"The Law may very well 'be an ass', but a man can travel a mighty long way on an ass."
"Do you mind if I go through these before I sign them?, " Charles asked, "In the meantime, my wife will be happy to accompany you to check on Miss Monahan, so that she can better assess the situation and what needs to be done."
"Of course, I think you will find everything in order, Sir." he stood and gave the documents to the Wentworth patriarch with a reverent bow.
Rebecca nodded, "Yes. We're not quite prepared to have another person staying with us. Also she would need a few things, so knowing what she has will help me out tremendously."
"Please, allow me to escort you, M'am." Reeve said, offering his arm courteously "I need to visit the place myself to make sure that what is in there matches what is manifested in the last will and testament".
----
They were met at the door of the Old Funeral Parlour by Arabella Mudd, who had the look of someone who had been running around like a chicken with its head cut off - which indeed she had. The immediate shock and sorrow of Lorenzo's death had been quickly replaced by fear: fear that all the photographs he had taken of herself principally, but also of Miriam Kaufmann in 'Historical Tableaux' might be found. She'd spent all morning looking though Crabbe's albums for prints and hiding them. It would be a longer job to check through the glass negatives.
"Howdy, Mrs Wentworth, Howdy Mr Reeve." she beamed, "Come on in, I 'spect you're here to see Bridget and offer your condolences." she presumed, understandably enough.
"I need to look around in a legal capacity, Miss Mudd, I'm Mr Crabbe's executor."
"Well you're too late to execute him, he's already up and died!" Arabella replied.
"I need to check everything is here that should be, that nothing's been removed."
Arabella looked as guilty as sin. "Well, nobody's been hiding any of his photographs, if that's what you're saying!" she confirmed.
Reeve shook his head. "Mrs Wentworth here would like to see Bridget, however." He turned to the gracious lady in question and stooped to take her hand. "Please let me know when you are leaving, Ma'am, and I will escort you back to the bank." he conjured her softly, his gaze lingering. When he had gone, and Rebecca was about to find her way to the newly bereft redhaired waif and stray, Arabella touched her on the arm.
"Missus Dubble-yuh!" she gasped wide eyed "May I talk to you fer a second: woman to woman?!!"
Rebecca watched as Reeve left the room. She was still mildly surprised at the swiftness of how he was carrying out his business. Most lawyers she knew took their time in working out the affairs of the deceased but Mr. Reeve was something else.
"Missus Dubble-yuh!" she gasped wide eyed "May I talk to you fer a second: woman to woman?!!"
She turned to Arabella and nodded. Whatever she had to say might have relevance to Bridget, so she decided to listen to it, "All right, Arabella does it concern last night's incident?"
"Everybody can feather their nest, but it's not just anybody that can lay an egg!"
She turned to Arabella and nodded. Whatever she had to say might have relevance to Bridget, so she decided to listen to it, "All right, Arabella does it concern last night's incident?"
Arabella screwed up her face and let out a rather ungainly "Uh?!" She shook her head and got all secretive again.
"No, it's about him!" she hissed, and shuffled closer to Mrs Wentworth so that she was within conspiring-distance. They were quite clearly alone now, but as the young Virginian whispered, her eyes kept darting about, lest her words be overheard.
"Listen, see, you better watch out fer that Mr. Reeve. Me and Jemima Wigfall worked out that he's... well, let's put it this way, we all thought that he was all sweet and spoony over Anæsthesia Orr or at least sweet and spoony over her money, but she went over there the other day to 'range some spiritualist stuff with Mrs Orr and guess what? Well, I'll tell you what, she caught him and MISSUS Orr in what you might call a compromising combination, that's what the French call In Frangranty Derelicto!"
There was more.
"... and then the other day I bumped into him at the store, like the general store, and there was that there pretty new girl there what's called Anna Albrick, but he was just plain old ignorin' her and pitching woo at ol' Mrs Thingumyjig in there, the owner's wife and she's sixty if she's a day, and looks it too. You see what I'm gettin' at, Mrs Dubble-yuh? This feller likes his chicken well done! I mean, he goes fer the more experienced woman, even if she's married!!"
She had finished at last, and stood back a little. "I don't want you to think I'm just a gossip monger, Mrs Wentworth, just, well, us girls has gotta look out fer each other is all. You'd better watch yerself with that feller, pretty looking lady in her forties like yerself. I reckon he's a homewrecker!"
"The Law may very well 'be an ass', but a man can travel a mighty long way on an ass."
Meanwhile, Reeve had found Caroline and Bridget. If he had been expecting to find the two ladies sitting in armchairs sedately sipping tea and eating cucumber sandwiches or deep in prayerful mourning, he was in for a surprise; they were both on the floor playing dollies. Bridget could be very persuasive and insistent when she wanted to do something and, despite not having had dollies herself as a kid, and perhaps not knowing quite what to do with them, Caroline had been accommodating.
Reeve looked from one to the other: all he knew about this Bridget person was that she was a simple-minded cripple. Maybe it was the old trope about dumb blondes which swayed his judgement, but he looked at straight at Caroline and said "Miss Monahan, I presume?"
Rebecca gave Arabella a reassuring smile, "I thank you for your concern but I have intention of succumbing to Mr. Reeve or any other man for that matter. I've seen men like him before, especially in Washington. Besides, if Mr. Reeve were to try anything, he would not only have my husband to answer to but my four sons as well."
She gently placed her hand on Arabella's arm, "As for Mrs. Orr, what she does is none of my concern and it shouldn't be yours either. A young lady if she desires the respect of others, should refrain discussing matters that may embarrass others...even if she doesn't agree with what is going on."
Looking around the room, she began assessing the condition of it. It was obvious that Lorenzo Crabbe had done little to make it a fit home for someone in Bridget's situation and if this was any indication of what the rest of the building was like, then the sooner she got Bridget out the better.
"Now, Miss Arabella Mudd, would you kindly show me the way to Miss Monahan's room so that I may see her?"
Alright this was a first for Caroline, the almost life long saloon denizen had never before played with a doll even as a child. She had not a very child like upbringing but that said, she had been happy with her mother and probable father. So when Bridget wanted to play with the dolls of her collection, at first Caroline had considered just outright refusing but then she reconsidered. If it kept the girl's mind from dwelling on Lorenzo's death the day before then what was a little loss of dignity to the saloon girl? So she soon was doing her very best and, after all, she did have a lot of experience as a performer on stage.
Both of them were on the floor, Bridget chattering away as if voicing what the doll she held was saying, Caroline with an amused grin when a somber well dressed young man entered.
She looked up and he looked directly down to her.
"Miss Monahan, I presume?"
Caroline was a bit offended by that mistake but choose to ignore it as she had no idea who this was. Maybe Bridget knew him?
"No, I ain't. That's Miss Bridget Monahan. I'm her good friend, Caroline Mundee. And you are?"
"Everybody can feather their nest, but it's not just anybody that can lay an egg!"
Rebecca gave Arabella a reassuring smile, "I thank you for your concern but I have intention of succumbing to Mr. Reeve or any other man for that matter. I've seen men like him before, especially in Washington."
Arabella's eyes went round, she wanted to ask Mrs Wentworth all about the scandalous doings in the nations' capital, but the experienced lady had moved on.
"Besides, if Mr. Reeve were to try anything, he would not only have my husband to answer to but my four sons as well."
The girl just nodded dumbly. It didn't sound like Mrs W. was up for any sort of tomfoolery in the 'younger man' department.
She gently placed her hand on Arabella's arm, "As for Mrs. Orr, what she does is none of my concern and it shouldn't be yours either. A young lady if she desires the respect of others, should refrain discussing matters that may embarrass others...even if she doesn't agree with what is going on."
Well, that had Arabella really nonplussed; no gossip?! Well, what else was there to talk about in life apart from everybody else's business.
"Now, Miss Arabella Mudd, would you kindly show me the way to Miss Monahan's room so that I may see her?"
"Oh, she'll be up and downstairs by now, not sure about Caroline though, she usually sleeps in 'til noon..." Arabella opined as she led the banker's good lady wife to where Reeve was talking to the saloon singer and the waif in the main downstair room.
"Miss Monahan, I presume?"
Caroline was a bit offended by that mistake but choose to ignore it as she had no idea who this was. Maybe Bridget knew him?
"No, I ain't. That's Miss Bridget Monahan. I'm her good friend, Caroline Mundee. And you are?"
"Oh, you're Miss Mundee?!" Reeve exclaimed, the name clearly meant something to him, even though they had never met. "I beg your pardon. My name is Lewis Cass Reeve, I'm a lawyer, I am the executor of Mr Crabbe's will. You must be Miss Monahan, please may I offer my condolences, Miss." he said formally, offering the ginger-haired girl his hand. She replied by shoving one of the dollies into it.
"Play dolls!" she exhorted him as he stood in some confusion.
Arabella showed Rebecca Wentworth into the room right then and surveyed the scene of all three of them with dollies in their hands and laughed out loud "He he! Well, I seen everything now! Ain't ya got a dolly for me and Mrs Dubbyah to play with, too, Bridg'?!"
"Oh, you're Miss Mundee?!" Reeve exclaimed.
"Yep, I'm pretty confident 'bout that," Caroline smirked.
"I beg your pardon. My name is Lewis Cass Reeve, I'm a lawyer, I am the executor of Mr Crabbe's will. You must be Miss Monahan, please may I offer my condolences, Miss." he said formally, offering the ginger-haired girl his hand. She replied by shoving one of the dollies into it.
"Play dolls!" she exhorted him as he stood in some confusion.
"So now you've met Bridget, Mr. Reeve, lawyer," grinned Caroline amused mostly at the look on the man's face. This was classic Bridget though. Best the legal eagle know what sort of person he was now dealing with.
Arabella showed Rebecca Wentworth into the room right then and surveyed the scene of all three of them with dollies in their hands and laughed out loud "He he! Well, I seen everything now! Ain't ya got a dolly for me and Mrs Dubbyah to play with, too, Bridg'?!"
Caroline eyed the woman with Arabella, who the devil was this now?
"Careful what ya wish for, hon," Caroline smiled at Arabella, she missed the young miss despite all the constant aggravation she had brought to the saloon girl.
Rebecca raised an eyebrow at the scene that confronted her when she entered the room. She knew who Bridget was but the other girl was a bit of a mystery. Going by the way she was dressed she could make a good guess at what she did for a living. Since she was not one to judge about what people choose to do with their lives, Rebecca would treat her just like any other lady of her acquaintance. Besides, it seemed that the girl had taken it upon herself to look after Bridget and anyone who showed compassion to those less than fortunate was worthy of respect in her books.
Turning her attention to the person she came here to see, Rebecca smiled warmly, " Hello, Bridget. May I join you?"
Want... dolls!
Bridget looked up at the new man, he was pretty and nice to look at, like Brendan.
"Oh, you're Miss Mundee?!" Reeve exclaimed.
"Yep, I'm pretty confident 'bout that," Caroline smirked.
The crippled girl noticed a shift in Caroline when Reeve had entered, like she turned something on, her attitude, her whole centre changed: her unique brain couldn't put it into words but she was more than aware of it. She had a sort of extra sensitive peripheral vision when it came to people's moods and attitudes.
"I beg your pardon. My name is Lewis Cass Reeve, I'm a lawyer, I am the executor of Mr Crabbe's will. You must be Miss Monahan, please may I offer my condolences, Miss." he said formally, offering the ginger-haired girl his hand. She replied by shoving one of the dollies into it.
"Play dolls!" she exhorted him as he stood in some confusion.
He couldn't, of course: he was a pretty, clever man who used big words; people like that couldn't play dolls. She wasn't as dumb as her way of interacting with the world made her look, she was, in her own way, joking.
"So now you've met Bridget, Mr. Reeve, lawyer," grinned Caroline amused mostly at the look on the man's face. This was classic Bridget though. Best the legal eagle know what sort of person he was now dealing with.
She grinned broadly at Caroline, her eyes twinkling as brightly as blue stars in a midnight sky.
Then Arabella came in with that lady she met at the hotel in May, Becca. Rebecca Wentworth was too long and messy, so was Missus Wentworth. 'Becca' she could manage, it suited her.
"He he! Well, I seen everything now! Ain't ya got a dolly for me and Mrs Dubbyah to play with, too, Bridg'?!"
"Careful what ya wish for, hon," Caroline smiled at Arabella.
Arabella was unlike Caroline, she 'presented' the same way to men as women, to young as to old, to self consciously 'intelligent' men as to 'idiots'. Whereas it had been novel, exciting and fun to play with Caroline, Arabella's presence was more like putting on a pair of old comfortable shoes, well, shoe, in her case.
Turning her attention to the person she came here to see, Rebecca smiled warmly, " Hello, Bridget. May I join you?"
Arabella took the pretty man away to look at Lorenzo's things and Bridget smiled up at Becca, who had been nice to her at the hotel and given her lots of cake to eat. She told Caroline "It's Becca!" because she could feel that the two didn't know each other, she sensed again, a slight shift in Caroline's demeanor; a sort of defensive projection, like she was arming herself to be attacked or insulted. She inadvertently tipped her head in wonderment: why would anyone want to hurt Caroline? She was lovely.
To Mrs Wentworth she explained "It's Car-a-line." and to make it clear to Mrs Wentworth that she was lovely, she aded "I love Car-a-line"
"Friends can play!" she said hopefully, spreading her arms and inviting Mrs Wentworth into the game.