Victoria awoke later that same morning, sprawled across the bed, still fully dressed. She sat up groggily as the events of earlier that morning came crashing back with painful clarity. Looking down at the dress she was still wearing she hastily took it off and kicked it across the floor, never wanting to see it again before hastily pulling clothes out of the wardrobe and quickly dressing. She peered down the hallway and finding it empty hurried down to one of the bathing rooms. She was thankful that even though the hotel was modest it still had all the latest conveniences, one being running water and tubs with gas powered water heaters.
She sank into the warm water and vigorously soaped and scrubbed herself, washing all of Nicholas and their night together from her body. Stepping from the water, she quickly dried herself before donning the dress again. She again peered out the door before rushing back to her room. Sure that the story of her disgrace had already been well circulated amongst the staff, she didn't want to see anyone. She quickly closed the door and locked it.
Nicholas walked into the hotel with a smile on his face and a spring in his step. The looks on his employees faces, however, stopped him. "What's wrong?" he asked the young men behind the counter. Their looks of worry and concern troubled him. "Why are you looking at me like that?"
Victoria's assumption that the story of her discovery of the game had spread amongst the staff was correct and the night clerks had told the current day clerks as soon as the shift change happened. "She knows, sir," one of them ventured.
"What do you mean, she knows?" he asked with alarm.
"She somehow overheard the night clerks talking and she knows," another piped up.
Forcing himself to calm down, he said evenly, "What, exactly, does she know? What did they tell her? And why?" he demanded, his anger rising.
"I don't think they told her anything directly. They thought she was gone and started talking about how long this one took you and how no one won the bet," the first clerk nervously replied.
Resting his elbows on the front counter Nicholas dropped his head into his hands. "No, no, no..." he moaned. He slammed his palm onto the counter, causing the clerks to jump. "Dammit!" he cursed.
Looking about he asked, "Is she here?"
"I believe so," one of them said.
Leaving their surprised faces behind, Nicholas turned and ran up the stairs. He paused before her door, trying to figure out what he was going to say. How he was going to explain. The truth is probably the best, he thought.
He knocked on the door. "Victoria?" he called.
"Go away," she shouted from inside, her voice full of anger.
"Please let me in, let me explain," he pleaded.
"No, go away. Leave me alone!" she shouted again.
"It's not the way you think," he said, his face close to the door.
"I don't think how it is, I know how it is. I heard it straight from your employees," she replied.
"But they're wrong. Please let me in and I'll explain," he begged.
After a long pause, she said quietly, "No, just go away and leave me alone. I'm sure you must be busy choosing and seducing your next victim."
Her words cut him as he was sure she meant them to. "Alright, I'm going for now, but I'll be back. I'm hoping you'll give me a chance to explain." When she didn't respond he slowly walked away.
Victoria sat on the bed, he knees drawn up under her chin, trying to figure out what she was going to do. She could get a job, she thought. Then she could move to another hotel. Lifting her head, she continued with the train of thought. Perhaps there's a bakery in town that needs some help. That's something I can do, she thought happily. She sat down at the vanity and began brushing her hair.
That afternoon, Victoria ignored the looks from the front desk clerks and sailed past them with her head high. She recalled seeing a few bakeries in town and would inquire with them. She returned to the hotel a few hours later, dejected. She hurried up to her room and locked the door. Unfortunately, it was quite common for temporarily abandoned wives to seek jobs in places such as bakeries and no one was hiring. It seemed that her only option was to hope that Henry would return before her time at the hotel was through.
Several days passed without her leaving her room. Twice a day, Nicholas came by asking her to let him in so that he could explain. She always told him no, requesting that he leave her alone.
On the fourth day, when the maid brought her her lunch, she mentioned that there was a letter for her at the front desk.
"Is Mr. Andrews in the hotel?" she asked the girl.
"No, ma'am," she replied.
"Are you sure?" she asked sternly.
"Yes ma'am, he's really not here," she said sympathetically.
Victoria raced down to the lobby, hoping that the letter was from Henry. Maybe he had sent her some money. The clerk handed her the letter and her heart fluttered when she saw that it was from the Sheriff's Office in Placerville. Perhaps that's the only way to send out a letter, she thought. She tore it open and eagerly read the contents.
Dear Mrs. Somerset,
I am sorry to report that your husband, Henry Somerset has passed away. He was shot during a claim dispute. His belongings are being transported back to you and should arrive shortly after this letter.
I am also sorry to inform you that he left behind a debt of $298 with various merchants. Please remit this amount, care of this office, within 60 days.
Please accept my sincere condolences for your loss.
Yours truly,
Sheriff's Office, Placerville
"No, no, no..." she murmured, reading the letter. Clutching it in her hands, she cried out, "No!" She picked up her skirts and ran from the lobby, past the startled stares of the clerks and several guests.
One of the clerks hissed at another, "Go look, is she gone?"
He rushed to the corner and looked up the stairs, "She's gone."
The first clerk ordered, "Send a messenger to Mr. Andrews immediately. Tell him to come right away!"
Victoria stumbled into her room, tears streaming down her cheeks. Henry can't be dead. What was she going to do? She had no money, no prospects, no friends. Her only hope was gone. She felt the blackness of despair wash over her. As she sat crying and rocking on the floor for the second time in a week, a small thought crept into her head. Nicholas wanted to explain. He said things weren't like she thought.
She lifted her head and her eyes narrowed as she rolled these thoughts about in her head. Perhaps a little pay back was in order. Maybe she could get him to pay Henry's debt. Maybe she could charm him into letting her stay on in the hotel. Maybe she could even get the money for the journey back home from him. She had to keep in contact with him though. She couldn't let him get distracted by another woman. If he used her, why shouldn't she use him?
Could she be that devious though? Could she be so cold hearted? She searched inside herself and found that she was angry enough and desperate enough. She could do it. "I owe it to myself," she said aloud with a humorless chuckle.
