LA FAMILLE chapter 19 Getting Ready for Weddings

Elise had to Defend Herself and the Girls
courtesy photobucket.com

 

 After Elise saw Jean and Lucas off, she and the girls got back to the business at hand.

 

Elaina was busy helping Doc Adams for the most part but she had to get in on the preparations when she could get free.  Delores Doc’s other wife, was tied up with the house work and care for the baby along with all the washing and cooking.  

Work on the expanded clinic was concluded which made life a lot easier for all doing of the medical work.  It was now separate from the house allowing them to have a real home.

From time to time Elise would think about Jean and wonder why he went down the river.  Then something would come up and he was forgotten for the moment.

Some of the Indians who were planning to come to the feast said they would bring some meat and cook it the morning of the wedding.  They knew that people were getting “joined” white man style but they were only interested in the feast.  

While Jean always welcomed them, but it was a problem keeping them from getting some of the whiskey.  They loved it but would get too frisky after having some.  It took a lot less to get them high than some of the old trappers.

Jean2 and Phillip had been gone for six days and the girls, Levine and Lesley were getting restless not having them around.  They missed the men grabbing them and the hugging, and kissing.  

 

Another two more days and they should be back with all the stuff they ordered for the dresses and such.  They also will have brought a lot of food stuffs with them.  

The men who worked for Jean regularly had started building a house for Lesley and Jean2.  He said as soon as he got back he would join them and get the house finished.  

Grandfather offered a lot of advice but very little help.  He said he would add his blessing on it when they were ready to move in.

The day before the mule train arrived, two grizzled men came to the fort/post and began demanding whiskey and were pushing people around.  

Then they started pawing Levine and Lesley and trying to kiss them.  

This frightened the girls and Elise tried to get the men to settle down but that just agitated them more.

Then they started in on Elise who told them to back off or else she would make them.  

They just laughed at her and continued to press her.  The larger of the two grabbed her and started to pull at her clothes when she pulled out her knife and stuck it into his eye.  

 

She then slashed the other one across the face.  They both fell to the floor with the other girls kicking them.  

Elise put one knee on the eye stuck one and asked if he wanted to lose the other one. He begged her not to stick him again.  

She told them to stand up and she took them to the doctor where he said, “Damn Elise I don’t need anymore business especially like this man’s eye.”

She said, “You take care of your business and I will take care of mine.”

When she got back to the post the girls were still upset but had stopped crying.  They wondered where the men were.  Elise said, “They are getting patched up and will be leaving as soon as the bleeding stops.”

The next question was, “Where can we get a knife like yours for we don’t like being manhandled like we were?  For awhile we thought those men were going to spoil our wedding night.”

Elise smiled at that and said, “After you’re married and settled down I will give you a knife but having a knife and knowing how to use it are too separate things.  You will have to know how and when to use it.”

For the moment the girls were more excited about the prospects of owing a knife and how to defend themselves than the wedding.”

Just before the brothers arrived Doc told the men they could leave and not to come back unless it looked like gangrene was setting in. as it happened no one saw them again after they left.

Jean2 and Phillip passed the men as they were leaving and asked Grandfather if they got tangled up with a bear and he said, “You might say that.”              

 

To be Continued