Justus wasn't in the least nervous -- at least that's what he kept trying to tell himself -- as he rode into town to fetch Constance for their...er...meeting? Picnic? Certainly not date! Nope, just lunch.
But even if it wasn't anything more than just lunch, he had polished Mule's tack so that it was all clean and shiny, he'd knocked the mud and manure off his boots and was wearing a nice shirt. Oh, not his go-to-a-funeral or church shirt, but one that wasn't patched, mended, wrinkled or torn.
He was about as dapper as he could get as he rode into the yard in front of the Lickskillet, where he was going to meet with Constance, and then...
Well, he wasn't really sure what 'then' was, except for lunch, but he wasn't sure where or what that was going to be, it was up to her, since she knew her way around town, and he wasn't about to drag her onto the ranges of the Rocking P, with the herd of cows!
There she was, waiting for him out front, looking all...well, pretty, but he wasn't going to admit that, so...looking so Constance! Pulling Mule to a stop, he swung to the ground and swept his hat off his head. "Miss Constance. Yer lookin' right nice."
Why did this have to feel so awkward?
Back east Constance had liked to dress up in fine clothing, she prided herself on doing whatever she could to make herself look pretty. She knew though she was no classical beauty. Well, here in Kalispell, the fashions were decidedly more plain, practical and most of her time she wore her outfit for waitressing, nothing colorful but always clean. Well today, she had broken out a dress she had not worn since back in Cincinnati.The bright color went well with her hair color. She kept her daily work shoes on though, if they were going out on the prairies or whatever it was called, she was not about to dirty her finest special occasion shoes.
Women in these times were expected to wear hats in public, although that saloon girl sashayed about the boardwalk all the time without one, so Constance put one on but she decided to be practical about it. It was nice and sunny so her choice would definitely keep the sun out of her eyes.
So now she waited, small basket in hand, its contents covered up by a white cloth.
Constance did not own a pocket watch so she did not know if he was late or early but sure enough he came riding on up, looking so at ease on that horse of his. Why wouldn't he, was a cowpoke, they practically live on those animals. As he pulled up on the reins, she gave him a smile.
"Miss Constance. Yer lookin' right nice."
"Why thank you, I hope I did not overdress for the day? This is my first frontier picnic," he replied, then added, "And I thought we were past the whole mister and miss part? Call me Connie or - if no one else is around - Penny. Even my employer doesn't know that one."
"Penny? 'Cause yer bright an' shiny just like a brand...new...penny?" Justus trailed off as he realized how lame that sounded! "Um...ya look perfect. I ain't never been on a picnic before, either, 'less ya count eatin' dusty beans an' bacon outta a chuck wagon a picnic." He frowned and shook his head. "Bunch'a mangy cowpokes sittin' around belchin' an' whatnot...Nope, that ain't a picnic!"
As he spoke, he realized he'd been worrying the brim of his hat, turning it in circles, and when he stopped, he almost dropped it.
"So, um, where ya reckon ya want ta go?" It would be hard for her to ride in that dress, unless he set her sideways in front of him, not an entirely bad idea, but that was up to her.
"Penny? 'Cause yer bright an' shiny just like a brand...new...penny?" Justus trailed off...
"Hardly no," Constance grinned, "When I was just a little one, I would steal every penny I could see in the home or, frankly, anywhere I would see one. Father was not amused but Mother took to calling me Penny."
"Um...ya look perfect. I ain't never been on a picnic before, either, 'less ya count eatin' dusty beans an' bacon outta a chuck wagon a picnic."
"No, I don't think I would," she remarked. At least he liked her look. Or he was a good liar about it to humor her.
He frowned and shook his head. "Bunch'a mangy cowpokes sittin' around belchin' an' whatnot...Nope, that ain't a picnic!"
"Well, today hopefully there won't be any belching," she smiled.
Part of the reason she smiled was her imagining what her uppity stern father would think if he met this young cowboy. Revulsion was the first word that came to mind. Followed by anger, her father had always been an angry sort of man.
"So, um, where ya reckon ya want ta go?"he now inquired.
Constance blinked, "Oh, I thought you might have something in mind? I am only familiar, and parts of it barely familiar, with the town itself. But there is a lot of open prairie out there, can't be all filled with cows? I've heard from a few customers about some sort of nice falls ...think to..."
She paused then pointed, "To the north, believe that's north right?"
"I'd make a terrible explorer," she fully admitted.
"There's a falls out at th' Rockin' P," Justus observed, thinking things over. "It's a ways out there, but I think we can find a place off from th' house an' th' yard where no one'll bother us an' there ain't no cows."
He grinned, then thought a moment. "There's a nice meadow a bit outta town, all covered in wildflowers now, an' a little spring," he suggested, then frowned. "Kinda far ta walk, though, but I could set ya sideways in th' saddle."
"There's a falls out at th' Rockin' P," Justus observed, thinking things over. "It's a ways out there, but I think we can find a place off from th' house an' th' yard where no one'll bother us an' there ain't no cows."
"At your ranch? Well, I mean the Pike ranch," Constance was a bit surprised he'd want to go back to his place of work but what did she know.
He grinned, then thought a moment. "There's a nice meadow a bit outta town, all covered in wildflowers now, an' a little spring," he suggested, then frowned. "Kinda far ta walk, though, but I could set ya sideways in th' saddle."
"Oh, sounds nice, I'm good with anywhere you decide," she assured him.
Ride together? Hmm, well of course, not like he had a second horse with him. Not to mention she did not ride horses. Well, once at a fair but she was eight and the pony was more like a big dog which was tethered to go around in circles. It had been fun though, she vaguely recalled.
"Sure! Long as I don't have to do it Lady Godiva style," she grinned.
"Don't know what that style is," Justus admitted, "I don't have a proper side-saddle, so this one'll hafta do." He shrugged and took Constance's basket, curious as to its contents, then set it on the ground before turning to face her. "Gonna lift ya up, all right?"
He hoped she didn't mind him taking her around the waist (he surely didn't!), but it was the only way to get her in the saddle. Easily, he lifted her up and set her in place, with her sideways, her legs hanging on the left side of the horse. It was awkward, since the saddle wasn't designed for this and the cantel would be in the way, but there was nothing to do for it.
"How's that?" he asked as he handed the basket up to her. "We'll go nice'n slow, Mule likes that best anyway!"
Justus had no idea about her Godiva remark, she realized it was probably a reach on her part.
"Oh sorry, that was in reference to an old England legend, though some historians say it is true, about a noblewoman who rode thru the city of Coventry stark naked. As you might imagine, it created quite a stir," she quickly explained.
"Gonna lift ya up, all right?" he offered setting her basket down for a moment.
"Alright I hope I'm not too heav.." she didn't even finish before he lifted her upward and sideways onto the saddle. Justus was lean but stronger than he looked. That went well.
"Ahh, so here I am, you can ride with a passenger like this?" she had to ask even though he wouldn't have done it if that wasn't true.
How's that?" he asked as he handed the basket up to her. "We'll go nice'n slow, Mule likes that best anyway!"
"Fine, I will try not to fall off," she took the basket handed up to her, "Thanks, this is just some food for us - it is a picnic after all."
Now to see how he does this all next?
"Naked?" That didn't sound like a good idea at all, in more ways than one, but it wasn't an issue at the moment anyway.
Once Constance was secure, Justus swung up behind the saddle then reached around her for the reins. "How's this?" he asked, wanting to make sure she was comfortable. As for himself, he was just fine, although he was trying to be a gentleman and not crowd her. "So, now," he asked as he he started Mule slowly forward, "why in tarnation would anyone want ta ride a horse all naked...wouldn't it chafe?"
"Naked?" he was plainly stunned by it all.
"That's what the legends say," answered Constance rather bemused.
Justus swung up behind the saddle then reached around her for the reins. "How's this?" he asked, wanting to make sure she was comfortable.
"It's good, hope you can control him well enough this way?" even though she asked she had a feeling this experienced cowboy would do just fine. Didn't these sorts almost live on horses? Or...wait, maybe that referred to the Indians?
"So, now," he asked as he he started Mule slowly forward, "why in tarnation would anyone want ta ride a horse all naked...wouldn't it chafe?"
"I did not say I wanted to or would do it, just referring to the medieval tale. It seemed Lady Godiva had gotten into an argument with her husband who was lord of Coventry. She wanted lower taxes for the people and he did not wish to grant it. Finally he said if she would ride thru town naked in the middle of the day, he would grant her her wish. So she did and became the town's hero...heroine. There is a statue of her in that city to this day," Constance went into more details.
But for the sake of argument, she decided to add, "You know the Indians ride about on their horses, no saddles and wearing only those little what are they called? Oh, breech clouts covering their privates, other than that they are naked. Doesn't seem to bother them. Right?"