"Fascinating and yet you took none of them up?" Constance could be rather cynical about a lot of things and she had her doubts that statement was true.

"Aaah..." Arabella looked wistful "... I'm afraid that I am already wed, Miss Straub... to the stage! Poor fellows, they are probably pining for me yet, along with all the many others who couldn't summon up the courage to 'plight their troth'" 

While the girl went to get their order filled Arabella spied around with her lorgnette and Mr Astin hummed a tune while he planned his next foray into the saloon to play cards. Eventually the waitress came back.

"Mrs. Lutz said that she really cannot come out at this time as she is so busy with cooking in there. Including your order now too," she announced then added, "But she'd love to see you and suggests you go back there and you two can have a chat while she keeps working."

Despite her affected airs and graces, Arabella wasn't one to stand on ceremony when it came to Clara Lutz, and soon her 'beard', Mr Astin, was holding a parasol and a pair of gloves as the flighty little actress skipped to the kitchen and poked her impish face around the door.

"Howdy Clara-Ann, need a hand?" she grinned as she bustled (quite literally - she was wearing a humdinger of a false backside, and with her skinny rump, she needed it) into the cooking area. She looked around the room with a frown and lifted the lid on a large cookie jar "Where's baby Clementine?" she asked with an air of mock concern "You haven't put her in the stew by accident have you?"

Arabella knew very well that the child had been named after Mrs Emmaline Pike, who had helped deliver her, and Clara's late mother Katherine, and this was just a little barb because she had so desperately hoped that they would name the baby after her, or at least make her a Godmother or something. Ah, the trials and tribulations of those who poor souls who suffer from what a modern day psychologist would recognise as narcissistic personality disorder.

"Say" Arabella asked, through a mouthful of cookie "Did they hang Jemima yet?"

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"Howdy Clara-Ann, need a hand?"

Of course, Clara knew Arabella was going to make an appearance any second so the familiar voice did not startle her in the least. She turned her head and actually flashed a genuine smile in the direction of her old friend. Yes she often got annoyed with the flighty girl but that did not mean she was not genuinely fond of Ara.

"Hello Arabella, nice to see you again."

Arabella grinned as she bustled into the cooking area. She looked around the room with a frown and lifted the lid on a large cookie jar "Where's baby Clementine?" she asked with an air of mock concern "You haven't put her in the stew by accident have you?"

Now some might have had hurt feelings for no affectionate hug given but Clara was never one of those touchy huggy sorts. She flipped over a sizzling beefsteak in the pan then spoke up.

"No, of course not and her name is Emeline, named after Mrs. Pike who has been so kind, helpful, and been like a mother figure to me. But then I believe you know all that."

"Emeline is right over there in the corner," she did not point but a simple glance would locate a small crib in the far corner away from the heat and grease splatter of the stove, "Father made it for her. She's sleeping right now so try not to disturb her, please."

"Say" Arabella asked, through a mouthful of cookie "Did they hang Jemima yet?"

"No! There were a lot of us in town who fought hard to get her off," that was a bit of exaggeration on Clara's part but she honestly had done everything in her power to stick up for the girl.

"The judge was rather lenient, all things considered, and Jemima is still around and about, ever the hard worker. Both she and Constance have babysat for me on occasion."

"How was your tour? Are you as famous now in other parts of the country as you are in Kalispell?"

Clara took a second look on Ara then, "My goodness, you look so sophisticated now. You are positively radiant in that outfit, must have cost a fortune."

"No, of course not and her name is Emeline, named after Mrs. Pike who has been so kind, helpful, and been like a mother figure to me. But then I believe you know all that."

Arabella get out a good natured giggle, showing that she was guilty as charged.

"Emeline is right over there in the corner," she did not point but a simple glance would locate a small crib in the far corner away from the heat and grease splatter of the stove, "Father made it for her. She's sleeping right now so try not to disturb her, please."

“Aw!” Arabella pretended to object but was quite relieved: she wasn’t particularly fond of babies and if the child had been awake she would have been obliged to pick her up and coo over her and the creature might have been sick on her dress.

Clara explained that Jemima Wigfall had escaped, somehow, from the attempted murder charge against her, which had been an open-and-shut case if ever there was one.

"The judge was rather lenient, all things considered, and Jemima is still around and about, ever the hard worker. Both she and Constance have babysat for me on occasion."

“Constance looks like a hard worker, too. She was very attentive when we came in.” Arabella had an immediate soft spot for the pretty girl, and put in a good word for her with her boss. It was a cheap enough favour to do her.

"How was your tour? Are you as famous now in other parts of the country as you are in Kalispell?"

“Oh Clara, I was just the biggest success you can imagine!” Arabella bragged “That’s the thing: everywhere else, nobody knows me off stage: all the fellers in the audience imagined I was just as clever and alluring and beautiful and fall-in-lovable-with in real life as the girls I play on stage. I got three offers of marriage. Miss Hardy only got one!”

She enumerated the tally on her fingers “Darling – Zero; Hardy – one; Astin – one; Mudd – three. I win.” She said smugly. She chuckled “I could tell your Constance didn’t believe me when I told her, that’s cause she was looking at the ugly duckling real me, but those fellers in Butte and Gallatin and Diamond City and Virginia City and Helena, they all fell in love with the illusion.” She looked wistfully satisfied with herself “… guess that means I’m doing my job right.” She sighed philosophically.

Clara took a second look on Ara then, "My goodness, you look so sophisticated now. You are positively radiant in that outfit, must have cost a fortune."

“Oh, this old thing?” Arabella laughed “Seriously, it’s nice isn’t it? Miriam fixed up my wardrobe before we went on tour, she’s amazing. Mister Pettigrew says she has a real talent – genius he calls it, but she ‘lacks self-confidence’. I don’t suppose I help any, I’m always bossing her about... I’m sort of mean to her.” She admitted, in an unusual moment of self-criticism.

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Clara thought Arabella seemed a bit disappointed she couldn't do anything with the sleeping infant but it was for the best.

"Maybe later, especially if she wakes up. You can hold her then," Clara offered.

Arabella now volunteered a nice compliment about Constance. Clara had not expected that, "Oh good to hear."

She then asked about her friends big tour. Arabella's favorite subject was always Arabella of course, Clara figured that would please her. Ara talked about turning down three suitors, beating the rest of the cast apparently. Now Ara was always more than a bit of an exaggerator but this time Clara had a twinge of doubt. She had changed a lot as of late. Grown from gawky, skinny to quite a beautiful young lady, least in Clara's opinion.

Not that Ara agreed.

She chuckled “I could tell your Constance didn’t believe me when I told her, that’s cause she was looking at the ugly duckling real me, but those fellers in Butte and Gallatin and Diamond City and Virginia City and Helena, they all fell in love with the illusion.” She looked wistfully satisfied with herself “… guess that means I’m doing my job right.”

"Ugly duckling?" Clara raised one eyebrow. She started then with a compliment on Ara's wardrobe. Fancy and it fit the girl to a tee.

Arabella attributed it to her friend, alright far more than friend, Mirriam, but added, "she ‘lacks self-confidence’. I don’t suppose I help any, I’m always bossing her about... I’m sort of mean to her.”

"Well then, you need to remember that when you are with her and try to be nicer, kinder. You are devout, you should know better about such things," Clara pointed out as she took the steak out of the pan and deposited on a ready plate.

She had a moment now and approached her long time friend, "Arabella, I can't help but have to disagree with your assessment of yourself a minute ago. You are not an ugly duckling. You are actually very very pretty....even beautiful. You know I am not one to exaggerate or lie about things. Stop saying such nonsense."

Even as she finished she realized how strange it was she was having to build up the girl's confidence as overconfident and self-assured as Ara was in most everything else.

"Ugly duckling?" Clara raised one eyebrow.

Arabella made a quacking noise. 

She started then with a compliment on Ara's wardrobe. Fancy and it fit the girl to a tee.

Arabella attributed it to her friend, alright far more than friend, Mirriam, but added, "she ‘lacks self-confidence’. I don’t suppose I help any, I’m always bossing her about... I’m sort of mean to her.”

"Well then, you need to remember that when you are with her and try to be nicer, kinder. You are devout, you should know better about such things," Clara pointed out as she took the steak out of the pan and deposited on a ready plate.

The slight black haired girl shrugged "Well, I said I was mean to her..." her eyes sparkled wickedly for a moment and an evil little grin spread across her pale face "I didn't say she didn't like it!"

She had a moment now and approached her long time friend, "Arabella, I can't help but have to disagree with your assessment of yourself a minute ago. You are not an ugly duckling. You are actually very very pretty....even beautiful. You know I am not one to exaggerate or lie about things. Stop saying such nonsense."

Arabella stumbled back a step or two and looked Clara up and down with a confused look on her face.

"Say... are you feeling all right?" she asked with genuine concern "Motherhood seems to have made you kinda more... friendly. I'm not sure I like it!" she joked "Well, while we're swapping compliments, I gotta say, you sure got your figure back quickly. Little more top heavy, perhaps" she stared at Clara's still swollen breasts "Plenty of cream fer baby in those milk jugs!" 

She suddenly had a question.

"Hey, my Mama once told me that once a woman has a kid, the Father sometimes starts to leave her alone, you know, in bed: is, er... is Jacob still 'attentive'?" She posed the question in a sensible manner, but there was that usual tell tale twinkle in her eye.

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The slight black haired girl shrugged "Well, I said I was mean to her..." her eyes sparkled wickedly for a moment and an evil little grin spread across her pale face "I didn't say she didn't like it!"

Clara looked puzzled, that was a strange thing for Arabella to say but then she had to keep in mind that Arabella was quite a strange girl....make that young lady.As for Miriam, she barely knew the Jewish girl. Best not ask for further details.

Clara did not only compliment Ara on her looks but also chided her not to run herself down so.

Arabella stumbled back a step or two and looked Clara up and down with a confused look on her face.

"Say... are you feeling all right?" Ara asked with genuine concern.

"Yes, I am fine," Clara assured her.

"Motherhood seems to have made you kinda more... friendly. I'm not sure I like it!" she joked "Well, while we're swapping compliments, I gotta say, you sure got your figure back quickly. Little more top heavy, perhaps" she stared at Clara's still swollen breasts "Plenty of cream fer baby in those milk jugs!" 

"I have always been friendly," Clara protested sternly, "But yes, my breasts have gotten somewhat larger.Natural enough for motherhood."

Ara suddenly had a question."Hey, my Mama once told me that once a woman has a kid, the Father sometimes starts to leave her alone, you know, in bed: is, er... is Jacob still 'attentive'?" 

"We refrained from....well, activity in bed for most of the pregnancy but no, of course not, he is still very attentive to me as you put it. Jacob is a devoted and wonderful husband and has taken to fatherhood right off," Clara declared. As far as Clara knew anyhow, Jacob loved her as much now was the wedding day. And she loved him.

"We refrained from....well, activity in bed for most of the pregnancy but no, of course not, he is still very attentive to me as you put it. Jacob is a devoted and wonderful husband and has taken to fatherhood right off," Clara declared. As far as Clara knew anyhow, Jacob loved her as much now was the wedding day. And she loved him.

Arabella nodded her head seriously "Hmm, that's good." She let it go at that. Jacob was a good young feller, she knew that, having been friends with him way before she'd introduced him to Clara, but he was, unfortunately, imaginative and poetical, and therefore, in Arabella's mind, prime material for having his head turned by an 'other woman'. She didn't like to say that out loud, though. Still, she would keep a nosey eye out for her friend. 

"I'm glad everything's still going fine and dandy with you two" she smiled.

Something else popped into her magpie mind.

"Ooooh, say, how're you getting along with The Wicked Stepmother?!!"

Arabella wasn't just kowtowing to the age old trope - she'd never liked Lucinda Dietrich, now Redmond, ever since the whole debacle with the prayerbooks and the fact that she'd stolen the object of her friend Jemima's desires. 

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Arabella nodded her head seriously "Hmm, that's good.  I'm glad everything's still going fine and dandy with you two".

Yes it was...err...is, thought Clara.

"Thank you," Clara replied but then she really had to get back to her job, cooking waited for no one.

"Ooooh, say, how're you getting along with The Wicked Stepmother?!!" asked Arabella.

Clara threw another two steaks into the wide frying pan, this was for Ara and her companion.

"Wicked stepmother? Granny Mig....oh wait, you mean Lucinda? She is NOT wicked. I like her, my father deserves a wife. In fact I positively endorsed the marriage when they asked me," Clara let her know in no uncertain terms.

"You know, Arabella, I really am quite busy in here right now. I got two dishes going and now am starting the ones for your dinner. You really should come and visit me and Jacob and little Em too when the diner is closed. Jacob would like that too."

Least Clara hoped Jacob would be alright with it.

"Wicked stepmother? Granny Mig....oh wait, you mean Lucinda? She is NOT wicked. I like her, my father deserves a wife. In fact I positively endorsed the marriage when they asked me," Clara let her know in no uncertain terms.

"Hmph! Well, you didn't see her slinging those prayer books all over the floor, just to get your Papa's attention. Wicked it was, wicked!" she groused.

"You know, Arabella, I really am quite busy in here right now. I got two dishes going and now am starting the ones for your dinner."

"Huh? Oh! You want me to buzz off, sure" Arabella chirped "Just make sure I get that big one!" she said, pointing at the slightly larger of the two steaks already frazzling in the pan "Oh, an' I like it mi-saignant - that's French, pretty sophisticated, huh?"

But Clara had something else to say before she  

"You really should come and visit me and Jacob and little Em too when the diner is closed. Jacob would like that too."

"I dare say I can fit you in between rehearsals!" Arabella grinned with mock-seriousness.

Back at the table Astin and Arabella waited patiently for their meal and when it came, ate it and paid for it with some alacrity. And with good reason, they were expecting somebody. 

Mr Astin looked at his watch.

"What time is he coming?" he asked the vivacious little actress, although he knew the answer. 

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