Coming back down the steps, she took them from him, reading the titles. “Thank you so much. I wish I’d thought to bring some for you.”
Holding up a hand, he shook his head. “You didn’t know I’d be here. But I have an idea.”
Gripping the books, she held her breath, waiting for him to continue.
Wyatt met her gaze, rising above the doubts pounding in his head. “I need to ride into town in a few days. Perhaps you would do me the honor of allowing me to take you to supper.”
Her lips parted, her heart threatening to pound out of her chest. “Why, yes. That would be wonderful.”
His shoulders relaxed as he drew in a much needed breath. “Good. I don’t know what day I’ll be riding in.”
“Any day is fine with me. I’ll be at Gabe’s house. Now, I really must tell Rosemary goodbye.” Turning, she hurried up the steps, holding the books to her chest.
Watching her disappear into the house, Wyatt felt a sudden pang of guilt. No matter the circumstances of her birth or the way her father treated her, she would always be out of his reach.
Still, he wouldn’t allow himself to be sorry he asked her to supper. He told himself one evening with a beautiful, smart woman couldn’t hurt either of them.
Chapter Six
“There’s so much to learn. I had no idea you were doing so much by yourself.” Nora jotted down notes in a journal as she followed Allie around the shop.
“It crept up on me over the last year. As my orders grew, I put in more hours until Cash forced me to see how much I needed help. He mentioned you right away.”
Nora lifted a brow. “Cash?”
Allie stopped folding a piece of fabric. “Seems Gabe mentioned you were bored and needed something to do. If I’d known you might be interested, I would have said something to you sooner. The books are what need the most help. I’ve put off entering transactions for far too long.”
“How long?”
Allie winced. “A few months.”
“Oh my. That’s quite a while.”
“I know, but when you have to divide your time between working on orders and getting paid or entering numbers in a journal, the orders will always win.”
“Unfortunately, they’re both important.”
Allie nodded, smiling. “I understand. That’s why you are here. To help me with everything taking me away from completing my customers’ orders.”
Both women turned toward the front window at a commotion outside. Walking to the front, Allie looked down the street, putting a hand over her mouth.
“You have to come see this.”
Nora stepped to the window, her jaw dropping at the sight. A group of regally dressed women hung over the sides of a covered wagon, the canvas rolled up and tied. They laughed and shouted greetings, waving at the men standing on the boardwalk. Some turned away, ignoring them, while others gawked and hollered back. A second wagon loaded with what appeared to be trunks, crates, and furniture followed. The wagons moved past the Dixie, coming to a stop in front of the St. James across the street from Allie’s shop.
“Who are they?”
Allie opened the front door. “I don’t know, but I’m going to find out.”
Nora followed her outside, disbelief crossing her face as the women blew kisses toward the men. In return, the men waved, some hurrying up to the wagon to get a closer look.
Nora’s gaze moved from the wagons to the boardwalk. Gabe, Cash, and Beau Davis, another deputy and Cash’s best friend, walked toward the wagon, their features grim. Stepping beside the wagon, Gabe focused on the driver, who smiled, holding out his hand.
“Are you the sheriff in this town?” Dressed as an east coast dandy, the slightly built man had a deep British accent.
Gabe nodded, accepting the man’s hand as his gaze moved from one woman to the next. “Gabe Evans.”
“Sir Bruno Baker, Sheriff. We will be making your lovely town our new home.”
Stifling a groan, Gabe waved his hand to the wagon’s passengers. “And who are these women?”
“Why, these are the dancers the Empress has hired to provide entertainment.”
Gabe glanced back at the women. “Which one is the Empress?”
“Oh, she isn’t in the wagon, sir. She has been preparing the business to open.”
Turning back toward Bruno, Gabe blew out a breath. “Does the Empress have a name?”
“Of course. Ruby Walsh, the owner of Ruby’s Grand Palace. You’ll have to come by, and bring all your deputies. The Empress and I will make certain you have a special welcome.”
Gabe looked at Cash and Beau, watching them do their best not to laugh. Both knew Gabe, Lena, and Nick owned the building Ruby leased for use as a theater—at least that was what Horace Clausen at the bank had told them she’d be opening.
“I thought Miss Walsh planned to open a theater.”
A broad smile split Bruno’s face. “The ladies will offer theatrical performances, Sheriff, as well as dancing and other forms of entertainment. The Empress and her ladies were quite popular in Chicago.”
“I’m certain they were,” Gabe mumbled. “Where do you and the, uh…ladies plan to stay?”
“Why, at the Grand Palace. I received a telegram from the Empress when we traveled through Big Pine, indicating the private rooms were ready for us.”
Shifting, Gabe looked at Cash and Beau. “Did either of you know she’d finished fixing up the building?”
Cash shook his head. “Not me.” He glanced toward the boardwalk, seeing his wife standing next to Nora.
Beau looked at the women before pinching the bridge of his nose. “When I saw Horace the other day, he mentioned the work was moving quickly. I walked around outside and saw a lot of men working, but I didn’t go inside. Sorry, Gabe. Guess I should’ve taken a look.”
“It doesn’t matter, Beau. The building is ready and the ladies are here. All we can do is watch and see what happens.”
“Excuse me, Sheriff. The girls have traveled a long distance. May I take them home?”
Motioning Bruno down the street, Gabe stepped aside. “Go ahead, and let Miss Walsh know I’ll be by to see her soon.”
“That’s marvelous, Sheriff. I’m sure she’ll look forward to your visit.” Slapping the lines, Bruno moved the wagon down the street, turning it to travel behind Allie’s shop and the bank. All the while, the ladies continued their greetings to those watching. Following close behind, the driver of the second wagon made a brief salute to Gabe and his men as he drove by.
Cash crossed his arms, watching the wagons disappear around the corner. “I wondered how long it would take before Splendor drew the attention of a Madam.”
“Do you think her ladies will be offering more than dancing?” Beau asked Cash, chuckling at his own question.
“Hell yes, they’ll be offering more.” Cash glanced again at Allie, seeing her standing with her arms crossed, gaze locked on his. “I’d better go over and talk to my wife, although I’m fairly certain she’s already figured out what the arrival of the women means.”
“I’m glad Caro stayed at the ranch today. It’ll give me time to come up with what to tell her.”
Gabe snorted. “You’ll tell her the same as I’m going to tell Lena, Beau. Splendor is now the proud home of the territory’s latest brothel and parlor house.”
“Can I be excused now, Papa?” Jack looked at Gabe, then down at his empty plate.
“Take your plate into the kitchen and head upstairs. Your mother and I will be up soon to tuck you in.”
Jack wasted no time doing as Gabe asked, his rapid footsteps heading up the stairs after depositing his plate in the kitchen.
“I saw what happened in town today.” Lena placed another forkful of meat into her mouth.
Gabe snorted. “You and everyone else in town saw her girls arrive. We now have our very own parlor house.”
“Ruby’s business doesn’t sound so different from what Nick and I came from in New Orleans, G
abe.”
“Which I would never allow you to go back to, Lena. It’s the reason we changed how the Dixie and Wild Rose saloons operate.”
Lena set down her fork, dabbing the corners of her mouth with a napkin. “We have women working at both, offering private entertainment. I don’t see where there’s much difference.”
“Ours are saloons and gambling halls, not brothels. The ladies serve drinks and food. What they do after hours is up to them—as long as they keep it between themselves and the men who visit them. The girls know we don’t want to know anything about their private lives. Our women have a clean place to live, earn a decent wage, split their tips with the bartender, and get their meals almost free at the boardinghouse. And we pay for the docs to look after them.”
Nora looked between the two. In all the time she’d been in Splendor, this was the first time they’d discussed their saloon business in front of her.
“What will the ladies at Ruby’s place do?”
Gabe and Lena looked at her, their expressions showing they’d forgotten she shared the same supper table.
“I mean, if it’s all right that I ask.”
Gabe picked up his coffee cup, taking a sip, while Lena shifted toward her. “We don’t know this for sure, Nora, but the women who work for Ruby are there for the sole purpose of entertaining the men.”
“But it’s supposed to be a theater.”
Gabe cleared his throat. For a woman of Nora’s age, she remained woefully naïve about the occupations open to women in the frontier.
“If she’s smart, Ruby will offer theater performances and a stage full of dancing girls, which we don’t have. Our piano is all the entertainment we provide. Her girls will be expected to entertain the men privately, offer them whatever physical comforts they desire. If they refuse, Ruby will shove them out the door and they’ll be on their own.”
“Prostitutes…” She whispered the word as if she’d never spoken it aloud before.
Gabe nodded. “That’s right. They call themselves many names, but prostitute is the one everyone understands.”
Lena saw the puzzled expression on Nora’s face, continuing where Gabe stopped. “The girls at the Dixie and Wild Rose may do the same on their own time, but those are private transactions, having nothing to do with us. They pay us a modest rent each week for their rooms. It’s as Gabe said. We don’t want to know about what they do in the privacy of those rooms.”
“We’ve offered all of them additional work at the St. James, boardinghouse, or some other business if they need more money than what they make serving drinks and food. One cleans Abby’s house, another helps out at the newspaper.” Gabe shrugged. “I think most either make do with what they get from us or entertain the occasional man to make more money.”
“It’s not an easy life, is it?”
“No, Nora, it isn’t. Thanks to our father, it’s one you’ll never have to lead.” Gabe pushed his chair away from the table and stood. “I have some paperwork to finish. Don’t wait up for me, Lena.” He kissed her cheek before leaving the dining room.
Nora stared down at her plate, fidgeting with the napkin in her lap. “His feelings about our father are much different than mine.”
“He doesn’t mean anything by it. Gabe grew up in a whole other world than you with the freedom to make friends, attend social events you were never allowed to enjoy. His life was open, while yours was hidden away.”
Nodding, she looked up at Lena. “I don’t blame him. But he just doesn’t understand what it was like to have our father ashamed to be seen in public with me. His businesses were spread over several states, so he could never be certain who might see us together.” Sucking in a shaky breath, she did her best to banish the memory from her mind. “I’m a grown woman now, living thousands of miles away. You’d think I could put it all behind me.”
Leaning over, Lena placed a hand on Nora’s arm. “I know you may not see this, but you had it so much better than most women whose fathers aren’t what they seem.”
“You’re right. It’s just my memories are so empty, while Gabe has so many stories to tell about growing up and having Noah as his best friend. Father discouraged me from making any friends for fear word would somehow leak out about him and get back to his real family.”
“You are his real family, Nora, the same as Gabe and his brothers.”
“Is that why he exiled me, sending me west to become Gabe’s problem?”
Lena’s face hardened enough to let Nora know she’d gone too far. “I will say this one time, Nora. You are Gabe’s sister, my sister-in-law, and Jack’s aunt. We love you and are thrilled to have you here with us. You’re not in any way a problem. You’re a welcome blessing.”
Nora glanced down at Lena’s hand, which still rested on her arm, feeling ungrateful and petty. She knew some of Lena’s background, how she grew up in a brothel and worked her entire life. Her life made Nora’s look pampered.
“I’m sorry, Lena.”
Lifting her hand, she stood, her face softening. “There’s nothing to apologize for. Sometimes we all must let our pain out. I’ve always had Nick as a good friend, and now Gabe. You’ve had no one, and could hardly express your feelings to your father. I’m here anytime you need to talk.”
Nora stared at the ceiling, her heart hurting from what she’d said to Lena. She loved living with them in Splendor, far away from the social confines of New York.
Her outburst had been so unexpected, it stunned her. She’d never voiced her feelings about her father, how he’d made her feel like an outcast by refusing all her attempts to be a proper part of his life.
Nora understood his reasons for keeping her a secret, knew he had to protect his wife and four sons. Even though he’d gone through the motions of marrying her mother, the three of them always knew it was a sham, something to make his paramour feel better. Anna Marie Reeser would never be an Evans, and they all knew it.
When her mother died, her father had ordered documents drawn, adding Evans to Nora’s name. He’d told her it would make her life easier if anything ever happened to him. She’d be named in his will, have an income without resorting to the kind of work they’d discussed at supper tonight.
As she thought about it, Nora realized how much he had done for her. As Lena said, her life had been so much better than most girls whose fathers had lovers. When her mother died, he’d sent her to a prominent school in Philadelphia, making sure she wanted for nothing. The head mistress knew her background, never letting on to anyone else at the school. Everything her classmates knew about her background was a carefully crafted story.
It was the only place she’d ever been able to make friends. Closing her eyes, she allowed their images to cross her mind. They’d all moved on after graduating, vowing to write to her when they learned she’d accepted a position as a teacher at the school. A couple did, at least for a while.
When Nora’s father moved her to the apartment in New York, all communication from her friends stopped. Perhaps one day she’d learn what became of them, sharing her adventures out west.
Her eyes popped open at the thought. She’d started a new journal after boarding the train in New York for her trip to Splendor. Since arriving, she’d failed to enter more than a few entries.
Sitting up, she pulled out a drawer in the table by the bed, lifting out the journal and the gold fountain pen her father had given her the day she left. Adjusting her pillow, Nora opened the journal, read the last entry, then began to write.
Her first words were, I met the most interesting man…Wyatt Jackson.
Chapter Seven
Nora juggled covered plates from McCalls restaurant as she pushed through the front door. “I have food for us, Allie.”
“What do we have?” Allie looked up from where she sat at a large table, using a pattern to cut fabric for a new dress.
“Betts made elk meatloaf and potatoes today.” She set the plates down on the counter, pulling utensils from a pocket in h
er skirt.
“Smells wonderful.” Putting her scissors down, Allie joined her at the counter.
They’d settled into a routine the last two days. Allie sewed while Nora worked with customers all morning before she walked to Suzanne’s boardinghouse or McCalls to get dinner. When finished, they continued their work until Jack arrived from school.
“Whose dress are you working on now?”
Swallowing a bite of meatloaf, Allie’s eyes lit up. “It’s for Ruth Paige.”
Nora’s fork stopped midway to her mouth. “The reverend’s wife? I thought she did all her own sewing.”
“She does. Reverend Paige wants to surprise her for their anniversary. He didn’t have much in his budget, but we were able to work something out.”
Nora’s brow lifted. “You’re making no money on the dress, are you?”
Allie’s face flushed. “No, I’m not.”
Nora looked at the beautiful blue fabric. “She’ll look wonderful, though. Is there anything I can do to help?”
“Do you know how to sew on buttons?”
“I do.”
“What about buttonholes?”
“I can do that, too, Allie. I’ll do both of those. Anything else?”
Allie began to respond when the front door flew open, Ruby Walsh leading a parade of women into the shop. Later, Nora would describe her entrance as a tornado descending on an unsuspecting small town, blowing objects everywhere and disrupting lives.
Putting aside her food, Allie walked to intercept them.
Ruby’s gaze flitted around the room, landing on Allie. “I’m looking for Mrs. Coulter.”
She held out her hand. “I’m Alison Coulter. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Miss Walsh.”
Ruby’s smile widened as she lightly gripped Allie’s hand. “Please, call me Miss Ruby. All my friends do. So, you’ve heard of me.”
“Who hasn’t heard of you and the ladies who rode into town this week?”
Forsaken Falls Page 6
