Ruby (10 page)

“You must know that in order to remain here . . .” She sucked in a stiffening breath. “I cannot abide what is going on . . . with the girls, I mean. So I got to thinking, what if we turned Dove House into a good hotel and place of dining? We could have a cardroom for the men for now, but there would be no liquor.”

“None?”

She nodded as he shook his head.

“They wouldn’t have to pay for the coffee.”

“What would the girls do?”

“Wait on the customers, serve the food, help with whatever was needed in the hotel. We could have more rooms to let if we used the attic for rooms for all of us who work here. There is an attic, isn’t there?”

“Body could freeze to death up there in the winter.”

He hadn’t said no, but he hadn’t said yes either.

“What do you think?”

“I think you’ll lose your shirt. There’s no call for a eatin’ place. Mrs. McGeeney down the road offers that. The rooms we have ain’t ever full. And no spirits for drinkin’. . . ?” He kept shaking his head as he listed the reasons why it wouldn’t work. “Besides, if Belle can’t get her way here, she’ll take the others and open up a place of her own. She’s been thinkin’ hard on that.”

“Oh.” Ruby sank down on the nearest chair and propped her elbows on the table so she could hold up her chin. All of a sudden the need for sleep nearly drowned her. She covered a yawn with one hand and used her tongue to rub her teeth. “How come it sounded like such an excellent idea in the wee hours of the night?”

“Most anything can sound like a good idea at that time, even if you ain’t been drinkin’.”

“If I decide to do this, would you help me? I’d pay you.”
Not much, but we can work out something
.

Charlie shrugged. “Ain’t got nothin’ else beggin’ me to join in right now. Guess I would.”

“What about the others?”

“You’ll have to ask them.”

“Or tell them?”

“It’s gonna be a shock.” He rocked the chair back on two legs. “You give any thought to the men who come here all the time?”

“They can play cards and drink all the coffee they can hold. And if they want to spend the night, the cost will be seventy-five cents, twenty-five cents more for a bath. And no bed partners unless they’re married.”

She rose and went to the stove to put in more wood. “We got any black paint?”

“Don’t think so.”

“Any paint at all?”

He shook his head again.

“Do you think anyone in town has any?”

“Maybe some over at Johnny Nelson’s store. Never know what he has in there.”

“Good. Would you, please, check into that soon as you can? We need to make some signs. The first one will say Closed for Renovations.”

“Renovations? What’s that?”

Ruby sighed. “You think they can all understand Closed?”

“Most likely, ’specially if the lights is off.”

By the time the girls yawned their way downstairs, Ruby had Dove House trembling in the winds of change.

“What is all that pounding goin’ on?” Belle raised her voice to be heard above the noise.

“Charlie is building some shelves in the storeroom.” Ruby looked up from kneading another batch of bread, one of the few things she did know how to do in a kitchen.

“Couldn’t he wait till we got our sleep? Just ’cause he don’t need enough to keep a gnat alive, I—”

“Coffee’s hot.” Ruby flipped the dough over and began the pushing and turning rhythm once again.

Cimarron stopped in the doorway. “Sure smells good in here. What are you fixing?”

“There’s fried potatoes, bacon, eggs, biscuits, and jam.”

“Lawsy me, and here I thought we’d be havin’ warmed up beans like usual.” She took her place at the table, and Opal dished up a plate and set it before her.

“Thank you, honeybun, and with a smile no less. Things are lookin’ up here at Dove House.”

“Soon as you’re finished eating, I have some things to discuss with you.” Ruby gave the dough a last good thump, rolled it into a ball to set back in the big crockery bowl, and covered it with a clean dish towel, thanks to the good bleaching it got after being washed and hung on the line in the sun.

“Sun sure is bright this morning,” Jasmine said after drinking half a cup of coffee.

“That’s because Milly washed the windows, and now you can see out of them.”

“Where’d the curtains go?”

“In the wash.”

“Better be looking out, or we’ll all be in the wash.” Cimarron laughed at her own joke.

“Cimarron, is that your real name?” Opal brought back the coffeepot and carefully filled each cup.

“Yes, indeed. My mamma loved that song about the Cimarron Trail, and when I had kind of cinnamon colored hair, she just tacked that moniker right on to her bitty little baby girl.”

“I think it’s pretty.”

Cimarron set her cup back down on the table. “Why, thank you, honeybun. You know how to make a body feel real good.”

When they’d nearly finished eating, Ruby nodded to Opal to go get Milly and Charlie, who were both working in the storeroom. When they all sat down, the women shared questioning looks between one another.

“Looks to be serious.” Jasmine nudged Cimarron with her elbow.

“All right, what’s going on here?” Belle dug out her morning’s cigarillo and set it into the holder before holding it out for Charlie to light. When she’d leaned back to blow out her first line of smoke and appeared to be relaxing, she looked to Charlie who shrugged and nodded to Ruby.

Only the whisper of falling coals in the stove broke the silence. Ruby sent a prayer heavenward for guidance. She straightened her spine and plastered a smile on her face. “I’ve decided to close Dove House . . .”

Hollers of shock drowned out her final words, “. . . as it is.”

CHAPTER ELEVEN

“You want me to what?”

“Belle, we can discuss this without gettin’ all riled up.” Charlie got up to pour himself another cup of coffee before crossing the room to stare out the window.

“I’ve seen the books, big man, and this place don’t have a chance in a million of making it without the workin’ girls. That’s what makes us different from the pigsty down the street.”

“And our drinks don’t go killin’ people.” Cimarron studied her nails, then shook her head, staring at Ruby. “She’s right. I don’t see how you could make it.”

“You gonna make for some real mad hombres out there. They been real happy comin’ here before they set out hunting or trying to build something or keeping the peace.” Jasmine propped her elbows on the table to hold her cup at mouth level.

“Times are changin’ here. You got to keep that in mind.” Charlie lifted his bowler hat and smoothed his hair back before resetting it on his head.

“I heard there are more easterners coming here for the hunting. They like to have a bed and a bath and good food. That’s what they’re used to.” Ruby kept from looking at Charlie, who’d been her informant.

“They like our entertainment too.” Jasmine gave a knowing smile.

“But they don’t go upstairs much, unless to their own rooms.” Milly spoke from the corner, and everyone jerked around to see who said that.

“I s’pose you”—Belle pointed a finger at Milly—“are all jumped up about this change. You think you’re so much better than us just because—”

“Belle!” Charlie nodded to where Opal was pushing open the door from outside.

Belle had the grace to shut her mouth, which brought her up a notch, albeit a small one, in Ruby’s estimation. But perhaps it would be better if Belle left like Charlie figured she would. And if the others went, well, so be it. The four of them could manage for a while at least, until the folks who rode by on the trains knew about the new place in Little Missouri. Or rather, the newly refurbished place.

“Well, we better get ready for work.” Belle started to stand.

“There won’t be any work of the kind you are thinking, today or any day. The doors are closed, and we hung a sign that says so.”

“You mean you’re startin’ right now?”

“I thought I made that clear.”

“Come on, girls. We need to talk. In my room.” Belle stared both Cimarron and Jasmine down so that they rose and, with an apologetic smile in Ruby’s direction, followed Belle from the room.

Opal came to stand by Ruby. “They aren’t too happy, huh?”

“No, they most certainly aren’t.” Ruby laid her arm across Opal’s shoulders. “Well, as Caesar or Alexander the Great or someone from way back said, ‘The die is cast.”’

“What’s a die?”

“I’m not sure, but it sounds good.”
And if there is any turning back, it won’t be to the former—not if I have anything to say about it. If I only knew what was in the buksbom—if that is indeed what Far had said. What box was he referring to?

“What do you want me to do?” Opal looked up at Ruby.

“You can help me in the pantry. We’re going to scrub it from top to bottom. And after we finish the pantry, we’ll go put supplies up on the lovely shelves Charlie is building and finish scrubbing in the storage room. Charlie, we need to count up the stock of liquor, and then you can go ask the man down the street if he wants to purchase it. Cash only, but we’ll give him a fair deal. I need to know who my father dealt with at each of the places he did business so I can call on them in the next few days.”

“You’d go to Dickinson? All by yourself?” The shock of her words nearly choked him.

“Why not?”

Charlie’s head swung like a pendulum. “They won’t do business with a itty bitty girl like you. Better if Belle went. No, that won’t work. Me, then. I done most of the buyin’ since your pa took sick.”

They’ll learn to deal with me if I’m the owner here
. Ruby kept her thoughts to herself and only nodded. “If Mr. Williams doesn’t want the liquor, you can return it when we go shopping in Dickinson.”

“Beats his Forty Mile Red Eye, that’s for sure.” When he saw the confusion on her face, Charlie added, “That’s his own brand. Makes it himself out of sulphuric acid, cigar butts, bad gin, and worse rum.” Charlie shuddered. “ ’Bout takes off the top of your head if it don’t blow out your belly.”

“Is that what they call ‘white lightning’? I read about that somewhere.”

“Na-a-a. They make white lightning down in the south, out in stills in the woods.” Charlie slapped his leg. “Men can make alcohol outa just about anything if’n they got a mind to. Why I heard tell—”

“Charlie . . .”

“Oh, sorry.” He smiled his apology to Opal, who’d been staring at him with eyes round as the coffee cups.

“Charlie sometimes exaggerates,” Milly informed them, at the same time casting a tolerant smile his way.

“Not this time. Best get back to my shelves. Maybe tonight we can sit down and make me up some kind of shopping list, eh?”

Ruby tied a cloth around her hair, shaved soap off a bar into a bucket, then poured boiling water over it. Broom, brush, and rags in hand, she motioned to Opal. “All right, let’s get started. Oh, you better tie something over your hair too. No telling what we might sweep down.”

She popped back out of the pantry. “Charlie, could you bring me something to stand on, please?”

Charlie brought a box and set it on the floor. “I think you better let Miss Opal climb up on the counter. She can reach the top shelf from there, lest you want me to do the tops?”

“No. Shelves are needed in the storage room the most. And I can’t do that.”
Unless I have to. Then I would learn
. While she watched, Opal scrambled up from the box to the counter.

“Hand me a washrag. I can’t see up there, but I can reach.” She took several tins out and handed them to Ruby.

“You be careful now.”

“I am.”

The hammering started again in the storage room as Ruby set the tins on the opposite counter. She stepped back as dust and debris filtered down from Opal’s industrious scrubbing.

“What’s in those?”

“I’ll see.” Ruby wiped the dust off the lids and pried them open. “Raisins in this one and . . .
pew
. Rancid lard.” She set that one out in the kitchen to be emptied later.

They’d finished the top shelf and started on the next when Opal let out a small shriek. Ruby looked up in time to see a mouse land on Opal’s shoulder. It jumped down to hers, from there to the floor, and then disappeared in the hole in the wall.

Ruby screamed, flailed at the mouse, and shuddered, glaring at her sister, who nearly dissolved in giggles.

“What happened?” Charlie burst through the half-closed door.

“Ahh! Another mouse.” Ruby brushed off her shoulders and shook all over.

“A mouse jumped from me to her, and . . .” Opal, still laughing, pointed to the floor.

“Opal Marie Torvald, I do not find this funny in the least. Ooh.” Ruby shuddered again.

“You want I should do this?” Charlie waved a hand to indicate the remaining cupboards.

“No. We will manage, thank you.” Ruby drew herself up straight. No mouse, or rather most likely mice in this case, was going to intimidate her. It wasn’t exactly that she was afraid of mice; she just didn’t like them to surprise her.

And that one had definitely surprised her. Her heart still hammered in her chest.

“We need a cat!” Opal looked down at Charlie. “You know anyone who has one to give away?”

“Not right offhand, but let me think on it. But I’ll warn you, cats are at a premium out here. Breeding cats might be a good side business.”

Ruby could tell Charlie was fighting to keep a straight face. “You ever had a mouse jump almost in your face?”

“Nope. Can’t say that I have.” He backed out of the pantry without laughing, but she was sure she heard a snort as the door swung shut again.

“Good thing it was me up here and not you, huh?”

“Good thing.”

“You would have fallen down to the floor, huh?”

“Opal, just clean the next shelf.”

“What if another mouse jumps out?”

“What if I make you wash dishes for a week? Or perhaps a month?”

Opal groaned.

They wiped and dusted in silence for a whole shelf before Opal squealed, “Ooh, lookie.”

“Now what?”

Opal carefully pulled out a pile of what looked like torn-up paper and cloth. She held it carefully in both hands and lowered her burden for Ruby to see. “Baby mice. Look how tiny they are.”

“Ugh, won’t be long before they can jump and run too. Throw them in that box of trash.”

“But, Ruby, they’ll die.”

“Yes.”

“You think that was their mama who jumped out?”

“Opal, I don’t have the time or desire to figure mouse lineage.”

“But, Ruby . . .” Opal touched one of the hairless little creatures with the tip of her finger. “How can we get them back to their mother? Leave the nest in here?”

“No!”

“But we can’t just let them starve to death.”

No, I can think of a much swifter demise than starvation
. But the look of awe and delight on her little sister’s face prevented her from saying what she thought.

“What if the mama mouse comes looking for them?”

Ruby picked up a bowl from the counter. “Put them in here, and we’ll think on what to do.”

As they finished the cupboards, they saw plenty of evidence of mouse habitation but no more actual encounters. Ruby called Charlie to bring hammer and nails and cover a hole they found at the back corner. Now surely, if the doors were kept closed, they would have no more mice in the cupboards.

“They can get through a pinhole, I declare,” Charlie said after he finished hammering.

“I don’t care if they live outside, that’s where they belong, but not in my cupboards and kitchen.”

“You want I should put these outside?” He indicated the nest. He glanced at Opal. “I’ll put them in a box right under this window, and most likely the mother will find them there.”

Opal looked from the nest to Charlie and then to her sister. “I hope so. Or maybe we could pry off that board and put them in the wall. That’s where she went. She’ll be awful sad without her babies.”

Lord, help me
. Ruby patted Opal’s shoulder. “A tender heart is a good thing to have.”
But does it have to apply to mice?
“Put them outside, Charlie, and thank you.”

Ruby set the leftover beans to heating and sent Opal up for the girls. She’d had to argue with herself over what to expect from them. If they didn’t help out with the cleaning, why should they eat? After all, even the Bible said that if people were too lazy to work, they shouldn’t expect to eat.

Opal came back down. “They said they aren’t hungry.”

“That answers that.” Ruby scooped out bowlfuls for the four of them and set them on the table where a stack of sliced bread already waited. Simple fare but filling. And quick.

At about the usual time for the saloon to open, they heard a pounding on the front door. Ruby and Charlie exchanged looks and shrugged. Whoever it was would go away.

Sometime later, the pounding started again.

“Can’t they read the sign?” Ruby wiped the perspiration off her forehead with the back of her hand.

“Most likely not.” Charlie rolled a barrel of flour into place. “You want I should go tell them? Word will get around real quick.”

“They can go do their drinking down at Williams’.”

“But . . .”

“I know—the girls.”

“Not only that, but he don’t have room for them to play cards. Men hereabouts like to come over in the evening to play.”

“Fine, you go tell them we are closed now but we will be open for meals and cards in three days. You said you knew someone who hunted and might get us a deer? If you see him, will you please ask?”

“Sure enough.”

That night Ruby was so tired she could hardly climb the stairs to her room, let alone carry the bucket of hot water. Opal helped her.

As she looked down at the washbowl, nothing sounded more wonderful than the bathtub they’d had at the Brandons’, where she could sink down in hot water with bubbles up to her neck. They’d just poured some of the water into the washbowl when a knock came on the door.

“Come in.”

Cimarron peeked around the door. “It’s me. Do you have a minute?”

Ruby stifled a sigh. “Of course. Come on in.”

Cimarron closed the door and leaned back against it. “I just want to ask if . . . you know . . . talk about . . .” She clutched the sides of her skirt with shaking hands.

“Go on.”

“Well, did you really mean it that there won’t be any more, ah . . .” She glanced over at Opal who smiled back at her.

Ruby thought longingly of the hot water in the washbowl. “We will be serving food and coffee. If you stay, you will be a waitress and at times a maid, depending on where the work is most needed. We will close all but the cardroom, where we will serve coffee only, until ten or so. No more late nights, but we will serve breakfast starting at six.”

“I see.”

Ruby waited until she saw indecision replaced by relief.

“Can I stay?”

“Can you sew?”

“Somewhat. Actually yes, I just haven’t in some time.”

“Good, we’ll all need new dark skirts and waists. I’ll have Charlie bring back dress goods from Dickinson.”

“So that means I’ll still be working at Dove House. Oh, I mean . . . well, you know what I mean.”

“Yes, and if someone you serve leaves a tip, that will be yours to keep.”

“All of it?”

“All of it.”

“Belle’s going to be spittin’ mad.”

“That’s up to her.”

“She wants me and Jasmine to come with her.”

“We’ll see you downstairs, ready to work, in the morning at six.”

“What should I wear?”

“Something to scrub in because getting this place clean is our first order of business.” Ruby refrained from asking about Jasmine and nodded when Cimarron said good-night.

Ruby slipped behind the screen and had disrobed down to her drawers and camisole when another knock came at the door.