a bit breathless, “let’s see to your rooms. Since you were so kind to Miss Guenivere, I’ll give you a good rate—a dollar a day for room and board for each of you.” She gave them an appraising look. “You can pay, can’t you?”
Travis gave a quick nod and started to reach into his pocket for their last twenty dollars.
She laughed. “Not now, partner. All I need is your names. I’ll sign them in the ledger for you, if you can’t write them yourselves.”
Travis took the job of dipping a steel-tipped pen in an ink pot and writing their names in the book that lay open on a small marble table. He wasn’t sure he was the best choice, but he didn’t know if the coin pieces would let the others write in English. However, some magic seemed to be at work, for as he put down the pen, the names didn’t look as he had intended, and it wasn’t because of reversed letters.
The woman picked up the book. She smiled and glanced up at Lirith. “Lily. Now that’s a pretty name for a pretty gal. And let’s see if I can guess these others right.” She pointed at Durge, Sareth, and Travis in turn. “That’s Dirk, that’s Samson, and that would have to be Travis.”
The others shot Travis confused looks, but he simply shrugged and grinned. “That’s right.”
“And what’s your name?” Lirith asked.
The woman lifted a hand to her forehead. “Where have my wits gotten to?” She thrust out a hand. “Call me Maudie. That’s Maudie Carlyle. No matter what folks might tell you, I don’t go by Ladyspur anymore.”
Ladyspur?
She gave each of their hands a firm shake, and when she turned away, Travis glanced down and saw them just peeking out from beneath the hem of her dress: the brass wheels of a pair of spurs.
Of course, Travis. This is Ladyspur. You know her story. She
was a prostitute and later a madam, and once she won a fair
gunfight in Elk Street.
He glanced up and saw a pair of six-shooters mounted above the fireplace.
After that, she gave up
the profession and tried to become a proper lady in Castle City.
Only none of the society ladies would have anything to do with
her. And then not long after that—
His heart skipped a beat in his chest. He noticed again the thinness of her hand that gripped the cane.
—she died of some disease, like cholera or consumption.
Maudie hardly seemed to use her cane as she moved back into the hallway. “You’ve missed dinner, but let me know if you need a biscuit to tide you ’til supper. We sit down at 6 P.M. Don’t be late.” She gave the men a stern look. “And be sure to wash up first. You’ll find your rooms on the third floor, first two doors on the left at the top of the stairs. The first one is for the lady.”
“Two rooms?” Durge said. He looked at Travis. “Is that within our means?”
“Of course it is!” Maudie said before Travis could answer.
“The rate’s the same. And you don’t expect Lily here to share a room with a bunch of louts like you. She’s far too lovely for that.”
Sareth grinned, his coppery eyes gleaming. “That she is.”
Lirith lowered her head and started quickly up the stairs, but not before Travis saw the glow of her cheeks. The three men gave their thanks to Maudie, then followed Lirith.
8.
They spent most of the next three days in their rooms at the Bluebell, coming downstairs only to take meals or to use the attached outhouse in back, or to sit on the porch while a thunderstorm passed over the valley—as it did most afternoons— breathing moist, sage-sweet air, one of Maudie’s cats curled in each of their laps. Except for Durge. Somehow the somber knight always found a way to accommodate two or three of the purring felines.
“It’s not that I fancy them, mind you,” Travis overheard Durge say to Lirith. “It’s simply that they’re frail, foolish creatures and cannot endure the elements. If one were to take ill, Lady Maudie would no doubt become distressed, and that would impair her ability to
Travis gave a quick nod and started to reach into his pocket for their last twenty dollars.
She laughed. “Not now, partner. All I need is your names. I’ll sign them in the ledger for you, if you can’t write them yourselves.”
Travis took the job of dipping a steel-tipped pen in an ink pot and writing their names in the book that lay open on a small marble table. He wasn’t sure he was the best choice, but he didn’t know if the coin pieces would let the others write in English. However, some magic seemed to be at work, for as he put down the pen, the names didn’t look as he had intended, and it wasn’t because of reversed letters.
The woman picked up the book. She smiled and glanced up at Lirith. “Lily. Now that’s a pretty name for a pretty gal. And let’s see if I can guess these others right.” She pointed at Durge, Sareth, and Travis in turn. “That’s Dirk, that’s Samson, and that would have to be Travis.”
The others shot Travis confused looks, but he simply shrugged and grinned. “That’s right.”
“And what’s your name?” Lirith asked.
The woman lifted a hand to her forehead. “Where have my wits gotten to?” She thrust out a hand. “Call me Maudie. That’s Maudie Carlyle. No matter what folks might tell you, I don’t go by Ladyspur anymore.”
Ladyspur?
She gave each of their hands a firm shake, and when she turned away, Travis glanced down and saw them just peeking out from beneath the hem of her dress: the brass wheels of a pair of spurs.
Of course, Travis. This is Ladyspur. You know her story. She
was a prostitute and later a madam, and once she won a fair
gunfight in Elk Street.
He glanced up and saw a pair of six-shooters mounted above the fireplace.
After that, she gave up
the profession and tried to become a proper lady in Castle City.
Only none of the society ladies would have anything to do with
her. And then not long after that—
His heart skipped a beat in his chest. He noticed again the thinness of her hand that gripped the cane.
—she died of some disease, like cholera or consumption.
Maudie hardly seemed to use her cane as she moved back into the hallway. “You’ve missed dinner, but let me know if you need a biscuit to tide you ’til supper. We sit down at 6 P.M. Don’t be late.” She gave the men a stern look. “And be sure to wash up first. You’ll find your rooms on the third floor, first two doors on the left at the top of the stairs. The first one is for the lady.”
“Two rooms?” Durge said. He looked at Travis. “Is that within our means?”
“Of course it is!” Maudie said before Travis could answer.
“The rate’s the same. And you don’t expect Lily here to share a room with a bunch of louts like you. She’s far too lovely for that.”
Sareth grinned, his coppery eyes gleaming. “That she is.”
Lirith lowered her head and started quickly up the stairs, but not before Travis saw the glow of her cheeks. The three men gave their thanks to Maudie, then followed Lirith.
8.
They spent most of the next three days in their rooms at the Bluebell, coming downstairs only to take meals or to use the attached outhouse in back, or to sit on the porch while a thunderstorm passed over the valley—as it did most afternoons— breathing moist, sage-sweet air, one of Maudie’s cats curled in each of their laps. Except for Durge. Somehow the somber knight always found a way to accommodate two or three of the purring felines.
“It’s not that I fancy them, mind you,” Travis overheard Durge say to Lirith. “It’s simply that they’re frail, foolish creatures and cannot endure the elements. If one were to take ill, Lady Maudie would no doubt become distressed, and that would impair her ability to
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