Adam thought about it for a moment and was about to answer her question, when all of a sudden a ruckus broke out amongst a group of men over on the far side of the saloon. Being new in town he didn't know whether he should get up and do something or wait until Fortner or the bartender took charge.
Two of the men involved, came over to where he was sitting with Caroline. One of them, obviously drunk, smiled a toothy grin before clearing his throat and addressing Caroline, "My friend here wants you sing I'll Take You Home Again, Kathleen but them jaspers over there says you don't sing no soppy love songs. Why don't ya proven him wrong?"
Two of the men involved, came over to where he was sitting with Caroline. One of them, obviously drunk, smiled a toothy grin before clearing his throat and addressing Caroline, "My friend here wants you sing I'll Take You Home Again, Kathleen but them jaspers over there says you don't sing no soppy love songs. Why don't ya proven him wrong?"
Hiram Priest leaned in toward Fortner.
"Looks like we have another loudmouth cowpoke," he said in hushed tones. The one-time Judge and Mayor could read the temperature of any room, especially a barroom. And, while not a violent man, he kept a loaded revolver tucked in the inside pocket of his black flock coat.
Fortner nodded, but he had to walk a fine line. While he didn't want his establishment to sport anarchy, neither did he want to spoil the playful nature of the place by posing as some stuffy school marm.
"I'll go see what the hell's going one." Fortner replied. "Be sure to keep me covered."
Without a hint of trepidation, the saloon owner made his way to where the two men crowded Caroline.
"Everything all right here?" Fortner asked his main attraction before checking his time piece and adding, "About time for your break. Isn't it?"
Caroline was momentarily distracted by some sort of ruckus on the other side of the room, a few men getting a bit too loud and now engaging in an argument? She glanced over to the bar, no surprise, Ralph already had a hard focus on the possible incident. It was too early to do anything yet about it but Ralph was readying himself. Beneath the bar was his trusty old chair leg for beating some sense into miscreants and if it was really serious, he had a double barreled sawed off shotgun too. Plus he was always holstered while on duty. Amongst regular customers, Ralph had developed a well deserved reputation as someone you did NOT want to mess with.
Two of the men now ambled over to the table where she sat with the fancy dressed newcomer. She looked up at them to hear 'em out.
"Yeah, boys?"
One then spoke, "My friend here wants you sing I'll Take You Home Again, Kathleen but them jaspers over there says you don't sing no soppy love songs. Why don't ya proven him wrong?"
"Well, them jaspers are mistaken. I've sung love songs before, most folks just like livelier tunes," Caroline smiled up at the drunk.
"Course my mouth's a bit....dry....right now. Maybe you'd like to buy me a drink to wet my whistle, hon?"
Without a hint of trepidation, the saloon owner made his way to where the two men crowded Caroline.
"Everything all right here?" Fortner asked his main attraction before checking his time piece and adding, "About time for your break. Isn't it?"
"It's alright, boss. These two...gents...are asking if I will sing them a specific song. And I could....for the right price," Caroline now looked up at Fortner, he would know what she meant. She was doing her other job besides entertainer, she was getting customers to buy drinks. She was good at both.
One then spoke, "My friend here wants you sing I'll Take You Home Again, Kathleen but them jaspers over there says you don't sing no soppy love songs. Why don't ya proven him wrong?"
"Course my mouth's a bit....dry....right now. Maybe you'd like to buy me a drink to wet my whistle, hon?"
Without a hint of trepidation, the saloon owner made his way to where the two men crowded Caroline.
"Everything all right here?" Fortner asked his main attraction before checking his time piece and adding, "About time for your break. Isn't it?"
"It's alright, boss. These two...gents...are asking if I will sing them a specific song. And I could....for the right price," Caroline now looked up at Fortner, he would know what she meant. She was doing her other job besides entertainer, she was getting customers to buy drinks. She was good at both.
Fortner nodded and put away his pocket watch.
"You boys came to the right spot. Miss Caroline is our headliner. There's none other like her in Kalispell or even the whole Montana Territory, but she needs to whet her whistle before doing special numbers. So how 'bout you buy her a drink and while you're at it, line some up for yourselves. You'll get the best rendition of.." He turned to Caroline. "What do they want you to sing?'
Fortner nodded and put away his pocket watch.
"You boys came to the right spot. Miss Caroline is our headliner. There's none other like her in Kalispell or even the whole Montana Territory, but she needs to whet her whistle before doing special numbers. So how 'bout you buy her a drink and while you're at it, line some up for yourselves. You'll get the best rendition of.." He turned to Caroline. "What do they want you to sing?'
Her boss backed up her ploy about the drinks, well he better, he was making a profit on every drink sold. It was only good business. It was nice of him to compliment her though. Things were still tense between them and probably always would be too - after what had happened with that woman's suicide after Fortner cheated her husband out of the deed to the farm. Caroline was no saint but she was also sickened by her own role in that tawdry act.
"Take Me Home Again, Kathleen, boss. And yeah I know it, I can sing that for 'em," Caroline assured him and the cowpokes too.
"Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see the shadows" - Helen Keller
Frances, who had just been noodling around on the piano, somewhat forgotten, after her conversation with Mister Townsend, picked up Caroline's voice from the hubbub and played a little introduction (adante con espressione, in F) to the piece which, although only published last year, had taken the country by storm.
She was surprised to hear anybody say that they thought the saloon's headline star 'couldn't sing' the number, but that was because she couldn't see her: it was more the fact the sentimental number might clash a little with the blonde's red-dressed, brassy image than her abilities as a vocalist. Actually, the tune fitted Caroline's range perfectly and Frances smiled happily when, after the opening few bars, she heard Miss Mundee's beautiful voice begin to sing.
@[JulieS]
@[Preston]
"Take Me Home Again, Kathleen, boss. And yeah I know it, I can sing that for 'em," Caroline assured him and the cowpokes too.
Franklin swept his arm out toward the men gathered around.
"You hear that boys? Miss Caroline's going to sing for you. You're in for a treat. No foolin'. She'll be known as the Kalispell Nightingale before the year's over."
He took Caroline by the arm and moved her a couple of steps away before whispering in her ear.
"We got anyone who knows that chestnut?" he asked. But no sooner had he opened his mouth than he heard the ivories from across the saloon floor lilt out the haunting and melancholy tune. It was Francis who, evidently, had superhuman hearing.
"Go to it," he encouraged Caroline.
Address me as Hon. Hiram Priest, esq.
At his table, Hiram Priest stopped in mid-motion as he was about to play the Seven-of-Diamonds on his Eight-of-hearts.
That song! he thought. It always gripped his heart because it reminded him of Kathleen O'Keefe, his one-time fiance. It had been years. Vitae Summa Brevis Spem Nos Vetat Incohare Longam, came to him from the Latin of his college years.
He set the card on the table then wiped a tear from his eye.
"And when the fields are fresh and green.."
Adam stayed and listened to Caroline sing until the song was almost over. She did have a good voice and deserved to be called a nightingale. Maybe he would get the chance to listen to her again and maybe not. If he wanted to achieve what the Governor wanted to see happen in Kalispell, hanging around the town's one and only saloon on a regular basis was not a good idea considering the advice about the owner that Caroline had given him.
Looking into Fortner and what people knew about him would be one of his priorities for the next week. He would be interested in finding out if there were other shady characters in town. Many of them on the surface would appear lawful and upright citizens but if there was anyone else that warranted his attention now or in the future, he would like to know who they were.
As Caroline's song slowly made its way to the end, Adam got up from his chair and made his way out.
@[Wayfarer] Preston
Her boss was laying it on thick in front of them all but then afterall he was just playing the game as it was supposed to be played. Make nice for the customers, make money for the business and themselves in the bargain. Caroline smiled graciously at one and all then sauntered on up to the small corner stage. Her sweet little accompanist knew the tune - she was not only a fine piano player, she picked up songs easily, a good combination to have in that line of work. Caroline missed Arabella but if she had to be bluntly honest, Frances was the better pianist. And a nice kid too.
Once up on stage, she turned to face the crowd, she loved performing. She had loved it since the very first time she sang a song for customers in her father's saloon back in Chicago. She lived for this.
Soon she was in full throat, giving a very expressive rendition of the rather sad song. No dancing with this one. Probably for the better, Caroline was a much better singer than a dancer to be honest.
With the last chorus sung and the piano tune silent, the crowd applauded and Caroline smiled and bowed. It was at these moments when all the bad stuff in being a saloon girl (and lately especially there was bad alright) faded into insignificance. This was her life, it was all she knew, and it was all she wanted.
ooc: Wrap on this one?
ooc: Sounds good to me (JulieS)