"So what do you say?" he asked the cook.
She shrugged her assent.
"I take it you've heard the rumours then? Scared I might get... now what's that highfalutin word I heard that fancy actor feller Mr Darlin' use the other day?... Inveigled! Scared I might get inveigled away, huh?"
The Boss held up his palms and said, "You've heard of the Emancipation Proclamation, right? You're free to do as you please. Besides, you're too smart to be inveigled into anything." And at the same time, Hiram Priest nodded sagely.
Franklin made a turn in his discussion.
"I wonder if the Hotel is filled up or if there's any rooms available? There will be a new person in town pretty soon." He wasn't speaking to anyone in particular. Still, the Cook knew everything that was happening in town.
The new person was Edgar Sloan, the man he'd hired to manage the work at the mine. He contacted him in St. Louis and they finally came to terms. Sloan was hard as nails, insightful and smart as they come, plus a hard driver of men. He'd heard from some that Sloan was a cruel task master, but that didn't bother Franklin at all, though Priest cautioned him.
"Hey Shadow. Got a bottle of Red Eye in this kitchen?"
The Boss held up his palms and said, "You've heard of the Emancipation Proclamation, right? You're free to do as you please. Besides, you're too smart to be inveigled into anything." And at the same time, Hiram Priest nodded sagely.
"Yes, I have heard of that , Mr Fortner, and if'n you'd led the life I had, you wouldn't make light of it." Messalina replied, but the mercurial Fortner had moved on to another subject.
"I wonder if the Hotel is filled up or if there's any rooms available? There will be a new person in town pretty soon." He wasn't speaking to anyone in particular. Still, the Cook knew everything that was happening in town.
"I don't reckon that Hotel is ever full... it's too expensive!" the thrifty cook replied sniffily. Anyone with any money-sense would stay at Wigfall's Boarding House for half the price.
"Hey Shadow. Got a bottle of Red Eye in this kitchen?"
Cookie shook her head.
"No Sir! We just got the good variety back here!" she said, fetching out a bottle of "Ould McTavish" and two glasses for the gentlemen. "Nightcap, huh?" she asked rhetorically.
"Hey Shadow. Got a bottle of Red Eye in this kitchen?"
Cookie shook her head.
"No Sir! We just got the good variety back here!" she said, fetching out a bottle of "Ould McTavish" and two glasses for the gentlemen. "Nightcap, huh?" she asked rhetorically.
"That'll be fine. And get a glass for yourself. You deserve a nightcap too, I opine." He may have had faults, plenty of them, but Franklin Fortner was always considerate of the Staff. In fact, though a Christmas had not passed yet since he bought the place, Franklin always had food brought in for the troops, and opened up the liquor supply for his people. He would close the saloon, that day, and issued a "no work today" order.
And since he was in an expansive and generous mood, he stopped the cook before she could fetch the liquor and asked her, "Do you think we could use new locks on these doors? Hell, the rusty old things we have now wouldn't deep a mouse out."
"That'll be fine. And get a glass for yourself. You deserve a nightcap too, I opine."
Messalina's eyes nearly popped out of her head.
"Why Mr Fortner, you knows I never touch strong liquor! 'Cept occasionally for medicinal purposes! Hmph!" she huffed outraged, then added. "Mind, I do have a little bit of a cold comin' on my chest..." [it was some chest, too!] "... 'praps I'd better take a glassful of Granny Miggins' chill tonic..."
She gave the two their drink and poured herself a draught of the old woman's homebrewed potcheen from an earthenware jug with a cork stopper. The stuff virtually evaporated as it hit the glass, so high was the alcohol content. She knocked it back in one glug and smacked her lips "Ahhh, .... warmin'!" she beamed.
"Do you think we could use new locks on these doors? Hell, the rusty old things we have now wouldn't deep a mouse out."
She shrugged "So long as WE can git out when we wants to!" she joked, feeling a little more convivial for the slug of 100% medicine.
"So... why you axin' about the hotel, Mister F.? You got someone comin' to visit?!" she enquired.
She gave the two their drink and poured herself a draught of the old woman's homebrewed potcheen from an earthenware jug with a cork stopper. The stuff virtually evaporated as it hit the glass, so high was the alcohol content. She knocked it back in one glug and smacked her lips "Ahhh, .... warmin'!" she beamed.
"Do you think we could use new locks on these doors? Hell, the rusty old things we have now wouldn't deep a mouse out."
She shrugged "So long as WE can git out when we wants to!" she joked, feeling a little more convivial for the slug of 100% medicine.
Fortner leaned towards Priest. "Remind me about the locks, okay?"
The older man nodded even has he sipped his drink.
"So... why you axin' about the hotel, Mister F.? You got someone comin' to visit?!" she inquired.
Franklin leaned back in his chair and folded his arms across his chest.
"Well Shadow, we DO have someone coming to town. His name is Edgar Sloan and he's going to be the Mining Engineer and Foreman once we get the Potee place up and running. He's a pretty rugged fellow, I might add, a no nonsense kind of man, which is exactly what I need in a Mining Foreman."
Even the usually taciturn Hiram Priest spoke up.
"That's one of the reasons we had to take the trip back East. Went all the way to St. Louis."
What they didn't tell the wily cook was that Sloan was also a very unfriendly sort. He never conversed much beyond mining details except to say, "Yes" "No" or "Tell Hell with it."
Priest ended by saying, "I'm sure he'll appreciate your vittles."
Priest ended by saying, "I'm sure he'll appreciate your vittles."
'Mammy Cookie' as Arabella used to call her, nodded "Well, even if he don't , he'd still better come and eat here - you seen the prices that hotel charges in that there fancy restaurant they got there?!" the big woman said, shocking herself at the memory of it. "Daylight Robbery's what I call it!"
She waved a wooden spoon at the two men.
"You all wanna get this here Edgar Sloan feller in at Missus Wigfall's. Now she charges reasonable!"
Then the door creaked open and the pot girl, Sally Cutts wandered in, in her nightie, yawning and rubbing her eyes.
"Hey, Mrs McMahon, I heard you talkin', what's happening?!" she asked half asleep and oblivious to the two men there.
"Mammy Cookie" inveighed against the daylight robbery of a competitor, then waved her wooden spoon at her dinner guests.
"You all wanna get this here Edgar Sloan feller in at Missus Wigfall's. Now she charges reasonable!"
Then the door creaked open and the pot girl, Sally Cutts wandered in, in her nightie, yawning and rubbing her eyes.
"Hey, Mrs McMahon, I heard you talkin', what's happening?!" she asked half asleep and oblivious to the two men there.
Hiram averted his eyes. He remembered the injunction about a Judge (or other highly placed official) avoiding even a hint of impropriety in their conduct. On the other hand, Franklin Fortner raked her figure with his bold eyes. She certainly had made herself at home -- and that was good. The Boss remembered her interview and how she seemed, at the time, a Little Miss Cringe.
"We're just having a .. a.." Fortner turned to Hiram from the right words.
"A staff meeting," the old roué interjected.
"Yep. A staff meeting. Care to join us"? Franklin asked. He waved his hand at the liquor bottle and glasses. "We have some ..a...a.."
"Refreshments," Hiram finished for him .. again.
Franklin slid a chair outward from its place with his foot.
"Whaddya say?" he finished.
"We're just having a .. a.." Fortner turned to Hiram from the right words.
"A staff meeting," the old roué interjected.
Sally stifled a scream and automatically covered her chest and pelvis with her hands when she realised that she was in the company of the two men, her thin nightdress offering little protection to her modesty in the company of one man, Fortner, of whom she was terrified, and another, Priest, who she found creepy in the extreme.
"Yep. A staff meeting. Care to join us"? Franklin asked. He waved his hand at the liquor bottle and glasses. "We have some ..a...a.."
"Refreshments," Hiram finished for him .. again.
Sally stood frozen, wanting to run back to the safety of her room, but scared to death of annoying her boss. Mrs McMahon seemed to have suddenly disappeared to fetch something, leaving her alone with her two superiors.
Franklin slid a chair outward from its place with his foot.
"Whaddya say?" he finished.
"Y... yes Sir." she stammered, and sat on the chair demurely, still keeping her arms across herself. "I hope you don't mind Mister Fortner, Sir, but I ... I don't drink booze." she summoned up the courage to state.
"That's alright, child, I'll have yer share then," Caroline now suddenly waltzed on in. She was wearing even a whole lot less than Sally with barely visible straps holding up a low cut slip showing plenty of cleavage. She was also barefoot. And unlike the reticent young Cutts girl, Caroline was completely unphased by being seen in her state of dress...or undress. No one ever accused her of being shy.
"Didn't think Messalina was talkin' to herself, especially this time of night. People should be in bed," she added now eying her suddenly returned employer and his disgusting creature...err, partner.
"Well, well, look what the cat brung in," she gave one of those tell tale smirks of hers.
Franklin slid a chair outward from its place with his foot.
"Whaddya say?" he finished.
"Y... yes Sir." she stammered, and sat on the chair demurely, still keeping her arms across herself. "I hope you don't mind Mister Fortner, Sir, but I ... I don't drink booze." she summoned up the courage to state.
Franklin couldn't understand why Sally was so .. How did Hiram put it? Yes. He called her "Little Miss Cringe."
"We'll get some water for you, if you like?" he answered.
"That's alright, child, I'll have yer share then," Caroline now suddenly waltzed on in. She was wearing even a whole lot less than Sally with barely visible straps holding up a low cut slip showing plenty of cleavage. She was also barefoot. And unlike the reticent young Cutts girl, Caroline was completely unphased by being seen in her state of dress...or undress. No one ever accused her of being shy.
"Didn't think Messalina was talkin' to herself, especially this time of night. People should be in bed," she added now eying her suddenly returned employer and his disgusting creature...err, partner.
"Well, well, look what the cat brung in," she gave one of those tell tale smirks of hers.
She'd startled her Boss and his Advisor. Franklin arms leaped from where they'd been resting on the table, and Hiram issued a quick, "Judas' Priest!" before bolting down some liquor.
"Hello Caroline," said her Boss. "Your just in time for a little meeting." He pushed the whiskey bottle toward a vacant spot at the table and invited her to sit.
"Join in," he bade her and then nodded at Priest.
"I call to order a meeting of the Staff of the Stardust Saloon and Emporium," the old roué announced. "We'll begin with some words from our esteemed leader, Franklin Fortner." This was said with all the decorum of a city council meeting.
Franklin sat with his hands gripping his lapels.
"First item: How have receipts been? Is busy good or is it lagging? Second item: Has there been any grumbling from the staff? We may need to improve conditions in order to keep them happy .. and productive. And thirdly: Any important news in town that we should be aware of? Anybody trying to be a competitor? Any riff-raff in town? Anybody we should be looking out for?"
Hiram stared at the two ladies, waiting for one to speak up first.