"Weedy! Get in here." Leah scolded, though she realized for him to open the door he had to put himself away from cover. "I'm sorry,Weedy, I shouldn't have barked at you like that, but now you're soaked. Is there someplace we can get you some dry clothes? Do you have a slicker? Anything to keep the rain off of you?"

Jonah was not there and that added to her frustration, but his patients had to come first. "I take it Doctor Danforth is with a patient at his office?" Of course he was, or else he would have been with Weedy, or called himself. He might not be rich, but Jonah Danforth was a proper gentleman, of that she was certain, and a welcome relief from the men she had been in the company of. Bannister, now he was different that the majority of her father and brother Case's hied men. There were moments when she though he had proper upbringing and an education, but he was hard, deadly, of that she was certain.

"Speed laughed, "A do nothin' day, well, yep, exactly what I'm planin' on doing. Anything I'd be talking about will wait on clearer weather than we have today. Besides, the office space isn't going anywhere." Speed stated with some certainty.

"You've a point Marshal, actually not much could be done in weather like this. In fact, I doubt the bank or the land office are open." Phinn added taking a quick glance outside.

"Hated workin' beef in this weather, no way to stay dry, slicker or not." Pike added. "No tellin' if it's rainin' where the drive is, but if it is, feel for 'em. Them yella legs, they'er used to bad weather. 'course, throw in injuns, an' they'll have their plates full." He looked to Phinn, "How many riders they got?"

Phinn looked startled, "I couldn't really say, but I'd think Thornton would've sent enough men. They were supposed to deliver the beef to the Army."

Speeds brow furrowed and he leaned forward. "Okay, so, how far from here is the rendezvous point? This supposed new fort or Kilpatrick? "

"Hell if I know." Was Phinn's retort. "Never heard that part, just that they were to deliver a herd to the Army." he grinned,"You plannin' to ride out an' lend a hand?"

"No, no I wasn't, just wondering what they could be up against." Speed responded. "Too many herds been taken of late, and no sign of who did the taking, or where they went. This weather don't lend itself to taking anything."

Pronto had a sour look on his face. "Hard to get an idea where the shooter came from or went, but when I can I'm headin' out to have me a look see. Got no truck with back shooters, so I'm figurin' he had him somethin' to hide." The other two nodded i agreement.

It was morning, dark and gray, rain spattered against the window pane, driven by a sudden gust of wind. Elias Steelgrave stood before the window looking out toward Kalispel wondering just where in the hell Santee was with his daughter. He, of course, knew that the man might have some trouble with Leah, and that the young woman could be dangerous.

He had been drunk, Elinor was away on one of her trips to the city, and it happened. She in her chemise and he in his cups. She had screamed, fought, scratched him, but he was too much for her and had his way in the end. By the time Elinor returned, the scratches had healed, Leah was sullen and then returned to an obedient but angry version of herself. There were those moments when he hated himself for what happened, but those moments didn't last. Elias could trust Leah would do as she was told.

Though she had never actually killed anyone, he knew she was capable of it, which worried him when he thought of it. So dealing with this Pike fellow, well she would do it, she had said she would, and easily make it look like self-defense. The thought made him smile, not that he knew the man, or anything about him in so far he why he was in Montana. That mattered not at all, she would kill him, and that would be that.

Leah barely suppressed the laugh that fought to escape at the reference to the rain. “Toad soaker, well Weedy that’s certainly an appropriate description of the weather we’re having.” The she stepped quickly out of the shelter and opened the door for herself and stepped inside, holding the door, “Well, come on Weedy. I’ll not leave you to make your way in this, and my apologies.”

It was not the best of days to be looking at property, but the carriage was and so was a soaked child. It was as good a day as any to begin the search. Then she would need to send a couple of wires to some contacts she could trust to really get the project moving. And with this project, the reinvention of Leah Steelgrave.

"Thank you, Miss!" Weedy darted into the carriage behind her then pulled the door shut. "Don't mind being wet, then I can just sit in front of the fire until I get dry!" He put on a pathetic face. "And a cold boy needs warm milk and cookies to get better."

This time Leah did laugh out loud at the boys antics. “Well warm milk and cookies seems to be in order then, though getting them, the cookies, might prove somewhat difficult.”

He laughed, then glanced at Leah as the carriage stopped in the road. The driver, a man who Leah might recognize as a local laborer who had bad blood with her family, got out and opened the door, heedless of the rain.

“Excuse me?” She asked

"Get out!" He glared at the young woman. "I ain't goin' no farther with no Steelgrave scum!"

This was not uncommon, she had heard that, and worse in her life. The man had a familiar look about him. “Are you serious, sir? In this weather?” She asked as the boy leaped from the seat.

"You can't do that!" Weedy protested, blocking the doorway.

“Weedy, no...” She demanded.

"I can and I am. Don't mean to put you out, boy, just that woman. Now, git!"

There was a derringer in her reticule, but she thought better of it as she stepped from the conveyance, her feet sinking in the mud. “Come Weedy, we’ll get to the hotel and dry out.” She looked to the driver, “I have no idea of your reasoning, nor of your hatred for my family, but you must know sir, should my brothers hear of this, you’ll regret this moment for the rest of your miserable life.”