Forbidden (13 page)

Lord, she wished she knew how to make herself immune to him. “I appreciate your concern but it's unnecessary.”

Ezekiel pushed through the doors, and Rhine asked coldly, “May I help you, Zeke?”

“I came to let Miss Carmichael know we're preparing to leave.”

“Thank you, Zeke. I was just on my way back to join you.” She gave Rhine her best glare.

He responded by saying, “Don't forget my marmalade.”

“I'll send it via post. Nice seeing you again, Mr. Dade.”

He was grinning. “Same here. I'll get that recipe to you and think about the donation idea.”

“Thank you.”

Ezekiel offered her his arm. As she accepted, she watched Rhine's green eyes darken. “Good day, Mr. Fontaine.”

He inclined his head.

She and Zeke exited.

After their departure, Jim looked at the scowl on Rhine's face. “As I said, try harder.”

No response.

“I'm serious, Rhine.”

Knowing that Zeke Reynolds, a man Rhine very much respected, seemed taken with Eddy Carmichael, too, didn't help Rhine's mood, and he ran his hands down his face.

“Just let her be,” Jim added sagely.

Rhine left the kitchen, but instead of returning to the main room, he took the back stairway up to his office. Upon seeing Eddy at the market this morning, all he'd wanted to do was whisk her away so they could be alone. And although he hadn't meant to embarrass her just now, he'd had an overriding urge to lay public claim to her as if he were a dragon and she his treasure. He just had to convince her.

Downstairs in the main room, the meeting was indeed breaking up. People were saying their good-­byes and gathering their belongings. Eddy stopped a few to remind them about the auction and they all pledged their participation.

“Eddy,” Sylvia said. “I promised Aretha Carter I'd stop by and help her with the plans for her and Edgar's anniversary dinner. Would you mind walking back alone?”

“No. Not at all.”

August piped up. “Zeke and I are walking Cherry home, Eddy. You're welcome to come along with us if want.”

“I'd like that. Sylvia, I'll see you when you return.”

The four set out. August and Cherry walked in front while Eddy and Zeke brought up the rear.

“Is Fontaine bothering you?” Zeke asked.

Eddy studied his serious features. “I don't think bothering is the right word.”

“Then how would you phrase it?”

She heard the muted censure in his tone. Dealing with Rhine was enough to handle. She didn't need Zeke trying to lay claim to her, too. “Let's just say Mr. Fontaine seems interested in me.”

“Is that interest returned?”

“No.” Her response was both a lie and the truth.

“Good.”

Nothing else was said on the matter.

Cherry roomed in a house a few blocks away from Sylvia's, and once they arrived, Eddy and Zeke bade the engaged couple good-­bye and continued on.

“Have you lived in the city all your life?” she asked.

“No. Augie and I are originally from Maryland. Came out here five years ago hoping to make our fortune in the mines, but we're about ten years too late. So he went to work at the hotel and I fell back on the carpentry skills I learned from my father.”

“Do you have your own shop?”

“Not yet, but I'm working towards that. And you? What are you working towards?”

“Saving up so I can open my own restaurant.”

He stopped. “Really?”

“Yes. Do you find that odd?”

He assessed her silently for a moment. “I guess not, but I figured a woman as pretty as you would be looking for a husband to settle down with and raise some babies.”

She laughed softly, “I'm more than just a pretty face, and a bit past the wanting a husband and babies stage. I figure if I'm very frugal I can save enough to be on my way to California by maybe this winter.”

“So, you're one of those newfangled women?”

Eddy sensed his stock sinking within her. “Both my parents worked to provide for our family. Many of the women I know worked, so if that makes us all newfangled, I suppose we are.”

“Didn't mean to offend you. It's just I'm the kind of man who feels a wife should be at home when her husband comes in at the end of the day, but a pretty lady can make a man reevaluate this thinking.”

His stock rose again.

They'd reached Sylvia's. “Thanks so much for walking with me, Zeke. I enjoyed myself.”

“So did I. Got something special to donate to your auction.”

“And it is?”

“A secret.”

“Oh come now. I need to know.”

“Nope. Not telling you, but it's something a lot of people are going to bid on.”

Eddy was intrigued. “I'll need you to drop it off at the orphanage beforehand though, so we can put it on display.”

“I understand and I will.”

Eddy saw his smile and wondered what his donation might possibly be.

“The Baptist church is having an ice cream social Sunday afternoon,” he said. “I'd love to escort you.”

“Sunday is my busiest day here. I can't get away. Maybe some other time.”

He looked disappointed. “Okay, but I plan to call on you soon. Wanted you to get used to me being around first.”

“I'd like that.”

“Take care of yourself.”

“I will.” Eddy climbed the steps to the porch and went inside still wondering what his secret would turn out to be.

“
S
o, how are you and Zeke getting along?” Sylvia asked after coming home and finding Eddy in the kitchen peeling the oranges she'd purchased that morning.

Sylvie took a seat at the table.

“He's a nice man. We haven't spent much time together but I enjoy his company. He asked me to the church ice cream social on Sunday but I had to decline.”

“I'm sorry.”

“No, it's quite all right. My duties here come first. That's why you pay me.”

“And Rhine Fontaine?”

Eddy paused. “What about him?”

“It was hard not to notice him standing over you the way he did.”

“True, and I took him to task about it. He seems intent upon—­I'm not sure what.” Eddy didn't want to confess how she and Rhine had been dancing around each other, for fear of how Sylvia might respond. “Is he known for dallying with women outside his race?”

“Not to my knowledge, which is why I found his actions so surprising.”

“What can you tell me about him?”

“Other than the fact that he's rich as King Midas and is a kind man, not very much. He came to Virginia City a few years after the war. Not sure how he made his fortune though.”

“You were here then, correct?” Eddy got out the grater and began working on the now peeled oranges.

“I was. My late husband Freddy and I arrived just after the first big Comstock strike in 'fifty-­nine. Freddy worked in the mines and I did a bit of nursing and minded the tent that served as a boardinghouse.”

“Mr. Rossetti said his first store was a tent, too.”

“The entire city grew from tents—­the banks, the stores, the saloons. After I lost Freddy in a mine accident, I took some of the money he'd left me and began buying property. I originally owned the Union Saloon. It was much smaller back then of course.”

Eddy remembered Rhine mentioning that fact, but she was saddened to learn that Sylvia had lost her husband in the mines.

“Once the city began growing by leaps and bounds, I decided I didn't want to be a saloon owner dealing with drunk miners anymore and put the place up for sale in 'sixty-­eight. Rhine bought it. Paid me in gold and stocks. Between Freddy's estate, Rhine's gold and the stocks, I'm pretty well set for a Colored woman.”

Eddy wanted to ask about her and Doc Randolph but decided not to. In truth, she was more interested in Rhine. “So does he own other places?”

“Yes, he's funded many of the Colored businesses and owns a number of other property, too, like Lady Ruby's Palace.”

“He owns her whorehouse?”

“And the plot that will soon anchor the Baptist church. Right now the congregation meets on the open land while they raise the money for the church to be built. He's a good man. He's done more for our community and its people than all the other Whites here combined.”

Eddy thought on that for a moment. “Is he well-­liked by his own people?”

“He is, although they whisper about him because of his Union clientele, but they don't turn down the money he gives to their charities, and he's invited to all the fancy balls and social events. Even if they don't like who he associates with, they like his money and influence. Now that he and Natalie are no longer engaged, he's going to be overrun with invites from mothers with eligible daughters. He'll be quite a catch.”

Eddy put the grated orange pulp into a pot, covered the fruit with sugar and set it on the flame on the stove. She told herself Rhine being sought after made her no never mind, but . . .

Sylvia searched Eddy's face. “Something you want to talk about, honey?”

“No, ma'am.”

Sylvia studied her again and said gently, “If and when you do, I'm here.”

Eddy nodded.

“Zeke's an outstanding man. A girl could do worse.”

“I was very impressed by him today.”

Sensing Eddy wanted her to change the subject, Sylvia asked, “Tell me about this marmalade. How's it made?”

“Once I finish peeling the oranges, I take out the seeds and grate the flesh. We add sugar, cook it for about twenty minutes, and let it sit overnight. It'll be ready to spread on your biscuits in the morning.”

“I can't wait.”

“I promised Fontaine a bit of it. I ran into him at Mr. Rossetti's this morning. When I told him I was making marmalade for you as my way of saying thanks for your many kindnesses, he decided he wanted a boon, too.”

And then Sylvia said without prompting, “Try and keep Rhine at arm's length, Eddy. For all his stellar qualities, men like him very rarely offer marriage to women like us.”

“I know.”

“But he is gorgeous to look at.”

Eddy had to agree. She'd already told herself that if she was going to keep company with a gentleman, she'd prefer it be someone like Zeke. Dealing with Rhine Fontaine was like juggling lightning.

Chapter Twelve

T
he following morning Eddy dipped the tip of a spoon into the marmalade she'd made the evening before and took a small taste. It was so delicious she moaned.

“How is it?” Sylvia asked, coming into the kitchen.

Eddy handed her a clean spoon and the jar. “Taste for yourself.”

Sylvia complied and swooned. “Oh my goodness. I'll need you to make vats of this.”

Eddy laughed.

“Irene Lee sells this at her bakery and she asks two arms and a leg for it. Now, she'll never get another dime from me. Thank you, Eddy.”

“My pleasure. I just took some biscuits out of the oven.”

“Great.”

While Sylvia helped herself, Eddy thought about the marmalade she'd promised Rhine. Part of her wanted to put his portion in a jar and indeed mail it, or have one of housekeeper Maria's sons take it to him, but that would be the coward's way out and she was definitely not that.

But she set thoughts of him aside when Vera walked in bearing gifts.

“Morning ladies. Eddy, Shanna and I worked all day yesterday on getting some of your clothing sewn, so here's the first batch. I brought you two blouses and two skirts.”

Eddy looked at the lovely garments and for a moment didn't know what to say. The soft white cotton blouse and the navy blue skirt were practical enough for everyday wear, but the other blouse with its lacy pleats down the front and thin band of lace bordering the wrist and throat was for nicer occasions and absolutely beautiful. “Thank you so much, Vera.”

“You're welcome. And so you'll know, my customers raved about the sweet wafers.”

“You actually had enough left to give them some?”

“Sassy child,” she said with mock admonishment. “Yes, I did, and I'll need more when you have the time. Many more.”

“I'll make the time.”

Sylvia said, “Vera, pull up a chair. If you thought those sweet wafers were over the moon, wait until you taste this marmalade of hers. I'd bathe in this if I could.”

A laughing Eddy left them to their treat and took her new clothes up to her room.

Standing in front of her vanity's mirror, Eddy surveyed her reflection. With her hair pulled back and wearing her new attire, she now resembled the woman of means Vera had alluded to. It had been quite some time since she looked so nice, and it felt good. She removed her mother's locket from the small ring box that was its home. Inside the locket were two tiny photographs—­one of her beautiful ebony-­skinned mother and the other of her stern-­faced father. She touched their faces lovingly. She missed them now as much as she did the day the local sheriff came to the house with the terrible news. Since then she'd struggled, but kept her head up and done her best to honor their memories. She placed the frayed blue ribbon around her neck and tied the ends. She'd have to ask Vera for a new length of ribbon, but wearing it again felt right.

W
hen she reentered the kitchen, Sylvia and Vera beamed with approval.

“The men around here are really going to have fits now,” Sylvia said, smiling. “You look brand new.”

Vera added, “There's something about new clothes that makes a woman feel good both inside and out.”

Eddy agreed.

Sylvia said, “Wait until Zeke sees you.”

“You're matchmaking again, Sylvia.”

From the smile on Vera's face, Eddy assumed Sylvia had told her all about her meeting Zeke, but Eddy had to admit she was interested in his reaction.

“I should have the rest of your clothes done by this time next week,” Vera told her. “Then I'd like to do some fittings for a few day dresses and maybe a fancy dress or two.”

Eddy wasn't sure about the fancy dresses, but Vera would plow ahead with the project whether she approved or not, so she kept her doubts to herself.

Walking over to the cold box, she took out the second bowl of marmalade and spooned some into a teacup. After covering it with a small doily, she secured it with an elastic band and placed it in a basket. “Sylvia, I'm going to take this over to Rhine.”

Seeing Vera's confusion, Eddy explained, “I promised him some of the marmalade to thank him for saving me in the desert.”

Sylvia groused mockingly, “Why do I have to share mine when he has his own cook? I'm sure Jim Dade is perfectly able to make Rhine his own marmalade.”

Vera waded in around a bite of a marmalade-­laden biscuit, “I agree.”

“Now, now ladies. Let's not be greedy and uncharitable. I'll make you more. Promise.”

Sylvia folded her arms and huffed like a small child. “Okay. I'm holding you to that, Eddy.”

Eddy truly enjoyed Sylvia and her antics. “I'll be back shortly. I'll stop by Lady Ruby's and get eggs while I'm out, too. And don't eat all the marmalade while I'm gone.”

No promises were made.

Walking down the crowded street, it was her hope that Rhine Fontaine would accept his boon, say thanks, and let her go on her way, but she doubted the encounter would play out that way. Regardless of the shoots that remained hopeful, she planned to continue keeping him at arm's length, even as she wondered what it might be like to take him up on his offer for dinner. Candlelight, he said. Eddy had never dined with any man other than her father, but knew there was no comparison. Fontaine would be charmingly bold while she would be all thumbs and nervous as a ewe with a wolf. No, dinner with him wouldn't be a good idea even though they did need to have another adult-­to-­adult talk. Yes, there was an attraction to him that was real as the sun in the sky but she didn't love him and he didn't love her and that would have to be in the equation if they were actually to become a couple. She didn't want to be tossed aside as soon as he found a Natalie with more depth. As Sylvia so rightly pointed out, men like Rhine might offer a dalliance but they rarely offered marriage to women like herself.

Knowing that no respectable lady entered a saloon alone or by the front door, she went around to the back door that led to the kitchen and knocked. Jim Dade answered and greeted her with a smile, “Good morning, Miss Eddy. What can I do for you?”

“I have Rhine's marmalade. Is he here?”

“No. He's out collecting rent from his tenants.”

Eddy was relieved, or at least that's what she told herself. “Will you make sure he gets this, please?” She took the teacup out of the basket and handed it to him.

He opened the top, grazed a finger over the sweet contents and tasted it. “This is excellent. Whether there'll be anything in the cup when he returns is another story. Can you show me how this I made?”

“I can, if only to keep Sylvia from sulking over having to share.”

He chuckled. “We can't have Miss Sylvie sulking, now can we. Let me know when you have some time.”

“I will. Thanks, Jim.”

“You're welcome lovely lady. I owe you an angel food cake recipe. Haven't forgotten.”

“Good.”

“How's the auction going?”

“Going well. I hope you'll take me up on donating the cake.” The event was less than a week away.

“I think I will.”

“I'll be bidding.”

He nodded, and Eddy set out for Lady Ruby's Silver Palace to buy eggs.

It wasn't very far away. According to Sylvia, the place started life as a mansion built by one of the mine owners back the in sixties. When his stock sank and left him broke, he moved his family to San Francisco and abandoned the home. How Ruby came to be in possession, Eddy didn't know.

The interior was quiet. A few of the girls looked bleary-­eyed as they ate breakfast and nodded a greeting. Every time she entered she thought about her sister Corinne and her nieces. Eddy had written her a few weeks ago to let her know where she was staying, even though Corinne probably didn't care.

On the far side of the room, a man with sandy-­colored hair was seated with his face down on one of the tables. She assumed he was sleeping off last night's revelry.

Lady Ruby was behind the long wooden bar. Her shoulder length red wig was slightly askew and she was wearing a voluminous silver wrapper on her tall large-­boned frame. She was also sporting enough silver jewelry on her wrists and fingers to be officially declared a mine.

“Good morning, Eddy,” she said in her lilting West Indian accent.

“Good morning, Lady Ruby.”

“You are entirely too gorgeous for this early in the morning. You here for eggs?”

“Yes, ma'am.”

“I've been thinking about the auction. Are you sure I can't offer a night with one of my girls.”

Eddy smiled. “Very sure.” They'd had this conversation on one of Eddy's earlier visits. “I don't think it's appropriate.”

“Well okay. I'll see if me and the girls can come with something else.”

“That would fine.” But Eddy had no idea what that would be.

Behind Eddy a male voice said, “Well, well. Look who's here. You made it, I see.”

Eddy swung around to the sound of the slurred but familiar voice and looked into the red eyes of the man she knew as Father Nash. Furious, she turned back to Ruby. She had absolutely nothing to say to him.

“You know him, Eddy?” Lady Ruby asked with surprise.

“Just enough to know he's a thief and a snake. I'll tell you the story some other time.”

“You trying to ignore me, girl?” Nash snapped.

Eddy said to Ruby, “Let me get my eggs.”

Behind her, she heard the scrape of a chair.

“Look at me when I'm talking to you.” He was now crossing the room.

She still refused to turn around.

Lady Ruby said, “One of you girls go get Phillip. Hurry.” She then snapped, “Mister, go back over there and sit down!”

Phillip was the house bouncer. Eddy saw one of the girls run from the room just as Nash latched onto her upper arm and spun around her to face him. “Did you hear me?”

“Let go!” She tried to jerk free but his hold was tight as a vise.

A different male voice boomed angrily, “Release her now! Or I'll kill you where you stand.”

Rhine Fontaine stood across the room with ice in his eyes and a Colt in his hand leveled at Nash.

Nash's eyes bulged and he quickly backed away.

Rhine didn't lower the gun. “Miss Carmichael, are you okay?”

A seething Eddy rubbed at her throbbing arm. “Yes.”

Nash raised his hands. “I'm sorry,” he said, chuckling as if the encounter had been a joke. “I didn't know she was yours. Had her a few times when she and I crossed the desert. Was just trying to renew an old friendship. She as hot for you as she was for me?”

Eddy saw red. He'd robbed her, left her to die, and was now intimating that they'd been intimate? She was so furious she wanted to shoot him herself, but not having that option, she grabbed a long-­necked bottle off the bar's top and slammed it hard across his jaw. The bottle shattered. Had she been taller she'd have brought it down on his head.

Lady Ruby shouted, “Hey! Who's going to pay for that!”

It wouldn't be Nash because he was already out cold before he fell over the table and slumped slowly to the floor. Eddy reached into her pocket, withdrew some coins and slapped them on the bar. “For your whiskey.”

The old madam smiled. “I like your style, Eddy Carmichael.”

But the still furious Eddy was already on her way to the back door. As she passed the stunned Fontaine, she said, “Now, you may shoot him!”

Out back, Eddy went to the coops and gathered the eggs she needed. Placing them in the basket she was carrying, she turned to go home and there stood Rhine Fontaine.

“Thank you for intervening on my behalf. Again. Good day.”

“Whoa,” he said, taking her arm gently. “Hold on a minute, please.”

She cast a critical eye down at his restraining hand and then up at him.

Showing just a hint of a smile, he released her. “Who is he?”

“The snake responsible for me almost dying in the desert.”

“I didn't expect you to bash him with that bottle.”

“Had I a gun I would've shot him for lying so scandalously.” Just thinking about it made her seethe all over again.

“Did you cut yourself?”

She looked down at her hands. “No.”

“How much did he take from you?”

When she told him, anger flare in his eyes.

She added, “He left me penniless.”

“How about I drive you back to Sylvia's. My carriage is close by.”

“No thank you. I need to walk off this anger.” And come to grips with the fact that she might wind up being jailed if Nash decided to file charges.

“Let me drive you, Eddy.”

“I doubt the gossips will approve of me being seen in your carriage.”

“You were assaulted, Eddy. The gossips aren't going to approve of that either.”

“No, I'll walk.”

He looked so frustrated she almost felt sorry for him. Almost.

“I'll come by Sylvia's this evening and check on you.”

“Not necessary.”

“Plan on me doing it anyway.” There was concern in his vivid eyes. “You're a hard nut to crack, Eddy Carmichael,” he said softly.

“I'm a woman of color, Mr. Fontaine. A hard shell is necessary.”

And with that, she turned from him and walked away.

Watching her go, Rhine sighed with frustration. He'd come to the Palace to pick up Ruby's rent, only to walk in and find Eddy being manhandled. He'd almost put a bullet in Nash's head there and then. What she made him feel was far more than proprietary. His attraction to her was growing with each passing moment, threatening to unravel him and possibly the life he'd so carefully planned for himself. Somewhere his mother and the Old African Queens were looking on knowingly.

Needing to vent some of what he was feeling, he went back inside. Nash was just coming to. Rhine grabbed him up and slammed him into a wall. “Don't ever put your hands on a woman in my sight again.” He slammed him again. “Do you hear me!”