Read Wolver's Gold (The Wolvers) for Free Online

years were for nothing. That money we saved? It's my son's. The business, too." Mrs. Hornmeyer slammed her fist on the arm of her chair so hard, she winced and began to cry.
    "You only spoke the truth, Miss Kincaid, but you were wrong about the money. I never had any pocket money to save and my son doesn't pay me a penny. My Pittance comes from the pack. Mr. Slocum had me sign some papers and every month I collect my bit. He says it's the pack's duty to take care of those who can't take care of themselves." She dabbed at her eyes. "I'm so ashamed."
    This was something Rachel had never heard of , probably because, like Mrs. Hornmeyer, folks considered it too shameful to share; work all your life and end up a charity case. She wondered how many men lived off the pack's charity. It was one more thing that didn't seem fair.
    "I shouldn't have told you my secret," Mrs. Hornmeyer said. "It's not something that should be spoken of." In polite society, money was never mentioned. It was another secret that shouldn’t be shared.
    "Yes, you should. A burden shared is a burden halved ." Rachel repeated more words her mother used to say, but she was thinking of things that shouldn't be spoken of.
    Why shouldn't they? Wh y shouldn't Bertie be able to tell the whole world about Victor? They'd done nothing wrong. Why should Mrs. Hornmeyer have to carry her burden alone? She'd done nothing wrong. Why should she, herself, be ashamed to tell others about the kind of men Barnabas Holt and Jack Coogan were?
    It made her wonder how many other secrets were held in Gold Gulch simply because someone decided they were too shameful to be spoken of.
    Bertie said she would have to live with her life as it was or change it.
    "Mrs. Hornmeyer? Shall I tell you what Bertie and I were speaking of back in Room 3? Then you'll share a secret and a burden of mine."
    Mrs. Hornmeyer's red rimmed eyes sparked with interest. She patted the corner of her neatly made bed, inviting Rachel to sit. "If we're going to be sharing our secrets, dear, perhaps you should call me Liddy."
     

 
    Chapter 4
     
    Daisy's bright yellow carriage careening past the Hotel's front porch was what caught Rachel's eye. The fancy open carriage was the same color as the body of the big Victorian house, with wheel spokes painted a garish purple and seats upholstered in pink to mimic the trim on the house.
    The neatly painted sign by the brick walk that led to the house read 'Miss Daisy's Bouquet,' in fancy script and beneath it, in plain bold letters, 'Bordello', and beneath that, 'Family Tours at 10, 12, 2, and 4. Adult Tours at 11, 1, 5 and 7. No children allowed without accompanying adult.'
    The carriage flew past at least three times a day, carrying two or three of the flamboyantly dressed flowers, as Miss Daisy called the girls who made up her bouquet. Soiled Doves is what they were, and the tourists loved their ribald jokes and raucous laughter. Such places were an essential part of any large Victorian aged town in the American west and Gold Gulch prided itself on its authenticity.
    The tourists never cottoned to the fact that the girls weren't playing fictitious role s. They were the real thing and, after closing the gates to outsiders each evening, the bordello was as busy with wolver business as the saloon.
    The goings on at Daisy's Bouquet was a secret everyone knew, but no one talked about. The subject was never broached among the upstanding ladies since they weren't supposed to know what went on behind those bright yellow walls, though a couple of them had resided there before finding respectable mates.
    Rachel envied the Soiled Doves, another secret of hers, not for what they did so much as their freedom to do it. No one frowned or scolded when they laughed too loud. No one turned up their nose when a flower forgot her corset or turned their back and huffed in disgust when one of the girls showed too much leg. Daisy paid others to wash and clean. The flowers hardly worked at all