"Every town needs a newspaper."
Phin received the missive from Mister Darling, who was visibly angry about how the play had unfolded. It would be hard to blame the man. "I take it this would be from you? Or, perhaps, I am mistaken. At any rate sir, I will have this on the street by the morning." He stated confidently. He liked Darling and, he appreciated what the man was attempting to do in the community. Bringing a bit of sophistication as it were to the small town. An admirable goal.
"I take it this would not be from you?" he asked realizing that whatever the folded paper contained it may well have been from Miss Mudd who overshadowed a great performance with her own need to shine, even though nakedness only appealed to the coarse, even those who got a brief thrill out of it.
"My congratulations on your performance as the devil himself." Phin said in earnest, "I look forward to your next production."
Still wide-eyed, Weedy glanced at Wyatt and chuckled nervously, glad that they'd decided to sneak in, thinking he'd do it again, even if it meant detention for the rest of his natural days!
"That was really something!" he exclaimed, although if he'd been asked later, he'd only really remember the costumes -- or lack there-of -- that Miss Arabella wore -- or didn't! Oh, and the Devil, too! "Never thought church could be so interesting!"
The crowd was starting to thin some, so he was anxious to leave and get back to the barn. "You think it's safe to go now?" he asked his friend. "Don't want to wait too long." It wouldn't be good to be the last thing moving, or worse, to wait too long and get locked in!
"Reckon you could do a better job of actin' than that." He all but whispered. "Now I don't mean you bein' up there without no clothes. Not hardly. I mean about the pretend part without the display of skin." He was already regretting what he said to his wife, but it was true, he was thinking she could do a better job of it.
"Oh, goodness, I should think not!" Emeline started to giggle, stifling the noise against Barnabas' shoulder. "Maybe in private sometime!" And that made her giggle all the more!
"Didn't mean no offense, Love."
"No..." Trying to keep a straight face, she looked up at him. "And you the Devil, brimstone and fire!" The giggling started again, and as much as she tried to contain it, there was always some antic that Arabella came up with that got her started again.
Once it was over, she was finally able to catch her breath. "Oh, my! Well, that was...something! I don't think Kalispell will ever be the same!"
Shaking her head, she took Barnabas' arm. "Should we invite the Lutz's to dessert and coffee at the hotel?"
When it was all said and done, Justus wasn't so sure that he liked the theater, at least this particular play, but he did like the Constance part and figured he'd do it again if she asked him, even if he had to actually pay for the tickets.
"Well, that was...good? Interestin'..." He wasn't quite sure what to say, since he didn't want to offend her, or make her think he didn't have any culture, even if that was true!
"So, um..." He glanced at Cody and Sally. The boys had planned on taking the ladies to the Lickskillet after the play, but he wasn't sure it was even open, after all, not only was Constance here, but so were Mrs. Lutz and Miz Emeline, so, who was left to run the place.
"Th' Lickskillet open?" he asked Constance. If not, then what? The hotel was awfully expensive, and a saloon chop house wasn't appropriate for her.
Brendan joined in the applause at the end of the show, pausing to stick his fingers in his teeth and let out a few celebratory whistles for Arabella. As the commotion died down, he took Caroline's arm again to escort her through the stop-and-start flow of theatergoers trying to make their way outside.
"It weren't half-bad," he said with a shrug. "But I think you should have got up to do that musical number instead of Arabella." He shook his head musingly. "Boy, she sure did make a spectacle of herself. Guess that's what theater is, though."
The show had been entertaining and funny, which was more than he could say for any of the sermons he'd ever heard. Maybe in small doses, with an added touch of Arabella flair, the Bible wasn't so bad.
"I think if you'd been playin' Eve or Salome, or any of them parts, you would've had all the men here tonight jumpin' up on the stage to get to you." He grinned. "And then I'd have to fight 'em all off and we'd make a darin' escape."
Once it was over, she was finally able to catch her breath. "Oh, my! Well, that was...something! I don't think Kalispell will ever be the same!"
"Nice way's puttin' it. It was better once everyone was dressed and they commenced to actin'," Pike said. "Oops, there's that old trail ling again. Sorry love, we're not at the ranch. Need to be respectable." The he grinned.
Shaking her head, she took Barnabas' arm. "Should we invite the Lutz's to dessert and coffee at the hotel?"
"Why not, be good to do a bit of socializing." Was his response, "How about Speed an' Alice? make it the six of us. It would be fun."
"Yes, Dear"
She turned to her beloved husband, "Now, that was not so bad was it? Not the torture you thought it would be?"
Jacob actually looked thoughtful.
"It was all right, but I feel sorry for that Miss Hardy." he said seriously. "I think she's a really wonderful actress, but all people are going to be talking about tomorrow is that feller dressed as the... you know, and Arabella showing off her skinny little carcase. It's not fair." He seemed quite distressed about it.
"I might write her a letter, telling her how much I admired her performance." he stated. Well, Evie had gained an extra fan from the night's performance.
Then he turned to Clara and smiled wistfully, "I'm looking forward to getting back to Lil' Em. I hope she was good for your Pa and Lucinda"
"Well, that was...good? Interestin'..." Justus answered her but it did not sound all that sincere.
No matter really. Constance enjoyed it, she'd go again next time the theatre group put on a play. Assuming they didn't get run out of town.
"So, um..." He glanced at Cade and Sally.
Cade looked to his fellow ranchhand, "Yeah?"
"Th' Lickskillet open?" Justus asked Constance.
That brought a chuckle to his date.
"No, for heavens sake. We are never open in the evening and besides Mrs. Lutz and Mrs. Pike are here with their husbands. Who exactly would be waiting on customers or doing the cooking?"
She paused then added, "I suppose we could go to my uncle's place, that's where I stay. He'd be asleep by now, he's old and he's hardly a theatre fan. But I could make tea or we might even have some coffee left."
Clara inquired what Jacob's take on the play was. His answer surprised her a bit.
"It was all right, but I feel sorry for that Miss Hardy." he said seriously. "I think she's a really wonderful actress, but all people are going to be talking about tomorrow is that feller dressed as the... you know, and Arabella showing off her skinny little carcass. It's not fair." He seemed quite distressed about it.
Clara actually smiled, "My goodness, the man played the Devil...Satan. You cannot even say that aloud. Did not think you that devout?" He could be full of surprises, her husband.
"Miss Hardy did a good job. They all did. Setting aside Arabella's immodest displays, I believe her to be a fine actress in addition. Granted, I have no real experience in judging theatre, this was my first time I set foot in one," Clara remarked.
"I might write her a letter, telling her how much I admired her performance." he stated.
"Go ahead and do that, sounds like a nice thing to do, my dear," Clara nodded in approval.
Then he turned to Clara and smiled wistfully, "I'm looking forward to getting back to Lil' Em. I hope she was good?"
"She is ALWAYS good, my dear, she is a saint," Clara declared with conviction and a dead serious expression masking the tease.
Storyteller / Shared NPC
Weedy shared his opinion about the play, it was not what they expected alright. Or...maybe it was. They'd wanted to go based on that provocative bill plastered outside the theatre all week advertising the play. And well, they did get their eyes full of Arabella for certain. But the adventure was over now, alright almost over. They still had to sneak out. How hard could it be? Sneaking up there had been a piece of cake.
Wyatt felt they needed to let the crowd disperse to make it safer for their own exit via the way they had come in. Weedy was more in a hurry though.
"Alright, if you think so, let's go down then," Wyatt wasn't going to argue with his friend. They were now partners in crime.....sorta.
The pair made their way back down and then retraced their steps to where they had snuck in in the first place. They could hear some bustle and voices amongst the theatre performers, Ara's voice was unmistakable being the loudest and by far most frequent.
As they found themselves back in the alley, Wyatt practically glowed with the feeling of triumph, their little caper had gone off without a hitch! And no one would ever know, their own little secret.
ooc: Jump in anytime now, Julie :)
