Miriam listened to her employer and it is easy to detect a sort of nostalgia to his topic even sadness or at least, emotion. Perhaps it had not gone well with the man and his own father? And yes that would be sad. But she was not going to say anything aloud, not knowing the details she might just make a verbal blunder.  Where her dear friend Arabella would simply plunge on into the water, the more retrospect Miriam simply paused at the shoreline.

"You have done very well today. Take the rest of the day off, Miss Kaufmann, go and spend some time with your Father. He will not be here forever!" he said, taking out a large hanky and blowing his nose upon it. 

"Oh? Thank you, sir. I appreciate it. Good day then, see you bright and early tomorrow," Miriam both nodded dutifully and flashed a genuine smile. She liked working for the man.

One outside though she did not exactly listen to his advice. Oh she loved her father but that did not mean she, as a teenager, was particularly enthusiastic to spend her free time with him. Papa was a stern man and a busy one, especially as every day's labor brought opening day that much closer for his new butcher shop business.

No, her decision was immediate, she would go to the saloon - the side entrance of course, she only had gone in the front ONCE and that had been quite the mistake. Then she would visit Arabella and maybe that girl would have some free time too. She did know it was too early for Ara to have to be playing the piano for  'the Mundee'  as she had started to think of the saloon entertainer.

Seeing that Mr. Wentworth was a bit uncomfortable, Ella stepped in "Leonora, I have no doubt that you are right but unfortunately Mr. Wentworth is as helpless as we are.  He can only do what he is told to do or risk losing his job.  I'm sure you'll agree that you don't wish him any harm or blame for what his bosses tell him to do."

"Oh Ella, it is very gallant of you to defend them, but I do believe that Mr. Wentworth and his brothers are big enough and bold enough to defend themselves and are certainly well in enough with Shade Thornton and Ezra Hale to influence their decisions. And Mike's the Foreman up at that ranch, not just some hired hand. Still..." she gave Sam a frosty smile "... no hard feelings, eh, Mr Wentworth."

"Besides..." she smiled more genuinely at Ella "... I'm trying to start up again the Farmers Union within in the County, to protect our rights and further develop in the area agriculturally. Might that be something that you or your brothers would be interested in helping with?" she asked, the sort of Evangelical glint flashing in her eyes that she had evinced when inviting the little Jewish seamstress Miriam Kaufmann along to church on Sunday. 

Her eyes moved to Bern's hopefully, and avoided Sam's, pointedly. 

"A Farmer's Union?  That sounds like a good idea," Bern said, "However, it will depend on what our father has to say about it.  Maybe you can tell us more about it over dinner?"

"Dinner?" echoed Leonora, she didn't know if he meant now or some other day. She told herself that the idea was an attractive one as she might be able to round up some more members for the Union, not because she wanted to round up Bern.

Ella nodded, "Yes, that would be nice, providing you are available.  We wouldn't want to take you away from your family more than we already have."

Bern smiled, "Err...no we wouldn't want to inconvenience you in any way.  If not, maybe next time I...um we are in town."

Ah, they meant right now. "No, I mean yes, that would be an excellent idea. 'Strike while the iron's hot!' as they say. My sister-in-law runs the diner right across the street, if that would be convenient." Also, why not get Clara some extra business while they were at it.