The woman laughed and her voice was hard and sarcastic. Well, I certainly didn’t think you were applying for anything else! You look like a governess—all drab and prim. What’s your name.”
S—Sylvia Jones.”
Miss Jones, have you asked about this place?”
She wasn’t quite sure what to say but she wasn’t a good liar. Basically, Silver was an honest person. Frankly yes, I did.”
But you came anyway?” The other woman looked amused as she leaned back in her chair.
I need a position,” Silver said with as much dignity as she could muster.
You must! The last two quit before a week was out.” The other woman laughed and drummed her nails on the desk. The light reflected off her rings and bracelets. Expensive baubles, Silver thought. If there was anything she knew, it was good jewelry.
Silver looked her in the eye. Is the child that difficult?”
The woman laughed again. I like you, Miss Jones, I find you very amusing! You’ll find my daughter sweet, I’m sure. It’s just that the Palace is not the sort of place prim governessess feel at home in. It’s not even the sort of place a Duchess from Seville should feel at home in.”
Silver looked around. The office with its gaudy Victorian furnishings and big, black safe behind the desk reminded her of the Velvet Kitten. I would not be expected to mix with the other employees, would I?”
Of course not! I’m looking for a person who can teach my daughter all the proper things to do. I never had those opportunities myself. Later I’d like to send Waanibe back east to school. Maybe she’ll marry into society and they need never know how her fortune was made.”
It’s commendable that you’re so ambitious for your child,” Silver said. I hope your husband shares your—”
I am not married,” the Duchess cut her off icily. Whatever I have, whatever I give my child, I did all alone, with no help from anyone, least of all her father.”
Silver wasn’t quite sure what to say, although she knew the feeling. Another saloon girl who had succumbed to a man’s promises. Here but for the grace of God...
Miss Jones, you have an Eastern accent. I assume you aren’t from this area originally?”
She wasn’t about to tell where she was from. The Duchess must have little experience if she thought an Illinois accent sounded Eastern.” I suppose you could call my former home Eastern.’”
The Duchess looked impressed. A real Eastern governess for Waanibe. Can you take her in hand, teach her about etiquette and being a lady, all the things she needs to know if she is to move up in the world?”
I’ll do my best,” Silver answered truthfully. What she knew of etiquette and proper manners, she had learned while she lived in Elmer Neeley’s imposing home. I can also teach her some of the basics like reading.”
More than anything, she needs a companion. I’m mostly busy with running the Palace and don’t have time for her.”
Mothers who care can always take the time,” Silver said without thinking.
The Duchess glared at her coldly. Let’s get one thing straight, Miss Jones. I love my daughter because she is all I have to remember of the great love of my life. I’m not the motherly type. Besides, business is very competitive and Big Ed Chase and his saloon, the Arcadia are my biggest competition in every way. He thinks he can run me out because I’m a woman.”
It is hard to survive in a man’s world, isn’t it?”
Especially in my case,” the Duchess said. I know what they whisper behind my back, but I assure you I’m of the Spanish nobility. I came here during the first boom days of late fall of ’58 with two hundred and fifty dollars, and I opened the Palace.”
Silver thought the Duchess had the hardest eyes she had ever seen. Here was a woman who would let nothing stop her from getting what she wanted. You seem to have been very successful.”
The other woman played with her rings. I’ve struggled and fought my way to the top, no matter what I had to do to get there. My daughter will be able to move up and do and be what I never could. Someday Waanibe will move in the best circles if she’s properly trained and my hard-earned money will see that she gets there!”
I’ll do the very best I can.” Silver suddenly felt very sorry for the little girl. She wasn’t quite sure how she felt about the hard, ambitious mother. She reminded Silver a little of her own mother, reliving her own dreams through a child.
I believe you would.” The Duchess looked at her a long moment, turning her expensive rings over and over on her brown fingers. If you would like the job, it’s yours. The salary is twice what I’m told I should expect to pay a governess and you have a very nice room down the hall from the nursery.”
Silver hesitated. She didn’t want to worry about some drunken cowboy or soldier coming along the upstairs hall, mistaking her for one of the whores. Are the girls on that wing?”
The Duchess glared at her. Of course not! I don’t want my daughter associated with them. That’s why as soon as she’s old enough, I’m going to send her away to school. But of course, if the war continues for many years, that may be a problem. The girls are on the opposite end of the hall. My daughter thinks they are just dancers and entertainers, which in a sense, they are.” She smiled thinly as she stood up. Now would you like to meet your new charge?”
Certainly.”
The woman motioned for Silver to follow and went through the side door of her office, yellow satin skirts rustling. Silver followed her, carrying her valise. They were in an ornate bedroom full of Victorian furnishings, tassels, and velvet. On the dresser was a jewelry box, the jewelry scattered across the top of the dresser.
The Duchess frowned, stopped to pick the baubles up, put them back in the box, and closed it. Waanibe loves my jewelry and I just can’t keep her from playing in it. Like mother, like daughter, I suppose.” She looked up quickly at Silver. Of course, it’s not really fine jewelry.”
Of course,” Silver said, wondering why the Duchess lied. Silver knew good jewelry when she saw it, even though she no longer owned any. Perhaps the woman thought if anyone realized it was real, she might be robbed, even by her own girls. Maybe like Silver, the precious ornaments were her security that would finance her for a while if something ever happened to the Palace.
Well, my daughter’s obviously been here, judging from the jewelry. Let’s look in the nursery.” She led the way through an opposite adjoining door into a large room decorated for a little girl. It looked as if no expense had been spared. As Silver watched, a small dark head popped out of the toy box.
Waanibe, you little rascal! I’ve been looking for you!”
The Duchess pulled a sturdy little girl who looked two or three years old out of the pile of toys. I’ve got someone who wants to meet you. Say hello to Miss Sylvia, who’ll be looking after you from now on.”
Silver smiled and held out her hand to the little girl. The child peered at her shyly. She was sturdy, ebony-eyed, and dark-skinned as a half-breed. Her black hair was done up in braids across the top of her head. ’Lo, Silvery.”
The Duchess frowned at Silver. Perhaps you would prefer she call you Miss Jones?”
No, Silvery is fine with me. Come here, Waanibe.” She held out her arms.
The mother handed the child over with what seemed a sigh of relief to Silver. I really don’t have time to be bothered with her. You two will eat together and stay out of the way up here on this wing.”
Yes, ma’am,” Silver said. She hugged the little girl to her, noticing she had a birthmark on one of her chubby fingers. Waanibe and I will be great friends. That’s an unusual name. Is it foreign?”
The Duchess frowned. I suppose you could say that. It means Singing Wind. Do the best you can to keep Wannie out of my way, Miss Jones, and turn her into a young lady. I keep thinking that someday her father might return, if not for me, maybe if he ever hears about her.”
Silver waited for the woman to go on but the Duchess seemed to be lost in thought. It dawned on her the
n that the Duchess didn’t care much about the child at all and, small as she was, the child sensed it. Could I see my room now?”
Waanibe smiled. Go see Silvery’s room, too.”
Silver put the child down, but the lonely little girl grabbed her hand. The Duchess led Silver, the toddler still clinging to her hand, through the nursery into a spacious bedroom done up in pale aquas and turquoise. It was a cheery room with pretty, dainty furnishings. Someone besides the Duchess must have furnished it—maybe the last governess. Oh, this is lovely!”
Not quite fancy enough for my taste,” the Duchess said, but I’m sure a prim thing like you feels right at home here.” She played with a bracelet impatiently. It appeared to Silver that the woman had already spent more time on this governess thing than she had wanted to.
It’s fine.” Silver smiled down at the child hanging on to her hand. I think Wannie and I will be great friends. We’ll build castles out of blocks and I’ll read you stories.”
Waanibe’s dark eyes were as bright as a chipmunks. Silvery have rings and bracelets to play with?”
No, sorry, afraid not.” She thought of the gold nugget bracelet. Maybe in a week or so, she’d have enough money to buy it back—if the store owner didn’t sell it first.
The Duchess said, Just keep Wannie out of my things and away from the business. That’s the main thing.”
She turned and left the pair standing in the bedroom.
The Duchess felt nothing but relief as she returned to her office and settled herself again behind her ledger books. The new governess looked acceptable and might have been pretty—if she didn’t dress so mousy and wear her hair like an old maid, along with those serviceable shoes and thick glasses. Somewhere along the way, the girl had had smallpox; the telltale scars were on her face, but they were few and tiny. Actually they were hardly noticeable at all. She couldn’t tell anything about the rest of Miss Jones in that frumpy dress; not that such things mattered in a governess. It was just that the Duchess was used to assessing other women for their marketability to cowboys and soldiers.
She sat down behind her big desk, nibbled on the end of her ledger pen, and sighed. Iron Knife. He was never very far from her mind. She had loved him as she had never loved another man, although she had slept with many besides the big Cheyenne half-breed. In fact, within a day or so of the time she had seduced the Cheyenne, she had been raped by a big, ugly white scout. She smiled. She’d gotten even with the scout, though—she’d knocked him unconscious and robbed him. That was back in the fall of ’58. The scout’s money had financed the opening of the Palace. Ever since then, she had been on her own, scheming in every way she could to be rich and successful. She had not seen either of the two men since. For a while, she had been afraid the scout would search her out, and take revenge. But it had been three years and he had never turned up. She hoped he was dead, and not an easy death either.
But the half-breed Cheyenne was something else. She lived for the day that he would finally hear about his daughter and come to Denver. Maybe he would even leave that white girl he loved. Certainly the white girl didn’t love him the way she did. Too bad the child had not been a son. No warrior could look with disfavor on a woman who had given him a son.
Waanibe. Singing Wind. It was the Duchess’s own language. She loved the child only because she was Iron Knife’s and because someday he might return for the two of them. When he did, Waanibe would be pretty and well mannered, know how to dress and talk the way high-born white girls did. She would dangle his daughter as bait to keep him. In the meantime, the Palace was running up great profits. The Duchess turned and stared at the big black safe on the floor behind her desk. Money was power and she never intended to be without either again. Nothing in the world mattered to her as much as her priceless jewelry and the money in her safe. Except the big Cheyenne half-breed she had seduced.
She looked down at her bracelets and smiled, thinking she deserved to buy herself some new bauble with all the money coming in. The Palace ran the most crooked card games in town. The drinks were watered and the whores were the most beautiful anywhere in Colorado Territory. In short, the Palace catered to any and every weakness of men—if they had enough money to pay for it.
She must keep the new governess away from all that. Miss Jones looked a prim sort and the Duchess didn’t want her to quit. She wanted Miss Jones to look after her lover’s child and leave the Duchess free to make money. Maybe if when Iron Knife finally came, if he didn’t want his child, she would just give Wannie away. There must be some family out there who wanted a child. Maybe the Duchess could bribe Iron Knife with all that money in her safe to stay with her. That hope was what made it all worthwhile.
Silver leaned over the adorable child. Wannie, we’re going to be great friends.” She remembered something and smiled at the memory. Here, let me give you a treasure.” She took the chubby little hand, kissed the palm, and solemnly folded Waanibe’s fingers over it. That’s for you to put in your pocket ’til you need it.”
The child looked at her clenched fist and chortled with delight. Silvery’s treasure. Better than Mama’s rings.” She put her hand in her dress pocket. Keep it forever.”
No, dear, just keep it ’til you need it.” She hugged the small body close to hers. Now you show me your toys and I’ll read you a story book.”
Silver was content, if not blissfully happy, she thought as the toddler grabbed her hand and led her back to the nursery. She was needed here by this lonely little girl; never mind that the Duchess looked as if she’d have no qualms about stealing pennies out of a dead man’s pockets. Never mind that the Palace had a terrible reputation. Her responsibility was to Waanibe now and she could close the door on her own past and start life anew.
But late that night, she lay awake, hugging her pillow to her and thinking of Cherokee. Her bedside lamp burned as usual and there was a sturdy lock on her door. All she had of her old life was the silver shoes tucked safely under her bed, but soon she would save enough to redeem the bracelet Cherokee had given her.
What would happen tomorrow or next week or next year didn’t seem to matter anymore. For the moment, she was safe and secure and she was needed. There had been no letters from Cherokee, so she had given up hope tht he might still return to Buckskin Joe. And if he did, she wouldn’t want his pity. Only one time had he made love to her, but it was imprinted in her memory, so she could relive it over and over again. And as she slept, she dreamed that he returned and things were as they had been before and he loved and wanted her.
He came into her room when it was late and very quiet and there was no need for explanation. It seemed as though she had seen him only that afternoon.
You don’t know how I’ve waited for this,” he gasped as he pulled the lace away from her breasts so he could reach them with his greedy mouth.
Teach me about love,” she whispered. He swung her up in his arms and carried her to the big bed, her lace underwear twisted about her waist.
He crouched above her, looking down at her. Before I finish with you, sweet darlin’, you are going to know all about love, about how much a man can care for a woman.” He bent his dark head and kissed the corners of her mouth and then his mouth went to her breasts.
She gasped and then moaned aloud as the tip of his tongue teased her nipples, making them swell with desire. Silver caught his head between her hands and pressed his face into the soft circles, wanting him to suck them into taut peaks.
He took her hand and put it on his nipple and she was surprised at how hard it was and how he gasped when she stroked him there.
She felt wet and trembling between her thighs. His hand stroked her belly until she shook all over from the ache within her and then his hand moved still lower. His body was pressed against hers and she felt the male hardness of him throbbing and wet against her flesh. The scent of him and the scent of tobacco and wood smoke and the hot male seed sent a rush of excitement through her.
Then his fingers wer
e deep within her, stroking and probing even as his hot mouth sucked her breasts until she whimpered and spread her thighs, wanting still more.
Touch me,” he commanded, and very hesitantly, she reached out and took the big dagger of his manhood in her hand and felt his rich seed warm on her fingers.
She had never felt this kind of excitement before and her trembling increased. The size of him in her hand scared her a little, even in her dream. But she wanted to please Cherokee.
Spread your legs more,” he commanded and she did, afraid, yet wanting him to touch her deeper. His mouth came up to cover her own and her arms slipped around his massive shoulders as his hand probed deep within her.
The spasms began deep within her very soul, and when she came, she cried out but his tongue was in her mouth, muffling her cries, and she could only dig her nails into his shoulders and back. She felt the tiny trickles of blood like a lioness in heat clawing the male.
For a long moment, she knew nothing and then she slowly came back to reality. What—what happened?”
He laughed softly. Just as I suspected! In some ways, you really are as innocent as a virgin. I’m going to love you again and again, sweet Silver, until your body and heart and soul are in complete surrender.”
She felt his manhood still swollen and hard against her body. This is not the way I’m used to having a man make love to me.”
He kissed her eyelids. I doubt you’ve ever really had a man make love to you; they’ve only used you for their own pleasure.”
And at that, she collapsed against his powerful chest and began to cry while he kissed her gently. Oh, Cherokee ... Cherokee . . .”
Now you kiss me,” he whispered, and she kissed him shyly as he ordered.
Now let me show you a real kiss, darlin’,” he said, and his mouth kissed every inch of her breasts and belly and then moved lower.
You aren’t going to—”
You’re my plaything, remember? You aren’t big enough to stop me from doing anything I want with you, so don’t fight me.”
Quicksilver Passion Page 19
