Against the Odds

IN THIS CROSS-OVER Western arching 120 years, be prepared for a little humor and even satire, sex, romance and obnoxious attitudes. The setting is Clyde, a city of 27,600 servicing a hinterland of small productive farm units on the grassy and water restricted plains and on to large ranches on rolling drier hills to rise up mountainous slopes. In pioneering days the Jefferson family arrived first followed shortly by the Elliot's. They cross-married but within this generation the two families divided because of 'the incident'. That centers around the very personable Miss Ellis Jefferson (33), illegitimate daughter of an Elliot, Ellis is a highly successful lawyer and her life as a loner is about to change - dramatically.

*

At the funeral of Gran Jefferson the deceased's brother Jed Elliot was wheeled into the well-filled church with its flaking paint and hard-on-the-butt wooden pews. His appearance caused quite a stir as it was the first time in at least three years the eighty-eight year old had appeared publicly.

Jed arrived after the eulogies had finished. The pastor was paying his personal tribute to Jed's older sister before ending the service. The coffin would then be carted off to the family burial site in the horse-drawn hearse from Stan Gray's Museum of Pioneering History.

Pastor Blake paused, and nodded to Jed. Generous contributions from Jed and his wider family paid a major part of Ashton Blake's stipend.

Jed growled, "I've something to say."

Pastor Blake smiled and welcomed Jed to the service and motioned to Jed's minder to push the wheel-chair to the front of the congregation.

"Thank you family and friends for turning out in big numbers to farewell Gwen," said the bewhiskered old-timer, still with a full head of hair, white of course, and having the aquiline nose and piercing blue eyes of generations of the Elliot men, Of the women, only Gwen's grand-daughter Ellis Jefferson had similar blue eyes. Ellis is the illegitimate daughter of Jeff's son Hamilton who ten years later was shot dead by yet another cuckold husband.

Both the Jefferson and Elliot families were well represented in the church although sitting on opposite sides. Until the rape of Alice Jefferson by Hamilton Elliot, the two families had been linked as founding families and through a number of marriages. After that dreadful 'incident' no complaint was made to the Sheriff but within hours of Alice having recovered enough to talk, Hamilton was rushed to hospital where he stayed for three months recovering from the axe-handle beating received from Alice's husband Ivor Jefferson. Ivor died a few years later from natural causes.

With Jed about to speak there was an air of expectancy as he was not one to waste words.

"With Gwen gone," Jed said, "this community of Clyde has lost almost the last oldtimer linked to early days – the child of pioneers. Followingt those hardy and honest first arrivals were the Hurst's who began to dominate our community by fair means and foul, mostly foul. You younger people will know a little about it but I want everyone to know it was the mother of Gwen and me – Irene Elliot as she was before her marriage – who engineered the deaths of the Hurst ringleaders and the sudden departure from these parts of anyone with Hurst blood."

There were gasps and excited mutterings from the congregation.

"Irene was only nineteen at the time. She disappeared for three days and a week later at noon she stood outside the library, which is where City Hall is now, to welcome the return of a soldier of fortune from the Jefferson family who rode into town wearing an ankle length black leather coat. This sounds like a Western paperback story, doesn't it?"

A few children in the laughed but their parents and particularly grand-parents looked tense.

"This woman who'd become my and Gwen's mother stood on the boardwalk and watched this man walk up, take off his black Stetson and half bow to her. It was just like a Western paperback story actually. He was being hired by young Irene to kill the evil Hurst men."

Jed coughed and Pastor Blake hurried to him with a glass of water.

"Thanks Ashton," Jeff said, wiping his age-thinned lips. "This town quickly learned about this man. In the year 1888 three Hurst men were goaded into and old-time shoot-out on the main street of this town outside the library. When the shooting ceased two of the Hurst's had bullet holes between the eyes and the third took two shots in the belly and died within the hour. A Circuit Judge was a witness to the attack on Irene's man who'd calmly allowed three shots to be fired before he drew his guns. When the last of the other Hurst's had fled the territory the stranger, who'd taken a bullet through the shoulder, put away his guns and in the spring of that year Casper Jefferson married Irene."

There was a great buzz amongst the congregation and someone shouted, "Is that the truth?"

"As sure as God is my witness that is the truth. Many of us here are descendents of Casper and Gwen Jefferson and I'd like you Elliot's who include descendents of mine to remember that and to think about it and this enduring resentment between the two families. If it hadn't been for Casper Jefferson as a result of Irene getting money from our father the Hurst's would have run our forebears off their ranches and out of this territory, or County as it is now."

"Please stand up Ellis."

His great-niece Ellis stood, dressed in black but with a yellow ribbon around her hat – Gwen's favorite color.

"Ellis is the only person besides Pastor Blake who visits me in the Home for the Elderly regularly. None of you others are that diligent, some of you don't bother at all and that's fine; it's probably the preferred outcome."

Jed sipped more water.

"Those of you interested in relationships will know that because of the wickedness of my late son Hamilton Elliot, Ellis Jefferson is my biological grand-daughter as well as my grand-niece. As you know Ellis is the best attorney in this town and she tends to keep to herself as few of you Jefferson's and the Elliot's acknowledge her as family and regrettably her own mother is unable to consider Ellis as a true daughter because of the way Ellis was conceived. Ellis not only visited me before I admitted myself to the Home for the Elderly but ever since she was a young kid she began visiting both Gwen and me regularly as soon as she could ride a bicycle."

Jed then addressed Ellis personally. "Ellis you are being repaid for the wickedness done to you and for your interest you always showed in Gwen and me which did not fade when you learned the true nature of your birth. Now I address the Jefferson and Elliot families and also speak on behalf of Gwen – we acted on this shortly before she breathed her last. All of the commercial property Gwen possessed in this city will be inherited by Ellis Jefferson and the shares in all other property within the town in which my sister and I have a financial interest will be transferred to her. In addition I have assigned power of attorney in respect of all property I own in this city to Ellis. That means Ellis will be my landlord because my contribution includes the Home for the Elderly. Thank you Ellis, please wait with me at the door to thank these good people for attending Gwen's farewell. So family, there you go. If you don't like it, fight Ellis in Court. Gwen's two ranches will go to her two children – Gwen drew lots in the presence of me and our two solicitors to decide that allocation. That's all. Carry on Pastor Blake."

Jed was wheeled to the coffin where he patted it and said, "Goodbye Gwen" before being taken to the rear of the church.

Pastor Blake had to wait patiently for the uproar to die.

The announcement was not a bombshell for Ellis in gaining a huge number of properties which included the building in which her offices are located. She'd been at the signing at her grandmother's bedside with Jed and their two lawyers plus three independent witnesses, Pastor Blake, Gwen's personal physician and the CEO of the Medical Centre invited at Jed and Ellis's request in case any family member challenged the fitness of Gwen and Jed to make decisions of the magnitude they intended.

Standing alongside Jed as people filled out Ellis became aware of receiving a mixed reception but was quite used to that from these people. Some of the congregation including her future tenants, employees and clients congratulated her after expressing their condolences while others ignored her, frowned at her or went further and cast dark looks. Her two younger sisters kissed and congratulated her while her mother looked at her upset and disoriented which Ellis thought was perhaps understandable as the rape had once again resurfaced to haunt her mother.

* * *

Afternoon tea was held in the church hall and those who attended the private burial later joined that gathering. Many people discussed a common theme: only Jed was left now. After most of the people had drifted off Ellis was called to a joint family meeting of direct family descendants.

"Money is a great way to entice feuding families to present a united front," Ellis said to her mother who'd been asked to fetch her.

"Be on your best behavior and try to be conciliatory," Alice said, almost whispering. "This is a terrible thing to have happened – you being given all that property."

"Oh gee, thanks mom."

As expected, only adult relatives were present and standing waiting for her grimly was Philip Elliot, presumably self-appointed as spokesman. Well, Ellis mused, he was the most aggressive and the wealthiest of his peers.

"Welcome Ellis," he said. "Please sit down."

Noticing her mother had taken the last seat Ellis flicked her blonde hair back over both shoulders and smiled. "I'd rather stand thank you Philip – I don't have a great deal of time available."

Philip snapped, "Then come and stand alongside me."

"No thank you," Ellis said, leaning against the wall midway down the hall.

"Right, let's have a short meeting Ellis. We want those property transfers rescinded and the terms expressed relating to them in the Will to be re-written by an independent attorney and taken to the Court for ratification and for you to support fully those moves and for similar provisions to apply when my father dies. He's just told me that his transfers do not take effect until his death, that what you have from him is power of attorney to administer his holdings, to be responsible for all income and outgoings, taxes and you then pocket what remains. We can't allow this Ellis; you are nobody's family – even your mother acts if she only partly recognizes you as family."

That last remark angered Ellis; he had no need to bring her mother into this, upsetting her. But she let it be. She asked, "Who are quote 'we' unquote, Philip?"

"The direct beneficiaries of the estate of Gwen Jefferson and the ultimate estate of Jed Elliot of course, who are me and my brother Richard, your Uncle Garry Jefferson and possibly your mother Alice Jefferson."

"But not Hamilton's widow June?"

"No, she has disappeared with her family and our earnest attempts to locate her have failed. She long ago decided to disown her late husband's family."

Ellis addressed everyone. "Well since all of those other people just named by Philip are here they'll have to accept this: "I have inherited my grandmother's commercial property interests legally and have been empowered legally by my great-uncle to administer his commercial property interests during his remaining life-time for my own financial gain. So there it is; I totally accept their decisions to hand me these endowments and advise you I propose making no changes to their decisions. So that's it; period. Now please excuse me as I have finished here."

"You'll regret that decision Ellis."

"Is that a threat Philip?"

"Er, no. But we will fight you over your ill-considered decision."

"Oh no Philip – the only thing ill-considered is the move you and any supporters you have made to confront me like this. That being the intent, then I'll see you and any others who join you in Court. Goodbye everyone. Please comfort my mother Philip; those comments of yours relating to her have upset her and she's weeping."

Cousin Mitch was among the few to acknowledge Ellis's farewell and he went beyond a nod and wave when he called "Goodbye Ellis" rather loudly and that drew a scowl from his father. Wife Gabriel, sitting beside Mitch and holding their youngest child, stepped past him to go to Alice. Gabriel knew there wouldn't be much comforting required because her Aunt Alice's eyes would light up when baby Jenni held out her arms to be taken.

A burly cousin seated near Mitch said gruffly, "I reckon your dad's taken on more than he can chew; Ellis is one tough lady."

"She's soft as butter inside," Mitch said, staring at his father being patted on the back or kissed by the other claimants. "But sure as hell she doesn't go lightly with fools, bullies and wrongdoers."

Jon the cousin grinned: "Is that your father you're talking about?"

"Yes and along with Richard and to a certain extent your father Garry."

Jon lost his grin: "You're kidding" and received back the unsatisfactory reply, "Am I?"

All of Ellis's cousins had some sympathy for Ellis, unlike their parents, and all through the lower grades at school Mitch (Mitchell) had acted as her protector. Not far into high school his protection became no longer required as Ellis reluctantly accepted she was the black sheep of the two families in the eyes of her uncles and aunts. In her first year at college she and Mitch being a year ahead of her, became lovers for a while. After her graduation and two years' practical experience Ellis returned to the city to open a law practice under her own name and gradually her mother, sisters and their husbands and some cousins switched their legal work to Ellis because she was building a reputation as being effective and client-oriented.

After walking out from that appallingly and naive meeting, Ellis stood in the fresh air – very fresh because of snow still on the distant hills – looking in through the window of Marci's Fashion Wear Store, idly wondering if this was one of her properties. There were so many of them; through the actions of Gwen and Jed she now controlled one-third of all commercial property in Clyde-on-Wide River or Clyde as the city on both sides of the river was more commonly known - more than forty buildings.

She smiled at turning up the City's full name. An Englishman had been the first known white man to have crossed the waterway which he called Wide River, ignoring the Indian name, He recorded that uninspiring name on the rough map of the territory he was crossing and drew a circle in the centre of the vast treeless grasslands and named that Clyde after the place in Scotland where his wife had been born.

First to settle were the Jefferson's followed by the Elliot and Hurst families. Although arriving years in the wake of that first European explorer, the Jefferson's in five wagons came to the very same crossing and decided their great journey had ended and camped. A few days later a trader cane across them and relaxing after bartering, pulled out a copy of the Englishman's map to support his contention that the new arrivals had founded a community on a spot named Clyde-on-Wide River. It was an awful name and before the night was out the settlers knew their place of intended settlement as Clyde.

Store operator Marci Jones eyed nervously the woman she'd identified as Ellis Jefferson looking at the window display. Marci thought you cold blue-eye bitch looking to see how far my rent can be ratcheted up. Ellis was known to her but yet she didn't know Ellis. Word was she was a great lawyer and had no favorites, treating everyone the same. Although she wasn't married rumor was she wasn't gay; she just had her men visit, or visited them, after dark. God, she was coming in.

Marci watch the tall blonde woman coming at her and was ill at ease. Rent rises were expected through the mail and not in a direct confrontation where tempers could flare forcing customers to scuttle for cover. She was amazed how physical Ellis looked close up – powerful shoulders and she even moved athletically and yet she'd pass as one of the best looking women Marci knew in Clyde and she knew all the well-heeled ones. Ellis was a regular but she'd never served her; her assistants had never reported a problem with her and she did call fairly frequently.

"Good afternoon Miss Jefferson."

"Hi Marci, but cut the crap. You were three grades ahead of me at high school so I'm the one who should be acting deferentially."

"Of course Ellis but you are such a successful businesswoman I felt showing a little respect was in order."

That appeared to amuse the shopper. "Businesswoman? What I know about business would be half of what you know Marci. I'm told this is the most successful boutique business within one hundred miles; you ought to be extremely proud of yourself."

Who told Ellis that? Now my rent rise will go through the roof, Marci thought, grinding her teeth but she smiled and said, "That is so lovely of you to say that Ellis – a false rumor of course."

"Nice footwork," Ellis smiled. "But I'm here to try on that blue dress in the window, not to discuss boring business economics. It's my dress, I know it is."

"Of course it is, I can see blue is your soul color. Jacqui only put it on display an hour ago. I'll call her."

"I rather you fetch and fit the dress, Marci. If you don't mind me saying so, I spend something like $1500 at month at your beauty saloon including on cosmetics and much more than that at this boutique. I think I deserve the attention of the proprietor when she is not otherwise engaged."

You hard-nosed bitch fumed Marci, smiling and saying, "Of course, you definitely are a high-value customer and deserve to be treated accordingly. I understand you treat all your clients even handedly."

"You should become one Marci and see for yourself. If Stan Roebuck is greasing up to you it's only for one thing."

"Ellis, really," Marci said, blushing and unable to cut off the giggle. "How on earth do you know about Stan and me; he's a fine lawyer."

"If you say so."

"Then isn't he?"

"Professional ethics prevent me from answering that. But Marci, you'll know his wife Sandra probably as well as I do; if she ever finds out she'll divorce him and then watch her large circle of friends rally around her, most of those women are your clientele."

"Oh God, how could I have been so stupid. I thought you said you know nothing about business?"

"Correction, I said I probably only know about half of what you know about business. I know nothing about dealing with on-sellers, how to squeeze margins, timing sales, finding new suppliers, working revolving credit, dressing windows, in-store security and the like, but what I specialize in is people, problem solving, attempting to mitigate their wrong-doings and I know an awful lot about the politics of business and of course I am expert at settling matrimonial disputes and handling divorces."

"Oh Ellis, thank God you walked into my store on the quietest day all month, I sent the girls out to the back to put their feet up. I'll never forget you for this."

"It's nothing, Marci. A little hint to anyone facing potential problems usually doesn't go amiss. The blue dress?"

The blue dress was a perfect fit but the hem needed raising an inch to suit Ellis's taste.

"I'll pay now and pick up the altered dress Friday."

"There is no charge – I'm giving you the dress."

Ellis smiled and said that was a lovely gesture but Marci was in business for profit. She said she wouldn't take it as a gift but would be happy with a 20% discount for delivering some unsolicited advice. Marci agreed and after Ellis left adjusted the computer so that boutique client Ellis Jefferson went on a preferential client category and in the space for 'discount' Ellis inserted 20 percent which would apply to all future purchases by Ellis.