"And here," Madam Valerie said, moving behind her. "Here's a dress you might want to slip into. There are a lot of beautiful girls here in my home. It might take some doing to make you as presentable. But this dress might help."
Eugenia's eyes discovered a green satin dress draped across Madam Valerie's arms. She felt her heart begin to pound harder, remembering her dreams of wearing such a dress. And now? So soon? Just as she entered this town? It didn't seem possible. "For me?" she sighed, touching the coolness of it against her fingertips.
"I hope once we get your middle trimmed down, and the red from the face, we can depend on you to pull in many customers."
A shadow erased the smile from Eugenia's face. "Customers? What do you mean?" she asked, in a near whisper.
Madam Valerie laughed loudly, walking toward the door. "You'll see, darling. You'll see." Then she turned back in the direction of Eugenia. "Now you be quiet taking your bath. Most of my girls are still sleeping. They don't start their day until afternoon."
"Your girls? You have children?"
"Yes, I have seven… children," Madam Valerie said, laughing even louder. "Now get on with you. Relax in the bath, then when you get out, you'll find food waiting for you here in this room."
"Yes, ma'am. This is all too kind of you."
Eugenia was glad to be left alone. There was something about Madam Valerie that bothered her. Eugenia was wondering if she was being foolish to trust Madam Valerie. But she did appear to be a lady. Surely Eugenia could trust her. Maybe Madam Valerie could even teach Eugenia how to become a lady. After all, that was the main reason for having come to Cripple Creek.
Walking slowly around the room, Eugenia couldn't keep her fingers from touching the lavishness of it all. Then her eyes settled on a hassock by the bed, and its hand-embroidered cover. It reminded her of the many embroidered pictures that hung in her parents' home, making her grow homesick. But she couldn't allow herself to begin to feel the loss of home. She had to make it on her own. And this day was the beginning of the rest of her life. She had to make it a day that she would never forget. She had to make herself presentable now to be able to see the lady. She went and stood before the pier glass that was set into the door of the wardrobe, wondering if she could ever make herself presentable again. She was surely a sight to see. With trembling fingers, she began to remove the pins from her hair, letting the braids fall limply across her shoulders then twisting and turning them until they were strands of red laying around her face.
She searched inside her travel bag and pulled from it clean underwear, her hairbrush, and combs her Papa had made for her. She knew that this would be a perfect time to wear them, along with the beautiful dress that she had been given to wear. With all these things crowding her arms, she made her way down the long hallway, looking on each side of her at the many closed doors behind which Madam Valerie's children were sleeping. She had to wonder how old the children were and how this Madam Valerie could take care of so many. There had been no signs of a husband anywhere. But she scoffed to herself, thinking that he was surely out with all the rest of the men digging for the precious gold.
Upon entering the bathroom Eugenia's eyes widened once again. It was a beautiful small room—the first bathroom that she had ever seen, let alone been given the opportunity to use. The first thing that held her fascination was the toilet. An actual toilet! She had only seen outdoor privies up to this time. She saw a chain hanging from a porcelain bowl above the toilet. She slowly reached upward and pulled the chain down.
"For goodness' sake," she murmured as she watched water swirling around in the toilet bowl below her, then jumped back when a loud gurgling noise erupted from the depths of the toilet as the water level lowered and was sucked from inside the bowl.
Afraid that she had possibly damaged the toilet by pulling this mysterious chain, Eugenia sighed with relief when she saw water beginning to rise in the toilet bowl once again. She rushed away from the toilet and went to the wash basin. She ran her fingers slowly around the inside of it, marveling at its smoothness. It was made of granite, with solid gold handles. She put a finger to one of these handles and slowly turned it, watching the water pour freely from it. No pumping it, like she had to do at the sink in the kitchen in her parents' home. She turned the other handle and was amazed when hot water began to run across the palm of her hands, almost burning them. "My, oh, my," she sighed, knowing that the large tub stretched out beside her most surely had such hot water also. How nice it would be to not have to heat the water in a teakettle before bathing, as she had always done while living at home.
Hurriedly, she began to remove her clothes, until she stood nude beside the tub, watching it fill with water. Gingerly, she placed first a toe inside it, then stepped carefully into it, closing her eyes, sighing deeply. It was heavenly. Then as she sat herself down, her eyes found a large bottle sitting on the edge of the tub. She picked it up and unscrewed the lid from it and inhaled deeply of a fragrance similar to the air that she had left behind at her parents' homestead. It was so fresh and sweet, just inviting her to pour some into the water. As she did so, she watched its rich oils swirl around her legs and breasts, making them glisten. Then she took up a bar of pink soap fancier than any soap that her Mama had ever made. Yes, it was nothing like the homemade soap that she had always been used to. This soap was in the shape of a nude woman, and its fragrance crept up into her nose, making her breathe more deeply. When she began to run this soap over her body, she felt as though she was surely dreaming. Nothing on earth could feel so good. And the aromas of the soap and the bath oil were clinging to her, surrounding her in the continued aroma of country wild flowers. She could feel her aching muscles and bones relaxing one by one.
A sudden noise behind Eugenia made her turn with a start. The door opened, revealing a girl who looked to be Eugenia's own age, but painted heavily on the face just like the girls that she had seen earlier. This girl didn't seem to mind that Eugenia was sitting in the tub. She just came on into the room, attired in only a thin strip of black silk clinging in folds across her well-shaped body.
The girl yawned and stretched her arms above her head revealing the sharp peaks of her breasts more prominently as they pushed against the black silk.
"So you're a new girl, huh?" the girl asked, raising her attire, plopping down on the toilet seat.
Eugenia was startled by this stranger's boldness. Then her mind absorbed what the girl had just said. New girl? She didn't know what this girl was talking about. She dipped her body beneath the suds, knowing the girl was eyeing her nude body much too closely. "I've only stopped by for a bite to eat," she said. "And Madam Valerie was nice enough to let me have a bath. And she even loaned me one of her dresses."
The girl's laugh echoed through the room, as she threw her head back, making her red curls bob up and down on her shoulders. "I see," she said, getting more control of herself, but continuing to smile. And Eugenia could see that it wasn't a pleasant smile, but a mocking one. She just couldn't understand why.
"Please leave me alone to my bath," Eugenia pleaded, not liking this girl's presence at all. And she was embarrassed that this girl was relieving her bladder right in front of her. Eugenia had even heard her pee splash into the water below her. She knew that she could never like this girl. She even looked hard around the eyes. As though life had been cruel to her somehow. One thing she knew for sure, this girl couldn't be one of Madam Valerie's daughters. She would have expected Madam Valerie's daughters to show some signs of class about them. The house had openly spoken "class" when she had entered. Surely this painted-up person had only just stayed the night for some reason. Maybe Madam Valerie had been just as nice to this girl as she was being to her.
"Sure, doll," the girl laughed. "Take your time. You'll find out soon enough that time is one thing you'll have plenty of while living in this joint."
"I'm not goin' to live here," Eugenia said stubbornly. "I'm just gettin' a meal in my stomach and restin' my
bones awhile before headin' on my way."
"Uh huh," the girl said, rising from the toilet. "Tell me about it. I've heard it all before."
Eugenia was relieved when the girl slammed the door behind her, leaving Eugenia alone with her frustrated thoughts. Something just didn't seem right here. Maybe she had made a mistake accepting this generosity from a complete stranger. This girl had made it sound so wrong somehow. But, shrugging it off, she completed her bath and stepped out onto the softness of a braided rug, wanting to hurry and get back into the bedroom so she could get some food inside her stomach. That was all that was important now. The bath had made her feel more refreshed, but hadn't filled the gap in her aching abdomen. It had even increased her feeling of lightheadedness. She couldn't even take the time to brush her hair or pull the beautiful dress over her head. She would do that later.
She crept out of the bathroom, attired in only her petticoat, her eyes searching all around her. Then when she found that she was alone, she hurried to the room that had been so generously opened to her. The sight of the steaming cup of coffee and tray of eggs, toast, and bacon made her toss the dress aside onto a chair, and drop her hairbrush and combs to the floor.
With a growling stomach, she began to scoop the food into her mouth and took a deep swallow of coffee. She coughed frantically, spewing it all out of her mouth. The coffee was so bitter it made her tongue curl. But being so thirsty, she tried another swallow and found that it proceeded on down her throat with more ease.
She continued to eat and drink until all signs of food and coffee were gone. She had never been so hungry in all her life. But now she was ready to leave this house to go exploring, to see what lay ahead of her.
Eyeing the satin dress draped across the chair, she longed to slip it over her head. But she knew that once she left this house, it couldn't go with her. No. She had to put on her own cotton dress. One that was fresh and wrapped neatly inside her travel bag. But first things first. She had to get the "witch's knots" out of her hair. She had to brush it, make it shine once again. And she wouldn't braid it. She would leave it draped across her shoulders in case she happened to find Drew. He preferred her hair let out. She would never forget his touch…
Bending over to pick up her hairbrush from the floor, Eugenia felt a sweep of blackness rush before her eyes. She staggered and leaned limply against the bed. She jerked her head around her. Everything seemed to be one big blur. She shook her head, trying to clear the fuzziness, but found that she only had the strength to stretch herself across the bed. She felt herself drifting off into a deep sleep, wanting to fight it, to stay awake, not understanding what was happening, but she couldn't. Suddenly, it felt so good, as though she was floating above herself…
* * *
Chapter Three
The sound of distant laughter awakened Eugenia, but only into a hazy existence. She could see a body lowering down over her, then she smiled and spoke. "Drew? Is that you?"
She closed her eyes once again as this male body covered hers and returned the kiss from this mouth pressing hers with force. "Oh, Drew," she murmured, reaching upward to run her hands across the smoothness of this male's back. "I didn't think I would ever find you."
The mouth had worked lower and was flicking a tongue over one breast and then another, making Eugenia's mind swim even more. She could even hear herself moaning deeply as she arched her back upward to urge this mouth downward until she felt the wetness of a tongue between her outstretched thighs. "Oh, it feels so good, Drew. Please don't stop," she said, pressing her hands against this male's head. His hands were reaching upward to cup her breasts while continuing to wet her thighs with more flicks of his tongue.
"It's so good, Drew," she panted, trembling, feeling the pleasure sweeping over her like another splash of bath oil against her throbbing skin. Then she threw her legs around this male's body as he entered her swift and sure, lunging hard, over and over again, until she could feel his body being wracked in spasms to match her own. She began to cry with joy, remembering how the exact feelings had encompassed her the first time Drew had entered her. She was now more of a woman than she could ever wish for. And she had him with her once again.
As she felt him pull away from her, her eyes opened, the haziness now reduced to only a shimmer. She gasped loudly when she saw a stranger standing beside the bed that she had just been taken to heights of pleasure on. A stranger who in no way resembled Drew. A stranger who was busy pulling his breeches up, not even looking her way.
Feeling confused, scared, degraded, and used, she began to sob frantically. "Who are you? Why are you here? Who let you into this room?" she yelled.
The man laughed sarcastically. "You're askin' me that?" he blurted, slipping a white, lace-trimmed shirt on. "What kind of game is this, lady? You acted like you knew what you were doin'."
Eugenia reached for the sides of the bedspread and pulled them up over her, now fully aware that she was completely disrobed. "How did this happen to me?" she continued, her eyes traveling around her. The last thing she could remember was eating the breakfast food and drinking the coffee that had been so generously given to her by Madam Valerie.
"You'd best talk to the madam," the man said, his mustache hiding the lines of his mouth. But it was evident that the lines around his eyes had deepened with worry, most surely now understanding that he had just taken a woman who hadn't been fully aware of her situation.
"I thought you were someone else," Eugenia said, still sobbing, feeling her heart aching, knowing that she had just had sex with another stranger, but this time with one she hadn't truly wanted to have sex with.
With hat in hand, the man turned and started to hurry from the room but turned and smiled again, looking back in Eugenia's direction. "I don't know who the hell you thought you were in bed with, lady," he said. "But I'll tell you one damned thing. You're one good lay. Madam Valerie ought to keep you around. Would be good for business."
Eugenia tossed her body around to get her face away from this man's leering eyes. She couldn't stand the knowing. She couldn't stand the thought of what had just happened. She let her insides go limp when she heard the door slam behind him. She had to figure out how such a thing could have happened. And how it shamed her to remember having enjoyed it to such an extent. But, she hoped, the only reason she had was because while in her drugged stupor she had thought it was Drew doing those fantastic things to her body.
With desperation seizing her, Eugenia jumped from the bed and went to the door. One turn of the knob, and it was apparent that someone had just locked her in. She began to scream. "Let me out of here. Why are you doing this to me?" But there was no response. All she could hear was loud boisterous music rising from the downstairs area and soft laughter coming from somewhere across the hall from the room she was in.
Turning, her eyes swept over the room. Her hair brush and combs were lying next to each other on the vanity, and her dress was placed neatly across a chair next to the green satin one. With quick, jerky steps, she hurried and began to slip her dress over her head when she heard the door open behind her. She stopped and swung around, holding the dress in front of her to hide her nudity. "It's you," she gasped, eyeing Madam Valerie. Madam Valerie didn't look at all like she had earlier in the day. She was now attired in a sweeping dress of red velvet, and under the dim lighting of a gas light on the wall beside her, it looked as if the makeup had done a fairly good job of hiding her wrinkles. And her hair; it was in a neat pile of curls on the top of her head, making her appear almost beautiful. But the hard stare of her eyes took away from all of this. Eugenia cringed when Madam Valerie walked toward her, lifting her skirt up, revealing black patent-leather three inch heels.
"Joe just paid you a high compliment, dearie," Madam Valerie said, lifting a strand of Eugenia's hair from her shoulders. "He said you could be really good for my business." Then Eugenia could feel Madam Valerie's eyes move downward. Eugenia couldn't stop her from jerking the dress away from her. "I gues
s he likes his women plump," Madam Valerie added. "We've got to do something about that thick waistline. Maybe not feed you for a few days. That could rid you of a few pounds. Don't you think so?"
"What do you mean? I'm leaving here. Now!" Eugenia shouted.
"And your boobs. They're beauts. Just think how much more they'll be noticed if you get a thin waistline. Yes. I have many plans for you, my dear."
Eugenia stepped back, stumbling over a chair. "Didn't you hear me?" she shouted. "I'm leavin' this horrid place." She reached down to pick her dress up but was stopped when Madam Valerie's foot dropped heavily on it.
"You're not going anywhere," Madam Valerie hissed.
"Why? What kind of woman are you? You can't hold me here against my will."
"Sure I can. And in time you'll be glad I did," Madam Valerie said, picking up the green satin dress, holding it before Eugenia's eyes. "See this dress?" she said, running a hand over it. "You could wear dresses made of the finest silks and satins if you stay here with me. And you have no family waiting. Why not be one of my girls?"
"One of… your girls?" Eugenia gasped.
Madam Valerie laughed raucously. "Yes. One of my girls. Did you really think these girls were my daughters? You are a naive one. Even that quality will attract the men to my house. Even more so than to any of my other girls."
"What kind of place are you running here?" Eugenia fumed, her heart throbbing against her chest.
"I run the finest parlor in this town. I'm known for my taste in the girls I house here. All men come here. Even some of the most high-class gents."
"You're disgusting," Eugenia said, feeling a sickness at the pit of her stomach.
"You'd even enjoy some of my gentlemen friends," Madam Valerie continued. "Now take that gent who runs the Cripple Creek Train Depot. He's willing to pay the highest price for what he asks of a woman. We always look forward to him calling on us."
Eugenia's Embrace Page 4
