Red West II.

Chapter thirty two - Secrecy

With the rumble of massive wheels, just another hackney coach arrived in front of the Clarendon Hotel on Harrison Avenue of always lively Leadville. The cabman stopped it right at the main entrance and rushed down from the trestle to open the small door for an elderly couple in expensive traveling clothes. A young porter didn't hurry so much, as he left his spot in the pleasant shadow at the door of the hotel lazily, eyeing the pile of suitcases on the roof of the carriage with a quite annoyed expression.

The harnessed stallions were snorting tiredly, while other horses stomped around them, carrying their riders closer to the city center. The old lady kept complaining loudly about the horrible journey from Denver, an errand-boy was obtruding the newest issue of local newspapers to each and every passerby on the opposite side of the street, a woman's yell could be heard from the nearby saloon, some repairs were going in the Opera House building and unloading of new goods in front of Sandelowsky's Store completed the whole cacophony.

Even though the window of a certain spacious hotel room on the second floor was properly closed, all these sounds came through inside, making the beautiful young woman frown discontentedly. Elizabeth McCourt, also known as Baby Doe, rolled on her side and ran an open palm over the chest of the man lying next to her with his hands clasped behind his head.

"When can I move to Denver, my love?" she asked moodily, playing with the half-dark, half-grey hair around her lover's nipples.

"What are you lacking here?" the resting man asked a little tiredly, not even opening his eyes.

"You," Baby pouted. "Most of all. And it's so noisy all the time..."

The Lieutenant Governor looked at her now: "Wear some ear plugs then, dear," he recommended.

"Oh, darling, you cannot leave me here forever," the blonde continued pleading, while her hand slipped down, to the edge of the blanket and what was covered under it.

"And I won't," Horace grunted, watching the woman's face closely. "But I need Augusta to agree to the divorce first."

Baby sat up fiercely, all her yellow curls falling down on the rounded shoulders with the movement, their tips even reaching her full breasts.

"You just keep saying that!" the blonde one burst out. "Make her agree! Give her more money and be done with your annoying wife!"

"We've been together for twenty-five years. Not every parting is as easy as yours was, Elizabeth," Baby's two-time-older lover informed her rather coldly.

Baby gasped and her eyes glittered with tears. She threw the blanket from her legs away and stood up from the sweaty bed sheets. Naked in the whole glory of her body's shapes, she tapped to the window, and looked out with her full lips twitched.

Horace sighed, noticing the blonde's expression, which indicated the near-crying state. He didn't mean to upset her... He came to Leadville to rest, not to evoke more issues.

From time to time, the Lieutenant Governor had enough of dealing with the complaints of mines' foremen and with the bankers' lectures about investments. Not to mention an unsuccessful search after that five-time-damned bounty hunter. Even though Sheriff Trent managed to find the bodies of his men in the woods, Ralph Harvey was not among them; just that hot-blooded Duggan. So, he had no idea what the hell went wrong with Akanishi's capture, whether his gang set him free or Harvey broke the contract. Augusta's opposition to the suggested divorce was just another item on his list of difficulties, and now he could add his upset lover to it. Nothing seemed to work out well recently.

He straightened up on the bed and put on the best of his nice expressions: "Baby..."

"I'm fed up of waiting for you," she interrupted him, her breasts going up and down with heavy breaths.