"I'm not so clever," Weedy admitted, looking down at the puppy, who seemed to be completely different than the one that Addy had first brought to them. And now Weedy was in a predicament...he had to come up with some sort of idea so that Jane didn't think he was stupid! Not that he cared what she thought, right? After all, she was still...girl.
"Ummm..." He handed the 'leash' to Jane, that was a start, then he looked up at Addy. Oh, he knew that look! She was enjoying this way to much! He glanced around quickly. Too bad F. Falmer Brown wasn't still their neighbor, he'd know what to do!
"Oh, hey!" Running to the back porch, he grabbed the throw rug that was there to keep mud 'outside where it belonged', then tossed it into the kitchen. Next, he stepped onto it, then shimmied to the rug by the sink, and stepped on that, picked up the one from the porch and put that in front of him, and, alternating rugs, he 'walked' through the house to the cabinet where the towels were and grabbed three, then made his way back out.
Addy shook her head. "Would not'a thought'a that," she chuckled. "Got th' job done." She looked down at the dripping girl and grinned. "So, ya stayin' fer supper? I think tanight, it might just be blackberry cobbler an' hot cocoa!" Who said dinner had to be real dinner...and blackberries were fruit, so good for you, and even better, it was cobbler from the Lickskillet that Clara had made.
Oh dear, we're all of a flutter!
Jane watched in wonderment as Weedy cleverly fought his way to the towels using two rugs as steppingstones! Oh, he was so daring, handsome, clever... and so modest, too! That was one thing she'd need to change about him, of course, he rather hid his own shining light under a bushel. No doubt that was due to that show-off friend of his, Wyatt Redmond, always trying to steal the limelight. He'd have to go of course - he monopolised far too much of Weedy's time. But that was future plans: she'd have to ask Miss Mudd's advice on that one, Getting rid of your boyfriend's best friend 101
Addy shook her head. "Would not'a thought'a that," she chuckled. "Got th' job done." She looked down at the dripping girl and grinned. "So, ya stayin' fer supper? I think tanight, it might just be blackberry cobbler an' hot cocoa!"
"Ooooh! Yes, please Mrs Addy, they're my very favorites!!" Jane panted immediately. If she went home for supper' she'd have to eat all sorts of horrible turnip greens and dreadful burned biscuits and lumpy gravy cooked by her cack-handed sisters, and look at her idiotic brothers' stupid faces instead of Weedy's wonderful countenance: there was no contest. "And I would love to help you in the kitchen!" she added, the little creep.
Sit down, shut up, don't touch anythin'
"Ain't much ta do in th' kitchen besides slicin' an' servin'." Addy smiled and shrugged as Weedy returned with the towels. "But I truly do appreciate th' offer."
As Addy started drying her hair Weedy handed one of the towels to Jane. "There you go. Are your folks going to be mad that your dress is all dirty?" Maybe ruined, but he didn't know much about those things. "Sorry you got all dirty."
"Aw, we'll walk her home after supper," Addy suggested, "an' explain ta her folks what happened. Can't see as they'd be mad at her rescuin' a lost soul."
Oh dear, we're all of a flutter!
"Ain't much ta do in th' kitchen besides slicin' an' servin'." Addy smiled and shrugged as Weedy returned with the towels. "But I truly do appreciate th' offer."
"Oh! But slicing and serving are my very favorite!" Jane chirped. It seemed that anything that Addy's suggested just happened to be the girl's 'very favourite'!
As Addy started drying her hair Weedy handed one of the towels to Jane. "There you go. Are your folks going to be mad that your dress is all dirty?" Maybe ruined, but he didn't know much about those things. "Sorry you got all dirty."
"Oh that's all right, Porter!; I just love getting dirty with you!" replied Jane, quite innocently "And, after all, it's practically impossible to ruin a mauve colored dress, it's kinda ruined already before you've begun." she added philosophically.
"Aw, we'll walk her home after supper," Addy suggested, "an' explain ta her folks what happened. Can't see as they'd be mad at her rescuin' a lost soul."
"Well, even if Mommy does go off on one of her fits, it's been worth a whipping to have had all the fun we've had with Farley" the girl beamed as she dried her ears. Even little favourites got their comeuppance now and again, although not as often as her sisters might have thought suitable.
Sit down, shut up, don't touch anythin'
"A whipping? Why'd you get a whipping?" Well, yes, she was all wet and muddy, but it wasn't as if Jane had purposely rolled in the mud like a pig or anything. She was just trying to help a poor, skinny, stray puppy. He'd been swatted on the be-hind a few times, but he'd mostly deserved it, and it hadn't really hurt, except he'd been upset that he'd disappointed Addy. Of course, if she found out him and Wyatt sneaking into the theater and seeing Arabeller all nikked...well, he might well get an honest whooping then!
"Maybe you can stay here until she's not mad anymore?" he suggested.
"I suspect that'd make her more mad," Addy pointed out, "we'll figger somethin' out." She toweled the most of the drips from her hair and person, then shrugged. "Well, let's go inside an' try not ta make a big mess. Weedy, you can go in yer room an' change while me an' Jane get supper on." Maybe she could give the girl one of her chemises to wear and they could rinse out her dress and put it by the fire?
Oh dear, we're all of a flutter!
"A whipping? Why'd you get a whipping?"
Jane shrugged.
"For bein' bad?" she guessed. The matter was of little concern, for it lay in the future, and she was having fun now; like most kids, planning ahead wasn't really in her repertoire.
"Maybe you can stay here until she's not mad anymore?" he suggested.
"Ha ha! Mommy's always mad! Don't worry Mrs Addy, I'll just tell her I forgot to come home, or tell her I got kidnapped by injuns and escaped" she tried, wondering when the pie would make its appearance. Puppy cleaning was a hunger inducing activity.
"I suspect that'd make her more mad," Addy pointed out, "we'll figger somethin' out." She toweled the most of the drips from her hair and person, then shrugged. "Well, let's go inside an' try not ta make a big mess. Weedy, you can go in yer room an' change while me an' Jane get supper on." Maybe she could give the girl one of her chemises to wear and they could rinse out her dress and put it by the fire?
Jane stomped to the stepstone and took off her boots, which were muddy and wet, leaving them in the late afternoon sun to dry, and stepped into the hallway in semi-dry stocking feet. She was glad she'd changed her stockings today, she wouldn't want Weedy to think she had smelly feet, but that was about as far as her toilet for today had extended; she had politely declined Miss Mudd's offer to douse her in fancy perfume remove her specs, squeeze her into a corset (to give her 'shape') and do up her hair in a big heap like Emma Abbot who was, apparently, some big opera star who Miss Mudd idolised. No, Porter Chappel would just have to fall in love with her as she came: plain old braids, mauve smock, froggy-four eyes and all.
Sit down, shut up, don't touch anythin'
"Tell ya what," Addy addressed Jane as Weedy shuffled to his room to get into dry clothes, "how 'bout ya get th' table set while I change? There's plates an' whatnot in th' cabinets, feel free ta rut through 'em, an' there's pie in th' pantry." She grinned. "Set out whatever ya like, me an' Weedy ain't particular."
She figured the girl would embrace the responsibility. As for Farley, the exhausted pup had found a nice place by the fire to settle for a nap.
Oh dear, we're all of a flutter!
"Tell ya what," Addy addressed Jane as Weedy shuffled to his room to get into dry clothes, "how 'bout ya get th' table set while I change? There's plates an' whatnot in th' cabinets, feel free ta rut through 'em, an' there's pie in th' pantry." She grinned.
"Oooh, I'd love to do that!" beamed the helpful girl.
"Set out whatever ya like, me an' Weedy ain't particular."
"Yes, Ma'am!" The words had scarce left her lips than she had her head in a cupboard, wondering where, logically, the crockery and cutlery might be kept. It certainly was an interesting and extremely hodge-podge collection of porcelain and steel, but young Miss Patterson-Forde had rather a wonderful time, either matching two pieces together or, even more satisfying, making an aesthetically pleasing arrangement out of quite disparate items of dinnerware.
When Weedy and Addy returned, dryer and cleaner, she presented the table to them quite proudly.
"I did my best" she said modestly.
Then she sidled up to her hostess.
"Oh, Mrs Addy, do... do you have anything I can change into too? I... I don't like to sit down to eat with wearing a wet smock and damp... well, you-know-whats on."
Sit down, shut up, don't touch anythin'
"Wow! This looks real good!" Weedy declared loudly as he stormed into the kitchen, sporting 'play' clothes that showed some wear, but were comfortable...and clean! His shout woke Farley, but the pup did little more than open an eye before going back to sleep. The boy plopped down in a chair, but knew better than to touch anything until after the blessing.
"Ya did a fine job," Addy agreed. She was in a plain linen skirt and man's-cut shirt, her damp hair unbound so that it could dry.
"Oh, Mrs Addy, do... do you have anything I can change into too? I... I don't like to sit down to eat with wearing a wet smock and damp... well, you-know-whats on."
"Of course!" Chuckling, Addy led the way to her bedroom, where she rummaged through a wardrobe. "Here ya go." She frowned as she held out the nightshirt. "Be kinda long on ya." More rummaging and she produced a green ribbon. "Tie that around th' waist an' bunch it up, that oughta do. We'll wait on ya."
Oh dear, we're all of a flutter!
If 'clothes maketh the man' then they also 'maketh the woman'
Jane, naturally shy, made sure the door to Addy's simply but nicely appointed room was definitely shut before she started to change. Everything was damp and would need to be dried, so with a little gulp she took off her smock, stripy stockings , under chemise, drawers, the lot, and slipped on the deliciously clean and dry nightie that Weedy's Mommy had supplied. She tied the ribbon around her waist in a neat bow and, who could blame her?, checked herself out in the mirror. Not bad. She thought she looked a little like a sort of washed-out version of the picture of Napoleon's Josephine that she had seen in a book once, wearing an Empire Style dress of the 1800s.
It felt a little bit naughty, but sort of thrilling, to step back into the kitchen cum dining room in her bare feet, wearing naught but the flimsey nightshirt. She'd bundled her stockings and drawers up in the smock, so Weedy wouldn't see the top-secret garments - if he did, why, the world might end!
"Where should I dry my dress?" she half whispered to Mrs Addy, wondering if Weedy would notice how nice she looked in her new get-up.
