Posted October 29, 2020 | Matilda Devereau | Present: Matilda Devereau
"Some of those fool cowboys would drink wood alcohol if you offered it to 'em," Matilda rolled her eyes, "So watering down the cheap stuff is a favor to them."
The man quipped about having to clean up bloodstains if there were gunfights in the saloon, she only smiled as she shrugged her shoulders.
"That's why I have employees for that. I have a fine cook who came with the saloon when I bought it. And I'm ward for an orphan girl from the Whitefish tragedy."
He declined her offer for an alcoholic drink, leastwise for now. That was fine as far as Matilda was concerned and she accepted the glass of punch he handed to her, "Thank you, kind sir."
Mattie took a sip and it actually was quite good.
"So, do you have the whole evening free, or will you have to take a shift at the spirits tent? I do admire that you have found a way to profit off the evening, and I hope that I get to enjoy myself and not make my own profit...I prefer to dance!"
"Well, I will spell Ralph a couple of times, but he isn't much for this sort of thing. Dancing and merrymaking and the like. But yes, I am foremost a business woman and proud of it. However, like you, tonight I also prefer to dance. Assuming anyone asks me?"
Alright not very subtle on her part, she realized then took another sip of the punch.
Retired Characters and NPC Writer.
Posted October 29, 2020
There was a lot going on at the dance but for a moment Jay focussed only on HER, no matter how anxious it made him to see half the town inside.
"You look lovely, Addy." He complimented her and offered her his arm like he had learned it back in England.
"May I?"
He grinned, lowered his voice and whispered in her ear.
"Do people know I used to live with you?" He hadn't really told many people except for Aurelian and his children.
The place was so busy and happy that it was a little contagious and made Jay want to dance and be merry as well.
"I probably won't stay long. Crowds are not my thing but I had to come...so I can steal a dance...."
He smiled at her and then added. "...with you." Jay wasn't going to keep the affection he felt for the lady by his side a secret much longer. She should know.
Looking around he spotted Weedy and another boy circling a buffet style table in search for something. There were more people here, he knew. Even Clara and Arabella, oh Arabella. Inwardly he rolled his eyes at the crazy emotional girl.
Posted October 30, 2020 | Barnabas Pike | Present: Brendan, and Clara
Pronto fought the smile that choked off the laugh welling up. “Miss Redmond, I’m not in the habit of badgering anyone for anything. If someone took a shot you believe was directed at you, an’ you want to do nothin’ about it. That’s fine by me. But don’t go accusin’ anybody of somethin' like that unless you’re lookin’ to have ‘em locked up for it.”
“So now we can all get back to this here dance an’ havin’ a good time.” He added. That she had told her father was fine, that neither wanted to do anything about was fine, what bothered him was that someone on that ridge took a shot, wild or not.
Posted October 30, 2020 | Clara Redmond-Lutz | Present: Pronto, Brendan
Clara almost was ready to argue the fine point that she only accused SOMEONE but not anyone specific for firing that shot. She did have her strong suspicions and it had easily been narrowed down back at the farm that day when Brendan stated he had ridden up with Greer and Billy. But she could not bring herself to press an accusation that might tag the wrong person and plus, as she stated, no one would be able to prove it if it came to a court case. It would only stir up more trouble.
But she was also relieved that Mr. ...errr... Deputy Pike was not about to press the issue. The man had just been doing his duty afterall and she understood that. She only hoped that somehow this would not hurt her relationship with Emeline, who was going to be marrying Pronto.
And ALL of this mess was because of the handsome young cowpoke standing in front of her! Why couldn't he be ugly and mean like Greer!
"Thank you, Deputy, I appreciate your understanding of the matter. If I ever have anything I can prove in a court of law, I shall indeed contact the local authorities. And I agree with you about the dance, let us all have a good time tonight," Clara replied to the man then added as an olive branch, "Oh and I greatly approve of your taste in women."
Sit down, shut up, don't touch anythin'
Posted October 31, 2020 | Adelaide Chappel | Present: Jay
"You look lovely, Addy." He complimented her and offered her his arm like he had learned it back in England.
"May I?"
"'Course!" Feeling ever so elegant, Addy slipped her arm into his, striding along with him farther into the building.
"Do people know I used to live with you?"
"Don't matter, does it?" she whispered back with a grin, "ain't no one's business." She surely didn't care, and besides, she'd been doing a kindness during a time when there was little space in the town because of the influx of the disaster in Whitefish. "I surely don't care if it don't matter ta you."
Heck, she didn't care what people thought, she was only concerned with herself and what she knew to be true.
"I probably won't stay long. Crowds are not my thing but I had to come...so I can steal a dance...."
He smiled at her and then added. "...with you."
"Don't gotta steal it," she chuckled, "just gotta ask...an' not mind when I trample yer toes!" Truth was, she was passing fair as a dancer, so long as it wasn't a convoluted thing, and she actually enjoyed waltzes and polkas. And the best part was that she didn't think that Jay would think that a few hours acting like a lady meant that she wasn't Addy once it was all said and done.
Posted October 31, 2020 | Jonah Danforth | Present: Matilda Devereau
"Well, I will spell Ralph a couple of times, but he isn't much for this sort of thing. Dancing and merrymaking and the like. But yes, I am foremost a business woman and proud of it. However, like you, tonight I also prefer to dance. Assuming anyone asks me?"
"Ah, yes, that would make it much easier," Jonah chuckled, then took a sip of the punch, finding it overly sweet for his taste. "But then, you might run the risk of being trampled by other erstwhile revelers, and then I'd have to go to work!"
He gave her a slight nod, then added, "Of course, if you had a good partner to lead you through the fray..." He offered his hand.
Posted October 31, 2020 | Emeline Pike | Present: Arabella
“Oh, I ain’t difficult to get along with; I’ll dance with anyone who’ll have me.” the fifteen year old shrugged “I reckon there’s only one feller I won’t try and dance with, and he’s…”
Oh, well, here was something novel, an idea that could silence the girl! Emeline had to wonder who that could be, and if Arabella would give up that information. And she rather pitied the gent, as the girl was soon to be out of girlhood and on to marrying age!
“Mrs Blakesley, can you remember the first time you ever fell in love? I mean really, deeply, painfully fell in love?” she asked, pensively,
"Well, yes, I suppose..." It might be hard for the girl to understand, but she could only explain. "I mean, Andrew and I were friends since we were quite young, we played together, went to school together, so it was just a gradual realization that we were in love." She smiled sadly. "We just knew that we had a life together. Love isn't a sudden notion, it's more a learning that you really like being with someone and think about them all the time..." Well, that was her take on it, anyway!
Posted October 31, 2020 | Weedy
Wyatt gave permission of sorts to just take cookies, and Weedy allowed as how it must be all right, seeing as how he had a father, and that Wyatt had helped with gathering the nuts, so he wasn't going to hold back. Sure, he could only eat so many right now, but there was always later, and especially if these were as good as they looked, he'd be ready for more soon!
After stuffing his pockets, he turned to Wyatt. "Do you want to go over by the band, or maybe up to the loft?" Up there, they could munch in peace and get a good view of everything that was going on below. And maybe something good would happen!
"Everybody can feather their nest, but it's not just anybody that can lay an egg!"
Posted October 31, 2020 | Arabella Mudd | Present: Emeline
"Well, yes, I suppose..." It might be hard for the girl to understand, but she could only explain. "I mean, Andrew and I were friends since we were quite young, we played together, went to school together, so it was just a gradual realization that we were in love." She smiled sadly.
“Andrew.” Repeated Arabella “Was that Mr Blakesley, your first husband?” she asked redundantly; from the older woman’s wistful air she knew it must be. “Oh, that’s wonderful, that sounds like how love’s meant to be. Not like some horrible form of torture that chews up your heart and makes you cry into your pillow each night. So, did you both know you’d eventually get wed?” She thought she knew the answer, but she liked listening to Emeline talking about it.
“We just knew that we had a life together. Love isn’t a sudden notion, it’s more a learning that you really like being with someone and think about them all the time…” Well, that was her take on it, anyway!
Arabella stood, with the cream jug in her hands listening to this litany and suddenly a trickle of tears ran from her eyes. She might be loud and garrulous and annoying to many, but the girl also possessed a deep streak of empathy, and the thought of what it must have been like for Emeline when she lost her life partner made the salty tears well up in her eyes.
“Oh Lor, that’s so beautiful I’m cryin’ in the cream!” she sniffed, and used her spare sleeve to wipe away the tears.
Posted October 31, 2020 | Barnabas Pike | Present: Clara, Brendan
"Thank you, Deputy, I appreciate your understanding of the matter. If I ever have anything I can prove in a court of law, I shall indeed contact the local authorities. And I agree with you about the dance, let us all have a good time tonight," Clara replied to the man then added as an olive branch, "Oh and I greatly approve of your taste in women."
Pronto smiled, “Yes Ma’am, she’s one of a kind.” And that was the truth according to one Barnabas Pike. “You all have yourselves a nice time this evenin’, an’ there’ll be no further talk of this.” He needed to locate Em and prepare for the first dance that they would have together, the first of many to come.
As he stood there he wondered if maybe he had reacted too strongly, but he knew that he hadn’t, he was sure that whoever took the shot missed both people on purpose, though there is always that aspect the shooter could not control, a sudden gust of wind, a shift in the breeze, one of the people moved even the slightest, it might well have been tragic. He doubted either of them saw it that way though.