like that.”
Esmeralda smiled. “Jamie I appreciate your concern but I must ask you to trust me in this. Devlin Winter is not a stranger to me. We have a past. One in which he did me a great service, saved my life in fact. I am aware that he has enemies in this town and I would hope that he would keep them away from the salon.”
Jamie shook his head. “ And if’n he don’t?”
“Well, then we must be prepared.”
Jamie sat up straight but did not look her in the eye. “Yes Miss Esmeralda,” he said.
A few minutes later Devlin walked through the door. In the light of day he was even more compellingly handsome. When he removed his dark red sunglasses his smoky eyes glowed.
“Hello, Angel.”
“Devlin, I did not expect you, at least not in the daylight”.
“You are becoming a habit; I could not wait for the night”
Esmeralda shook her head.
“I am busy, Devlin, can’t you see? Besides, people, the town, will start to talk with you visiting so often so do you think this is wise?”
Devlin smiled. “By now the whole town knows that I have laid claim to you. And they must also know you are under my protection.”
Esmeralda put her champagne glass down. “Protection? I don’t mean to harp back to the past …”
Devlin stepped forward and placed his finger over her lips. “Stop, if I had made that clear last time maybe things would have turned out differently. Come, take a break from the cards tonight and join me at Piper’s for the show. A new chanteuse from Paris will be performing.”
Esmeralda’s eyes widened.
“To be seen in public with you? I am not ready for that.”
“I know you are concerned with the risk we are taking, being seen together”,” he said. “But I must have you near me. I don’t want to be caught unawares.”
Esmeralda poured two glasses of champagne and handed one to him before she replied. This was a rare and bizarre invitation, one that caused an excited flutter under her corset. She sidled up to him. “ Every instinct I possess tells me to refuse, but since Red Bluff I have learned to live in the moment”
Devlin smiled. “Tell me you are not tempted, to arrive on my arm? To share a private booth with me and bask in the envy of Virginia City’s society matrons?”
Esmeralda met his playful gaze, she seductively raised her glass to his and toasted.
“Until tonight then.”
They both drained their glasses and then Devlin pulled her close for a long champagne flavored kiss.
Outside Esmeralda’s bedroom door Dahlia had her ear pressed to the keyhole. She reckoned she’d heard what she needed to hear. She stood up and hurried downstairs to the gaming parlor. It was almost time for her shift and she needed a quick shot of brandy. When she came up to the bar she saw that no good trash Mr. Leonard White nursing a tumbler of whisky.
He scowled. “What are you up to, now, scamp? You liked ta emptied my pockets the other night, I ain’t going down that road again.”
Dahlia smiled. “Wouldn’t ya like ta know you scallywag? But what if I was to tell you that you would be taking me to Piper’s tonight?”
“I ain’t taking ya anywhere’s you’re a confounded succubus, a devil’s imp that will rob me blind.”
“Thought you was interested in a certain gentlemun what’s been seeing Miss Esmeralda? They are gonna be there tonight if ya know what I mean.”
Leonard paused mid-swallow. “Since you think ya know my business, go on, what else?”
“I’ll have me a brandy first, then I’ll tell ya what I know.” She chuckled inwardly as she saw the sour way he ordered her drink. Yes, he was a ripe one, all puffed up with shit for brains. It was gonna be easy pickings, that’s for sure.
Later that afternoon Esmeralda was putting the final touches to her hair, piling it high and securing it with a tortoiseshell comb. She then let two fat ringlets lay against her long white neck. She touched some scent to her collarbone then looked
Esmeralda smiled. “Jamie I appreciate your concern but I must ask you to trust me in this. Devlin Winter is not a stranger to me. We have a past. One in which he did me a great service, saved my life in fact. I am aware that he has enemies in this town and I would hope that he would keep them away from the salon.”
Jamie shook his head. “ And if’n he don’t?”
“Well, then we must be prepared.”
Jamie sat up straight but did not look her in the eye. “Yes Miss Esmeralda,” he said.
A few minutes later Devlin walked through the door. In the light of day he was even more compellingly handsome. When he removed his dark red sunglasses his smoky eyes glowed.
“Hello, Angel.”
“Devlin, I did not expect you, at least not in the daylight”.
“You are becoming a habit; I could not wait for the night”
Esmeralda shook her head.
“I am busy, Devlin, can’t you see? Besides, people, the town, will start to talk with you visiting so often so do you think this is wise?”
Devlin smiled. “By now the whole town knows that I have laid claim to you. And they must also know you are under my protection.”
Esmeralda put her champagne glass down. “Protection? I don’t mean to harp back to the past …”
Devlin stepped forward and placed his finger over her lips. “Stop, if I had made that clear last time maybe things would have turned out differently. Come, take a break from the cards tonight and join me at Piper’s for the show. A new chanteuse from Paris will be performing.”
Esmeralda’s eyes widened.
“To be seen in public with you? I am not ready for that.”
“I know you are concerned with the risk we are taking, being seen together”,” he said. “But I must have you near me. I don’t want to be caught unawares.”
Esmeralda poured two glasses of champagne and handed one to him before she replied. This was a rare and bizarre invitation, one that caused an excited flutter under her corset. She sidled up to him. “ Every instinct I possess tells me to refuse, but since Red Bluff I have learned to live in the moment”
Devlin smiled. “Tell me you are not tempted, to arrive on my arm? To share a private booth with me and bask in the envy of Virginia City’s society matrons?”
Esmeralda met his playful gaze, she seductively raised her glass to his and toasted.
“Until tonight then.”
They both drained their glasses and then Devlin pulled her close for a long champagne flavored kiss.
Outside Esmeralda’s bedroom door Dahlia had her ear pressed to the keyhole. She reckoned she’d heard what she needed to hear. She stood up and hurried downstairs to the gaming parlor. It was almost time for her shift and she needed a quick shot of brandy. When she came up to the bar she saw that no good trash Mr. Leonard White nursing a tumbler of whisky.
He scowled. “What are you up to, now, scamp? You liked ta emptied my pockets the other night, I ain’t going down that road again.”
Dahlia smiled. “Wouldn’t ya like ta know you scallywag? But what if I was to tell you that you would be taking me to Piper’s tonight?”
“I ain’t taking ya anywhere’s you’re a confounded succubus, a devil’s imp that will rob me blind.”
“Thought you was interested in a certain gentlemun what’s been seeing Miss Esmeralda? They are gonna be there tonight if ya know what I mean.”
Leonard paused mid-swallow. “Since you think ya know my business, go on, what else?”
“I’ll have me a brandy first, then I’ll tell ya what I know.” She chuckled inwardly as she saw the sour way he ordered her drink. Yes, he was a ripe one, all puffed up with shit for brains. It was gonna be easy pickings, that’s for sure.
Later that afternoon Esmeralda was putting the final touches to her hair, piling it high and securing it with a tortoiseshell comb. She then let two fat ringlets lay against her long white neck. She touched some scent to her collarbone then looked
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