Page 9 of A Whiskey River Princess

Gabriella spent the next few days of the trip sleeping and reading in her cabin. At mealtimes, she met Kenzie in the dining car, and they talked and laughed about anything and everything. Although Gabriella hadn’t told Kenzie who she was, she enjoyed having made a friend on the long journey. Without their little quiet chats at what had become their table, the three-day ride would have been unbearable. Gabriella’s natural sense of flight seemed to calm when she relaxed with Kenzie.

Over those days, she wondered if the train would arrive on time, or if they would be snowed in somewhere along the way. Outside the huge windows, the snow piled along the banks in towns the train passed through, but miraculously, the tracks had stayed clear.

Just when Gabriella thought it could snow no more, the wind would conjure up more of the white fluffy puffs. She wondered where it all came from. It had snowed while she was in New York, but the wild country in the west gave a new meaning to the word snowstorm.

“Ladies and gentlemen!” the steward announced on the third day. “Gather your belongings! We will arrive in Laramie, Wyoming, shortly!”

Gabriella’s heart pounded as she wondered what adventures the Wild West had in store for her. It was an odd time of year tobegin a new life, a new adventure, that was certain. But Gabriella wasn’t worried. She had plenty of money shoved safely in her corset to sustain her until the time came for her to go back home and face her responsibilities. Gabriella left only what little she would need for the day in her reticule, not wanting to take any chances.

“Well, this is it!” Kenzie announced as she linked arms with Gabriella after they stepped off the train. “Perhaps we will see one another again in Whiskey River.”

Gabriella chuckled. Images of whiskey flowing freely in rivers and drunken men cavorting about immediately came to mind at the name, but she shrugged. “Maybe. You never know where fate will lead us.”

Kenzie nodded as her bright strawberry-blonde locks bobbed. “You never know.”

Gabriella kissed both of her cheeks, the custom in Monaco.

Kenzie’s eyes were wide with shock, but she quickly recovered.

Blush colored Gabriella’s cheeks, realizing that she may have made a faux pas. “I’m sorry. It’s a habit. The custom… where I’m from.”

Kenzie waved her hand in front of her face in dismissal. “Oh, not to worry. When you get settled, be sure to send a note to me in Whiskey River so we can keep in touch.”

“How will I know your address?” Gabriella knew she had a lot to learn about the customs and classes in America.

Kenzie smiled as she gave her hand a gentle squeeze. “Just label it with my name and Whiskey River, and I’m sure I’ll get it. After all, I’m sure there aren’t many people named Kenzie Baker there.”

Gabriella smiled. “You’re right. I’m sure there’s no one else quite like you.”

Kenzie chuckled, pulling her in for a quick hug. “Will you be all right? Would you like me to take you somewhere?”

Gabriella returned the warm smile… and it was genuine. For once, she didn’t have to plaster on a fake smile to keep up appearances, like she often did in Monaco. “No, I’ll be fine. But thank you for the stimulating company on our journey.”

Kenzie laughed. “The pleasure was mine.” With one last wave, she headed to a waiting buckboard, driven by a nice-looking man with long hair, wearing a cowboy hat and a black leather jacket.

Gabriella shrugged as she picked up her carpet bag and headed toward the hotel, hoping they had a vacancy. She never had to arrange for her own place to stay before. In Monaco, everything had just been done for her, arranged for her. It just was, something she didn’t have to think about. Gabriella sighed as she looked up at the hotel. It wasn’t what she was used to, but it was as good a place as any to start. Surely, Mr. Carlo wouldn’t find her there.

Suddenly, two men grabbed her arms, one on each side, causing her to drop her bag.

“What’s the meaning of this?” Gabriella gasped. When she looked up, two of the three scruffy men from the train had her. The man with the long beard gave her a toothless smile. “Let go of me!”

She heard a click and felt the cold steel of a gun push against her back. “If you know what’s good for you, miss, you’ll keep it down. Don’t attract any attention, or I’ll be forced to shoot you right here.”

Gabriella turned to look in his eyes. “Then go ahead and shoot! I’d rather be dead than go with the likes of you!”

He grabbed a handful of her dark brown hair and jerked her head back. “Listen, bitch! I’m warning you!”

“Get off me!” she demanded, but the younger man on her right shoved his dirty hand over her mouth and pulled her quickly down an alley. “Help! Let go of me, you brute!” she mumbled around his hand.

“Shut up!” the man with a gold tooth, who had been standing behind her, growled through gritted teeth. The young man threw her over his shoulder and carried her toward a wagon where another scruffy-looking man with red hair and a beard waited.

“It’s about time you got here.” The man looked at Gabriella, kicking and screaming, and leered. “Hey! What do we have here?”

“Payday,” the younger man replied, trying to keep Gabriella on his shoulder.

“Help, someone!” Gabriella shouted, kicking and screaming as she beat on the man’s back.

When she looked up, the man with long hair who had been waiting for Kenzie was standing at the end of the alley on the street.

---