1870’s South Dakota.

 

Please come and collect Katie. I’m dying. The words from Pearl Wilson’s letter kept flashing through Scarlett Jones’ brain as she alighted from the stagecoach in Deadwood. Slowly, on leaden feet, her stomach churning with worry, she made her way to the back of the coach to await the driver, who would hopefully take her trunk to the hotel where she would spend the night.

Pearl’s letter had sounded the death knell of her hopes of saving a few more dollars to secure her daughter’s future. She had to collect Katie straight away. She couldn’t let her child endure life in an orphanage as she herself had done. Her whole body shuddered on recalling her own bleak childhood in an institution owned by two sadistic women. I hope they’re both dead she thought, trying to swallow down on her bitterness and hatred. They deserved to die for what they did.

I’m twenty years old in years, double that in experience. Her traumatic childhood had left a mark that would never be erased. “Don’t get bitter,” she whispered. “You’ll end up poisoning your whole system if you do.”

A burly youth lumbered up to her. “I’m Karl from the hotel. I’ll help you with your luggage Ma’am.”

“Thank you.”

He hoisted her trunk up on one shoulder as if it weighed nothing, picked up the large carpet bag, leaving a smaller one for her to carry. She changed her reticule from her right hand to her left, before picking up the other bag and following him. He walked with a lumbering, almost unsteady gait, giving her the impression his legs may have been injured.

“You leaving on the morning stage, Ma’am?”

“Yes, I’ve been on several different stages to get here and I’m sick of them.”

Inside the hotel, a smartly dressed middle-aged woman handed her a leather sign-in book. “Your room is upstairs Mrs. Jones. Karl, take the luggage up to room ten.”

Scarlett signed her name before following Karl up the carpeted stairs. To the left of the landing she spotted a door with ten written in gold lettering.

“Ma got everything ready for you, Ma’am.”

“Ma? Oh, the lady downstairs is your mother?” That explained a lot of things.

He opened the door and stepped back so she might enter first. It wasn’t a large room, quite plain in appearance, but spotlessly clean. The furniture was sturdy, a double bed with bass bedhead, and an oak wardrobe with matching mirrored dresser.

“Supper is served at six in the dining room.”

“Thank you.” She pressed several coins into his hand and he left the room grinning like a weasel in a hen house.

She had an hour or so to fill in before it was time to eat. Not that she was hungry, food was the last thing on her mind. What if she didn’t get to Pearl in time? What would happen to three year old Katie? She hadn’t seen her daughter since she had handed her over to Pearl when the baby was ten months old.

She had begged and pleaded with Jake for a few more months, so she could continue breast feeding. All to no avail. He said she already owed him far too much. Hadn’t he let her keep her room at his exclusive brothel at The Black Stetson when she had returned from New Orleans? When she was heavy with the pregnancy and couldn’t service his patrons, he had forced her to recruit other girls for the several high class brothels he owned. He had taken most of her money, leaving her with only a pittance. After Pearl had taken the baby and moved to live with her elderly brother in Twisted Creek, South Dakota, Scarlett had sent money for Katie, which left little for herself. Not that she begrudged the money as Katie was well loved and cared for by Pearl, it just broke her heart that she couldn’t be with them.

Scarlett’s gowns were low cut and revealing, although of the finest silks and satins, as were her shoes and undergarments. Men coming to The Black Stetson were wealthy enough to expect the best in food, liquor and women, and Jake made sure they got it.

Apart from running his own brothels, Jake also provided high class whores for several other clients. Even though he was rich, he was greedy and ruthless, always wanting more money. Never satisfied.