Chased Distance: A Novella (WLW)

Chapter Seventeen: March 23rd, 1876, Donaldsonville, Louisiana

Beth jumped down from her horse, feeling her body more sore than she could ever recall, and moved to Lewis' horse. As soon as she was there, she checked Elu's wound, then nodded for Lewis to get her down. He did away with the lasso around himself, keeping it secure on Elu, then cautiously lowered her down to Beth.

After jumping from his horse, Lewis put an arm around Elu's back and held onto the waist of her trousers. "Put her arm over my shoulders and I can get her inside."

"Inside?" Beth did as she was told and they both turned around, finally facing a boarding house. Actually, it was a pub and harlots lined its front porch and some space on the balconies above, of which there were two. One of the women on the second floor giddily waved down at Lewis, then disappeared inside out of sight. The establishment wasn't as big as Foret Senior's building and definitely different. "Why are we here?"

"This is our family's home." Beth glanced over Lewis' face, then the prostitutes lining the building with their companions, finally deducing why he had such tanned skin. He had to be of mixed races and she suddenly found herself quite curious, if he was sincerely who he claimed. "Follow me, sis."

He led her into the establishment and several of the women gave him fond hugs and kisses on his cheeks, turning them bright red. Lewis paused once they were at the center of the main hall and Beth glanced along the two-tiered, giant room with a chandelier hanging from its ceiling. It appeared there was a third floor, but access to it was restricted to the second floor. Gazing back down at the crowd that was quickly surrounding them and peering at her with questioning brows, Beth was surprisingly calm. Something about it reminded her of the togetherness of those in the Qualla Boundary.

One woman in particular, appearing quite a bit older than the rest and dressed in more mature and subtle clothing, walked over and took his face in her hands. "Are you alright, sweet boy? I was so worried after you hadn't returned in so long."

"I'm fine, mother. I would have written, but I was a bit pressed for time as it was." He leaned into her touch for a moment, then his face lit up and he peeked over at Beth, prompting the woman to let go. "And look who I found!"

She followed his gaze and her eyebrows slowly journeyed up her forehead as she looked into Beth's eyes. "Beth... Bethany? Is that really you?"

This woman was so familiar. In fact, something about her drew Beth in and she gulped as she stepped closer, placing a steadying hand on Elu's back. "Yes, that is who I am. May we have a room, please?"

The woman stood frozen in place as tears pooled in her eyes. Suddenly, she cleared the rest of the distance between them and absorbed Beth in a warm hug. She immediately pulled back, keeping the woman at arm's length and scanning her face.

"I'm sorry, do I know...?"

Beth gazed into her eyes and saw flashes of someone who bore them. Someone she knew long ago, but this woman was definitely not white. She appeared to be Indian by her complexion and jett black hair, but her eyes and cheekbones were too different from those with whom Beth had been raised. The most illuminating thing about her was her lips that bore the same tint and shape as Beth's. In fact, they were the same as Lewis' and even began to curve upward into a smile she already knew by heart. She gasped and cupped her mouth.

"I see you have already made the accurate deductions. Follow me, please." The woman took her hand and they moved to the stairs.

As Beth began climbing them with her, she peeked over her shoulder and watched several women carefully helping Lewis to carry Elu up the stairs. They walked into a well lit room and Elu was gently placed on a bed near the far wall. Beth hurriedly let the woman's hand go and sat down behind Elu on the bed, cradling her head in her lap as they finished laying her down. Sweat covered her brow and she immediately tried to tuck herself into Beth, but soon fell still. After a few moments of waiting for her breath to steady, the women in the room helped to reposition Elu so that she rested between her legs, then stepped back.