Disclaimer: Hi Folks at CBS, Beth Sullivan and all involved with our beloved DQ. Just borrowing them again, they will be returned in perfect condition I promise!
Author's note! I hope you enjoy, I've wanted to play with the episode 'Starting Over' for quite a while, as I love the craziness that ensues from Marjorie's visit! So here goes nothing! Thank you all so much for all your reviews! I'm so glad everyone is enjoying it so much!! Rx
Starting All Over Again.
By Rianne.
Chapter Three.
Take the whole day off! Not only had it sounded like a nice idea at the time, it was also turning out to be a wonderful relief from her usual daily routine.
After Sully had left she had washed and dressed quickly, leaving her room to find Marjorie and Colleen already in the kitchen cooking breakfast with Katie and Brian
Although she would admit that she still thought that Marjorie's idea of the 'perfect place' for them to go may ruffle a few feathers she could not help but feel drawn in by Marjorie's newly acquired joie de vivre. She felt lighter in herself, found herself laughing uncontrollably at the smallest of things which delighted little Katie who was unable to decide which one of them to watch more, her mother or her aunt. The toddler's attention bounced happily between the pair as she played distractedly with her oatmeal, getting it everywhere but into her mouth and she thought it was of great amusement to join right on in with the laughter even though she had no idea of the why, and the sound of her sweet uninhibited giggles brought even more joy to the assembled.
In fact the mood at the breakfast table was so buoyant that she forgot her tiredness and the worries that had plagued her in the dark hours, and she felt so pleasant in the albeit temporary relief. She even forgave her sister for interrupting her intimacy with Sully earlier, but she knew he might have more to say on that subject when she saw him that evening!
With the meal over the children began to efficiently clear away, so pleased to see their mother and their aunt in such cahoots that they shooed away their offers of help and told them to be gone and enjoy their day.
Michaela drove the wagon from the homestead to town, Marjorie beside her and the spirited behaviour only continued with Marjorie suddenly bursting into full voiced song as they hurtled through the lush green grass, the sun full and bright bouncing off the highlights in their hair and warming their skin. Michaela's ever present medical bag sitting between them on the bench, but today it also contained two little surprises. The bathing suits Marjorie had brought with her from back East!
With a cheeky smile in her sister's direction she whipped the horses reins to increase their speed and wholeheartedly joined in the singing which only faded into deep felt laughter as they crossed the bridge by the meadow and came rumbling into town.
With a loud "Woaaahhh!" Michaela drew the wagon to a halt in front of the Saloon in a storm cloud of dust, and could hardly hide her amusement at the somewhat angry looks she garnered from passing townsfolk. She was having fun! What did they have to be so upset about!
Marjorie jumped down from the wagon, hardly waiting for it to stop moving, and certainly without waiting for a chivalrous gentleman to guide her.
"Good Morning!" she announced joyfully to anyone in listening distance. Completely and almost stately ignoring the whispers and stares from the annoyed and curious townsfolk.
"It's starting all over again!" Loren said to no one in particular but his comment was not lost on either of the Quinn women.
"And just what are you implying Mr. Bray?" Marjorie asked fixing him with faux innocent eyes.
"The two of you. Trouble causin'. Trouble causin' I tell you!"
"Mr. Bray!" Michaela announced with a sly but knowing grin to her sister. "Whatever do you mean?"
Loren walked forwards to the edge of the wooden walkway. "'S just like you when you first come here. Always poking your nose where it don't belong. Just you watch what your doin'." He warned, shaking his head as he turned and paced back into his store.
Marjorie turned to Michaela with a wink and said, "See, such a fuddy duddy, what did I tell you!"
Michaela shook her head with an amused sigh and then a movement on the porch of the Saloon caught her attention. The swing doors wafted once and then out slipped one of Hank's girls, she looked quickly around her, from side to side before hurriedly dashing out onto the road and over to the wagon.
"Morning!" Marjorie cried happily, as she helped the girl up into the back of the wagon.
Slowly, one by one, several of Hank's girls came creeping out into the street. Taking cautious glances as they rushed to the wagon as if it was to be their best means of shelter. Soon three of them sat in the wagon, looking expectedly at Michaela in the driving seat and Marjorie who remained standing guard by the wheel.
"Is that it?" Marjorie enquired of the last girl to climb aboard.
The young red head shook her head before speaking slowly, "No, Sarah wants to come too. She said she'd go out last. The others said they was too scared to go. Oh Hank's gonna be so mad when he finds out." The girls face was a picture of innocent fear, which greatly contrasted against the life she led.
"You leave Hank to me." Marjorie proclaimed reassuringly. "Telling me to mind my own business indeed! We women are each others business!" She proclaimed again for good measure.
The younger girls looked to one another for reassurance, their need to place their trust in Marjorie as frightening to them as the idea of taking a stand against Hank, but Marjorie's words were so inspiring and they trusted Dr. Mike, and so decided that neither of them would bring them any harm.
"Oh, I here she comes now, I think!" Michaela whispered conspiratorially back to the wagon.
All the women focused their attention on the front of the Saloon as they watched the last rebel slide her way out between the swing doors. The girl could not have been more than seventeen, not much different to the age of her own eldest daughter and Michaela realised the aim of her mission today in much greater clarity in that moment.
The girl was just lifting her thin skirts and placing her dainty foot to a rung on the wagon wheel when the sudden deep bellow of an angry man rumbled through the air.
"Hank!" Cried Michaela, suddenly aware that they had not really discussed a plan for this eventuality! Hank always slept until noon, they had not thought it necessary!
"Quick!" she cried as Marjorie gave the girl the boost she needed to put most of the weight onto the wagon and then scrambled in herself.
"Go!" she cried to Michaela and Michaela did just that! Whipping the reins hard and coaxing the horses into motion.
As the wagon barrelled past the entrance of the Saloon all on board burst into violent laughter at the sight of Hank Lawson rushing out onto the street in his under wears, angry as a bear awoken from his sleep! He yelled and shouted at the girls in the wagon and even more so at Marjorie, but she just waved with a smile and shouted, "Just exercising a little free choice Hank!" Which made him shout louder and in his anger he kicked up a cloud of dirt, accidentally getting a face and mouth full of dust as a faint breeze blew with perfect timing, which made the wagon scream with triumphant laughter! A laughter which continued all the way to the hotel, only beginning to fade as the girls caught sight of their destination.
"Oooooh!" cried Sarah as Michaela pulled the wagon to a stop outside the Chateaux. "Look at this place! It's so fancy!" the young girl breathed, unable to hide her awe and seeing her disbelief reflected in the expressions of her fellow strikers.
"We're goin' here?" one asked unable to believe her luck.
"That's right!" Michaela confirmed with a beaming smile.
Their arrival had certainly set tongues a wagging, even more so than their dramatic escape from town, but here the clientele was much more refined!
Seeing the waves of discomfort that passed over the girls, and the way that they looked down at their clothing and then at that of the women milling around the Chateaux, Marjorie gave the girls a wicked smile.
"Wouldn't worry about the dresses girls, we won't be needing those!"
The girl's eyes grew wide as Marjorie continued, as they wondered for the first time if Marjorie was actually not interested in them for the sake of their freedom, but that this might in fact be someone else who wanted to exploit them. But Marjorie's next words put point to their thoughts.
"We're going in the hot springs!"
And even Michaela could not help but be filled with a devilish excitement as she watched the surprise turn to delight in the young women's eyes.
Caught along in the flow and the thrill of the excitement Michaela was able to momentarily put aside her discomfort as she changed into the borrowed bathing suit. Although the flickered remembrances of her morning encounter with Sully, which this suit had inspired and had never been fully sated, were pleasant enough a distraction from her nerves.
"Michaela! Come on!" cried Marjorie's impatient voice through the door and so with a steeled breath she tugged the matching bathing cap over the tresses of her hair and slipped into a gown. She had been right in thinking that the suit would cling to her every curve and so she had snatched up the cloaking gown when it had been offered by the Chateaux staff.
She opened the door and realised in that moment that she needn't have bothered or paid heed to her modesty.
Before her in the fancy lobby of the hotel stood Marjorie and the girls. The five of them had the attention of every other person in that room and yet not one of them seemed to care. And not one of them had taken the staff up on their offer of a modesty cloak.
Hank's girls were not even wearing bathing suits. They simply stood right in the middle of the lavishly decorated lobby, their bare feet pressing into the soft pile carpets, and their bodies covered by nothing but the skimpiest of under things! Lace and bows were all that kept the garments together, and they barely covered the important places!
She looked to Marjorie in alarmed amusement, the group before her suddenly seeming so humorous despite her misgivings, but Marjorie's face held no such response. She simply shook her head at her younger sister, as Michaela stood in her figure smothering cloak, before turning and indicating to the girls that they head outside.
Michaela heard the rumbling disbelief and offended reactions from the other Chateaux guests, but Marjorie simply gave them all a smile and a dignified bow of her head as she marched across the room with the scantily clad girls and the more humorously dressed Michaela in tow!
When they stepped out of the Chateaux the rumbles of disbelief were the same, as inside the staff suddenly rallied around in a desperate search to find the owner. Mr Lodge surely must be notified of such a scandalous event taking place at his renowned hotel! Especially an event lead by a woman claiming to have been invited to test out the facilities!
Outside the curious group continued to attract a large amount of attention, and in seeing the young girls and Marjorie rise above it all, to be so calm about wearing so little, Michaela realised that she felt a little silly at being so shy. With the garments the younger women were wearing no one would be looking at her in her considerably more modest apparel. With a breath of determination she felt her bravery instil through her as she peeled off the cloak, tossing it aside as she climbed calmly into the water beside her sister. A smile breaking at the feel of the deliciously warming water engulfing her skin!
She did not see Marjorie's look of delight, and it was probably a good thing, as it had been one of profound awe for she had not truly believed her little sister would go through with this! And it had pleased her so much that she had.
When Michaela did turn to her, the smile they shared was one of such closeness between the pair. A smile she never would have ever thought their opposing personalities could have ever allowed. In that instant Marjorie and Michaela both believed from the bottom of their hearts that her coming to Colorado had been a wonderful thing!
Meanwhile, news of his spirited visitors had reached Mr. Lodge, and his outrage at the intrusion, however invited upon himself, riled him almost as much as his curiosity at the tales of scantily clad young women! And he had been too distracted by both pressing issues that he had not noticed the young Dr. Cook tagging on to his side as he marched out towards the front of the hotel.
He did however notice all the disgusted scowls and unhappy faces of his current guests, which seriously outweighed his thoughts about Marjorie Quinn.