Sally Cutts was proud as punch. Thanks to her, Miss Mudd’s hair was perfect: long, pitch black, and covering a multitude of sins. Well, at close range in the crowded dressing room which she shared with the other lower ranking members of the cast like Mister Astin and the matronly Mrs Nightingale (Miss Hardy and Mr Darling were big enough and important enough to warrant a dressing room each of their own) it was more obvious that under her mass of hair and green fig leaf, the little actress was clad in a flesh-toned body stocking, so the sinful nature of her lack of attire would be more in the minds of the audience, than in reality.
Maybe seeing behind the scenes like this, Sally considered, would spoil the illusion when she was sitting in the audience with Cade, but it did feel rather pleasing to be ‘in the know’, to see how the actors got themselves ready to go out and convince the theatre-goers that they were actually, well, in tonight’s benefit performance… in the Bible! Miss Kaufman had all of Miss Mudd’s costumes ready: Potiphar’s Wife, the Pharaoh’s Daughter, Judith… that one came with a big prop sword, and last, but certainly not least, Salome, complete with a papier-mâché head of John the Baptist, which also doubled for Holofernes: the disembodied noggin displaying as much versatility as the rest of the cast.
Salome was technically New Testament, of course, but the chance to do the Dance was too much to resist!
Her work done, Sally made her way out the ‘Stage Door’ at the back of the White Rose Theatre and round to the front, where she was just another ticket holding customer and looked out for Cade, muttering a maidens prayer under her breath that the handsome young cowboy wouldn’t stand her up.
@[Everybody]
Constance was indeed excited, more than that, nervous about the evening's performance. She'd always like attending theatre back home, but this was not with family but this was a date! Her cowboy, Justus, was going to accompany her so it was as much about the company as the play. It also helped the star of the play was her new friend, Miss Mudd. It was actually thanks to Arabella she and Justus were even going, she had provided the young man with the tickets.
Constance now wore the wonderful dress provided for her by the kindly Mr. Pettigrew. Looking in the mirror, for about the fifth time in less than an hour, she at least thought she looked most impressive. What Justus would think of it could be something quite different. Maybe he wouldn't like fancy? She would have to take that chance.
There was still plenty of time before showtime but Constance was already a bit worried just maybe he would not even show up? Now that would be embarrassing!
"The law is the law."
"Mining's not everyone's choice of hobbies, it just happens to be mine."
An evening at the theater was not something Alice would have considered, but since Speed had suggested that she stay in town and that they could have dinner at the hotel dining room, she agreed. It was the tickets he had for the production at Ben Simmons' new White Rose Theater, the former White Horse Inn and Boarding House. A business that Kalispell could definitely use with the influx of new people.
"You know that Arabella will be in the play, right?" She asked Speed as they crossed the street toward the theater, her arm tucked in his,
"Yes, I saw the posters, and thought we could use some entertainment, and who knows? This could be a wonderful production. See there are already people lining up at the ticket office." He told her, hoping against hope that it might actually be just that, a pleasant evening at the theater.
As they walked up to the doors, Speed presented their tickets, there was no turning back, not that he was inclined to.
"Ladies should be seen and not heard"
Theatre lobbies looked large and spacious when they empty, of course, but just before the a performance commenced, they were the sort of crowded place where it was hard to talk properly to a friend, or to escape from anyone who you didn’t particularly want to talk to. Despite her pretty face and beautiful clothes, Anæthsthesia Orr was classed by most people in the latter category. Even people who usually loved cats avoided her.
She bustled up to the lawman as soon as he and Alice entered the place, a vision in white and pink, looking like a rather sweet and sickly slice of wedding cake.
“Oh! Marshall Guyer! Marshall Guyer!” she gasped “Have you heard? That dreadful Zenobia Matthews creature has been captured and is to stand trial in Helena for murdering her poor father!” she cried.
A rather annoyed Lewis Reeve followed in her wake.
“Lew here is going to defend her, isn’t that silly? She’s sure to hang!”
Reeve joined them.
“Marshall, Miss Fletcher” he nodded.
Anæthsthesia looked the lawman’s bride to be up and down appraisingly “Oh! Is that who you are? I understand wedding bells will be chiming soon for you soon, Miss Fletcher. When is the ‘big day’?” she asked, faintly giving the impression of only feigned interest.
Sally Cutts, with her long nose and her big, nervous frightened bunny eyes, sidled up to Miss Straub.
"Still no sign of the boys,then?" she asked, pointlessly; she could see as well as Constance that neither of their dates had yet to show.
"You look wonderful, by the way! That dress is spectacular!" Sally gushed, inadvertently putting Connie in an awkward position, for the best that could be said of the skinny saloon skivvy's smock was that it was at least the cleanest example in her motley wardrobe.
"You look much nicer than that thing..." she added, a little spitefully, nodding at Miss Orr.
She screwed up her hanky in her hand "Oh dear. Where can they be?!"
Constance Straub was not the only person dressed in finery made by Mr. Pettigrew. Brendan was decked out in the special waistcoat and suit that the talented tailor had gifted him to aid in his pursuit of Bridget's hand. He had called at the saloon to pick up Caroline, and as was their habit, they had strolled down the boardwalk together toward the theater.
This was his first trip to the White Rose Theatre, and he was keen to see a glimpse of the new life Arabella had thrown herself into. Why, he imagined he and Caroline both might be invited up onto the stage or backstage later on, seeing as they were both close friends of Arabella's. Not close like Miriam Kaufman, though.
As he and Caroline stood off to one side in the lobby so as not to sully the other theatergoers with their less than respectable presence, he leaned over and whispered in her ear, "Think we're the best lookin' couple here?"
@ [Wayfarer
Least the weather cooperated for opening night, it was not an issue to take the short walk to the theatre and then wait in the lobby. Constance stuck close to the door though so Justus would see her. Granted the gawky cowpoke was tall enough to look over half this crowd. She smiled and nodded to a few of those waiting, sort of knowing them by virtue of them eating at the diner and her waiting on them.
Until young Miss Cutts, wasn't it, sidled up to her, "Still no sign of the boys,then?" she asked.
"No...oh so you got yourself a cowpoke too? Good for you," smiled Constance.
"You look wonderful, by the way! That dress is spectacular!" Sally gushed.
"Oh thank you. Let you in on a secret though, it's not mine. I could not afford it and Mr. Pettigrew said I can borrow it for this evening. He is a kind man," Constance revealed.
She thought maybe she should compliment Sally's dress back but that would only be mean.......and Sally was bright enough to catch on to how fake such a compliment would be so she simply kept silent. Sally was a nice girl
"You look much nicer than that thing..." Sally added, a little spitefully, nodding at Miss Orr.
Constance glanced toward who she was referring to. Ugh, her! She did not like that stuck up tart and had found out promptly Clara shared that opinion. Granted, Clara did not like a lot of folk she was by now aware.
"Her outfit is grand, her personality is disgusting. Pay her no mind, I don't," Constance smirked.
Sally screwed up her hanky in her hand "Oh dear. Where can they be?!"
"We just need to be patient, maybe they had to chase cows or whatever they do, at the last minute," Constance shrugged. Justus seemed too much a gentleman to just not show up at all.
"No...oh so you got yourself a cowpoke too? Good for you," smiled Constance.
"Yeah, Cade Brodie. I mean, I know he's a bad boy and goes with dirty women and all, but he's just soooo pretty! He gives me the fidgets!" Sally gushed feelingly.
"You look wonderful, by the way! That dress is spectacular!" Sally gushed.
"Oh thank you. Let you in on a secret though, it's not mine. I could not afford it and Mr. Pettigrew said I can borrow it for this evening. He is a kind man," Constance revealed.
Sally looked at Constance agog, she talked so uppity for some one who was just a waitress, but there was a rumour that she was actually a very, very rich daughter of a billionaire or something, who had been forced into poverty by [... fill in your wildest flight of imagination here]. She certainly had a poise in that fantastic frock that was hard to disguise.
"You look much nicer than that thing..." Sally added, a little spitefully, nodding at Miss Orr.
"Her outfit is grand, her personality is disgusting. Pay her no mind, I don't," Constance smirked.
"Hmph, me neither!" nodded Sally, and crossed her arms to show just how little mind she did pay her. She couldn't ever work out why Miss Mudd found the blonde catty girl so fascinating, Sally put it down to 'artistic temperament'.
Sally screwed up her hanky in her hand "Oh dear. Where can they be?!"
"We just need to be patient, maybe they had to chase cows or whatever they do, at the last minute,"
Sally didn't look convinced. Then, suddenly, she gasped "Oh! Look, it's Caroline! Er, that's Miss Mundee, she works at the saloon with me, and that's her boyfriend Brendan Connolly..." she looked a little distant for a second "... now he's real dreamy. Mmmmm. He can give me the fidgets any day of the week!"
She waved over at the couple, who looked, it had to be admitted, like fish out of water in this gathering.
"Ooo-eee! Caroline!! CAROLINE!!! Look, it's me! Over here!" She turned excitedly to Constance "I'll introduce you!" she grinned, then a worried look creased her brow and she quickly whispered to the beautifully clad Cinderella of a waitress "Don't tell 'em what I said about me havin' the hoosits for Mr Connolly, though!" she added, hopping up and down excitedly, like someone who needed the toilet.
@[Wayfarer]
@[Bailey]
As they walked up to the doors, Speed presented their tickets, there was no turning back, not that he was inclined to.
"Actually, Speed, I'm looking forward to this, and I don't know why, but it just might be entertaining," Alice said.
“Oh! Marshall Guyer! Marshall Guyer!” she gasped “Have you heard? That dreadful Zenobia Matthews creature has been captured and is to stand trial in Helena for murdering her poor father!” she cried.
"Miss Orr, no, actually I had not heard, I had thought the woman dead, obviously I was mistaken. In fact, I don't remember there being a circular for her, though I suppose there was one." Speed replied to the young woman.
A rather annoyed Lewis Reeve followed in her wake.
“Lew here is going to defend her, isn’t that silly? She’s sure to hang!”
"Well, she'll need a good one if the trials in Helena." Speed offered. "Hang? Only if she's guilty." This was certainly news to him, even though not all the outside news reached Kalispell.
Reeve joined them.
“Marshall, Miss Fletcher” he nodded.
"Mister Reeve." Speed said, extending his hand, but before he was able to present Alice;
Anæthsthesia looked the lawman’s bride to be up and down appraisingly “Oh! Is that who you are? I understand wedding bells will be chiming soon for you soon, Miss Fletcher. When is the ‘big day’?” she asked, faintly giving the impression of only feigned interest.
Not missing the girl's reaction for what it was, Alice replied, "Yes I am that woman. And, although there is no date just yet, I can say, most likely this June. Can't have the Marshal living in sin now, can we." Her smile was far from one of friendship, the impression she had was that Miss Orr believed herself entitled and above most folks in town. "Mister Reeve, A pleasure." She added politely, offering her hand,
While this wasn't really a date, Justus was still feeling a bit nauseated. After all, Constance was a pretty gal, and sweet, and he didn't want to disappoint her. To that end, poor Mule had been groomed within an inch of his life, his saddle and bridle cleaned and polished. And Justus was fancied up, as much as he got. Oh, nothing too swank, he didn't have anything more than 'Sunday-Go-to-Meetin'' duds, but they were clean, pressed and unpatched!
"There it is," Justus said to his companion, nodding toward the theater, not that it was necessary. Even if Cade didn't know where the place was, it was pretty obvious from the activity around the front.
And the poster!
That caused Justus some trepidation. Sure, it was titillating, but it hardly seemed appropriate for ladies! He glanced at Cade and shrugged.
"Looks...interestin'. Hopefully, it won't be too horrible." They stopped and tied their horses a block away from the building to walk the rest of the way. "Maybe some hooligans'll shoot up th' town an' spare us!"