Katherine "Kissin' Kate" Barlow (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
ikissdhimbck) wrote2008-08-25 02:20 am
ikissdhimbck) wrote2008-08-25 02:20 am
Entry tags:
Night class, the day after the town picnic
"Evenin', Katherine."
Trout sidled up to the desk at the head of the classroom as the rest of the night school attendees filed out of the building. He grinned at her, two gold teeth glinting from the corner of his mouth.
Katherine hardly looked away from her papers. "Good evening, Mr. Walker."
"You enjoy the picnic?"
She winced slightly. It was polite enough conversation, but she understood the implications hidden behind the simple question. The women in town had been tittering all day, asking her when she expected her young friend to be back, and when she politely informed them that he planned on heading west, they would cluck at her and tell her to send him their regards. Doc's visit had been quite the little scandal.
"It was a fine party," she replied with a taut smile, turning to wipe down the blackboard.
"I saw you 'round town with that pretty little beau," Trout leered, sitting on the edge of her desk.
"He's an old acquaintance from school. Just passing through on his way to San Francisco."
Trout shrugged, that slick grin still on his face. "You best be careful, Kate, lest people start to talk. More'n they are already, that is."
She was quiet as she finished cleaning the blackboard.
Let them talk.
She didn't look at him when she turned back to finish straightening her desk. "I appreciate the word of caution, Mr. Walker."
Trout Walker was the son of the richest man in the county. His family owned half of the lake, and, despite his personality, he was decent-looking. Most people in Green Lake expected Miss Katherine would marry Trout Walker one day. It seemed a sensible match.
But Katherine wasn't exactly known for going along with the opinions of the majority.
Unfortunately for her, he was used to getting whatever he wanted. And at the moment, his attention was focused on her. Not that anyone could blame him; night school was filled with young men who were more interested in the teacher than in getting an education. But they never got more than an education.
"I was wondering..." He paused to suck on his teeth. "How'd you like to take a ride on my new boat this Saturday?"
"No, thank you."
"It's a brand-new boat. You don't even have to row it."
Katherine was becoming impatient. "Yes, I know."
He shifted, leaning on the heels of his palms. It won him a brief glance as he dipped into her line of vision.
"Come now, Miss Katherine," he chuckled. "How often do you get the opportunity to take a ride on one of them new steamboats?"
He reached out a single finger, running it along the top of Katherine's hand. She snatched it away.
"No thank you, Mr. Walker." She slid from behind her desk to attend to straightening the empty desks.
As she tried to move past, he grabbed her arm. "Hey, girl!" he barked, fingers bruising into her soft flesh.
Katherine winced. The schoolhouse was empty save for the two of them, and her heartbeat was racing as she stared him down—an impressive feat, considering she was a good seven inches shorter than him.
"What, you prefer the company of that dandy? Is that it?"
"Kindly remove your hand from me!" She ripped her arm from his grip, and it throbbed as blood pulsed beneath the tender skin. "I believe my personal life is none of your concern."
Despite the late hour, the voices of some of Katherine's students — Trout's friends — could be heard outside the open schoolhouse door.
Katherine tried to move towards the exit, but Trout was on her heels.
"Now, don't be like that, honey."
He stepped around her small frame, cornering her by the desk just inside the entrance. He smiled sweetly, but it just looked like he was leering again.
"We're just talking one little boat ride. Once or twice around the lake. Maybe a little picnic for two?"
It took a few deep breaths before Katherine could calm the beating of her heart. She wanted to reach up and slap him, but she wasn't a fool. Her eyes were frigid as she stared up at him, but she kept her tone civil.
"No thank you, Mr. Walker."
It was barely a whisper this time.
"No one," Trout hissed, pointing a finger at her, "ever says 'no' to Charles Walker!"
"I believe I just did."
His features darkened.
"Onions! Get your hot, sweet onions!"
They both jumped at the unexpected voice coming from the street.
"Get your onions, right here!"
"The hell, onion man? You any idea what hour it is?"
"It's so dark you can't e'en see 'im standing out there!"
She listened dumbly to the voices outside the schoolhouse, shocked and relieved when Trout backed off. He looked out the open door, then at Katherine, and with a grunt he grabbed his coat and stormed out of the schoolhouse.
Heartbeat raging and arm still throbbing, she didn't move for a long minute. The voices outside could still be heard, causing what Green Lake might consider a scene as still other voices joined in from surrounding homes and businesses.
When they finally faded, she moved into the doorway.
Sam was out in the middle of the road with Mary Lou, his donkey, and his cart of onions. He was looking straight inside the schoolhouse, straight at her, and when he caught her eye, he nodded.
"Oh, Sam," she whispered, realization dawning. He smiled warmly, nodding once more.
She mouthed a 'thank you' as he and Mary Lou moved on, and resolved in her heart to repay him someday.
If she could.
.
Trout sidled up to the desk at the head of the classroom as the rest of the night school attendees filed out of the building. He grinned at her, two gold teeth glinting from the corner of his mouth.
Katherine hardly looked away from her papers. "Good evening, Mr. Walker."
"You enjoy the picnic?"
She winced slightly. It was polite enough conversation, but she understood the implications hidden behind the simple question. The women in town had been tittering all day, asking her when she expected her young friend to be back, and when she politely informed them that he planned on heading west, they would cluck at her and tell her to send him their regards. Doc's visit had been quite the little scandal.
"It was a fine party," she replied with a taut smile, turning to wipe down the blackboard.
"I saw you 'round town with that pretty little beau," Trout leered, sitting on the edge of her desk.
"He's an old acquaintance from school. Just passing through on his way to San Francisco."
Trout shrugged, that slick grin still on his face. "You best be careful, Kate, lest people start to talk. More'n they are already, that is."
She was quiet as she finished cleaning the blackboard.
Let them talk.
She didn't look at him when she turned back to finish straightening her desk. "I appreciate the word of caution, Mr. Walker."
Trout Walker was the son of the richest man in the county. His family owned half of the lake, and, despite his personality, he was decent-looking. Most people in Green Lake expected Miss Katherine would marry Trout Walker one day. It seemed a sensible match.
But Katherine wasn't exactly known for going along with the opinions of the majority.
Unfortunately for her, he was used to getting whatever he wanted. And at the moment, his attention was focused on her. Not that anyone could blame him; night school was filled with young men who were more interested in the teacher than in getting an education. But they never got more than an education.
"I was wondering..." He paused to suck on his teeth. "How'd you like to take a ride on my new boat this Saturday?"
"No, thank you."
"It's a brand-new boat. You don't even have to row it."
Katherine was becoming impatient. "Yes, I know."
He shifted, leaning on the heels of his palms. It won him a brief glance as he dipped into her line of vision.
"Come now, Miss Katherine," he chuckled. "How often do you get the opportunity to take a ride on one of them new steamboats?"
He reached out a single finger, running it along the top of Katherine's hand. She snatched it away.
"No thank you, Mr. Walker." She slid from behind her desk to attend to straightening the empty desks.
As she tried to move past, he grabbed her arm. "Hey, girl!" he barked, fingers bruising into her soft flesh.
Katherine winced. The schoolhouse was empty save for the two of them, and her heartbeat was racing as she stared him down—an impressive feat, considering she was a good seven inches shorter than him.
"What, you prefer the company of that dandy? Is that it?"
"Kindly remove your hand from me!" She ripped her arm from his grip, and it throbbed as blood pulsed beneath the tender skin. "I believe my personal life is none of your concern."
Despite the late hour, the voices of some of Katherine's students — Trout's friends — could be heard outside the open schoolhouse door.
Katherine tried to move towards the exit, but Trout was on her heels.
"Now, don't be like that, honey."
He stepped around her small frame, cornering her by the desk just inside the entrance. He smiled sweetly, but it just looked like he was leering again.
"We're just talking one little boat ride. Once or twice around the lake. Maybe a little picnic for two?"
It took a few deep breaths before Katherine could calm the beating of her heart. She wanted to reach up and slap him, but she wasn't a fool. Her eyes were frigid as she stared up at him, but she kept her tone civil.
"No thank you, Mr. Walker."
It was barely a whisper this time.
"No one," Trout hissed, pointing a finger at her, "ever says 'no' to Charles Walker!"
"I believe I just did."
His features darkened.
"Onions! Get your hot, sweet onions!"
They both jumped at the unexpected voice coming from the street.
"Get your onions, right here!"
"The hell, onion man? You any idea what hour it is?"
"It's so dark you can't e'en see 'im standing out there!"
She listened dumbly to the voices outside the schoolhouse, shocked and relieved when Trout backed off. He looked out the open door, then at Katherine, and with a grunt he grabbed his coat and stormed out of the schoolhouse.
Heartbeat raging and arm still throbbing, she didn't move for a long minute. The voices outside could still be heard, causing what Green Lake might consider a scene as still other voices joined in from surrounding homes and businesses.
When they finally faded, she moved into the doorway.
Sam was out in the middle of the road with Mary Lou, his donkey, and his cart of onions. He was looking straight inside the schoolhouse, straight at her, and when he caught her eye, he nodded.
"Oh, Sam," she whispered, realization dawning. He smiled warmly, nodding once more.
She mouthed a 'thank you' as he and Mary Lou moved on, and resolved in her heart to repay him someday.
If she could.
.