never once said thanks to you.” Addie was feeling plenty sorry for herself, too, and she leaned forward to say more, clutching the robe that gaped open.
But Emma broke in. “No, I did not, and I say it now. Thanks to you for the hospitality. If there is fault to be found it is with me.”
“Oh,” Addie said, a little deflated.
“And I’m sorry about the bath. I didn’t know. I intend to pay you board and room. I do.”
“Oh, that’s all right. I wouldn’t know what to charge.”
“Hell, Addie, it’s not like you didn’t ever charge anybody before,” Ned put in.
“ You never paid,” Addie shot back, then added, “I never charged a woman . And I never charged for supper .”
“I shall certainly find a room elsewhere,” Emma said.
“There ain’t hardly nobody in Nalgitas that’ll take in such as you,” Welcome told her, “only bad women would.”
Emma shivered a little. “Then I shall find a little store and live there. I am thinking of setting up a millinery shop. Miss French says there is none in Nalgitas.”
“A what?” Welcome asked.
“A hat shop. I fancy I am rather good at making hats.” She looked down modestly.
Welcome snorted and went to the stove, stirring up the fire. “Well, if you made that hat you brung with you, you won’t find nobody here to buy it. Even Miss Addie’s whores wouldn’t wear one of those. Ain’t that a fact, Miss Addie?”
Now Welcome was the one being cruel, although Addie agreed that someone had to disabuse Emma of the idea of a hat shop. “Mind your business,” Addie retorted, but Welcome only laughed and asked Addie if she wanted some fried-up eggs.
Addie ignored her and stared at Emma, wondering what to do with her. It was a dilemma, because there was only one thing Addie knew to do with women. In the morning light, Emma wasn’t so bad. At the moment, Addie supposed, Emma looked better than she did. Emma appeared younger than the day before, and from what Addie could tell, Emma’s body was firm, even if it was scrawny. But although Addie was short one whore, she didn’t believe Emma was much of a prospect. She’d surely be insulted at the offer, although it paid considerably better than anything else in Nalgitas, certainly more than making hats. As Addie stared at Emma, the woman looked up at her and smiled. Then she began to chuckle.
“What?” Addie asked.
“I was just thinking how John would respond to this. What would he do if he knew I’d spent my first night in Nalgitas inside a…a…”
“A hookhouse,” Ned said.
“Yes.”
“Who’s John?” he asked.
“My brother. He has a farm in Kansas. He’s the reason I can’t go back. She knows.” Emma dipped her head at Addie.
“Yeah.” Addie didn’t elaborate. She leaned back in the wooden chair and rubbed her eyes. She was tired enough to sleep sitting up.
“What am I going to do, Miss French?”
Addie slowly focused on Emma, wondering why the problem had been turned over to her to solve. “I’ll sleep on it,” Addie said.
Ned yawned, then stood up and stretched. “I’m going to bed, too.”
He started for Addie’s bedroom, but Welcome gave a warning, “Uh-uh.” When Ned stopped, Welcome asked Addie, “You want your brother to sleep in the barn?”
Addie looked confused for a moment, then said, “Oh, yeah.” She looked at Emma. “My brother always sleeps in the barn. He came through my bedroom window because the back door was locked.”
“Aw, come on, Addie. She knows who you are. She knows who I am, too,” Ned protested.
Addie stood up and drew the wrapper around herself, sashing it so tightly that she looked like a mattress-worth of feathers stuffed into a pillow tick. “The barn,” she said stubbornly.
She didn’t care if she annoyed Ned, but she hadn’t. He rarely got angry. He grinned at Addie and gave a mock bow. Then he turned to Emma and touched the sore spot on the top of his head. “Ma’am,” he said. “Good night to yourself and
But Emma broke in. “No, I did not, and I say it now. Thanks to you for the hospitality. If there is fault to be found it is with me.”
“Oh,” Addie said, a little deflated.
“And I’m sorry about the bath. I didn’t know. I intend to pay you board and room. I do.”
“Oh, that’s all right. I wouldn’t know what to charge.”
“Hell, Addie, it’s not like you didn’t ever charge anybody before,” Ned put in.
“ You never paid,” Addie shot back, then added, “I never charged a woman . And I never charged for supper .”
“I shall certainly find a room elsewhere,” Emma said.
“There ain’t hardly nobody in Nalgitas that’ll take in such as you,” Welcome told her, “only bad women would.”
Emma shivered a little. “Then I shall find a little store and live there. I am thinking of setting up a millinery shop. Miss French says there is none in Nalgitas.”
“A what?” Welcome asked.
“A hat shop. I fancy I am rather good at making hats.” She looked down modestly.
Welcome snorted and went to the stove, stirring up the fire. “Well, if you made that hat you brung with you, you won’t find nobody here to buy it. Even Miss Addie’s whores wouldn’t wear one of those. Ain’t that a fact, Miss Addie?”
Now Welcome was the one being cruel, although Addie agreed that someone had to disabuse Emma of the idea of a hat shop. “Mind your business,” Addie retorted, but Welcome only laughed and asked Addie if she wanted some fried-up eggs.
Addie ignored her and stared at Emma, wondering what to do with her. It was a dilemma, because there was only one thing Addie knew to do with women. In the morning light, Emma wasn’t so bad. At the moment, Addie supposed, Emma looked better than she did. Emma appeared younger than the day before, and from what Addie could tell, Emma’s body was firm, even if it was scrawny. But although Addie was short one whore, she didn’t believe Emma was much of a prospect. She’d surely be insulted at the offer, although it paid considerably better than anything else in Nalgitas, certainly more than making hats. As Addie stared at Emma, the woman looked up at her and smiled. Then she began to chuckle.
“What?” Addie asked.
“I was just thinking how John would respond to this. What would he do if he knew I’d spent my first night in Nalgitas inside a…a…”
“A hookhouse,” Ned said.
“Yes.”
“Who’s John?” he asked.
“My brother. He has a farm in Kansas. He’s the reason I can’t go back. She knows.” Emma dipped her head at Addie.
“Yeah.” Addie didn’t elaborate. She leaned back in the wooden chair and rubbed her eyes. She was tired enough to sleep sitting up.
“What am I going to do, Miss French?”
Addie slowly focused on Emma, wondering why the problem had been turned over to her to solve. “I’ll sleep on it,” Addie said.
Ned yawned, then stood up and stretched. “I’m going to bed, too.”
He started for Addie’s bedroom, but Welcome gave a warning, “Uh-uh.” When Ned stopped, Welcome asked Addie, “You want your brother to sleep in the barn?”
Addie looked confused for a moment, then said, “Oh, yeah.” She looked at Emma. “My brother always sleeps in the barn. He came through my bedroom window because the back door was locked.”
“Aw, come on, Addie. She knows who you are. She knows who I am, too,” Ned protested.
Addie stood up and drew the wrapper around herself, sashing it so tightly that she looked like a mattress-worth of feathers stuffed into a pillow tick. “The barn,” she said stubbornly.
She didn’t care if she annoyed Ned, but she hadn’t. He rarely got angry. He grinned at Addie and gave a mock bow. Then he turned to Emma and touched the sore spot on the top of his head. “Ma’am,” he said. “Good night to yourself and
Similar Books
