St. Joe 5 years earlier
“Louise!”
“Yes Mr. Wicks?” A young Louise bursts through his office door. Bruises are splintered across her checks. She looks at her feet humbly. The night before he had raped her.
“I need to talk to you about what happened last night. I wanted to apologize, it will never happen again. I was drunk, and I was out of hand. I hope you will stay on with us as our laundry girl. You are the best we’ve ever had.”
“Of course sir.” The fear in her eyes makes Wicks love his job. He rises from his chair and crosses over to her. His hand chucks the bottom of her chin and she looks up. He smiles, she smiles back. She trusts him completely.
“I will never do that again. I promise. How old are you Louise?” He already knows the answer. 12 going on 13 next week sir.
“12 going on 13 next week sir. Wednesday.” Louise smiles at him. What compels her to do so, she isn’t sure. This man harmed her last night. Why is she acting like the faithful puppy now?
“We’ll have to have a big celebration then. I noticed you’ve become friends with Charlotte, have her take you out on the town and buy you a nice dress for the occasion. It’ll be my treat.” He reached into his pocket and withdrew 20 dollars in cold hard cash. Louise looks at it in awe. She’s never seen that much money before in her life.
“No, sir, I couldn’t. That’s such a nice offer, but I couldn’t.” She glares at the money. She could build a life with that money. A life for her and Jeremiah and Theresa.
“Take it.” Wicks smiles and shoves the money into the pocket of her dress. “But use it only for the dress, gloves, makeup, that sort of thing. Don’t just hoard it away. Money is to be spent Louise, always remember that.” He widens his grin. If she doesn’t leave soon my mouth will be frozen this way, he thinks. She smiles and turns to leave.
“Thank you so much sir!” Louise says, she turns to go, but stops and kisses him on the cheek. She walks until she gets to the hall and then sprints to Charlotte’s rooms. Charlotte has the best rooms. There’s pink and purple satin draped everywhere, over the windows, over the bed, every possible place. Charlotte sits in a chair by her boudoir. She’s combing her hair when Louise bursts into the room.
“Hey sugar.” Charlotte smiles, but she can’t help thinking how bad Wicks beat her up last night.
“Charlotte you won’t believe what Mr. Wicks just did. He gave me 20 dollars to go buy a new dress for my birthday next week. He also told me to go buy makeup and other things. He says he’s sorry for last night, that he was drunk and he didn’t mean it. He’s the nicest man in the world!” Louise collapses onto Charlotte’s bed and stares at the money in her hand. Charlotte grimaces. Wicks is trying to do to young Louise what he did to her. He’s buying her love so she will feel guilty and will work for him when he asks her to. She can’t tell her that though, that would mean her job. How could he do that to such a precious little thing? Louise was like the daughter she’d never have.
“That’s great, but who’s going with you on the town? You can’t go by yourself.” Charlotte held her breath. If Wicks said he would take her that would mean disaster.
“You are. I hope that’s okay, he told me to ask you.” Charlotte let out a fast whoosh of air.
“Of course that’s okay honey, I would love to take you out. Of course, I don’t think you would have a hard time. Grover and his band of merry men seem to have a soft heart for you.” Charlotte watched as Louise blushed. The urchins of St. Joe loved Louise. They looked out for her, and she brought them food every night. Every moment she got she went out exploring with those five boys. Charlotte knew Louise had a liking for one of the boys. She never could tell if it was Grover, his best friend Pockets, Lent, Georgie, or Den. They also came to see her whenever they weren’t stealing. They helped her with the laundry work and sometimes slept in the laundry room. Wicks didn’t know this of course, but if he ever found out those boys would pay.
“Well go tomorrow early afternoon? After I finish the first load of washing?” Louise asked hopefully. She wanted to go shopping in a big city. She wouldn’t spend too much, but Wicks had said money was for spending. She wanted to buy the boys some food and maybe new gloves so that they wouldn’t be so cold.
“What are you going to buy?” Just as Louise was going to answer a loud noise downstairs interrupted her.
“Charlotte! Charlotte come down here!” The voice of JJ Pierce carried up the staircase like a bullet.
“Oh dear Heaven he’s drunk.” Charlotte moaned. She grabbed hold of Louise and dragged her to the secret panel behind the silk curtains. She told Louise to stay put and slid the panel shut. A moment later JJ banged on the door.
“Charlotte please open the door. Baby please.” She could hear the slur the alcohol caused, but also the pleading nature that was JJ.
“I’m not opening that door until you calm down. Mr. Wicks is going to kill both of us. Now stop!”
“I’m sorry, please let me in.” Charlotte walked cautiously to the door and opened it. JJ stumbled in. His eyes were swollen and bright red. His nose was the same color. He carried a bourbon bottle in one hand, but his guns were off. Charlotte slammed the door.
“JJ, what are you thinking? Do you want us both to lose our jobs?”
“I’m sorry.” He repeated. He began to sit on the bed, but missed and landed hard on the floor.
“JJ.” Charlotte ran to him and helped him stand. “Now, what led to this? Why did you get drunk?”
“I asked Wicks again.” Charlotte quickly looked to the hidden panel. She didn’t want Wicks’ new little pet hearing this conversation.
“JJ don’t. Here, just lay down.” She pushed his broad shoulders down until he sat on the bed. She lifted his feet and swung them over until he was lying down. She took the bourbon bottle out of his hand and sat it on the other side of the room. A wet cloth hung in the bathroom so she warmed it with some hot water and placed it on JJ’s forehead. She heard Louise struggling behind the secret panel. Charlotte went over and released her from the minute prison. Louise stumbled out.
“I was suffocatin’ in there. Why didn’t you pull me out sooner.” Louise coughed once or twice and rearranged her dress.
“That space isn’t that small. In fact if you were to push on the back wall you’d have found a staircase that would lead you downstairs. Louise looked up at her curiously.
“Could I try it out?” Charlotte laughed. Louise my becoming a young lady, but the child inside her still controlled.
“Of course, but don’t let Wicks find out I told you about it. Remember if you ever need to use it you just come into my room. Any of the rooms have one, actually, but you better use this one. Some lead to the attic upstairs, others lead downstairs to the saloon, others lead right to Wicks rooms, and some can take you to anywhere in the building.”
“It’s like a haunted house. Like the one I read about that’s in New York City. People can go through hidden doors and things jump out and scare you.”
“Go on now, and don’t get lost. Bring me up some ice and coffee for JJ when you come back.”
Louise headed for the door, but stopped and went back to the bed. JJ looked at her and smiled.
“Hey Lou.” He grinned. He loved that little girl. She brought out the best in everybody, except Mr. Wicks. She had the brightest eyes and the sweetest soul. She was very ignorant, however. She didn’t even understand the place where she worked. She didn’t understand that this place wasn’t just somewhere for women to live, the women gave up everything they had. They didn’t even have anything to show for it.
“What did you mean you asked Mr. Wicks again?”
“Never mind Lou, you just go on and tell me where that staircase leads. I’ve never been down there before.”
Lou shrugged. She knew that JJ would tell her when he wanted to. He was a very private person. She ran towards the wall and went behind the satin. She then disappeared.
“Now why did you ask Wicks again?” Charlotte asked once she knew Louise was gone.
“I love you Charlotte. I want him to let you out of your contract so that we can get married. I know you don’t love me back, but at least I want to free you from this…this institution.”
“Institution! Ha, that’s a good one. I can’t love you JJ. I can’t get close to anyone. It’s almost part of my contract. If I was a free woman I would love you, I really would, but I can’t let you keep doing this to yourself. You have to stop JJ! You have to stop trying so hard! Just do your job, forget about me.” Charlotte looked down at him on the bed. He was handsome, sweet, and loved her to the full extent. She sat down and took his hand.
“I’ll never stop trying Charlotte, I love you.”
Charlotte just smiled and took the washcloth of his head. She re-wet and placed it back on his head. She sat back down on the bed, the waited for Louise.
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