Ch 5 Dr Mikes Lessons - Boston
Disclaimer I do not own the characters in this story. I wish the people who did would use them and create new series.
"Stop! One moment, Sir! You can't go in there, I have to announce you first," Harrison, the Quinn's butler was saying to the rough looking intruder.
No way was Sully stopping. He'd already had to endure all the unsavoury comments and gawks like he belonged to another planet since arriving at the railway station in Central Boston. He was on a mission now; if he didn't keep going he was going to put his tail between his legs and run for the hills, never looking back.
Heart beating at a phenomenal rate he kept going, only to abruptly stop as if he'd walked into a glass wall, astounded at what confronted him now: a huge room decorated as if it belonged in a fairy tale book of royal palaces. Silver and crystal adorned a long dining table with a perfectly white starched table cloth. More food than he'd consume in maybe a year or feed his Cheyenne family for a month was on dishes in the centre of the table.
"Nothin's goin' ta stop me seein' Dr Mike," Sully thought impatiently.
And suddenly he was standing in front of her entire family, each one gasping and all eyes looking at this ruffian who had just ploughed into their midst. Who was he? Dishevelled and looking like a cat had dragged him in, Mrs. Quinn, the ever polite hostess immediately stood.
"Mr Sully!" she exclaimed recognising him immediately upon his unheralded arrival. She very well remembered him, last meeting him at the stage coach in Colorado Springs when she was departing. She had never anticipated seeing him in her home. He was not the normal type of guest entertained in the family residence.
"OH! Crikey, what have we got here, are these people for real?" Sully thought looking around aghast, never anticipating he'd be on display in front of Dr. Mike's family so suddenly.
Matthew looked up saying, "Sully!", relieved that he was here. Then he glanced at Dr Mike and William. "Now what?" he thought for he wasn't happy about the way their Ma was behaving with Doctor Burke.
Michaela looked quite shocked. "Sully!"
William, seated next to her, was surprised that she even knew this fellow. He looked at her in disbelief, instantly contemplating what this man was to her.
Michaela blinked as if in a dream seeing Sully materialise in front of her. "Is that you?"
Mrs. Quinn regaining her composure said, "You are just in time for supper, won't you join us?"
Her voice hid her anxiety that he was here; she was pleased that Michaela may now have been contemplating remaining in Boston with Dr. Burke.
She still continued, "You must be famished after your long trip, Mr Sully. After having made that journey myself I can vouch for its difficulty."
Sheindicated a chair on her left for him to be seated.
Harrison was satisfied that he would not need to forcibly remove the uninvited intruder. Although disapproving of Mr. Sully's physical appearance he sighed with relief as he thought that escorting him out would have been nearly impossible. Images of being held between the guy's legs and head bunted flashing through his mind. He was delighted that he wouldn't see the tomahawk on his belt flash at him either.
"Will that be all, Ma'am?" he asked as he tried to exit as a good butler despite his tripping over the man's belonging that had been dumped in the middle of the doorway.
"Well I never," he said stumbling out of sightas he landed flat on his face. Hastily rising he moved into the kitchen as if nothing had happened.
Sully was so hungry for he'd saved money by not buying too many meals, eating only food that had been provided on the train or the one that he'd carried with him: jerky and other dried meats to snack on.
As his eyes were seeking Dr Mike's over the laden table he replied, "All right for me, Ma'am; I'm used to a lot worse."
Sully had a plate of food placed in front of him by Fiona. Looking at her he murmured, "Thank you, Miss."
The maid was overcome by the fact that he and the good lady doctor actually *THANKED* her. What was it about them that gave them manners that were lacking in all the other members of this family?
"Yes indeed," was all that Elizabeth could utter as a reply. "Well..." She indicated to everyone to continue eating as they were all gawking at the new arrival.
As Sully tucked into the meal due to extreme hunger Elizabeth asked sarcastically, "Well, what brings you here all the way to our door, Mr Sully? Certainly NOT the state of my health?"
Glancing at Michaela Sully responded, "Tell you the truth, Ma'am, I'm glad to see ya doin' better, but that's not why I'm here."Then he turned to his food again.
"Does your business bring you to Boston, Sir?" Dr. Burke interjected condescendingly as he looked at Sully's attire, wondering what he did here.
After stuffing a bean in his mouth then wiping his hand on his napkin, Sully offered his hand to Dr. Burke saying, "You can call me Sully."
"Oh! Yes, quite forgive me... Dr Burke," he said as if he'd forgotten his manners, tentatively shaking the offered hand.
In sincerity Sully responded, oblivious of the growing tension, "Pleased to meet ya." He decided that the Doctor was possibly Mrs. Quinn's physician and not to worry even though he was cosily seated near Michaela.
He had never had the opportunity in his life to be taught polite table etiquettes such as keeping ones elbows off the table, eating slowly and above all else NOT eating with ones fingers as well as definitely not speaking with ones mouth full.
The children felt like protecting their friend as they'd experienced the continual reminders since arriving in Boston as if all they did was wrong in polite society. All this opposite to their real Ma's leisurely teachings in the boarding house and then Dr Mike's while in Colorado Springs.
Marjorie sat there as usual with upper class superiority speaking to her husband in an audible whisper, "Mother told us he is what's termed a mountain man." Looking up innocently she continued, "Exactly what does a Mountain Man do? We're all of us dying to know." She spoke as if she'd won some kind of contest that was scored in points, her statement a stark reminder to all that Michaela's life in Colorado had been a source of discussion at some point within the family.
Rebecca hearing her mother address the gentlemen recognised him as being her sister's friend from Colorado Springs. Smiling broadly as she was the only woman in the family other than Mike who did not take their station in Boston society seriously. In fact she was pleased at his arrival as it was a refreshing diversion to the usual boring family gatherings.
"Not all of us. I suggest we allow Mr Sully to eat his meal in peace; after all he has travelled all this way to see our little sister," Rebecca gushed.
Sully was ever so grateful to the woman as he continued eating as if this really was his last meal. He glanced at her with a small nod and slight smile in appreciation for her assistance. It still had not occurred to the family to introduce themselves.
Michaela all of a sudden found her tongue and jumped in his defence, saying, "Mr. Sully is a miner. And a carpenter. And a hunter. And a negotiator between the United States army and the Cheyenne Indians. In the course of the past year he's provided me with shelter and often food and on more than one occasion he's even saved my life."
"For which you have my undying gratitude, Sir," Dr Burke purred.
Sully looked stunned between the Doctor and Dr Mike thinking, "Oh! Yeah, what's going on here? I didn't do it for you, mate."
The twins Maureen and Claudette just did what they normally did: look at each other like they had some secret non verbal language, rolling their eyes. As usual their snootiness was extremely apparent. Their husbands and children were so henpecked that they seemed to have no say in any goings on, only succumbing to being told do this, do that, come here, go there. The Quinn twins were superior to most mere mortals on the planet, or so they thought. Both had positions in all the ladies guilds of any note within Boston's elegant society.
In unison as they'd done since birth the twins, their snobbishness evident in their tone, said, "Where did he come from? Michaela, look at your friend. No wonder you've let yourself go, calloused hands, hair flying free. Will you look at that?" With that they stared in Sully's direction.
All other family members were still aghast at the sudden rude intrusion of the total stranger into their midst, continuing to whisper behind their hands.
The haughtiness of the cousins to the Cooper children was obvious as they sniggered and glanced at each other. Evident joy was written on the their faces enjoying the distain of their parents.
Matthew, Colleen and Brian who were not game to leave the table and run to their friend or embrace him, were overjoyed at his sudden arrival. They had been continually reminded that this wasn't right, that wasn't correctas well as the common statement "In Boston it's done this way, not like you do in Colorado Springs". As if Colorado Springs wasn't worth even mentioning. This included the way they dressed, the way they spoke, the way they ate and the lesson on what cutlery went with what food. Brian only wanted his usual fork, knife or spoon. His head was in a spin over the abundance of other stuff, including foods that where alien to common folk such as snails.
Matthew said, "He is our friend; leave him alone!" He sneered at the cousins, sick of their arrogant better than thou attitudes towards them and sick of the continual disdain aimed at them by Dr Mike's family just like being the poor cousins. This included their friendship with the Indians, and he decided then and there that as soon as Sully headed back home he was going too as he missed Ingrid dearly.
The audible comments continued by the self-important Quinn family members, thinking with arrogance they really were the mighty Quinns of Boston. Sully's instant thought was that they were large fish in a small pond. He'd had to deal with people like them in the army. Looking around in bewilderment he noted the attire of the family, remembering that he'd just up and left home as he was intent on getting here as soon as possible, once he'd made his mind up to come. Not that he owned anything else anyway. Comfortable as ever in his own skin he had nothing to prove to these pompous people; it wasn't as if Dr Mike and the children didn't know and accept him for who he was.
Michaela's mind was in a whirl with all sorts of questions that could not be asked here and now at the dinner table. It was as *sure as eggs* and *little green apples* that her mother would have something to say in private later on.
She was thrilled, embarrassed, and inquisitive as why Sully had placed himself in this position. Why was he here? She was aware that his quiet disposition made him uncomfortable but here he was gazing at her with an intensity that she'd never seen in his eyes before, bringing up feelings she had shared with him prior to leaving, worried about her mother. William had hesitantlyshaken Sully's hand after he offered it but William still had an aloofness of a Boston gentleman whereas Sully had a humility about him that exemplified him as the gentle mountain man, unless provoked. Now these two opposites both wanted a piece of her, she now realized .
The meal went on through the many courses that continued to be disrupted by the awkward questions the sisters fired in Sully's direction. Not perturbed he answered in the best manner he could summons. Michaela couldn't wait till the whole business was over, and the children were becoming more irritated with every course and question. They wanted to speak to Sully alone to find out how their friends and animals were at home. They'd all experienced some form of home sickness since arriving. Now that Grandma was well they wanted nothing more than to return home.
After supper Michaela apologised to Sully for the rude behaviour of her entire family, wondering why she should have to apologise in the first place as truthfully their manners should dictate that all people were equal. He had done nothing wrong and she realized his manners were better than those of who were born into wealth and supposedly educated.
Sully asked, "What is it with their Boston manners that they were so full of?"
Michaela could not even answer as she felt the same way if she was only truthful. She'd been under pressure to conform and fit in from the moment she'd received the telegram. She'd even argued with Brian over patched trousers and the state of their language.
"I told ya Dr Mike, money is a dirty business," he said with unmistakable distain as the members of her family retired to their own paleaceous homes scattered throughout Boston. He'd never had the need for money himself as he'd learnt it wasn't what made the person.
Leaving, few men acknowledged him; the women and children sniffed and only slightly nodded. All bare Rebecca and her family who warmly said they hoped they see him again real soon, and that he'd enjoy his visit. Dr Burke just bowed slightly and spoke to Michaela near the door before leaving. Mrs Quinn had taken her leave and retired earlier.
Ascending to upstairs with Sully later that evening it occurred to Michaela just what Sully was prepared to do for her. He'd come to Boston. "Cause I worried 'bout ya," he'd said although Michaela suspected it was much more than that. Here in Boston he had been made to feel low and inferior in the eyes of her own family, a mirror reflection of how they had made her feel since she and her children had arrived.
Sully looked into Michaela's eyes with something she recognised as love although he hadn't declared anything.
Leaning down and kissing her delicate hand he ever so softly said, "When are you going to look at the world through our eyes? Where you live is in here."
He placed her hand over his heart that she felt beating faster than normal as he laid his hand over hers. She knew he was talking about Colorado Springs and a life with him, not the life she had had here in Boston. It was about the future, not the past or the present.
Then they entered his room.