After hearing Clara's answer, Charlie shrugged his shoulders. He turned to Arabella and sighed, "Well, since you're not making a complaint and Clara has no intention of letting us in, then there's nothing else to do but go."

"Oh!" frowned Arabella "Oh well, at least if things start going missing around town, you'll know who the culprit probably is. Remember the name, Deputy: Tilly Wyoming!"

With that Charlie moved on.

"If you need me you know where to find me."

Arabella nodded, and then frowned again, and then ran after him.

"Hey, wait!" She was panting as she caught up with him: her corsets were tight. She didn't need corsets with her skinny figure, of course, but wearing them made her feel grown up. "Where can I find you? At the Marshall's office? And how's it going, ol' Charlie, ol' pal. I never see you nowadays. What's it like being a Deputy? Is Mister Guyer nice to you? When's Mr Pike coming back? You got a new girlfriend yet?" she tried not to grin when she asked him the last, more teasing, question.

Still pressed against the wall, Tully heard Arabella's rampage -- how could she not? -- and as earnest as the girl was, she was not at all reassuring to Tully.  She'd heard the platitudes before, even fallen for them when she was younger, only to be betrayed, one way or another.

It was finally quiet, maybe safe...Tully looked at Clara, taking a tentative step forward.  "Thank ya, Missus.  I didn't mean no harm, an' I won't come around again."  She took another step.  "I'll be goin' now."  She hoped!

Well, Charlie had not pressured her to open up any further but simply left. Exactly as Clara had hoped for. Of course Arabella had to have her last say but then seemed to depart the back alley also. That left this woman and her. Clara wasn't nervous though, she was confident the woman would not do her any harm and if worse came to worse, Jacob was only a shout away and would come running.

Tully looked at Clara, taking a tentative step forward. "Thank ya, Missus. I didn't mean no harm, an' I won't come around again." 

She took another step, "I'll be going now."

"It is Clara, you can call me by my Christian name," she replied softly, "And what about that piece of pie. Our pie here is really good, if I might be allowed to brag...just a little. Stay long enough to eat it with some coffee. We had a deal, right? You clean up and I give you pie."

But Clara made a point of not standing in her path to leave out the back way, "However, if that is your wish, I will not stop you from leaving."

The food sounded tempting, after all, that was what started all this.  Still, the better part of discretion was to run while she had the chance, just in case Clara changed her mind, or her angry husband returned...

"That's real kind," she muttered, looking down at her hands, then hiding them behind her back, "but that girl's right, I stink bad, an' I ain't clean or nothin', I should not ought ta be sittin' at yer nice table."

"And how is leaving suddenly going to change how you smell? It is not that bad anyhow," Clara retorted.

"Also, please forgive my curiosity but where do you sleep at night? I could perhaps fetch you a blanket and you could sleep on the floor here? I am unable to offer you a bed because the quarters upstairs only has one bed and my Jacob and I share that," she offered.

"Then tomorrow we could heat some water for a proper bath, I would have time before I need to open the business," Clara added, regardless of Christian charity she was not about to neglect her duties to run the place until Emeline got back. But she felt badly about simply letting the woman wander off without at least giving her a chance. She also had a strong hunch Emeline would do the same in this matter.

"I got a place outside'a town," Tully commented defiantly, she wasn't going to take charity, and didn't want anyone to think that she couldn't do for herself.  But then she relented a bit, after all, there was pie and hot coffee on the table for the taking, all Tully had to do was sit down and be pleasant for a bit.

"I appreciate whacher offerin', it's real kind, but I can make due."  Well, after the pie!  And just in case Clara thought she was just going to leave, Tully edged over to the table and sat in a chair, keeping an eye on the door.  "I'm sorry 'bout th' stew, an' truly do appreciate th' pie.  Yer husband's real protective.  Is he good to ya?"

Turned out this woman claimed she had a place outside of town. How exactly she managed that would have been a fair question indeed but Clara was not going to push it.Best to take small steps toward progress. As Clara pretty much expected her latest offer was now turned down. She had made it in all sincerity but again, she would not force anything on the skittish woman.

Suddenly Tully sat down at the table? Ahhh, so the temptation of pie worked then!

"Yes, the pie. Of course, you will not regret this decision once you taste our pie," Clara assured her as she quickly produced a plate then cut a generous slice from the remaining apple pie on the shelf. Setting it down in front of Tully she also supplied a fork.

"There you go. We use cinnamon, see what you think of it," Clara then stepped back to let the woman eat. Tully now inquired about Jacob, a question Clara was glad to answer.

"He is very good to me. You got it right though, he can get very protective. But Jacob is really very sweet and kind.I believe he will make an excellent father too. I know he is looking forward to meeting our new arrival. This is our first. I have to admit I am nervous about it all. But eager," this was a pleasant topic for her to expound upon.

Tully tucked into the pie, more aggressively than was proper in most settings, and it was only after a few bites (at least she was using an fork and swallowing between shovel-fuls!) that she paused and looked up, guiltily putting the fork down. 

"Sorry, Missus."  Taking a breath, she wiped her chin with the napkin (not her sleeve!), then took a small bite.  "It's good he's good, gotta know he'll make a good pa fer yer youngin'." 

She took another bite of pie, followed by a sip of coffee, then asked, "What's it like, havin' a baby inside ya?"  She grinned.  "Good thing they come out before they're growed, huh?"

The way she packed that pie away, poor woman must really be hungry thought Clara but she said nothing.

"Sorry, Missus." Taking a breath, she wiped her chin with the napkin (not her sleeve!), then took a small bite.

"Clara...call me Clara," she repeated herself. Missus made her sound so.....old. She was younger than Tully, she was sure of it.

"It's good he's good, gotta know he'll make a good pa fer yer youngin'."

"I have the utmost faith in Jacob," Clara spoke like a true believer.

Tully took another bite of pie, followed by a sip of coffee, then asked, "What's it like, havin' a baby inside ya?" She grinned. "Good thing they come out before they're growed, huh?"

Even the usually solemn Clara had to weaken for a grin at that line, "Yes, no doubt about that."

"It feels....like someone tied a weight around ones waist. Well, not at first but as the baby puts on weight. For awhile I got sick to my stomach and threw up some. Not so much anymore. It does move around a bit too on occasion, more lately. That is all rather ...exciting. Knowing there is new human being wanting to come out and experience our world. And that you will be responsible to care for it, teach it, and watch it all happen. I hope I will be a good mother. My mother was ......the best,"  Clara could never forget her.

Done with the pie, Tully set her fork down and was silent for a moment.  "That's good, about yer ma."  It was pretty evident, from the way Clara had spoken of her mother, that she was dead, or at least not there any more, and that Clara missed her a great deal.  "Sounds like that she was someone who could show ya how ta be a good ma, even if she ain't here ta do it herself."

She shrugged, wiping her mouth on her sleeve.  "Ya gotta care if ya have a boy or girl?"  She grinned.  "Maybe one'a each?"  Although she had no idea how that part worked, except that it did happen on occasion that a woman would have more than one child.  Didn't matter for her, she was never going to have children, so she wouldn't have to follow her own mother's example.