Favorite Characters in Ira Bournton (Already!)

Yes, I already have favorite characters--characters that have sort of taken over the story less than four thousand words in.

#1. Cordelia Gaskey
She's the younger sister of Muriel Irene, one of the main characters.  Cordelia is twenty-two, pretty, and very high-spirited.  She is far more outgoing than Muriel Irene, and since she leaves Nanrantsouak Harbor close to the beginning she is not going to be in the book quite as much as Muriel Irene.  But that is my original plan.  Cordelia is the sort of person who would push her way back into the story, so we might be seeing quite a bit of her.

#2. Elizabeth McBride
Elizabeth McBride is the Nanrantsouak Harbor town gossip.  Because her house is directly across the street from the local tavern, there is virtually no sale of alcohol in Nanrantsouak Harbor.  Every husband knows that if he goes into the tavern, his wife will know it inside of three minutes.  In other words, Mrs. McBride is the Mrs. Lind of the story.  But is still like her, even though she has only figured in a few paragraphs so far.  She has a very strong personality, and I do like strong personalities.



#3. Captain Spadey
Known as simply 'Captain' to the residents of Nanrantsouak Harbor, he is the lame owner of the Lady Abigail Inn, and his business is horroble thanks to Elizabeth McBride, who he hates with a passion.  She is, in fact the only person who he hates at all.  Captain was once the master of a large ship, but ever since he broke both of his legs, he has owned the inn and delights in telling tall tales about his younger days to anyone who will listen.  Captain is fond of smoking pipes and not fond of wives, which is why he doesn't have any.  He loves the Lady Abigail Inn, though, and says it is better than any wife, as she won't talk back or make a lot of trouble.  That, according to him, is all women are good for.


I promise you, this is not only a mystery, although that is the biggest plot.  As of now there are about three subplots that sprang up out of nowhere.  This is going to be a lot more complicated than CATT.
And now, for a snippet.

Captain greeted Mr. Gaskey with a short wave of his free hand, while keeping the other firmly attached to the bowl of his pipe.  “I hear ye got the Bidwell place,” he said around the pipe.

            “News travels fast,” said Mr. Gaskey.  “I only just returned from purchasing it.”

            “This is Nanrantsouak Harbor,” said Captain.  “Fast news is the ladies specialty.  Do better at that than their cookin’.”

            “Well, we shall be out from under your roof tomorrow,” said Mr. Gaskey.

            “You goin’ to live at the old Bidwell place?  By tomorry?  Ain’t likely,” huffed Captain, reaching for his canvas tobacco pouch.  “When there ain’t no one livin’ in a place for thirty years, the place don’t just up and take a new family.”  With these cheering words he leaned back in his chair with a long sigh.  “Smoke, Mr. Gaskey?” he offered generously.
~ Ira Bournton

Mr. Gaskey sauntered into the Lady Abigail Inn, a decrepit specimen of an ancient New England tavern in which no one ever stayed.  The mere fact that anyone at all, let alone a family of twelve, had come to the inn, was subject matter to fuel the tongues of the Nanrantsouak Harbor gossips for weeks.  Already the rumor had flown about town on wings of curiosity that the Gaskey family was here to stay.  Everyone with ears knew that the Gaskeys were from Boston, that they had ten children with them, although the oldest was at least twenty-five and therefore was no longer a child but an old maid.  And it was common knowledge among the ladies that Mrs. Gaskey’s dress was in the latest fashion and therefore the Gaskeys must be well-to-do, or at least they once were.  For, on the tail of the all-important subject of Mrs. Gaskey’s dress was the fact that the Gaskeys had come to stay, and that Mr. Gaskey had contacted Mr. Rufer about purchasing some land, and what do you think?  Mr. Gaskey had purchased the Bidwell place.  He must be down on his luck or insane, because those were the only two kinds of people who would purchase the Bidwell place.  Elizabeth McBride, who prided herself on saying things that nobody wanted to hear but must be said anyway, had already taken into her mind to visit Mrs. Gaskey and inform her that the Bidwell place was no place to raise up children, and that she had better tell her husband to move at once to a more suitable environment.  Elizabeth McBride was rehearsing the words in her head when she saw Mr. Gaskey walking up to the Lady Abigail.  The McBride house was across the street from the Lady Abigail, and perhaps that was the only thing that had stopped the business of liquor-selling in Nanrantsouak Harbor.  No husband wanted Elizabeth McBride to see him enter, for his wife was certain to be told about three minutes afterward.  Elizabeth McBride already knew through Imogene Rufer who knew through her little boy Caleb that Mr. Rufer had sold the Bidwell place to Gaskey, and she was watching for him to return to the Lady Abigail, which he did a few minutes after the news reached her. 
~ Ira Bournton

The last snippet is probably the longest paragraph I have ever put into a book.  Do you think it is too long?  Should it be divided into several paragraphs?

Thanks for reading and God bless,