smiled grimly to himself. He'd get them good. He knew just how he'd do it, too. He'd keep a close eye on his quarters for the next couple days, see if any rats came out of the woodwork. That sweet Seņorita Alvarado was bound to show up at some point. The only question was if she'd come in pistols blazing or try to go through his quarters to dig up evidence on him first. He'd have to be a lot more careful than Colonel Alfonso. She'd plugged Alfonso good last winter for insulting her dear daddy in public, and she'd gotten away with it cold, just like Hidalgo had gotten away cold with murdering Montoya's nephew. Well, the guy had raped Vera. Grisham would have shot Rameriz himself if Hidalgo hadn't had him tied up at the time. Anyway, he could deal with Tessa Alvarado if she came sniffing around. Even if she didn't, Helm was bound to. Yeah...this was sure going to be an interesting week. But first, he needed to find Gaspar Hidalgo.

Continue to Part Four