"Everybody can feather their nest, but it's not just anybody that can lay an egg!"
Posted December 4, 2020 | Arabella Mudd
Arabella was happy: Brendan was being so lovely and pleasant and actually seemed keen to come to church; she would be able to proudly tell Pastor Evans that she had added another lost sheep to his flock. And now the handsome man seemed to be chatting quite nicely with Charlie, even though the two were meant to be from rival ranches.
"Considering that it's our bosses who are at loggerheads with each other and not us, I think we should get along fine. Besides, if I got into a fight with someone from Evergreen, my older brother, who is foreman would have me cleaning out the stables for the next month and that's something I don't want to be doing in warmer weather."
Arabella liked this sober, reasonable, friendly Charlie. It was, to her surprise, Brendan who now upset the whole applecart.
"I think it's more than just the bosses," he said, sticking his thumbs behind his suspenders, "but I got no quarrel with you. Yet," he added with a grin, having no intention of finding a reason to quarrel with the other man.
YET??? All of a sudden, Arabella had a sinking feeling. YET?! Who would add YET at the end of a sentence like that? Of course, it takes two to polka, and now Clara stuck in her wooden spoon and started to stir the pot.
"On the other hand those of us who own our own farm have to do such tasks daily regardless of weather. And do all the cooking and the laundry, keep the house clean, and not get wages to do it all. So I do not think you gents have it so hard."
The side of Brendan's mouth twitched and the teasing words were out of his mouth before he could stop them. "Yeah? Well, seems to me like your problem is owning a farm." He was teasing, but Clara's attitude annoyed him, and he was influenced by being around the rest of the Evergreen hands, who were of the opinion that the Redmonds needed to skedaddle.
Arabella’s face fell, they were back to square one: Brendan had stuck a red hot knife in Clara’s most sensitive spot and twisted it. He was, she decided, beyond help. Upsetting Clara increased her friend Bridget’s chances with the handsome cowhand, but no, she couldn’t think like that. Her heart went out to the serious-minded girl and the horribly threatened place where she lived; the humble but welcoming homestead that had taken her in during her darkest hour, and been a home to her when she needed one the most.
Maybe the advice that she had given to the Evergreen man would return to him now, and he would apologize profusely for overstepping the mark there.
"How 'bout this next dance, Miss Redmond?" He took a leaf from Charlie's book and tried to mimic the bow he had seen the other man make, but not being practiced, he just looked a little bit like he had a sudden pain in his stomach. He straightened and flashed her one of his women-charming smiles.
Or maybe the advice that she had given to the Evergreen man wouldn’t return to him now, and he wouldn’t apologize for overstepping the mark there.
As she braced herself for Clara’s reply, she caught Charlie’s eye and grimaced.
Retired Characters and NPC Writer.
Posted December 4, 2020 | Jay Ryker
Jay had received an invitation to a Cafe because he had done such a good deed. If only she knew how many bad ones he had to make up for and that it really had just been a cover. At that time he actually had a hole in his own skin and was in dire need of help, which came in the form of Addy. Addy! where was she? And why was she not rescuing him. He had only come for her, after all.
Bridget seemed incredibly thankful, or taken by him and got closer and closer until she, very inappropriately snatched his cookie and more or less forced him to dance.
"Oh, well....there goes my cookie and my bathroom." He muttered to himself and followed her lead.
One song and then he'd be off.
Taking her smaller hand in his he pulled her a little closes and nodded. "Alright. Field test."
The song was actually quite fast and required a lot of fast steps.
Posted December 4, 2020 | Clara Redmond-Lutz | With: Charlie, Arabella, Brendan
Charlie made a stir about possibly having to clean out the stables if he got into trouble. Well, Clara could not resist pointing out she had to do that chore and so much more on a regular basis and without being paid a wage either. So, in her opinion, these cowpokes didn't have it so bad.
Brendan was unimpressed and drawled," Yeah? Well, seems to me like your problem is owning a farm."
"First off, as you should well remember, I do not own the farm, my father does and I live with him and my brother," Clare corrected him calmly enough.
"How 'bout this next dance, Miss Redmond?"
Well, well, so he finally decided to come out with it and ask. Even tried to accompany it with a bow, though he messed that up good and proper. Well, she had to give him credit he had at least attempted to be the proper gentleman, certainly something out of his realm of experience. However, that smile was definitely one of his strong points. He was a handsome devil she had to admit.
"I would be delighted. Thank you for asking," she nodded primly and held out her hand for him to escort her onto the dance floor. The band was just about to begin.
Posted December 5, 2020 | Jonah Danforth
She paused a moment, then looked up at Jonah, “Of course you are right, I knew what would happen when I began this.” She admitted with a devilish grin. “It was my fathers money that had has funded every step so far, done in a manner he would not know where it went, or when. I have some clever contacts with like feelings toward Elias Steelgrave."
"I suspect you are clever enough to puzzle out such things on your own," Jonah chuckled, believing full-well that Leah could hold her own, and any scheming she had learned from her father only made her that much more dangerous.
"As for the danger involved, they forget how each of the men in my family took part in teaching me to shoot.” Again she smiled, “If that’s what it comes to. So yes Jonah, a comedy would so fit the situation here, if we can actually gain some interest without detracting from the hospital and orphanage problems at hand.”
"Hopefully it won't come to gunplay with your family." He hated to think that she might have to actually fight a gun battle with her own family, even if they were estranged. "Perhaps we can do the 'Taming of the Shrew', and cast your brothers as Katherina and Bianca?"
Sit down, shut up, don't touch anythin'
Posted December 5, 2020 | Adelaide Chappel | With: Speed Guyer
“Now there you go, Addy, nothing wrong in learning to read, fact is there are a lot of things knowing your letters will make better for you, and Weedy.” Speed assured her. “You’ll be able to read the Union for one, and books, there are a lot of great books available, even out here.”
Addy allowed as how he was right, and there were those dime novels that Weedy liked to read so much, not to mention other stories she wanted to know about, if she had time. "Reckon as yer right, an' I surely wouldn't mind bein' able ta read th' Good Book now an' then."
“That the boy is excited about a room all to himself is great, and the fact you’d allow him the freedom to sleep in the barn, well, that should work out just fine for both of you. But I’ve a hunch once he sets up his room to his liking I doubt he’ll want to be spending much, if any, time in the barn.”
Chuckling, Addy nodded. "He was real excited ta look through th' Montgomery Ward catalogue fer a quilt an' whatnot! An' I can't say as I'd object ta a proper nightstand an' even a mirror so I can get all gussied up now an' then!" She rolled her eyes. "Ya know, them horses really care that I look all pretty!"
Posted December 5, 2020 | Leah Steelgrave | With: Jonah Danforth
"Hopefully it won't come to gunplay with your family." He hated to think that she might have to actually fight a gun battle with her own family, even if they were estranged. "Perhaps we can do the 'Taming of the Shrew', and cast your brothers as Katherina and Bianca?"
Leah laughed out loud at the suggested casting of the Shakespeare masterpiece, picturing her brothers cast as women, no hardly uncommon for the period and the unsettled west. Women were notably in short supply everywhere, with a few exceptions, Kalispell being one such community, blessed by a bevy of females.
“I have no idea what the outcome might be, Jonah, I just know it won’t be a peaceable acceptance of the facts,” She paused, “When we prevail.”
Storyteller / Shared NPC
Posted December 6, 2020 | Wyatt Redmond | With: Weedy
:: in the loft ... ::
"Do you want her to have to do?" Weedy glanced at Wyatt, wanting to help his friend. "Maybe there's something we can do to stop them? I mean, make her seem like not a good person to marry?"
Wyatt was not quite sure what Weedy meant by that first question. But the next couple took him a bit by surprise. That is if he was understanding the other boy correctly?
"Stop 'em? You mean make Clara look bad in folk's eyes? That sure seems mean. She is my sister and while we don't always agree on stuff....I don't know," he frowned.
"I don't wanna hurt my sister or ruin her life. That wouldn't be fair," Wyatt was all about being fair, cheaters didn't prosper. Or so he'd heard.
Want... dolls!
Posted December 8, 2020 | Bridget Monahan | With: Jay Ryker
"Oh, well....there goes my cookie and my bathroom." He muttered to himself and followed her lead.
Bridget was more than happy to help Jay with his cookie-encumbrance, why, it was a win-win situation.
Taking her smaller hand in his he pulled her a little closer and nodded. "Alright. Field test."
Little did Jay know that Bridget had already had a very successful waltz with the sainted Brendan, but that had been a reasonably slow number, this one had a little more pep.
Luckily, although it was pretty fast, it was the sort of country square dance, the hoary descendant of older, more choreographed court dances that had been displaced earlier in the century by the new, exciting and, at the time, fast waltz. Thus, Bridget had none of the mishap that had plagued her attempt at learning the polka earlier in the week.
With the caller shouting out the steps, and telling the dancers when to dozy-doe or strip the willow or just “get steppin’” Jay guided her through the dance beautifully. It was only near the end that she realized that it had maybe been a little too much for her superstructure, if not catastrophically so, and she leaned in close to the Englishman to whisper something, holding on to him to steady herself in a way that may have looked, to some more prurient onlookers, less blameless than it actually was.
“Think I got ... a screw loose.” She stuttered in his ear, and then pointed down, pleading with her eyes that he again use his deft hands to work his magic on her mechanical contrivance.
Posted December 8, 2020 | Jonah Danforth | With: Leah
“I have no idea what the outcome might be, Jonah, I just know it won’t be a peaceable acceptance of the facts,” She paused, “When we prevail.”
"But the end result will be worth it, and..." Well, he was going to say that once this was done and operational the conflict would be over, but he suspected that this was going to be a life-long struggle for Leah unless she changed her name and moved away, cutting all ties with her past, which wasn't necessarily a better option.
"It will be worth it, and you will make a huge difference in scores of lives, and that isn't something many people can claim." He wished he could reassure her that life was going to be trouble-free and dandy, but she wasn't that ignorant, but he really did see her being remembered for her altruism for generations, so long as her family didn't stop her.
"Would you like to stroll out in the fresh air for a bit?"
Posted December 8, 2020 | Weedy | With: Wyatt Redmond
"Stop 'em? You mean make Clara look bad in folk's eyes? That sure seems mean. She is my sister and while we don't always agree on stuff....I don't know," he frowned.
Well, when he put it that way...
"I don't wanna hurt my sister or ruin her life. That wouldn't be fair," Wyatt was all about being fair, cheaters didn't prosper. Or so he'd heard.
"I guess not." Weedy shrugged. "Maybe just making sure that she marries a farmer? Then he can help your father and she can stay and cook?" He peered over the railing at Clare and the dancers around her. "I think those are cowboys, though. Maybe you can get your dad to have cattle instead of...what does he grow?"