Hector shrugged and winced and stopped shrugging immediately. "I can't really remember much about it." he admitted. "I hope I didn't scream too much when I got shot. Old Mr Abernathy who boards here, he was in the war: he says they books where the brave hero gets shot and slumps down in stoic silence are bunkum, and most fellers scream when they get wounded, unless they faint from the pain. I reckon I probably did both."
"No you did not scream, you went unconscious too fast," Constance smiled, hoping that came out better than it now sounded.
She then reminded him, she owed him for attempting to save her life, a debt really that can seldom be paid when one thought about it. But she at least offered him any sort of favor he wished for.
He gave it some thought and came up with, "... can you drop by the Hotel and pass on my thanks to that Miss Colquitt girl that brought me all that nice stuff on the table? She's one of the maids there and it's on your way home, I guess. I mean, I don't know her from Adam and I was asleep when she came, so can you tell her thanks and if she'd like to come and see me again I'll... I'll try and be awake next time..."
Honestly would that not be something he should do himself, well when he got better. And she also did not know this girl from Eve. Now she was messenger girl. Oh well, she had offered and this was what he wanted so she was committed now.
"Umm, well...I guess...yes, I can do that. I have no idea what she looks like but I suppose I can ask for her by name? Colquitt you say? And she is a maid? How do you know this if you were not conscious when she visited?"
She thought it a fair question.
" ... - - - ... "
"Umm, well...I guess...yes, I can do that. I have no idea what she looks like but I suppose I can ask for her by name?"
Hector nodded "Uh huh. Funny name, isn't it? Mind you, they do say 'The funnier the name, the more beautiful the girl', you ever heard that old adage, Constance Straub?"
She probably hadn't, as he'd just made it up. Probably just his way of telling Penny that she had a funny name.
"Colquitt you say?"
"Mmm, Stephens Colquitt"
"And she is a maid?"
"Y... yeah, I think so." he confirmed.
"How do you know this if you were not conscious when she visited?"
Wow, a conversation with Penny was like an evening in with the Spanish Inquisition.
"Jemima told me, and that she worked at the hotel. She doesn't know anything else about her, though... the hotel is the only place in Kalispell where Wigfall doesn't work" (the twins usually referred to each other as Wigfall', confusingly enough)
Suddenly Hector stifled a yawn and sank back on his pillows looking exhausted and wan looking, it happened just like that.
With uncanny prescience, there was a little knock, and nurse Armentrout re-entered, looking at the two of them with a knowing little... good grief, was that a smile on her parchment-like phiz? Maybe, very swift and very faint. She seemed to approve of Constance, if not her soup.
"Mister Wigfall will rest now" she stated it as a matter of irrefutable fact.
Hector nodded "Uh huh. Funny name, isn't it? Mind you, they do say 'The funnier the name, the more beautiful the girl', you ever heard that old adage, Constance Straub?"
"Can't say I have," replied the young woman. She wanted to make certain on the name, it was a strange one. Hector verified it for her. Alright, she'd find this Stephens Colquitt.
"If the adage is true, this is going to be the most beautiful woman in Kalispell," she smiled.
However, Hector was tiring fast, this was all still too much for the young man who afterall had survived a shot to the chest. Constance had to admit he was tougher than he looked.
Just then the nurse re-entered and promptly announced, not asked, Constance to leave, the visit was over.
"Certainly I do not want to interfere with his getting better. Thank you, miss, for letting me visit him," Constance nodded then turned one last time toward the bedded patient, "Take care and perhaps I will visit you again, once you are up and better. Good day to you both."
****
Constance entered the hotel lobby, it certainly was a fancy enough place, strange really for a town as small as Kalispell to have a place which obviously catered to wealthier class. No matter, she wasn't here to get a room, one she could no doubt not afford anyway, but to find one of the employees. She then paused to look around, see if anyone was around who might be one of the employees. If nothing else she would head for the check in desk.
"Spare the rod, spoil the child"
"Certainly I do not want to interfere with his getting better. Thank you, miss, for letting me visit him," Constance nodded then turned one last time toward the bedded patient, "Take care and perhaps I will visit you again, once you are up and better. Good day to you both."
The nurse followed her out and stopped her at the top of the stairs, touching her gently on the arm.
"Miss Stroud, thank you so much for coming. I know he is tired now, but I believe that your visit has done Mister Wigfall the world of good. Please do come again, very soon"
Then, as if making a sudden decision, added. "I could not help but overhear the commission Mr Wigfall gave you, but I must say... the girl from the hotel... you must do as he asked of course but..." she shook her head "... not suitable for our young man... you understand." She gave Constance's hand an encouraging squeeze.
It would seem that Nurse Armentrout had sedated Hector's own controlling, over-protective mother and replaced her with herself.
"When it's peach pickin' time in Georgia - it's boy pickin' time for me"
Usually Mr Walter Simpson would have been scrupulously on duty at the reception desk at the Belle-St. Regis Hotel, but due to an emergency plumbing issue, he had temporarily left a rather weedy looking bell boy in charge for a few minutes. The lad peered myopically at Connie as she approached the desk.
"Reservation?" he asked uncertainly of the lovely vision before him.
On being informed that it was Miss Colquitt the vision was looking for, the lad had to think. "Oh, you mean Carrots!" the bell end of a bell boy exclaimed when the penny dropped, and reached behind him to pull a... well, a thingumabob, that physically yanked on a wire that made a bell ring somewhere in the hotel.
A very short time later an rather ugly looking girl with red hair, freckles and more than her fair share of teeth appeared.
"Carrots, this here lady's looking fer you" the bell boy informed her.
Carrots looked a little confused but gave the dweeb a hearty "Thanks Jinks!" before beckoning Connie to one of those doors that people walk past every day and never notice is there.
"Come his way, Ol' Simpy doesn't like the domestics getting visitors. Dead lucky you come when he's down with the shits bad, he'd a had a fit. You're Constance Straub from the Diner ain't ya? Oh Lord, I'd love to work there, it's so fancy. An I bet that nice Mrs Lutz don't work ya lie a n_____r, like ol' Simpy do here." she confided in the bucolic language of the simple 'we uns' country folk around these parts.
They were now in a sort of roomy broom cupboard.
"Say, Mrs Lutz ain't lookin' t' hire is she? Cuz I'm a powerful hard worker..." she asked hopefully.
Constance ended up at the registration desk to be greeted by a poorly complexioned young man, poor thing. He recognized the name she gave him, as she hoped he would. A pull of some sort of silent bell (?) and after a moment or two a young miss in maid garb appeared. Oh my lord, she'd never seen that many freckles in all her life. The clerk informed her that Constance wished to see her.
Wow, the girl didn't waste any time.
"Come his way, Ol' Simpy doesn't like the domestics getting visitors. Dead lucky you come when he's down with the shits bad, he'd a had a fit. You're Constance Straub from the Diner ain't ya? Oh Lord, I'd love to work there, it's so fancy. An I bet that nice Mrs Lutz don't work ya lie a n_____r, like ol' Simpy do here." she confided in the bucolic language of the simple 'we uns' country folk around these parts.
A bit vulgar but friendly enough thought Constance surprised the girl recognized her, she was absolutely certain she'd never waited on this young miss at the diner, she would recall the freckles alright.
"Umm, yes I am," she nodded, "And I have no complaints about Mrs. Lutz whatsoever." She left it at that. The girl did not though.
They were now in a sort of roomy broom cupboard.
"Say, Mrs Lutz ain't lookin' t' hire is she? Cuz I'm a powerful hard worker..." she asked hopefully.
"Well, I honestly do not know if she is or isnt. My advice would be to stop in sometime, not during noon hour though, and you can ask her yourself. I make no promises though," Constance answered in all sincerity.
"Do you know anything about kitchen work? Cooking?" she almost added 'waitress is taken, kid'.
"When it's peach pickin' time in Georgia - it's boy pickin' time for me"
"Say, Mrs Lutz ain't lookin' t' hire is she? Cuz I'm a powerful hard worker..." she asked hopefully.
"Well, I honestly do not know if she is or isnt. My advice would be to stop in sometime, not during noon hour though, and you can ask her yourself. I make no promises though," Constance answered in all sincerity.
"Uh-huh, that's you-un's busy time, I guess." the girl known as Carrots nodded her understanding.
"Do you know anything about kitchen work? Cooking?" she almost added 'waitress is taken, kid'.
"Why sure, I'm a powerful good cook, everybody says so. Mrs Ashby... you know, the Widder lady what that loony Mister Boyd tried to murder, she's powerful strong fer me to take over cooking from her lady what took the vapours after the 'tempt on Mrs Ashby's life. But she only wants me evenin's, see, so Mornin' an' noon would suit me at Mrs Lutz's."
She frowned, anyone could say that they were a good cook, couldn't they? Wasn't anything to go on, was it?
"Say, Miss Straub, how 'bout this: I'll bake a pie and leave it round at the diner, and Mrs Lutz can taste it and if she thinks it's any good, she can send word fer me to come and see her about a position, how's that?" she suggested.
Constance asked about possible kitchen experience, Clara would not want a maid afterall.
"Why sure, I'm a powerful good cook, everybody says so. Mrs Ashby... you know, the Widder lady what that loony Mister Boyd tried to murder, she's powerful strong fer me to take over cooking from her lady what took the vapours after the 'tempt on Mrs Ashby's life. But she only wants me evenin's, see, so Mornin' an' noon would suit me at Mrs Lutz's."
Oh, at least the timing fit, thought Constance who nodded, "That's good."
But the girl seemed to frown?
"Say, Miss Straub, how 'bout this: I'll bake a pie and leave it round at the diner, and Mrs Lutz can taste it and if she thinks it's any good, she can send word fer me to come and see her about a position, how's that?" she suggested.
The girl was clever, Constance liked her fast thinking but.............
"Nice thought but honestly that proves nothing really. I mean Mrs. Lutz would have no inkling if you actually baked it or someone else did. I honestly think you just showing up and talking to her face to face is the best approach. If she wants you to prove your skills, I guarantee she will come up with something," Constance smiled, there was something about the girl she actually liked.
However Constance well knew Clara was much less impressed with people in general. Still if the girl was truly a good worker, Clara would appreciate that. She'd never tolerate a lazy employee.
"When it's peach pickin' time in Georgia - it's boy pickin' time for me"
"Nice thought but honestly that proves nothing really. I mean Mrs. Lutz would have no inkling if you actually baked it or someone else did."
Stephens gasped. She was as honest as the day was long, and the thought that someone might think she was a fibber almost winded her.
"She callin' me a liar?!" the ginger girl blurted, transforming Connie's imaginary scene into reality.
"I honestly think you just showing up and talking to her face to face is the best approach. If she wants you to prove your skills, I guarantee she will come up with something," Constance smiled, there was something about the girl she actually liked.
"Yeah, maybe you're right. I'm usually done here about three, I'll run over then. No time like the present, huh?" She always got a little break then, before she had to be back to help with the suppers in the hotel restaurant.
Well, that was that. Or was it. Gingerbread frowned again.
"But, say, I reckon you didn't come all the way here to find me to tell me about jobs goin' at the diner? W... was there somethin' else. Oh! It ain't my sister, is it? I don't take no responsibility fer anything she gets up to. Japanese ghost wimmin indeed. I never heard the like!"