Diamond in the Rough (The Red Petticoat Saloon)

by Abbie Adams

  He took the lamp from the hall and opened the door to her room, standing with his arm held out, gesturing her inside.

  "Um, I… I need to visit the… the outhouse," she said, coloring instantly with the rather indelicate topic but knowing she'd never make it through whatever he had planned if she didn't. When his eyebrow quirked, she said, "I'm not lying. I… I'll come right back, I promise."

  "See you do, Diamond, because if you don't and I have to come get you, I promise you'll regret lying to me in addition to the regret you now feel for breaking the rules. Understand?"

  "Yes, sir," she murmured and at his nod, turned and fled back through the saloon. Spying Jewel, she paused. "Um, could you go with me? I don't want to make Gabe any angrier than he is already." Jewel just nodded and the two went out the back door. When Delaney exited the privy, it was to find the marshal standing beneath a huge oak tree, talking with Jewel.

  "I thought you left! Stop following me!"

  "I'm not. You're not the only one to need to answer nature's call," he drawled, tipping his hat and chuckling as she stomped past him. Her attempt to slam the door was thwarted when Jewel reached out to still it before it hit her.

  "Oh, I'm so sorry," Delaney said, having actually forgotten the madam had accompanied her… at her own request no less.

  "Diamond, I suggest you calm down before you go to Gabe. Being angry won't help your case, especially when you know you were in the wrong," Jewel suggested softly. She reached out and gave Delaney a quick hug before moving around her to return to the saloon proper. Delany stood a moment, considering that she was going from one annoying male to one ready to blister her butt. Jewel was right. It certainly wouldn't do to storm into her room with an attitude. Slowing, she took several deep breaths and then walked to her door.

  She'd never felt more awkward in her life and she'd grown up around many drunk old men playing poker with her father and leering at her. Her room, previously so inviting with its cabbage rose wallpaper and beautiful quilt, was now the last place she wanted to be. She stopped in the middle of the room and waited for direction and didn't have to wait long at all. Gabe had set the lamp on the chest of drawers, and was sitting on the side of her bed. Her stomach churned again as he held out his hand to her.

  "Mr. Gabe, you don't have to do this. I understand the rules. I just stepped outside because I needed some air. I didn't go anywhere or do anything wrong, really. I wasn't even six feet from the saloon door. I was literally touching the wall!" She crossed her arms.

  "I'm sorry, honey, but you clearly don't understand the rules, or you wouldn't have gone out by yourself at all. You will, however, understand much better by the time I'm through. Come here." He held out his hand to her again, his face determined and stern with his strong jaw and intense brown eyes.

  "Please… I've never been spanked before. I don't think I can handle it." She wrung her hands together, fighting the urge to rub her watery eyes, willing them to dry up instead. She didn't want to be so weak.

  He stood up and came the short few steps to stand in front of her. She flinched when he lifted his hand, but all he did was take her shoulders and draw her into his arms. His embrace was warm and comforting, almost fatherly.

  "I've given many young ladies their first spanking. I can assure you, you can take it and will. It won't change anything, except your behavior and won't hurt anything but your naughty bottom and perhaps your pride. Now, stop fretting and let's get this over with." He retreated to the bed again, this time taking her hand and tugging her along with him.

  Her first tear fell as she lay down over his thick thighs. She crossed her arms on the bed behind him and buried her face in her arms, thankful to be able to hide her tears. She cringed when he lifted her skirts and petticoat but when he began to untie the laces to her pantalets, she started to protest, throwing her hands back and arching her back.

  "Mr. Gabe, no please. You can't see my… my…"

  "Cease your antics right now, young lady." A hearty crack of fire seared her behind, stopping her immediately. "A punishment that is worth anything, must be on the bare bottom so that you learn your lesson. Now settle down, chiquita." The laces came loose and the last vestige of her modesty fell away when he tugged the fabric off her cheeks and down to her knees. "I suggest that next time you want to do something you know is not acceptable, you remember your shame right now."

  She whimpered into her arms once again. Mortification coursed through her being. As soon as the man was done, she was out of there! She'd go back to St. Louis and stay with Aunt Margarethe if she had to. She could handle the humiliation of going back into her aunt's house much easier than this. No one should have to endure this abuse, whore or no.

  "Delaney, are you listening to me at all?" The use of her given name snapped her back to the present. "I asked you a question."

  "Uh, I didn't hear you," she confessed, looking over her shoulder.

  "I asked why are you receiving this spanking? I want to be sure you understand." His hand rested on her thigh, the other arm rested across her back, holding her in place.

  "I didn't obey your rule."

  "What rule is that?" His voice was patient and not the least unkind.

  "To never go outside at night unescorted."

  "Why do we have that rule, Delaney?"

  She sniffled. "To keep us safe."

  "Why?" Apparently, he was going to draw this out all day.

  "I don't know." She pouted, resisting the urge to belt out something snotty like 'to protect your investment.'

  "Because we care, honey. I only punish you because I care. This life is hard. It's dangerous. I do my very best to keep our girls safe. If you can't respect that and the rules, then you are punished, plain and simple." He rubbed her back as he spoke. "You women are precious jewels and I'd hate for you to be hurt."

  She couldn't help the sobs that came shuddering out of her. He was going so far to make her comfortable before spanking her. It was incomprehensible except that as he said, he really must care.

  "I'm so sorry, Gabe. I'll never ever do it again."

  "That makes me happy. This spanking will help you to remember that in case you forget anytime soon. Now let's get it over with." Without a chance to prepare for the first crack, it fell hard and heavy on the fullest swell of her bottom, then continued to the other, and back and forth, one cheek and then the other.

  "Ow! Owie." She tossed her hand back to cup her abused posterior, hoping to stop him. This was definitely more than she agreed to, and she wasn't going to take any more of it. "Stop, I don't want this."

  He simply took her hand and held it at the small of her back where he'd piled her skirts. "We're just getting started. It wouldn't be a punishment if you called the shots." He kept right on spanking, searing her with fiery spanks all over her bottom, from the swell to the fold, and right there at the tops of her thighs where she was most sensitive.

  "Gabe! I'm sorry. I swear it's enough. I'll never, ever leave the saloon again. Please." She felt every spank deep in the meat of her posterior, achingly precise and often right on top of the last one.

  "Relax your bottom and accept your spanking." He stopped swatting, and to her great relief rubbed some of the sting away. "It will make it go easier for you. Believe it or not, I don't like this anymore than you do. You're such a sweet girl, but you have to learn to be safe."

  Thinking it to be over, she tried to get up, but he held her down and firmly in place with the warm hand resting at her lower back. She just wanted to run to her room and hide her shame in her pillow. Ack! She was in her room. She had nowhere to run. "Please let me go now!"

  "We're not through, just giving you a small break." He picked up right where he left off, blistering her ass with the intensity of a man beating off demons.

  She could do no more than to sag into her misery and sob. She was so stupid to think he wouldn't catch her or that he wouldn't spank her when he'd spanked every woman here at least once. "I'm so sorry…" she waile
d.

  "That's a good girl. I know you are going to behave better now. You don't want Jewel, Nettie, the other gems or myself to worry about you like we did tonight, now do you?" He accented his words with sharp stinging spanks obviously meant to drive his point home. Round after round of repetitious swats pulverized her backside until she was a blithering mess of apologies, ows and no mores.

  "No, Gabe, no more, please. I'll never go outside again. I promise. I'll never disobey again."

  "Don't go making promises you have no way of keeping. You have to go outside again at some time and we both know you will disobey again too." His chuckle was low but not mocking. He finally stopped spanking again, this time actually helping her to her feet. She didn't dare look at him, so she covered her face with her hands, wanting to die there on the spot. She was thankful when her skirt fell down to cover her shame although it did trap the heat in.

  Gabe stood as well, and tugged her hands down as he pulled her into a hug once more. "There. It's over now. You take a couple of minutes to compose yourself, but then I want to see you in the card room again. Jewel and the other gems will be worried about you otherwise. And there is no sense staying up here pitying yourself and over thinking it." He stepped back and tilted her chin so she had to look at him. "You've been punished and forgiven. You're fine now. It's over and done with. But, know this, Chiquita, if you disobey again, you'll be right back here with your bottom bared except I'll be removing my belt. Is that clear?"

  She nodded when it seemed he was waiting for a response, managing to whisper, "yes, sir" but unable to meet his eyes. She was too humiliated. She was thankful when he finally left the room, drawing her door closed behind him. She threw herself onto her bed and buried her face in her pillow, not even bothering to find her pantalets which had been kicked off sometime during her spanking.

  How could she ever go out of her room again, knowing that everyone in the saloon had to know she'd been spanked by now? She would climb out her window and run away if she hadn't heard tales of another gem getting spanked for trying to do just that.

  No. No, she wouldn't. She wasn't going anywhere, least of all back to her cold-hearted aunt. Besides that, until she'd saved up some more money, Delaney had no means with which to leave. She was actually very lucky to have her place dealing cards here at the Red Petticoat Saloon. Other establishments wouldn't allow a woman to work there unless she was willing to play upstairs as well as down. Not only wasn't she required to entertain clients with more than playing cards, Jewel had taken her in and fed her even before she technically had a job there. When the madam had declared that her gem name was to be Diamond, Delaney had asked why.

  “Because though it is quite obvious that your heart is in the game, a heart is not a gemstone. However, a diamond is.” She’d paused and reached out to give her newest gem a hug. “And you, young lady, are an absolutely brilliant card player.”

  Delaney must have looked a bit confused because Opal had giggled and said, “Brilliant… like the brilliance of a diamond. That’s a perfect name for her, Jewel.”

  Yes, Delaney owed Jewel and Gabe respect at the very least. They were good people.

  She'd pretty much unwound the tight knot in her stomach by then and was about ready to get up and head back out to the floor when a soft knock fell on her door.

  "Diamond, you all right? Can I come in?" Jewel inquired.

  Delaney rolled over and sat up, cringing when her raw bottom met the firm mattress below her. She hurriedly lifted a layer of her skirt to her eyes to try to wipe the worst of her face clean. "Yes, come on in."

  The door creaked slowly and Jewel's smiling face appeared on the other side. "I was worried; just wanted to make sure you were all right." She came forward slowly and Delaney shifted to drop her feet over the side of the bed so she could sit up more fully.

  "Aside from hoping I'll fall down a magic rabbit hole and never appear again, I'm fine. I'm just so embarrassed now." She gave a pathetic smile, and reached up to smooth her hair back. What a mess.

  "I brought you some of Nettie's fresh squeezed lemonade. It was her excuse so I could come to check in on you, but of course, it was already set in my head to come. Anyway, if you are anything like me when I get paddled, you cried terribly hard, are parched and now have a sore throat. This will help with all of that." She handed the tall glass to Delaney with a sympathetic smile.

  "You've been spanked too?" She couldn't help but be surprised the madam received spankings too. She was so elegant and sophisticated; surely Jewel never did anything to warrant spanking! Delaney took a long drink and averted her gaze as Jewel giggled, her face flushing beautifully.

  "Of course, silly girl. Probably more times than all of the gems put together, and sometimes they are even a punishment." Delaney must have looked shocked for Jewel laughed. "Most times they are good-girl spankings, but believe me, I've had my share of punishments and I wouldn't wish them on anyone. But I want you to understand, I know I deserve it if Gabe issues it. He is an honest, fair and compassionate man. He just wants to keep us all safe and takes that job very seriously."

  "You love him so much. That's sweet. I can't imagine anyone doing that for fun. What is a good-girl spanking?" As soon as she'd put voice to the words, an image of herself over the marshal's thighs popped into her head. The confusing thing was the way her loins tightened with longing. She sipped her lemonade, searching for something to occupy herself.

  Jewel rubbed her arm. "Hmmm, I suppose it would be different for each couple. It's still a spanking, but often not as hard. There is a lot more rubbing, some intimate stroking… well, I'm sure you get the point. Anyway, it's more than love with Gabe; I trust and respect him. I guess I just wanted to reassure you that Gabe only punishes those he loves. It's his way of caring for you. I suppose with all the gals who have come and gone so far, it seems common for men to care for their ladies in this manner. Anyway, I hope that you see the punishment for what it was, and that you are all right now."

  "Thank you, Jewel. I was feeling pretty pathetic. I'm still embarrassed and don't know how I'll face everyone. I mean they all have to know what just happened." Delaney set the glass on the little table by her bed, stood and went to her small mirror. Her face was still red and puffy from crying, even in the half-light.

  "Even if you are right, it hardly matters. It doesn't mean you are bad person. Every gem in this place has been spanked at some time. If anything, they can probably sympathize with you." She got up and came to Delaney's side, took the pitcher of water from her wash stand then dampened a hand cloth. "Here hold this on your eyes for a little while, then refresh it and try again. Give it a couple minutes and you'll be good as new—well, from the waist up anyway." She chuckled, then added, "I'm sorry. I'll give you some peace, but do come out in a bit so everyone will see that you are just fine."

  "Thank you, Jewel, you've helped me a lot. I'll be out in a few minutes." She took the cloth and did as Jewel asked. It was refreshing. Well, since the spanking hadn't killed her and she had yet to die of humiliation, perhaps she would be all right after all.

  Chapter Two

  "Good morning, Mrs. Bentley." Tripp sat down in the seat near the far wall. He liked to be able to see the whole room from wherever he was seated. A smart man never let another man sneak up behind him. He adjusted his belt so that his pistol hung down and wouldn't be caught between him and the seat, then held up his coffee cup as the merry patron of the boarding house came near him with her coffee pot.

  "Some fresh, hot coffee for you, Marshal? I'm glad you're back in town. We don't see you around our parts near enough. I know our sheriff and deputies are good men and excellent lawmen, but we all feel so much better when you are here as well. Especially with the talk of that outlaw gang being camped out somewhere nearby and that poor family. Oh, never mind. It's too beautiful a morning to be fretting over that." The graceful gray-haired lady filled his cup and set it in front of him while she spoke.

  "It looks like a beautif
ul morning indeed. That's good. With all the rain we got last night, we'll need the sun to dry it all up." Tripp leaned back in his seat, looking to her as she flitted around setting the tables and getting ready for her breakfast crowd.

  "The Lord provides all that we need, yes, he does." She bustled into the kitchen and came back to the side board with a big tureen, the contents smelling like heaven or perhaps sausage gravy but Tripp believed them to be one and the same.

  "Mrs. Bentley, I had a question or two for you if you have a moment before the rest of the boarders come in." He sipped his steaming coffee as she came back to the table.

  "I always have a minute for you, young man. I know you could have chosen to stay in that new fancy hotel in the middle of town."

  Tripp shook his head, a smile on his face. "Never, they don't offer the same level of care that you and William do. I'll be a boarder with you until the day I die."

  Mildred's bright smile told of her joy at the compliment. "I'll be glad to have you until the day you wed," she gently corrected. "Now, Marshal, what can I do for you?" Mildred perched her ample bottom on the edge of the chair at the end of the table near him. He was sure she wouldn't dare sit down fully when she had so much work to be done. It was a wonder the woman was plump at all since she fluttered around, working all day faster than a hummingbird.

  "Thank you, ma'am. I asked William but he didn't recall. Said you'd be more likely to know. I wondered if you have had a woman stay here who had dark curly hair. She is short, but not slight, more well-rounded. Anyway, she may be traveling with a couple of questionable looking men. Oh and she is known to be good with cards. She goes by the name Damaris." He leaned forward again and took up his coffee cup for a slow sip of the delicious brew while she thought about it.

  "Well, it sounds like you mean that newer girl over at the saloon. She plays cards. Never stayed here though. She didn't have a coin to her name when she strolled into town. Can't remember her name…" She peered up at the ceiling as if waiting for God to impart the answer to her and her alone.