up to see the worried face of Jamie in her vanity mirror.
“Ya ain’t really gonna go, Miss Esmeralda, not with him?”
Esmeralda pulled on her long green satin gloves. They were a perfect complement to her sleeveless gown of sea-foam green silk trimmed in black lace with a waterfall bustle and embroidered all over with intricate black vines. An original creation made especially for her that had come straight from Paris via San Francisco.
“Don’t worry Jamie, we’ve been over this, I will be careful, I will be back by midnight,” she said.
Jamie made a face. “He gives me the hebegeebe’s, he does, like he ain’t human or such.”
If only Jamie knew, she thought. But maybe it was best he didn’t.
He was protective and she appreciated his friendship in this town that was fairly riddled with dark and greedy elements. There were veins of it that ran through the town and its people like the gold and silver of the mines, Devlin notwithstanding. Right now she did not want to contemplate what the consequences might be. She wanted to enjoy herself this night. The town be damned.
She was also curious as to what Devlin’s business was in Virginia City. So far he had played his cards close to his chest to protect her but she wanted to be prepared. What these few years in the wake of Red Bluff had taught her was to be careful where she placed her trust. Devlin might hold her heart in his hand but he did not hold her head. She was fully conscious of what a continued association with him would bring and she had plans of her own on that score. Plans that he himself would not be able to thwart, even if one day he saw fit to finally open up and reveal the history of his pain.
Her musings were cut short with Devlin’s unannounced arrival. A sullen faced Jamie knocked and then opened the door of her private parlor. Devlin arrived bearing a bouquet of delicate white lilies and dressed in a fine broadcloth suit and beaver hat. He looked like any fine mortal gentleman. Only the intense aura of energy that surrounded him coupled with an otherworldly masculine beauty would cause a person to take a double take. “
“These lilies remind me of you,” he said.
Esmeralda smiled. “I am not sure that is a compliment. Lilies are for funerals.”
“Lilies are the flower of Juno, the queen of the gods and you, my dear, are my queen.”
His compliment overwhelmed her yet she was not ready, in this lifetime, to become his queen. She did not answer but took them from him and placed them in a ceramic urn. “Thank you. Let us go to the theater now I don’t want to be late”.
They walked the short distance to Pipers Opera House, going first into the Corner Bar located in the building, for a glass of wine and some oysters, which only Esmeralda ate before the show.
For this special evening, Devlin had procured one of the millionaire’s private boxes. An elegantly appointed private box hung with red velvet curtains to the right of the stage that provided them with a perfect view of the performance. A box that was also conveniently located opposite the one that was occupied by Big Jim and his cronies. Devlin sensed their stares when they took their seats but tonight his eyes were only for the woman who sat next to him.
He nuzzled her neck. “I can’t get enough of you Angel,” he whispered. You are like a sweet blood red wine. I could sip for all eternity.”
She moved away. He wanted to keep her close but knew he was a bastard who would try to press her for more. When the curtain went up and the lights dimmed, they exchanged glances. He pressed a kiss into her gloved palm.
When Big Jim saw Devlin and a woman arrive at the opera house he felt his evening, had been ruined. He had come to Pipers to be seen, not only by those that he wished to impress but also by those who feared him. This night he had brought Leonard White and his little black haired slut along with him. He turned towards
“Ya ain’t really gonna go, Miss Esmeralda, not with him?”
Esmeralda pulled on her long green satin gloves. They were a perfect complement to her sleeveless gown of sea-foam green silk trimmed in black lace with a waterfall bustle and embroidered all over with intricate black vines. An original creation made especially for her that had come straight from Paris via San Francisco.
“Don’t worry Jamie, we’ve been over this, I will be careful, I will be back by midnight,” she said.
Jamie made a face. “He gives me the hebegeebe’s, he does, like he ain’t human or such.”
If only Jamie knew, she thought. But maybe it was best he didn’t.
He was protective and she appreciated his friendship in this town that was fairly riddled with dark and greedy elements. There were veins of it that ran through the town and its people like the gold and silver of the mines, Devlin notwithstanding. Right now she did not want to contemplate what the consequences might be. She wanted to enjoy herself this night. The town be damned.
She was also curious as to what Devlin’s business was in Virginia City. So far he had played his cards close to his chest to protect her but she wanted to be prepared. What these few years in the wake of Red Bluff had taught her was to be careful where she placed her trust. Devlin might hold her heart in his hand but he did not hold her head. She was fully conscious of what a continued association with him would bring and she had plans of her own on that score. Plans that he himself would not be able to thwart, even if one day he saw fit to finally open up and reveal the history of his pain.
Her musings were cut short with Devlin’s unannounced arrival. A sullen faced Jamie knocked and then opened the door of her private parlor. Devlin arrived bearing a bouquet of delicate white lilies and dressed in a fine broadcloth suit and beaver hat. He looked like any fine mortal gentleman. Only the intense aura of energy that surrounded him coupled with an otherworldly masculine beauty would cause a person to take a double take. “
“These lilies remind me of you,” he said.
Esmeralda smiled. “I am not sure that is a compliment. Lilies are for funerals.”
“Lilies are the flower of Juno, the queen of the gods and you, my dear, are my queen.”
His compliment overwhelmed her yet she was not ready, in this lifetime, to become his queen. She did not answer but took them from him and placed them in a ceramic urn. “Thank you. Let us go to the theater now I don’t want to be late”.
They walked the short distance to Pipers Opera House, going first into the Corner Bar located in the building, for a glass of wine and some oysters, which only Esmeralda ate before the show.
For this special evening, Devlin had procured one of the millionaire’s private boxes. An elegantly appointed private box hung with red velvet curtains to the right of the stage that provided them with a perfect view of the performance. A box that was also conveniently located opposite the one that was occupied by Big Jim and his cronies. Devlin sensed their stares when they took their seats but tonight his eyes were only for the woman who sat next to him.
He nuzzled her neck. “I can’t get enough of you Angel,” he whispered. You are like a sweet blood red wine. I could sip for all eternity.”
She moved away. He wanted to keep her close but knew he was a bastard who would try to press her for more. When the curtain went up and the lights dimmed, they exchanged glances. He pressed a kiss into her gloved palm.
When Big Jim saw Devlin and a woman arrive at the opera house he felt his evening, had been ruined. He had come to Pipers to be seen, not only by those that he wished to impress but also by those who feared him. This night he had brought Leonard White and his little black haired slut along with him. He turned towards
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