Scott's Visit
Dressed in his best non-working clothes, of white cotton shirt, black string tie, grey pants and a grey waistcoat, Scott Baxter turned into the alley that led behind the mercantile and within a moment he spied the house, complete with porch and a small white picket fence. He opened the gate and stepped through, closing it quietly behind him. Then he walked down the short path and stepped up onto the porch.
He removed his cap, slicked down his hair and made sure that his shirt was properly tucked into his pants. Then he scrubbed one boot at a time on the back on the opposite leg of his pants to wipe the dust from the top of them. Feeling very nervous, the young man replaced his cap on his head and wiping his now sweaty hands on his grey pants, he took a deep breath and rapped on the door with his right hand.
"Morning ma'am," the boy said, removing the cloth cap from his head and speaking to Lucy who had opened the door.
"Good morning young man," replied Lucy.
Unable to keep his feet still, Scott shuffled around a little, "Ah ma'am, I've…come..to ..call…on …miss…Theresa. If.. its… still… OK…of… course?" the young man stuttered.
Lucy opened the door further and smiled at the obviously nervous young man in front of her. "Yes, of course, I remember, Scott isn't it?"
"Yes ma'am."
"Come in please, Theresa will be out in a moment. Would you like some lemonade whilst you wait?" Lucy asked as she gestured to the table.
"Thank you ma'am, that's mighty kind of you."
Lucy waited for the young man to sit down at the table and went to the larder and opened a bottle of lemonade that she had made last night and poured some into a glass for Scott and Theresa. Resealing the bottle she returned it to the larder and then carried both glasses to the table.
"There you go, I hope it is ok, I made it last night and left it bottled in the larder."
The young boy thanked Lucy and took a small sip, "It's lovely ma'am."
"Thank you. Well I think I will go and chase up Theresa for you, excuse me."
"Of course ma'am," replied the young boy standing up and waiting for Lucy to disappear into a room nearby.
"Theresa, your young man is here, he is sitting at the table, you may go out on the porch to talk if you wish."
"Thank you Aunt Lucy," she said. Theresa finished putting her hair into braids.
Theresa had dressed that morning in a russet coloured dress that she had brought with her from home. It was her favourite and it had a small lace edging to the bodice and sleeves. She had 2 petticoats underneath to fluff out the skirt and had adorned her neck with the simple silver necklace the locket contain her mother and fathers pictures inside. Standing and looking at herself in the mirror she twirled around and was pleased at what she saw. Althtough Theresa had no romantic feelings for the young man who had come calling, she very much loved taking the opportunity to dress in her best clothes on a day other than for church. Suddenly feeling a little nervous about talking to the young man waiting on her she took a few deep breaths to calm herself and then, she left her room to go and find Scott.
"Morning," she said approaching the table.
Scott stood up, "Morning Miss Theresa."
"Scott, please it's just Theresa."
Scott inclined his head, "Right, I forgot, just Theresa." He said blushing slightly.
Theresa saw the boy blushing and looked away not wanting to make it obvious that she noticed. Scott looked at the table and when he felt his cheeks cool he picked up the glass of lemonade Lucy had left for Theresa. "Here, your Aunt poured this lemonade for you," he said holding out the glass.
"Thanks. Shall we take it out onto the porch so we can sit and talk?" Theresa asked.
"OK. Lead the way."
Theresa walked out onto the porch with Scott following. "Is the swing OK, there's plenty of room?" Theresa said gesturing to it.
"Yes, it's fine with me," said Scott elated that the pretty young girl wanted to sit next to him.
The teenagers sat on the swing, each trying to sit right at either end of the bench swing so that there was at least a foot of space in between them.
"Um, so, this is where you live huh?" Scott asked.
"Yes, well no, not really. I'm just staying with Uncle Sam and Aunt Lucy whilst my mama looks after my pa. He's real sick with fever and mama didn't want me to get sick." Replied Theresa.
"Oh. I'm sorry to hear that your pa is sick. Will he be OK?"
"Yes I hope so. Mama managed to pull through the fever a couple of years ago so I just hope that Pa will as well this time."
"I hope so too."
The teenagers sat swinging quietly for five minutes each unable to find a way to start another conversation before….
"So…is it just you, your mama and your pa, no brothers or sisters?"
"Yes that's right. You have a younger brother and sister, don't you? Tell me about them, what's it like having a brother and sister?"
"Well, Jamie is 9 and he's got black hair and hazel eyes just like my pa. He's a real handful, always up to something and always in trouble but it's always for harmless stuff. Pa says he wishes school was all year long as Jamie needs to be occupied all of the time. Sarah is 5, with long blonde hair and blue eyes and she is the sweetest little girl you ever did see. Sarah is a quiet but bright little girl and already knows her colours and will be starting school with us in a few weeks.
As to what it's like having a brother and sister, well, I don't know how to answer that. I've never known anything else. Of course being younger they sometimes get in the way or want me to play with them all of the time but that's part of being a family I guess. Did your mama and pa not want to have any more children?"
Theresa put her now empty glass on the porch deck and turned to face Scott, "I don't know, Scott. Mama I think might have wanted more children, she never said. Perhaps she is like Aunt Lucy and can't have any more children. Mama always did say that the lord blessed her and papa with me. I always wanted to have a younger sister though. Ssh though, Aunt Lucy doesn't like to talk about not being able to have children. Sorry I forgot, I shouldn't have told you, after all you're a stranger."
"I won't say anything, don't worry. And I was hoping that we might be friends so I'm not a stranger anymore am I?" the young boy asked hopefully.
Theresa smiled at Scott shyly, "No, I guess not, yes Scott I would like us to be friends."
"Well that's settled then, I'm your friend. Maybe you can come and meet my folks one afternoon when you're free, then you can see my younger brother and sister."
"Yes, I'd like that! Uhm….Would you like some more lemonade, Scott?"
"Thank you, I would," agreed Scott holding out his empty glass. Theresa collected her own glass and disappeared into the house to collect more lemonade.
Whilst Theresa was inside the house, Scott rocked slowly in the bench swing. She likes me, really likes me and she is so pretty too. I wonder if I might ask her to go for a picnic after church on Sunday.
When Theresa returned with the glasses of lemonade, Scott accepted his and then put the glass down on the deck. "Theresa, do you think your Uncle and Aunt would let you come with me for a picnic after church on Sunday? There's a very pretty meadow not far from town, with a little creek than runs right alongside it. Please say that you'll come."
Theresa sipped at her lemonade whilst the young man asked his question. A picnic would be lovely and I would like to see more outside of town, but I don't think Uncle Sam would agree. Perhaps Aunt Lucy could persuade him, if I promised to go to the meadow and nowhere else. "I'd love to see this meadow, Scot. But I'm not sure that my Uncle will allow me to accompany you on a picnic. I'm seventeen but Uncle Sam still treats me like a little girl. Papa would have allowed me to come, but Uncle Sam worries that I need to be accompanied around Virginia City." Theresa said softly but with the hint of a whine in her voice.
"Well I'm responsible and I know the town and the area very well so we wouldn't get lost. Do you think your Uncle would let you come if I asked him?"
"Really? You would ask him?"
"Yes, after all, pa says, that gentlemen always ask permission," replied Scott trying to sound braver than he felt. He would be prepared to ask the mercantile owner for permission but the very thought of doing so terrified him.
"Oh Scott, that would be wonderful. Yes I would like to go with you if you can persuade Uncle Sam to let us go. I can cook biscuits and cookies to take with us and I'm sure that Aunt Lucy could help me with putting together a nice picnic."
"Uhm, well OK, I'll ask your Uncle then," Scott said his mouth becoming dry at the thought. Picking up the glass of lemonade, Scott downed it in one long swig. "Well I must be getting along, Theresa; I have to go home to change for work. We have to wear the hotel uniform when on duty. Thank your Aunt for the lemonade will you and it has been lovely to talk to you this morning, I feel I know you a little better now." Scott stood and when Theresa joined him he reach out for her hand, raised it to shoulder level and kissed it gently, just like he has seen gentlemen do so in the hotel.
Theresa blushed bright red, "So you'll speak to Uncle Sam about after church on Sunday?" she asked.
"I will, just as soon as I get the chance. Goodbye Theresa."
"Goodbye Scott." Theresa watched the young man take a few steps across and down from the porch, "thank you for calling on me," she called after him.
Scott stopped on the path, "No thank you for letting me call on you." And with that he returned his cloth cap to his head and he quickly walked down the path and through the gate.
Theresa sat for a few minutes swinging on the swing slowly. A picnic in a meadow outside of town, how lovely. And Scott really is sweet. I really like him but I hope he understands that I like him only as a friend nothing more.
Collecting up the glasses she walked back into the house and found her Aunt doing laundry in a large tub. Lucy looked up when she heard the front door and only saw her niece enter, "Your young man left already?"
"Yes, he's gone home to change into his uniform…Uhm Aunt Lucy…..you remember you said I wasn't to wander off around on my own…"
At that Lucy stopped rubbing the shirt in her hands against the washboard, "Yes…I remember."
"Uhm…well, if I was asked to go on a picnic with someone, would you let me go?"
"Depends on who it was with, I suppose. Wait, did that young man ask you?" Lucy asked her eyebrows raised.
"Yes…. Scott asked if he might take me on a picnic after church on Sunday. "
"Oh well….I don't know….." Lucy said sitting back in her chair.
"Please Aunt Lucy, I'm seventeen now, not a young girl and you did say that you liked Scott. He is a nice young man and I think you can trust him with me and I promise to respect any rules you place on us. Please say yes."
"Huh….I'd like to Theresa, but I'm not sure that your Uncle would approve…."
"What about if Scott asked him directly?" interrupted the 17 year old.
"The boy is going to ask you Uncle directly?"
Theresa nodded her head, "Uh huh, well he said he would. Please Aunt Lucy, if you agreed Uncle Sam will be more agreeable, I know he will." Theresa pleaded, kneeling down beside her Aunt and looking up hopefully.
Unable to resist the wide eyes and the pleading words and face, Lucy agreed. "OK, I'll talk to your Uncle if he mentions it, but only if the boy has been brave enough to ask your Uncle, himself, alright?"
"Yes ma'am, thank you Aunt Lucy."
"You're welcome child," replied Lucy and he placed her hands on the young girls head and leant down and kissed her hair lightly. "Now if you are looking for something to do before you go to the store, then you can help me finish this."
"Oh I will Aunt Lucy, what you would like me to do?" she said excitedly.
Lucy stood up from the chair, "You take over here and I'll wring things through the mangle then when we are finished I will prepare some lunch for you to take to your Uncle."
Theresa sat down in the chair and started scrubbing at the washboard with the clothing whilst her Aunt took the already soaked and washed clothing in the nearby tub and put them through the mangle to squeeze out the water so that the clothes could be put out on the line outside to dry.