She had taken to her bed, the consumption pretty much keeping her down all the time. And Mr. Clemons…uh, he was always looking at me funny. He came to me wanting—”
“Wanting?”
Mattie took a big swallow.
“He wanted…favors?” Gloria asked, knowing it for truth.
Mattie nodded, biting her lip. “But I ran away. I left Stockton and headed to San Francisco. That’s where I met Lorene. She took me in and hired me as a cook.”
“You can cook anywhere, Mattie. You didn’t have to come here.”
“I tried to find employment, but nobody wanted to give me a chance. I guess I don’t look sixteen to most folks. But I am. I swear it. And Lorene is paying me to do what I love. There’s no harm in that.”
Gloria understood that a young girl, desperate and feeling beholden to the madam of the house, wouldn’t find fault in that. But Gloria certainly did. The problem was, she wasn’t in any position to help Mattieright now. If she could, she’d convince her not to stay on here.
Gloria finished what she could of the food, her stomach satisfied for the moment. “Thank you. That was delicious.”
Mattie flashed her another smile and reached for her plate. “You’re welcome. I’ll have this cleaned up straight away.”
Gloria waved her away. “No, please. Let me do it. I want to help.”
The girl blushed. “Heavens, I can’t have you washing up the dishes.”
“But I’d like to help. There’s nothing for me to do up in that room. And I’m feeling much better. At least let me help with the pies.”
Mattie glanced at the eight pies she had yet to finish. “Well—”
“Please.”
Mattie cast her a wide grin. “Okay.” She handed Gloria a white cotton apron.
“Let’s get to baking,” Gloria said, anxious to do something. She stood behind the worktable, glancing at the large tins ready for filling. “How many girls does that woman employ?”
“Eight.”
“Eight? You make one pie for each girl?”
Mattie chuckled. “Oh no, no. But we always have dessert ready for, um, the male guests.”
“Oh.” The reminder made Gloria’s stomach knot with tension. She stared down at the pies she’d pretty much begged Mattie to help with, suddenly unsure what she should do.
Make the best of it, dear girl.
Her father’s words rattled in her head and Gloriarecognized her fate once again. She didn’t have to like it, but the fact remained, she was living at Rainbow House for the time being so she might as well make herself useful.
“If you’ll fill up the pies with strawberries, I’ll cut the dough to make the topping,” Mattie said, taking command of her kitchen and making Gloria smile.
They worked together for twenty minutes, filling the tins, criss-crossing the strips of dough on top and setting them in the cookstove. Then ignoring Mattie’s admonishments, Gloria helped her clean the worktable.
“Something smells awfully good in here, Mattie.”
“What is baking to make my stomach talk?”
“I’m starving, Mattie, honey. Sure hope you have our meal ready.”
Gloria turned abruptly to see three “ladies” saunter into the kitchen dressed in flowing silk robes, varying in colors from sapphire-blue to cherry-red to meadow-green.
“Look who we have here. If it ain’t our new house-guest.” The woman in red spoke in a polite enough tone, but there was no welcome in her eyes.
“Dio,” the woman in green declared.
The woman dressed in soft blue smiled. “Hello. I’m Emmie.” She came forward and searched Gloria’s face. “You’re healing real good.”
Gloria stood rooted to the spot. “Y-yes. Th-thank you. Steven told me what you’ve done.”
“All I did was give him salve for your injuries. He did the rest. I see he also gave you one of my gowns.”
“Oh! I, uh…” Gloria put a hand to her chest. “My clothes burned in the fire.”
A dark-haired woman stepped up. “Steven is very clever, is he not? He knows what dress to fit you. Steven understands about
“Wanting?”
Mattie took a big swallow.
“He wanted…favors?” Gloria asked, knowing it for truth.
Mattie nodded, biting her lip. “But I ran away. I left Stockton and headed to San Francisco. That’s where I met Lorene. She took me in and hired me as a cook.”
“You can cook anywhere, Mattie. You didn’t have to come here.”
“I tried to find employment, but nobody wanted to give me a chance. I guess I don’t look sixteen to most folks. But I am. I swear it. And Lorene is paying me to do what I love. There’s no harm in that.”
Gloria understood that a young girl, desperate and feeling beholden to the madam of the house, wouldn’t find fault in that. But Gloria certainly did. The problem was, she wasn’t in any position to help Mattieright now. If she could, she’d convince her not to stay on here.
Gloria finished what she could of the food, her stomach satisfied for the moment. “Thank you. That was delicious.”
Mattie flashed her another smile and reached for her plate. “You’re welcome. I’ll have this cleaned up straight away.”
Gloria waved her away. “No, please. Let me do it. I want to help.”
The girl blushed. “Heavens, I can’t have you washing up the dishes.”
“But I’d like to help. There’s nothing for me to do up in that room. And I’m feeling much better. At least let me help with the pies.”
Mattie glanced at the eight pies she had yet to finish. “Well—”
“Please.”
Mattie cast her a wide grin. “Okay.” She handed Gloria a white cotton apron.
“Let’s get to baking,” Gloria said, anxious to do something. She stood behind the worktable, glancing at the large tins ready for filling. “How many girls does that woman employ?”
“Eight.”
“Eight? You make one pie for each girl?”
Mattie chuckled. “Oh no, no. But we always have dessert ready for, um, the male guests.”
“Oh.” The reminder made Gloria’s stomach knot with tension. She stared down at the pies she’d pretty much begged Mattie to help with, suddenly unsure what she should do.
Make the best of it, dear girl.
Her father’s words rattled in her head and Gloriarecognized her fate once again. She didn’t have to like it, but the fact remained, she was living at Rainbow House for the time being so she might as well make herself useful.
“If you’ll fill up the pies with strawberries, I’ll cut the dough to make the topping,” Mattie said, taking command of her kitchen and making Gloria smile.
They worked together for twenty minutes, filling the tins, criss-crossing the strips of dough on top and setting them in the cookstove. Then ignoring Mattie’s admonishments, Gloria helped her clean the worktable.
“Something smells awfully good in here, Mattie.”
“What is baking to make my stomach talk?”
“I’m starving, Mattie, honey. Sure hope you have our meal ready.”
Gloria turned abruptly to see three “ladies” saunter into the kitchen dressed in flowing silk robes, varying in colors from sapphire-blue to cherry-red to meadow-green.
“Look who we have here. If it ain’t our new house-guest.” The woman in red spoke in a polite enough tone, but there was no welcome in her eyes.
“Dio,” the woman in green declared.
The woman dressed in soft blue smiled. “Hello. I’m Emmie.” She came forward and searched Gloria’s face. “You’re healing real good.”
Gloria stood rooted to the spot. “Y-yes. Th-thank you. Steven told me what you’ve done.”
“All I did was give him salve for your injuries. He did the rest. I see he also gave you one of my gowns.”
“Oh! I, uh…” Gloria put a hand to her chest. “My clothes burned in the fire.”
A dark-haired woman stepped up. “Steven is very clever, is he not? He knows what dress to fit you. Steven understands about
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