Page 70 (2/2)
“Who’s this woman—Miss Belle? Is that her likeness on the other side?” she asked
“It probably is” He nodded reluctantly
The pieces were starting to fit together in her mind A dollar token Good in some unmentionable places A woman’s picture
“Is it a kind of advertiseuessed
“Yeah, you could call it that,” Rusty agreed
“What is this lady advertising?” A cold anger was starting to chill her dark eyes “It doesn’t state what her business is”
Rusty actually started to turn red The color crept up under his white whiskers, htly know,” he faltered
“Do you suppose shehiuessed
“If you already knohy’d ya ask rumbled in irritation “You shouldn’t be askin’ me questions like that anyhow It’s theet what’s proper”
“I am a married woman,” Lorna asserted “I am not unfamiliar with such women It would be silly to pretend they don’t exist”
“I reckon There ain’t exactly a surplus of woets tired of sleepin’ alone” This tied her
Her cheeks fla alone Pivoting on her heel, Lorna hurried back to the wagon The brass coin seemed to burn her palm She dropped it on the mattress, then sat down to stare at it
Dodge City He had wanted to make love to her at the hotel when he came to the room after she had bathed Only she hadn’t been able to freely respond to his advances Both nights they had stayed there, he had been out late That had to be when he had gotten the coin
A wild jealousy storh her as she was forced to conclude that Benteen had gone to bed with a whore to satisfy his lust He had been unfaithful to her, and she’d kill hie as she took the pistol froht her to shoot
When she checked to make sure it was loaded, another incident forced its memory on her But Lorna wanted to listen to only the part that said “a whore in bed” But there was a corresponding phrase to it that pushed its way into her consciousness “Lady on his arm”