he'd be stopping by later tonight."
Charles stopped by most nights. He had a house of his own, but it was undeniably lonely for him living in it by himself. It was natural for him to want to be with the Walcotts, having known them all his life, and having come to Wyoming at the same time as they. Since their relocation in Sheridan he had come to be a dear friend to Edwin in spite of the difference in their ages. And Mama had always shown a distinct affection for him, having known him since he was a boy. Charles, she often reiterated, came from a staunch religious upbringing, knew the value of hard work, and would someday make a dedicated husband for Emily. As for Frankie—well, Frankie absolutely idolized Charles.
Charles arrived in time to help wipe dishes. Whenever he arrived lately, it seemed there was something he could help with, and he always did so gladly. Emily had grown tired of hearing her father say, "That Charles, he sure knows what work is." Of course Charles knew what work was—didn't they all?
After dishes Frankie talked Charles into a game of dominoes. They all retired to the parlor where the two set up their pieces while Emily watched and Edwin smoked a last pipe before going upstairs to read to his wife.
"I suppose you met the new man in town," Charles said to nobody in particular.
"We've got his horses at the livery," Edwin responded.
"What new man?" Frankie inquired.
"His name is Jeffcoat. Tom Jeffcoat," Charles answered, placing a five on a five.
"So you've met him, too?" Edwin inquired.
"Yes. Loucks sent him over, told him I was a carpenter."
"He wants to hire you, of course," Edwin ventured.
Charles glanced up. His eyes met Edwin's, and Emily witnessed the ambivalence in his glance.
"Yes, he does."
"Well, if his money is green, you'd better say yes."
"Do you know what he's building, Edwin?"
"A livery stable, he tells me."
"He told you?"
"As Emily pointed out, it'd be hard to hide a livery stable once it starts going up."
"Emily met him, too?" Charles's eyes veered to her as she leaned over Frankie's shoulder, studying his domino selection.
"I'm sorry to say I did," she replied coolly, without once raising her eyes to Charles's.
"Oh?"
She picked up one of Frankie's dominoes and played it while answering. "First he called me 'young fellow,' then tried to give me advice about how to take care of Sergeant's cracked hoof. I didn't appreciate either one."
Edwin chuckled, holding the pipestem at the corner of his mouth. "I can vouch for that. She was whetting the edge of her tongue on him when I walked in and saved a week's worth of business she had just sent packing."
"Papa!" Emily spouted irritably. "You don't have to tell everything!"
"Emily did that?" Frankie put in, losing interest in the game, grinning with wonder at his sister.
"Now, Emily, we have no secrets from Charles."
Which, in Emily's opinion, was one of the reasons she couldn't generate any romantic gust for him. It felt as if she'd already lived with him for the last two years, he was here so much. She gave up playing Frankie's dominoes and plopped down on the divan.
"I hope you spit in his eye, Charles!" she said pugnaciously.
"Now, Emily, be sensible. How could Charles do that?" her father chided.
" I did it, didn't I?" she challenged.
To Emily's surprise Charles said, "As a matter of fact, I rather liked him."
"Liked him!" Emily exclaimed. "Charles, how could you!"
"Emily, you seem to forget Charles has a business to run!" Edwin's tone grew sharper, then mellowed as he turned to Charles. "Whatever she says, you know I wouldn't hold it against you if you worked for Jeffcoat."
"He wants to see my blueprint collection, too. After the livery barn he intends to put up a house."
"So he said. And it could mean a tidy profit for you, Charles."
"Maybe so, but I don't like working for your competition."
Edwin
Charles stopped by most nights. He had a house of his own, but it was undeniably lonely for him living in it by himself. It was natural for him to want to be with the Walcotts, having known them all his life, and having come to Wyoming at the same time as they. Since their relocation in Sheridan he had come to be a dear friend to Edwin in spite of the difference in their ages. And Mama had always shown a distinct affection for him, having known him since he was a boy. Charles, she often reiterated, came from a staunch religious upbringing, knew the value of hard work, and would someday make a dedicated husband for Emily. As for Frankie—well, Frankie absolutely idolized Charles.
Charles arrived in time to help wipe dishes. Whenever he arrived lately, it seemed there was something he could help with, and he always did so gladly. Emily had grown tired of hearing her father say, "That Charles, he sure knows what work is." Of course Charles knew what work was—didn't they all?
After dishes Frankie talked Charles into a game of dominoes. They all retired to the parlor where the two set up their pieces while Emily watched and Edwin smoked a last pipe before going upstairs to read to his wife.
"I suppose you met the new man in town," Charles said to nobody in particular.
"We've got his horses at the livery," Edwin responded.
"What new man?" Frankie inquired.
"His name is Jeffcoat. Tom Jeffcoat," Charles answered, placing a five on a five.
"So you've met him, too?" Edwin inquired.
"Yes. Loucks sent him over, told him I was a carpenter."
"He wants to hire you, of course," Edwin ventured.
Charles glanced up. His eyes met Edwin's, and Emily witnessed the ambivalence in his glance.
"Yes, he does."
"Well, if his money is green, you'd better say yes."
"Do you know what he's building, Edwin?"
"A livery stable, he tells me."
"He told you?"
"As Emily pointed out, it'd be hard to hide a livery stable once it starts going up."
"Emily met him, too?" Charles's eyes veered to her as she leaned over Frankie's shoulder, studying his domino selection.
"I'm sorry to say I did," she replied coolly, without once raising her eyes to Charles's.
"Oh?"
She picked up one of Frankie's dominoes and played it while answering. "First he called me 'young fellow,' then tried to give me advice about how to take care of Sergeant's cracked hoof. I didn't appreciate either one."
Edwin chuckled, holding the pipestem at the corner of his mouth. "I can vouch for that. She was whetting the edge of her tongue on him when I walked in and saved a week's worth of business she had just sent packing."
"Papa!" Emily spouted irritably. "You don't have to tell everything!"
"Emily did that?" Frankie put in, losing interest in the game, grinning with wonder at his sister.
"Now, Emily, we have no secrets from Charles."
Which, in Emily's opinion, was one of the reasons she couldn't generate any romantic gust for him. It felt as if she'd already lived with him for the last two years, he was here so much. She gave up playing Frankie's dominoes and plopped down on the divan.
"I hope you spit in his eye, Charles!" she said pugnaciously.
"Now, Emily, be sensible. How could Charles do that?" her father chided.
" I did it, didn't I?" she challenged.
To Emily's surprise Charles said, "As a matter of fact, I rather liked him."
"Liked him!" Emily exclaimed. "Charles, how could you!"
"Emily, you seem to forget Charles has a business to run!" Edwin's tone grew sharper, then mellowed as he turned to Charles. "Whatever she says, you know I wouldn't hold it against you if you worked for Jeffcoat."
"He wants to see my blueprint collection, too. After the livery barn he intends to put up a house."
"So he said. And it could mean a tidy profit for you, Charles."
"Maybe so, but I don't like working for your competition."
Edwin
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