With their business concluded, Benjamin gestured Vance to follow him, saying, "By the scent and sound, I'm guessing lunch is ready, set, and the others are awaiting.  You're gonna enjoy this, Mister Hamilton--"

"Vance," the new hire interrupted, wishing they'd just get this settled.  "I insist that you all call me Vance.  Please."

Benjamin glanced back over his shoulder, nodded, and turned back to pick a path through the large ranch house.  "Vance it is, then.  My wife and this cook we hired away from one of the cattle drive operations ... they could make a rock taste so good you'd ask for a second helping."

They were coming around a final corner just in time for Vance to hear Jenny saying...
[quote]..."Won't it be nice to have so many strong men around to protect the ranch?"[/quote]

Vance caught his host looking back over his shoulder with a knowing smile before they entered the massive dining hall.  The long table was already occupied by all of the women save Mabel, who with the cook was still delivering platters and such.  Maxwell was pulling out a chair to sit next to his wife, but Benjamin redirected him, glancing to Lillian and then Vance and gesturing the latter to the seat.  That put Vance directly across the table from the dark haired beauty, with the other two female cousins flanking him on left and right.

"I seem to have the best seat in the house," Vance said, looking between each of the young women with a smile and clarifying, "All the beautiful Stewart women crowded 'round me..."

He glanced to Mabel, who was heading for her chair at one end of the table, opposite her husband at the other, and added with a polite nod, "Of course, 'cept the most beautiful Stewart woman of them all."

There were some giggles and comments and accusations of flattery as Vance sat, and as they were going on Vance looked across the table to Lillian for a long glance, followed with a quiet question included an obvious tone of appreciation, "Have you changed your hair, Lillian?  It's very nice."

Although the inquiry had been meant just for Lillian, it didn't go unnoticed by others...

(OOC:  I'm not going to make comment on the reactions.  You can if you wish.)

"We don't discuss business at the dinner table," Benjamin said from a position behind his seat, adding, "which is the reason I have not yet taken my chair."

He looked around the room with a satisfied smile, then continued, "I am pleased to announce that Mister Hamilton, who, I would like to add, prefers be called Vance..."

Vance nodded his appreciation to the man, then let his eyes shift back to Lillian, hoping she understood that she was not just welcome but encouraged to address him as such, too.

Benjamin continued, "...has agreed to be our night time security agent."

The responses about the table ran from simply happy to overjoyed.

"And, assuming my lovely wife's approval," Benjamin continued, looking to Mabel for an expression of agreement, "Vance will be staying at the Cottage House."

Again, the responses ran from approval to joy.

Again, Vance's eyes turned to Lillian.  He assumed that the beauty lived her at the house, and he'd assumed that the other Stewarts did, as well.  But then, they may have had their own smaller homes on the ranch or even off it for all he knew.  He would attempt to learn more about the living situations through dinner with some casual inquiries, of course.  It was always good to know who might suddenly appear from an opening door while you were trying to get close to a beautiful dark haired temptress.







[/quote]