Meanwhile in the back of the theatre, the 'star' of the performance, certainly at least in her own mind, was getting her hair combed out by Miriam, her very best friend (and more).
"I wonder if anyone will come back and see me?" Arabella wondered aloud "Oh, they probably don't know that they're allowed to. Oh well, never mind."
"You never know, maybe they are too shy?" offered Miriam, that would certainly be true of her if she were in that situation.
"Did you think I was any good tonight, Dolly?" she asked her girlfriend, fishing for compliments.
"Any good? You were marvelous!" Miriam gushed and it wasn't her toadying up. She really did think Ara was an excellent actress. And so brave to do what she herself could never ever do.
Just then there was a sharp knock on the door? Miriam turned but before either her or Arabella could say anything, the door opened and in waltzed Caroline and Brendan.
"Well, well, there she is. The star of the show! Didn't think I needed to wait to enter, not like we would catch you in any more of a state of undress than what you showed everybody in the audience," Caroline grinned.
Constance waved them both off, "Nonsense, it's simple enough. And besides I would have to be in the kitchen anyways showing you where everything was. I will be fine. As for my uncle, he is a sound sleeper. In fact, it is what he does best."
"Hope he doesn't have a shotgun," Justus muttered, but he trusted Constance, so he offered her his arm. "Lead th' way! An' I know ya make better coffee'n I do!"
He was curious to see where she lived, not that he expected anything near as grand as the Pikes had, but it would be interesting to know what sort of house she had.
"Been a real fine evenin' so far, doncha think?" Would have been fine without the odd play, and Miss Arabella's display, but that was what had brought them together, so he was happy with it.
"Everybody can feather their nest, but it's not just anybody that can lay an egg!"
"Did you think I was any good tonight, Dolly?" she asked her girlfriend, fishing for compliments.
"Any good? You were marvelous!" Miriam gushed and it wasn't her toadying up.
Right answer! Arabella beamed at herself in the mirror, just as Caroline and Brendan breezed in.
"Well, well, there she is. The star of the show! Didn't think I needed to wait to enter, not like we would catch you in any more of a state of undress than what you showed everybody in the audience," Caroline grinned.
The little actress jumped up, oblivious to her silk robe billowing open, and threw her arms around Caroline, kissing her on both cheeks, then did the same to Connolly.
"Oh, Caroline! Mississippi! How darlin' of you to come see me!!"
"Did you like my costumes tonight? Dolly worked on all of them, and helped me with all the quick changes, she was just wonderful!" Arabella gushed putting her arm around Miriam and giving her a kiss too. All a bit theatrical, perhaps, but her affection for all three of them was very real.
"Hey, you'll never guess what!" she informed them excitedly "Wyatt Redmond and Porter Chappell [she never called him Weedy] watched the whole thing from the rafters, must've snuck in!" she laughed gleefully "Well, I reckon they got a good show, had to do most of my costume changes in the wings just opposite the little scamps! He he, they sure got their money's worth - except they didn't pay anything to get in. He he - Simons chased after them, after the show; I owe those boys a favour, they sure kept the heat off of me - for now!"
@[Bailey]
The little actress jumped up, oblivious to her silk robe billowing open, and threw her arms around Caroline, kissing her on both cheeks, then did the same to Connolly.
"Oh, Caroline! Mississippi! How darlin' of you to come see me!!"
"Of course, both of us wanted to congratulate you on your bold performance," Caroline informed her, "didn't we?" She glanced at Brendan for an instant.
"Did you like my costumes tonight? Dolly worked on all of them, and helped me with all the quick changes, she was just wonderful!" Arabella gushed putting her arm around Miriam and giving her a kiss too.
"Oh they were your ideas, I just did what I could," Miriam blushed.
"Well, when you wore a costume, sure," Caroline grinned then nudged Brendan in his side, "I think this one here liked you being naked best. Why he was telling me he'd do you in a minute."
Now that was an outright fabrication, Brendan had said no such thing. But she loved to tease her friend and lover. Besides she had long known Ara's proclivities and it was not bedding with men.
"Hey, you'll never guess what!" Arabella informed them excitedly.
"I would imagine we wouldn't," Caroline smirked.
"Wyatt Redmond and Porter Chappell [she never called him Weedy] watched the whole thing from the rafters, must've snuck in!" she laughed gleefully "Well, I reckon they got a good show, had to do most of my costume changes in the wings just opposite the little scamps! He he, they sure got their money's worth - except they didn't pay anything to get in. He he - Simons chased after them, after the show; I owe those boys a favour, they sure kept the heat off of me - for now!"
Redmond? That was Clara's maiden name, oh sure, her kid brother. Porter Chappell.......wasn't that Addy's maiden name? Yes, Addy had mentioned some boy she barely recalled. During that harrowing time while in Indian captivity.
"I'm sure you are probably looking forward to the heat being on you. Let's face it, you love the controversy. Shocking folks. If you didn't then you'd have never flashed your titties for all to see," Caroline pointed out.
Emiline and Pronto now approached she and Jacob.
"We're headed over to the hotel to have some dessert. Please join us, it's our treat. And it'll be nice to talk about something other than business."
Clara smiled, "Oh of course we will. You really don't have to pay for us though."
She glanced to Jacob, "You ever been inside the hotel. Very fancy." Unlike either of them.
As they exited the theatre, Clara certainly was curious, "So....what did you two think of the play? She had a hunch she knew what the couple thought of it all but she'd find out for certain in just a moment.
"Yes, Dear"
"We're headed over to the hotel to have some dessert. Please join us, it's our treat. And it'll be nice to talk about something other than business."
Jacob was just about to make their excuses when, to his chagrin, Clara answered in the affirmative.
Clara smiled, "Oh of course we will. You really don't have to pay for us though."
They didn't?! Even worse. They were being dragged to some over-priced Hotel and forced to pay more than they could afford for some sickly -sweet confection when they'd got plenty of food at home.
She glanced to Jacob, "You ever been inside the hotel. Very fancy." Unlike either of them.
He shook his head with a rictus smile plastered on his face. Fancy prices too, no doubt.
As they exited the theatre, Clara certainly was curious, "So....what did you two think of the play?" She had a hunch she knew what the couple thought of it all but she'd find out for certain in just a moment.
Jacob had no idea what the pair might have made of the hodge-podge biblical pageant, he imagined that all they ever thought about was making money out of Clara's exhausting work at the diner.
@[Bongo]
@[Flip]
"Of course, both of us wanted to congratulate you on your bold performance," Caroline informed her, "didn't we?" She glanced at Brendan for an instant.
Brendan was staring around the dressing room, taking in all the odds and ends and costume pieces, when he caught Caroline's eye and engaged in the conversation. "Huh? Oh, yeah, it was bold. There was a woman on the other side of Caroline and I thought she was gonna pop her dress open, she was so flustered. 'Course that might'a been 'cause she was sittin' by Caroline...but I heard her gasp any time you came out in one of them skimpy outfits."
There was a short exchange about Arabella's costumes that ended with Caroline making a dig at Brendan, who grinned and held up his index finger. "Hey, hey, hey, hold up. I'd do Salome in a minute, sure, but not Ara as Salome. There's a difference."
The conversation then moved on to two boys who had snuck up into the rafters to see the show. Brendan nodded approvingly. Thinking to hide up above the audience was smart, and it reminded him of some of the shenanigans he'd gotten up to when he was younger.
"You think they're gonna get up a lynch mob and string you up?" he asked Arabella lightly. Likely it wouldn't be anything so drastic as that, but there would definitely be an uproar by the town's more prudish occupants over the night's events.
"Work is fine for killin' time, but it's a shaky way to make a living."
Weedy spoke first,
"It was really...Bible," Weedy declared, and that wasn't a lie! "Spiritual, I think."
"Ummm, yes sir, it was a really good show. Like my friend said, very Biblical," even as he said it, Wyatt thought it sounded lame.
He forced a wane smile, "Excuse us, mister, but we gotta be going so we don't get home late."
Ben smiled at Weedy's description of the play, "I have no doubt that it was spiritual in a lot of ways but before you go we have a little matter to discuss...your sneaking into my theatre and not paying to see tonight's performance."
He looked at Weedy, "I know you're the young fellow who lives with Miss Addy and even though I don't know who your friend is, I can easily find out by just asking Miss Addy when I call on her to ask to get the money for the tickets."
Even though he had no attention of talking to Addy at this time, he wanted the boys to know that he could.
@ [Bongo] @ [Wayfarer
"Oh, you don't have to do that!" Wide-eyed, Weedy glanced at Wyatt, then back at Mr. Ben. "How much is it? I got..." he dug in his pocket and pulled out a couple pennies, a folding pen knife, some marbles and a lint-covered lemon drop.
This was bad, really bad! He'd never really lied to Addy before, and on top of that, he'd disobeyed, trespassed...
At least he had Wyatt with him as his partner in crime, although his friend might be lucky if they could avoid getting Addy involved in this!
"Everybody can feather their nest, but it's not just anybody that can lay an egg!"
Arabella listened happily to Caroline's kind compliments and also Brendan's, even if they did have to be forced out of him! She didn't like his next comment so much.
There was a short exchange about Arabella's costumes that ended with Caroline making a dig at Brendan, who grinned and held up his index finger. "Hey, hey, hey, hold up. I'd do Salome in a minute, sure, but not Ara as Salome. There's a difference."
"Huh! What are you, peculiar?!" she replied, which was rather rich coming from her. "I thought all the fellers would 'lose their heads' for me in that particular outfit, not just John the Baptist." she quipped.
"You think they're gonna get up a lynch mob and string you up?" he asked Arabella lightly. Likely it wouldn't be anything so drastic as that, but there would definitely be an uproar by the town's more prudish occupants over the night's events.
The odd girl looked a little distant for a second.
"That really would be a performance..." she muttered, half to herself. Then she shivered. "Funny, I felt nice and warm when I was standing on the stage without my duds on, but now I'm cold again, Dolly, stockings!" she ordered, pointing out her toes, while she remained seated on her throne, like the Queen of Hearts in her favourite book. "Say Bren, pass me them split-drawers on the back o' that chair, will ya? Oh, and Caroline, my chemise is hung over that screen." She gave them her commands like they were the pack of cards in the same story.
She waited to see if Caroline would tell her to get of her lazy ass and fetch it herself, she kinda missed their little rows and tiffs.