After checking into their rooms, getting cleaned up, and dressed in clean clothes, Valentin and Alafair met in the lobby to head out for a late lunch or early dinner. Neither of them wanted to try the fancier fare offered in the hotel’s restaurant until they had had baths and could purchase some nicer clothing. Purchases would be restricted until they knew if they would be staying for a while. Both hoped that this town might be a place where they could put down roots as neither Alafair nor Val wanted to return to Louisiana. Their original home held too many dark memories for them.
Father and daughter made a short reconnoiter of the town’s main street before heading for the small house at the edge of town. A welcoming sign told them they had found the right place. However, even had the sign been absent, the delectable scents wafting from inside the building would have guided them to the right place. Once inside, Valentin found them a table and saw his daughter seated before seating himself. He gave the patrons a quick once-over, looking for potential threats and to get a feel for the regular townsfolk. He was also looking for Travis Morgan.
~*~ ~*~ ~*~
Tags are Open to all.
The bell on the door did it's oh so familiar little tinkle indicating new customers had entered. Constance was in the kitchen waiting until Clara set two platefuls of food upon a tray and a separate plate for sliced fresh baked bread with butter of course. Taking said tray out then to the customers the young waitress placed the plates before the couple, old Mr. and Mrs. Steadwell, who were regulars. For the time being they had no additional requests so it was on to the newest arrivals then.
Constance approached the table, eying the pair. Father and daughter was her best guess, not that it mattered in the slightest. She did not recognize either, that more than likely they were newcomers or perhaps just passing thru. Again no matter. She was there to serve.
"Good day to you! How may I help you? " Constance gave them her best waitress welcoming smile.
On the one side wall was the full menu, meticulously chalked out on a blackboard in Clara's excellent printing. No spelling mistakes there, not ever. It gave all their offerings with the daily special always right on top of the list. The soup was chicken noodle, not even Clara dared challenge the delicious beef stew of the saloon. The Lickskillet did not have any fancy dishes just regular well made meals with the usual combos of one's choice of meat, vegetables, and bread on the side.
For drinks they served coffee or tea, milk usually for children, and water. It could be followed by their superb pies, literally blue ribbon winners at the fall festival every year or so Constance had been told. She hadn't even been in town for a year but long enough to settle in and like it here.
Constance had a notepad in hand and awaited either their choices or was fully prepared to answer questions.
"Good day to you! How may I help you? " Constance gave them her best waitress welcoming smile.
“Good day, Miss,” Val replied politely, hanging his hat off the back of the chair. Alafair smiled and nodded. “Our first time in. Give us a moment with the blackboard. We’ll try not to keep you waiting.”
Val looked beyond the young waitress, with her neat brown hair and quiet blue eyes. She appeared to be around Alafair’s age. He had to admit that Kalispell was looking good for putting down roots. He’d know more after a job hunt. If the place looked good enough to buy a home in and settle down, Val would send for their supplies they had stored in Missoula Mills. Failing to get someone to bring their wagon to them, he could ride back and bring their supplies.
Realizing that he’d let his mind wander while the young woman waited for their orders, he embarrassedly shook his head, “Sorry about that, Miss. My mind tends to wander these days. I’ll take the daily special and a cup of coffee. Please reserve a slice of pie also…I’ll take your recommendation on that.”
Alafair shook her head slightly, “You need to drink less coffee, Papa,” she scolded softly, “I would like a bowl of soup and a vegetable plate please with tea. Like my father, I would be most grateful if you would reserve a small slice of pie for me for dessert.”
It had not escaped Alafair’s attention that the waitress appeared to be around her age. Despite her natural reserve, Alafair made an extra effort at friendliness. “My name is Alafair Caine. This is my papa, Valentin Caine. We’re new to Kalispell. I’m new to everything north of Louisiana.”
“Sorry about that, Miss. My mind tends to wander these days. I’ll take the daily special and a cup of coffee. Please reserve a slice of pie also…I’ll take your recommendation on that.”
"Oh, that's fine, I'm here all day anyway," Constance replied, "One daily special and a cup of coffee then. Slice of pie too....well, me, I'm partial to the cherry pie but the apple pie is a bigger seller. Apples are fresh, cherries from a jar."
The young lady was next but not before chiding the man about his coffee habit. Being that she herself had to have her daily coffee she did not get the fuss but none of her business.
Alafair shook her head slightly, “You need to drink less coffee, Papa,” she scolded softly, “I would like a bowl of soup and a vegetable plate please with tea. Like my father, I would be most grateful if you would reserve a small slice of pie for me for dessert.”
"Very well, bowl of soup and vegetable plate," she'd actually never heard of that one but presumably Clara could just load it up with varied veggies.
"And tea, certainly, will either of you take cream, milk, or sugar?" Constance had to ask.
“My name is Alafair Caine. This is my papa, Valentin Caine. We’re new to Kalispell. I’m new to everything north of Louisiana.”
Constanced nodded, "Oh nice to meet you both, Miss and Mr. Caine. I am Miss Straub. I thought it sounded like you two were from down south. I'm not a Montana native either, came here from Cincinnati less than a year ago."
Oh, that's fine, I'm here all day anyway," Constance replied, "One daily special and a cup of coffee then. Slice of pie too....well, me, I'm partial to the cherry pie but the apple pie is a bigger seller. Apples are fresh, cherries from a jar."The young lady was next but not before chiding the man about his coffee habit. Being that she herself had to have her daily coffee she did not get the fuss but none of her business.
Very well, bowl of soup and vegetable plate," she'd actually never heard of that one but presumably Clara could just load it up with varied veggies.
"And tea, certainly, will either of you take cream, milk, or sugar?" Constance had to ask.
“My name is Alafair Caine. This is my papa, Valentin Caine. We’re new to Kalispell. I’m new to everything north of Louisiana.”
Constance nodded, "Oh nice to meet you both, Miss and Mr. Caine. I am Miss Straub. I thought it sounded like you two were from down south. I'm not a Montana native either, came here from Cincinnati less than a year ago."
“We are from southern Louisiana down near the Texas border,” Caine replied with a pleasant enough smile. “As for the pie, the apple sounds good. Certainly is a beautiful state. Always been partial to mountainous terrain myself.”
Val paused for a moment, “Miss Straub, I have to confess. We are looking for a friend of mine. I have some urgent news for him from home. His name is William Travis Morgan, goes by Travis. Tall man, usually sports a noticeable mustache. Texan by birth. Is it possible to leave a message with you and any other staff for this gentleman? I can promise you that we mean him no harm. He's a good man, a good friend. I want him to hear this news from a friend.”
The man decided on apple pie, that was one detail taken care of. Constance jotted it down.
Val paused momentarily, “Miss Straub, I have to confess. We are looking for a friend of mine. I have some urgent news for him from home. His name is William Travis Morgan, and he goes by Travis. Tall man, who usually sports a noticeable mustache. Texan by birth. Is it possible to leave a message with you and any other staff for this gentleman? I can promise you that we mean him no harm. He's a good man, a good friend. I want him to hear this news from a friend.”
"Oh gosh, I do know of the man indeed," Constance did not hesitate, "A month ago he had just come into town when myself and Mrs. Lutz were accosted by a couple of ill-mannered cowboys. We resisted and two locals rushed to our aid, unarmed too. One older gentleman was killed and the younger one seriously wounded - he is recovering though, thank God."
"Mr.Morgan jumped off his horse and engaged them along with a few other locals including our marshal, this time with guns. A few more cowboys jumped in on their side, it all got very confusing and bullets were flying everywhere. Fortunately, two of the men involved ended up dead and the others arrested. Mrs. Lutz and I were unharmed except for a few bruises."
Val and Alafair both sighed softly, but audibly, in relief. Both had feared for the safety of their friend. Val smiled at Miss Straub and chuckled, "Sounds just like Travis. Ride into trouble and does whatever he can to help. Do you mind passing on the message if you see him? Or, just tell him Valentin is looking for him and is at the Belle-St. Regis Hotel."
"I can certainly do next time he comes in, he usually eats here at least once or twice a week. I'll tell him then. Oh gosh, here we are chattering away and I have yet to put your order in. Let me quick go do so!" Constance realized they'd never eat at this rate and turned to hustle into the kitchen.
Just as she did, the bell tinkled and in stepped a man, garbed like a typical farmer with muddy boots. He caught Constane's glance backward and waved.
"Don't mind me, not staying, just here to annoy the owner of this place!"
On the other side of the small diner from the Steadwells was a man reading a newspaper, The Kalispell Union; the small kerfuffle at the door seemed to cause him to lower the paper to reveal a weather beaten face, untidy beard and small spectacles though which a piercing pair of eyes peered: not at the bumpkin at the door, but at the tall man and the elfin girl at the table next to him.
"Morgan's staying at the Christian Women's Refuge" he said, looking at Val "He's a bounty hunter, you in the same line o' work?"
The man offered no introduction nor any of the other niceties of social interaction, he didn't even stoop to make light of the incongruous-sounding address where Travis was holed up; just the information... and the question.
"Morgan's staying at the Christian Women's Refuge," he said, looking at Val "He's a bounty hunter, you in the same line o' work?"
Slightly narrowing his steel-blue eyes, Val turned his attention to the speak, "Technically speaking, sir, as we are unacquainted with one another and I might just be passing through, that's none of your business. However, as I might be lookin' to settle down here kinda permanent-like, I'll answer the inquiry."
Val's gaze swept the room, "I am a lawyer by training and a lawman by inclination. Travis Morgan is a friend of mine. I won't take it very well if something happens to him."
Once again, Val fixed the other man with his eyes, "Thank you for your information." For reasons of his own, Valentin neglected to mention that he would still ask around about Travis, especially at the saloon and, later, law enforcement. The latter would allow him to see if the Town Marshal's office was hiring.
Baur listened to the man's reply with an impassive face; the watery light filtering through the windows of the Lickskillet reflecting on the lenses of his spectacles and his mouth obscured by his impressive face fur would have rendered his expression unfathomable in any case.
Short story: unnaturally tall man, Cajun accent, law-enforcer, girl in tow (Daughter? Fancy-piece?), friend of Morgan and... and this is what really caught his eye... a dirty great big-ass bowie knife or similar at his belt.
"Thank you for your information" the other man said.
"Likewise" nodded Baur, and went back to his newspaper.
The drama focused back on the figure at the door.
@[Wayfarer]
The farmer fellow now ambled between the table with the distinguished looking man and his probable daughter and the other newspaper reading gent across the aisle, being polite about it at least.
"Pardon me folks, I'm just heading for the kitchen. Don't pay any mind if you hear some female caterwauling going on, the cook is very high strung you see," the man grinned.
Val quickly decided that the farmer was probably well-known to the patrons, and his threat to visit the kitchen was not that unusual. He offered a grin of his own, "Just make sure the cook's high-strung reaction doesn't spoil the meal," he said with a good-humored inflection and a quick wink at his daughter.
"Oh please, kind sir," Alafair's feigned a dramatic reaction, her dark eyes sparkling with merriment, "I am quite famished."
"I wouldn't think of folks going hungry in such a fine establishment as this," he grinned back at them and then he was gone inside the back. There was no loud voices let alone caterwauling either male or female.
A bit later Constance was back with a tray carrying both platefuls of food. Also the coffee and tea.
"There you go then. Is there anything I else I can get you?" she waited just in case there was.
"No, thank you," Val replied to the young waitress. "Everything looks great..." He inhaled the fragrant aroma of the food, "I think we're going to really like Kalispell."
~*~ The End ~*~