and noticed Morgan.
"May I help you?" he asked, assessing Morgan with a practiced eye.
"Ulysses Wakefield," Morgan said. "His room.”
The clerk consulted a ledger and nodded. "Yes, he is a guest with us. Mr. Wakefield is
expecting you?”
"Tell me where he is, and I'll find him.”
"I will send a boy to let him know you are here, Mr.—”
"Holt.”
"Very good, Mr. Holt." He rang a bell. "Just a moment.”
Morgan leaned against the counter, his ears pricking at every sound. Drifts of choking
perfume streamed after fashionably gowned women like invisible trains. The artificial
fragrances that human females used so freely almost succeeded in covering up their
natural scents. Yet one such scent came to him, newly familiar, and he surveyed the
room to find its source.
He picked her out from among yet another cluster of prattling females—one of the
parrots who had come after Athena Munroe to see the circus. He quickly identified two
To Catch a Wolf – 19th Century Werewolf 04
Page 93 of 410
more of the remaining three ladies as among those who had been with Athena on the
lot. Only the black-haired one was missing.
Morgan stepped away from the registration desk to get a closer look. Athena was not
among the women, but he heard the name "Munroe" rise above the general
conversation.
"Sir?”
Ignoring the clerk's query, Morgan made a sudden decision and started after Athena's
friends. No one noted his passage. He followed the women as far as the entrance to the
dining room, where an officious-looking man directed them to a large table nearby.
Morgan paused to study the room.
It was a much fancier place than any hash house or saloon Morgan had been in before
his imprisonment, and there were many women as well as men eating and drinking at
the white-linened tables. They sipped their wine and ate their steaks without a care in
the world.
The attendant gave Morgan a dubious look, as if he would have liked to direct Morgan
to some less high-toned establishment. "Luncheon for one, sir?”
A small, unoccupied table stood fairly close to the ladies'. "Bring a steak to that table,"
he said. "Rare. And plain water." He showed his teeth. "Don't worry. I can pay for it.”
The man opened and closed his mouth. "Very good, sir.”
Morgan didn't wait to be shown to his place. He sat down on the upholstered chair,
sifting through the interwoven conversations.
To Catch a Wolf – 19th Century Werewolf 04
Page 94 of 410
"Oh, but really, dear, you did not miss much. We were invited to view a rehearsal today,
but I declined.”
"And I. Once was quite enough.”
The two voices belonged to Athena's friends. Morgan cocked his head without turning it.
"Was this Athena's idea?" a third woman asked.
"So her brother says. And isn't it just like her, bringing an entire circus to Denver for her
orphans?”
"Really—it is too ridiculous. She cannot resist trying to surpass what anyone else does,
and make herself look like a saint—Oh, I do apologize. I speak too freely.”
"You know you are among friends here. And we all agree that Athena—well, how can
we help but pity her? How can we but humor her projects, no matter how inconvenient?”
"You can say that, Marie, but you have not been called upon five times in the past
month for some new scheme or other. I have had to miss a luncheon and two
receptions because of her. And having to look at her, in that chair—”
"Poor thing. She will never be married.”
"But she will never be one of us—how can she? If she hadn't been gallivanting about
like a street urchin when she was younger, instead of learning proper behavior and
decorum like the rest of us, she would not have been crippled. But her father spoiled her
and let her run wild. Now she has nothing to do but make herself superior to everyone
else.”
To Catch a Wolf – 19th Century Werewolf 04
Page 95 of 410
"That is true, Suzanne. Those expensive French gowns
"May I help you?" he asked, assessing Morgan with a practiced eye.
"Ulysses Wakefield," Morgan said. "His room.”
The clerk consulted a ledger and nodded. "Yes, he is a guest with us. Mr. Wakefield is
expecting you?”
"Tell me where he is, and I'll find him.”
"I will send a boy to let him know you are here, Mr.—”
"Holt.”
"Very good, Mr. Holt." He rang a bell. "Just a moment.”
Morgan leaned against the counter, his ears pricking at every sound. Drifts of choking
perfume streamed after fashionably gowned women like invisible trains. The artificial
fragrances that human females used so freely almost succeeded in covering up their
natural scents. Yet one such scent came to him, newly familiar, and he surveyed the
room to find its source.
He picked her out from among yet another cluster of prattling females—one of the
parrots who had come after Athena Munroe to see the circus. He quickly identified two
To Catch a Wolf – 19th Century Werewolf 04
Page 93 of 410
more of the remaining three ladies as among those who had been with Athena on the
lot. Only the black-haired one was missing.
Morgan stepped away from the registration desk to get a closer look. Athena was not
among the women, but he heard the name "Munroe" rise above the general
conversation.
"Sir?”
Ignoring the clerk's query, Morgan made a sudden decision and started after Athena's
friends. No one noted his passage. He followed the women as far as the entrance to the
dining room, where an officious-looking man directed them to a large table nearby.
Morgan paused to study the room.
It was a much fancier place than any hash house or saloon Morgan had been in before
his imprisonment, and there were many women as well as men eating and drinking at
the white-linened tables. They sipped their wine and ate their steaks without a care in
the world.
The attendant gave Morgan a dubious look, as if he would have liked to direct Morgan
to some less high-toned establishment. "Luncheon for one, sir?”
A small, unoccupied table stood fairly close to the ladies'. "Bring a steak to that table,"
he said. "Rare. And plain water." He showed his teeth. "Don't worry. I can pay for it.”
The man opened and closed his mouth. "Very good, sir.”
Morgan didn't wait to be shown to his place. He sat down on the upholstered chair,
sifting through the interwoven conversations.
To Catch a Wolf – 19th Century Werewolf 04
Page 94 of 410
"Oh, but really, dear, you did not miss much. We were invited to view a rehearsal today,
but I declined.”
"And I. Once was quite enough.”
The two voices belonged to Athena's friends. Morgan cocked his head without turning it.
"Was this Athena's idea?" a third woman asked.
"So her brother says. And isn't it just like her, bringing an entire circus to Denver for her
orphans?”
"Really—it is too ridiculous. She cannot resist trying to surpass what anyone else does,
and make herself look like a saint—Oh, I do apologize. I speak too freely.”
"You know you are among friends here. And we all agree that Athena—well, how can
we help but pity her? How can we but humor her projects, no matter how inconvenient?”
"You can say that, Marie, but you have not been called upon five times in the past
month for some new scheme or other. I have had to miss a luncheon and two
receptions because of her. And having to look at her, in that chair—”
"Poor thing. She will never be married.”
"But she will never be one of us—how can she? If she hadn't been gallivanting about
like a street urchin when she was younger, instead of learning proper behavior and
decorum like the rest of us, she would not have been crippled. But her father spoiled her
and let her run wild. Now she has nothing to do but make herself superior to everyone
else.”
To Catch a Wolf – 19th Century Werewolf 04
Page 95 of 410
"That is true, Suzanne. Those expensive French gowns
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