He beat a hasty verbal retreat with that let's jump in the water to wash the smoke out of the clothes. Yes, he had been kidding all along. Probably? Anyhow regardless it was time to pack up, they'd finished their lunch and she drank the last dregs from the wine bottle, no point taking that home.
He brushed stray dirt off his pants, then squatted to help gather the dishes. "So, ya just wanna go back ta town an' wash out yer clothes, or...dunno, there's a real pretty view of th' mountains."
"I certainly am not going to wash them out when I get home, I don't do laundry every day. I will throw it in with the rest of my needed laundry and do it my laundry day.....Sunday as the diner is never open that day. Now, I know, I know, Sunday is the Lord's day but it's also the day in my week I have the most free time. So if the good Lord gets upset about it, I'm sorry," she answered.
However he mentioned mountains. Yes, there were mountains, you could see them from where they were. Hard to miss mountains...
"So you mean ride up one of those mountains over there?" she looked at the closest with a bit of trepidation. She was not a very good rider.
"The building's a start, an' we can come by the pumper, buy the horses, and move it all in. Don't need the Town Council for any of that. What we need the Town Council for is the blessin', foller'ed by the payroll. Why, we can jest walk on over an' talk to the Mayor about a meetin' on this subject." Barnabas said. "I mean, what are they gonna say? Ain't interested?"
"Yeah, that could happen, but I doubt that it would. It's getting Mayor Wentworth moving on it. He's got plenty keeping him busy." Speed said, "But you're right, we can present what we've got already, and go from there. We can do all the research necessary. Start sprucing the place up, we'll find a pumper."
As he tried to explain what he'd been wearing, Shin rattled off a lot of words that Tully had never heard before and didn't understand, although it all sounded very exotic. "I'd like ta see them again sometime," she murmured quietly, almost a question. "It'd help me get th' colors more right, an' th' patterns, too."
From what she recalled, some of the shaped embroidered on the garments had been elaborate, but she hadn't really had enough time to get a good look.
"What's...Shinsgummy? Why ain't ya that no more? Did ya become a Christian when ya moved here? Or a Methodist?"
"Well, then, we have the building, that's a start!" Emeline declared. "And a little research should give us enough to go to the council and get this done!"
If push came to shove, they could try something on their own, although Emeline wasn't exactly sure how to do that. Certainly, the old-school subscription service could be a consideration, but she doubted any of them would just sit by and watch someone's house or business burn because they weren't part of that.
"At any rate, we can start doing some of the renovations here, and I can get started on those lace curtains!"
Alice looked up suddenly at the sound of the female voice. She was thoroughly surprised that the voice belonged to Miss Arabella Mudd, of the nude actress fame. If it could be called that."Why, hello, Arabella. I think we were just about to finish up here, not too sure that I actually accomplished anything, really." She explained.
"I am after a wedding gown, and just having a dickens of a time trying to explain what it is I want." She continued, "Mister Pettigrew here even suggested I see some of those that he made for you, but here you are. How fortuitous for me that you are here. Now, what I was telling Mister Pettigrew, rather poorly, I'm afraid, was that I want a dress that a mine owner's bride would be married in. We're doing quite well, and he has another mine that will be coming online soon enough.
"Now I had thought that I'd need dresses as a professional man's wife as well, and probably conveyed that all wrong as well. This is not something I am accustomed to doing." She looked a bit lost.
"I want a dress that is well, a dress with class, but also a dress that would not embarrass Speed or me, and one that would do you and the town justice. We are growing and becoming a place that people who'll be setting here, doing business here." She smiled. I know that the Marshall may not be the Marshal by then, but he is also a mine owner and a business owner here in town, so every bit helps with the appearance of the place."
Wus nodded politely. The woman seemed easily to get distracted from the all important subject of her wedding dress to a general discursion on her husband-to-be's standing in the community.
... "And with the hospital, and then the orphanage coming perhaps by next year, there will be a lot going on here. There will surely be people of means moving in here, don't you think?" She asked.
"Er, yes, er, now then... about the sleeves... as you can see, these match the pleated ruffles on the skirts of the dress and add a certain symmetry..." he rumbled on.
There was a knock on the door and from without came an light voice with a southern drawl as long as Mr Pettigrew's.
"Aw yooo-hooo? Mr P.? Miss Fletcher? May I intrude?"
The door cracked open and the elfin face of Miss Arabella Mudd peeped in.
Shintaro studied her for a few moments when she talked about staying out of sight. He had to wonder how hard her life must have been if hiding was her default solution to avoid being harassed. Only Eta did their best to stay out of sight, mostly due to being considered the lowest caste in Japan's social structure. Yet, they weren't bothered by those of higher class, none wanted to touch such people so they were left to do the jobs nobody of standing would want to even consider. Still, they served an important role in society, clearing away human waste, tending to animal carcasses among other things.
Tully however, didn't seem to be of that sort and American didn't have a caste system, people typically earned their level of respect, instead of being born into it. For now he decided not to push her about learning self defense, perhaps once she learned he could be trusted, it will be something she'd be willing to learn.
He turned his attention to the other drawings, admiring the landscapes and other animals. The style was so different than the art he had seen in Japan, the coloured pencils were a very different medium compared to brush art and block printing.
"You could make a living doing work like this," he observed.
"I was wearing a kimono with hakama and my Shinsengumi haori," Shintaro explains, "As there didn't seem to be an official uniform for deputies besides the badge, I decided what I typically wore during my time as a member of the Shinsengumi would be practical."
"I want a dress that is well, a dress with class, but also a dress that would not embarrass Speed or me, and one that would do you and tie town justice. We are growing and becoming a place that people who'll be setting here, doing business here." She smiled. I know that the Marshall may not be the Marshal by then, but he is also a mine owner and a business owner here in town, so every bit helps with the appearance of the place."
Kalispell might have a ways to go yet, but the railroad was supposedly on its way, and attracting businesses was only a part of what was happening. "And with the hospital, and then the orphanage coming perhaps by next year, there will be a lot going on here. There will surely be people of means moving in here, don't you think?" She asked.
"Now let me gather some facts: Barnabas Pike shot a girl who was trespassing."
"Cor-rect" Mrs Patterson Forde confirmed with a terse little nod.
"Sometime later, Barnabas's sister shot him dead. I would say that's frontier justice."
"And I would say you're not listening!" Patty frowned "Barnabas Pike hasn't got a sister... or well, if he has, she's not part of this set up. Pike has a wife, and she shot the brother of the girl her husband shot, see? It's simple!" She was wondering if she'd come to the right person here.
"Which Pike is the one who is Deputy Sheriff?"
"Barnabas Pike... well it wouldn't be his wife would it? Who ever heard of a female deputy?" she asked, starting to sound a little cross now.
"And, in what capacity can I help "this girl" who you talk of? Who is she?"
"She's called Cicely Lister and you can help her by suing the pants off of Pike... Deputy Barnabas Pike" she added quickly, lest they go through that whole rigamarole again.
"Shooting an innocent unarmed girl like that, it's disgusting!" she added, for good measure.
"Would you care to sit?" he followed up with and pointed to a stuffed chair near the wall. "Perhaps you can introduce yourself?"
"Uh?" queried Patty. Oh! Of course! Although she was the brains behind the concern that running the sutler business supplying food and grog to the miners at Priest's mine, she'd never actually met the feller and only knew him from afar.
Priest sat across from her, his face now the picture of solemn jurisprudence.
"I'm Patty Patterson Forde, Florence's mother" she said coolly. in her own way, the dumpy little woman was as formidable as Jim Henry. "But I'm not here about her. I'm here about another girl. This girl was shot in cold blood by Barnabas Pike. Emmaline Pike shot her brother dead, too, from what I've heard. Apparently the boy deserved it, but the girl was doing nothing more than trespassing on the Pike range. I want you to help the girl." She didn't give her reasons for wanting to help this unknown person, but it was clear that she had no love for Pronto and his family.
All this was news to Hiram. He'd spent far too long in other pursuits.
"You know, this Pike feller thinks because he's a town deputy, he's above the law. I reckon he needs bringing down a peg or two."
He held up his palm.
"Now let me gather some facts: Barnabas Pike shot a girl who was trespassing. Sometime later, Barnabas's sister shot him dead. I would say that's frontier justice. Which Pike is the one who is Deputy Sheriff? And, in what capacity can I help "this girl" who you talk of? Who is she?"
The woman before him reminded Hiram of Queen Victoria.