After looking over Josiah's small house, it was decided to wait until morning to make the place livable. Weedy had done a decent job of keeping the cobwebs down, and Buster's talents, even with one eye, had assured that there were neither rodents nor lizards inside the building. But, it still needed some sweeping and dusting, and, of course, things such as making the bed and arranging supplies.
That could be done before the picnic the next day, so for the night, Josiah could just stay at Jonah's. Now, it was time for dinner with the ladies, and both gentlemen were cleaned up and looking their best, looking forward to a pleasant evening.
"Is everything in place?" Jonah tugged at his collar and adjusted his vest, under the sharp frock coat. It would all be covered with a long coat for the walk to the hotel...while the snow had stopped, there was still a good chill in the air.
"Well, now, let's do this! I'm courting, after all!"
"Yes, everything looks fine, well, after a bit of clean up. Glad we stopped by the place." Josiah said, adjusting his rather plain ensemble. For him, a simple black suit with a white shirt and string tie, with a heavy coat over it. I do believe this evening will be very interesting."
Then he went on, "I'd love to know what the ladies have been talking about, neither is a big fan of Elias and both have theior own stories to tell about living with, and dealing with him." He of course, had a history with the family, knowing all of them from the years of caring for them, something that at times took all the courage he could muster.
"I would be gentle with Leah, Jonah, I'm afraid that she might be a bit fragile after some time with her mother. Things said might have her a bit raw." A friendly warning of what could be possible when they arrived at the hotel.
Nodding slowly, Jonah let out a breath, wondering if Josiah had even an inkling of what Elias had done to Leah. Of course, even without the assault, the man had done enough psychologically to his whole family.
"I wonder why now..?" He didn't know a lot about the dynamics between Leah and her mother, and again he wondered if the woman had known about the physical abuse? And even if she hadn't, it still seemed odd to Jonah that a woman would abandon her children to that sort of man, even if she'd had enough of him.
"Well, hopefully we can make this a pleasant evening, for both ladies, and we'll charm any bad feelings out of them!" Jonah was determined to make Leah happy for the evening as he and Josiah crossed the street and mounted the stairs to the hotel. "If all else fails, we can break into song!"
Laughing, he stepped inside, handing his overcoat to an attendant, then waited for Josiah. "Will they meet us down here or in the restaurant?" This dating thing was new territory for him.
"Well, hopefully we can make this a pleasant evening, for both ladies, and we'll charm any bad feelings out of them!" Jonah was determined to make Leah happy for the evening as he and Josiah crossed the street and mounted the stairs to the hotel. "If all else fails, we can break into song!"
"Well Jonah, YOU can break into song, should I try that Well, it would clear the dining room, and possibly anyone on the first floor!" Josiah replied, "But a bit of soft shoe, now we might try that."
Laughing, he stepped inside, handing his overcoat to an attendant, then waited for Josiah. "Will they meet us down here or in the restaurant?" This dating thing was new territory for him.
"Considering the fact that they are of the fairer sex, your guess is as good as mine." Josiah pointed out, looking into the dining room, "Looks all but empty to me so we can take our chances waiting here for them, we're early anyway."
Storyteller / Shared NPC
Earlier
Once the women had reached the Steelgrave Suite and the door was closed the pair sat down on the settee. Leah looked at her mother intently, as if studying her. Somehow the woman looking back at her appeared younger, perhaps because she was free of the stress of being married to Elias Steelgrave, but then again, perhaps that was her reason for returning, to end the arrangement.
"Mother, why are you here?" She asked almost bluntly but without the demand in her voice.
"Not to make amends to Elias, but to you for leaving without saying a word. I was afraid that if I did if I told you I was going with another man to the east, you would be beyond angry." Elinor said, taking her daughter's hands gently into hers. "I had to leave, or kill him!"
"Kill him? Why?" A stunned Leah asked.
"There are so many reasons, so many secrets I learned about him and the things he had done and was doing to those around us. Yes, he and I had some years where we were beyond the law, we hurt a lot of innocent folks and when we came here I thought all of that was behind us, but as they say, 'a leopard cannot change his spots.' He proved that to be true in more ways than one, let me tell you!"
She went on to say, "There were women in this town that I would never have suspected of his cheating with. When he was supposed to be in Whitefish on business he was actually seeing other women. Women! More than one! Then, after Mother Nature had her way with his little playground, he made excuses to go into Kalispell when he still could, and for the same reason with one of the survivors of that disaster."
Leah was dumbfounded by what her mother was saying. "Who?" She asked, confused about all of the insinuations her mother had made. Yes, she recalled these trips to both towns, but that all seemed normal to her at the time.
"Well, their names do not matter. Some perished in the storm, or a few days later. The ones in Kalispell well, I'd rather that was something you need not know about. Except, Misses Silvia Norris? Her husband killed her and fled because of it." Elinor said.
Leah was flabbergasted. She sat for some time just trying to take it all in, to understand what he father had done, not only to her, but her Mother as well as others.
"Considering the fact that they are of the fairer sex, your guess is as good as mine." Josiah pointed out, looking into the dining room, "Looks all but empty to me so we can take our chances waiting here for them, we're early anyway."
"I believe you are right." Jonah chuckled. "It's going to take some getting used to, learning the ways of a lady. I thought I knew Leah's ways, but that has to do with business. Courting will be different." She sighed and shook his head. "Were you ever married?"
Funny, in all this time, the subject had never come up.
I was happily married for oh, I believe it was thirty-two years. A wonderful woman, Teresa Louise was her name. Been gone now six years, two months twelve days." Josia informed him. "I keep track because, well, I suppose I'm a sentimental old fool, or, because she was my partner in life, my better half. You would have liked her, Jonah, you surely would not have met a better woman, unless it was Leah." He chuckled.
"I'm afraid that edition of Miss Steelgrave was a spoiled, resentful, mean young woman. Hardly what you'd call a lady. Not like the Leah of today. And maybe you had a hand in the transformation, I couldn't say, but that sure did happen most miraculously, so my thanks to whoever is responsible for bringing that girl back to the one I knew as she was growing up".
"No, not me." Frowning, Jonah shook his head. "She was amazing when I met her, refined, caring, kind." Had he been smitten from the beginning? No, not smitten, that had taken time to realize and even longer to admit. "It's more that she changed me. I'm amazed at how much she's overcome, and more, that she gave me a second look."
It was a huge responsibility, to do right by Leah, to give her the companion she deserved in life, and it was a bit intimidating, but he was determined to make her happy and feel safe...and he hoped he could keep up with her.
Josiah just shook his head as they waited for the ladies, each with his own thoughts of what might be happening in the suite two floors up. "Whether it was you or not that got the transformation rolling or not, both of you are much better versions of yourselves, and that my boy, is a miracle all in and of itself."
And what he said was true, of both. He recognized Johan as a man struggling with who he was and what he might become, yet not too hard, while Leah began the fight to become who she knew she could be. And to deny the simple fact that each one helped the other to get where they were at that moment? It did not seem possible.
Storyteller / Shared NPC
The conversation lagged as the two women prepared themselves for the evening. Leah still had some of her clothes in the wardrobe, which allowed her to change outfits, but the conversation lagged, and what was said was more about dresses, evening gowns, and all that went with that, as opposed to anything more about Elais.
Once they were ready Elinor took Leah by the hand and said, "Leah honey, I'm not here to create any problems for you and your young man, not at all. Nor am I here to interfere with the Evergreen or your father. I had been keeping in touch with some folks here who did not hate either of us but were willing to correspond with me about you. I am thrilled at what I had been told so, here I am. For how long? Time will tell."
"Mother, you can stay as long as you like. There will always be a place for you here with me. I'm sure Jonah would not mind your staying on here in town for as long as you like. Whatever needs arranging, I can get that taken care of." She said. "So, shall we go down? I believe we've kept them waiting long enough."
"yes, they may have already gone up to the Stardust Saloon, thinking we stood them up." Elinor quipped. Taking Leahs hand they headed for the door.
