The Devils Backbone

The Things You Sew

"No, damn it!" Nancy curled her body up so that she might kick at his chest with her feet, like an angered cat. "Dont touch me! Stop it!" She hollered breaking free of him. She continued to slap and kick at his chest. "Stopi it!" Johnsey said calmly trying to settle her down. "I dont want you here!" Nancy shouted. Johnsey managed to hug her, he used all the strength he had to hold her to him "come on, come on. Hey I got you." He spoke softly into her ear.

Yet Nancy was having none of it and still she struggled. "No!" She sobbed pushing him away, Johnsey threew his hands in the air and off of her in defeat "goddamnit!" Nancy yelled hitting Johnsey in the chest one last time. "You get out of here." She growled pushing him with hands and feet. Johnsey bit his lip and looked away from her feelings hurt. "Get! Get outta here!" She shrieked, Johnsey got up off the bed and headed to the door without so much as a word.

Meanwhile Chyna had yet to return home, she stayed with Luella at the Saloon. Chyna was quickly enlisted by Luella's farther to tiddy up the bar room. Luella dressed Chyna up much as she did any night she worked. It was getting rowdy, a gentleman and his friends were celebrating a final night of freedom while passing threw on thier way to North Carolina for a wedding.

The soon to be Groom kept giving Chyna the eye, Luella's father smelled money and with a smirk whispered something in the man's ear. "You looking for something exotic, she's just come in from british ports." Luella's father lied. "She's open for a poke...of course for a price, theres also an - ahem, confidentiality fee" he added. The man looked up at Luella's father and took out his wallet.  "How much?" He asked.

Chyna looked up as Luella's father came to her, "got you a job, theres a gentleman upstairs waitin on ya" he said. "Pa...Chyna aint-" Luella protested. Her father held out a thin stack of five 20$ bills. "This here? This here would be your cut." He said to Chyna. Luella gasped "good lord pa how much did he pay!" Luella said. " the averages mans wages for about 5 mounths. Feller's a politicians son up in New York." Her father said.

Chyna looked at the money, "which room sir?" She asked. "Third from the right"  he said. Chyna nodded and headed up the steps.

She was nervous, she knew well how to do the do, but that wasn't for pay, what would he ask her for? Maybe she should turn back - no, Chyna stopped at the bedroom door. "One hundred dollars, it'd really help us out..." She thought. " ain't no worse than having to lay about under Tolbert with no say so." She told herself.

Exhaling she opened the door and entered the room, she leaned against the closed door and looked over the man. He wasn't very tall but not short either, with a mop of raven curls upon his head that looked as if it had never seen a good brushing in his life. He wasnt homely, Chyna was sure a good deal of women would find him attractive in one way or another, yet she could not say she herself was.

"Um..." Chyna wasn't sure what to say or how to address him so she fell back into what she knew. "monsieur, I am sorry for the wait." Chyna said softly. The gentlrman eyed her up and down. "That is no british accent -" he said his gaze heavy on her. "I am sorry....does that displease you? Its part Louisiana - theres french in there some where." Chyna said, the gentleman didn't so much as crack a smile.

"What is your name my dear?" He asked, "Chyna" she said quickly. "Well then Chyna, my name is Bennett Dewey Hill, and you can come closer I do not mean you no harm." He said. Bennet had a calm well bred way of speaking and he seemed far more refined than anyone Chyna had ever met, even Nancy. Even Perry Cline's propper facade, paled in comparison to Bennett's composure.

Chyna nodded and sat next to him on the side of the bed. "What can I do for you, monsieur Hill?" She asked. "Benny will do just fine, and a shot of whiskey and a back rub will do just fine." He said in an exasperated sigh, quickly losing a bit of his well trained air.