The day had indeed been useful, for more than just improving his shooting skills, for Jonah was feeling better about himself, about his ability to protect Leah, should it come to that, and about his change of path in life. For the first time, he truly felt he was able to actually leave behind the man he had been, and to become the man who was worthy of Leah's respect.
Huddling into his coat, he rode back toward town with the others. "Tell me," he asked, "how much of a threat to Leah is her father, truly? And if he does choose to come after her, how will that be?"
Storyteller / Shared NPC
"Hold up there Doc!" Gilcrest ordered, "Elias is as unpredictable as it gets. Ain't ever no telin' whot the man's thinkin', 'er whot he jest might do on a given day."
"Miss Leah is always in danger, just 'cuz Elias is alive. Doc's right, you can't second guess that varmint might do, not ever, cuz chances are, you'd guess wrong." Carson added.
"We ain't out here teachin' you ta shoot fer nuthin'! Boy, yer woman'ds al'ays in danger from the Evergreen! We jest had us another of 'em pull his freight an' show up on are front doorstep. Not all them boys out there is fer killin' Miss Leah, no sir. 'er even see harm come to 'er. No sir!" Gilcrest emphasized. "Be a real donnybrook was somethin' ta get started toward her, 'er you."
"You can bet yer boots they'd come gunnin' fer you, just cuz yer courtin' her! You set store by that Danforth." Carson emphasized. "Elias give 'em orders, they'd burn this down to the ground as soon as look at it! You can count on that, but he ain't said such yet, least not what Frasier told us."
They sat for a long moment.
Jonah listened soberly, not caring so much about himself, but for Leah and her safety. It was difficult to think that her own kin was her greatest threat, and for an instant he regretted having taken care of Elias. Of course, if he'd refused, or if the man had died, he was pretty certain that he wouldn't have been allowed to live.
As for the men who were so devoted to her -- or was it, as they had said, that the just found harming such a sweet lady as Leah so abhorrent -- Jonah was glad that they were there to protect her. But then, what was going to happen if...when...they were married? Certainly, these men couldn't be constantly lingering, but Jonah didn't think that he'd ever be adequate protection for Leah, and he really didn't want that responsibility...if anything happened to her under his watch, he'd be devastated.
"And what of her brother? Is he of the same cloth as her father?"
How had his life gotten so complicated?
Storyteller / Shared NPC
"You mean Case?" Carson asked easily, "Some say that boy just ain't wrapped too tight, but I don't think that's true."
"Case? Well, unlike them other'uns, he sets store by his sister, Woe be ta the fool whot tries to hurt her." Gilcrest testified. "Most had blamed her fer a killin' what Case done back when she was a might younger an' a whole lot meaner than the woman you know today. She was a wild one, an' onry with a capital O!" That made Carson laugh as they started forward again.
"Musta missed all that. All I ever knowed was her kindness." He said, "But Case prolly ain't ever of heard about you yet, when he does you can count on him ta come visitin'."
"He'll wanna know what there is to know about you, but I wouldn't worry none too much. You 'ember, Miss Leah's sweet on ya, that'll have him sit up an' take notice. An' that, Doc, that sets up him agin his Pa. That ain't hardly ever happened. Disagreement sure, but ta stand agin the ol' he-wolf?"
Carson shook his head slowly, "Maybe them other three'll be comin' home, families 'er not! If he sends for 'em, that is, Not sure I'd want any part o'that."
"I would hope that the ones who have escaped Elias' clutches would stay far away," Jonah observed, not that he knew anything about the other two sons. He just couldn't imagine that any sane man would risk his family and step back into crime. But then, Evergreen was worth a lot of money, and there was an inheritance to consider.
"A visit from Case?" The thought made Jonah shudder a bit. If Leah's brother didn't approve of him, or like his answers, he had no doubt he would make sure that Jonah never saw her again...and likely no one would ever see Jonah again!
"If she wasn't such an amazing woman..."
Storyteller / Shared NPC
"Now yer catchin' on, Jonah," Gilcrest said with a smile. "You ain't so much gotta worry about Case. If she wants you, well, that's good enough fer him, I'd figger. He ain't hardly ever said no to her that I remember, and son, that's been a spell."
"Right as rain Doc, hard with the two of ya, but yep, so far as I know, she's got that hard case in the palm of her hand. Now them other'uns. They's some different, but they're all cut from the same cloth. There's Ben, he's the oldest, and he was 'lias's right hand man. Then there's Clay, 'er Clayton whichever. He was foreman of the Evergreen til he moved on married an' got him a family like the others. Fianlly, there's Zeke, and just a nasty mean hombre! Hates anything Thornton and the one what lives the closest. He's in Helena, just a hoot an' a holler from here. He's the most dangerous of all of 'um 'cept maybe Case."
"True, but ain't none of 'em been round here fer three 'er four years, maybe longer. I don't remember so well anymore. Might be five 'er six years. They all got families 'cept fer Zeke an' Case." Doc Gilcrest added.
"Well, hopefully that Zeke fella will stay far away," Jonah grumbled, shaking his head. "But when Elias becomes unable to run the place..."
It was going to be a mess, Jonah knew that much, with the brothers fighting for control, maybe even resorting to eliminating competition. And where would Leah fall in all that? He knew she could hold her own, but if she stood in the way of someone's money, all bets were off.
"Thank you," he looked at the men with him, "I knew some of what I was getting into, but I had no idea of the extent...and I'm sure I still don't." He let out a breath. "I just want her to be happy and safe, she deserves that. I'd just pack up and take her away from this, where the name 'Steelegrave' is unknown and holds no weight, but I don't think she'd agree to that." After all, she had had every opportunity to walk away from Kalispell, yet here she still was.
Storyteller / Shared NPC
"Gotta say, neither do we, ta be real honest about it all." Gilcrest divulged. "They come oncet an' we thoght the fight was on, but they backed off an' left town. 'spose that was Elias's doin'. But with him it seems ta be a matter of whims, an' at the moment kinda things. Oh, the old man does lay out plans an' fer all any of us know, maybe he's got one laid out right now about Miss Steegrave an' the hospital."
"Maybe Frasier, who just pulled his freight from the Evergreen, knows what's goin' on out there. Wasn't at all worried over the winter, but with the thaw, such as it is, anything's liable to happen." Carson chimed in, "I mean, they all'er pretty antsy right about now. Itchin' ta get outy and do something, and that likey don't mean work'n no cows. So, it's sortta what it is, an' jest about anything's possible!"
Doc Gilcrest grinned, "Yer welcome ta stop in an' jaw a while, coffee's always on, an' I'm about froze clear through!"
"Coffee sounds like an excellent idea," Jonah agreed with a grin. He'd be glad when Spring finally pushed Winter away and the days got warmer. Besides, the more insight he could get from these men, the better equipped he'd be to protect Leah.
As he followed them into the warmth of the room, Jonah thought about how little he knew about these men, even though they'd been in his life almost daily for a couple of years, even if it was on the fringes. It was time to get to know more about them, and learn what they had to share.
"So, do you live here," he asked, "or just use it as a base when you're watching Miss Leah?"
Storyteller / Shared NPC
It's a bit tight, but we're about to get that place two doors down," Carson informed him as they closed the door behind them. There were rifles and at least one shotgun leaned against every wall in the room.
"Well, Doc! How'd it go? You gettin' the feel for it?" Bannester asked with a smile. "Oh, this here's Fraiser, he just came in, purdy much. Fraiser, this here's Doc Danforth, the man I was tellin' you about. He's prudy much up ta date with what's goin' on out at the Evergreen.
"Doc, a pleasure. What with Mister Steelgrave laid up, 'course you know all about that, things right now, well as of yesterday, day before, are real quiet." Fraiser explained, "There ain't been a lot said about that hospital, or his daughter, for that matter. He was all about havin' at the Lost Lake an' ol' Thornton, but the weather turned on his plan, so not sure what's goin' on now, 'cept he's been quiet." He stuck out his hand, "Coffee's on, looks like you boys could all use a cup."
