[Dakotah Treasures 01] - Ruby

by Lauraine Snelling

  “Will you be here for dinner?”

  “You can bet we will, Miss Torvald. Do you ring a bell or something?”

  “No, but someone will call you if you’d like.” She left them and headed back to the kitchen, jingling their money in her apron pocket. While she needed to put it in the till, right now the extra change felt mighty good. She refused to feel guilty for charging them more than normal. As proprietor, that was her privilege.

  When the men came down for dinner, Cimarron peeked through the door. “I know those two. They stop here every so often, and always . . . ah . . . Charlie’s had to reason with them a time or two after they’d had a few too many. The one with the muttonchop whiskers likes to cheat at cards, but Belle will take care of them.”

  Ruby told the others what she had charged, and they all burst out laughing.

  Charlie dished up the plates and took them out to the men. Ruby knew he was taking no chances with the girls being recognized. They could hear him joking and laughing with the drummers.

  “Put extra water on,” he said on his way back out with more bread. “They want baths too.”

  “Knowing that one guy, he wants someone to scrub his back.” Cimarron glared toward the dining room. “Heard tell he beat up a girl one time. That’s the only one I heard about, but—”

  “You make sure you stay out of sight, both of you.” Ruby waited until both girls nodded. “I promise you will never have to go back to that life again.” Help me, God, to keep my promise. She clenched her fists at her sides. Even this small glimpse into their earlier lives made her want to take a gun out in the dining room and . . .

  Ruby Signe Torvald, what has come over you? And what is all this doing to Opal? Crude men, learning to fish, going hunting?

  Belle came down for dinner and heard the men in the dining room. “Sounds like we have some new customers. Do we know them?” At Daisy’s nod, she looked to Cimarron. “Ah, I thought I recognized the voice. They must have been surprised at the changes here.”

  “To say the least. And I’d thank you not to discuss the prices of things here with them. I have adjusted our rates to allow for . . . for . . . certain situations.” Ruby clamped her teeth together. Belle and her father had knowingly put the others in danger with men like those out there. Of course, they considered it business, but what kind of business makes its profit at the expense of others less fortunate?

  Most businesses, she had to admit. “They are not to know that Cimarron and Daisy work here. Is that clear?”

  “Well, well, Miss Hoity-Toity. Got a dose of the real world, did you? Don’t get your drawers in a tangle. I won’t say a thing.” Belle crossed the room and patted Ruby’s cheek. “You done right good, sweetheart. Don’t you take no sass.”

  Ruby tried to answer, but words wouldn’t pass a throat tied up in shock.

  “We’re playin’ blackjack tonight. Ought to be good for the house. Charlie’s dealing too. Just a shame we can’t get them drunk. They always lose more when they’re near to under the table.” She turned to Ruby, who’d been about to jump in, holding a hand up to stop her. “Just a comment, just a comment. I been followin’ the rules. Ask anyone. That’s why we don’t have more’n four or so a night. Not like the old days.”

  Ruby started to say something but cut off the words when Belle winked at her.

  “I know. I know. I’m just a dealer here and got no say in the runnin’ anymore, but keep in mind if you really want to pay the bills, liquor is the cheapest and quickest way to do it.”

  Be that as it may, I won’t go back to that. The card playing is bad enough. I will not go back. Ruby wasn’t sure who she was making the vow to, but she meant it with all of her heart. She eyed the woman so peacefully drinking her coffee. Belle was acting too friendly. How much was it going to cost her this time? Here, she’d just about gotten enough nerve to confront Belle about ransacking her room and keeping the townsfolk away, and now the woman was being nice.

  Charlie spent a good part of his afternoon lugging hot water up the stairs and carrying used water back down. He poured the used water in a barrel by the back door so they could water the garden with it later.

  Ruby picked up her sewing after supper while Milly and Opal washed up, then took out the book she’d started reading to everyone in the evening. She’d brought Pilgrim’s Progress with her on the train, but she expected a box of books and other school things to be coming soon from Mrs. Brandon. When the box arrived she planned to start teaching Milly along with Opal, although Opal already had her friend familiar with reading and writing the alphabet and her numbers.

  Belle dropped in on her way to the cardroom. “You thought about making any popcorn tonight?”

  “Popcorn?” Ruby wondered when she would stop sounding like an echo.

  “I’ll make it.” Cimarron stood and headed for the storeroom.

  “Good. See you later, children.”

  Milly rolled her eyes.

  “Since when do we have popcorn?” Ruby kept her place in the book with one finger.

  “We always had popcorn, good and salty. It made the men drink more because they were thirsty.”

  “I know, and if they drink more, they lose more money gambling. But we aren’t serving liquor. Why did I keep the cardroom open? Even without liquor.”

  Cimarron turned from dropping a dollop of lard in the pan on the stove. “Because you were wise and listened to Belle and Charlie. Couple of nights ago the house took in forty dollars. Now that’s not bad.”

  “But that’s because we had those men from New York here.” She had to admit they had been good for the till. If things kept on as they were, she would have some money to pay on the accounts after all. But was it worth the price of allowing gambling under her roof?

  While the popping kernels ricocheted off all the sides of the kettle, she thought back to a conversation she’d had with Charlie. He wanted her to meet with the banker in Dickinson just in case she ever needed to borrow money to keep the doors open.

  But she’d told him she was not going unless she had money to pay on the account.

  The men were settled into their evening’s entertainment when she took the buttered and well-salted popcorn in and set the bowls on the table off to the side.

  “Can I get you anything else?” she asked Charlie.

  One of the drummers leered at her. “Honey, you could get me anything you want.”

  He’s been drinking, she thought but reminded herself they could have been drinking down at Williams’ place before they came here. She nodded good-night and, leaving a lamp lit in the kitchen for Charlie or Belle to get more coffee, herded the other girls up the stairs.

  “I sure would like a real bed again,” Opal said as she kissed Ruby good-night.

  “Me too.” Ruby finished braiding her hair for the night, blew out the lamp, and slid under the covers. According to Milly, when summer came they could cut and dry grass for filling the pallets. Now, the thought of sleeping on dried grass didn’t get her real excited, but a thicker mattress would feel wonderfully good.

  She thought of the growing list of supplies they needed, including more sheeting for bed linens and pillowcases. If only she had some of that goose down from those geese that flew northward. How wonderful a feather bed would be. Even the lowliest of the help at the Brandon house had not been forced to sleep on the floor like this.

  But at least for tonight, half of the rooms downstairs housed paying guests.

  Her thoughts traveled to the Bible now in her trunk. She’d not read in it for far longer than she wanted to admit. And when had she ceased praying? And why? I’ll think about that in the morning when my mind is fresh, she promised herself.

  Sometime after she’d fallen asleep, a crash accompanied by men shouting, jerked her straight up. Outside? No, it came from downstairs. Was someone hurt? She grabbed her wrapper and headed for the stairs.

  “No, you can’t go down there.” Cimarron stopped her with a hand on her arm.

>   “Why not? What if. . . ?” Ruby kept her voice to a whisper, surprised the others hadn’t come out already. Good thing Opal could sleep through about anything.

  “Charlie will take care of it.”

  “But what if he’s the one hurt?”

  “Then Belle will take over.”

  “Belle? Why? How?”

  “She has a gun, and she knows how to handle it—and men who get out of hand.”

  “But I paid for a bed here!” The shout from below could most likely be heard clear up into the hills.

  “You can come back in when you’re sober enough to not break things.”

  “See. I told you Charlie can handle them.”

  “Did Belle serve liquor down there?” The thought made Ruby sick to her stomach.

  “No, she wouldn’t. Belle keeps her word.”

  “Then how?”

  “A flask. Lots of the men carry them.”

  “Oh.” Ruby crossed her arms and contemplated what she would like to say or do to the man she was sure was now picking himself up out of the dirt of the street. And after his nice bath too. Well, he could pay for another one in the morning and haul his own water besides.

  She and Cimarron stood listening until they heard Belle go into her room.

  “You think the men are in their rooms?”

  “One is.” Cimarron started down the stairs.

  “Where are you going?”

  “To see how bad the damage is.”

  Ruby closed her eyes. Damage? Please, I have no money to repair damages. Glancing down at her wrapper to make sure she was sufficiently covered, she followed Cimarron down the front stairs. If Mrs. Brandon could see me now . . . The thought was too distressing to tolerate. Ladies did not run around in public in their wrappers. No matter that this was her business, her home. She could hear someone moving around in the cardroom. Hopefully it was Charlie. Did the man never go to bed?

  “I hope you hurt him when you threw him out.” Cimarron stopped in the doorway, hands on her hips.

  Ruby hesitated on the last stair, wishing she could go back upstairs without knowing how bad things were. Had this happened before and no one told her?

  “He might feel inclined to find somewhere else to sleep.”

  “I’m not returning his money.” Ruby joined Cimarron in the doorway. Charlie set the last table back in place.

  “Going to have to reglue some legs, I’m thinking perhaps I should go into the furniture business.” He turned a chair upside down and studied the three remaining legs. “We should order a lathe. It would make fixing these go faster.”

  “What’s a lathe, and where would we get it if we had the money to purchase one?” Ruby stared at the coffee stains on the rug. “That’s it. No more rugs in here. If these men want to be animals, they deserve to be treated that way.”

  “Now, it ain’t everyone.” Charlie set another chair upright and rocked it a bit to see how tight the joints still were. “A lathe is used for turning square-shaped wood into round pieces.”

  “Oh. The man who did this—had he been drinking?”

  “Musta been.”

  “Was he at your table?”

  “Nope.”

  “Did Belle know he was drinking?”

  “You’ll have to ask her.”

  Ruby sucked in a deep breath. “I see.” Would this help Belle realize what happens when drink enters the picture? Perhaps Belle should have to help pay for the repairs.

  “I’ll charge him for this. We got his kit and case up in the room. He wants it back, he’ll have to pay.”

  They heard a knocking on the front door.

  “That’s most likely him. You two go on up, and I’ll take care of this. Sorry to wake you.”

  “Good night, then. You go on to bed after you talk to him. The furniture can’t be fixed until morning.”

  “Oh, don’t you go worrying about me, Miss Ruby. I know how to take care of things.”

  “I know you do. Thanks, Charlie.” Ruby turned to leave. Now she’d have to confront Belle after all. Might as well see if Belle had asked people to stay away from Dove House. Did Belle still think of the place as hers? That wasn’t what she’d said earlier. Biting her lip, Ruby recognized the white-hot feelings as pure rage. Rage at the men who flaunted the rules; rage at liquor and how it affected men; rage at her father for leaving her in all this mess. She motioned Cimarron ahead of her.

  “You got to remember, Ruby, some men are pretty sneaky. And some can hold their liquor, so’s you got no idea that they’re even drinkin’.”

  “You’re saying Belle might not have realized it?” Ruby kept her voice even, the effort causing her jaw to cramp.

  “Sometimes it’s hard to tell, then all of a sudden the guy blows. That big one—he’s like that. A mean drunk.” Cimarron stopped at the top of the second flight of stairs. “I–uh–thank you I wasn’t down there.” The words came in a rush.

  “You are most welcome.” Ruby gripped the stair railing as if she could squeeze her feelings into the wood. “Thank you for all your sewing and cooking, and I know you don’t like cleaning, but you do your share.” Not like someone else we know. “I appreciate it all.”

  Cimarron sniffed and knuckled away a tear. “No one ever talked nice to me like you do. Without wanting something, you know.”

  Not really, and I’d just as soon not know. “Thank you, Cimarron. I’ll see you in the morning.” She knew her words were stiff, but it was the best she could do.

  “You goin’ callin’ with Charlie in the mornin’?”

  “Oh, mercy, I forgot all about that.” No, I’m not going. Calling on the people of Little Missouri won’t do any good at all! They’d slammed their doors the night she and Opal arrived. Why would it be any different now? You have to go. You told Charlie you would, and he’s set the dough for sweet rolls. If only I could find the box. Surely there was money in it to make things better, or why would Far have struggled to mention it when he was so weak? But she had looked everywhere she could think of. Limp as a water weed now that the anger had drained away, Ruby collapsed on her pallet.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  Charlie stood in the doorway with his arms folded across his chest. “You can’t go looking like that!”

  Ruby glanced down at her red traveling dress. “What’s wrong with this?” She’d brushed it carefully; she knew all the stains on the hem were gone. And the hat was set just right. The mirror never lied. She knew she looked nice. Mrs. Brandon had said so.

  “No one dresses that fancy in Little Missouri. People will think you’re a . . .” He looked like he was going to swallow his Adam’s apple.

  “What he means is that the men will be so busy looking at how pretty you are, they won’t pay attention to what you are sayin’.” Milly turned slightly so that Ruby couldn’t see the look she sent Charlie.

  He tipped his bowler farther back on his head. “Yep, that’s what I meant all right.”

  “But you said—”

  “Just wear your better dark skirt and that nice blue print waist you have. You’ll fit in better that way.” Daisy looked up from measuring flour into the pancake mixture. “I’ll have breakfast ready in a few minutes. We haven’t seen hide nor tail of our guests yet.”

  The front bell tinkled.

  Ruby started to go to the dining room, but Opal stepped in front of her. “I’ll go. It’s my turn.”

  “Oh, and Ruby, I’ll have the sweet rolls ready for you. They should be coming out of the oven pretty soon,” Daisy said.

  “If I had a particle of sense, I’d . . .” Ruby paused. She had to admit that real sense meant listening to Charlie. He knows the people of Little Missouri far better than I do! she thought as she climbed the stairs. And besides, those two houses they’d stopped at might remember her hat, at least, although it had been too dark at the one house. But at the other, she and Opal had been welcomed—at first.

  She carefully laid her hat back in the hatbox and set it on the shelf.
Her gloves she smoothed flat and laid them in the trunk, and the dress she hung on a hanger and then over a hook. How she would love to have that armoire back again. How I would love to have that room on the floor below back again. While it had seemed barren at first, compared to the space she and Opal now shared, the room had been palatial. She left her hair pinned up and donned the skirt and waist. She looked more everyday now. Once again stroking a hand down the dress on the hanger, she grabbed an apron off one of the pegs on the wall and tied it on while descending the stairs.

  “Ah, that smells heavenly.” The wonderful aroma of rolls fresh out of the oven met her halfway down. And they were all to be given away. Perhaps they should use the wheelbarrow that Charlie made for the garden.

  The bell rang again as she entered the kitchen. She could hear voices coming from the dining room. Had they more than one customer for a change?

  She pushed open the swinging door into the dining room and stopped. People were sitting at three tables. However would they handle such a crowd?

  The two salesmen glanced up from their pancakes, one of them sporting a swollen jaw. When he caught her eye, he nodded toward Charlie. “He sure does pack a punch.” He rubbed his jaw. “And I was winning too.”

  “You weren’t winning.” The more slender man took another bite of pancake.

  Ruby glanced toward the man who stood just inside the door. Rand Harrison. What was he doing here? Was he planning to give her another piece of his mind?

  Out of the corner of her eye, she watched him take a table as she stopped to talk to the drummers. “How are things this morning— besides the jaw?”

  “Good. Sure some different around here than it used to be.” The second one nodded in agreement with his friend. “The food is good too.”

  Ruby counted to six before making sure her lips were smiling and her eyes weren’t. She kept her voice sweet and gentle. “I’m glad you like it here, and I do hope you come back and that you tell others of the good service you received here.” She lowered her voice a trifle. “And if you are caught drinking again, you will sleep with the hens in the chicken house. There will be no whiskey at Dove House.” She smiled as though she’d just shared a delightful secret with them.