Matt smiled at Leah partly because he was amused at how she presented herself. He had seen Leah's type so many times and even married one once, that women like her and the way they used their assets was so phony that he had to smile. Sometimes he felt like laughing but this was not the time. The last thing he wanted to do was to get on the wrong side of any of the Steelgraves.

His smile was therefore mostly the charming smile he usually put on for all his guests. He would let Leah try her hardest. Maybe every now and then he would respond but only enough to make her think that she was succeeding. Keeping Leah happy whenever she stayed here was important to his mission.

Looking over at his desk clerk, Walter Simpson, he could see that man liked what he was seeing. Hopefully, the man had the sense to know that Leah would only be interested in him only if she wanted something from him. Putting down the letter he had been reading, he greeted Leah, "Good morning, Miss Steelgrave."

Pausing for a moment, he continued, "I'm sorry, but as far as I know, Dr. Danforth should be in his office unless he is out on some sort of emergency. If by chance he shows up here or if I see him in town, would you like me to mention that you're looking for him?

Looking at Wentworth and seeing his disdain for her, or possibly her family in general, she smiled . "Thank you, sir. That would be much appreciated as I have several things to accomplish this morning, a visit to him is high on that list. And might I add, the service here has always been splendid and continues to be so."

Leah Steelgrave knew how she looked and was aware of the looks from men. She dressed appropriately, always. Clothes they say make the man, but clothes certainly enhanced the allure of the woman. Always tastefully attired, Leah Steelgrave was the paragon of current fashion. She smiled, "good day to you sir."

Looking at Wentworth and seeing his disdain for her, or possibly her family in general, she smiled . "Thank you, sir. That would be much appreciated as I have several things to accomplish this morning, a visit to him is high on that list. And might I add, the service here has always been splendid and continues to be so."

"I'm glad that you are pleased with our service. At the Belle we always endeavour to make sure our guests have an enjoyable visit."

Leah Steelgrave knew how she looked and was aware of the looks from men. She dressed appropriately, always. Clothes they say make the man, but clothes certainly enhanced the allure of the woman. Always tastefully attired, Leah Steelgrave was the paragon of current fashion. She smiled, "good day to you sir."

"And a good day to you as well. I hope that you are able to find the doctor."

As he watched Leah leave, Matt wondered why she wanted to see the doctor. She certainly didn't look like she was sick or had any visible injuries. Whatever it was, he hoped the doctor had heard enough about Leah to not fall for her charms. If the doctor hadn't, then Matt suspected that doctor would be in need of medical attention at some future point. As long as he was useful to Leah, he would be fine.

Turning back to pick up the letter he had been reading, he noticed that Simpson was still watching Leah leave. Clearing his throat, to get Simpson's attention, who at the sound, smiled meekly. Walter shrugged his shoulders and went back to sorting the day's mail which made Matt shake his head and laugh a little.

Leah breakfasted in the dining room, a small meal with a cup of tea, as corsets have a way of limiting the amount our ingests. Learning to dress herself came early for her. Her mother had taught her how to apply the corset by herself, how to don the the bustle skirt or dress, and the blouse and all the underpinnings without any help at all.

Of course she didn't wear a bustle dress everyday, far from it, Split skirts and blouses were generally the order of the day, but when in Kalispel she dressed to the nines for two reasons, first for the envy of the ladies and second, for the looks from the men.

She left the the dining room of the Belle-St. Regis Hotel , stepping out onto the boardwalk in the morning sunlight. Now to the bank and Stanley Croft with reports on her investments. Again, her mother had taught her to become self sufficient, relying o no man, including her father and brothers. She made her way along the street to the bank, stepping inside and up to the cage. Luke Johnson smiled at her.

"Mister Croft please." She stated.

Leah smiled at the young man's offer. "I would, thank you." She responded and retired to the upholstered bench where customers waited. She was not happy about having to wait, rather that Stanley Croft was not in where she believed he should be, but that was life. Something she grudgingly accepted, which forced her to continue a pleasant demeanor.

This was not the big cities she loved, far from it. Kalispell was most certainly growing, people seemed to be arriving every day. There was construction as evidence of the growth,both business's and homes. And as she reflected on this growth, if her father wanted to get more than a foothold there, he'd better have a plan, or Kalispell would grow beyond his "influence."

Kate opened the door to the bank and entered. As she waited for her eyes to adjust to the room, she slowly looked around. She could see the bank teller working on something at his post and not with a customer. She was glad that there was no line today as she had a number of things to do and she didn't want to spend too much time here.

As she approached the counter, she noticed a young woman sitting on the bench. The woman was immaculately dressed in what was probably the latest fashion. Kate wasn't certain what the latest fashion was as she usually stuck to clothes that were practical for her line of work. She did have a couple of dresses that she wore to dances and on special occasions but nothing like what the woman was wearing today.

Figuring that she must belong to one of the more well-to-do ranches or homes that were around here, Kate would've had liked to find out more, especially who her dressmaker was. Knowing that she didn't have the time, she just smiled at the woman and went up to the counter.

For the next few minutes, she paid more attention to what she had come to do. When she had finished, she thanked the teller for his assistance and made her way out. As she was leaving, she once again acknowledged the woman seated on the bench with a smile.

Upon exiting, she made her way towards the schoolhouse.

The opening of the door distracted Leah from her thoughts, expecting Stanley Croft, but instead it was a local woman, well, she surmised that she was local. The made eye contact, the woman smiling, and Leah, quite out of character smiled in return.

The woman was new to her, possibly new to Kalispell and in what capacity? Her dress did not give away much in the way of her position in town. Pleasant enough looking, but certainly not of the town's upper crust such as it was. Not by the manner of her attire. Leah paid much attention to how the ladies in Kalispell dressed, and how they appeared in public. She was very judgemental in that way.

It was abundantly clear that this one, like the rest of Kalispell's women, was no threat to her. She understood the word vain, and considered herself the epitome of vanity because she was a Steelgrave. Therefor she again smiled as the woman left the bank, yet she wondered about her, who she was, what she did.