led the way inside. “This is better, yeah? A man can’t hear himself think out there.”
“I could hear meself fine till you turned up.” Wrinkling his nose, Denny glared at the dusty corners, dingy blankets, and water-stained curtain over the porthole. “Blimey, the ocean smelled less of fish.”
Chuckling, Charlie plopped on the bottom bunk. “You get used to it over time.”
Denny pulled out a rickety chair and perched on the seat. “There’s where you’re wrong, old boy. I won’t ever get used to living in dustbins and fish stalls. That’s why I’m bound to change my luck.” He propped his ankle on his knee and leaned forward. “Now, then … what’s all this about?”
Charlie blinked up at him. “Well, I …”
“Go on, Charlie. You dragged me away from fresh air to choke in this stinking hole, so where’s the house on fire?”
“Ain’t no house on fire.” Twisting his fingers in knots, Charlie stole a guilty glance. “But our bellies may be burning once we reach land.”
Denny cocked his head, staring dumbly at the squirming man. “What are you on about, mate?” His stomach coiling with dread, he stalked to the bed, shoved Charlie aside, and raised the mattress. Snatching the drawstring purse, he knew it was empty before he ever peered inside. The pleasing bulge in the bag was gone; the cloth draped his hand like a dead cat. He glared ferociously. “Where’s the money?”
Charlie grimaced, drew in his shoulders, and sank deeper into the moldy mattress. “Gone.”
The word thundered in Denny’s head. “What happened to it?”
“Now don’t go spare on me, Den. I’m awful sorry. I happened onto a game of five-card loo down in the hold. Just a couple of damp-eared deckhands, so raw I had to teach them the rules of the game.” He spread his hands. “I figured to double our stakes, see? But they skinned me.” He shrugged. “A streak of beginner’s luck, I suppose.”
Denny glared through a heated tunnel while the shabby little room whirled in a haze. They were riding the lurching barrel in the first place to save a few quid to get them to Texas. “They took you for a mug, Charlie!” he roared. “They saw you coming, you witless nit.”
Confusion twisted Charlie’s pasty face. “You’re wrong, mate. They didn’t even know—”
“Do you really think you found two sailors who couldn’t play a round of loo?” Struggling to breathe, Denny jabbed at the air with his finger. “The first trick they played was on you.”
Charlie frantically shook his head. “Nah, Den. I don’t think so.”
Denny lunged and gripped his collar, jerking him to his feet. “There’s your trouble, bloke. You never think. You’ve got ‘idiot’ scrawled across your forehead. Those boys cut their teeth on dolts like you.” He shoved him toward the door. “Now, go on with you. Haul your worthless bum topside and replace every shilling.”
Charlie widened his eyes. “H–how am I supposed to do that?”
“Rob a few cabins. Pick some fat pockets. I don’t care how you do it—just get it done.”
Eyes downcast, Charlie slumped across the threshold.
Catching his arm, Denny spun him around. “You get nicked, and I’ll deny ever knowing you. They can toss your rotted corpse off the starboard bow for all I’ll care.” He wrinkled his brows and scowled. “Mind you, it’s a long swim to shore.”
FOUR
Marshall, Texas, April 1905
A ddie stepped down from the T&P railway car and took her first shaky steps on Texas soil. Nervous fingers clutching the moss-green fringe on Mother’s shawl, she felt like a toddling child traipsing behind her mother on the first day of school. She couldn’t pretend that if Mother weren’t there, leading her wherever she went, she wouldn’t be frightened out of her wits.
The porter handed down their luggage with a broad-toothed smile, tipped his cap, and moved on.
Lifting her chin, Addie stole a peek over her mother’s shoulder.
The platform teemed
“I could hear meself fine till you turned up.” Wrinkling his nose, Denny glared at the dusty corners, dingy blankets, and water-stained curtain over the porthole. “Blimey, the ocean smelled less of fish.”
Chuckling, Charlie plopped on the bottom bunk. “You get used to it over time.”
Denny pulled out a rickety chair and perched on the seat. “There’s where you’re wrong, old boy. I won’t ever get used to living in dustbins and fish stalls. That’s why I’m bound to change my luck.” He propped his ankle on his knee and leaned forward. “Now, then … what’s all this about?”
Charlie blinked up at him. “Well, I …”
“Go on, Charlie. You dragged me away from fresh air to choke in this stinking hole, so where’s the house on fire?”
“Ain’t no house on fire.” Twisting his fingers in knots, Charlie stole a guilty glance. “But our bellies may be burning once we reach land.”
Denny cocked his head, staring dumbly at the squirming man. “What are you on about, mate?” His stomach coiling with dread, he stalked to the bed, shoved Charlie aside, and raised the mattress. Snatching the drawstring purse, he knew it was empty before he ever peered inside. The pleasing bulge in the bag was gone; the cloth draped his hand like a dead cat. He glared ferociously. “Where’s the money?”
Charlie grimaced, drew in his shoulders, and sank deeper into the moldy mattress. “Gone.”
The word thundered in Denny’s head. “What happened to it?”
“Now don’t go spare on me, Den. I’m awful sorry. I happened onto a game of five-card loo down in the hold. Just a couple of damp-eared deckhands, so raw I had to teach them the rules of the game.” He spread his hands. “I figured to double our stakes, see? But they skinned me.” He shrugged. “A streak of beginner’s luck, I suppose.”
Denny glared through a heated tunnel while the shabby little room whirled in a haze. They were riding the lurching barrel in the first place to save a few quid to get them to Texas. “They took you for a mug, Charlie!” he roared. “They saw you coming, you witless nit.”
Confusion twisted Charlie’s pasty face. “You’re wrong, mate. They didn’t even know—”
“Do you really think you found two sailors who couldn’t play a round of loo?” Struggling to breathe, Denny jabbed at the air with his finger. “The first trick they played was on you.”
Charlie frantically shook his head. “Nah, Den. I don’t think so.”
Denny lunged and gripped his collar, jerking him to his feet. “There’s your trouble, bloke. You never think. You’ve got ‘idiot’ scrawled across your forehead. Those boys cut their teeth on dolts like you.” He shoved him toward the door. “Now, go on with you. Haul your worthless bum topside and replace every shilling.”
Charlie widened his eyes. “H–how am I supposed to do that?”
“Rob a few cabins. Pick some fat pockets. I don’t care how you do it—just get it done.”
Eyes downcast, Charlie slumped across the threshold.
Catching his arm, Denny spun him around. “You get nicked, and I’ll deny ever knowing you. They can toss your rotted corpse off the starboard bow for all I’ll care.” He wrinkled his brows and scowled. “Mind you, it’s a long swim to shore.”
FOUR
Marshall, Texas, April 1905
A ddie stepped down from the T&P railway car and took her first shaky steps on Texas soil. Nervous fingers clutching the moss-green fringe on Mother’s shawl, she felt like a toddling child traipsing behind her mother on the first day of school. She couldn’t pretend that if Mother weren’t there, leading her wherever she went, she wouldn’t be frightened out of her wits.
The porter handed down their luggage with a broad-toothed smile, tipped his cap, and moved on.
Lifting her chin, Addie stole a peek over her mother’s shoulder.
The platform teemed
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