Graciously Ginny (Letters Of Change Series Book 5)(COMPLETED)

Chapter Five

Dedicated to mkcrum

Graciously Ginny

Chapter Five

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Ginny looked over at Gideon as they left the mercantile "I cannot believe he's yet again in the saloon!"

"Ginny, he's a grown man if that's what he wants to do then I don't suppose we can do anything about it... Besides I'm fine in the boardinghouse."

"Gideon, you're my family you should stay in the house!" Ginny said crossing her arms stubbornly "Besides Mr. Clayton isn't being a man, he's being a boy and he needs to know that one mustn't spend their time in such places. One must spend their time with their family."

"Ginny you can't be suggesting we go in and get him."

"Your father used to own a saloon." She said shrugging.

"Yeah with my Ma...Doesn't mean I've been to such an establishment" Gideon said "Besides a saloon is no place for a lady, if you're so set on me staying why don't you just ask him when he gets home? One night in a boardinghouse won't hurt anyone, and it's more than fine with me."

Ginny sighed defeat "Fine." She said in agreement as her own plans started to form in her mind.

"Good, now let me walk you back home." Gideon said offering his arm; she accepted it and began to walk home. "You're different now." He commented suddenly as she realized her thoughts had been elsewhere.

"How so?" she asked looking up at him.

"You've always been quiet... shy even it's like now that you're on your own you've learned to speak for yourself... you've got just as much spirit as Ariel and Lindy but it's in more of a gentle nature."

Ginny nodded "I've noticed it too."

"I don't mean it in a bad way, I like the new you."

Ginny smiled at her cousin, he'd always been one of her favorite cousins not that she'd tell anyone that.

"Thank you Giddy" She said sincerely "One day you'll make someone a great husband."

"I'm not so sure 'bout that. Sure, I'm a good brother- I've had enough practice to be one- But being married is completely different. I'm not sure if I'll ever get married."

"I can relate... after Fergus... after he died I can't imagine marrying anyone else."

They walked the rest of the way home talking about everyone back home, he told her how everyone was doing and how he and Isaac were planning on moving out of their parents' house and moving into a small cabin closer to the mountains. She told him about Wilhelmina and Lorelei along with her new friends- Signilda, Agda, Albert and Bucky.

Once he left, she went through her usual nighttime routine with the girls, only she had no intention of going to bed. She made sure they were asleep before she snuck into Thomas' room. Signilda told her that he kept a rifle in his wardrobe. She made her way towards his room, quietly hoping no one would come looking for her when she didn't join them for coffee and dessert like she had been doing.

She slipped into his room closing the door behind her without so much as a candle in the dying light as she made her way to the large wardrobe. Feeling around in the dark she instantly recognized when she found the rifle, she smiled and made sure to grab bullets before walking towards his window. She had long since noticed that a large tree led to it, when she had asked Wilhelmina about it she'd told her it led to her father's room.

She put the rifle strap over her head, having the gun at her back while she began to climb from the room.

The cold air hit her as soon as she was fully out the window and she regretted not bringing her cloak. She shook it off running towards the town before anyone could catch her. She stopped to catch her breath as soon as the main street came into view.

The sky was a dark blue and she knew it would soon be pitch black out. She took a moment to compose herself before she marched with purpose into the one place, she swore she'd never go too- The saloon. She had to though because she was done with him running off and hiding, she was done with him thinking he didn't have to spend time with his children, they were after all the only family he had.

The piano was being played by someone who was most likely drunk as they slammed on the ivory's playing a loud and off beat song. She could hear men laughing and glasses clinking. She took a deep breath before pushing through the swinging doors. The air was smoke filled so much so that she found it almost impossible to breathe she found her way to the large bar dodging the tables full of men drinking and soiled doves laughing.

"Excuse me sir" she said to the bartender "Can you please tell me where I can find Mr. Clayton."

The man looked surprised to see a woman fully clothed in his bar as he pointed towards a table to the far left. "He's right there, Ma'am."

"Thank you." She said before turning towards the table he had pointed to. Men filled every chair at it, they all held cards in their hands, playing poker more than likely she thought as another thought crossed her mind- Fergus had been doing the same thing before he lost his life.

She shook the thought as she saw Thomas, tapping on his shoulder she held tight to her rifle.

"Miss Wade?" He said shocked, the large grin on his face left completely "What on earth-"

"Get out now" she said firmly "We're going home."

"You can't just waltz in here and threaten to shoot Me." he said standing up, he was a good foot taller than she was but she had a rifle so he didn't scare her.

"Looks like I can, I believe it's time you get home to your daughters don't you?"

A man who had been sitting across the table from Thomas started to laugh and Ginny pointed her rifle right at him "Mr. Norton" she said remembering his name from only hours earlier when she'd met him and his wife at church "I don't think Mrs. Norton would be to king to know her husband spends his Sunday night here now would you?"

"No Ma'am."

"Then I think you should be getting home don't you?"

The man nodded and left the table quickly. She turned her rifle back too Thomas "Let's go now." She said in the same firm tone. When he still didn't move, she stepped forward and grabbed his shirt and pulled him from the saloon.

"Shouldn't you be home with that beau of yours?"

"Beau? Gideon isn't my beau... He's my cousin who just happens to be more like my brother. But what business is it of yours?"

Thomas shrugged, and she let go of his shirt once they were outside. He smelt like he bathed in whiskey and she didn't want to bring home a drunk, she looked past Thomas when a water trough caught her attention. She pointed the rifle right at him realizing she hadn't even put bullets in it, but he was none the wiser to that so she pointed in the direction of the trough.

"Get in."

"You want me to drown myself?" he asked with wide brown eyes realizing what she had pointed too.