Soiled Dove (6 page)

“I found a place we can take her,” Amelia said.

“This is Hettie. Retta and I met her yesterday. Can you get up?”

“I don’t think so.”

“Hettie, if you grab Cyrus under one arm and I grab under his other one, we might be able to get him up,” Amelia instructed.

“My God!” a strange voice breathed. “Who would do such a thing?”

“One fuckin’ mad pimp,” Amelia said harshly.

“Language, Miss Amelia,” Cyrus cautioned with a grunt as the two women prepared to help him stand.

“Sorry, Reverend,” Amelia said. “But it’s the truth.”

“And the truth shall set you free,” the unknown woman said as Loretta felt Cyrus grip her securely and begin to move.

“Indeed,” he said. “Indeed.”

“On three,” Amelia said as she took a deep breath.

AMELIA SILENTLY LED the little group through alleyways toward Hettie’s rooming house. Hettie walked next to Cyrus, occasionally glancing up at his kind face and the bundle held securely in his arms.

What had she been thinking when she agreed to help these total strangers? She had barely remembered the young girl who appeared at her door an hour or so earlier. Now she was letting two prostitutes hide in her room for God knew how long. And there was a man involved. She simply could not permit him to stay in her room as well. It wouldn’t be the proper thing to do under any circumstance. She had been alone with a man before, but that was of her own choosing. The tall, rather handsome man carrying the injured woman was apparently a man of the cloth and while Hettie was sure he could be trusted, beginning her new life with such an impropriety was unthinkable. Or would have been in Indiana. She left home to seek adventure, but this wasn’t exactly what she’d had in mind. And consorting with prostitutes?

What would her parents and Calvin think? She smiled to herself as the thought of the scandal sent a pleasant shiver through her body. She hadn’t reached the Colorado Territory yet and her adventure had already begun.

Cyrus and Amelia waited near the back door of Mrs. Covington’s Rooming House while Hettie entered through the front door and made her way to the back. It was the middle of the night and the house was quiet as she unlocked and held open the back door. Cyrus had to turn sideways to make his way past Hettie. They waited as she relocked the back door and led them to her room on the second floor.

She unlocked the door to her room and struck a match for the light next to the bed. Amelia took the quilt from around Loretta’s body and spread it over Hettie’s bed, careful to avoid getting blood on the bedcovers. When Hettie had made the room as bright as possible, she turned toward the bed.

“Dear God!” she said. “She’s…she’s naked.”

Cyrus removed his coat and rolled up his shirtsleeves. “If you could bring us some warm water and clean cloths it would be very helpful,” he said looking at Hettie.

“Are you a doctor?” she asked, unable to tear her eyes away from Loretta’s naked body.

“No, but I studied to be one before I became a man of the cloth,” he said. “Amelia, as soon as we have her cleaned up, you and Miss Hettie should leave.” His face reddened slightly.

“Why?” Amelia asked.

“She may have been…be injured in

her…um…private area. I will need to check,” he said quietly.

Amelia snorted. “Like I ain’t seen that before, Reverend.”

Hettie stood at the foot of the bed, her mouth agape, looking between Cyrus and Amelia. She finally cleared her throat and said, “I helped my sister deliver her baby last year. I can assist as well.”

“First, get the water and cloths,” Cyrus said gently. He hesitated a moment before reaching down and stroking Loretta’s hair. “And a funnel of some kind if you can find one.”

Within a few minutes, the small room was a flurry of semi-quiet activity. Hettie and Amelia carefully washed dried blood from Loretta’s face and from cuts on her side and abdomen. When they finished, Cyrus carefully opened Loretta’s mouth and peered inside, manipulating her jaw. He took each arm and felt along its length, bending her elbows. Hettie handed him a funnel she found in the kitchen. He pressed the wide end against Loretta’s chest and placed the smaller end in his ear and closed his eyes in concentration.

He instructed the two women to help him turn Loretta onto her side as gently as possible and knelt next to the bed, placing the funnel on her back. When he stood a few minutes later, he was smiling. “Her heartbeat is strong and although I’m certain she has several broken ribs, her breathing sounds fine, so I don’t believe her lung has been punctured.”

“I’ll see what I can find to wrap her ribs with,”

Hettie said.

“Good,” Cyrus said. “Umm…Amelia?”

“What?” the girl asked as she looked up at him.

“I know you girls use something for…to…you know…prevent diseases and…well…pregnancy,” he said uncomfortably.

“I think Loretta rinses herself out, but she makes her customers use a cover. You know that, Cyrus,”

Amelia said nonchalantly.

He cleared his throat and glanced at Hettie. “Yes, I know, but I don’t think Jack used a cover when he did this. The skin is badly torn.”

“Oh,” Amelia said. “I didn’t bring anything for that, Cyrus.”

“I saw a hot water bottle in the bathroom earlier this evening,” Hettie volunteered.

“That would work, but it might already be too late,” Cyrus nodded. “We can try though. Amelia, you and Hettie see what you can find that we can mix with the water. Something acidic.”

“For what?” Amelia asked.

Hettie reached over and took Amelia by the arm.

“Come with me. I know what to look for.”

Cyrus raised a questioning eyebrow as he looked at Hettie. “And we’ll need something to catch the fluid as it passes out of her body,” Cyrus said quickly.

While he waited for the women to return, Cyrus sat on the edge of the bed and used his fingers to brush Loretta’s hair back, looking at her once beautiful face. “I’m so sorry this has happened to you, Retta,” he said softly. “I’ll do what I can and hope it’s enough.” Without another thought, he slid off the bed and knelt beside it, interlacing his fingers as he said a silent prayer. Unexpectedly, a hand found its way to his hair and stroked it. When he looked up in surprise, Loretta’s swollen lips were trying to move.

He grabbed her hand and brought it to his lips.

“Don’t try to talk, Miss Loretta. You’ve been badly injured.” She nodded slightly, taking a ragged breath.

“Amelia and Hettie will be back in a minute,” he said.

“I’ll try not to hurt you any more than necessary.”

When Hettie and Amelia returned, Hettie assisted Cyrus while Amelia held Loretta’s hand. By the time they were finished, Amelia’s hand was white from being squeezed hard and she had to shake it to return circulation to her fingers. Hettie handed Cyrus two small white tablets and helped prop Loretta up far enough to swallow them. Whether from pain, the pills, or exhaustion, Loretta fell into a deep sleep as they cleaned up the room.

“You did a wonderful job, Reverend,” Hettie said as they carried the basin to the bathroom and emptied it. “Perhaps you should have become a doctor after all.”“Where did you get the laudanum tablets I gave Loretta?”

“From my doctor before I left Indiana. I don’t need them and thought they would help.”

“They will give her time to rest. I decided not to complete my studies because I couldn’t tolerate seeing all those people suffering in pain everyday,”

he smiled. “I decided to save their souls instead.”

“And what about your own soul?” she asked.

“I’m still working on that, Miss Hettie, I’m sad to say,” he frowned.

“Loretta is a prostitute, is she not?”

“Yes, she is,” Cyrus acknowledged. He turned to face the young woman and lifted his chin a little.

“And I have been her customer on several occasions.

As a matter of fact…”

Hettie held her hand up to stop him. “It would not be my place to judge you, Reverend. I am a sinner, as well.”

“I highly doubt that, Miss Hettie,” he smiled gently.

“I have been with a man out of wedlock,” she said as she looked away. “That is why I am willing to travel west to leave my sinful past behind and start anew.”

“We all make mistakes, my dear. That is why we can be comforted by our faith in God. He forgives our mistakes and makes us whole again.”

“Do you really believe that?”

“Considering my profession and my own sins, I suppose I have to,” Cyrus smiled.

“Your flock is extremely fortunate to have a man who understands what sin is.”

“Somehow I don’t think they would agree with you,” Cyrus frowned. “I am somewhat in the same situation you are. I have accepted a new position in Colorado where I can rebuild my life and renew my faith. This was my last trip into St. Joseph.”

A WEEK LATER, Loretta was able to push herself up on a stack of pillows. Her injured ribs made it difficult to take a deep breath and the bruises on her body and face were beginning to fade although they were still clearly visible. Amelia sat beside the bed, scooping up another spoonful of oatmeal and bringing it to Loretta’s mouth. It tasted good, even though Amelia had gotten a little carried away with the sugar. Loretta winced slightly as she took the oatmeal into her mouth.

“Too hot?” Amelia asked.

“No, it’s fine, sweetie. I’ll be glad when my lip heals though.”

“Cyrus says it will in another week or so. Same with the other cuts, but you might have a couple of little scars. Gonna take longer for your ribs though.”

“Yeah. I’d kill to take a deep breath,” Loretta said with a small smile.

A light tap at the door startled Amelia. She stood quickly and set the bowl on the nightstand. She walked to the door, leaned closer to it, and whispered, “Who is it?”

“Cyrus and Hettie,” a soft female voice said.

Amelia looked back at Loretta and smiled, then opened the door. Loretta noticed Cyrus was holding the hand of the familiar looking woman beside him.

“You’re looking much better today, Miss Loretta,”

Cyrus said as he crossed the room to stand next to the bed.Loretta reached out and stroked his arm, attempting a crooked smile to protect her lip. “Thanks to you, Cyrus. You saved my life. I’ll never be able to repay you,” she said quietly as a tear escaped from her eye and rolled down her cheek. Her hand quickly brushed it away. “I’m sorry.”

“You should contact the police,” the woman next to Cyrus said tersely.

Loretta looked at her curiously, trying to remember where she had seen her before. “I’m a whore,” Loretta snapped. “The police are frequent customers to my employer’s establishment. It’s not likely they would do anything.” Loretta looked at the woman through bruised and swollen eyes. “Do I know you?”

“I’m sorry. My name is Hettie Tobias. I spoke to you and Amelia for a few minutes the day before you were…assaulted. In that little café.”

Loretta looked at Amelia in disbelief. “You went to a total stranger for help?”

“There wasn’t no one else, Retta. You know the other girls wouldn’t have done a damn thing,” Amelia said defensively.

“Language, Miss Amelia,” Cyrus reminded her softly.

“Sorry, Reverend. If it hadn’t been for Cyrus I couldn’t have gotten you out of there. Jack would have come back and finished you off for sure.”

“It’s all right, Amelia” Loretta looked at Hettie. “I thought you were leaving for someplace out west,”

she said.

“I’ve postponed my journey,” Hettie said, glancing up at Cyrus, a light blush coloring her cheeks.

Cyrus cleared his throat, a smile teasing at his lips. “As it happens, Miss Hettie and I are both traveling to the same town in the Colorado Territory.”

Loretta lifted an eyebrow, looking at Cyrus and then back toward Hettie. “Reverend Langford is a fine Christian man.” She was unsure what Hettie actually knew about her relationship with Cyrus or what he might have told her.

“Hettie knows,” Cyrus said softly. “I’ve told her everything.”

“Then she’s a fine Christian woman,” Loretta smiled.

Cyrus sat on the edge of the bed and took Loretta’s hand. “Um…we were thinking, Miss Loretta,” he began, looking at Hettie. “Jack is looking everywhere for you and Amelia. Miss Hettie and I thought perhaps the two of you might consider traveling with us to Colorado.”

“I’m not afraid of Jack Coulter,” Loretta said defiantly. “But I sure as hell ain’t workin’ for him again.”

“Perhaps all you need is a fresh start,” Hettie said, touching Loretta’s arm. “Once you get there you can do what you advised me to do and follow your heart.”

Loretta thought for a few minutes. “I will give you the money to purchase tickets for us, but all my belongings are at Jack’s.”

“You can take some of my clothes. I think we’re about the same size.”

Loretta shook her head slightly. “Thanks, but I can afford to clothe myself. Take part of my stash and purchase two or three dresses for me. I might as well start a new life with everything fresh.”

“I checked at the depot and the next train to Pueblo leaves in three days,” Cyrus said. “It will take three or four days to get most of the way to our destination by train. I know you’ll be in a great deal of pain because of your ribs. Do you think you can stand the jostling around?”

“Reckon I’ll have to.”

Chapter Five

“I DON’T SEE anyone familiar,” Cyrus said softly as he knelt in front of the wooden wheelchair holding a woman who wore a heavy black mourning dress and adjusted her lap quilt. A black veil attached to a wide-brimmed black hat covered her face.

“How much longer before the train arrives?” she asked.

Cyrus withdrew a silver pocket watch from his vest pocket and flipped it open. “Half an hour. If it’s on time. Are you doing all right?”

“I’m smothering in this damned dress,” she said.

“Language, Miss Loretta. And patience,” he whispered as he stood and patted her lightly on the shoulder.

“As I recall, Reverend, patience was never one of your virtues either.” Loretta chuckled as she remembered Cyrus’ inability to contain himself when he spent an evening with her. The chuckle was followed by a fit of coughing which caused her to wrap her arms around her ribcage to lessen the pain from her damaged ribs.