Frontier General Store
Nikolas and Jax ford the river at it's lowest point. Luckily from the standpoint of crossing the weather had been dry. Nikolas gives the older man directions to where the other Jacks are working. But the sound of axes and falling trees lead them the last little bit into the woods.
"Anyone ready for a break?" Jax calls out as he gets within range. The axes stop and he sees his brother and father plant the axes they had borrowed from the Cassadine in the trees they are working on. Both men walk over to the campfire where Nik and Jax meet them. Jerry looks at the contents of the coffee pot and grimaces tossing the tar like substance and starts a fresh pot setting it within the ring of stones.
"Your timing is excellent as always, Jasper." Jerry goes over to examine the contents of the wagon.
Jax hands a letter from Lady Jane to his father and then goes over to assist Jerry in unloading the necessary items from the back of the wagon. "The store manager sent along mail and packages for the valley as well. You figure out a way to secure all this gear for the winter?"
"Figured you were coming." Jerry grunts as he dead lifts supplies from the back of the wagon. "So we built a locker to store supplies. It's not big enough to sleep in... unless you're planning on sleeping standing up but it'll keep the kits dry."
Nikolas comes over to help unload the wagon, leaving John Jacks to read his letter in privacy. It would be handy to know exactly what provisions the Jacks felt were necessary that would give them a head start on spring but that would survive the winter.
"Looks like you'll be getting your tools back, Cassadine." Jerry tests the edge of one of the axes that Jax had brought with him and grimaces. "Well as soon as I put an edge on these."
"All the foodstuffs stay in the wagon." Jax tells Nikolas. Then turns back to Jerry. "To replace what you borrowed from that Zander Smith fellow."
Nikolas nods and grabs something else to pull out of the wagon. But it doesn't stop him from noticing that Jax had mentioned Zander by name even though he'd never been out to the valley before and as far as anyone knew the Jacks hadn't left the valley.
As soon as Nik's back is turned, Jerry makes a zip your lip motion to Jax and frowns at him. Da had told him that the Cassadines had been keeping a close eye... might have even noticed his absence... but that's no reason to be obvious about it.
John carefully folds the letter back into it's envelope and gives it a quick kiss before tucking it into a pocket on the inside of his jacket next to his heart. He'd have a chance to read it again and again. "We're burning daylight, boys. Time to get back to it. I want to see my wife before too much longer." John pats the letter and then rises to his feet. "So pour yourselves a cuppa and lets finish up."
Jason comes out of the Taggart's cottage and walks over to the wagon where Dara still sits. She didn't plan on getting down cause she didn't know whether or not she'd be staying. She'd seen the look on the Missus face and it hadn't been come on in and stay awhile. Jason holds a hand out to her.
"This is not a good idea." Dara takes his hand anyway, both of them to balance as she climbs from the wagon.
"It's the best idea I got."
"Yeah, well keep working on it." Dara smiles politely at Mrs. Taggart as the woman comes out of the house wiping her hands on her apron.
Flo studies the younger woman from head to toe. Now that she's got a better look she can tell that the woman's stiff bearing is surely pride but it's also pain. "Figure you and I need to speak in private. Get a few things straight."
"Mrs. Taggart..." Jason tries to intervene.
"This is not your business." Flo says sternly. "But my family's and Miz Dara's since she'll be staying. We thank you for stopping by. Have a nice day.... sir." Flo walks over to where Jason is standing next to Dara and blocks him out offering Dara her arm to support her as they slowly walk into the house.
"Your jaw keeps hanging like that and you'll be collecting flies." Marcus shakes his head and laughs. Then he gets serious. "Now suppose you tell me what the heck is going on. Cause it's looking like trouble. I need to start sleeping with my rifle?"
Rinaldo's voice is a low rumble. "Took care of the trouble already. You'll have no trouble-- that's if you treat Ms. Dara right. You don't then yeah..." Rinaldo nods. "Sleeping with your rifle is a real good idea."
Jason gives Rinaldo a look that shuts him up before turning back to Marcus. "Where do you want this pig?" With a hand to Johnny he indicates Dara's bags. "Take Dara's gear up to the porch but don't go inside." Johnny nods and swings down from his horse just dropping the reins so that the horse stays put and crops the short grass around the homestead.
Rinaldo and Marcus heft the cage from the back of the wagon, carrying it to the empty pig pen back by the woods. It's where they'd kept the three hogs that didn't see the change of season. The cage is heavy. The boar is heavy and not happy with being moved but neither of the men is going to be the first to say enough. So with grunts from all three the pig is soon transferred to his new home.
Jason reaches in and grabs the last of the Dara's trunks and the foodstuffs he'd picked up at the General Store, tins of delicacies that couldn't be found or grown in Montana but instead had to be shipped in: peaches, mandarin oranges and the like. All part of paving Dara's way with the people of the valley. He sets them down on the porch and then heads over to the smoker. Jason strips off a glove and holds a hand to the outdoor stove and finds it warm.
"Gonna be a while?"
"Figure so." Jason warms his hands. "Least until Dara and your mother finish their talk. Figured you'd want to hear what I found out about the Jacks while we wait."
"You figured right." Marcus pulls up a stool and feeds the fire a bit. He takes his time and carefully packs his pipe then lights it using a piece of kindling. Rinaldo and Johnny hunker down as well. Marcus passes his tobacco around.
"The other wagon was Jasper Jax, the boy as that John Jacks was calling him. Mrs. Jacks is staying at the Scott's rooming house. I believe your mother and sister is familiar with them." Jason waits for Marcus' nod before continuing. "They met up... Jasper and that other one Jerry. In a spot off the mining creek. Didn't look as if it was the first time they'd used it...."
Audrey hands the last of the noon meal dishes to Liz to dry and put away. Zander is outside carefully balanced as he chops wood to woodstove lengths. Sarah is out there as well stacking the wood that is prepped for the woodstove closest to the house so that it's ready as needed. Audrey looks out the window and sees that they are busy and not going to be coming in awhile. "Darling, have a cup of tea with me."
Liz takes one look at her grandmother's face and winces. She'd been expecting this one and it looks like the boot is finally going to drop. "I should really get up to the upper pasture, Gram." She tries to duck the conversation to come.
"That's exactly what I wanted to talk about." Audrey pats a stool next to her. "I'm not saying that I'm not... grateful... for Lucky's presence up in the pasture. He did do us a great service by killing that wolf and I know that. I just have one question..."
A lot more than one question. Liz takes the stool that her grandmother had indicated reluctantly.
"...What was Lucky Spencer doing up there to start?" Audrey closely eyes her granddaughter. Unlike Sarah, Liz wasn't beyond bending the truth on occasion. But she'd never lied to her face.
"He was looking at what I did with the schooner. The provisions and such." Liz tells her grandmother. that's true as far as it went.
"And how did he know what you'd planned for the schooner?" Audrey asks the next logical question. She checks the tea pot and then pours cups for each of them.
"Um... I told him when we were over at the Taggart's. You know when they were butchering the hogs. Just conversation." Liz says defensively now moving on to shakier territory.
Might be true as far as it went but there was a little too much umming to be the whole story. Audrey takes a sip of tea to collect her thoughts. "Darling, the Spencer's...."
"Are really great, Gram!" Liz defends interrupting her grandmother. "You know we wouldn't have made it this far without them."
Audrey nods and slowly continues picking her words carefully. "They have been helpful, very neighborly. And I know that I erred in my initial judgment of them, in making a judgment at all. Even if they aren't really our sort. Even if you would have never met them back in New York. Even if Mr. Spencer seems to be rather..."godless "...free thinking."
Liz winces. "Gram..."
"Hear me out, Darling." Audrey takes another sip of tea. "I know I was... overset that day, in my concern for you and the danger that you were in up in the pasture. And it has taken me a bit to... process... my thoughts, my observations. But it seems to be that Lucky Spencer is acting as if he had some say in your actions. And Mr. Spencer, well, he didn't seem at all surprised to find his son up in our upper pasture."
"Sarah and Zander...." Liz tries for the distraction.
Audrey interrupts again. "This is not about Sarah and Zander. This is about you and Lucky Spencer. But since you brought it up. Mr. Smith has sat down at our Sunday table." Audrey taps the table significantly. "And while I've seen the growing feelings between your sister and Mr. Smith, he has never been anything but a gentleman." well except when he was half sotted and in pain when we were setting his leg but even then he was kind of sweet. "I've had plenty of opportunity to learn Mr. Smith's character and if the time should come when Zander and Sarah decide that each other will suit... I could honestly give them my blessing. I'm not blind, Darling. You've had a tender spot for Lucky Spencer ever since you first laid eyes on him back in St. Louis."
Liz pops off of the stool and starts pacing. "And the Spencer's knew exactly what you thought of them too! Why would Lucky ever think he'd be welcome here, really welcome?!"
"Because you are going to invite him to Sunday dinner. No, I'll do it myself."
"Gram!"
"If Lucky Spencer is scared off by a little Sunday dinner with the people that truly love you then he doesn't belong at the table now does he, Darling?" or in our upper pasture With that Audrey rises from the table, and going over to the where the coats are hung on pegs by the door, selects hers, her hat, her gloves and walks out the door and up the valley.
"It's the end of November. It's getting cold outside." Laura states the obvious as she tidies up the cabin.
"Yes?" Bobbie agrees with a laugh as she works on her indoor chores as well. The days were getting shorter and might as well get as much done as you could without burning a lamp.
"So where is everybody? Okay so I took a kit of soup out to Luke... but where are the kids? They all disappeared after the meal."
Bobbie straightens and frowns. "Carly hasn't been around much lately has she. And secretive."
"Lulu either. But that figures."
"I'm sure everything is fine." Bobbie grimaces as she says it, hoping it's true. "And since it's November and it's cold but it's still beautiful out there. We'll all be getting cabin fever soon enough. Best they be out while they can."
Audrey takes a short cut across the backs of the properties thru the woods between the Taggart's and Spencer's. She knows what she is looking for out there and decides to take the conversation to Mr. Spencer directly. He is a man with a daughter, with a niece, he should understand her concerns even he should realize. Audrey comes into the clearing where the Spencer's have their hunting camp. The fire is stoked and the mash gently bubbling but there is no sign of either of the Spencer men. "Yohoo!" Audrey calls out.
Luke comes out of the woods making a last adjustment to his suspenders and coat. "Mrs. Hardy, this is unexpected."
"I was actually hoping that Lucky was out here with..." Audrey studiously avoids looking at the still.
"Nope. Boy's out chopping wood somewhere." Luke waves a hand in the general direction of... out there.
"My upper pasture perhaps? I've heard it called many things, Mr. Spencer but not Chopping wood." Mrs. Hardy suggests wryly.
Luke gives her a slow grin and nods. "I misjudged you, Mrs. Hardy. I figured you for one of those bible thumping, temperance harridans. But you got brass."
"I am a bible thumping, temperance... well I won't claim the rest." Mrs. Hardy retorts. She straightens her coat and tugs on her gloves.
"There a message I can be passing along to Lucky?" Luke offers already figuring what this is all about.
"Yes, Thank you. Please extend my invitation for Lucky to come to Sunday dinner this week."
"Sunday dinner."
"I'm sure you're familiar with the concept even if you don't..."
Luke nods. "I've heard of them. Figure you and I best be figuring how to get along, Mrs. Hardy. If those two kids have their way, we'll be related."
"Something for both of us to contemplate in horror, Mr. Spencer."
Luke roars with laughter. "Well it won't be boring."
"I don't suppose it will." Luke hears a noise coming from the direction of the Taggart place and eyes the woods carefully. Seems to be his day for visitors. Sure enough here comes Marcus and.... Luke stiffens. "Wondered if you were going to show your face." Luke says to Jason Morgan. "Heard you were around for the excitement."
"He's got news about those Jacks." Marcus informs Luke.
"Carly, it's all tangled!" Lulu protests bringing the sampler she is making for her mother for Christmas to her older cousin. "And it looks like shi..."
"Lulu!" Carly slaps a hand over her cousin's mouth before she can finish the swear word. "Your mama is gonna wash your mouth out with soap and that's a fact! You have been spending way too much time around your Daddy."
"But you say it too." Lulu mumbles from behind the palm of Carly's hand.
"Not around other people." Carly mutters flushing with a bit of embarrassment. Trust Lulu to make her look bad in front of that dang Cassadine woman. Carly looks over to the chair where Natasha is putting the final touches on the needlepoint that will be the centerpiece of the quilt they are making for Nikolas. They'd been working every afternoon since the deal had been struck in the Cassadine Library. She and Lulu had gotten a look the first day they'd arrived and the Cassadine men had been home but as far as she knew they hadn't been snooping. Not that they'd find anything since everything was packed up and taken home with her every night. But it was nice to be able to stretch things out on the table and really get a good look at them.
"Bring it to me." Natasha says imperiously from her chair setting aside her own needlework. Lulu walks over there like she is walking toward the woodshed and hands over the frame being careful not to touch the grumpy lady. "Yes, I see what you did." Natasha reaches into her own sewing basket and takes out a pair of tiny scissors and starts snipping and pulling threads. "You need to use shorter threads until you are more proficient."
"But... but... you're wrecking it!" Lulu protests almost in tears.
"No, I'm correcting it. I'm only cutting the threads that are tangled. There." Natasha hands the frame back to Lulu. And then reaching into her own basket pulls out some wool thread. She rethreads Lulu's needle and then makes sure that the thread is short enough for the little girl. "Now try again. It is more important that you do your stitches correctly than for you to do them quickly. Speed will come with skill."
Lulu's eyes narrow and she is ready to tear into the mean lady when Carly says from behind her. "It's very nice of you, Miss Cassadine, to fix that for Lulu. Right Lulu?" Lulu's mouth goes tight and her bottom lip goes out. "Right Lulu?" Carly repeats warningly.
"Thank you, Miss Cassadine." Lulu grinds out between clenched teeth.
"Why don't you go see how Mrs. Lansbury is doing on dyeing that sheet?" Carly suggests. "And don't slam the door."
Lulu stomps from the room but takes the frame and her threaded needle with her. Mrs. Lansbury would help her... not like the scrawny, black-wearing, buzzard lady who always looked like she sucked on one of Aunt Bobbie's pickles.
"She has no manners whatsoever." Natasha sniffs and reaches for her own embroidery.
"You might have been raised to be seen rather than heard. But I'm sure you didn't like it much when you were her age." Carly defends her little cousin.
"Sometimes it is better, safer, to be neither seen nor heard." Natasha says absently. She might be looking at her embroidery hoop but what she is seeing is the memories of growing up a bastard in a house run by Helena Cassadine.
Carly nods thoughtfully remembering when her mother had been hooked up with DL Brock and what their life had been like. Things had been so bad at one point that she'd been taken away from Bobbie and placed with a couple named Benson. That had only lasted until she could run away and back to her mother. "Yes, so isn't it good that Lulu doesn't have that worry."
The Taggart place hadn't been built with the plan of having an extra person in the house. So it took a little shifting around to make things work. It might pain Dara but Flo was going to have to insist that Dara sleep up in the loft with her. Better to keep an eye on her. For a little bit at least they'd roll a bed roll out on the table and Gia could sleep there and Marcus would keep his spot by the fire, near the rifle and near the door. Best for him to be Johnny on the spot if there was any trouble. Now if they'd had a guest in the summer now that would have been different. Marcus could have slept out even if he did get eaten alive by mosquitoes. But it wasn't summer and they'd just have to manage.
Gia comes back in the house after dumping the water that Florence had used to clean Dara's back. Gia had helping with re-bandaging Dara. And Flo hadn't minded that at all. It was a good lesson on what would happen to a girl who strayed from the path. "I have to get supper ready." Florence rises and climbs down from the loft.
Gia comes back up and helps Dara get redressed. "Thanks for not giving me away."
"Figured from the conversation with your mother that she didn't know about you selling produce and soaps to the back door of Jake's." Dara winces as first one arm and then the next go back into the dress and she slowly starts fastening the front button by button.
"Mama... well... she's got fixed ideas on things." Gia says apologetically.
Dara nods. "She wants an easier path for you. It's what all parents want for their children."
"Easier?" Gia laughs. "Right."
"I'm not going to be a lesson for you." Dara denies even though she knows she already has been. "You've been around the saloon enough to see that the girls have more so called freedom then a proper lady gets. But the other side of the coin is that there are plenty of doors slammed in your face."
"I get plenty of doors slammed in my face already. But they open them fast enough when they figure out I have something they want."
"Like produce or soaps." Dara clarifies.
"Right. I should get down there. I'm sure Mama can find something for me to peel." Gia grins at Dara and pats her on the knee. "Don't worry. Everything will be fine."
"I'm sorry about kicking you out of your bed."
"I'm not." Gia starts climbing down the ladder. When she is about half way down and only her head is showing above in the loft she finishes the thought. "Mama snores. You aren't going to be able to get a wink!"
"You gonna kill him or shall I?" Bobbie asks her sister in law.
"Oh don't tempt me!" Laura pulls out extra potatoes and swiftly starts peeling them, dicing them down so that they'll cook faster. Luckily they were having stew tonight; it could be stretched abit. Of course Luke would invite Rinaldo, Johnny and Jason to stay for the evening meal. And while there was no room for them to sleep in the cabin had offered them the barn to shelter them for the night. Whatever Jason and Luke had talked about out in those woods had cleared the air... at least for now. But please-- inviting three grown men on an hour notice to dine with them. It wasn't like she normally made enough to feed the whole valley!
"We'll eat in shifts." Bobbie gathers the ingredients for biscuits knowing just the loaf of bread isn't going to be enough. "Get the men fed and out of here for an after dinner smoke. Then we'll have a little breathing room."
"I know. Where are Carly and Lulu?" Laura demands. "They know what time we eat. It's on to dark!"
Outside the house, Carly and Lulu are just arriving and knowing that there is gonna be trouble when they get home since they'd stayed too long at the Cassadines. Carly comes to a sudden halt when she sees the campfire set up outside the cabin. "What is going on?" She mutters. Doubling her pace she and Lulu race into the house. "Sorry. Sorry I know we're late."
"Where have you been?!" Bobbie demands.
"Up at the Cassadines. Miss Cassadine wanted some help with a present she is making for Nikolas." Carly decides that letting the cat out of the bag is the quickest way of defusing the situation. She can see that Mama and Aunt Laura are in high gear preparing the evening meal. "Who is here?"
"Luke invited Jason Morgan and two of his men to dinner."
"He what?!" Carly's jaw drops. "But..."
"Count your blessings and start setting the table." Bobbie orders. "We'll talk later about you being so late." Bobbie brushes up against Carly and drops her voice low. "This is your chance so don't blow it."
Carly nods and then shakes her head. Of all the nights to be late. She hangs up her coat and then going to the back of the cabin flings her carpet bag up on the bed she shares with her mother. "So how are you going to handle this?"
"Lets get the men and the baby fed and then we'll worry about us." Laura takes the biscuits from Bobbie and puts them in the oven of the woodstove. "Carly, you set the table. Lulu, please grind some coffee beans for Mama. Luke and Lucky are going to take care of the milking tonight. Boil damn it." Laura swears at the pot of water on the top of the stove.
Lulu's eyes go wide at her mother using a curse word and gets busy grinding beans for coffee. No matter what Miz Natasha thinks, she does know when to be unseen and unheard.
Mrs. Lansbury is better prepared for three visitors for dinner. She'd known from the time Mr. Nikolas went with the visitor that there would be company for dinner. There was no way that Mr. Stefan wouldn't want to sum up the situation for himself. There had been a bit of distraction with Little Miss Lulu keeping her company for the afternoon and helping her while Ms. Natasha and Miss Spencer had been occupied in the study. And actually Lulu had been assistance when she'd ironed the tablecloth, the little girl had held the other end as she ran the hot iron over the cloth and then helped set the table after Mrs. Lansbury had given her the example of how it should look. All that had been left was minute adjustments.
Stefan comes into the kitchen. "Mrs. Lansbury, I believe this would be a good evening to serve wine... generously with dinner."
Mrs. Lansbury nods. "And I apologize in advance, Master Stefan. I believe I have over salted the roast."
Stefan slowly smiles. "It's much too late to prepare anything else, I'm sure. We will just have to make do."
"Yes, sir. I'll be more careful in the future."
Stefan nods. "I have already spoken to my sister about our guests this evening. She may need your assistance."
Mrs. Lansbury takes a close look at the stove. Everything would be okay for the moment. "I'll check now, sir."
After Mrs. Lansbury leaves, Stefan checks the selections of sherry, wine and brandy. Tongues would be loosened over good, if slightly over salted, food and excellent liquors.