Quicksilver Passion (104 page)

Emma linked her arm through his.
Yes, she is—prettier than most. But I’m afraid it won’t be enough, John. She’ll be devastated.”

Doc sighed and his shoulders slumped.
God, I wish Cherokee Evans was here. Somehow, I think it would make a difference.”

Back at Doc’s house, Silver stood petrified by the window, watching the orange and yellow flames licking against the black velvet of the night. What kind of friends were these who set fire to her saloon and then stood calmly and watched it burn? All her future income, all her hopes and dreams, were literally going up in smoke. She had to do something!

Grabbing a shawl out of the wardrobe, she staggered out into the darkness toward the fire. And even as she stumbled toward the main street in her silver shoes, the building collapsed in on itself with a roar. She was ruined! How would she ever earn a living with her saloon burned to the ground? Except for the gold nugget bracelet she wore, her jewelry was gone, her money, too. What kind of friends would do this? And they were actually cheering! She could hear their voices on the wind, see the hats tossed in the air. They were glad her saloon was gone!

She was alone, no friends, she thought in confusion. Al was the only one who had cared about her and now he was gone and the others had turned on her. She would go away. Where? Her dazed mind couldn’t put anything together. Silver turned and walked down the road that led toward Fairplay. That was supposed to be a big boomtown. Well, she had lost her saloon, but she was still pretty and she could entertain. She’d get a job in one of those big saloons and start all over again. There was no use staying here with Al dead and Cherokee never coming back.

Silver walked a long time. Finally a peddler and his rattling wagon came along the road and she waved him down and climbed on the back.

She didn’t want anyone to recognize her or ask questions, so she wrapped the shawl around her head so the peddler wouldn’t see the telltale pale hair. She hoped the ungrateful people at Buckskin Joe never found out where she’d gone.

She finally fell asleep in the back. At dawn, the driver awakened her, and gave her a sympathetic look.
Miss, this is where I turn off.”

Automatically, she got out of the wagon and looked around.
Where’s Fairplay?”

Just over the next rise. You want a ride there?”

Silver shook her head. She hadn’t really decided what to do,but she needed to earn some money. She wanted to get cleaned up first before she went into town. How she wished she had something to eat.

The old driver must have guessed that.
I have sandwiches with me; I’ll share with you.”

She took a sandwich with a nod of thanks and watched him drive away. Then she sat down on a rock and gobbled her meal.

Her hand went to her hair and she realized how tangled and mussed it was. And the dress. She looked down at the shapeless brown calico. In the nearby meadow, she saw a pond. She would wash, comb her hair, and fix herself up as best she could. She hadn’t brought a costume, but maybe one of the other girls would lend her one. At least she had her dancing shoes.

The sun came up slowly as Silver combed her hair. There was just the slightest chill to the dawn. How could that be when it was summer? She distinctly remembered how hot it had been the day she collapsed. She looked around.
Then why were all the leaves on the aspen trees turning gold?
It was more of a puzzle than she could deal with. She leaned over the still water and it reflected light like a mirror. Drat it all! She wished she had a brush. She combed her hair the best she could with her fingers.

There was no soap, but at least she could splash water on her face. Silver leaned over the still surface of the pond. For a long moment, she stared, wondering who that girl was.

Oh my God! Her hands flew to her face, her flawless face. Beneath her fingers, she felt the tiny scars, the telltale marks of smallpox. Her beauty was gone forever!

For an hour, she gave herself up to hysteria. Her worst nightmare had happened. She was worthless now; she would never find a man who would love her.

But Silver was a survivor. Finally she wiped away the tears and thought about what she would do next. Where would she go? How would she make a living? She looked at her reflection again in the placid water and then examined her body. The scars were small and she was still pretty, but not a great beauty anymore. Maybe she could still get a job as an entertainer. Fairplay was a thriving boomtown; there would be saloons here where she could sing and dance.

But suppose someone from Buckskin Joe should come through town and see her? She flinched, not wanting anyone’s pity. No, she wanted to close the door on her past forever. The memories were too painful. Too bad she wasn’t in New Orleans. Down there, she had heard, they had a holiday called Mardi Gras where everyone went masked. If she could do that, no one would be the wiser.

Could she still do it? She had no money, but she had Cherokee’s gold nugget bracelet she could pawn. Keeping the shawl closely about her, she went into town, pawned the cherished possession, and bought fabric and a gaudy new dress. Hiding in an abandoned storage building, she fashioned a glittering mask.

Silver took a breath for courage, put on the scarlet dress, the silver shoes, and the elegant mask, went to Fairplay’s biggest saloon, and asked to see the owner.

He was a shrimp of a man wearing too much rose-scented hair oil and red sleeve garters.
Who the hell are you, girlie?”

She smiled coyly behind her mask.
Let’s just say my identity would surprise a lot of people. I can sing and dance; let me audition for you. Think about how the men would be intrigued by a mysterious masked lady.”

He grinned and lit a cigar.
I reckon that means you are either running away from a husband or some rich family who don’t cotton to the idea of what you’re doing.”