Sit down, shut up, don't touch anythin'
"Let's stop by th' house now," Addy suggested, "so th' food won't get cold while we're doin' that. An' I need ta let Weedy know what's goin' on...make sure he's done his lessons an' ain't runnin' off with some posse!"
She laughed, although there was a shade of truth to it. Boys liked excitement, and he was sure to be trailing the men after Speed's shooter.
"At least I ain't heard 'bout a posse, so he's like as not in town still." She led the way to her house, a modest little single-story place surrounded by a freshly painted white picket fence. Inside, it was cluttered but clean, a large room that served as a living, dining, and kitchen area, and past that was the door to a bedroom. To one side was a ladder that led to the loft where Weedy slept.
"I'll just be a minute. Weedy!" There was no answer to her call, and she shook her head as she went to the bedroom to shove a few things into a satchel for Alice.
"He's pretty tough." Jonah grinned. "I'm sure he'll only put up with soup for so long before he'll be wanting real food again!" It didn't really matter, so long as Alice was able to get nutrition into Speed, but it would be a sure sign of improvement when he was demanding steak and potatoes!
"I believe you are right, but I know that soups and broth, in the beginning, are necessary for healing, and replacing the blood lost, though I also know his love of a good beef steak and the idea that he'll want that before too long, we'll have to make do with the arguing over what he needs and what he wants." She smiled, there was a road ahead, one of healing and getting his strength back before they could move forward. And this presented yet another problem, he had been living in town, with her at the ranch she and Amos owned. With him wounded and recovering, they would be moving him to the ranch, and then the tongues would begin wagging!
"I have a pallet I can bring in for you if you prefer over the chair," he offered, "and I'll get you a blanket. Would you like some coffee?" Hopefully, the ladies would be back soon with food!
"That would be wonderful, I truly don't mean to be a bother." She paused then said, "I have a concern Doctor, moving him out to the ranch, or even to his rooms above his business, I'll be there to care for him, and I am sure you are well aware that after the shock of the shooting wears off, the rumors will start because we are not yet married." That was the cold hard fact of life.
"Let's stop by th' house now," Addy suggested, "so th' food won't get cold while we're doin' that. An' I need ta let Weedy know what's goin' on...make sure he's done his lessons an' ain't runnin' off with some posse!"
Leah smiled, the responsibility that Addy had was something Leah Steelgrave had never had, that being the responsibility for another human being, especially a child. "Well yes we should do that, what with all the excitement the shooting may have ignited, I guess most anything is possible. and with brothers, I have some idea of what boys will do." Which was true, though she was the baby of the family.
She laughed, although there was a shade of truth to it. Boys liked excitement, and he was sure to be trailing the men after Speed's shooter.
"At least I ain't heard 'bout a posse, so he's like as not in town still." She led the way to her house, a modest little single-story place surrounded by a freshly painted white picket fence. Inside, it was cluttered but clean, a large room that served as a living, dining, and kitchen area, and past that was the door to a bedroom. To one side was a ladder that led to the loft where Weedy slept.
Leah looked at the place Addy called home and was taken by what she saw, a place lived in, pictures on the walls, and even a few nick-nacks about the place. It was not much more than the place she had but much more welcoming, and friendly than her place. It felt like what it was, a home. "This is really nice, Addy."
"I'll just be a minute. Weedy!" There was no answer to her call, and she shook her head as she went to the bedroom to shove a few things into a satchel for Alice.
"Not around, but I think you're right, there's been no posse, maybe because there's no trail to follow. I really hate to say this, but it sounds like a professional to me. A man that knows how to cover his tracks and one who is patient. That was no haphazard shot, that was planned!" She shook her head not wanting to believe that someone, and it was a short list, had hired it done.
"If you like, we can look for Weedy, he's got to be around, somewhere." She offered, wondering where the boy might be off to. The beauty of youth, no worries, few problems. Like they were in their own world.
"That would be wonderful, I truly don't mean to be a bother." She paused then said, "I have a concern Doctor, moving him out to the ranch, or even to his rooms above his business, I'll be there to care for him, and I am sure you are well aware that after the shock of the shooting wears off, the rumors will start because we are not yet married." That was the cold hard fact of life.
"It's no bother, really," Jonah insisted, "having you here gives me a break. As for the other, perhaps we can wake him up long enough to get him to say, 'I do'?" Not as funny as it sounded in his head!
"There's some time, we can ask around if there is a lady who might be able to accommodate you, even the Wigfall's boarding house, where there will be other people to attest to your fidelity?" Not that he'd wish both Jemima and Granny Miggins on anyone, but Addy had a house of her own, and there was the Institution for Waifs and Whatnot, if one could tolerated Miss Mudd!
"Yes, the boarding house idea, that might be a possibility, but the fact he and I are unmarried, would it matter where we were? Here, the ranch, Wigfall's Boarding House. Where we are matters little, facts are facts, Doctor." She was concerned, not so much for herself, but for Speed. This sort of thing could ruin his career as Marshal, if that's what he intended to do, aside from the corporation. Then to, the corporation, what damage to his reputation so far as outside finances might be concerned? There was so much at stake. At least that was how she saw it.
"When Speed wakes, and if he seems to have a clear head, I need to put it to him, that we marry." There, her biggest fear was out, and the solution was at hand. After all, she wore the ring he had bought her. He had asked for her hand, all that was left was a few words from a Preacher, maybe a piece of paper to make it all legal.
Sit down, shut up, don't touch anythin'
"If you like, we can look for Weedy, he's got to be around, somewhere."
"Be nice ta have that freedom, wouldn't it?" Addy chuckled as she slung the satchel over her shoulder. "Got an idea he might be in th' barn." Hopefully, otherwise, she wasn't sure where to look.
Leading the way, she stepped into the breezeway of the big barn that housed her own team as well as the Millegan Stage horses. "Weedy!"
"Yes, ma'am!" The eager land ran from one of the stalls, asking breathlessly, "How's Marshal Guyer? Is he alive? They didn't fine who done it, but I think they know where he was shooting from, they all went there looking, but no sign of who did it. They're out looking now. I came in here to make sure the horses are all fed and watered, and I put the marshal's horse in a stall too. Figured he wouldn't be needing it tonight, and..."
"Whoa, there!" Addy laughed, giving the boy a quick hug. "Ya did good, I'm proud'a you! Miss Leah an' I are headed to th' Lickskillet ta get somethin' fer supper, ta take back to th' doc's. You come on with us. There's gonna be pie!"
Leah looked on, a smile creeping across he face at the interaction between the boy and Addy. Then, a pang of emptiness struck, quite suddenly. Not like an anvil, more link a tap on the shoulder. "Hello Weedy, I don't believe we've met, but I sure have heard a lot about you." She said, and his name had been bandied about a great deal over the past few months.
"It would be good if you did come along, we'll need help carrying it all, and who knows, depends on how many pies Clara, Misses Lutz has left." She smiled, "You can never have too many pies." She added. It would be good to have the lad along, not that she could put a finger on the why of it, it just was.
"Addy? What should we get? I know, soup, no probably broth for Speed, but for the rest of us, I would imagine it would depend on what Clara has prepared, wouldn't you think?" She asked, feeding four people was not something she had done much of.
"Yes, the boarding house idea, that might be a possibility, but the fact he and I are unmarried, would it matter where we were? Here, the ranch, Wigfall's Boarding House. Where we are matters little, facts are facts, Doctor."
"I was just thinking that so long as you weren't alone, especially at night, there'd be less speculation." But then, there were folks who would speculate regardless, and neither Alice nor Speed needed that kind of trouble.
"When Speed wakes, and if he seems to have a clear head, I need to put it to him, that we marry."
"I didn't mean..." Jonah choked back a chuckle, thinking that Speed may very well shoot him once he woke up and found out he'd put Alice up to proposing. But then, she was wearing a ring, so didn't that indicate at least some sort of agreement? "I'm sure arrangements can be made, so long as both parties are amenable. But don't worry, there's plenty of time, I suspect it will be a few days before he's ready to leave." And that was, perhaps, being optimistic.
Sit down, shut up, don't touch anythin'
"It would be good if you did come along, we'll need help carrying it all, and who knows, depends on how many pies Clara, Misses Lutz has left." She smiled, "You can never have too many pies."
"No, miss, you can't!" Weedy beamed brightly at the promise of pie, falling in step with the ladies. He knew about Miss Leah Steelegrave, that she was 'the only of that was worth a damn!', at least, that was how Addy put it! "I'm glad the marshal is all right." He been worried, he liked Speed and didn't want anything to happen to him.
"Addy? What should we get? I know, soup, no probably broth for Speed, but for the rest of us, I would imagine it would depend on what Clara has prepared, wouldn't you think?"
"I'm thinkin' stew'd be good, somethin' easy ta carry," Addy commented, "an' no fussin' over who gets what." As she opened the door to the cafe, she glanced down at Weedy. "We'll let you pick th' pie."
"Yes, ma'am!" Weedy's grin widened. "What kind of pie do you like, Miss Leah?"
"I didn't mean..." Jonah choked back a chuckle, thinking that Speed may very well shoot him once he woke up and found out he'd put Alice up to proposing. But then, she was wearing a ring, so didn't that indicate at least some sort of agreement? "I'm sure arrangements can be made, so long as both parties are amenable. But don't worry, there's plenty of time, I suspect it will be a few days before he's ready to leave." And that was, perhaps, being optimistic.
"Oh, I know what you meant, Jonah, that somehow we could get around the talk. Well, that's exactly what I intend to do!" She stated, firmly. "I suppose though that this will take a day or so, maybe more for the parson, Pastor Evans, to be available for a quick service to marry us. In the meantime, I can find a place to spend the nights until we're wed. If we had a Justice of the Peace that would solve everything. Maybe Matt Wentworth might consider appointing one."