Well, that was one way to stop her singing and piano playing, as Arabella immediately jumped up and fled to Caroline's side, throwing her arms around her. "Oh, I'm so glad you're my friend, Cara', for a minute there I thought you hated me: the way you didn't pay me much mind when I come in and how you just kept on just jawin' to this feller. I mean, no offense Mister, but it ain't like you're handsome or rich lookin' or anything!"
"I could never hate you, hon," Caroline assured her but then frowned at the girl's comments about Turk.
Fortunately Turk only chuckled as the girl looked up at him, all innocent like. Then glanced at Caroline with a look of 'what in tarnation?'.
She leaned in close to the man and cupped her hand to hide her loud whisper.
"To be honest, you're on a hiding to nuthin' with this one, if you're lookin' for female company fer a little bit of spoonin', try Mrs Adams over there. I mean, Sal might be a little up in years, and kinda deaf 'n' shortsighted, but she's ever so experienced and, oh boy, you won't find anyone cheaper in the whole Territories!"
Turk now actually laughed, "Well, it's plain enough to see yer pretty enough to be female company but with that mouth, that's no way to drum up customers."
Caroline shook her head, "No Arabella isn't a whore. Actually she don't even work here no more. She's the one I said up and left."
"Now, Arabella Mudd, meet an old friend a mine, Turk Flagg, from Helena. And bein' a good friend a mine, I expect you to treat him nicely and no more insults," Caroline now made the introduction.
"Hullo there, Arabella Mudd," Turk looked down on the girl with a grin.
"Everybody can feather their nest, but it's not just anybody that can lay an egg!"
urk now actually laughed, "Well, it's plain enough to see yer pretty enough to be female company but with that mouth, that's no way to drum up customers."
Arabella did a number of different jobs these days to supplement her income and add to the bankroll that she and Miriam were accruing for their much talked about relocation to New York (well, much talked about between themselves, if nobody else - and even then, it was Arabella who did most of the talking). But prostitution was not one of them!
Still, she liked the bit about being pretty and replied with an open mouthed "I am?"
Caroline shook her head, "No Arabella isn't a whore. Actually she don't even work here no more. She's the one I said up and left."
"That's right, I ain't no lady of the evening, even if I am pretty enough to be one..." she affirmed "... I'm an actress really, 'cept there ain't no theater round here and I ain't never been in no play. Meanwhile I help out Mr Jolly there in the funeral parlour and give piano lessons, and run a refuge for fallen women, 'cept there's only Sally round here that's fell Oooh! And I take photograph pictures of dead people, 'cept I'm still getting used to the camera and plates and all them chemicals."
She looked at Caroline a little sadly "Lorenzo made it all look so easy, but I had the Dickens of a time getting a picture of old Mrs Emery the other day: she kept still nice enough, but I just couldn't get her to smile."
"Arabella Mudd, meet an old friend a mine, Turk Flagg, from Helena. And bein' a good friend a mine, I expect you to treat him nicely and no more insults," Caroline now made the introduction.
"Hullo there, Arabella Mudd," Turk looked down on the girl with a grin.
"Oh, How-dee-doo-dee Mister Flagg!" grinned Arabella "Pleased to make your 'quaintance and sorry about the smell." she greeted him, shaking his hand. The perfume in question was the engaging aroma of formaldehyde which tended to cling around Arabella these days. "Say, that's a funny name, 'Turk' - that short fer turkey?" she asked.
"I am?" the girl certainly was surprised to hear the compliment.
"Yes you heard the man, I've told you the same," Caroline threw in.
Both Turk and Caroline then got filled in by Ara all about her current lot in life. When she ran out of steam, Caroline managed to get in an introduction of her old friend.
"Oh, How-dee-doo-dee Mister Flagg!" grinned Arabella.
"You can call me Turk, forget the mister," the veteran gunman suggested.
"Pleased to make your 'quaintance and sorry about the smell." she greeted him, shaking his hand.
"Eh, I smelled a whole lot worse in my time, don't worry 'bout it," he seemed nonplussed, "Specially during the war."
"Say, that's a funny name, 'Turk' - that short fer turkey?" she asked.
"Actually, Miss Mudd, it sure is. My older sister used to laugh at me when I was a young boy that I would run around like a turkey. It stuck with my family but then when I got older and more dignified about such things I decided to go by Turk instead," the man had no issue answering.
"I always liked the name," Caroline gave the man a squeeze of one of his arms.
"Hey, Miss Mudd, Caroline ever tell you what some of us used ta call her back in Helena?" he grinned down at the shorter woman even while talking to the teen girl.
"No, I didn't....and you don't have ta either," Caroline remarked but it was too late.
Turk grinned, "Peaches, we called her. Ain't that right, Peaches?"
"Oh shuddup," Caroline grumped and punched him playfully on one shoulder.
"Everybody can feather their nest, but it's not just anybody that can lay an egg!"
I am?" the girl certainly was surprised to hear the compliment.
"Yes you heard the man, I've told you the same," Caroline threw in.
"Yeah, but you just say it to make me feel happy." countered Arabella before asking Mr Flagg the derivation of his nickname.
"Say, that's a funny name, 'Turk' - that short fer turkey?" she asked.
"Actually, Miss Mudd, it sure is. My older sister used to laugh at me when I was a young boy that I would run around like a turkey. It stuck with my family but then when I got older and more dignified about such things I decided to go by Turk instead," the man had no issue answering.
Arabella looked at the man and imagined if he started goggling around the bar, just like a Turkey. She was almost tempted to try it herself, but then Caroline cut in:
"I always liked the name," Caroline gave the man a squeeze of one of his arms.
"Hey, Miss Mudd, Caroline ever tell you what some of us used ta call her back in Helena?" he grinned down at the shorter woman even while talking to the teen girl.
Arabella shook her head. "Lazy?" she guessed.
"No, I didn't....and you don't have ta either," Caroline remarked but it was too late.
Turk grinned, "Peaches, we called her. Ain't that right, Peaches?"
"Oh shuddup," Caroline grumped and punched him playfully on one shoulder.
Arabella frowned rather than laughed. "Why'd they call you that Cara'? Did folks down there think you had a heart of stone or on account of that fuzz you get on your skin? Cause you can't hardly see that with all that powder and paint you slap on there. Oh, I know, did they call you peaches cause you was always gettin' 'canned'?" she asked in all seriousness.
"Yeah, but you just say it to make me feel happy." countered Arabella before asking Mr Flagg the derivation of his nickname.
"No, I say it cuz it's true," Caroline pointed out. Honestly the girl couldn't even take a compliment.
Conversation shifted to Turk's name origin, which he explained to the girl. Then mentioned Caroline had a nickname back in Helena and that opened a chance for Arabella to guess.
Arabella shook her head. "Lazy?" she guessed.
Caroline frowned, "You know full well I work hard 'round here. I practically live here and work long hours."
"Why'd they call you that Cara'? Did folks down there think you had a heart of stone or on account of that fuzz you get on your skin? Cause you can't hardly see that with all that powder and paint you slap on there. Oh, I know, did they call you peaches cause you was always gettin' 'canned'?" she asked in all seriousness.
Caroline glared at the impertinent girl, "I do not have a heart of stone. And I most certainly don't have fuzz on my skin. Now as for bein' canned, I never been fired once in my life. I left Helena for this here job when Lorenzo said there was an openin' for a singer/dancer."
Turk tacked on, "Girl, remember what I said about that mouth of yers. Thought Caroline was a friend of yers?"
"Everybody can feather their nest, but it's not just anybody that can lay an egg!"
Caroline frowned, "You know full well I work hard 'round here. I practically live here and work long hours."
Arabella laughed, assuming Caroline was joking; she sang a bit and walzed around getting men to buy her drinks.
Well, if Caroline didn't seem very impressed by Arabella's assessment of her work ethic, she was even less thrilled by the girl's harmless jests about why she might be called 'Peaches'.
Caroline glared at the impertinent girl, "I do not have a heart of stone. And I most certainly don't have fuzz on my skin. Now as for bein' canned, I never been fired once in my life. I left Helena for this here job when Lorenzo said there was an openin' for a singer/dancer."
Arabella was chuckling heartily until Caroline mentioned Lorenzo, at that she sobered up a little. "I miss Lorenzo" she said quietly and threw herself into the irate singer's arms again, whether she wanted the hug or not.
Turk tacked on, "Girl, remember what I said about that mouth of yers. Thought Caroline was a friend of yers?"
"Yeah, well we're best friends, that's why we can make fun of each other like that and it's just funny. Anyhow, you're probably just stickin' up fer her because you're sweet on her or somethin': don't worry, most of the fellers in this place are." Arabella explained to Flagg.
She wanted to prove this illusion she had was true.
"Now look, Caroline, you say something making fun of me, and I'll just laugh and laugh! Go on, worst thing about me you can think of!" she challenged her.
Caroline was indeed touchy about Ara's comments in front of her old friend and was not aware they were in jest either. However....
Arabella was chuckling heartily until Caroline mentioned Lorenzo, at that she sobered up a little. "I miss Lorenzo" she said quietly and threw herself into the irate singer's arms again, whether she wanted the hug or not.
Caroline accepted the embrace and returned the hug, "I do too, hon. I do too."
Turk brought up again his opinion of Ara's remarks to the saloon gal. Arabella was not getting it though.
"Yeah, well we're best friends, that's why we can make fun of each other like that and it's just funny. Anyhow, you're probably just stickin' up fer her because you're sweet on her or somethin': don't worry, most of the fellers in this place are."
"I can understand why," Turk chuckled but he now changed his tune a bit, "Oh, so you was just kiddin' around. You fooled me and Caroline too it seems."
"Now look, Caroline, you say something making fun of me, and I'll just laugh and laugh! Go on, worst thing about me you can think of!"
Caroline just shook her head 'no', "I don't wanna do that. I can't be mean to people who mean somethin' ta me."
"I can understand why," Turk chuckled but he now changed his tune a bit, "Oh, so you was just kiddin' around. You fooled me and Caroline too it seems."
"Well, I told you I'm an actress!" she reminded him.
"Now look, Caroline, you say something making fun of me, and I'll just laugh and laugh! Go on, worst thing about me you can think of!"
Caroline just shook her head 'no', "I don't wanna do that. I can't be mean to people who mean somethin' ta me."
Arabella shrugged. These two were no fun. "Oh well! So, what you do fer a crust Mr Turkey? Say, you're not a barber are you, by any chance? Cause this town's in dire need of a good barber: the one we got at present's never there, he's kinda over-fond of the old..." instead of saying booze, she mimed someone glugging from a bottle, complete with "Gluck, gluck, gluck" sound effects.
Arabella shrugged. "Oh well! So, what you do fer a crust Mr Turkey? Say, you're not a barber are you, by any chance? Cause this town's in dire need of a good barber: the one we got at present's never there, he's kinda over-fond of the old..." instead of saying booze, she mimed someone glugging from a bottle, complete with "Gluck, gluck, gluck" sound effects.
Turk chuckled, despite her mouth, he did like the girl, she had spunk. Something she had in common with Caroline in fact though the saloon gal had learned to be more diplomatic in public.
"Barber?" he removed his beaten hat to reveal his rather unkempt chopped up hair, "I do cut my own hair on occasion...would do better if I had me a mirror though."
"No child...errrr Miss, I am sort of a mix between drifter and bounty hunter. The two careers go quite well together ya know," he grinned showing some real messed up teeth too.
"Everybody can feather their nest, but it's not just anybody that can lay an egg!"
"Barber?" he removed his beaten hat to reveal his rather unkempt chopped up hair, "I do cut my own hair on occasion...would do better if I had me a mirror though."
Arabella peered at the feller's amateurish coiffeur. "Oh Lor' - I thought you'd been scalped by the injuns on the trail!" she exclaimed. "Mind you, this feller once told me that if you go to a town with two barbers, always go to the one with the worst hair-cut!" she let that gem sink in while she frowned at the man. "But you aint no barber then, no."
"No child...errrr Miss, I am sort of a mix between drifter and bounty hunter. The two careers go quite well together ya know," he grinned showing some real messed up teeth too.
"Bounty hunter?!" exclaimed the black clad girl "Well don't go bounty hunting Noted Road Agent Thomas Gage Love, he's my favourite outlaw!" she warned him "But what's a drifter, I mean, I know what driftin' is - my mind's doin' it all the time - but, how'dya make money out of driftin'?" she frowned.