Want... dolls!
Bridget Monahan | Posted October 21, 2020
Bridget watched Arabella talking to Brendan completely agog. She didn’t even notice the teenaged girl and her slightly older boss change places as they laid out the pies and divvied them up into neat slices.
“Is that lady bad?”
"Who, Clara?" Emeline kept her voice low as she shook her head. "No, not at all, she's a fine young woman. And I have a feeling that it's all a misunderstanding and Master Brendan is not so bad either."
Bridget nearly jumped a mile when she realized that she’d whispered into Ms Em’s ear and not Clara’s. Still the answer that the lady gave to her question showed that she was nice, and she automatically smiled and nodded at the assurance that even Brendan wasn’t as awful as Clara made out. She felt much safer for Arabella now too, and stopped eying the pie knife on the table.
She smiled and lightly touched the girl's arm. "Your dress is beautiful, and you wear it well." Grinning, she took a couple of sashay-steps, rather awkward, then added, "Dressing up is one thing, but being able to move gracefully is another." She didn't mind the bustle and layers of material on occasion, but she always felt a little out of place.
Bridget understood the complement. All her dresses were pretty. As for wearing it well, she guessed that was a compliment too, but it made her wonder how you’d wear a dress badly. Then she remembered when, a couple of times, she’d got a new dress and put it on back to front, and understood what the kind lady meant.
She had a compliment for Ms Em, too, and a heartfelt, genuine one at that. She leaned over and, cupping her hand, whispered into Mrs Blakesley’s ear – on purpose this time – “I like your pies!”
Barnabas Pike | Posted October 21, 2020
Pronto had been walking around the large enclosure, an eye on everyone, not looking for trouble, just keeping a weather eye out in case. Of course he was o a straight line for Em, not wanting his duties to define the evening.
Folks all looked splendid in their finery and go to meetin' duds. He was dressed much as he had been at Christmas, uncomfortable as it was. The shiny tin star on his coat breast announcing him as "Deputy Sheriff". So far, and the event was in it's early stages, there appeared to be no problems to speak of, everyone appeared to be having a great time, dancing and talking.
He reached his fiance and with a smile said; "All's quiet out there amonst 'em. So, care to dance?" He extended his hand, course we can wait on a waltz if you'd prefer,
Clara Redmond-Lutz | Posted October 21, 2020
Emeline chatted with Bridget then, assuring her that she (Clara) was definitely not a bad person. It was a bit strange as she had been so very kind to Bridget ever since their first meeting but then she did not wish to badger the young lady for an explanation. Besides Bridget was a bit .... slow on the uptake.
Just then Emeline's fiance showed up, he looked more dressed up than she was used to seeing him. Ah, and he had his deputy sheriff's badge on for all to see. Hopefully there would be no need for lawmen at this dance unlike the previous one.
"All's quiet out there amonst 'em. So, care to dance?" Pronto extended his hand, " course we can wait on a waltz if you'd prefer."
They would have to wait a bit, the musicians were not quite ready to start playing yet, there had been no music so far other than earlier Arabella had played the piano. Clara was standing right there next to Emeline so she faced the man.
"Good evening, Mr. Pike, we got wonderful weather for this dance did we not?" she addressed the man.
Benjamin Barlow | Posted October 21, 2020
Benjamin was wearing his dress uniform and had shined his boots for the occasion. Personally wearing the cloak was a little bit too much in his opinion but as any good soldier he had obeyed orders. As they reached the location of the dance, to be held inside a barn, the detachment dismounted. The colonel wanted them to form up. Benjamin again did as expected and lined up with the rest of the officers and sergeants. Seemed a bit formal for an evening off duty. Or maybe the colonel wanted to show his authority off to the gathering civilians, certainly a few wide eyed boys were ogling the soldiers, kids liked soldiers.
MacKenzie then launched into a spiel about making certain everyone behaved themselves or there would be serious consequences. Benjamin got it, in fact he agreed with the colonel's assessment. But that could have been done too at the fort before they departed for the dance rather than be lectured like this in front of the civilians. But the man was in charge and he could do what he liked. Rank hath it's privilege.
The colonel had arranged for hotel rooms for them to stay in after the dance rather than ride back to the fort again. Could well be a smart move considering many soldiers' predilection toward liquor. While he himself had no intention to get drunk, he was certainly going to avail himself of the opportunity for a few drinks.
The men nodded and several "Yessirs" were scattered among the bobbing heads. MacKenzie nodded and began tugging off his gauntlets. "Then dismissed and have fun, lads...within reason."
Benjamin nodded, glad that was over with. First off he decided he would walk about a bit in the barn and see what this affair was going to be like. Then he would secure himself a heaping plate of food especially that mouth watering smelling roast beef. Wash it down with a beer or a whiskey - or two.
Emeline Pike | Posted October 22, 2020
"Thank you," Emeline smiled at the compliment of the pies, "Clara helped a good deal. Try the cookies, too. She put a lot of work into those." Indeed, they had been up late the past few nights to be sure that they had everything they needed.
Her smile brightened as she saw Barnabas approach, and she gave him a slight curtsy. "Mr. Pike."
"All's quiet out there amonst 'em. So, care to dance?" He extended his hand, "course we can wait on a waltz if you'd prefer."
"Any dance is fine with me, so long as it's with you." Taking his hand, she gave it a squeeze.
"Good evening, Mr. Pike, we got wonderful weather for this dance did we not?" Clara addressed the man.
"Oh!" Emeline remembered that there needed to be some introductions! "This is Miss Clara." She laughed, adding, "I wasn't sure you would recognize her in her pretty dress. And this is Bridget, and the young lady there is Arabella..." she wasn't sure he'd recall their discussion about the eager girl, "and the gentleman is Brendan. This is Mr. Pike."
Brendan Connolly & Arabella Mudd | Posted October 22, 2020
"Apologize!?"
Arabella had gone too far with that suggestion. There was nothing for him to apologize for! But before he could tell her that, the gregarious girl was talking at him again. Yes, he liked girls. Yes, Clara looked nice. Real nice.
"Of course I like girls!" he sputtered, but she was off again about as fast as a train. Or more like a stampede.
He wasn't sure that getting past Clara's prickliness was worth it. Arabella seemed to think it was, but Arabella had probably never been on the wrong end of that prickliness - or on the wrong end of Clara's Colt Dragoon.
He couldn't help but grin at her imitation of him - or any man - apologizing. But the words she was saying sounded like a sissy, and he didn't want to sound like a sissy. He could just imagine the ragging the hands would give him if they found out.
With his hands on his hips, he waited for her to be finished talking. But there seemed to be no end to the words! Finally he decided he had to shut Arabella up just for a minute so he could think.
"Arabella!"
His loss of patience happily coincided with Arabella's offer to back him up, so he ignored it.
"Look here, Arabella - " Hopefully she wasn't as much of a stickler about using "Miss Last Name" as Clara was, since the girl had neglected to tell him her last name in the deluge of words that was coming out of her. "It wasn't my fault so I ain't goin' to apologize. There's nothin' for me to apologize for!"
"'Sides, she's talkin' with someone. I can't interrupt her, now can I? That'd be rude and I bet that gal hates rude..." He had to pause because he couldn't think of the right form of the word. Rudity? Ruditation? Rudeness? Couldn't be rudeness.
"...rude things like that," he finished lamely.
Barnabas Pike | Posted October 22, 2020
With: Emeline, Clara, Bridget
"All's quiet out there amonst 'em. So, care to dance?" Pronto extended his hand, " course we can wait on a waltz if you'd prefer."
"Any dance is fine with me, so long as it's with you." Taking his hand, she gave it a squeeze.
“Reckon it’ll be a bit afore they’re ready to play, jest askin’ early.” He said with a grin.
"Good evening, Mr. Pike, we got wonderful weather for this dance did we not?" she addressed the man.
Before he could speak, Em cut in.
"Oh!" Emeline remembered that there needed to be some introductions! "This is Miss Clara." She laughed, adding, "I wasn't sure you would recognize her in her pretty dress. And this is Bridget, and the young lady there is Arabella..." she wasn't sure he'd recall their discussion about the eager girl, "and the gentleman is Brendan. This is Mr. Pike."
“Miss Clara, a pleasure.” He said with a slight bow. “Fact is, I might not’ve had you not introduced us. That’d be a change from what I’ve seen of you before. A right pleasant change I might add.”
"Everybody can feather their nest, but it's not just anybody that can lay an egg!"
Arabella Mudd & Brendan Connolly | Posted October 22, 2020
"Arabella!"
“Brendan!” she replied putting her little fists on her hips. This feller was a bit of an idiot, like most men, but she liked him. He had a bit of spunk about him, and his Mississippi accent reminded her of home.
"Look here, Arabella - It wasn't my fault so I ain't goin' to apologize. There's nothin' for me to apologize for!"
Her little face fell at this reproof. All that self-confident bossiness flew out of her like the air from a popped balloon. How little it took to knock the wind out of this little girl’s sails! She looked up at him, tears starting to shine in her eyes; her lower lip trembling. She nodded in self admonition.
“I’m sorry.” She gulped “I know I get a little carried away, sometimes. I should … I shouldn’t go interferin’ in other folks business and tellin’ ‘em what to do. It’s just … since my Papa died, I guess I just feel like I need to be part of things, I’m …” an actual tear trickled down her cheek as she looked up at him “… I’m real sorry.”
An enormous grin suddenly spread across her face and she wiped away the tear and snot from her nose with a handy sleeve.
“See… it’s easy to pretend your sorry without really meanin’ it!” she laughed. It ain’t even lying: that’s called ‘acting’!”
"'Sides, she's talkin' with someone. I can't interrupt her, now can I? That'd be rude and I bet that gal hates rude..." He had to pause because he couldn't think of the right form of the word. Rudity? Ruditation? Rudeness? Couldn't be rudeness.
"...rude things like that," he finished lamely.
Arabella humphed at Brendan’s lack of command of the English language: “Huh! ‘Rude things like that’! Why you mean Rudifications. Why, you’re pretty chuckleheaded for a Southerner. Listen, bein’ rude’s all right, you just have to say it so it don’t sound rude, that’s called rudifications. Like sayin’ ‘Pardon my intrusion, Mam!’ or ‘It’s so rude of me to interrupt. But I just gotta tell you about this…’ See? You tell ‘em you’re bein’ rude, and that makes it sound polite! Easy-peasy!”
Clara Redmond-Lutz | Posted October 22, 2020
Present: Emeline, Pronto, and Bridget
"This is Miss Clara." She laughed, adding, "I wasn't sure you would recognize her in her pretty dress. And this is Bridget."
“Miss Clara, a pleasure.” He said with a slight bow. “Fact is, I might not’ve had you not introduced us. That’d be a change from what I’ve seen of you before. A right pleasant change I might add.”
"Nice to meet you, sir. Emeline always talks about you and it is always complimentary," Clara replied, "Thank you, well she provided the dress and bustle. Helped me fix up my hair so the compliments should go to her mostly."
"I hear you are going to be a rancher? Going to give up the deputy job then?" Clara inquired, just to be conversational as much as anything.
Want... dolls!
Bridget Monahan | Posted October 22, 2020
Present: Emeline, Pronto, Clara, and Bridget
"This is Miss Clara." She laughed, adding, "I wasn't sure you would recognize her in her pretty dress. And this is Bridget."
“Miss Clara, a pleasure.” He said with a slight bow. “Fact is, I might not’ve had you not introduced us. That’d be a change from what I’ve seen of you before. A right pleasant change I might add.”
"Nice to meet you, sir. Emeline always talks about you and it is always complimentary," Clara replied, "Thank you, well she provided the dress and bustle. Helped me fix up my hair so the compliments should go to her mostly."
"I hear you are going to be a rancher? Going to give up the deputy job then?" Clara inquired, just to be conversational as much as anything.
Bridget observed the man carefully, her head cocked to one side as she took him in, chewing her bottom lip distractedly while the polite chit chat of the others carried on like so much background noise. Despite her internal block on speaking out loud, she was not as shy and scared of strangers as folk tended assume.
In fact, sometimes the opposite problem manifested itself. What she did next was not polite, it disrupted the niceties of convivial conversation, but to her, it seemed to need doing.
Bridget Monahan, walked boldly forward toward Mr. Pike, leaned in so that she was close enough to accidentally tickle his ear with her lips and whispered “I like your badge.”
She then stood back, looked at the tin star with its inscriptions and leaned in again, kissing close, and added “It’s shiny.”