Pearl (50 page)
Opal sat on the bed, one knee bent across the quilt, the other foot still on the floor, counting the money.
Counting the money! Where is her remorse?
‘‘How long has this been going on?’’ Ruby kept her tone conversational with only the greatest effort.
‘‘First time. Guess I had beginner’s luck.’’
‘‘And the last time. You will not keep the money.’’
‘‘But, Ruby, I don’t have any money.’’
‘‘What do you need money for?’’ Her voice had gone up a few notes. She took another deep breath.
I will not yell and scream.
I will not
.
‘‘Like the marquis said, I won it fair and square.’’
‘‘You will not keep the money, you will not gamble again, and you will never touch a cigarillo again. Do-you-hear-me?’’ Flint steel could not have cut the words more cleanly.
Opal’s bottom lip came out, her eyes narrowed. ‘‘I hear you.’’
‘‘Good. Then I suggest you take that money back down and return it to the
gentlemen
.’’ Her emphasis on the final word said what she actually thought. True gentlemen would not allow an eleven-year-old girl to play cards with them.
‘‘They won’t take it back. You heard them.’’
‘‘Then pour it down the privy.’’
‘‘Ruby! There’s a lot of money here.’’
‘‘The better the lesson.’’
‘‘I’ll give it away.’’
‘‘Fine.’’
‘‘Can I go downstairs now?’’
‘‘No. I have yet to decide what your punishment will be.’’
‘‘Isn’t giving away the money enough?’’
‘‘I have
no
idea what to do with you!’’ Ruby fought the tears that threatened. How could she do this? Had she not been strict enough?
Why, Opal, why?
‘‘Why, Opal?’’
‘‘Why what?’’
‘‘Why would you do something like this?’’
‘‘It started out as a joke, and then I was having a good time, and, well . . .’’ Her sigh matched her sister’s. ‘‘I didn’t hurt nothing.’’
‘‘Anything.’’
Opal gave her one of those looks and, after stuffing the money in a pouch, stalked down the stairs in front of her steaming sister. Everyone was still in the kitchen when they burst through the door.
‘‘Opal, honeybun, did you hear our news?’’ Cimarron said eagerly.
‘‘No.’’
‘‘We’re gettin’ married on Sunday.’’
‘‘That’s good.’’ Opal turned to glance back at Ruby, plunked the pouch in Cimarron’s hands, and gave her a hug. ‘‘You can use this better than me.’’ She turned, brushed by Ruby, and mounted the stairs.
‘‘We’ll talk about this later.’’ Ruby smiled at the consternation on Cimarron’s face. ‘‘But that is yours to keep. Do not try to give it back to her.’’
Ruby pulled paper out of the back of the counter in the dining room, sat down at a table, and uncorked the ink.
Dear Belle,
I have changed my mind. If you can give me eighteen thousand dollars, Dove House is yours.
Sincerely,
Ruby Torvald.
All right, Belle, you win. You get Dove House, but you don’t get Opal.
‘‘You did what?’’ Pearl asked, aghast.
‘‘I wrote to Belle and offered her Dove House for eighteen thousand dollars. If she doesn’t want it, I’ll sell it to the highest bidder.’’
Pearl stared at Ruby, sitting so calmly at the kitchen table. With the weather nice for the first time in days, they had the place to themselves.
‘‘Now that I’ve had time to think about it, I’m going to suggest to Charlie that he look after Daisy. I think I’ve been seeing some romance there lately. If Belle takes my offer, I shall ask her to give us two weeks to finish school and move out.’’
‘‘Where will you go?’’
‘‘Well, Rand has asked me to marry him.’’ Ruby went silent for a long moment, blinking several times. She cleared her throat. ‘‘But I’ve seriously thought of taking Opal right out of this demented place and back to New York.’’
‘‘You’d be a governess again?’’
‘‘I don’t know. I just know that this hotel is not the place for my little sister. And it never has been. What in the world made me think that if I was careful enough of her, she would not be colored by what went on around here?’’
Pearl shook her head. ‘‘I don’t think you’d be happy in New York society again. You’ve had too much freedom.’’
And Opal?
She’d set the tongues to flapping the minute she opened her mouth, no
matter how hard you have tried, my dear friend
.
‘‘I just know I have to get her out of here.’’
‘‘Have you talked with Rand yet?’’
‘‘No, he’s not been to town. You know what? I could cheerfully strangle Belle.’’
‘‘You knew what she was.’’
‘‘But I was hoping, praying for her to change.’’
‘‘Some people can’t, not unless God gets them and shakes them good. He’s the only one who can do the real changing.’’
‘‘And He did a lot of that here.’’
Yes, a lot of changes
. Pearl thought back to the night before. After story hour, they’d gathered for singing again. Carl’s voice from right behind her had set the tingles to running up and down her back. She caught herself leaning just the slightest backward to feel his presence.
I think I am besotted with that man. Intrigued at
the least, but surely it is more than that. I know when he walks into a
room without even seeing him. How can that be?
‘‘Ruby, can I ask you a question?’’
‘‘Of course. You know you can ask me anything.’’
‘‘How did you know when you were in love with Rand?’’
Ruby held her cup with both hands and stared over the edge, her eyes speaking of dreams and deep joy. ‘‘When I knew I no longer wanted to kill him.’’
Pearl burst out laughing. ‘‘Now that’s some definition.’’
‘‘Not what you expected?’’
‘‘No. Not at all.’’
‘‘For so long he irritated me beyond belief. Then I found myself thinking about him. He’d do something that was so kind and generous, and then he’d set out deliberately to make me mad again.’’ She shook her head, a half smile playing tag with the dreams in her eyes. ‘‘Then one day, he touched my hand, and I thought he’d burnt it. I could hardly breathe.’’
‘‘This love thing sounds like a real pleasure.’’
‘‘Why are you asking?’’
‘‘I-I think I care deeply for Carl Hegland.’’ There, she’d said it. Not the actual word but close.
‘‘I hear a
but
in your voice.’’
‘‘But I don’t know if he cares for me.’’
‘‘Of course, men go around making desks for any old friend or acquaintance. For Christmas even.’’
‘‘Well, I think he cares, but . . .’’ Her head felt too heavy to hold up any longer. ‘‘But does he love me enough to see beyond whose daughter I am?’’
‘‘Does he know you love him?’’
‘‘I’m pretty sure, but he’s never said anything.’’
‘‘Ask him.’’
‘‘Ruby Torvald, what is the matter with you? I know, you’ve been on the frontier too long. Ask him. Nice women don’t do that.’’
‘‘Nice women don’t do what?’’ Opal stopped in the doorway. ‘‘Is this another one of those conversations I’ll know more about when I get older?’’
‘‘Something like that.’’ Ruby extended an arm and, beckoning Opal to come on over, put it around her waist and drew her in. Since they’d been on a guarded truce ever since
that
night, she took any opportunity to be more motherly. Up until now Opal had resisted.
‘‘We’re talking about life.’’ Pearl lifted the plate of cookies for Opal to have one. ‘‘Did you have a good time out there? Your cheeks are red as holly berries.’’
‘‘We did. I sure miss Milly though.’’ She pulled away. ‘‘I’m going to practice on the piano. You have any more sheet music?’’
‘‘Just the books and sheets that are out there. I’ve ordered some more.’’
‘‘Thanks.’’ Opal snagged another cookie and ambled into the dining room whistling.
Ruby huffed, started to rise, then sank back in the chair. ‘‘What am I going to do? She’s as tall as I am, and sometimes when I try to talk to her, she seems to disappear inside herself. Where is the Opal I used to know?’’
Pearl knew enough to keep silent when she had nothing to say.
Rand didn’t make it to town that week. Ruby kept watching for him, but each day closed with a sigh. How was she to talk this over with him if he never came to town? Perhaps he changed his mind. That thought occurred more than once. Other than Pearl, who’d been sworn to secrecy, she told no one of her letter.
One week to the day after Ruby had mailed the letter, Belle rode into town, got off the train, and along with her escort, strolled in the front door of Dove House.
‘‘I come for my home back.’’
‘‘I see. Have a seat.’’ Ruby pulled paper and pen from behind the counter and took her place at the table. ‘‘All right, this is what I offer. Eighteen thousand today, and you take over in two weeks, which makes that date, the fifth of April.’’
‘‘I thought you would be out immediately.’’
‘‘I can’t do that. I’m sure you would not want school meeting here after you own the place. We should go to May for school, but we will close after the first week of April. I will pay you fifty dollars’ rent for each week for a total of one hundred dollars.’’
Ruby saw light flare in Belle’s eyes. ‘‘If this is not satisfactory for you, I will approach some others who have asked me to let them know should I decide to sell.’’
Belle stared at her, eyes hooded, nodding slightly. ‘‘Why are you selling now when things are going so good?’’
‘‘It is always best to sell at the top.’’ Ruby had no idea where those words came from, but they sounded great.
‘‘So you are proposing that I give you all the money today and I move back in two weeks. Dove House is now mine. Correct?’’ ‘‘Yes. I will write the bill of sale right now, and you can catch the afternoon train out.’’
‘‘We’ll stay here tonight.’’
Ruby now understood the term,
curled lip
. Belle did it well.
‘‘Sorry, we’re full up. No room at the inn.’’ She crossed her ankles to keep her legs from shaking.
Lord, am I doing the right
thing? Will Opal ever speak to me again?
’’ ‘‘Where will you go?’’
‘‘I haven’t decided yet.’’
Besides, it is none of your business
.
Belle leaned back in her chair and studied Ruby.
Ruby smiled in return. A slight smile, edged in ice. She waited, knowing how Cat must feel at the edge of a mousehole.
Imperious was easy when she was still mad enough to spit. No, not mad, but deep down, burning, get-even angry.
‘‘It’s a deal.’’ Belle leaned forward.
Ruby bristled inside at the word deal. But she dipped her pen in the ink and wrote out a bill of sale.
I, Ruby Torvald, sole proprietor of Dove House located in Little Missouri, Dakotah Territory, on this day of March 23, 1884, sell this building and the contents therein to Belle . . .
‘‘What is your last name?’’
‘‘White.’’ Belle mumbled into her hand.
Ruby hid a smile and went back to writing.
. . . White for the sum of $18,000.00. If there is any contact by Belle White of the people employed by Dove House before April 5, 1884, this contract shall be null and void, and the purchaser, Belle White, shall forfeit the money paid. Purchaser has agreed to accept one hundred dollars as rent and will allow the current occupants of Dove House to remain until April 5, 1884.
Ruby signed the paper with a flourish. ‘‘You sign there.’’ She pointed to a line she had drawn. ‘‘Do you want your partner to sign too?’’
‘‘No, Dove House is mine. All mine.’’ Belle read the contract. ‘‘What about . . .’’ She glared at Ruby. ‘‘Aw. . .’’ She muttered an expletive then signed with no further words. Leaning over, she pulled a bag out of her reticule, plunked it on the table, and drew out one stack of bills, then another and another. ‘‘Eighteen thousand. Count it.’’
Ruby counted out six thousand dollars in hundred-dollar bills in each stack, then tied them back together. Quickly she made a duplicate bill of sale, signed and dated it, and handed it to Belle to sign again.
‘‘Do you have a place I can contact you?’’
‘‘No. No need. I’ll be here on the fifth.’’ Belle rose. ‘‘And you better not be’’. She took her paper and, escort in tow, marched out the door.