"Every town needs a newspaper."
Tully stopped altogether then, looking down at the ground. "He done that ta Frances, busted her ribs, near killed her, an' was me led him there."
Phin now understood that the rumors he had heard had some substance to them. But it seemed to have been some time ago, and those rumors had been few and far between besides being all too vague, and quite frankly other things were occupying him at the time. "I'm afraid that I did not hear a whole lot about the ruckus at the former shelter, which by the way I had high hopes for. But rumors, vague rumors, gave me nothing to go on, or actually anyone to talk to about it."
"Don't know his name," she whispered, her gaze going to the dirt again. "I thought it was th' church I run into, was dark an' foggy...turned out it was th' Refuge, an' he followed me in there...me an' Frances hid, then we had ta fight..."
"And no one went to Marshal Guyer about this, the injuries to either of you, especially Miss Francis who is defenseless?" Guyer would have gotten to the bottom of the situation if he even knew about it. Things happen in a small town that are kept hidden from the world around them, this was just that sort of thing.
"I shall honor your wishes as to the publication of what has been said between you and I, and it shall remain that way until you ladies are prepared to pursue these horrendous crimes against you both," Phin promised, though he would certainly like to know more of the particulars on this, especially who was there, perhaps another witness to the altercation, but enough had been said and it was clear that Tully did not want to take this any further.
Tully didn't understand some of what the man said, but she reckoned that was part because it was a man of words, and knew a powerful lot more than she did. But she did understand that he was sympathetic and concerned, and hopefully could be trusted.
"Th' law was there, after...that boy, Charlie." She nodded to the deputy who was at the picnic. "Don't know what more there's ta do, man's dead..." She was still speaking in a whisper, but became even quieter as she wrapped her arms around herself. "Mister Lewis says he fell on his knife, but that ain't true. He was gonna kill Frances, so I hadda...wasn't nothin' else I could do."
"Every town needs a newspaper."
"Th' law was there, after...that boy, Charlie." She nodded to the deputy who was at the picnic. "Don't know what more there's ta do, man's dead..." She was still speaking in a whisper, but became even quieter as she wrapped her arms around herself. "Mister Lewis says he fell on his knife, but that ain't true. He was gonna kill Frances, so I hadda...wasn't nothin' else I could do."
"No, I expect not." He agreed, it was a simple case of Tully defending another, one certainly unable to defend herself. "Well young Charlie is a bit out of his depth since the Marshal is down, and Pike is not back as yet. That and those Territorial Marshals being recalled have put the lad in a bind where his lack of experience is really on display. Not his fault."
"Now this Mister Lewis, would that be Mister Lewis Reeve? I barely know of the young man, other than he's a lawyer, and some sort of associate to Mister Worchester Pettigrew, the dressmaker and new Town Councilman. I wonder what his reasoning might have been."
"At any rate Miss Tully, There will be no story about this, since it has already been 'solved.' I will say or print nothing of this conversation we have had. You may rely on my ability to hold in confidence what has been revealed to me." Then he smiled. "Forgive me, those were a passel of big words when what I meant was, I won't breathe a word of this to anyone."
Mr. McVay choose to dance with Tully, Miriam was glad for the choice. Not that she had anything against the newspaperman, she didn't. Just that the woman got a dance partner.
That left Hector and her. Oh dear. Miriam faced the young man.
"How about it Miss Kaufmann?" he asked, holding out a plaintiff hand to the beautiful Jewish girl.
"Go on, Dolly!" laughed Arabella.
Well she had agreed she would dance and Ara now gave her blessing so it would be simply rude to back out now. Miriam nodded with a smile.
"Of course, Hector. Pardon me if I am a bit out of practice. I have not danced since New York City and that seems an eternity ago," she threw out a ready made excuse just in case there was a stumble. But in truth, Miriam knew how to dance.
Each assumed the proper positions facing each other then began.
"Now this Mister Lewis, would that be Mister Lewis Reeve? I barely know of the young man, other than he's a lawyer, and some sort of associate to Mister Worchester Pettigrew, the dressmaker and new Town Councilman. I wonder what his reasoning might have been."
"Yes, sir, Mister Reeve..." Tully shrugged. "I don't know why he'd say that, but I'm grateful he did. I don't wanna have no one askin' questions nor sayin' I'm a hero." In fact, all of this was too much, she'd be far more comfortable in the abandoned house outside town, all alone!
"At any rate Miss Tully, There will be no story about this, since it has already been 'solved.' I will say or print nothing of this conversation we have had. You may rely on my ability to hold in confidence what has been revealed to me." Then he smiled. "Forgive me, those were a passel of big words when what I meant was, I won't breathe a word of this to anyone."
"Thank ya." looking up at him, she managed a small smile. "I don't like bein' out like this, bein' seen an' all, put in fancy clothes an' dancin'." She glanced toward Frances and Jemima to be sure they couldn't hear. "Like ta keep ta myself, but Miss Frances has been so kind."
Jonah was running late, although he really had no excuse, save for being reluctant in the first place -- he had no idea why he'd agreed to this at all, but there was no getting out of it without insulting the young lady, and that wouldn't do.
He'd lingered at his 'office' as long as he could, but there had been no emergencies, nor even a minor complaint, and he had finally had to put on his jacket and hat and head out, leaving word with Mrs. Armentrout where he could be found.
Now, as he approached the meeting place, his misgivings resurfaced. When had this become a community social, and why hadn't he been told? Maybe he could...
No, he'd been spotted, so he plastered on a smile and strode over to Frances, giving her a bow. "Miss, how ate you this afternoon? I'm sorry for my tardiness." Although he didn't offer an explanation.
I took an oath for this job. The oath says bring him in. That's what I'll do.
As Charlie got closer to the group, he could see Doctor Danforth coming from the opposite direction and assumed the man was going to check on Frances who was, for some reason, still confined to a wheelchair. He wondered if the girl's injuries were much worse than he was led to believe.
There were other people there including Hector Wigfall dancing with the Kaufman girl. Arabella was also there but that wasn't really much of a surprise as the girl tended to be almost everywhere according to most people in the town. There were also some rumours about Arabella and the Kaufman girl, but Charlie hadn't paid much heed to them. He was finding out that as a lawman you tended to hear a lot of things, whether they were true or not was not for him to decide unless for some reason it involved criminal activity.
When he got to the group, he decided to keep back a little to watch what was happening.
" ... - - - ... "
For a while Hector was happy just to dance with Miriam, to feel her in his arms again. He didn't fool himself, he knew she wasn't interested in him any more. He had thought about it long and hard: for a long time he had blamed himself - his incompetent 'performance' had put her off men for life; sent her into Arabella's perverted embrace.
Then he had started to blame her. She had used him, just for an experiment, or to double-check that she really wasn't interested in men, in that way. He had hated her for a while then.
Yes, he had both loved her and hated her. And now? Acceptance, with just the odd pang of the heart.
"Say, you're a pretty good dancer, Miriam." he said eventually, and with the smile of a pal rather than a sweetheart. "Arabella's a lucky girl."
It was something of a non-sequitur, but he wanted her to know that he knew and that, well, she was safe from him. There would be no more lovelorn glances at her on the street (or, alarmingly, through the dress store window, with his nose pressed up against the glass!) There would be no more attempts to give her flowers or write her poems or any of the other forlorn hopes. He would take his sister's advice: "She just don't like you, Heck, will you just quit it and find someone else to annoy?"
Their dance ended oddly, with him sticking out his hand and saying seriously "I'm sorry I kept bothering you after, well, you know... no hard feelings huh?"
Both Arabella and Jemima observed this with the same thoughtful narrowed eyes, but very different emotions: the former with the frank admission to herself that sometimes she hurt people's feelings just for fun and the latter with relief, that her brother who she both loved and hated at the same time seemed to have rid himself of the source of his heartache.
"Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see the shadows" - Helen Keller
No, he'd been spotted, so he plastered on a smile and strode over to Frances, giving her a bow. "Miss, how are you this afternoon? I'm sorry for my tardiness." Although he didn't offer an explanation.
Obviously, Frances didn't even know that Doctor Danforth was standing there before her, until he spoke, and she gave a little jump which, in turn, led her to grip her sides.
"Ooh! Oh, Doctor, it is you." she forced a slightly pained smile. "I am well enough, but had a little spill a few minutes ago and my ribs are hurting again somewhat. I do not think that I shall be able to dance this afternoon, after all." As the sun glinted off her dark spectacles, she assumed a look of resigned martyrdom "But I am sure that there are many other, prettier, girls to dance with..."
At this point Jemima bustled up. "It's my fault Doctor, I should have watched Miss Grimes more carefully, I got distracted and before I knew it, she'd rolled backward." admitted the frowsy but big hearted girl abjectly. It would come as no surprise that she would one day meet her fate by rushing back into a burning Big Top so save an elephant.
And although the beefy Wigfall girl harboured 'feelings' toward Doctor Danforth, her loyalty to 'her patient', Miss Grimes, was stronger, and she heard herself saying "None of these girls are as pretty as you, Miss Grimes, I'm pretty sure the Doctor would rather wait until you're better that dance with anyone else, wouldn't you Doctor?" It was more by way of an order than a request, and the unprepossessing looking young woman gave him a look that dared him to say otherwise.
"Every town needs a newspaper."
"Yes, sir, Mister Reeve..." Tully shrugged. "I don't know why he'd say that, but I'm grateful he did. I don't wanna have no one askin' questions nor sayin' I'm a hero."
Her words hung in the air for the newspaperman. Of course, he had spared Miss Nevada any sort of legal complication which might follow such an incident, and then there would be the talk that would also follow the situation, so indeed, he had done the young woman a huge favor.
"Forgive me, those were a passel of big words when what I meant was, I won't breathe a word of this to anyone."
"Thank ya." looking up at him, she managed a small smile. "I don't like bein' out like this, bein' seen an' all, put in fancy clothes an' dancin'." She glanced toward Frances and Jemima to be sure they couldn't hear. "Like ta keep ta myself, but Miss Frances has been so kind."
"Yes, I have been led to understand that aside from her disadvantage she is a most gracious and kind young woman. A pity anyone would want to harm her in any way, but then I have no knowledge of her situation with this attacker." Phin voiced, "I must say you look lovely, though I do understand the reluctance of dressing up when we are more comfortable dressed as we please."
"So, Tully, if you don't mind my asking, how is it you get by? Do you have a means of employment to enable you to eat? I know that that is very personal, but I am concerned as I believe I overheard you saying something to the effect that you would be sleeping under the steps of the gunsmith shop. Not the proper place for a young woman to be spending the night." Perhaps he was getting a bit too personal, yet he felt he needed to ask.
It was then he spotted the good doctor which would alter the scene for sure.