"Less work especially considering this dance will probably have quite the crowd I would reckon," Clare nodded.
"Very true, there are others contributing, so we will need to make a lot." Any left over could be put to good use somewhere, there were always children looking for sweets.
"I would suggest oatmeal cookies, easy ingredient naturally plus we could use some molasses or maple syrup to add flavor. Oh and my brother Wyatt can gather some nuts from the woods next to our property. Then if you have any ginger about, we could make ginger snaps."
"Both good options! We'll do those and shortbread, and Wyatt can help with cleaning the bowls if he'd like." And what boy wouldn't want to lick bowls full of cookie dough?
Storyteller / Shared NPC
Billy stepped back at the elbowing, not that it hurt any, "You don't gotta agree so fast ya know."
Brendan certainly seemed interested in attending that dance alright.
"And a'course I want to go. Who wouldn't? But as for gals, only one I know is the Redmond girl and I doubt she'd wanna dance with me."
"Well, good luck on both counts then," Billy had to chuckle, "But, hey, the foreman might pick ya. He doesn't know you like I do, so he might think you deserve it."
"That Redmond wildcat? Why she took a swing at Greer back at the summer festival last year. So what do you know I don't? What exactly did you two talk about? From where we were it looked like she wanted to shoot you down like a dog."
"Well..." Brendan narrowed his eyes and tried to remember back to the summer when he had first met Clara. "I don't rightly remember what we talked about...she did want to shoot me at first.
"Thanks to someone who didn't tell me about the feelin's Clara had for Evergreen hands and someone who told me her family was squattin' on Evergreen land." He hopped back up onto his bed, looking down at Billy with a hint of a smile. He now saw the humor in Billy and Greer's joke, even though it hadn't been funny at the time.
"She sure didn't like you an' Greer any. I think it helped my case a little bit since I tried to keep her from gettin' shot. But she's a mighty odd filly and I doubt she'll dance with me. So, any other gals I should be keepin' an eye out for?"
He pointed at Billy suddenly, lowering his eyebrows in mock sternness.
"An' don't say Miss Steelgrave. I ain't dumb enough to go after her...probably."
He'd been warned by the hands pretty quickly that Leah Steelgrave was off limits to him - if he wanted to keep his job and his health.
It seemed as if Emeline was in agreement with her cookie suggestions, they always did work together well since day 1.
"Both good options! We'll do those and shortbread, and Wyatt can help with cleaning the bowls if he'd like."
"Yes shortbread of course, why did I not think of that," Clara snapped her fingers.
"I doubt Wyatt will be around while we do all this baking, I am thinking he will think the whole process is boring. That boy always wants to be on the move," she gave her opinion on the other matter.
Then Clara sighed, "Do you recall the dress I wore for the summer festival dance? Would it be considered proper to wear the same one for this affair? That is my only good dress to be honest."
For a girl who earlier voiced no interest in this dance and thought it a waste of time, it seemed a strange topic to bring up.
Storyteller / Shared NPC
Billy was honestly surprised that Brendan had forgiven him for misleading him like that and sending him onto the Redmond property and danger. Most folk would have been furious. But by now the pair had known each other long enough, Billy found himself enjoying the other man's company far more than almost always grumpy Greer.
"She sure didn't like you an' Greer any. I think it helped my case a little bit since I tried to keep her from gettin' shot. But she's a mighty odd filly and I doubt she'll dance with me. So, any other gals I should be keepin' an eye out for?"
"Well, looking back on it I kinda wish I hadn't stolen her clothes and gun that day. I mighta stood a chance with her later on at the festival instead of that big fight. All I wanted to do that first time was just see her tits when she was in the lake. It wasn't like we were gonna do something bad to her. Well not me, anyhow, maybe Greer might have," Billy shrugged.
"She does talk kinda odd though don't she?" he chuckled.
"As for other gals, I don't know. Yer askin' the wrong fella. I know, I know... a handsome lad like myself and no gals. But we live so far from town, don't get there a whole lot," he had to admit.
As for Leah Steelgrave, yeah, she was unobtainable alright. Her father has never even said a word ta me and Leah ....well, she can be as mean as Clara maybe worse."
"Well, it don't seem like you missed much. She's a tiny thing."
Brendan tried to console Billy. Even if Clara had come out of the water that day, he doubted that Billy or Greer would have thought her body worth it. She was just on the cusp of womanhood, but not quite there yet. Or at least she hadn't been back in August.
"Tell you what. I think I've got myself a surefire way to get on that list. While I'm at the dance - " He flashed a grin, confident he would end up going. "-I'll see if I can't wrangle up the names of a few gals so next time we're both in town we'll have somethin' to do."
"Shake on it?" He got down from his bunk again and held out his hand.
It wasn't as though he was asking anything from Billy in return, but you never knew how doing a fella a favor would come back around to you.
Storyteller / Shared NPC
Billy nodded, "She is but she's still a gal and I can't exactly afford to be picky. Besides yer interested in her. So why does she catch yer fancy. It can't be her friendliness."
But it seemed Brendan had a sudden idea and sounded confident it would be beneficial for both of them too. Well, Billy would have been a fool not to hear him out, "Oh yeah, what?"
"-I'll see if I can't wrangle up the names of a few gals so next time we're both in town we'll have somethin' to do."
The other cowpoke held his hand out to shake on it. Billy nodded and extended his then.
"That'd be nice. Thanks, pard!" Billy grinned.
"I doubt Wyatt will be around while we do all this baking, I am thinking he will think the whole process is boring. That boy always wants to be on the move," she gave her opinion on the other matter.
"All the more for us!" Shrugging, Emeline laughed. "Well, maybe one day he'll be interested, and he's always welcome." Weedy seemed to find his way here when she was backing fruit pies, and the lad often volunteered to sweep the dining floor or boardwalk in exchange for treats. But then, the boy didn't have a proper home, and when it was hot, the cafe was usually cooler than Addy's barn.
"Do you recall the dress I wore for the summer festival dance? Would it be considered proper to wear the same one for this affair? That is my only good dress to be honest."
"Yes, of course." Of course, she remembered the dress...there was nothing wrong with it, except that it was a bit outdated, and maybe a bit juvenile now for Clara. "How are you with a thread and needle? I have something that might fit you with a few alterations. Have you worn a bustle?"
Wyatt was Wyatt and all boy so there was no fathoming them, Clara reasoned and moved on to a more vital topic. If she was stuck going to this ridiculously frivolous dance she would have to decide on what to wear. It wasn't like she could discuss this sort of thing with her father but fortunately, she had Emeline.
"Yes, of course," was the woman's opinion on wearing the same dress as the spring festival.
"How are you with a thread and needle? I have something that might fit you with a few alterations. Have you worn a bustle?"
"I would say I am adequate at best, Mother was so talented though," Clara sighed at the bittersweet memory then continued, "I mostly just mend worn or torn clothing. The menfolk are hard on clothing."
"A bustle?" that caught her by surprise.
"Well, no, not really. I do not have any such thing at the farm. Come to think of it, I do not recall my mother wearing one even. She was not what one would call a party goer."
"Corsets, bustles, do you think men really care about such things that we have to wear them?" she now asked.
"Well, no." Emeline wasn't sure she should talk about what men were interested in, so she quickly added, "But that doesn't mean you shouldn't consider dressing fancy on special occasions." She chuckled. "It reminds me that I'm somewhere special and have to be on my best behavior. And while it is fun to feel elegant for an evening, I can't wait to shed all the confining trappings."
With a laugh, she shrugged. "You can try it on and see how it feels, and either way, I think we can alter something to fit you and make you shine."