A Twisted Fate

by Amelia C. Adams

“We’ll be here,” Jesse replied. “But tell me first—you’re both all right?”

  “Yes. Now, what would you like to eat?” she asked.

  The meal service went smoothly this time, with no dropped trays of food or any other incident. As the passengers filed out through the lobby, Giselle noticed Elizabeth talking with Jesse, and made her way that direction. A glance told her that Mr. Brody was handling the meal payments for his wife.

  “We’ll take whatever you can bring us, Mr. McVey, to a certain extent,” Elizabeth was saying as Giselle walked up. “Two deer in one day would be too much, of course, but we could take perhaps one deer every three days. Depending on what you can find.”

  “Are you interested in quail, rabbit, elk, or buffalo?” Jesse asked.

  “We could try some and see how they sell before we ask for a larger quantity,” Elizabeth replied. “Perhaps on a week when you bring us a buffalo, we wouldn’t take a deer because I’m not sure we’d sell them both.”

  “Good thinking. Thank you, Mrs. Brody. I’m glad I can do something that’s of use to you.”

  “And I’m more than happy as well.” She gave him a nod and moved away, leaving Giselle alone with him and his aunt. She took a seat at their table, and Jesse sat back down.

  “We had a little run-in with Griffin on the way here,” she began. She kept her voice down because the other girls were stripping the tables and looking their way curiously, no doubt wondering why she wasn’t helping them. She’d try to explain later. “He—or one of his men, I’m not sure—accosted us, asked if we’d seen an Indian girl, and then took interest in us for other reasons. So I shot him.”

  “You shot him? Did you hit him?” Jesse asked.

  “I said I shot him. I didn’t say I shot at him.” Giselle shook her head. “One of these days, I’ll take you out back and give you a demonstration. In the meantime, you’ll just have to trust me that I really do have good aim. I wounded his shoulder, and apparently, also his pride.”

  “And what will you be shooting at during this demonstration, my dear?” Auntie Coral asked. “Cans, perhaps, or maybe Jesse for not believing you?”

  Giselle considered that. “The cans first, so he can see the evidence. I’ll decide from there.”

  “That seems like a wise decision.” Auntie Coral nodded once and sat back.

  “So where is he now?” Jesse pressed.

  “I’m not sure. I do know that Mr. Brody spoke with the marshal last night and alerted him.’

  “I’m glad of that.” Jesse glanced around. “Where’s Posy?”

  “She’s going by Naomi now, and she’s upstairs sleeping. Mrs. Brody said she’d call in the doctor to make sure everything’s all right. More likely than not, she’s just worn out.”

  “That’s good.” Jesse took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Thank you, Giselle. I don’t know what I would have done if you hadn’t stepped in.”

  “I’m just happy there was something I could do. I have to say, though, that it’s probably best if you leave. Everyone else is gone, and if Griffin is watching the hotel for any reason, he’s seen you enter and will want to know why you’re taking so long to come out.”

  “True.” Jesse stood and then helped Auntie Coral to her feet. “We’ll check back again. Tomorrow is probably safest, I’m guessing?”

  “Yes. Unless you happen to get a deer in the meantime.”

  He grinned. “I can certainly try.”

  After he and Auntie Coral left, Giselle grabbed clean tablecloths and began whisking them into place. “I’m sorry,” she said to the other girls.

  “Does this have anything to do with criminals?” Carrie asked.

  “It does, yes.” Giselle paused. “How did you know?”

  “I heard you say something about the marshal,” Carrie replied. “I didn’t mean to eavesdrop—I was just clearing the table next to yours.”

  “And you looked far too serious for that to have been a romantic conversation,” Grace added. “You weren’t nearly as starry-eyed as you should have been.”

  “And I’ve never seen a romantic conversation that included an elderly woman,” Nancy Ann chimed in.

  Giselle held up both hands. “All right, all right, you win. Yes, things are serious enough to bring in the marshal, and yes, Jesse’s involved . . . I’ll tell you everything tonight at bedtime, all right? We shouldn’t be overheard, and we don’t have much free time until then.”

  The other girls promised to be patient, and they got all the tables reset. Then they lugged the laundry outside, where Tom had put their water on to boil over the fire pit in the yard.

  “I believe this is yours,” Nancy Ann said, tossing a balled-up dress at Giselle.

  “Oh, that’s right. I’d almost forgotten.” Giselle shook out the dress and scowled at it. “This mess had better come out.”

  They worked quickly, getting as much of the laundry done as they could before the next train. Some of it would have to wait until later in the day, but Giselle was pleased with how much they accomplished, and it looked like her dress survived the abuse she’d heaped on it.

  As she entered the dining room a moment later, Mr. Brody approached her, a folded white paper in his hand. “Giselle, would you give this to Naomi, please? It’s an advance on her wages. I thought a little ready money would be useful.”

  Giselle didn’t open the packet he handed her, but from the thickness of it, he’d been generous. “Thank you, Mr. Brody. I’m sure she’ll appreciate it.”

  He gave a nod, and she turned and ran up the stairs, wanting to put the money safely in Naomi’s hands lest it get misplaced during the meal service.

  When she entered the attic bedroom, she found Naomi sitting at the window, staring out. She turned and smiled when Giselle approached.

  “I slept like I haven’t in a long time. Thank you.”

  “I’m glad you were able to rest. This is for you from Mr. Brody. I’ll take you to the general store tomorrow, and you can get anything you need.”

  Naomi stared at the packet. “Why would he give this to me? He doesn’t know me.”

  “He knows you need help, and that’s enough.” Giselle smiled and sat on the bed nearest the window. “There’s something you need to understand about the Brody Hotel—it’s unlike any other place on earth. The Brodys are the two most generous people I’ve ever met. They’re not rich, but they share whatever they have with anyone who needs it. We’re a family here.”

  Naomi’s eyes filled with tears. “I miss my parents. I believe I did the right thing by coming here, but I thought I’d be able to go visit them like Jesse does, and now, I don’t know. Would men like Griffin be waiting for me if I try? Should I have stayed and married Will?”

  “Do you feel as though you should have stayed and married him?”

  Naomi’s reply was immediate. “No. I could never marry him.”

  “Then you know that you did the right thing. As far as your family goes, I don’t know. I wish I did.”

  Naomi turned back to the window. “Jesse will figure something out. I’m sure of it.”

  It warmed Giselle’s heart to hear her speak so confidently about her brother. “He takes good care of you.”

  “He always has. When the little boys in town would throw rocks at me and call me a dirty Indian, he’d chase after them and grab them by their collars and march them back to apologize to me. I don’t know why he wants to live here—there’s so much hatred.”

  “But there’s also acceptance. No one in this hotel will judge you, and what about Auntie Coral?”

  “She’s a wonderful woman.”

  “And there are more. It’s just a matter of sifting out the good and learning to ignore the bad. You’ll find those good people if you look.”

  “Thank you, Giselle. I’ll have faith that you’re right.” Naomi looked down at herself. “Did you say something about letting me borrow a dress?”

  “Absolutely. You look like a potato bumping around in a sack in th
at one.” Giselle walked over to her part of the room and looked at the dresses hanging on the pegs near her bed. She didn’t have many, and one of them was dripping on the line. But since Naomi wouldn’t be working that day, she could lend her one of her lighter-colored dresses. “Here you are,” she said, taking a pink one from the peg.

  “Are you sure? It’s so pretty.”

  “Of course I’m sure, and when we go to the store, we can get fabric for more clothes for you. Hurry and change, and then come down and get something to eat. We’ll be serving the next train in a few minutes, so there’s lots of hot food, and you can watch and get a feel for what we do here.”

  “All right.” Naomi smiled, and Giselle left the room, feeling hopeful that the girl would settle in quickly and understand that she now had a community of support.

  ***

  Posy ran down the stairs and threw herself in Jesse’s arms. He held her close, glad to have confirmation for himself that she was all right.

  “Everything’s fine, Jesse,” she told him, leading him into the parlor and sitting next to him. “You wouldn’t believe what good care they’re taking of me. They even asked the doctor to come just to make sure I’m all right.”

  “That’s great, Posy. I’m so glad.”

  She leaned forward. “You need to call me Naomi, all right?” she whispered. “We don’t know where those men are yet.”

  “That’s right. I’m sorry.” He took in what she was wearing. “You look very nice. Pink suits you.”

  “This is Giselle’s dress. We’re going shopping tomorrow for some things for me. Mr. Brody gave me an advance on my wages. Have you ever heard of anything so kind?”

  “That’s wonderful,” Jesse said, but he felt a sinking feeling in his gut as he said the words. He’d never known anyone to be so free with their money before, especially to a total stranger, and he needed to be sure everything was aboveboard.

  Giselle entered the parlor just then, and he came to his feet. “Hello. I didn’t know if you’d still be up to our walk tonight, after all the excitement yesterday.”

  She smiled. “Of course I am. I’ve been looking forward to it all day.”

  “I’m glad.” He felt a little awkward, getting ready to go off with Giselle while leaving Posy—er, Naomi—behind.

  But Naomi made it easier by standing up and saying, “You two have a good time. Grace promised to show me around the dining room and kitchen so I have less to learn tomorrow, and she’s probably waiting for me now.”

  Jesse gave her a grin, then held his arm out for Giselle, and the two of them began their stroll.

  “I just have one little question,” he said. “May I have my pistol back?”

  “Hmm. I don’t know. I rather like it.”

  The way she said it, she sounded like she had every intention of keeping it. He supposed that wouldn’t be too terrible, but it would leave him without one, and he wasn’t sure he wanted to stand the expense.

  She laughed. “You look so serious. You didn’t think I was going to keep it, did you?” She reached into her pocket and pulled it out. “I do want one of my own, and I’m saving up. Maybe in another month or so. In the meantime, Mr. Brody has a spare we can borrow if we feel we need to.”

  “He seems to watch out for you all very well.”

  “He does. I’ve never seen anyone be so considerate of their employees.”

  That had been exactly Jesse’s concern, and he figured this was the most natural time to bring it up. As he holstered the pistol, he said, “Po—my sister says he gave her an advance on her wages. He doesn’t . . . expect anything in exchange for that, does he?”

  Giselle whirled on him so fast, she almost fell over. “And just what are you saying, Mr. McVey? That it’s not possible for a man to be kind without that sort of expectation? And if that is what you’re saying, then are you also saying that we’re all the kind of girls who would fall for such a cheap trick? You had better not be mistaking the Brody for a saloon, Mr. McVey, and I’m no saloon girl. You’d best be glad I returned your gun—your aunt put it in my head to shoot you, and I’m very much inclined right now.”

  He took a step back. “Whoa. I didn’t mean to imply any such thing. I’d never believe that of you.”

  “But you implied that might be expected of Posy, and that Mr. Brody was that kind of man. How would I escape the same kind of fate, living under the same roof?”

  Jesse wished the ground would just swallow him up. “I only asked because I was concerned about her. I didn’t think about the implications. It was a spontaneous question, I swear.”

  She tilted her head. “Look me in the eyes and promise me that it has never once entered your head that I could be . . . compared to a saloon girl.”

  He put both hands on her shoulders and met her gaze squarely. “Giselle Hardy, there has never been the tiniest idea buzzing in the back of my head that you are anything but the most respectable young lady I’ve ever met.”

  She returned his look without blinking. “Good. Now, may we please continue our evening stroll? It’s a very nice night out, and I’d hate to waste it.”

  He had just opened his mouth to reply when he heard a voice calling out. “Miss Hardy! Wait up, please.”

  Colonel Gordon, the marshal for the town of Topeka, was bustling toward them, looking overheated under his white hat. “Miss Hardy, do you have a moment?” he asked when he reached them.

  “Of course, Colonel. What can I do for you?”

  “Mr. Brody gave me a statement last night concerning your incident. I didn’t bother you during the day because I knew you’d be busy, what with work and all, but if you’re free now, I just need to clarify a few points.”

  “Ask anything you like.”

  “Thank you.” He cleared his throat. “Is it true that you admit to shooting the man who approached you on the street last night?”

  “Yes, sir. I admit to it.”

  “And you feel it was in self-defense?”

  “Yes, and in defense of my friend, who was also in danger.”

  “Do you believe the man could die from his wound?”

  Giselle looked thoughtful for a moment. “It’s possible, I suppose, if he wasn’t able to stop the bleeding for any reason. The wound was in his shoulder, too high up to be in his heart, so I don’t believe it was a killing shot unless, like I said, there was some issue with clotting blood or the like.”

  The colonel raised an eyebrow, but didn’t reply to that. Instead, he said, “Would you be able to identify this man?”

  “I might be able to identify his smile and his voice, but it was dark and his hat was pulled low, so I didn’t see his face clearly. Tell me, Colonel—have you caught someone? Do you need me to come identify him?”

  The colonel shifted from one foot to the other. “Well now, not as of yet, but when we do, I’d like to know we can count on you for your help.”

  “Of course. Anything I can do.”

  “Thank you, ma’am. Mr. McVey.” He touched the brim of his hat and walked back in the direction he’d come from.

  “Did he seem a little uncomfortable to you?” Giselle asked, nodding toward the man’s retreating figure.

  “He’s probably just unhappy because he hasn’t caught Griffin yet,” Jesse replied. “Listen, I was thinking earlier about what you said before—about how you can’t take a day off because there aren’t enough waitresses.”

  “That’s right.”

  “Well, as it turns out, Mrs. Brody has asked me to bring in more fresh game.”

  “Yes, I overheard.”

  “So I’ll be doing quite a lot of hunting.”

  “Yes, I surmised as such.”

  He shook his head in exasperation. She was freezing him out worse than a winter storm. “Look, I understand why you’re upset with me, but you’ve got to understand that I meant nothing by it. Would you have me be any less concerned about my sister than I am? What kind of man would that make me?”

  She exhaled and
turned toward him. “You’re right—I should have understood that your first priority is to her, and that’s how it should be. I’ve just never been thought of in that way before. As a possible . . .”

  He held up one finger. “And you still haven’t, because I didn’t think it.”

  She smiled and seemed to drop her guard. “I’m sorry. It’s just that after last night . . . and Griffin’s insinuations . . . I’m feeling a little overly sensitive right now.”

  Her words punched Jesse right in the gut. He should have made that connection immediately. Of course she was feeling sensitive—two assaults to her character in less than twenty-four hours? It was unfair. “I’m sorry, Giselle. I truly am.”

  She looked up into his eyes. “I believe you. Please, can we put this behind us? I’m feeling foolish, as I’m sure you are, and I imagine we’d both like to talk about something else. You were about to ask me a question, I think.”

  “Yes. I thought that in a few days, after Naomi is trained well enough, you might consider going hunting with me. If you have enough help at the hotel now.” He held his breath, wondering what her answer might be. Could he introduce her to this other side of himself, this side that loved to sit and listen to the wind and sleep outdoors? “I figured, you’ve been wanting to show me how well you can shoot, and this way, we can experience something we might both enjoy.”

  She didn’t answer immediately, and he hoped he hadn’t offended her. Maybe he’d been crazy to think there was such a thing as compromise. She was probably too used to city ways to even consider it.

  When she turned to him, though, she had a big grin on her face. “If I can arrange it, I’d love to. What about Friday?”

  He slowly nodded, relief flooding him to where he almost couldn’t breathe. “Friday it is. We’ll need to leave early, right before dawn.”

  “I’ll be ready. Shall I pack some food?”

  “Just some bread, nothing with a scent. We want to be the trackers—we don’t want anything tracking us.”

  She grinned again. “Got it.”

  Chapter Twelve

  “And that’s how we run a meal service,” Giselle finished. She’d given this speech so many times, it was memorized, and she’d certainly given it often enough in the last week. She wished the three new girls had shown up on the same day so she could have started their training at the same time, but life rarely worked out that way.