Eve returned Lola’s nod, quietly shifting towards the kitchen, purposely ignoring Mr. King’s comment as he spoke of the Sherriff’s copious appetite. Though her eyes shifted towards the man in question just long enough to appreciate his masculine form before her attention was captured by Mr. Mysterious.  Inwardly flinching at his loss, Eve moved closer and offered the silent man a charming smile. She smoothed her hand over his chest and leaned in to whisper<strong>”don’t you worry none about that sugar, I’m sure you can still show a girl a good time.”</strong>She let her eyes drop, trailing over his body to rest upon the area to which she was referring before stepping back and moving towards the kitchen. Evelyn moved with grace and confidence, swinging her hips from side to side, making sure to keep her pace slow and easy.<br/><br/>The second she disappeared behind the kitchen's swinging doors, Eve’s relaxed demeanor changed instantly.<strong>”Cookie (http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-d-A86vQRuTg/TzXw83PVhZI/AAAAAAAAAaU/Q3cwvU3WsgQ/s1600/madamcj.jpg)!”</strong>she hissed, bringing her voice down to a level of a desperate whisper<strong>”Cookie!”</strong>Eve called out again before opening the door a crack to peer out at the main floor of the saloon. She scanned the area making a point of tagging each one of Kings men, ensuring that they were not following her.  Turning from the door she went to call for the cook again, however her words were swallowed by a squeak that tumbled from her lips. Shocked to find the very woman she was searching for now standing directly in front of her Evie released the breath she hadn't been aware of holding.<strong>”Heavens woman! Are you trying to put me in an early grave?”</strong>Placing her hands on the older woman’s shoulders, Eve guided her friend away from the door.<br/><br/>“My stars Miss Evie did you see him come in? Bold as brass, slipperier than a snake with eyes as cold as...”<br/><br/><strong>”Yes, yes, very sneaky with eyes as calculating as the devil! All the more reason for us to tread lightly, you hear? Now, here’s what I want you to do!”</strong>With Eve’s hands placed firmly on the cooks shoulders she turned the flustered woman around and gave her a friendly push.<strong>”Fix three plates for the snakes and make sure you don’t skimp on the rations you hear!”</strong>Eve’s lips twitched as Cookie took issue with  Eve’s suggestion that she would ever consider offering less than what was expected.<strong>”I love you Cookie but for the love of all things holy,  please! Go fix the plates!”</strong><br/><br/>As Eve moved around the kitchen she opened and closed the cupboards, pulling out pots and pans and assorted spices while Cookie busied herself with prepping the plates of food. “Whatchew looking fer?” Cookie asked while stabbing a large pot with a spoon and pulling out a ladle full of beans.<strong>”There’s a rat in our house Cookie! What do you do when there’s a rat stalking you land?”</strong>Eve hissed as she narrowed her eyes, bending at the waist in an attempt to see at the back of the lower cupboards.<strong>”You get it before it gets you!”</strong>Eve continued before rising in victory and bumping her head on the top of the cupboard.<strong>” Dang it!”</strong>Eve snapped as she backed out carefully, rubbing her head and wincing at the throbbing pain.<br/><br/>Cookie moved quickly across the kitchen, grabbing at a clean towel in her haste. She submerged the cloth into a bucket of cold water and squeezed the excess clear before placing it on the blonde’s crown. “You caint kill him Miss Evie. What would Miss Lola say?”  Evelyn’s temper began to lessen, bringing a strange calmness about her. She looked into Cookies kind, dark eyes and smiled.<strong>”I wasn’t plannin’ on killin’ him Cookie, I just planned on making him sicker than a dog. Besides, it looks like we are clean out of Red Squill.”</strong><br/><br/>Cookie sighed with relief “I’m sorry Miss Evie, I used it all on that nasty rat that’s been helping himself.” Secretly she knew of a cupboard that held more of the rat poison, known to kill the rat by paralyzing its heart. The taste was very bitter and would have certainly caused awareness that something was amiss, however unlike arsenic, red squill was a natural cause of vomiting. King and his men wouldn’t have died, but with any luck they just might have wished they had.  Evelyn sighed and gave the cook a warm hug.<strong>”It’s fine Cookie. It was probably a bad idea. Knowing my luck King would have had me taste his food before he ate it anyway. The bastard!”</strong>Still holding the empty bottle of red squill and opting to leave the kitchen cupboards a mess, Evelyn moved along with Cookie towards the wooden table that held the three plates of food.<strong>”Better get some coffee to wash it down with, and I’ll need a tray.”</strong>