Barnabas Pike | Posted October 26, 2020

Well, if nothing else Bridget will at least be well fed before this was all over. Just then Arabella was back only she was half pulling a very nervous looking Brendan with her.

"Pardon my intrusion Marshall!” she blurted out “But Mr. Connelly here’s got somethin’ to say to Clara here, and if he don’t bust it out now he never will!”

Pike turned to her, then looked to the young man. He was young. "Well son?" He asked.

Now what? Hadn't she made herself quite clear about how she felt about that Evergreen cowpoke. Pronto amiably backed off to allow him room and Emeline answered, "Of course, Arabella, Brendan can have his say."

"Go ahead, we're listenin'." Pronto said as everyone seemed focused the the young man and whatever it was he had to say.

Emeline also proved very aware that this little conversation between Brendan and her might be more comfortable without everyone standing there gawking and listening. The kindly woman now did her best to deflect Arabella, the deputy, and Bridget away from the farm girl and cowboy.

"Well, what do you have to say that is so important?" Clara stood there and was prepared to hear him out.

The young man cleared his throat, "Miss Redmond...I uh...I wanna apologize for the way things started between us. It...wern't my fault, but I wouldn't've wanted it to start that way. I didn't know we was on your pa's property, and if I had known, I wouldn't've ridden over."

Clara was so tempted to correct him more than once on his mangling of the grammar but kept her self control. Alright so he might even be telling the truth about how little he had known about the situation.

She would give him the benefit of the doubt there.

He continued, "And I didn't mean for any of the rest of the stuff to happen. You know, the...the shootin'. That wasn't my fault, either. Like I done told you before, I was set up. It was near my first day on the job and I didn't know better."

Clara took a breath then replied, "Very well, but even if I do accept all you say is true right now. The fact remains someone took a rifle shot at me and I believe it was meant to kill me. I believe that to be attempted murder. And yet you still work there, side by side with whoever it was who tried to kill me. I am quite confident you did not try to turn the shooter into the lawful authorities because I heard nothing of the sort all winter. So while you may not have planned it or were ignorant of the situation you were ...as you say set up, you obviously still condone it by your actions. Or rather....lack of action."

Then she sighed, "Very well, you apologized even though I did not ask for one. Personally I think actions speak louder than words."

She realized she was speechifying and stopped then, he probably did not even get her point.

"So... is that it? Is that all you wanted to say to me?" Clara asked in a measured tone of voice.

A shooting, aimed at the Redmond girl, now he was interested. Now it involved him as an officer of the law. "Excuse me, Clara, was it Brenden? I'll need to get some clarification on this shootin' affair. That'd be a strong accusation, attempted murder. First I need to know who fired the shot. And boy, you might just tell me who you ride for an' why you didn't know you was on Redmond range." Now Pike couldn't actually ascertain the age of this fellow Brandon, but he was not interested in the difference between a boy and a man with gun play involved.

Jonah Danforth | Posted October 26, 2020

Present: Matilda Devereau and Doctor Danforth

"Well, hello there Doctor, hopefully you are not here for professional reasons?" she greeted him with a big smile.

"Good evening." Jonah gave the woman a slight bow, knowing her recognized the young lady, but not exactly sure why...she wasn't a patient, thank goodness, but he was certain he'd seen her around town. "I'm afraid I'm at a loss..."

"I'm not sure if you know who I am as we have not had the pleasure of meeting in person, I'm Matilda Devereau, owner of the Stardust Saloon," came the follow up introduction.

"Ah, yes, I believe I've seen you there." He wasn't a regular customer at the place, and went there only on occasion for a meal or a drink, but, of course, he'd noticed the pretty ladies there, what man didn't. "I'm pleased to make your acquaintance. You have a fine establishment...the drinks aren't watered down!" He chuckled, then added, "And I rarely needed for service, and I much appreciate that!"

There were plenty of seedier saloons in town where fights were commonplace, not to mention men so drunk that they fell off chairs or tripped over each other and split their heads open, and he hated having to treat the men who reeked of alcohol, body odor and, more often than not, vomit.

"It looks like the evening is shaping up to be a good time," he commented, "and hopefully, with no dramas. Would you care to join me for a drink, Miss Devereau? Punch...no alcohol just yet."

Emeline Pike and Arabella Mudd | Posted October 26, 2020

Fortunately, young Miss Arabella agreed to accompany Emeline, although she made an argument to leave Bridget behind. At least it was something, and the wildest of the distractions for Clara would be gone. Of course, Bridget seemed a bit innocuous, and Barnabas wouldn't interfere, so she put her arm over Arabella's shoulder, steering her outside.

"So, you have the first gentleman for your dance card?" she asked, truly curious as to who the hapless man might be. "That's wonderful! The first dance is always important, you know. And I bet he's a crackerjack gent! What is your best dance? I think I prefer a waltz." It was an elegant dance, and you got to be close to your partner!

Arabella Mudd | Posted October 27, 2020

[Present: Emeline & Arabella]

"So, you have the first gentleman for your dance card?" she asked, truly curious as to who the hapless man might be.

“Oh don’t talk to me about dance cards Ms Em, I been sayin’ we should have had proper dance cards, like they do in Old Vienna, but no-one ‘d listen, But I’m goin’ to make my own dance card out of cardboard tomorrow and write down on it every fella I get to dance with tonight, ‘cept maybe if it’s a Paul Jones, because then you get to dance with them all, and that’ll be a long list an’ I ain’t made o’ cardboard, you know!” she informed the pie-mistress-general of the town as she gave Aurelian and Wyatt a friendly wave.

She didn’t go over and say hello, as they were in a hurry to get the cream, and also that annoying little Weedy was with them. She didn’t know why she didn’t like that boy, but it may have been because he was a rival orphan and seemed to get all of the town’s sympathy about it.

"That's wonderful! The first dance is always important, you know. And I bet he's a crackerjack gent! What is your best dance? I think I prefer a waltz." It was an elegant dance, and you got to be close to your partner!

“Oh, it’s only Mr. Flandry!” Arabella laughed as they stepped outside, trying to pick up the pace of their walking, “See, when I was a little girl, I’d always have the first dance with my Daddy, and this is the first dance I been to since he up and died and went to Heaven, and, well, you know, Mr. Flandry’s ‘bout the nearest thing I have to a Daddy anymore.” she said, cheerfully enough.

She looked at the woman walking next to her and smiled “Say, I sure am glad you’re not marryin’ that old scraggly sheriff. When you said ‘Mr Pike’ I didn’t know you meant Pronto. That’s what they call him when he’s in the saloon. I asked Mr. Flandry if it was ‘cause he was ‘quick on the draw’ but he said it’s cause he drinks his whiskey down so fast. "

"Mnd’ya, you never know when Mr. Flandry’s joking or not, he’s kinda dry, you know?”

This minor bombshell imparted, Arabella moved on to her real point.

“So, if you and Mr. Pro…Pike is getting married, does that mean you ain’t allowed to dance with any other fellers tonight, cause that’d be kinda boring! Oooh, what if some handsome feller tried to dance with you and Mr Pike arrested him fer tryin’ to steal his woman.” she then launched into an impromptu impersonation of Pronto and this imaginary Lothario.

“’I’m arrestin’ you fer stealing, you ornerary dawg!’ ‘I ain’t stole nuthin’ Depidy’ ‘Why yes you did, you tried to steal the woman of mah dreams!’” Arabella clapped her hands “Oooh, that’d be exciting, and romantic!”

She had gone off on a tangent and not even answered the question about which was her favorite dance.

Brendan Connolly | Posted October 27, 2020

Arabella had time for a few more words of advice before she was called away. “Looks like you’re on your own, champ! Remember what I told ya: go in humble; apologize; shake hands and whatever ya do, don’t try to justificate yerself!”

Well, he had the humble part down pat - at least he thought so. But he forgot to put his hand out to shake and Clara didn't extend hers. In fact, she didn't seem very charmed by his apology. It obviously didn't measure up to her perfect standard. She did make a few good points, but he didn't want to admit that.

"So... is that it? Is that all you wanted to say to me?"

Brendan glanced back as if Arabella would come running to his rescue, but of course she wouldn't. Well, he could either ask Clara for a dance now, or back down and wait for Arabella to put in a good word for him so he could ask later. But he didn't have a chance to make a decision because the deputy stepped in...and all of a sudden everything got worse.

"Excuse me, Clara, was it Brendan? I'll need to get some clarification on this shootin' affair. That'd be a strong accusation, attempted murder. First I need to know who fired the shot. And boy, you might just tell me who you ride for an' why you didn't know you was on Redmond range."

Brendan gulped. "Well...uh...I ride for the Evergreen ranch. And like I told Miss Redmond here, I didn't know I was on the Redmond range 'cause I was learnin' the property lines. And two of the hands told me the Redmonds was squatting on Evergreen land."

He didn't want to say anything else about the shooting unless the deputy prompted him...or unless Clara brought it up.

Posted October 27, 2020 | Clara Redmond-Lutz, Brendan, and Pronto

Clara stood there waiting to hear if he had anything else he wished to add to that sorry and unwanted apology of the cowpoke's. Before he could though, the deputy stepped up. Oh lordy, he had been eavesdropping!

"Excuse me, Clara, was it Brendan? I'll need to get some clarification on this shootin' affair. That'd be a strong accusation, attempted murder. First I need to know who fired the shot. And boy, you might just tell me who you ride for an' why you didn't know you was on Redmond range."

Clara got it confirmed then, he had heard the whole thing. Oh dear, she had not counted on that at all.

Brendan gulped. "Well...uh...I ride for the Evergreen ranch. And like I told Miss Redmond here, I didn't know I was on the Redmond range 'cause I was learnin' the property lines. And two of the hands told me the Redmonds was squatting on Evergreen land."

"We have indeed been told more than once by Evergreen people that we are squatters despite the fact we paid for that property and have a paper to prove it," Clara now jumped in.

"But as far as the shot being fired, it was definitely not Brendan here. He was standing right near me when the shot happened. He was as surprised as I was. I had just told him to leave and indeed he was about to do just that."

"As for who fired it, I have my ideas but it really does not matter because there is no way to prove anything. I did not see who fired it, neither did Brendan. And I think you well know the man who fired it is not about to admit to such a thing. So best leave it lie then," she asserted.

"Please," she added solemnly.