Jasper snorted. “I hope you don’t think you’re special. One man’s the same as another to her.”
“Don’t be such an ass, Montgomery,” Whiskers shot back, shaking his head. “You don’t know a damn thing about that girl, do you? Crystal’s a real lady.”
“I thought so once, too,” Jasper replied, “and I was damned disappointed to find out it wasn’t so. Turns out being a lady isn’t so important anymore. That’s what I came back to tell her.”
“Fool, I could have told you that,” Whiskers snorted, taking a swig.
“Who’s up there with her anyway? One of her regulars?”
“No, that’s what I’m worried about. We were just getting ready to head upstairs and suddenly she stopped dead in her tracks. Said something about a man’s voice and she had to take him first. She just up and asked him his name and if he wanted to go upstairs with her. It was the strangest thing.”
“What man?” Jasper asked, feeling the blood drain from his face.
“A man named Carl White,” Whiskers replied. “Don’t know much about him ceptin’ me and Henry been minding his mine out of the Culpepper River while he was out of town.”
“What’s the name of that mine?” Jasper demanded, grasping Whiskers arm.
“C.W. Mining Company or some such. Why?”
“Who owned it before? Quick man, do you know?”
“Some fella named McKay but he died.”
“Gabe,” Jasper shouted, leaning over the bar and grasping Gabe’s shirt. “Clem’s up there with her father’s murderer. Take the back stairs,” he shouted running for the stairs. “Whiskers, see if you can get on the roof outside her window.”
All three men took off on a wild tear from the room in opposite directions.
“What going on?” a young man called out as Whiskers shoved past him.
“Crystal’s in danger,” he yelled over his shoulder. This created a stampede as six men raced up the stairs behind Jasper and several more chased after Whiskers. “Get a ladder,” he ordered, “and for God’s sake be quiet,” he hissed.
Jasper and Gabe stopped, one on each side of the door to Crystal’s room. The men behind them seemed to understand the gravity of the situation and were quiet as they strained to listen. The voices from within were indistinct beyond the fact there were two people inside, a man and a woman. Fearful of bursting in and placing Clem in greater danger Jasper signaled them to wait, giving Whiskers time to get to the roof.
***
“I’ll take that paper now,” Crystal said, transferring the gun to one hand.
“I should never have let you live,” White said with a grim laugh as he held out the signed confession. “Serves me right for having a weak moment.”
She reached out to take it. It was the first mistake she made all night. White grabbed her arm and yanked her forward. The gun discharged blowing a hole through the top of the door, but he didn’t let go of her. Instead he wrestled it from her grasp and pointed it at her head as Jasper, Gabe and the rest of the men burst into the room, weapons drawn.
“Let her go,” Jasper growled, noting the wide eyes and pale face of the women he loved.
White laughed. “This is how it’s going to be,” he said calmly. In no way did his voice match the vicious and deadly gleam in his eye and Jasper suddenly understood her words about never forgetting his voice. “I’m leaving here and taking her with me.”
“Over my dead body,” Jasper replied in a deadly voice.
“That can be arranged, Montgomery. Yes, I know all about you. In fact, you’re the reason I came here tonight. I had to see for myself the woman who had you and everybody else singing her praises. Guess I was a little too curious for my own good.” He laughed, a genuine chuckle and it was at that moment Crystal realized how disturbed he was. It wasn’t just greed; the man was insane.
“You’re not leaving this room alive, White.”
“Then neither is she,” he said agreeably, poking the gun into her temple so hard she cried out. “You men go ahead and talk it over,” he suggested smiling, “but hurry up. I haven’t sampled the merchandise yet,” he continued, using the hand around her to squeeze her breast painfully.
If possible, she paled even further. Looking at her Jasper caught sight of Whiskers at the window.
“What do you want to do?” he asked the group behind him loudly. A few others had seen the same hand motion and also joined in the conversation, arguing and yelling for all they were worth.
The noise was enough of a distraction for Whiskers to quietly open the window and slip into the room.
“Before we let you take her, I have something to say to her,” Jasper said.
“Oh for cryin’ out loud, get on with it. What is this place anyway, some kind of lonely hearts club?” White asked in disgust.
“Clem, I came back to tell you I was wrong,” Jasper began. “I love you, honey, and I don’t care how many men you’ve had. Hell, you can sleep with the entire population of California if that’s what you want. I won’t like it. I want you all to myself, but it’s not worth losing you over. Please, forgive me, baby. I’ll stick with you through anything that comes our way, even if you still want to work at The Red Petticoat.”
Various words and phrases came from behind him, ‘bonehead’, ‘moron’, ‘blind as a bat’, ‘blooming idiot’, but Jasper ignored them as he waited for Whiskers to make a more.
“I don’t think you are leaving here with Miss Crystal,” Whiskers said, his voice thick with rage, his pistol shoved roughly into White’s side. “You’ll let her go now or I’ll blow a hole in you big enough to drive a wagon through.”
“Kind of a Mexican standoff, isn’t it?” White chuckled before Crystal slipped a hand behind her, grabbed his balls and twisted for all she was worth. He shoved her violently away and she hit the floor hard. As White doubled over, Whiskers took the butt of his gun and brought it down on his head. White slumped to the floor in a heap. Gabe grabbed the gun as Jasper scooped Clem up in his arms holding her close.
“You came back,” she whispered, touching his cheek.
“Of course I did,” he replied as he watched the other men drag White’s unconscious body from the room.
“You all right, Miss Crystal?” Whiskers asked wringing his hat in his hands.
“I think so,” she replied. Suddenly, she shuddered in pain. “Jasper, get the doctor,” she gasped, just before she passed out.
Chapter Fourteen
Jasper paced the hallway outside of Clem’s room while Nettie and the doctor attended to her. Jewel came and went several times, patting him on the shoulder in reassurance. Finally, the door opened and Dr. Norwood came out.
“How is she?” Jasper asked, grasping his arm.
“She’ll be all right. She needs to rest for a few days. That young woman has been carrying a terrible burden for a long time. It’s no wonder she collapsed. With the proper care, both she and her child should be fine.”
“Her child? She’s going to have a baby?”
“Yes, it’s a miracle she didn’t miscarry. Crystal’s stronger than she looks.”
“Can I go in?”
“That’s up to her.”
In the end it was really up to Nettie.
“Now, you just sit here with her,” Nettie ordered when he rapped softly on the door and she let him in. “I don’t want no questions and accusations if she should wake up. She needs rest. If you can’t do that, tell me now and I’ll have one of the other gems come up.”
“I’ll be quiet,” he assured her softly.
“Humph, see that you are, and if she wakes up, pull that cord. Someone will fetch me.” Carefully, he moved the chair next to the bed and sat. Leaning forward, he studied her. Her long golden hair rested on breasts that were noticeably fuller under her white cotton gown. How had he missed that when night after night he scarcely took his eyes off her each time she came downstairs? What color remained in her cheeks seemed almost translucent and he wanted to kis
s some pink back into her lips. Her small hands lay on top of the quilt, the veins clearly visible. He wanted to take them into his hands and chafe some warmth into them. Instead he waited, alone with his tortured thoughts.
Throughout the night she fretted, occasionally calling out and resting her hand protectively over her belly. He wondered if the doctor had given her something to make her sleep or she was simply exhausted.
Jewel brought him coffee when the saloon closed and asked if he wanted to be relieved. Jasper shook his head no, never taking his eyes off Crystal. Jewel placed the tray on the dressing table and left as quietly as she’d arrived.
At one point Clem cried out his name, her hand restlessly picking at the covers. Reaching out he took her hand, holding it carefully as he murmured reassurances. She clasped his hand and settled back down.
His fear began to subside as dawn broke with faint glimmers of light to the east. He waited for the anger; it didn’t come. On some level, he knew he should be furious with her. He’d offered her marriage, a secure home, a family and she fought against it at every turn. Now, she was going to have a child. Her so called mission in life had been accomplished. Her father’s murderer was either dead or in the custody of Sheriff Justice. Frankly Jasper didn’t care which. If Carl White still lived, it was temporary. He’d be swinging from the end of a rope soon enough.
Marriage was a priority. If he asked her now, she’d most likely say yes, but would it be because she genuinely cared for him or to give her child a name? Did it matter? Could he live with the fact that he would never know who sired a child he raised as his own?
Yes, he decided as sunlight spilled into the room, warming her into the woman he held dear. As long as the deal included Clementine, he could. Gently placing her hand on the bed, he rose. There was tepid water in the basin and he splashed his face, stretching the kinks out of his neck as he dried it.
“Jas…” she croaked out.
He hurried to her side. “Shh, it’s all right,” he assured her. “The doctor said you’re going to be fine.” Resuming his seat, he again took her hand. “The baby’s fine too,” he whispered, looking down at their joined hands.
“I was going to tell you,” she rasped out.
Jasper released her and poured her a glass of water, helping her sit up with an arm supporting her shoulders as she drank.
“It doesn’t matter, Clem.”
“Of course it matters, all children matter.”
“That’s not what I meant. It doesn’t matter who the father is,” he calmly informed her, avoiding her eyes as he gently laid her back against the pillows. “My offer of marriage still stands. I love you and I’m willing to raise your child as my own.”
“My child?”
“Yes, well it will be our child,” Jasper said warily as he noted the color returning to her cheeks in a rapid manner.
“That’s very magnanimous of you, Mr. Montgomery,” she drawled in a way that made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. “I believe I’ll take you up on your oh so generous offer. After all, a whore giving birth to a bastard in a few months can’t be too choosy, can she?”
“That’s not exactly how I would put it, Clementine. It’s not like I haven’t proposed a hundred times,” he said sharply. “I came back to tell you…”
“Ah, I see the patient is awake,” Nettie said, smiling as she sailed in the door carrying a pitcher of hot water.
“Yes, and feeling a bit better. As a matter of fact, I’d like a bath. “
“It’ll be a sponge bath for you, young lady. Doc says you’re to rest for a couple of days and that’s just what you’re going to do,” she bristled.
“Oh all right,” Clem said with a pout. “Mr. Montgomery was just leaving.”
“We’ll continue our discussion later; I’ll be by this afternoon,” he said with a touch of warning in his tone that had Nettie raising her eyebrows in surprise.
“Mr. Montgomery and I are going to be married, Nettie,” Clem explained, fussing with the lace at her wrists. “I hope that explains his bossy, proprietary tone.”
“Congratulations, I think,” Nettie replied rolling her eyes. “Are you sure you want to take this man on permanently?”
“I’m afraid I don’t have much choice,” Clem said sighing dramatically. “I’m sure Dr. Norwood told you I’m going to have a baby, and, of course, there’s all that money.”
“Nonsense, offhand I can think of a dozen men who’d jump at the chance to wed you, Miss Crystal, baby or no baby, and money isn’t everything,” Nettie added. “Miss Jewel would never put you out on the street.”
“Oh for the love of God,” Jasper snapped, striding to the door. “I’ll be back to check on you later.”
Both she and Nettie jumped when he slammed the door and then broke into giggles.
“That’s Mr. Jasper’s baby you’re carrying, isn’t it?” Nettie asked as she helped Crystal out of bed.
“Yes, it is,” Crystal replied as Nettie pulled the nightgown over her head.
“Are you sure?”
“Absolutely positive.”
“Do you love him?” she asked kindly.
“Something awful,” Crystal replied smiling. “I think he’ll make a fine husband once he learns a thing or two about women.”
Nettie laughed. “I believe you’re just the girl to teach him.” She wouldn’t allow Crystal to do much more than use the chamber pot and insisted on helping her bathe. After slipping a clean nightgown over her head and straightening the bed, she tucked her back in. “I’ll send Citrine up with your breakfast. You stay in the bed like a good girl. Now, is there anything else I can get you before I get back to the kitchen?”
“Could you hand me that book of poetry?” Crystal asked.
“Here you go. Anything else?”
Crystal thought for a moment and then smiled. “There’s a box inside my armoire. Would you mind tossing it in the bathhouse fire for me?”
“What’s in this?” Nettie asked.
“Oh, just a gift from Jasper I’m not particularly fond of.”
“All right, if you say so, but a gift is a gift.”
“Not this one. He gave it to me, but it’s really for him and I’d prefer it wasn’t around.”
Nettie left the room with the box under her arm and carrying the empty pitcher. Downstairs she went out the back door to the wood fire that was nearly always burning. On impulse she opened the box to see just what the girl was so anxious to be rid of. She was still laughing when she carried the box back inside to her room. It would make a fine wedding present.
***
Jasper was as good as his word and returned in the early afternoon, carrying a bouquet of flowers. He’d made up his mind he wasn’t going to put up with any more nonsense from her. She needed him, whether she was willing to admit it or not. He wanted her. Many marriages had been built on much less than that.
Pushing through the batwing doors, he moved past the bar and bounded up the stairs nearly skidding to a stop when he saw the long line of men waiting in the hallway. Squaring his shoulders, he took a deep calming breath, and marched past them, praying he wasn’t looking at his competition. At her door he rapped once and walked in.
Clementine was lounging in her bed wearing a pretty blue bed shawl around her shoulders. Sitting much too close to her and holding her hand was a man he didn’t recognize. Clean shaven and wearing crisp, obviously new clothes, the man ignored him.
“Are you sure that’s what you want to do?” the man asked gently.
The moment Jasper heard the distinctive gravelly voice, he knew it was Whiskers. A much younger looking version of the grizzled old man, but him just the same. The change was remarkable.
“I’m sure,” Clem murmured. “Jasper will take good care of us.”
“Humph, well if he don’t; you know where to find me.”
“Are you leaving for Ohio right away?” Clem asked.
“Nope, staying for the hanging. I want to make
sure that son of a bitch pays for what he done to you and your Pa, Miss Crystal. The circuit judge will be through here next week. With that signed confession and what the rest of us heard and saw, a trial will be over in two shakes of a lamb’s tail.”
“Thank you, Whiskers. I want you to know I appreciate all you’ve done for me,” she said with a smile.
“Me? Why it’s you who helped me. If it wasn’t for you, I’d be headed north getting ready for a long spell of lonesome instead of back home to see the handsomest woman east of the Rockies, not counting you, of course,” he assured her, blushing a bit.
“Can I ask you something?”
“I reckon you could ask me to do anything, Miss Crystal.”
“What’s your real name, Whiskers?” she asked, her eyes alight with curiosity.
“Well, ma’am,” he began, clearing his throat and releasing her hand to tug on his collar. “This tain’t common knowledge, but seeing as how I’m leaving I don’t suppose it would hurt none to say. It’s Bartholomew, Bartholomew T. Grogan.”
“Well, Bartholomew, my name is Clementine Eliza McKay and it’s very nice to count you as a dear friend.” Offering her hand, she took his big hand in both of hers and held it warmly for a moment. “You’ll write won’t you and tell me how everything works out?” she asked with a worried frown.
“You bet I will,” he promised. “Now, I’d best get on out of here. There’s a line of visitors out there who are chomping at the bit to see you’re all right. I’ll stop by again soon.”
Jasper made himself comfortable on the bench to her dressing table.
Gerald came in next, presenting her with a book of poetry by Elizabeth Barrett Browning.
“I hope you’re feeling well, Miss Crystal,” he said, taking a seat by her bed. “You sure gave us all a fright last night.”
“I’m feeling much better,” she assured him.
“That’s good, that’s good,” he repeated nervously as he glanced at Jasper. “I didn’t mean to intrude, but I wanted to make sure you were all right.”
“Thank you for coming and for this lovely gift. I’ll treasure it,” she said, holding it close to her chest.
Crystal's Calamity (The Red Petticoat Saloon) Page 13