"Everybody can feather their nest, but it's not just anybody that can lay an egg!"
Arabella was sometimes accused, by less sensitive souls, of being over-dramatic. However, she was actually very calm as she continued her glass collection and washing routine, while deciding upon the most effective way of killing herself the next morning. After flirting with ideas of rope, gun, poison and Conestoga Wagon, she had finally settled on filling her apron pockets with rocks and drowning herself in that lovely lake by the Mission where she and Charlie Wentworth had experienced that, to her, mystical and religious experience.
She could just imagine the remorse that everybody in Kalispell, especially Mike ‘Traitor’ Wentworth would feel as she was borne into town, beautiful in death, on some sort of sombre bier, covered in white and blue silk, with lilies clutched in her stiff, little dead hands. She could almost hear his sobs of anguish, and everybody’s sighs of regret that they hadn’t been nicer to her in the brief, all too brief, time that she had walked amongst them. Why, those folks were so sad about her in her daydream that she nearly started to cry herself, all over the nice clean glasses she was stacking.
Then someone had to go and spoil it all by cheering her up!
“Psst! Arabella! Reb!" That was what some people called her, wasn't it? He followed that salutation up with a little upward whistle like he would use for getting a horse's attention.
“Uh?!” The scrawny teenager span around looking for where the whistle had come from and her eyes lit on Brendan, making his first visit to the saloon.
“Mississippi!!” she yelped, and gave a short scream, wheeling around the bar and circumventing a rather rotund man in a squashed derby.
“Out the way, fatty!” she yelled, dodging the human obstacle and throwing herself around the handsome cowboy. They did not know each other that well, really, only having met at the Barn Dance; but they possessed the sort of bond that comes only when two people, together, hand in hand, have survived the Galop Quadrille.
“Welcome to the Stardust Saloon!” she formally greeted him, throwing out her arms and knocking Dutton Peabody’s hat off. “What do you want to drink?” she asked excitedly, running back around the other side of the bar “Mr. Flandry don’t let me serve drinks, usually: says I fill ‘em up too full, but we’re so busy tonight, he don’t got any choice!” she beamed.
As she fixed him his drink, she had an urgent query “Well, Bren’, did you catch the show? Did ya see me playin’ the piana? I was good, wasn’t I?” she asked breathlessly.
"Oh yeah? Who might this be? That brother you mentioned?" she was curious.
"It's a brother," MIke smiled, "but not the one that's here tonight. It's my youngest brother, Charlie and well...he's still quite young and he still hasn't learned how to control how much he drinks. You remember me telling you about how downright mean we can get when we've had too much. We've all been down that path and now it's Charlie's turn and we don't want him doing anything he will regret or maybe get put in jail for later on down the track. So if you can help out, it will greatly be appreciated."
After Arabella's enthusiastic greeting, Brendan tried to get his breath back. For a skinny girl, she had quite a grip in her arms. But no sooner had he succeeded in catching his breath than Arabella playing host.
“Welcome to the Stardust Saloon! What do you want to drink? Mr. Flandry don’t let me serve drinks, usually: says I fill ‘em up too full, but we’re so busy tonight, he don’t got any choice!” she beamed.
"Eh, just a beer. And don't you worry none about filling it up too full, now." He leaned against the counter again and watched her with a grin. Of course Mr. Flandry didn't want her to fill them up too full. It was better for business.
As she fixed him his drink, she had an urgent query “Well, Bren’, did you catch the show? Did ya see me playin’ the piana? I was good, wasn’t I?” she asked breathlessly.
Brendan's mouth dropped open and for a moment he looked quite stupid. "Huh?" Arabella had been playing the piano? Arabella had been present at the same time Caroline was dazzling the saloon with her talents? This called for some fast thinking.
"Oh, yeah, I saw the show. And you were playin' the piano, weren't you? You certainly was...uh...well, you was there, yeah. It was somethin' to hear."
He'd barely noticed the piano at the beginning of the show, and by the time it was over, he had forgotten all about it. He wasn't sure whether that was due to Arabella's skill at playing along with a singer, or to Caroline's ability to capture a crowd.
"Say, if you're playin' piano for Miss Mundee, you oughta know her well enough to give me an introduction. How's about it, Bella?" He gave her a winning smile along with a new nickname. It was better than Reb, that was for sure.
Ah, she was right, sorta. It was a brother of Mike's but not the brother present at the bar. He sure seemed to have a lot of brothers. Of course, she had been an only child so even three seemed a lot of boys. And apparently this brother couldn't handle his liquor and got mean? Even admitted he once was like that. Caroline was dubious.
"Aww, Mike, I never saw you mean. You always were the perfect gentleman," she remarked in all sincerity.
"And believe me I've run inta mean men in my life," she assured him.
"But alright, I will do what I can for him but no promises. He gets mean in here and I've heard that Ralph is the one who deals with troublemakers. And I've heard Ralph can be ....well, fierce is how it was told to me," she had to point out.
"I don't even know what this Charlie looks like. I can't go around asking very drunk ..'oh hey, your name Charlie'. "
"Everybody can feather their nest, but it's not just anybody that can lay an egg!"
The beer glass was full nearly to the brim and the head on it puffed up dangerously, until Arabella reached under the bar and brought forth a ruler-like instrument that she whipped over it, sending the froth a few feet through the air and onto someone’s foot.
“Here ya go, that’s one thin dime, one tennnnth of a dollar!” she cried like a circus hawker.
As she handed him his drink, she had an urgent query “Well, Bren’, did you catch the show? Did ya see me playin’ the piana? I was good, wasn’t I?” she asked breathlessly.
"Oh, yeah, I saw the show. And you were playin' the piano, weren't you? You certainly was...uh...well, you was there, yeah. It was somethin' to hear."
“Hmmmm.” Arabella eyed him, narrow eyed. It would be kinda odd if Brendan was the only man in the bar who had been listening enraptured with her tinkling on the keys instead of goggling at the ‘painted lady’. Still, he had at least done his pathetic best to pretend to be in the former classification.
"Say, if you're playin' piano for Miss Mundee, you oughta know her well enough to give me an introduction. How's about it, Bella?" He gave her a winning smile along with a new nickname. It was better than Reb, that was for sure.
Arabella opened her eyes as wide as she could and tipped her head to one side, which was her way of saying ‘don’t Bella me, cowboy, I can see right through you like a candy store window’ She was going to tell him right there and then not to be fooled, that she slept with Miss Caroline Mundee and most of what he thought he saw in her was made up of powder, paint and a good deal of upholstery. But then an evil thought entered her head.
“Sure Mississip’, I’d introduce ya right now if ya like.” She smiled “least your old pal ‘Bella’ can do for ya!” she smiled, oh so innocently.
“But listen…” she beckoned him forward over the bar, to speak more secretly with him. “When she’s in here in the evenin’, she’s on. She’s kinda… acting like. Pretending to be someone she ain’t. It’s like when I’m playing the piana, it’s ... it's hard to explain. Anyhow, what I’m getting at is this. If you can get off of that there ranch one mornin’ in the week, ‘bout ten or eleven, that’s when we’d be rehearsin’ in here. If you come in then, you could get to know the real Caroline Mundee.”
"Aww, Mike, I never saw you mean. You always were the perfect gentleman," she remarked in all sincerity.
"And believe me I've run inta mean men in my life," she assured him.
Mike smiled, "No you never...I had myself all sorted out by the time I met you. Generally, we're not that mean unless we're pushed or have good reason to be. It's something to do with the way alcohol addles our disposition or our brains, no-one knows for sure. If we consume an excess amount it sets something off and it not's pretty. Charlie's young and he's been in college for the last couple of years with no real supervision and I'm afraid it's becoming a bit of a problem. Thankfully, he has enough sense not to drink on the job so we've got to keep watch on him when and where we can. We've got the hotel covered and Charlie wouldn't dare do anything there or Matt would have his hide. So his only option is to come here, and due to work commitments Sam and I can't be here all the time. That's where your help will be invaluable. It won't be all the time just the times when we're not here and he is."
But alright, I will do what I can for him but no promises. He gets mean in here and I've heard that Ralph is the one who deals with troublemakers. And I've heard Ralph can be ....well, fierce is how it was told to me," she had to point out.
"I don't even know what this Charlie looks like. I can't go around asking very drunk ..'oh hey, your name Charlie'. "
"Don't worry, I'll make sure you meet Charlie. I plan to be with him the next time he comes here and if I'm not, Sam will be. Which reminds, I better introduce you two. How about after your next performance?"
Caroline listened to Mike tell the sad tale of his younger brother. A college educated man too at that and already was well on his way to being an alcoholic. Pity but she saw it enough in her career. It never really bothered her conscience though that her job involved pushing drinks of folks. In the end she believed the only one responsible for drunkeness was the drinker. No one was forcing it down their throats. Only because it was Mike and the man was an old friend, did she agree to try to help though she pointed out that she didn't even know the jasper.
Mike had that already figured though, "Don't worry, I'll make sure you meet Charlie. I plan to be with him the next time he comes here and if I'm not, Sam will be. Which reminds, I better introduce you two. How about after your next performance?"
"Alright, fair enough. That sounds good and speaking of my next performance, I really need to get back to wandering the floor. Mingling with the customers is an important part of my job. Don't want my new boss getting cross with me," she then stood up.
"And ya know.....someday you could buy me a dinner? Not here....I mean the beef stew is good but this ain't no restaurant. I noticed a diner down the street though. We could go there," she suggested.
Unless of course he did not want to be seen in public with the likes of her sort in his home town. Most likely the proper folk in town looked at saloon folk as trash. She had experienced it all too often. And she would understand, he no doubt had a reputation to worry about.
Brendan dug in his pocket for a dime and slid it over the counter, then took a big gulp of his beer. It hit the spot, and he sighed appreciatively as Arabella began speaking.
"Sure Mississip’, I’d introduce ya right now if ya like. Least your old pal ‘Bella’ can do for ya!” she smiled, oh so innocently. Well, she didn't seem to outright hate the nickname, but
"Gee, would ya?" He began, but Arabella wasn't done.
“But listen…”
Brendan leaned forward to better hear Arabella's secret that she was going to share with him.
"When she’s in here in the evenin’, she’s on. She’s kinda… acting like. Pretending to be someone she ain’t. It’s like when I’m playing the piana, it’s ... it's hard to explain. Anyhow, what I’m getting at is this. If you can get off of that there ranch one mornin’ in the week, ‘bout ten or eleven, that’s when we’d be rehearsin’ in here. If you come in then, you could get to know the real Caroline Mundee."
The real Caroline Mundee? Well, that was an attractive offer. But that would mean he would have to wait, and he didn't like waiting on something like that.
"Well..." he hedged, scratching his chin, "I ain't exactly a mornin' person...and if I'm up in the mornin' I'm busy with the cows. Maybe you could introduce me and then if I can come in to town this week it's a...a extry time I'll get to see her."
"Everybody can feather their nest, but it's not just anybody that can lay an egg!"
"Well..." he hedged, scratching his chin, "I ain't exactly a mornin' person...and if I'm up in the mornin' I'm busy with the cows. Maybe you could introduce me and then if I can come in to town this week it's a...a extry time I'll get to see her."
“Oh, the impatience of youth!” said the fifteen year old, rolling her eyes. “Come on then!” she humphed, rounding the bar again. But before they proceeded to the den of the scarlet queen, she drew Brendan close again for another confidential tête-à-tête.
“Now listen, cowboy” she started “I’m gonna let you in on a secret…” she looked around to make sure they weren’t being overheard – a pointless exercise in the crowded saloon.
“If she says buy me a drink, it’ll cost ya a quarter for a ten cent shot, that’s a nickel extra for the house and ten cents down for her. So, don’t buck when you see the bill, cause that’ll make you look cheap! And that there drink, it’ll most probably be just plain old cold tea, cause she can’t afford to get squiffy when she’s playing the game, so don’t expect it to get her all drunk so she falls in love with you, see?” she advised conspiratorially.
“Now let’s have a look at you, y’handsome brute!” she said, straightening his collar and spit-washing a smudge from his face like a mama seeing her little boy off to school. “Hmm, you’ll do!” she decided and dragged him by the hand over to where Caroline and Mike were chatting at a table.
“Hey Caroline!” she yelled, butting into their conversation, facing the saloon singer and totally ignoring the now hated Mr Wentworth. “This here’s my friend Brendan Connolly! He didn’t want to come over and bother you, but I wanted you to meet one of the really nice fellers around these parts.” She beamed, patting him on the arm.
“I’ll go and get the music ready for your next performance, leave you two to get to know each other!” she said, before giving an acid glance to the oldest Wentworth brother and adding tartly “I wouldn’t want a hang around and be a gooseberry!” And with that she scuttled off, hoping that Caroline would fall for the handsome cowboy and give Mr Michael Wentworth a taste of his own medicine.
And ya know.....someday you could buy me a dinner? Not here....I mean the beef stew is good but this ain't no restaurant. I noticed a diner down the street though. We could go there," she suggested.
Mike smiled, "I can do better than that. I'll take you to the hotel. As long as you're on your best behaviour, which I have no doubt you will be, then owner won't mind. I can't speak for anybody else who may be there on the night but what they think doesn't matter to me. My friends and family know who I am and they know that I only have dinner with women that I admire and respect."
He was about to get out of his chair when Arabella Mudd turned up with the young fellow from Evergreen, who Charlie had made friends with at the dance.
“Hey Caroline!” she yelled, butting into their conversation, facing the saloon singer and totally ignoring the now hated Mr Wentworth. “This here’s my friend Brendan Connolly! He didn’t want to come over and bother you, but I wanted you to meet one of the really nice fellers around these parts.” She beamed, patting him on the arm.
“I’ll go and get the music ready for your next performance, leave you two to get to know each other!” she said, before giving an acid glance to the oldest Wentworth brother and adding tartly “I wouldn’t want a hang around and be a gooseberry!” And with that she scuttled off, hoping that Caroline would fall for the handsome cowboy and give Mr Michael Wentworth a taste of his own medicine.
"I was just leaving, so if Caroline is willing, you are welcome to take my place." Turning to Caroline, he took her hand and gave her a quick wink, "Until later, my dear." Raising her hand to his lips he gave it a light kiss before letting it go. A smirk appeared on his face before he schooled his features to a more serious look.
Turning back to Brendan he placed his hand on his shoulder, "Make sure you remember that she's a lady or you'll be hearing from me."
With that Mike headed back towards the bar, with a grin slowly creeping back on his face. He hoped Caroline had remembered that jasper at the saloon in Dodge. The boy couldn't have been more than seventeen but he already fancied himself some sort of ladies man and he was out to make a conquest. In order to help get the boy back on track and realise that Caroline was out his league, they had both conspired to play a trick on him. The boy had fell for it but the Evergreen hand was a lot older so Mike wasn't sure he would fall for it. If he didn't then it would be no great loss.