THE NANNY

Adam Cartwright didn’t know what he got into when his youngest brother Little Joe convinced him to hire a nanny for the twins Mitch and Pam.

The reaction of Adam was, “Have you become completely mad now? I can handle my children easily alone. They really don’t need a nanny. And especially not if you know one.”

“Come on Adam. They clearly miss a mother figure. And my girlfriend needs a job after her husband has left her”, replied Little Joe.

“There are enough jobs for her. Why should she be looking after my children?”, asked Adam.

“Why not? You have never met her. Maybe you like her”, reacted his brother.

“I know how you are with girls and women. So that often means bad news”, said Adam.

“Now and then. Well, what do you say about it? You say yourself often that the children must get on with other people too”, was the remark of Little Joe.

Adam sighted deep and said with reluctance, “Just take her along then. I will tell the twins myself that they have a nanny from now on. Poor Mitch and Pam.”

Little Joe jumped up and went excited to Virginia City.

“You won’t regret it”, he called at the door.

“May hope of not”, Adam mumbled.

He got up and walked outside where the twins were playing baseball. Mitch hit the ball to his father who caught him at once.

“You are out”, Adam said teasing.

“Not. That was a foul ball”, the boy reacted at once.

“I must tell you something. Come and sit down at the porch for a moment”, Adam said seriously.

They walked to the porch.

“Uncle Joe has talked me into hiring an old girlfriend of his as a nanny for you. She is an old finance of his so don’t try to test her like you can do that so well”, said Adam.

“Why must we suddenly have a nanny?”, asked Mitch.

“I wonder that too but to keep your uncle satisfied I gave permission. But I already know now that it won’t work out”, his father replied.

“She is probably very ugly and/or mean”, said Pam.

“You know that I am away tomorrow for rounding up the herd so I demand you to behave yourself”, Adam said serious.

The twins nodded.

“If you get married again we have a mamma again and we don’t need to have a nanny”, Pam suggested.

Two pair of eyes looked at Adam questionable.

“You mean that I must propose to Miss Sally?”, the eldest Cartwright boy asked.

Mitch and Pam nodded at the same time.

“I promise nothing but I will think about it. You go on playing baseball for a while, then I can finish the administration before the de nanny comes”, Adam said finally.

They did that.

Meanwhile Little Joe had reached Virginia City and he was in the company of Emily Anderson.

“Joe, I must have something to do. Don’t you know a job for me?”, she asked suave.

“I have that indeed. You can start right away as a nanny for my nephew and niece. They really need a mother figure. You can fulfill that role just like that”, replied Little Joe.

“I must look after two children? Can’t their parents not do that?”, asked Emily.

“Their mother died last year and their father, my brother Adam, is often away for business. It also has its advantages to be their nanny”, said Little Joe.

“And that are?”, Emily asked innocent.

“You have room and board. But the biggest advantage is that we can be together more often”, was the answer.

The last thing was good for Emily and she accepted the offer.

After a while Mitch and Pam saw their uncle coming again. This time he had a woman with him.

“Is that the latest conquest of uncle Joe?”, whispered Pam.

“If that is so, then his taste has become very much worse”, her brother reacted on a whispering tone.

Little Joe said to Emily, “You must look after those two.”

“They seem very quiet to me. I will look after them so well that they will see me as their own mother”, Emily replied full of self-confidence.

Little Joe stopped the wagon and jumped from it. Here after he helped Emily from it. The twins came closer and behaved themselves very nicely. Cody, the dog of the family, ran inside to warn Adam. He came with the dog to his brother.

“Kids, this is your new nanny, Miss Anderson. Emily, these are Mitch and Pam. And that is their father and my brother Adam”, said Little Joe.

Cody barked loud and indignant.

“Don’t you forget someone to introduce?”, asked Mitch.

“Emily, this is our dog Cody. Cody, this is the nanny of the twins”, said Little Joe.

Cody went to sit and gave a paw but Emily didn’t look at him. Hereby Emily didn’t make a good impression at Adam, the twins and of course Cody.

“I hope that daddy will propose soon to Miss Sally so that she can leave”, Pam said whispering.

“We just are going to chase her away. Cody will love to help us”, her brother whispered.

They went to play baseball again and the adults went inside. Cody went to play with the children.

Inside Emily said indignant, “Joe, you haven’t said to me at all that you also have a dog. And that your nephew and niece are a bit older. I thought that they were still very little.”

“They are that too. Compared to us. I had just forgotten that of Cody. I am sorry”, replied Little Joe.

Adam noticed that the new nanny wasn’t fond of his offspring and dog.

“Miss Anderson, I rely on the fact that the twins and Cody get treated well by you. Or otherwise you have me to deal with”, he said.

“I won’t disappoint you”, Emily reacted where after Adam went away.

Emily surrendered herself to her former finance and forgot the children totally. Little Joe showed her the bedroom where she could spend the night.

A few hours later Ben and Hoss, the father and brother of Adam and Little Joe, came home. At the yard they saw the twins and Cody playing baseball.

“Hello grandpa, uncle Hoss. Uncle Joe has taken someone home again and she serves now as our nanny”, Mitch said with laughing eyes.

Ben and Hoss looked at each other amazed.

“Why do you suddenly need a nanny now?”, asked Ben.

“We wonder that ourselves too. She is blonde and super ugly”, said Pam.

“What is she called?”, asked Hoss.

“Emily Anderson. Why? Do you know her then?”, asked Mitch.

“She is an ex of your uncle”, replied Ben.

He dismounted and hitched his horse. Hoss did the same.

“How many exes did uncle Joe actually have? Or have you lost the counting?”, Mitch asked dry.

“We lost the counting. He doesn’t know it himself anymore”, replied Hoss.

“Hoss, we go and greet Miss Anderson as long as she is still here. That probably won’t be long, knowing my grandchildren”, said the rancher.

They went inside while the twins and Cody went to make a plan under the oak to chase Emily as soon as possible.

“First we make sure that she notices that we don’t need her. Then we make her life as miserable as possible where after she leaves by herself”, said Mitch.

That evening Emily ate for the first time along with the Cartwrights. The twins behaved themselves exemplary like they had told. Even Adam noticed that and he knew that there was something behind it. Though he didn’t let anything show.

The rest of the evening was without any further problems or incidents.

Before they left to the herd Adam said to Emily, “The children know what they are allowed to and what not. They have a daily routine and especially Mitch needs that. I want that you stick to that.”

“Adam, you can trust me for one hundred percent. Believe me ”, Emily said suave.

“I hope so. The children mean everything to me”, was his reaction.

Emily was already insulted by what Adam first had said to her but now completely. Though she didn’t let show anything.

After a while she came outside to let the twins come inside.

“Mitch and Pam, come inside at once or you are both in trouble!”, she said strict.

The two looked at each other amazed and worried. Slowly they walked to the porch and looked at Emily with distrust.

“Couldn’t that be a bit faster? I don’t have hours of time to walk behind you”, snapped Emily.

“We haven’t asked for your arrival, have we?”, asked Mitch.

“By the way, daddy neither”, reacted Pam.

Emily became red and stepped in harsh. He grabbed the baseball glove of Mitch whereby the boy fell on the ground and walked with it to the well. Here after she threw the glove in it. Mitch saw what she did and vowed for revenge.

“Get my glove out of it or you go in it as well!”, he said fierce.

“You are just a little child and you can’t force me to do anything. I am now responsible for you and you do what I say. Not the other way around”, replied Emily.

Meanwhile Pam had already gone inside with Cody. She packed their bags and some of Cody too. Here after they went outside again via the backstairs. Quickly the ponies got saddled and Pam took them to the yard.

Mitch said to Emily, “I really can’t understand what my uncle ever saw in you.”

“Mitch, are you coming?”, his sister called then.

Mitch turned around and ran to his pony. He jumped on it and a moment later the children and Cody had left the yard. Emily remained stupefied and angry behind.

After a long while the twins rode into Virginia City. They went straight to the house of Sally Baxton. Sheriff Roy Coffee and deputy Clem Foster saw the children passing by and didn’t trust it.

“What are the children and dog of Adam Cartwright doing here? The school is closed due to vacation”, said Clem.

“There must be something going on at the Ponderosa. You go tell Adam that his children have been seen in town. I am going to keep myself occupied with the twins”, replied Roy.

So said, so done.

Clem rode straight to the herd where he got receiving with amazing.

“Clem, what are you doing here?”, asked Adam.

“The same thing as what your children are doing in Virginia City. Roy and I saw them passing by with Cody”, replied the deputy.

“The twins are in town? They ought to be at home at the ranch”, Adam said amazed.

“I know your twins and it was really them. Or am I crazy now?”, asked Clem.

“Do you want me to answer that?”, Adam asked teasing.

“No, don’t do that because I know already what you want to say. And I am a deputy in function”, reacted Clem.

The other Cartwrights came nearer and heard too that the twins were seen in town.

“Clem, you go with us to question”, Ben said worried.

“Miss Anderson? Emily Anderson? She is wanted for murder at her husband Wade McPhail”, said Clem.

“Joe, you have advised me to hire a very fine nanny”, Adam said furious.

He gave his horse the spurs and went to the ranch.

Emily was clearly shocked when she saw Adam coming.

“Adam, your children cannot even listen to me. I do everything for them but they run away from home with that dog of theirs”, she lied.

“They can listen excellently but you have to leave them in their value. Where is that husband of yours?”, asked Adam.

“At home. We had some problems and I decided to go away for a while”, said Emily.

“You probably have forgotten to tell that? Or is he six feet under the ground?”, Adam asked sarcastic.

“You rather keep silent about your problems than spread them around. My husband is just at home”, Emily replied fierce.

“I am going to look up my children. Then I spend my time much better than listening to your lies”, Adam reacted where after he rode away.

Emily shrugged her shoulders and went to sit on the porch. Then she saw the others coming. In her mind she searched for the best lies in her book of lies.

“Emily, is it true that your husband is dead?”, Little Joe asked directly.

“No, he is alive and well and at home. Why? Who says that he is dead?”, Emily asked on her turn.

“You are wanted for murder at your husband”, Clem said while he took the arrest warrant out of his inside pocket.

“That are all lies”, she snapped.

“Miss Anderson, how come that my grandchildren suddenly are in Virginia City instead of here?”, Ben asked strict.

“Mitch refused to come inside to eat. When I had ordered him ten times to stop playing baseball he didn’t do that but he threw his glove in the well. Then they ran away”, Emily said without turning a hair.

“Mitchy throws his glove in the well just like that? I really cannot believe that”, said Hoss.

He dismounted and went to the well to get the glove. Candy Canaday, the foreman, and hand Griff King went to help him.

In the meantime Roy had summoned the twins to go with him. Sally Baxton saw that and went after them.

“Sheriff, why do you arrest these two?”, she wanted to know.

The twins recognized Sally and were relieved.

“They ought to be at home at the Ponderosa and not here in town”, said Roy.

“Just let them stay with me”, said Sally.

“I would like to hear them though. You may be there”, said the sheriff.

In the office Roy and Sally got to hear everything. Mitch was too much upset to say anything so that his sister had the word. Cody sat by his little boss and barked every now and then. When Roy heard how the nanny was called he couldn’t believe his ears.

“That nanny of yours is a murderess”, said the sheriff.

“Daddy had to hire her at advice of uncle Joe”, reacted Pam.

Roy and Sally looked at each other and they knew enough.

“Miss Baxton, take the children and Cody along to your house. As soon as I see Adam or another Cartwright I will say that to them”, said de sheriff.

“Come kids. Cody, are you coming?”, asked Sally.

The twins and Cody went along with Sally to her house where they had been much times before.

Meanwhile Emily was the subject of cross examination.

“What is the real reason for your staying here? On the run for the law?”, asked Little Joe.

“No, like I already said: we have some problems in our marriage and being separated from each other seemed a good idea to us”, replied Emily.

She noticed that nobody believed her and set plan B in working.

“I will leave at once”, she said.

She went inside to pack her bag and a moment later she grabbed her horse to leave. She went away so fast that nobody could stop her.

Clem and Little Joe went after her. Emily constantly kept on looking behind her and saw for that reason not the branch which hung a bit low. The branch grabbed her and with a loud scream Emily flew into the canyon. By the branch and the fall Emily died for her country. Clem and Little Joe came to the horse and saw the body of Emily lying.

Little Joe reacted with, “Just let her body lie there for the vultures. Then they have a delicious meal too.”

“I wonder if they want her”, Clem remarked.

They turned their horses and rode back to the ranch.

In the meantime Adam had reached Virginia City and had become dead worried about where his children and dog had been. Roy saw him coming and stopped the eldest Cartwright boy.

“Adam, you can be at ease because your kids and Cody are being taken along by Miss Baxton. She would take care of them until you would come”, said the sheriff.

“Thanks Roy”, said Adam.

He gave his horse the spurs and rode straight to the house of his girlfriend. He stopped in front of the door and dismounted. After Sport was hitched Adam knocked polite at the door. Sally answered it and was surprised to see her boyfriend.

“Roy said to me that my twins and dog are here. Is that right?”, he asked.

“There are here two children and a dog but if they are yours I don’t know”, Sally replied teasing.

She hinted him to come inside and got a warm hug of Adam.

“I ran into them when they were taken away by the sheriff. Especially Mitch is very upset. They are in the garden with Cody”, Sally said worried.

They walked ahead to the garden where the twins ran straight to Adam.

“Boys, it is alright. From now on you won’t get a nanny anymore. I promise you that”, said Adam.

“That monster threw my glove in the well”, said Mitch.

“We will get it out. If it is damaged too much you get a new one”, his father said.

“Can’t she go and look after us?”, Pam asked sneaky.

Adam and Sally were clearly embarrassed by this question and didn’t know what they had to answer. The twins looked at them begging and Cody too did his best to get a positive answer.

“Adam, your children don’t need a nanny but a mother. I do want to be that for them”, Sally said after a long silence.

“I really cannot go against 2 women, a ball player and a dog. Sally, do you want to come to live with us at the ranch?”, asked Adam.

“I thought you would never ask me that. Will your father find it okay?”, Sally asked on her turn.

“When he sees how good you look after his grandchildren he finds it more than okay”, replied Adam.

Sally packed her stuff and with her new family she left for the Ponderosa. There Hoss, Candy and Griff had managed to get the glove of Mitch out of the well.

Ben said to his youngest son, “I hope that you think better before you let hire a nanny for your nephew and niece.”

“Yes pa”, said Little Joe.

Clem went back to town again.

After a while Adam with following came home again

“Sally, welcome to the Ponderosa”, Adam said smiling.

Everybody looked at him. He dismounted and helped Sally on the ground.

“Pa, hopefully you find it alright that Sally comes to live here to raise the twins together with me”, said Adam.

“Of course I do find it alright. Miss Sally, welcome to the Ponderosa”, Ben said to his daughter in law.

“Thank you. Now that I am here too I suggest that the kids won’t get teased anymore by the men who live here and carry the last name of Cartwright”, replied Sally.

Even though the men didn’t agree with this everybody was pleased with the arrival of Sally and Adam not in the last place.

Hoss gave the glove back to his nephew who was now in the very best of mood again.

Emily? Even the most hungry vulture left her body where it was.