Mature Content: No
Author: Jonah
With: Leah Steelgrave, Jonah Danforth
Location: Hotel Dining
When: Mid July / 1876
Time of Day: Evening
Jonah made good use of his time, and fortunately, Mrs. Tillery's eggs were well-known to the local bakers, so he'd been able to strike a good bargain with the chef at the Belle-St.Regis, so dinner was taken care of, and now there was a good deal of room in his larder for more 'payments' from his patients!
Wearing his best suit -- black trousers and frock coat, as well as a gold-brocade waistcoat -- he made his way back to the Belle-St. Regis, where Leah was going to meet him. He was looking forward to supper, and conversation that would have a positive, optimistic tone to it for a change!
This was the happiest she had been in quite sometime, perhaps since the moment she had secured the final right of way, and considered what that would mean to the town, and to her plans for the hospital and the orphanage.
She dressed in her favorite gown, as this was a special occasion for her, and Jonah as well. Actually, it was a special occasion for Kalispell, a signal it was moving forward as the Territorial county seat. Given to it as the largest town in the county. Montana was laying the groundwork for statehood, with counties, and the required seat for said county. Though she was unaware of counties appointing or electing and county commissioners, or other county designates, other than Sheriffs to serve those counties.
Once dressed and ready she stepped out into the evening, as the three men across the street got to their feet and then followed her into town at a respectable distance, and to the hotel where they stopped as she entered. They would sequester themselves across the street. There was no immediate need for them to be inside.
"Good evening Jonah. My don't you look dapper this evening?" She observed. "I am famished!" She announced offering her arm.
"Dapper?" Jonah chuckled, taking her arm as he ushered her inside. "I suppose for this back-water town, but I have no intention of going anywhere more modern, so this will do!"
He chuckled, then returned the compliment. "And you are stunning, even if this was St. Louis or Boston, you would turn heads!"
They were escorted to a corner table near the front window, and Jonah sat opposite her after holding her chair for her. "It's going to be nice to have a positive conversation, to be able to move forward and know the future of things!"
The whole dynamic could shift now, and they could start talking about the actual logistics. "You say you have the materials? Does that mean there are plans as well?"
"Flattery, Doctor, will get you anywhere." Leah stated. "I do so like the window seat with the slipping away. The colors are so beautiful this time of day."
They were escorted to a corner table near the front window, and Jonah sat opposite her after holding her chair for her. "It's going to be nice to have a positive conversation, to be able to move forward and know the future of things!"
"Oh isn't it ever!" A statement more than a question, "It seems that for so long it's just been one setback after another, but no more. Tomorrow I will wire for the men and materials to come ahead."
The whole dynamic could shift now, and they could start talking about the actual logistics. "You say you have the materials? Does that mean there are plans as well?"
"Oh yes. I have men and materials standing ready, and yes, there are plans for the hospital. Oh my! It has just taken so long to reach this point, I intend to enjoy every single moment of this!" She was beaming as she spoke. "It will take perhaps a couple of weeks for them to arrive, oh wait, they should be in Polson, down at the base of Flathead Lake, so sooner than that."
"That's good to hear," Jonah agreed with a smile, "you'll be able to get things started well before the bad weather sets in." He assumed that she knew of builders, and who could clear the land, and...well, now that he thought about it, there were a lot of details to building something as large as a hospital that he'd never even considered before. Of course, it wasn't his problem, he would be looking at a totally different aspect of the operation.
"I'll have to find out how long it's expected to take, so I can figure out when to order equipment." He sort of had a list of the major equipment, and some of the lesser things, but it was still 'sort of'. "I'll have to get with Dr. Boone to see what he suggests." It dawned on him that this was really going to happen, and his headaches were about to start!
The waiter came by and Jonah ordered champagne. "We're celebrating!" Then he waited for Leah to order what she wanted to eat.
Leah actually giggled, "Oh Jonah, let's not get in a panic, I shouldn't think this will be completed for months yet, possibly next June, if everything goes as planned." She said. "Oh, I'm sorry," she said to the waiter, "Perhaps a steak, medium rare, no, just medium will be fine. And whatever comes with it aside from beans." She looked at the young man and smiled.
"So, Jonah, here's the problem, the men I that I retained are the best at what they do from clearing the land to the actual construction. My family has used them before and were quite satisfied. They build the Evergreen in a matter of months. But they began at the end of May and finished in early September. We won't have that luxury, I'm afraid."
"Perhaps Mother Nature will smile on your project and hold off the worst of her wrath for a few weeks?" It would be hard to have to wait with the project half-done, and he could easily imagine the damage that could be done to the partly-built building just sitting there.
"I suppose we'll see, at least get as far into it as possible."
He paused as the waiter returned with champagne, pouring a small amount into a flute for him to taste, and after he nodded approval, two flutes were filled.
Once the waiter moved away, Jonah raised his glass, smiling. "To the Kalispell Hospital and Home for Children, and the continued success!"
She smiled at the toast, as it reflected her wishes exactly. She raised her glass and took sip. "We have a lot to look forward to. And yes, I too wish that we could have gotten started in the spring as I had hoped, but local politics and a certain amount of greed as well as prejudice have us where we are."
A bigger crew of workers might speed things up, something she would look into. If they could get the framing and walls up, and the roof on The rest could either be worked on over the winter months, or wait for spring. That was a good idea, but her knowledge of construction was limited, but she would check.
"I'm not sure what has come over Ben Robertson, it seemed like he was the sticking point with Richard Orr. No matter, I'm just thrilled that this is finally coming together, for all of us." She said with a bright smile.
"I just hope they don't find a way to stop things," Jonah commented, immediately regretting even bringing that up...there was no sense in dredging up negative possibilities while they were celebrating victory.
"At least now the worrying will be over progress," he added, "and that will be far more pleasant than the process so far." There would undoubtedly be set-backs, but at least those would be related more to circumstances and not stupid, petty people!
He smiled then, and said off-handedly, "And I understand you want to paint the building pink and orange, so it stands out?" A means of lightening up the conversation!
"At least now the worrying will be over progress," he added, "and that will be far more pleasant than the process so far." There it was, that feeling that no matter how good things seemed to be going, they could not be sure something or someone, wouldn't upset the apple cart. But rather than fall back into the doubt and fear, she smiled brightly. "Not a Chance, Jonah, not a chance. This will get done tomorrow morning, and we'll get on with it!"
She was too happy to allow anything to upset the evening. "At least now the worrying will be over progress," he added, "and that will be far more pleasant than the process so far."
"Yes, but that is to be expected under the best of circumstances." She was aware of delays and such things, and that had to be an accepted part of such an undertaking It was he statement about her choice of colors for the place. "What? Jonah Danforth! Wherever did you get such a notion. It will be stark white as a hospital should be, with perhaps a suitable trim for a pop of color." Then she laughed, she had not even thought of paint.