Jewel's Gems (The Red Petticoat Saloon)

by Maggie Ryan

  Mildred leaned forward and patted Jewel’s leg. “Besides, it’s about time someone gave those poor prospectors something to look forward to. They work hard all week and come to town to have a bit of socializing. Now that Mr. Jones has passed on, they don’t even have that dirty old saloon…”

  “Excuse me,” Jewel said, sitting forward. “Did you say that Mr. Jones… Brett Jones, has died?”

  “Yes, poor thing drank himself to death. If you asked me, it is fate that brought you here at this time. His daughter has no desire to remain here now that he’s been properly buried. I bet she’d be quite open to any offer to take that monstrosity of a building off her hands. Goodness knows, it hasn’t seen as much as a broom in years. Only God knows what is living upstairs. I know that Mr. Jones hasn’t climbed those stairs in a month of Sundays.” Her gray head shook as if the thought of years of built up dust was simply too horrid to contemplate. A last shake and she smiled and seemed to remember her duties as a hostess. “Oh, you must try an oatmeal cookie. I’m not much of a cook anymore but I do try to keep a sweet or two about for Mr. Bentley.”

  By the time the front door opened to admit John and Gabriel, Nettie had already offered to take over the cooking and promised that Della would help. Mildred instantly took her up on the offer and the two had left so that they could discuss the menu.

  Jewel jumped up and flew to Gabriel. “Did you hear the good news? Brett died!” The moment she finished speaking, she slapped her hand over her mouth. “Oh, God, forgive me! I-I didn’t mean it like that. Oh,” she moaned, “I feel just awful. I’m sure his daughter is heartbroken!”

  Gabriel shook his head and grinned. “I’m sure she is quite anxious to arrange her return to Las Angeles. I’m actually a bit surprised to hear she had traveled this far in the first place. You can assuage your guilt over your unexpected luck in making her an offer on the saloon. I’m willing to bet she’d take almost anything to assure she never has to return to Culpepper.”

  “I’ll make her a fair offer,” Jewel said. “I don’t want to begin my dream feeling I’ve stolen it. But, perhaps I should take a closer peek before I decide on a price. Will you walk over with me?”

  Gabriel offered her his arm and they stopped in the kitchen to ask Nettie if she wished to join them.

  “I’ve got things to do, child,” Nettie said, with a flap of her hand. “I’ll keep an eye on Della and have supper ready when you get back.”

  “Isn’t she just amazing?” Mildred asked from where she was seated at a small kitchen table.

  “Yes, she definitely is,” Jewel agreed. “If you want to see something truly amazing, ask her about her chocolate cake.” She laughed as William looked up from his newspaper and turned to see that his wife was seated across from him and that one of their guests was already elbow deep in flour.

  “Did I hear someone mention cake?”

  The group left, with smiles on their faces to take their first walk through their new home.

  Gabriel had them stopping at the mercantile first. After introductions had been made, his reason became clear when they learned that Nancy, Brett’s daughter, was staying with an old childhood friend who lived on the outskirts of town. His offer to go for the wagon was rejected as all were quite willing to stretch their legs. After finding the house, they offered their condolences for the loss of her father, a man none had met except for Gabriel.

  “Thank you,” Nancy said. “Father changed when we lost my mother but refused to come live with my husband and me. He was happiest here and though I know it sounds just awful, he died exactly where he wished.”

  “Um, he died in the hotel?” Amy asked. The question had Jewel fighting a shudder.

  “No, no… I meant he died in Culpepper Cove. He actually passed away walking back from the cemetery. The tenth anniversary of my mother’s death was a few days ago and though he couldn’t seem to remain sober for most of the days in those years, he never once forgot the date. He’d spend it tidying her grave and then just sit with her and talk about their past together. Now I suppose they are sitting together once again.”

  Jewel’s shudder turned into a quiver as she imagined the love that the couple must have shared. “That’s so sad and yet… so romantic.”

  “It is, isn’t it?” Nancy said and then smiled. “I fear I’d forgotten what a good man he was. It was so hard to see him declining that I stopped coming to visit as often. Thank you for that. It reminds me how much my parents did love one another.”

  Discovering that Jewel was interested in possibly purchasing the building, Nancy shook her head. “I’m afraid it is just awful.”

  “I’m sure it can be brought back,” Jewel said, “I’m not afraid of hard work and with all of us pitching in, I hope to give it a new life.”

  “Father would like that,” Nancy said and then laughed. “Or, at least mother would. She had such fun opening the hotel and always hated a dirty house. Feel free to look around but please be careful. No telling what you might find.”

  With the key in their possession, the group left, promising to meet Nancy the following day to discuss their findings.

  Now, with Gabriel and John constantly reminding them to be careful, they had climbed the stairs to find cobwebs hanging from every corner and Amy squealing when a spider scuttled across a strand.

  “It’s a little creepy,” Opal whispered.

  “There are at least a dozen bedrooms,” Jewel said as she glanced down the hall, a bit miffed that Gabriel insisted on her waiting while he walked down the hall testing the floorboards. “It’s not a hundred years old, Gabriel.”

  “It’s not been kept up, either,” Gabriel said, walking back to them. “Okay, the floor seems solid though a bit squeaky in places. A few nails will help there.”

  “Let’s look in a bedroom,” Jewel suggested, already walking to the first door, twisting the knob and pushing. It took another shove before it gave, opening with an eerie squeal that caused Opal to join in with her own.

  “Like I said, creepy!”

  “Add a touch of oil to the hinges and it will be fine,” John assured them.

  “Oh, my,” Jewel said after stepping across the threshold. “Come look!”

  Opal and Amy tentatively joined her and then Opal said, “Oh, this is unbelievable!”

  Jewel went to the window and pulled back the curtain, raising a cloud of dust that had her coughing. “Remind me not to let Della step foot in this place until we’ve gotten it cleaned,” she said, coughing again before pushing aside the other half of the curtain. Though the window panes were filthy, what little sunlight that made it into the room had the girls grinning.

  “Do you think they are all like this?” Opal asked, running her hand over the iron railing of the bed. “The blankets will have to go and the mattresses of course, but this… this ironwork is beautiful. Look at this!”

  “I am,” Jewel said. “It’s just so pretty. All the bed needs is a coat of white paint, clean linens, a pretty quilt, and a few pillows.” She turned to look at the rest of the room. “I never expected it to be furnished! I mean, look!” She moved to run her hand over the marble top of the washstand. “The pitcher isn’t even chipped,” she exclaimed running her finger along the rim. “A new rug, some towels, pretty little soaps, oh, and a nice comfy chair. That way you can curl up to read or...”

  “I’m thinking not too comfy,” John said with a chuckle. “If a client finds the need to spank a naughty bottom or have a gem take a ride, they aren’t going to want to sink down into some over stuffed chair.”

  His words had Jewel not only remembering the ride she’d taken but reminded her that she wasn’t opening a hotel. Still, she wanted every room to feel like home to whichever gem occupied it. Walking to the last piece of furniture, she pulled open the doors to the armoire and then screamed when something scurried out and ran across her foot.

  Gabriel had never seen such a ruckus as three women screamed and jumped around, bouncing off each other in thei
r hurry to escape. He totally lost it when they jumped up on the bed which instantly proved to be a mistake as their bouncing caused another cloud of dust and another mouse to scurry from its hiding place. Jewel continued to scream and flung herself at him the moment he stepped close enough. He carried her from the room and continued to hold her as she refused to set her feet onto the floor.

  John brought out Amy and Opal and only when he shut the door did Jewel reluctantly allow herself to be lowered.

  “First things first,” she said, her voice quavering slightly. “Someone, and it won’t be me, has to go through every room, open every door, every drawer and look under every bed. I will not start cleaning until every… every horrid creature has been evicted! Is that clear?”

  “We need the Pied Piper,” Opal said, shaking her head. “I love you, Jewel, but I can’t deal with rats.”

  “It was a couple of field mice,” Gabriel corrected and then held up his hands as three pairs of eyes attempted to drop him dead in the hallway. “Okay, I promise, we’ll take care of it,” Gabriel said and the tour ended. Once outside, he watched as she stepped out into the middle of the street after looking both ways for any signs of wagons. Her hand shaded her eyes as she looked over the building, her head moving slowly as she seemed to take in every board, every window, every inch of the place.

  “I like it,” she said finally, dusting her hands on her skirts.

  “Just like?” Gabriel asked.

  “Oh, I’m sure I’ll love it… when it is clean and rat free.”

  ***

  Nancy Jones left town two days later with a smile on her face and money in her pocket. She’d insisted that Jewel was being too generous but Jewel explained that she was buying not only the building but all the furnishings as well. When Nancy said that she’d never considered selling it without all its contents, Gabriel shook his head.

  “Unless you want to argue until you’re hoarse, just say yes,” he suggested.

  “Please do,” Jewel said. “Finding that piano under that sheet was enough to sell me.” The deal had been struck and lists were made.

  Jewel was soon a favorite customer in the mercantile as she placed orders for kitchen equipment after learning that the small stove would not suffice for Nettie nor would the few dishes remaining in the cabinets. She hired the blacksmith to install the new stove when it arrived as well as to work with the claw-foot tubs she wanted for her bathing room. Mildred’s reminder of how the men came to town often quite filthy had her plans making sense. Even Gabriel couldn’t negate the fact that prospectors wouldn’t mind taking a real bath if the water was not as cold as snow and a pretty gem was available to scrub their backs.

  The women pored over catalogs, making lists while the men worked on disposing of every piece of fabric and several dozen mice though they were wise enough to keep the exact number to themselves.

  When Gabriel told her that she could save money by ordering only one color of paint, she shook her head.

  “Opal wants her room to be a soft blue and Amy wants yellow. Della hasn’t chosen her color yet and I’m going to allow every gem to pick what they want. These rooms will be their homes even if they are also their place of business.”

  Once the building had been cleared, she and Gabriel walked the downstairs and with the help of David Cray, who, together with his son, had built quite a few of the buildings, decided where to place additional walls. Jewel would have her bedroom downstairs as well as an office off the main room. Nettie would also have her room on the main floor and Jewel wanted at least two more bedrooms.

  “It might be silly but I want any gems living upstairs to feel comfortable. Those who work downstairs who might not desire to offer their intimate services will have rooms downstairs.”

  “That’s not silly,” Gabriel said, “it’s bound to make things run more smoothly.”

  He also agreed that a safety system was needed and though it took more planning, David promised that a bell system similar to that used in Jewel’s home in England could be installed. A discreetly placed bell pull would be within reach of any bed upstairs and when pulled, a bell would ring downstairs alerting Jewel and Gabriel that something was wrong.

  Mr. and Mrs. Bentley couldn’t have been more gracious in allowing their inn to become Jewel’s office and she thanked them by sharing her plans and her progress as well as hiring William to do some of the work when he insisted he wanted to help. Conversations at meals centered on what remained to be done as items were slowly checked off a master list.

  The bar that had appeared scratched beyond repair showed that it still had life in it the day that Mr. Bentley finished his repairs. Jewel wrapped her arms around him and hugged him hard, her eyes shining almost as much as the freshly oiled mahogany of the bar.

  “It’s gorgeous! I can just see bottles lined up on shelves and pretty glasses waiting to be filled.”

  “You know this is a saloon, right?” Mr. Bentley asked and Gabriel just shook his head as Jewel explained that this was an establishment that would offer the very best. By the time she was done, the elderly man was nodding his head as if he could visualize the opulence she was describing and promised that the shelves he’d install would set off her pretty glasses to their best.

  Jewel was a frequent visitor at the bank as well, depositing her funds and opening accounts for each of her employees with funds despite their protests.

  “I won’t have it any other way,” Jewel said, handing them the books showing their balances. “You are all working hard and I not only appreciate it, I insist on paying your salaries.” Della refused to accept her book as she stated she owed far more than she’d ever be able to repay. Jewel’s continued assurances that she owed no debt failed to sway the young woman but when Gabriel gave her a single swat and promised more if she didn’t stop being so stubborn, she blushed and thanked her employer quite sweetly.

  “Well,” Jewel said after Della had left with flushed cheeks and her eyes wide as she looked at the entry inside her bankbook, “I’ve just decided that any discipline needed will be your job.”

  “You just decided? Chiquita, the moment we became partners in not only the mine but your saloon, I accepted that responsibility.”

  “Oh, um… that’s good, though I don’t suppose there will be much need. Everyone works so well together.” When he chuckled and shook his head, muttering something that sounded like ‘just wait’, she blushed and decided to do just that. She was positive that once word got out that Mr. Gabriel would be personally attending to any naughtiness, they’d all be perfect little gems.

  ***

  By the time another month had passed, the saloon was almost ready. Fresh white paint had been applied to the outside. Broken window panes had been replaced and were now free of grime, allowing sunlight to pour into the rooms. As boxes and crates arrived, they were unpacked with glee as items were put into place.

  Felt was replaced on gaming tables and decks of cards waited to be opened and dealt. Bottles lined the shelves and glasses waited to be filled. Repaired chairs sat around tables where Nettie would be serving meals. Fresh paint coated every wall though she’d chosen a soft cream for the interior stating it was softer and looked nice against the scarlet curtains that draped the windows. She joined arms with Opal and Amy and insisted that Nettie and Della join them on the small stage she’d had built in the main room. As Mrs. Bentley pounded out a very discordant tune, the five women did a little dance, Nettie having everyone breaking into laughter as she kicked up her leg and did a shimmy that had Gabriel choking and John howling.

  The next day found Jewel frowning as she opened another trunk and scrunched her nose. “I can’t believe out of all the trunks, water got into these. Why couldn’t it have gotten into the ones with Nettie’s pots?”

  Gabriel looked over from where he was adding oil into lamps. “What’s wrong?”

  “These are moldy,” she said, lifting a bit of fabric. “It’s going to take forever to wash them and I’m not su
re if that will even get all the stains out. I think the water had the metal part of the trunk rusting. I bought these in New Orleans and it will take ages to get new ones.”

  “Before you despair, why don’t you take them to the laundry? I mean, if they can get dirt out of clothes worn for weeks, maybe they know how to remove these stains?”

  “You are brilliant!” Jewel said, jumping up and giving him a kiss. “Let’s go now.”

  “In a minute, I’m almost done with the lamps.”

  “They can wait,” she said, pulling on his arm and causing the oil to slosh. “Oh, sorry,” she said, stooping to wipe up the spill. “I’m just excited.”

  “Apology accepted,” he said and replaced the lid on the jar of oil. “Okay, let’s go see how exciting a laundry can be.”

  The two trunks were too heavy to be carried any long distance so Jewel had to wait until Gabriel brought the wagon around and loaded the trunks. The laundry appeared to be a small building but Gabriel explained that most of the work was done outside. He dropped her off at the entrance telling her that he’d secure the team and then carry the trunks around back. Jewel walked inside and though the room was empty, she could hear loud voices coming from the back. Walking around the counter that held some neatly folded laundry tied with twine, she ducked around laundry hanging from several lines and found the source of the noise. A man was waving his hands about as he yelled at a woman who had her hands clasped together, cringing a bit as his voice rose even further.

  “You’ve ruined the entire load. What were you thinking?”

  “It was an accident. The water… you don’t let me change it enough. It’s not my fault. I didn’t see those union suits in the bottom of the cauldron!”

  “Of course it’s your fault and now you’ve turned everything pink! What man wants to wear pink? None! That’s who. You are nothing but a stupid, incompetent girl!”

  “Excuse me,” Jewel said but wasn’t surprised when neither so much as turned to acknowledge her.