Forbidden by Beverly Jenkins Page A

better because of the circumstances of their birth, he could secretly laugh at their blind ignorance of who he really was and use his presence as a way of fighting back. It came at a price though: hearing the cruel and tasteless jokes told by bigots at gatherings, and being looked at oddly for pointing out how tasteless they were; knowing that even though his Union Saloon opened its doors to the weddings and celebrations thrown by the Colored community, he couldn’t participate fully because he was no longer a member of the race. By passing, he’d gained a lot in terms of wealth and prestige, but he’d lost a lot as well.
    And now, Eddy. For the first time since leaving Virginia City he allowed himself to think about her fully. He was drawn not only to her beauty but to her strength and determination to carve out a better life. He thought back on the story she’d told about how hard life had been after the death of her parents and he was moved all over again. Was it any wonder that he’d become so affected by her in such a short span of time? Were he his true self, he’d waste no time pursuing her, but he wasn’t, and therein lay the problem. The man he was pretending to be had nothing honorable to offer. When he left her at Sylvia’s that evening, he’d tried to convince himself that putting her out of his mind would be easy, but so far his mind was refusing to play along.

    I t took two more days of bed rest for Eddy to get back on her feet, but if Mrs. Stewart had had her way, the stay would’ve lasted longer. While waiting to be officially released, Eddy endured more burned food and continued to use the aloe concoction on her hands and face. Although she was unfamiliar with the plant and its benefits, she was glad for Mrs. Stewart’s expertise because it was helping her skin heal and dulling the pain of the burns.
    However, having worked from sunup to sundown most of her adult life, lazing around in bed was not only still frustrating, it also gave birth to a strong sense of guilt. Each time Mrs. Stewart brought in a tray of food, Eddy wondered if she was eating the kind woman out of house and home.
    On the third day, when Mrs. Stewart entered the room carrying the breakfast tray, Eddy was on her feet and dressed.
    â€œWhat are you doing up?”
    â€œI’m ready to begin earning my keep. What chores need doing?”
    â€œEddy, I—­”
    â€œPlease, I’m done lying in bed, and I’m strong enough to help out, so I start today.”
    â€œNot used to following orders, are you?” Mrs. Stewart asked, sounding amused.
    â€œNo, ma’am.”
    â€œThen the two of us are going to get along just fine. I don’t follow orders well either.”
    Eddy eyed the burnt breakfast on the tray.
    Mrs. Stewart saw the look. “You’re welcome to make your own breakfast if you like.”
    â€œI’ll do it tomorrow. I don’t want to waste food.”
    â€œHoney, I’ve been wasting food since you arrived. Go fix you something to eat. There’s plenty.”
    Eddy took the tray from her hand. “Tomorrow.”
    The action caused Mrs. Stewart to view her silently before replying knowingly. “Yes. We’re going to get along real well.”
    Eddy forced herself not to mind that the bacon, eggs, and toast were again all burned. Washing the charred tastes down with a cup of coffee, she picked up the tray and left the room.
    Even though it her first full day on her feet and she felt well, she knew better than to overdo it, so she descended the stairs slowly to the main floor. At the bottom of the staircase was a large room that held a number of small tables with two chairs each. She wondered if it was the common room where the boarders took their meals.
    She found Mrs. Stewart in the big kitchen attached to the back of the house that Rhine had carried her through on the night she arrived. Rather than