Mature Content: No
With: Matt Wentworth
Time of Day: Mid-Morning
Hannah stepped out of the courthouse into the bright sunshine of mid-morning. She had chosen the door that directly accessed the street rather than make her way through the municipal building itself. Since Ian Blevins had confessed to the beating and killing his wife for no reason other than the fact that he was a brute, the proceedings had been short. Hannah had not even had to testify. She had not been prepared for the man's sudden plea of guilty since he had maintained his innocence right up to the moment he was escorted from the jail to the courthouse. Judge Oliver Wendell had sentenced the man to hard labor in the Montana Territorial Prison for the rest of his life. It had been satisfying to see the Judge was just as disgusted by the man's actions as she was. Hannah hoped this would allow poor Molly Blevins to rest in peace. More importantly, Hannah hoped their three young children would come out of it none the worse for living with such violence. They had already been adopted by a kindly couple with a small far just outside of town. They had not been in the courtroom.
Nervously, Hannah raised a hand to touch her small, dainty hat to make sure the pins were still secure. It would be terribly embarrassing if the wind caused it to fly off her head. She then smoothed her gray skirts and briefly admired the touch of cream colored lace at her cuffs. Thanks to the many changes occurring in Kalispell and in her life, Hannah had taken to wearing dresses part of the time, especially when representing the Kalispell Town Marshal's Office in the courtroom. With her father, former Town Marshal, Scott Cory, considering running for mayor, she needed to also represent him to the people of Kalispell. While on active duty, Hannah still wore trousers and a practical shirt and vest. Having to break up brawls at the saloon was not a time to worry about getting ones skirts soiled or torn. However, when manning the office and doing routine administrative chores, she had taken to wearing a practical split riding skirt, low heeled boots and a decent blouse. Even with all of that, she was still nervous and self-conscious when clad in a gown and heels, even if they were low ones.
Hannah had the rest of the day off. It was her reward for tracking Blevins down and seeing the case through to trial. She had investigated it thoroughly. Even had he not made an eleventh-hour confession, Hannah had handed the prosecutor with an airtight case. Honestly, she enjoyed the investigation, gathering of evidence, and interviewing witnesses more than than anything in her job. Anyone could break up a barroom brawl. Not many people could investigate a crime and get to the facts. It was surprising how much people would say to a genteel young woman that sipped tea and led conversations along paths that got to the facts of the matter at hand. She could still break up fights and handle a gun as well as most men. Hannah was just finding that she enjoyed learning another aspect of law enforcement.
There were a few people on the street. Hannah nodded at an acquaintance or two and smiled as they realized who she was and stared with wide eyes. She was not sure if their reaction was positive or negative, just that it was a reaction and it felt good! Her steps had led her to the other side of the town square and toward the imposing edifice of the Belle-St. Regis Hotel. She had been inside a time or two to roust a drunk guest out that was disturbing other clientele. For several long moments, she stood and stared at the entrance, considering her options. The dining room would be open for lunch. It might be questionable for a young unmarried woman to dine alone but Hannah felt she had earned the right to a pleasant and somewhat leisurely lunch.
Hannah took a deep breath, pushed the doors open, and stepped inside...
It's not a question of who's right. It's a question of what's right.
The morning had been a busy one with people leaving on the morning stage and those who had just arrived. Matt had just sent Simpson down to get some things from the general store. Some of the guests were very particular in what they wanted and as long as they paid for it, he didn't mind answering their requests.
Looking at the clock on the far wall, he noted that it was nearing lunch. It also reminded him that his brothers hadn't shown up yet. As soon as Simpson got back, he could go and have some lunch. Friday afternoon was usually a bit quiet, so there would be time to sit down on the front verandah and wait for their arrival.
He was about to check the ledger to see how many rooms were currently occupied when he caught sight of the woman who had just entered. As he watched her come in, he realised that there was something familiar about her. Then it dawned on him.
Smiling, he made his way from the front desk, "Miss Cory, it's a pleasure to see you again."
It took a few moments for Hannah to register the fact that someone had spoken to her. She was not accustomed to being the "Miss" in any conversation. Hannah offered the man a smile while she nervously smoothed her skirt with one hand while the other hand clutched tightly to the strings of her purse.
"Good day, Mr. Wentworth," Hannah responded, finally meeting his eyes. "A pleasure to see you also. It is such a lovely day, I thought I'd treat myself to lunch."
It's not a question of who's right. It's a question of what's right.
Matt looked over towards the dining area and back to Hannah, "Lunch will be served shortly, so you will have to time to peruse the menu and make your choice. I wholeheartedly recommend the roast beef. The gravy is a secret recipe that the chef says he got from his French grandmother in New Orleans," Matt leaned over towards Hannah, "Whether or not that is true, is something we are still trying to work out considering he has an Irish accent."
Taking a moment to admire Hannah, he wondered why she didn't dress this way more often. It made sense not to do so while she was on duty but why she hadn't at other times was a bit of a mystery to him. She reminded him of something he had heard or read about one hiding their light under a cover. The covering of a deputy was certainly hiding the woman she obviously was. Maybe he could find out why over lunch.
Matt offered Hannah his arm, "Since I was thinking of having lunch as well, I would be more than honoured if you would join me or at least allow me the opportunity to escort you to your table."
Hannah was startled again. It was simply the unexpected invitation to lunch that made her blink slightly. The only man, other than her father, that had asked to have lunch with her was Ezra Hale's eldest son, Nick. In those instances it had been because he was in town, did not want to spend money at the cafe, and knew she almost always made time to prepare lunch for her father. Hannah's instincts were to to politely decline, give some suitable excuse and go to the White Rose Cafe for her meal.
Her tongue seemed to have other plans and Hannah heard herself saying, "I would be happy for the company, Mr. Wentworth. Thank you." Still confused by her answer, Hannah took Matt's extended arm. Oh God! Now what? She was going to have to make polite conversation. Where was a fast horse when you needed one?
It's not a question of who's right. It's a question of what's right.
Matt escorted Hannah to one of the tables near the front windows. One of the windows was partially covered by a large pot containing a plant he had found out was called Cheyenne Mock Orange. It was something the previous owner had placed here in his efforts to make some sort of an impression. Even though the plant had already passed the blooming stage for the year, Matt acknowledged that the greenery did add a little bit to the room. After the winter, he was going to re-decorate the hotel and the plant's fate would be decided then.
Smiling, he glanced down at Hannah, "I do hope that this is to your liking. If not we can sit somewhere else. It's a bit early, so you can still choose another table."
"This is fine, Mr. Wentworth. I like the light coming in."
Hannah looked out the window at the street beyond. Unconsciously, she sighed. So far, the new marshal had not indicated that her job was in jeopardy, but what if Guyer decided Kalispell did not need a woman deputy marshal? What would she do? Hannah knew that her father would make sure she did not starve and if he won the mayoral election, he would be paid a bit more than he'd made as the town marshal. The thing was that Hannah was used to supporting herself. She did not want to have to depend on her father or anyone else. Besides, due to her chosen line of work, her marriage prospects were quite low, probably non-existent.
Turning her eyes back to Matt, she gestured at the table, "I believe you recommended the roast beef?"
It's not a question of who's right. It's a question of what's right.
"I believe I did, " Matt replied.
He helped Hannah to be seated before waving to one of the waiters. After whispering some orders to him, the waiter nodded and smiled at Hannah before leaving.
Quickly checking the restaurant and pleased to see that the lunch time crowd was now starting to arrive, Matt sat down in the chair opposite her. It had been a while since he had such a beautiful companion to dine with it and he was planning to make the most of it while he could.
"I've ordered some Amontillado Sherry to have with our meal. If you prefer something else, I can easily change it."
"Thank you again, the sherry would be lovely. If I could get a glass of water as well?" Hannah was not a big drinker although she did like the occasional glass of sherry or wine with a meal. Now that they were seated, she was beginning to think her impulsive acceptance of Matt's lunch invitation was something of a mistake. Another of her short-falls was the ability to make random conversation. What to say next? What would a small-town woman who worked in man's job talk about with a polished, handsome, man-of-the-world like Matt Wentworth.
"The hotel's business seems to be improving over what it was before you took over. The previous owner made it clear that he and his family did not care for the likes of the Kalispell locals." Hannah wondered how that line of conversation was going to play. It was the simple truth. In fact, she was had no idea why the Belle had been built. Kalispell had not been an incorporated town for very long. There were a few wealthy families in the area and the population was growing steadily. Still, it was surprising to find a five-star hotel in a backwater like Kalispell.
It's not a question of who's right. It's a question of what's right.
Matt waved to one of the waiters and requested the glass of water for Hannah. As they waited, he answered her. "Yes, the hotel is doing well. I plan to make some improvements in the Spring but until then what we do have here is in good condition."
The waiter returned with glass of water and placed it front of Hannah. He remarked that the meal would be served shortly and then left.
Matt smiled, "I agree that the previous owner wasn't enamoured with Kalispell. He was very eager to sell the hotel and now after inspecting the place, I think I came away with a bargain." He didn't really want to mention that one of the reasons, the previous owner wanted to get rid of the hotel was that he didn't want to sell it to Elias Steelgrave. Even though she was deputy, he didn't think it was necessary to involve Miss Cory. Knowing things about the Steelgraves was likely to get one into trouble or killed and he didn't want that to happen to her.
Seeing that she was a little uncomfortable, Matt lowered his voice a little, "I would like to take this opportunity to compliment you on your appearance. It's not often I get to dine with a lady as lovely and charming as yourself."