The first part of the journey is often the hardest.
"I swear on my grandmother's grave that Bob saw both of them all over each other."
Dobie frowned. "Aww...now Barney that don't make any sense. He's a well-respected man around here and..."
"That don't mean he's above not wanting things like any other man would want and you have to admit that Caroline Mundee is one pretty woman."
"Yeah she is," Dobie replied. He looked over at Joe McClure and could see that he was nodding in agreement. The three of them were the oldest boys in the whole school and they were doing an extra year for pretty much the same reason - their parents all wanted them all go to college. Each of them wished they were out working like Ray Matthews or some of the other boys they knew.
In order to make the best of the situation, they had taken to eating their lunch together on the eastern side of the schoolhouse away from all of the other kids to discuss things of importance such as the topic they were talking about now. Each of them admire the town's only singer and knew that she was unattainable for a lot of reasons. However, that didn't stop them talking about what she got up to in the Stardust especially when Barney Edwards, older brother Bob was a frequent visitor to the saloon.
What happened last Saturday, however, was a surprise to them. Almost everybody in town knew that that Shade Thornton was back but he hadn't done what most people had expected him to do. Instead he had gone to the saloon to acquaint himself with Miss Mundee.
Dobie sighed, "Considering who he is, I bet Caroline found him mighty interesting."
Both Barney and Joe nodded in agreement, knowing that if Shade Thornton wanted something he usually got it.
TBC
As Kate listened to the boys talk about the saloon singer and Shade, part of her felt like crying and the other part of her was angry...very angry.
The oldest boys in the school had taken to sitting in the shade of the schoolhouse during lunch partly to keep cool and mostly to keep away from the other children. They were seated near a window that was also open at this time of year as it was still too hot to keep it close. Most of the time, she ignored whatever they were talking about and went out preparing the afternoon's work. However, today they mentioned Shade and she suddenly became very interested in what they were saying.
Shade had been back a few weeks and not once had he contacted her, which in a way was understandable because he never told he was leaving in the first place all those months ago. She didn't even know that he was gone until someone mentioned it at church one Sunday. Until then she had assumed he was on spring roundup or something like that. There was no word, no nothing from him or anybody at Lost Lake.
Feeling a tear trickling down her face, Kate put down the books she had been putting out and went back to her desk. Pulling out a handkerchief from the drawer, she wiped it away and then just sat there staring. All the time they had spent together, the words said and unsaid obviously meant nothing to him then and still meant nothing or he would have come to see her by now.
Again feeling the tears starting to well, Kate shook her head slightly and took a deep breath. She began telling herself what she had already told herself a thousand times already...that he wasn't worth her time and for the umpteenth time, she vowed she would never again shed one single tear over Shade Thornton.
With that in mind, she stood up, took a deep breath and went back to work.
TBC
"Is there anybody there? Knock once for yes, twice for no!"
Dorothea 'Dotty' Orr had enjoyed being school mistress in the sleepy township of Kalispell in the late '60s and early '70s, before her husband had insisted on her giving it up. Although her methods had been strict and old fashioned, and she had definitely had favourites, her own daughter Anæsthesia most notable amongst them, most native-born denizens of Kalispell in their late teens or 20s remembered her with a certain amount of strange nostalgia, even the butt of most of her scoldings and thrashings, Jemima Wigfall. And, ask anybody of that age group to recite their 17 x Table, and boy, could they recite their 17 x Table. Not useful, but quite a feat!
Mrs Orr saw the three older boys lounging in the shade and spoke to them in that odd strict but almost flirtatious way of hers with the pupils she liked. "Hello boys, what are you three talking about: not girls, I hope?" she asked as she passed them, leaving them stuttering in her wake. Her daughter Anæsthesia, walking just behind her, although only a few years older than these lads, did not even deign to notice them, tripping past them with her nose high in the air: although the way she put a very slight wiggle in her bustle as she passed them might have indicated that she was not entirely unaware of their presence. She might not ever actually lower herself to talk to such callow and uncouth youths, but she liked the thought of them thinking about her.
When Dorothea entered the schoolroom itself, she enjoyed a Proustian flashback: the smell, the scrape of chairs on wooden floors, the scratch of chalk on slates, even the way the light fell on certain parts of the classroom at certain times of the day. The place looked very empty at recess. In her day Jemima Wigfall would probably still be there, kept inside, standing in the corner with her dunce's hat on, and Anæsthesia would be chalking up the next lesson on the board with her clear neat hand. Anæsthesia had hated having to do that; she wanted to get outside into the schoolyard at breaktimes, so she could bully the other children and skip rope.
And there was Miss Bowen, the woman she had come to see. Mrs Orr felt very protective of the young schoolmarm and had done all in her power to help her get what she needed to do the job properly, including funding from the church and town council. Having her husband on the council had helped with that. Anæsthesia, perhaps having a Proustian flashback herself, waited respectably near the door as her Mama approached the teacher lady.
"Oh, my dear Miss Bowen. I am so sorry to disturb you in your work, but I heard the news that Mister Thornton is home and I just had to run over. I would like to invite the both of you over to tea after church on Sunday. I want to hear all about the wedding plans. You know, Anæsthesia is desperate to be a bridesmaid..." [she wasn't] "... and you know Mister Pettigrew has some white crepe in that would be just ideal for your gown. Please tell me you don't have a prior engagement."
That was the moot word, wasn't it? Engagement.
Miss Anæsthesia Ether Orr
"... a very slight wiggle in her bustle as she passed."
Kate was mildly irritated at the unexpected appearance of Mrs. Orr and her daughter. Thankfully the girl had the good mind to wait at the door while her mother barged in. Well, barging in might have been too harsh of a term but now the woman had explained her reason for coming, Kate felt it was quite appropriate.
Wanting to keep her personal feelings to herself, Kate schooled her features and replied sternly, "I'm sorry Mrs. Orr but you and probably others in town are under the assumption that Shade Thornton and I are engaged to be married...well I can inform you that this is not the case. In fact, he has not come to visit me since his return and I doubt that he ever will. What happened between us is in the past and as far I am concerned it can stay there as I have more important things to do."
Realising that she may have been a bit abrupt, Kate softened her tone a little, "I'm sorry but I know he cares nothing and I for him. What we had was a pleasant but brief interlude."
She knew that what she had just said was a lie, at least her side of it of but it was true that if Shade didn't care, or even love her. His leaving without a word and his failure to come to see her now that he was back was proof of that.
"Is there anybody there? Knock once for yes, twice for no!"
Wanting to keep her personal feelings to herself, Kate schooled her features and replied sternly, "I'm sorry Mrs. Orr but you and probably others in town are under the assumption that Shade Thornton and I are engaged to be married...well I can inform you that this is not the case."
"But..." Mrs Orr was truly flummoxed "Oh my dear, what on earth has he said to give you this impression?"
"In fact, he has not come to visit me since his return and I doubt that he ever will. What happened between us is in the past and as far I am concerned it can stay there as I have more important things to do."
"Oh, my poor girl!" gushed a clearly upset Dotty and giving in to sentimental emotion, as she so often did, she threw her arms around the young school mistress. She eventually let her go and coming up, her own eyes teary she looked into Kate's. "Oh, forgive me, I am just so upset for you, and I can see you've been crying, too. Men! What are we to do with them? Anæsthesia! Here girl! Bring Miss Bowen a clean handkerchief to dry her eyes. Oh, but there must be some way in which we can secure a rapprochement between the two of you?" she proffered, genuinely trying to help.
Realising that she may have been a bit abrupt, Kate softened her tone a little, "I'm sorry but I know he cares nothing and I for him. What we had was a pleasant but brief interlude."
Anæsthesia came over and offered Miss Bowen a lovely clean hanky with pink trimming all around it.
"Now, the important thing to do in these cases is not to let the grass grow under your feet. Believe you me, my dear, I have been in a similar situation and it never pays to mope around, you need to get out there and get busy finding another man. You must certainly still come to tea on Sunday and I will find a very nice and suitable gentleman to join us. You can show that Mister Shade Thornton how little you either desire or need his questionable advances! Now please say Yes, I won't take No for an answer!" Dorothea declared stridently.
For her part, Anæsthesia was stood there with her daintily white-gloved hand over her pink perfectly formed lips, as if in shock at the terrible fate that had befallen the jilted woman: in fact, this was just to hide a maliciously amused smirk that just wouldn't go away. Oh, it was just too, too rich: the proud and, as far as she was concerned, too-big-for-her-boots schoolmarm, humiliated and shamed by being well and truly, unceremoniously DUMPED by the handsome ranch-owner. She couldn't wait to spread the news around, with certain embellishments, of course. Oh, what fun she would have at Miss Bowen's expense. She wondered if the children in the schoolyard knew. they soon would. She would tell those three boys, all under the cover of concern for their teacher, of course.
Oh, but her dreary mother was still prattling on to the cast-off.
"Now, are you feeling all right to carry on today, Miss Bowen? It might be best to go home and have a good long cry about it: I'm more that willing to take over your class for the rest of the day. You will find that I have lost none of my former vigour!" she smiled brightly, looking around in vain for the cane she was wont to use in former days and the dunce's hat that had once decorated many a dull bonce in this very room.
Anæsthesia was nostalgic, too. Not for this place particularly, but for the power she had once wielded here. She and her bullying minions, Zenobia Matthews and Hector Wigfall had the time of their lives, bullying, punching, blackmailing and generally terrorising the other kids: they were the ultimate big fish in a little pond. She desired that feeling of power again. True, after her recent spanking by Mr Smith, she had been being a good and obedient daughter. But now Mr Smith was out of the picture: all upset about that twit Zenobia going and shooting her pig of a Father (when she should have got Smith to do it for her).
With that threat gone, Anæsthesia could feel her nasty streak slowly and inexorably regaining possession of her small, rotten, spoiled little heart. Under her hand, she smiled.
OOC: Sorry, got a bit carried away there!
"Now, are you feeling all right to carry on today, Miss Bowen? It might be best to go home and have a good long cry about it: I'm more that willing to take over your class for the rest of the day. You will find that I have lost none of my former vigour!"
Kate shook her head, "No. I am feeling quite fine but thank you for your kind offer. However, I will keep you in mind, if I am feeling poorly in the future as I know you are very capable."
She looked over at Anæsthesia who seemed to be very, very...well she didn't know exactly what as the girl wasn't giving anything away. Over the past year or so, she had heard many things about the Orrs, both good and bad but she had yet to form a real opinion on the family. The only one she had dealt with was Mrs. Orr who had given her some advice on how to run the school when she first came to Kalispell.
Remembering the offered handkerchief, Kate smiled meekly, "My apologies, Miss Orr but I am well and truly over crying for a man who cares nothing for him. In fact, I vow never to shed another tear."
It was a lie but they didn't need to know that. Taking a deep breath, she continued, "I must say that I am grateful for your invitation despite the unpleasant circumstances. I will accept your kind offer to have afternoon tea with you next Sunday."
Even though she didn't really want to accept it, the alternative was much worse. The last thing she wanted getting around town was that she was still pining for Shade.
"Ladies should be seen and not heard"
Remembering the offered handkerchief, Kate smiled meekly, "My apologies, Miss Orr but I am well and truly over crying for a man who cares nothing for me. In fact, I vow never to shed another tear."
Anæsthesia gave a simpering smile.
"Oh, Miss Bowen, I do so admire your bravery" she gushed "I think if I were led halfway up the aisle by a gentleman, and then found that he'd suddenly lost all interest in me, I think I should be so devastated and ashamed I would never want to show myself in public again!" Ha! What a laugh, as if anything could ever happen to someone as pretty as herself.
It was a lie but they didn't need to know that. Taking a deep breath, she continued, "I must say that I am grateful for your invitation despite the unpleasant circumstances. I will accept your kind offer to have afternoon tea with you next Sunday."
"Oh good!" beamed Mrs Orr "I promise you, Miss Bowen: you will NOT regret it!"
For her part, Anæsthesia was just annoyed that she didn't know Shade Thornton better so she could somehow arrange for him to be there too, ideally with another woman. Ho hum - oh well, you couldn't have everything you wanted in life, she considered, no matter how spoiled a brat you were. Oh well, she would just have to make do with making sure that whoever her busybody of a matchmaking mother invited along on Sunday to try and palm off on the hapless, jilted, unable-to-keep-a-man Miss Bowen was just the most awful man possible.
"Well, we will leave you to it. And I'll look forward to seeing you on Sunday" Mrs Orr babbled, but then turned on a whim and threw her arms around the unfortunate teacher. "Oh KATE, everything will be all right!" she cried histrionically.
They left and passed by the same three boys, sitting in the shade, shooting the breeze. Instead of snootily ignoring them this time, Anæsthesia waved her mother on, promising to catch up, and turned on them with a smile as sweet as pie. "Do you not stand when you are talking to a lady?" the attractive girl asked the youths in a gentle-sounding but firm voice.
"That's better." she looked pleased with them "Now listen you boys, I want to you to be especially kind to your teacher Miss Bowen this afternoon. I am afraid that she has received a great shock. You see, she had fooled herself that a very handsome man was going to ask her to marry him, but it turns out that he had no intention of doing that at all and that he was just making fun of her. Isn't that cruel? Anyway, she just found out that Mister Shade Thornton... ooops, I wasn't supposed to tell you the gentleman's name, I am sorry about that. Well, anyway, she just found out that it was all a joke on her and she is very, very ashamed and upset, so you mustn't play around in class, or make mischief or make fun of the unfortunate affair this afternoon or she may just burst into tears and have to give you all the rest of the day off school."
"Now you won't let me down, will you boys?" she asked innocently.
The first part of the journey is often the hardest.
Her daughter Anæsthesia, walking just behind her, although only a few years older than these lads, did not even deign to notice them, tripping past them with her nose high in the air: although the way she put a very slight wiggle in her bustle as she passed them might have indicated that she was not entirely unaware of their presence.
The three boys just looked at each briefly after Anæsthesia walked by with that wiggle in her walk and just shrugged their shoulders before going back to talk about more important matters. Although Joe kept glancing in the direction she had gone, the other two boys didn't care all that much for her. In fact, they had a conversation about Miss Orr earlier in the week about her and had concluded that the only thing attractive about was her money which she had probably inherited after her father died in that fire.
For the next few minutes, both Dobie and Bob reminded him about that conclusion and how they also decided that despite her antics, Arabella Mudd was the more likeable of the two girls. They continued to eat lunch and talk for a little while but were soon interrupted again.
"Do you not stand when you are talking to a lady?" the attractive girl asked the youths in a gentle-sounding but firm voice.
The three of them reluctantly stood up.
"That's better." she looked pleased with them "Now listen you boys, I want to you to be especially kind to your teacher Miss Bowen this afternoon. I am afraid that she has received a great shock. You see, she had fooled herself that a very handsome man was going to ask her to marry him, but it turns out that he had no intention of doing that at all and that he was just making fun of her. Isn't that cruel? Anyway, she just found out that Mister Shade Thornton... ooops, I wasn't supposed to tell you the gentleman's name, I am sorry about that. Well, anyway, she just found out that it was all a joke on her and she is very, very ashamed and upset, so you mustn't play around in class, or make mischief or make fun of the unfortunate affair this afternoon or she may just burst into tears and have to give you all the rest of the day off school."
Dobie frowned as he wasn't sure of what to say. He was vaguely aware that before the summer, Shade Thornton was sparking Miss Bowen but since he mostly didn't care or even want to know what was going on between the adults in town, he knew nothing about this. As far as he could see Miss Bowen seemed to be coping very well if she had indeed been jilted.
"Now you won't let me down, will you boys?" she asked innocently.
Dumbfounded by this request, Bob and Joe both looked over at Dobie, expecting him to say something. Seeing that he had unanimously elected, Dobie cleared his throat, "Well, um...yeah sure we'll be on our best behaviour...right fellas?"
Bob and Joe just nodded their heads in unison.
@ [Javia
"Ladies should be seen and not heard"
"Now you won't let me down, will you boys?" she asked innocently.
Dumbfounded by this request, Bob and Joe both looked over at Dobie, expecting him to say something. Seeing that he had unanimously elected, Dobie cleared his throat, "Well, um...yeah sure we'll be on our best behaviour...right fellas?"
Bob and Joe just nodded their heads in unison.
Anæsthesia looked pleased. Then frowned "Actually, boys, maybe you should let all the other children know about Miss Bowen's situation, just so they don't accidentally upset her, either." she decided. Then, another thought seemed to hit her.
"... and, well, maybe you should play around in class a little bit... just so that she doesn't suspect that you all know and are just being nice. There. Is that clear, then? Super. Goodbye." she gave a little fluttering wave and flounced off, just stopping on the way out to talk to some of the older schoolgirls who were jumping rope on the side of the yard.
Even if Miss Bowen didn't have a nightmare afternoon, controlling her class, at least Anæsthesia could be sure of one thing: news of Kate's humiliation would be all over the town by suppertime.
[@JulieS
OOC: Maybe continue in a new thread for the Sunday Tea?
OOC: That will be fine - I can add what happened in the afternoon to Kate's post.