The Sword (18 page)

That same night Clay went to the Silver Slipper with only five dollars in his pocket. He boosted it up to fifty playing blackjack. He didn’t like blackjack all that much, so he soon found a poker game. For over two hours he played, losing some but winning more.

His chief opponent at the table was Lester Goodnight. Clay told him carelessly as he shuffled, “You need to find another hobby besides poker, Les.”

“I’m a good poker player, but somehow when you play I never win.” He sat up straight on his chair. He was a thin man with stubborn features and a ready temper. “Nobody wins as much as you do on luck alone.”

Clay’s eyes narrowed and darkened to a smoldering black. “You want to explain what you mean by that, Goodnight?”

Goodnight had lost a great deal of money. He leaned forward, and as he did, the gun at his side was clearly visible. “I’m saying a man that wins like you do isn’t a straight player.”

Kyle Tolliver had been in the game, and now he leaned forward and said, “Clay, let’s get out of here.” He was Clay’s best friend, and he saw that Goodnight had been drinking and was known to pull a gun on other men.

Clay turned and grinned at Kyle. “My family must pay you a fee to follow me around and make sure I do the right thing.”

“Let’s go. You’ve won enough.”

“He ain’t leaving until he gives me a chance to win back my money,” Goodnight muttered.

Clay considered him, his gaze still fiery, but then he suddenly appeared utterly bored. “How about tomorrow night, then? I’m tired. I didn’t get much rest in that jail, Les.”

“All right, you be here tomorrow or I’ll come looking for you.”

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” Clay said casually, rising and straightening his cuffs, flicking off an imaginary speck. “You don’t know what kind of mood you might find me in. I’m in a pretty good mood tonight, or I might have taken offense at some of those fool things you said, Les. I’ll be right here tomorrow night. You just be here and bring your money.”

Kyle and Clay left the Silver Slipper and headed back toward the hotel. Kyle grumbled, “You could’ve been shot back there. What’s even worse, I could have been shot back there.”

“Oh, Goodnight ain’t gonna do that. He’s just sore from losing. He needs to learn how to lose gracefully, don’t you think?’

“I think I don’t want to go through any more duels over your dumb honor again,” Kyle retorted. “Poor old Manny Clarkson
bled like a slaughtered pig.”

“Squealed like one, too. Aw, c’mon, I never meant to kill him. You know that, Kyle,” Clay said good-humoredly. “He’s just like Lester Goodnight. Needed a lesson in manners.”

“Right, just like I said. I don’t want you to feel like you have to teach some manners to Lester Goodnight, even if you do just shoot him in the shoulder. Maybe going to the Silver Slipper tomorrow night isn’t such a good idea.”

“You sound like Morgan. He gave me a sermon this morning about gambling. And about leaving Belle Howard alone.”

“Morgan has sense. You should listen to him.”

“I do listen to him. I’ve always listened to him. It’s just that I don’t necessarily do all that stuff he says.”

Kyle insisted, “Morgan’s a good man, a smart man, Clay, and you know it. He’s a man to listen to.”

“All he did was tell me to leave Belle Howard alone.”

“That’s good advice. Those brothers of hers will kill you if they catch you fooling with her.”

“Aw, everyone’s getting their knickers in a twist over Belle Howard. Truth to tell, Kyle, I’ve no plans to see her. I haven’t called on her.”

“Then why are you worrying Morgan and me so much by talking about her all the time?” Kyle demanded.

Clay shrugged. “Sorry, buddy. It’s just too much fun.”

Belle Howard and her sister Virginia had come into town from the family plantation outside Richmond. They were doing some shopping and made plans to attend a production of
Hamlet,
which was to be performed by a traveling group of actors at the Drury Theater.

The two women were in their hotel room, and Belle was trying to pick out a dress to wear. She finally chose a pink satin with white satin braiding trimming the many ruffles, held it up to herself, and turned to her sister. “What about this one, Virginia?”

Virginia was sitting down by a side table that held a silver tea set, reading a book. She looked up to answer her sister. “It looks very well, but it’s cut too low in the front.”

Belle Howard smiled and came over and patted her sister on the shoulder. “We’re here to have fun, remember?” Belle said. “I know, Virginia, why don’t you wear my pearls tonight? They would look so well with your new dress. And my pearl comb, too.”

Belle Howard was two years younger than her sister Virginia. She knew she had a spectacular figure that men often desired. Her sister was a thin woman with mousy brown hair and brown eyes that often reflected dissatisfaction with Belle. In truth, Belle knew Virginia was jealous of her, which was natural enough. She couldn’t possibly voice a complaint such as Belle had been given all the good looks and she’d been given none. Virginia was in fact smarter than Belle, but of course this didn’t matter to the men who were only interested in Belle’s beautiful features and buxom figure.

Belle patted Virginia again and said, “We’ll have a good time tonight. Don’t worry.” She turned to the mirror, held up the dress again, and studied herself. She liked what she saw in the mirror, which was a woman with rich dark hair and velvety blue eyes that were shadowed by thick lashes. Her complexion was perfect, and her features were bold. She had a mouth that seemed to be made for kissing. She was full-figured; her waist was not as small as she would have liked, but tied into a strong corset she had an hourglass figure. Belle sighed as she glanced back at her sister. She was well aware of Virginia’s resentment, but there was nothing she could do about it.

A knock on the door sounded. Virginia rose and said, “I’ll get it.” She opened the door and found Amy Cousins waiting. “Come in, Amy.”

Amy and Virginia were the same age and the best of friends. Amy was pretty enough but didn’t possess Belle’s startling beauty.

“I’m glad you were able to come,” Virginia said, obviously pleased. “Are you looking forward to going to the theater?”

“
Hamlet
is such a gloomy play,” Amy answered. “I don’t know
why we want to sit through it and see everyone die.”

“Oh, don’t be so grouchy,” Belle said. “It’ll be fun. You’re looking so nice, Amy.”

“Thank you, Belle. Are you wearing that pink? You’ll look gorgeous in it, as you always do.” She turned back to Virginia. “Anyway, Virginia, I want to ask you to stay the night with me, at our house.”

“That’s very nice of you, Amy, but as you see, Belle and I have this wonderful room.”

“My cousin, Vincent Young, is visiting us,” Amy said eagerly. “You know how fond he is of you.”

Virginia paused. Belle knew her sister liked Vincent Young. He was twenty and rather bookish, studying to be a lawyer, but Belle had heard Virginia say that in the times they had met at parties and balls and dinners they had done very well together.

“I think Vincent is in love with you,” Amy prodded her. “If you stay the night, you can spend some time with him.”

“Papa would never agree to have Vince as a son-in-law,” Belle said carelessly.

“Yes, he would. His family is doing well in their business. Vincent will be a successful lawyer one day. He is respectable enough to suit Father,” Virginia retorted.

“I heard Vince tell my mama that he’d be a good match for you,” Amy said.

“Did you really?”

“Yes, I did, but you’ve got to put your foot forward because he’s shy. Won’t you come stay with me? And then, of course, we would all go to the theater together.”

Belle smiled, for she saw the interest that her sister had shown. “I think you should go, Virginia. I like Vince, and I think he is interested in you.”

“Do you really think so, Belle?”

“I do.”

“You come, too, Belle,” Amy urged her. “You know we have lots of room.”

“No, you two go along. I’ll be all right.” Secretly Belle was pleased, for she knew that as long as her sister was around her fun would be severely curtailed.

“If you think it’s all right, Belle,” Virginia said.

“I’ll be just fine, and you two will have such fun. Now run along. I’ll see you at the play.”

Belle made her way to the theater, just down and across the main street of Richmond. It was scandalous, her going alone, but she knew that she was such a favorite of her father’s that even if word got to him, nothing would be done about it.

She had been to the Drury Theater several times before, and she saw people of Richmond society whom she knew. She took her seat, which would be next to the Cousins family, but then changed her mind.
I’ll have to stay away from Vince. I never told Virginia, but he was interested in me at one time. He may be Virginia’s last chance to get married.

She got up and moved to a seat well toward the back of the theater. The play began, and she watched intently. Truthfully, however, she found Shakespeare hard to follow, so her mind roamed elsewhere. It was a very long play, too, and when it was over, she saw Virginia, escorted by Vincent Young, leaving the theater with the Cousins family.

Belle had no desire to see them. She found that she was tired and bored with the evening and decided just to go back to her room and make an early night of it. A couple of her gentleman acquaintances spotted her and begged her to let them escort her back to the hotel, take her to supper, come back to their homes for after-theater parties. … But rather shortly Belle disentangled herself from them. They were boring, actually, and represented no interesting new conquests.

When she reached the Planter’s Hotel, to her surprise she saw Clay Tremayne lounging outside, smoking a cigar. When he saw her, he grinned and threw the cigar away, as men never smoked in
the presence of a lady. It was just that usually ladies were not out on the street at this time of night.

“Belle! How wonderful to see you,” he said, coming forward to take her hand and kiss it.

“Hello, Clay,” she answered coolly. “How are you? Did you go to see
Hamlet?”

“No, I was in the card room, but it got so close and stuffy. And I am heartily sick of hearing talk about politics and secession. So I decided to come outside for some fresh air,” he answered. “And to wait for you, of course.”

“You lie, sir.” Belle studied Clay carefully. She liked his manly good looks, and he was fine company. On two occasions he had halfheartedly tried to take liberties with her, but she simply laughed at him and shoved him away. It had irked her that he had given up so easily. She added, smiling invitingly at him, “You had no idea I was even in town.”

“I’m caught. I certainly didn’t know you were staying here at the hotel. May I invite you up to my room for an after-theater sip of brandy, perhaps?” he asked innocently.

“I’d just be another notch on your belt,” she said drily. “You have enough of those already. Your belt is so notched there’s barely room left on it for another.”

“Either you’re complimenting me, ma’am, or insulting me,” Clay said mischievously. “I choose to take your consideration as a compliment. Now, please allow me to return the compliment and take you to supper.”