"When it's peach pickin' time in Georgia - it's boy pickin' time for me"
"There is a time for such things, Stephens, but that is not now. You are working," Clara pointed out in a calm tone of voice.
"Yes, Ma'am" Carrots replied dutifully as she started work on her little namesakes. He he, Mrs Lutz sure was serious. In fact, when she had first applied for the job in the kitchen at the Diner, Stephens had assumed that the girl... for she was actually a few years younger than herself... had heard some terrible rumours about her, so frosty was her reception. And she had been so very demanding in her questions and exacting in her need to see practical demonstrations of the homely looking young woman's culinary skills.
Then again, the fact that at the end of the gruelling interview, the apparently brittle girl actually offered her the job, had made her feel good about herself: she had passed Mrs L's VERY exacting standards. Still, she wasn't so established and settled in yet that she didn't notice the woman's dark eyes on her when she was at work, checking she was doing everything correctly... in other works, her way.
"Say, what's he ordered, Penn'? You want me to fetch anything out fer 'im? You kin carry on with the carrots" she offered hopefully.
Clara answered that one immediately, "No, I hired you for kitchen duties. Constance does waitress duties. Perhaps in the future I may allow you to wait on customers."
Carrots grinned at Penny, and wondered what horrors prim young Mrs Lutz thought the redhead would visit upon her customers.
"Yes, Ma'am" she repeated, chop chop chopping away.
"Did you think any more about putting my Tater Pie on the menu, Mrs Lutz?" she asked nonchalantly. That was Stephens' own signature dish (she'd brought one along to her interview, despite Penny warning her that Clara would assume somebody else had made it) and she knew it was good. Apparently Mr Lutz had come in later that evening from his work, eaten most of it and gotten himself into trouble by declaring it the best pie he'd ever tasted. Luckily, the Lutz family didn't own a pet pooch, or he'd have spent the following few hours sharing a doghouse with it.
She didn't expect a yes: her new boss didn't seem to like new ideas, especially if they weren't hers, but Stephens decided to chance it anyhow - nothing ventured, nothing gained, as the old adage went.
Carrots grinned at Penny who returned a quick smile. Constance liked the girl already and, knowing Clara much better now after almost a year of working for her, was pretty certain Clara was getting fond of the little redhead too. Mrs. Lutz was no nonsense in many ways but she had a kind heart too.
"Yes, Ma'am" Stephens repeated, chop chop chopping away.
"Did you think any more about putting my Tater Pie on the menu, Mrs Lutz?" she asked nonchalantly.
The pan was hot enough now, the beef tallow sizzling so Clara slid the piece of steak into it.
"It is not my decision to make. I run this place for Mrs. Pike, however she owns it. Menu decisions are hers in the end."
Jacob had certainly loved the pie but then for all his skinny frame (no insult meant, she loved everything about Jacob) that boy ate almost anything and everything. She had already decided to bring up the subject with Emeline next time they saw each other but she wasn't about to tell that to this new girl. It was too early. Young Miss Colquitt needed to know she was still only an employee and not quite yet one of the diner family.
Constance cut a few slices of bread for the sheriff's upcoming meal and also had to tell Clara, "Oh and Granny Miggins is being very vulgar with our new lawman. I can tell he is uncomfortable about it but behaving the gentleman. Thought you should know."
Clara gave a big sigh, that woman was a pain. She'd married Jacob but sadly that stuck her with his kin in a way too. Not that she had anything against Lenora, in fact that woman had to be a saint to put up with Granny in her opinion.
"Let me finish this steak and then I will go there and ask her to leave. There is no reasoning with her."
In the meantime, Mark was in the diner's main room waiting for his steak to arrive. After dinner, he would head over to the saloon to check things out there. Judge Townsend had told him about the owner, his associate and their mining interests. The mine was in the county and so he wanted to know more about the owners just in case some trouble happened.
Other than that, there wasn't much to do except meet the town marshal and his deputies. For now, he just hoped the old woman would remain quiet so that he could have his dinner in peace.
"That's too much sugar for a dime!"
The door dinged and a young woman entered wearing the black dress and white apron of a maidservant, not a common sight in Kalispell, which at least took the attention of Granny Miggins away from Mark.
"Hey, you! Girlie! C'mere!" the old lady barked and the child complied.
"You're Missus Ashby's girl aren't you?" the crone barked interrogatively.
The young woman leaned forward and peered myopically at the old woman. "Yes. And you're Betty Ross's grandmother aren't you?" she replied impertinently, but Granny just laughed - she liked a bit of mettle in a girl, it was one of the things she admired about her grand-daughter in law, although there were many other things she did not!
"Don't get funny with me, Missy!" Granny warned with a twinkle in her eye "Now why don't we ever see your mistress? She's been locked away in that house for nigh on two years now and it ain't natural. I mean, there's a such a thing as a decent mourning period and then there's such a thing as milkin' it!"
"Well actually, Mrs Miggins..." the girl did know who she was, then (who didn't?) "... Mrs Ashby is just this month taking on new staff. My sister's already working there part-time helping Mrs Lampeter, that's the regular cook, and she's thinking of taking on a footman or butler, and she's planning to go out more and she's already received a number of visitors and she's never done that before..." almost without noticing herself, she had taken a seat at the old ladies' table and was gossiping them out of the stadium "... she's accepted calls from Mrs Martin, and Miss Orr and Mrs Orr, and Mr Reeve and that nice Mr Jennings..."
"Who's he?!" asked Granny, sharply.
"Oh, you know! Mr William Jennings, he's a... well, I don't rightly know what he does, but he's clearly a gentleman, and a very charming one at that! And he came and he showed Mrs Ashby his stereoscope!"
"What? 'S he a doctor?!"
"No no no... stereoscope, it's like a contraption you look through and it makes photygraphs look like real life!"
"Well, I'll be jiggered!" Granny shook her head. Whatever next.
Herschelina tipped her head in Mark Harper's direction and whispered "Who's he?"
Mrs Miggin's, who usually feigned deafness to annoy people, whispered back "Outlaw"
"Hmph! Mr Shin will deal with HIM!" the girl announced confidently. For Mr Shin was a personal hero of Herschelina Colquitt.
In the time it took to properly fry up the steak, Constance was back then carrying the plate for the latest customer. She deposited it right in front of him with a smile. It came with green beans, a generous helping full and of course fresh bread with butter.
"There you go, sir. Enjoy! And if there is anything you'd like just let me know. I would definitely recommend pie for dessert. The Lick Skillet is famous for their pies and cakes."
Her cooking now done, Clara left her kitchen to now approach Granny Miggin's table. She made a conscious effort not to look mad or upset, even though she was. However there was no smile either, not that the brunette ever did that very often.
"Good day to you. I will make this short and sweet. I would kindly ask you to refrain from harassing other customers while you are inside the diner. It is not proper decorum and it disturbs others enjoyment of their meals. I would also like you to leave now. We are near closing anyhow. I will have Constance present you with your bill, thank you."
"Smokey! Sic em, boy, sic em!"
"Good day to you."
"Hello, Clara dear." Oh, Granny was still operating upon the premise that she and her grandson's wife were supposed to be getting on all right with each other.
"I will make this short and sweet. I would kindly ask you to refrain from harassing other customers while you are inside the diner. It is not proper decorum and it disturbs others enjoyment of their meals. I would also like you to leave now. We are near closing anyhow. I will have Constance present you with your bill, thank you."
All three women looked shocked. Mrs Warbouys even let out a little "Ooh!" and Herschelina took a sharp intake of breath. Granny recovered first, for she was a past mistress of the passive-aggressive.
"I shall leave immediately" she said with an air of dignified injury and pulled some money out, enough to more than cover the bill. She stood creakily and with a little false wobble which had her two companions jumpily reaching to steady her. She leaned heavily on her stick as she walked past Harper, stopped and turned half to him.
"I am sorry if I 'harassed' you... and that you felt the need to complain about me behind my back" she said in a hurt, dignified voice, although whether she really believed that he was the cause of her marching orders was moot. Meanwhile Hersh and Mrs Warbouys hovered about the suddenly frail and fragile looking old relict.
Hersh managed to refrain from calling the tall man "Snitcher" to his face, but couldn't restrain a dirty look for Clara, whom she didn't like anyway (full of self-importance but only a farmer's daughter like us was her verdict to her sister: and, as is so often the way in such cases, the more Stephens extoled Mrs Lutz's qualities, the more the pugnacious Herschelina resented her)
"Come on, Mrs Miggins, come to our place and Mrs Lampeter will fix you a nice cup of coffee with a glug of brandy in it for the shock" she offered.
"... my own grandson's wife... kicking me out onto the street like a dog..." Granny sighed sadly, leaning heavily on Mrs Ashby's young maidservant.
"I think that I should probably have a brandy for the shock, too..." uttered Mrs Warbouys, who was low-key a bit of a lush, as they reached the door, Granny Miggins the very picture of a martyr being escorted to the Pyre.
@[JuleS]
Granny looked shook up, that was too bad but Clara was not going to now apologize for doing what she felt was completely within her bounds as someone responsible for the decorum of this place. Harrassing customers was out of place, regardless of who was doing it. It would have to be Granny though, Jacob will now probably be upset.
At least Granny did not make a scene of protesting but got up and left money for her meal. Clara had to assume she had left enough to cover it but at this point if she hadn't, not making a fuss over. Constance would know and, if it was short, they'd adjust the receipts so the daily take balanced.
As the old woman and her acquaintances headed for the door, Clara simply said, "Good day to you then."
Granny had one last thing to say to the customer about whom this was all about, the poor man simply trying to enjoy a meal in peace.
"I am sorry if I 'harassed' you... and that you felt the need to complain about me behind my back" she said in a hurt, dignified voice.
Clara sighed, she wanted to correct the old woman on that point but decided it was best to just let her leave in silence.
As the door opened, ladies departing, Clara then approached the stranger.
"I am so sorry for that disturbance. I hope this does not affect your opinion of the Lick Skillet. Again, my apologies," she addressed him.
"Is everything good with your order?" she added, "Any complaints about the cooking, well I am the person who made it so now is your chance."
She finished with a smile, hopefully lightening the mood.
"I am sorry if I 'harassed' you... and that you felt the need to complain about me behind my back" she said in a hurt, dignified voice.
Mark had been too busy thinking about what the young girl had said about one William Jennings to really pay attention to what was happening at her table. Could it be that it was...but it was possible that it wasn't. He needed to ask the girl, but she had just departed with the older women.
"I am so sorry for that disturbance. I hope this does not affect your opinion of the Lick Skillet. Again, my apologies," she addressed him.
"No apologies necessary," Mark replied coming out of his reverie, "You're well within your rights to do what you want to do in your establishment and to protect it. Truth be told, if I were in your position I would do the same thing."
Is everything good with your order?" she added, "Any complaints about the cooking, well I am the person who made it so now is your chance."
He smiled, "Well, my compliments to the chef. This is one of the best steaks I've had in quite some time. I look forward to trying out some of the other items on the menu the next time I come in."
@ [Wayfarer
"No apologies necessary," Mark replied, "You're well within your rights to do what you want to do in your establishment and to protect it. Truth be told, if I were in your position I would do the same thing."
"Thank you," Clara was grateful for those words of support, it felt good to know he approved of her action there. She worried though Jacob would be less supportive, he had a real soft spot for Granny. Something Clara simply did not share. On occasion she would warm to the woman but then she would go and do this sort of thing. What was the old saying? You can choose your spouse but sadly not their relatives? Something like that.
He also heartily approved of her cooking, again always appreciated.
He smiled, "Well, my compliments to the chef. This is one of the best steaks I've had in quite some time. I look forward to trying out some of the other items on the menu the next time I come in."
"Thank you! And you are always welcome. I have to admit you are not familiar to me so I will take the liberty to assume you are new to town then? Hope you enjoy your stay here."
Constance now came back out of the kitchen and approached drawing Clara's glance.
"Emeline is awake and fussing," Constance whispered.
"Ahh, thank you. Well, nice to chat with you, sir. Oh and, Constance, cut a big slice of apple pie for this gentleman's dessert, on the house."
"Yes, ma'am," Constance nodded.
***
In the living quarters up above the diner, a very hungry infant was wanting mama to provide some sustenance. Motherly duty called for Clara.