"No Irish!"
"Oh, heavens no. We were competitors in the cotton district, off of Canal Street. Actually, across the street from one another, and we became friends, having the same tastes in food, clothing, and gaming establishments." He explained.
But not the same taste in... well, relationships, Jemima thought to herself. This flamboyant Mr Lyle had fought over a woman, it seemed, from what he had been telling Mr Pettigrew, whereas those who were close to Wus or worked for him, were well aware that the owner of the dress shop was an out and out pansy.
"Now, how far from the tailor shops is this boarding house? I am not opposed to a good walk?"
"We're here" replied Jemima flatly "Wipe your feet" she commanded, inadvertently mimicking her mother.
She opened the front door and stood back to give Mr Lyle precedence, but then nearly burst his eardrums by shouting from behind "MOTHER! NEW GUEST!!"
Like a Genie summoned from a magic lamp, a spare, dark haired woman, who was, for her age, reasonably attractive, appeared from a side door and plastered on a smile.
"Oh, how delightful!" she gushed, giving him the once over - mainly to judge by the cut of his clothes whether he looked like he could pay his rent or not.
"Mr Lyle. Friend of Mr Pettigrew" Jemima informed her mother, who stiffened a little, wondering if by 'friend...'
"Had to come here after a duel over a woman" the daughter added, cleverly, and Mrs Wigfall unbent immediately.
"Oh, how galant! Well I'm sure we can find a little nook for you slot into, Mr Lyle" Mary Wigfall smiled a little more genuinely now. "Come, I have a nice room on the ground floor which I think might suit your needs admirably" she cooed, before baldly telling Jemima "You'd better get back to work."
Jemima left with a Yes Mother and Mrs Wigfall led the way along the corridor to a little used guest room.
"You must excuse my daughter, Mr Lyle, so indiscrete!"
"The suit, they say, makes the man; I say the man gives the suit life."
"Oh tisk tisk, not a bother, none at all." But mother was right, indiscreet would be correct, he was not all that bothered by the seamstress, she appeared to be good at what she did, and in their trade, that was all that was important." This is a very nice place you have here." He was saying as they moved along down the hall toward the room that was available. Accommodations were not overly large.
In New Orleans, he had had a small shop with an apartment above it, which had been perfect. If he could find such a property here, then he would be inclined to buy it. That would offer him privacy as well as a place to work, and from what he had seen so far, there were several that matched that description.
"Are there hours when the doors would be locked, as I sometimes go out in the evenings?" Ferdy asked casually. Didn't everyone go out in the evenings? He would have to get acquainted with the customs of the small, but growing, frontier town. Perhaps he should have continued on to San Francisco, but he wanted to fight shy of larger cities and the possibility that the duel might follow him there.
They reached the room that Misses Wigfall had to offer, and they stopped as she fiddled for the key to gain entrance to what was to be his new abode.
"No Irish!"
"Well, here we are!" announced Mary Wigfall as she opened up the room "Do step in and look around!"
She didn't enter herself - the room was quite small and she didn't want to fill it up with people and make it look even smaller, especially considering the size of the rotund Mr Lyle.
"It's a wonderfully bijou abode for the man about town and, of course, you will have your own latch key to let yourself in and out at any hour. I do have rather strict rules for any young ladies who stay under my roof, but, well, you men must do what comes naturally - boys will be boys, eh, Mr Lyle?" she pronounced gaily "Oh, but you mustn't bring any, well, lady friends back here, of course: I must preserve some of the proprieties, you know." she told the man, not that she herself had ever been a slave to such rules.
"If you are agreeable I shall remove the dust sheets and clean the place up so that you could move in this very noon. Breakfast and supper are included in the board. I do also arrange a light luncheon for some of my older guests, the shut-in folks, as we call them, but I imagine that you will be abroad during the daytime." she added.
"The suit, they say, makes the man; I say the man gives the suit life."
It was small, yes, not prohibitively small, but small enough. However, it would suffice until he got himself settled in. He could move his truck of materials to Wus' place, though he was not altogether sure about the shoemaking situation, although it would bring in some cash, and help reduce the bleeding of his funds.
"It would fit my needs, dear lady." He said with a smile, "And I would not think of doing anything to disturb you or your guests, let alone break your rules. That would be unthinkable of me. Now I believe that I will take the accommodations as presented and be happy to pay you in advance for the week if that would be suitable?"
This just might be what he needed for the long term, even if he should open his own shop. Of course, he would need to get back to the Patterson Forde tribe about the cobbler's tools and if they were for sale. There could be good money in shoes and boots, even working for them and not on his own, but it was a possibility.
" ... - - - ... "
"It would fit my needs, dear lady." He said with a smile, "And I would not think of doing anything to disturb you or your guests, let alone break your rules. That would be unthinkable of me. Now I believe that I will take the accommodations as presented and be happy to pay you in advance for the week if that would be suitable?"
"Well, those are my normal terms." Mrs Wigfall confirmed. "Now do come and look into the parlour, I would love you to meet my son, Hector. He is something of a local hero" she boasted. "Last week two women of the town were savagely attacked by armed hoodlums and my Hector and the gentlemen he was with stepped in to help them, both were gunned down by the cowards. Poor Professor Browne was killed, but by some miracle my Hector was preserved, tho' shot right through the chest; but thanks to Divine Providence he has pulled through. Do come, it is just across the hallway..." she led the rotund man out of his new room, but stopped just before the parlour door.
She whispered to him discretely.
"His nurse may be there with him. Don't be alarmed, Mr Lyle, but she is one of the ugliest women I have ever known: I hired her especially: I didn't want my son to fall in love with his nurse and elope or anything!"
They entered, but the lad was alone, propped up by the fire in his dressing gown, reading The Telegrapher
He put it down as his mother and Mr Lyle entered.
"Oh" he sounded disappointed "I thought it was Trudy" But then he saw Mr Lyle.
"Sorry not to rise to greet you, Sir, but my nurse would kill me if did."
"This is Mr Lyle, Hector, he's taking the box room and you must refer to Nurse Armentrout by her proper name!"
"Ah, Trudy doesn't mind. How do you do Mr Lyle, are you with the Circus?"
"The suit, they say, makes the man; I say the man gives the suit life."
"Well, those are my normal terms." Mrs Wigfall confirmed. "Now do come and look into the parlour, I would love you to meet my son, Hector. He is something of a local hero" she boasted. "Last week two women of the town were savagely attacked by armed hoodlums and my Hector and the gentlemen he was with stepped in to help them, both were gunned down by the cowards. Poor Professor Browne was killed, but by some miracle my Hector was preserved, tho' shot right through the chest; but thanks to Divine Providence he has pulled through. Do come, it is just across the hallway..." she led the rotund man out of his new room, but stopped just before the parlour door.
"But of course, advance payment is expected, or that is how I have always done business. That way, everyone is clear on how things are to be. Now, I would enjoy meeting your son, but my gracias me, is this common place here in Kalispell? I am glad that he pulled through, but alas, I am saddened that there was loss of life. Things do" And then she interruted
"His nurse may be there with him. Don't be alarmed, Mr Lyle, but she is one of the ugliest women I have ever known: I hired her especially: I didn't want my son to fall in love with his nurse and elope or anything!"
"Oh dear me. How unfortunate." Ferdy exclaimed. Though, as he was about to say, things of that sort happened all the time in New Orleans.
They entered, but the lad was alone, propped up by the fire in his dressing gown, reading The Telegrapher
He put it down as his mother and Mr Lyle entered.
"Oh" he sounded disappointed "I thought it was Trudy" But then he saw Mr Lyle.
Ferdy smiled, it would seem that perhaps this nurse had already gotten her wiles into the lad
"Sorry not to rise to greet you, Sir, but my nurse would kill me if did."
"Tsk, tsk, not to bother, young man, I have heard of your unfortunate encounter; rest is what will have you back at the telegraph key. The tailor said with a smile, nodding to the magazine.
"This is Mr Lyle, Hector, he's taking the box room and you must refer to Nurse Armentrout by her proper name!"
My pleasure, Hector, no need to rise at all." Ferdy said as he stepped forward while Hector spoke first to his mother and then to him."
"Ah, Trudy doesn't mind. How do you do Mr Lyle, are you with the Circus?"
"Circus? Dear me no. I am a tailor and cobbler by trade." He said as he shook the young man's hand. Circus indeed!
"Spare the rod, spoil the child"
"Ah, Trudy doesn't mind. How do you do Mr Lyle, are you with the Circus?"
"Circus? Dear me no. I am a tailor and cobbler by trade." He said as he shook the young man's hand. Circus indeed!
"Oh, er, I just thought..." Ooh, this was embarrassing, but the feller did dress rather... entertainingly! "... the name Lyle ... it sounds a little like the name of the Circus that's coming to town soon" Hector excused his mis-step.
"What, The Harry Orman Traveling Menagerie?" Mrs Wigfall queried.
Luckily, Hector was saved by the arrival of his nurse, who rather broke up the party.
"Visitors?!" she asked disapprovingly.
"Oh, Nurse Armentrout, er, Mr Lyle here just popped in to say hello to Hector, he will be taking up residence here very shortly."
Hector enjoyed the sight of Mrs Wigfall looking flustered, Trudy was the first person he'd ever seen his dragon of a mother be scared of.
The snippy nurse looked Mr Lyle up and down with a faint air of disapproval.
"Mr Wigfall is not to be over stimulated. I suppose that you are with the cir..."
"He's a cobbler!" yelped Hector.
A faint smile played about Nurse Armentrout's thin pale lips.
"Then I may visit you soon, Mr Lyle" she said, poking the toe of her footwear out of the front of her long skirts "My boots need attending to."
"Spare the rod, spoil the child"
"Ah, Trudy doesn't mind. How do you do Mr Lyle, are you with the Circus?"
"Circus? Dear me no. I am a tailor and cobbler by trade." He said as he shook the young man's hand. Circus indeed!
"Oh, er, I just thought..." Ooh, this was embarrassing, but the feller did dress rather... entertainingly! "... the name Lyle ... it sounds a little like the name of the Circus that's coming to town soon" Hector excused his mis-step.
"What, The Harry Orman Traveling Menagerie?" Mrs Wigfall queried.
Luckily, Hector was saved by the arrival of his nurse, who rather broke up the party.
"Visitors?!" she asked disapprovingly.
"Oh, Nurse Armentrout, er, Mr Lyle here just popped in to say hello to Hector, he will be taking up residence here very shortly."
Hector enjoyed the sight of Mrs Wigfall looking flustered, Trudy was the first person he'd ever seen his dragon of a mother be scared of.
The snippy nurse looked Mr Lyle up and down with a faint air of disapproval.
"Mr Wigfall is not to be over stimulated. I suppose that you are with the cir..."
"He's a cobbler!" yelped Hector.
A faint smile played about Nurse Armentrout's thin pale lips.
"Then I may visit you soon, Mr Lyle" she said, poking the toe of her footwear out of the front of her long skirts "My boots need attending to."
"The suit, they say, makes the man; I say the man gives the suit life."
"Nurse Armentrout, a pleasure, I'm sure, and not to worry, I will be happy to attend to your boots as soon as I am settled and set up." Ferdy said with a slight bow, "And we meant only for introductions, not to overstimulate the lad. Rest is by far the best medicine." And Mary Wigfall had been correct as to the nurse's appearance. She certainly did little improve it, and she most certainly could, which was painfully apparent.
Ferdinand Lyle had dabbled in a great deal of other things while designing and making gowns, which included what was being termed as cosmetology in the Crescent City. It seemed necessary to help the ladies with their beautification process, where needed, to enhance his work on the voluminous amount of fabrics used in the construction of the gowns the ladies would be wearing.
"Perhaps, Misses Wigfall, we should take this moment to recuse ourselves elsewhere and allow the nurse to treat her patient." He suggested, seeing that Nurse Armentrout clearly did not want them present.
"No Irish!"
"Perhaps, Misses Wigfall, we should take this moment to recuse ourselves elsewhere and allow the nurse to treat her patient." He suggested, seeing that Nurse Armentrout clearly did not want them present.
"Hmm, well come through to my private sitting room..." replied the boardinghouse mistress, leading Ferdy to yet another room off the front hall corridor, adding, once they were out of earshot "... but really, Mr Lyle, I can't have my parlour turned into a private hospital room with 'visiting hours only' - that room is for the use of all my guests, especially if they have visitors. Well, we shall let it pass this once. But really... I'll have to tell my daughter to have a word with that nurse."
They walked into a cosy sitting room.
"Do have a seat, Mr Lyle. Do you care for a drink?... I mean a real drink?" She wasn't talking tea and lemonade here.