Helm came out of the back room. "Elena is resting comfortably."

"Doctor, what is wrong with her?" asked a worried Juan Pablo.

"There is really nothing wrong with her," smiled Helm. "I think the heat got to her."

"It was rather warm. Can I see her?" asked Tessa.

"Yes. Just don’t tax her right now; she needs a bit of rest and lots of fluids."

Act Three

Tessa walked into the back room and closed the door, as everyone but Helm and Juan Pablo left the office.

"Elena, are you all right?" whispered Tessa.

Elena jumped out of the bed and took Tessa’s hands and spun around. "All right? I am perfect," she laughed. " Did I faint properly?"

"What do you mean, 'faint properly'?" asked Tessa.

"I have watched you faint when you needed to make someone think you were fragile," smirked Elena.

"Why, you little minx," laughed Tessa. "What made you think I need someone to think I was fragile?"

"Montoya was looking at you suspiciously during the trial. Even Josephine showing up as the Queen wasn’t enough, so I thought I would throw in a little extra drama," replied Elena.

"Where did you learn to be an actress?" asked Tessa.

"Maybe when I took sword lessons dressed as a boy."

"So, what next?"

"Well, you have Grisham for a month. What do you want to do with him?"

"Ewwww," replied Tessa with a sour look on her face.

Elena laughed. "Tessa, I mean what work do you want him to do?"

"Whew, I thought you were suggesting something else."

"Tessa, the only man for you is Roberto. Now, I have some ideas. First, your stables need cleaning, the irrigation canals need weeding and there is work around the hacienda that needs to be done."

"Hmmm, well Marta and Roman are getting married. Elena, you have given me a great idea, but Marta and Roman must not know about it."

"Tessa, what is it?"

"Well, everything you said is correct, but Roman and Marta need a home of their own. I think that after morning chores, we’ll see how well Grisham does at homebuilding."

"Can one man do it in a month?"

"No, but he will have some help from some of my workers. They love Marta and will keep a secret."

"Where will you build it?" asked Elena.

"A friend of mine, Rob Swain, and his family stayed here for a few months and rebuilt a small house and forge. It has fallen into some disuse, but could use little repair work, plus some additions."

"Tessa, that is a wonderful idea. How will you be sure he will do it?" asked Elena.

"Elena, do you and Juan Pablo have to leave right away?"

"Actually no. We had decided to take a month to fatten the cattle before moving north. Cattle lose a lot during a drive. Maybe you could get Montoya to give you Grisham for two months. He can remodel the house first and then make the drive."

"Elena, that is a wonderful idea," replied Tessa. "I’ll go see Montoya in the morning. Do you think you can persuade Juan Pablo to ride herd on Grisham?"

Elena batted her eyes. "I can get Juan Pablo to do anything," she said, as she pouted.

"Oh, you are good," laughed Tessa. "Now, should we bring your unsuspecting husband in?"

"Go get him," said Elena, as she slipped back onto the bed.

Juan Pablo walked in and Tessa closed the door. Neither woman spoke. Juan Pablo watched both women and noticed Elena’s twitching lower lip.

"All right, what is it you want me to do?" he asked.

Both women laughed and Elena jumped from the bed and hugged her husband and kissed him.

When Elena and Juan Pablo didn’t come up for air, Tessa quietly slipped out of the door. She felt her cheeks turning warm as she closed the door and turned to find herself face-to-face with Helm.

Helm slipped his arm around her waist and kissed her.

"Roberto, what if someone comes in?"

"I locked the door," he said, as he brought her lips to his.

Helm kissed her deeply and then kissed her behind her ear and moved along her jawline to her throat.

Tessa gave a slight moan as she felt his hand move down her back, and she wrapped her arms around his back and let her hands travel downwards to his bum.

Tessa pulled away slightly and started to unbutton her blouse.

"No," said Helm out of breath. "Not here. Not now."

She looked at him, confused. "Why not?"

"I will not make love to you on this floor while our friends are in the next room. I want a more romantic scene," he said.

Helm and Tessa heard a low knock coming from the bedroom door.

"Are you decent?" asked a woman’s voice.

Tessa straightened her clothes and brushed down her skirt.

"Of course we are," replied Tessa, as Elena and Juan Pablo entered the room.

"Why, Tessa, you are flushed. Maybe you should rest in the next room," giggled Elena.

"Elena," said Tessa, as she blushed even redder. "Robert, I need to see Montoya about Grisham’s punishment."

Helm released Tessa’s waist, but held on to her hand as he unlocked the door.

Elena grabbed Tessa’s other hand and pulled her through the door as Tessa’s eyes never left Helm.

"Come, Tessa. First, business and then play," she grinned.

The ladies found Montoya on the veranda at the Cantina.

"Colonel Montoya," said Tessa, "I came to discuss Captain Grisham’s punishment. Could you find it in your power to assign him to me for two months?"

"Two months? Why."

"I have a project that will take about a month and then I want him to accompany Don Vallejo in driving the cattle home."

"I presume he will ride drag the whole way?" replied Montoya with an evil grin. "Somehow, that seems fitting. You can have him for two months and good luck."

"Gracias, Colonel," said Tessa, as the ladies went to collect Grisham.

Grisham was leaving his quarters, dressed in civilian clothes.

"Oh, Captain," called Tessa. "I have come to discuss your punishment."

"Can’t wait to rub it in?" asked the Americano.

"No. Colonel Montoya has extended your servitude to two months. I have a house that needs to be remodeled which will take you about a month. After that, you will accompany Don Vallejo in driving the cattle to the Vallejo Rancho."

"You want me to build a house alone? I am not a carpenter."

"No. Don Vallejo and some of my vaqueros will be working with you and you will take orders from Don Vallejo."

"Anything else?" asked Grisham.

"Yes. This is the most important part. You are to tell no one of the house. If Roman and Marta find out, you will wish you had been left in that hole on the beach."

"I promise that they will not hear it from me."

"Good. You may come to my hacienda this evening and you can sleep in the bunkhouse with the vaqueros."

"As you wish, patrona," replied Grisham.

The next morning, Grisham met with Juan Pablo and several vaqueros at the old house. As they walked in and around the structure, Juan Pablo made notes on a piece of paper. When they had inspected the house, they rode to the forest area and started marking trees.

For the next week, they felled trees, stripped out old woodwork and started building adobe bricks.

Tessa rode out to the house at the end of the week to find that the two-room house had expanded to three bedrooms, a study and a kitchen that had been moved to include the well. Marta would have water in her kitchen.

"Juan, this is amazing. It is almost as large as my hacienda," said Tessa.

"Actually, the kitchen idea was from Marcus," replied Juan.

"Grisham? How has he been doing?"

"Very well, actually. Not a single complaint. As a matter of fact, we will be finished in two days and then we can start the cattle drive."

"Wonderful. Roman and Marta don’t suspect a thing," replied Tessa, as she mounted her horse.

"Juan, I was thinking. It is almost Christmas and I want the men to spend time with their families. You have done such a wonderful job; take a week off and then finish up the day after Christmas," said Tessa.

"I like that idea. They have done a lot of work. It will only take three or four days to finish. I will tell the men to come back the day after Christmas," replied Juan Pablo.

Tessa mounted Lindo and headed for home. Several Christmas carols ran through her head and a smile came to her lips.

That night, Robert came to dinner and walked out on the veranda with Juan Pablo.

"Tessa told me you were leaving," said Robert.

"Need to get the cattle home," replied Juan.

"How long will you be gone?"

"Well, we made it here in just two weeks, but cattle don’t gallop, they walk. I think about a month, if we take care."

"A month?" asked Helm, shocked.

"Have you ever been on a cattle drive, Doctor?" asked Juan Pablo.

"No."

"Ever marched behind infantry soldiers?"

"Yes. Some could do about twenty miles a day, quick-step."

"Cattle may do about five or ten miles, depending on terrain. That is, if they have food and water and no stampedes."

"Stampedes?" asked Helm, not liking the sound of that.

"Anytime you drive cattle, there is always the danger of at least one stampede. They can be spooked if they are thirsty and smell water. They can also stampede in a lightning storm, or one of them is bitten by a snake," replied Juan Pablo.

"Does Elena know about this trip?" asked Helm.

"She is the one telling me to go. Seems that with all the wedding plans, she would rather have me doing something useful," Juan Pablo said with a grin.

"Just you and all those cattle." Helm shook his head.

"Not exactly. Roman is coming with me and Grisham will ride drag all the way. By the time he is done, he will never look at a tail in the same way," laughed Juan Pablo.

Helm joined the laughter, which brought Roman, Fenner, Raphael and the ladies into the parlor.

"What is so funny?" asked Tessa.

"Juan Pablo and I were discussing the upcoming cattle drive and the fact that Grisham will be staring at the south end of a herd of north-bound cattle for a month."

"A month or so? What about Elena?" asked Tessa.

"I will be helping with the wedding plans, Tessa. He does need to get those cattle back as soon as possible, before winter really sets in, and do we really want the men here?" replied Elena.

"Winter?" asked Marta.

"If we go too late, the winter fog will roll in and I do not want to try and lead a herd of cattle in tule fog. It is hard enough to drive them in good weather," explained Juan Pablo.

"Well, Montoya gave me Grisham for two months and I still have him for a month," said Tessa.

"I am sure that Montoya will be happy to be rid of Grisham for another month. That is another month the Colonel won’t have to pay him," replied Helm with a grin.

"Roman, you are going with them," said Marta as a statement and not as a question.

"You want me to go?" asked Roman.

"Yes. With all the wedding plans, I don’t want you underfoot," replied Roman.

"What about you, Fenner?" asked Tessa. "Are you going also?"

"Uh, no. Cattle and me don’t get along. Besides, there has to be at least one man to watch the hacienda," replied Fenner.

"What?" asked Marta and Tessa in unison. "Why, of all the . . ."

"Excuse me, ladies. May I say something?" asked Raphael.

"What?" asked Tessa, with a scowl.

"I have to travel to El Pueblo de Los Angeles and I will take Fenner with me for his own protection."

"That would be a very good idea," said Josephine, with the same look that Marta and Tessa had.

"As a matter of fact, I think we will leave the day after Christmas," replied Raphael.

"What’s wrong with now?" asked Josephine.

"I think some more nights in the stables, after he cleans them out, will be fine," said Tessa with an evil grin. "And I want clean hay in there. Chico has been complaining about the human smell."

"Good. Now, that is settled--Tessa may we borrow three or four vaqueros?" asked Juan Pablo.

"Of course. Will that be enough?"

"With Roman, myself, your three vaqueros and Grisham? Hmm maybe we should make that six."

"You have them, amigo. When do you plan on leaving?"

"We have to get supplies, a wagon for the supplies and get Grisham. We will be ready by the first of the year," said Juan Pablo.

Everyone left except Juan Pablo and Roman.

"How do we go?" asked Roman.

"We will follow the El Camino Real to Mission San Miguel then parallel to the Rio de Salinas and then to Mission San Juan Bautista. We will work our way up the eastern side of Bayo de San Francisco to El Rio de Sacramento. There is a ferry that we will use to move the herd a little at a time. Rancho de Vallejo runs all the way to the river, so once we are across, we are home," said Juan Pablo.

"We come back the same way?" asked Roman.

"No, we will backtrack until we get to Mission San Jose and then take El Camino Real to Monterey."

"Why there?"

"Ever heard of a wedding present for your bride?" asked Juan Pablo as he nudged Roman with his elbow.

"Ah yes, a wedding present. I wonder what I should get her?"

"You have a month in the saddle to figure that out," said Juan Pablo.

Act Four

The cattle drive actually started on the third of January and the first day consisted of the men getting used the cattle and vice versa. Captain Grisham continually complained about not being able to use his own horse and his position in the drive. A look from Roman shut him up.

The horse that Grisham was issued was called Maligno and lived up to its name as 'Evil', especially with Grisham. The horse would sidestep when Grisham tried to saddle him and would nip at the man when he would try to mount. Twice, Grisham was bitten on the leg.

As the wagon was loaded, the rest of the men saddled their horses, slammed muskets into the scabbards and slipped short swords or machetes into saddle rings. Lariats were tied to the side of the saddles and ponchos and serapes tied to the back. Every man wore a sombrero, even Grisham, as the heat of Alta California would fry their brains while riding eight to ten hours in the saddle. Canteens were slung over the cantles, two per man. Every man wore a pair of leather chaparajos to protect his leg from the brush.

Juan Pablo lassoed an older steer and moved out towards the head of the herd. Two caballeros rode on each side of the herd, Roman and Grisham followed up in the rear. The men gathered the horse herd of twenty animals and paralleled the cattle. The last man drove the supply wagon.

Juan Pablo checked his pocket watch, which showed six o'clock, whistled and signaled with his hands. Immediately, the morning stillness was broken with whistles and the sounds of reatas slapping on chaps and the men yelling "hyah". The mooing of the cattle indicated they did not really want to walk away from the fresh grass they had been munching, but the urging of the men, and the lead steer, got them moving.

Suddenly, Maligno bucked and Grisham was almost tossed off the angry animal. Grisham took his lariat and smacked the cayuse on the head, which settled him down.

"Either we both make it back or only one of us will," yelled Grisham. "It damn sure won't be you."

Roman laughed at the antics while he moved his horse to urge a straggler back to the herd.

Raphael and Fenner finished watering their horses at the trough near the hacienda, mounted and turned towards Los Angeles. They had already said their goodbye to the ladies.

Continue to Part Eight

If you have missed any episodes so far, you will find them in the Season Three Archives section .