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Post by Raynesleigh on Aug 27, 2012 22:07:17 GMT -5
Hurst Brothel in New York: 1866
Nineteen year old Georgiana was glad the night was over and done with. No more customers. No more pretending. Now she could bathe and relax in the room she shared with Dahlia. She'd come to this house at eleven years old and a year later Dahlia had become one of Eddie's girls. Eddie, their pimp, was actual a lawyer named Edward Hurst. A rich man with a blue stocking upbringing. He had a lot of men on the wrong side of the law, despite being a lawyer. She'd been a little orphan girl when she'd been caught by him and his thugs. He was a powerful man and she'd tried to run away multiple times but one night he'd had her drugged and tied to the bed and then man after man had come in...liking young girls. She'd been working a year before Dahlia came. But Dahlia had been different than the other girls that worked for Eddie.
Dahlia had been born rich and had lost her mother and father during the course of the Rebellion. Dahlia had grown up like Eddie with an upper middle class family. Yet she'd fallen into Eddie's trap and now Dahlia was as trapped as she was. And both of them were mothers. When she'd been fifteen, she'd found out she had been pregnant and Georgiana had been terrified. If she birthed a girl, that daughter would live the same life as herself one day and she hadn't wanted that. She was grateful every day for her son, and glad he was a son, though there were men that liked little boys. Eddie didn't dabble in that business though and so her son Damien was safe. Though he took more pocket money from her for his 'keep' where she got about ten cents a week instead of the fifty cents she had gotten as "allowance". When Dahlia had found out she had been pregnant some months ago, the old fears had returned for her friend's child and when Dahlia had birthed her daughter, both she and Georgiana had discussed ideas of running away. After tonight and being subjected to the use of a man that enjoyed violence in his sex, she was ready to leave more readily than usual. And to kill Eddie too. That feeling, however, she had harbored from the first night she'd woken up blooded, broken and bruised. The two of them had been plotting for days and she knew that they had to do something soon. Else they be trapped here forever and Dahlia's daughter would take up the profession in a few short years.
Entering her actual sleeping room, she sank down on the edge of the bed, her arms sporting bruises, her red hair clasped up in severl pins off her neck, her dark blue eyes looking at Dahlia who was still on bedrest and not able to work since the birth of her daughter only a couple of weeks ago. Hurst got most of his profit out of herself and Dahlia. They were some of the younger whores and Dahlia had been the last girl he'd taken into his 'employ' though it was more like slavery. Something that had been outlawed now by the federal government. Not that it mattered to Eddie. The man did as he pleased.
Slowly, Georgiana undressed, taking off her corset and her skirts then walking behind the dressing curtain to see bath water drawn. It was still lukewarm. No doubt Dahlia trying to help where she could. Quickly, she got a bath, scrubbing her skin and using a hose like contraption to flush out the man's fluids but even doing so didn't prevent pregnancy. After her bath, she put on a nightgown and a robe then came out, brushing her long hair and braiding it before sinking down on the edge of the bed again, her eyes turning toward Damian who was sleeping on her bed and sighed, his little blonde-red head peaking out from under the covers. Leaning down over him, she stroked his little cheek and kissed his forehead. He was three now and her life.
Eddie threatened his life if she gave him grief so now she did most of her work without complaint. When Dahlia's daughter stirred in her crib, Georgiana lifted her head and then walked over to the small crib, seeing the babe stirring. Knowing she would wake Dahlia, Georgiana lifted her gently and cradled her in her arms. "Shhh..." she whispered, rocking her gently, but knowing that Dahlia had to be woken for her to feed her. Sinking down on Dahlia's bed, she touched her gently. "Dahl...Dahlia..." she said, trying to be gentle about waking her up as she held Dahlia's daughter in her arms.
They were friends and Dahlia was like her big sister. Both of them wrapped up in the same lifestyle that they had been forced into. They were survivors but they were also trapped. And they had to find a way out. Somehow.
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Post by anjelrocker on Aug 28, 2012 10:09:50 GMT -5
She was tired but she knew that she had to get up for her newborn daughter which, she had named Hope for that was what she was to Dahlia. Her hope for a better life that was not in this brothel... her parents had died when she was only sixteen years old and she had been given to her god father, Edward Hurst who was suppose to allow her to go to school and become a proper young woman as she was meant to be but that changed when she turned seventeen and he forced himself on her. The memories of that terrible night when she had told him that she wished to wed Micheal Huxtable, her beau. Dahlia had been raped and used by Edward, her guardian... a man who she thought to be her parents' friend. The truth was that he was a bastard who had a brothel, a supposed paradise for all men's tastes and she was used as one of them.
Her name had to be changed and she was known as Sweet Maria to the gentlemen who she was used by. The worse that been the day when Micheal had come in and had used her as terribly as the other men. She was sure that Hope was Micheal's since that had been also ten or eleven months before. "She's hungry..." Dahlia said softly as she got up and smiled from her bed. The room was nice but she knew that this was not the life that she wanted. Being that she was almost five and twenty years and would be able to receive her dowery from the bank.
Despite Mr. Hurst being the lawyer, he was on a business trip up to Boston and they had an idea to get pass the Madame. Taking Hope into her arms, she lifted her breast to allow the babe to suckle. "We need to leave, Georgie." She said as her babe suckled. "I can get my dowery now while Hurst is in Boston and the Madame is out... as long as Miss Anne is busy... we can make the escape." They would get help from the doorman with money that she had been saving for months with Georgina. "We can do it... we will go to San Francisco or Montana... or Oregon... there is a country away from here." The train would take them to St. Louis but then they would take stage coaches. "And we say that we are widows from the war. No one will question that..." She smiled holding the suckling babe as she knew that freedom was so close and that they could all get away. "Damien would have a better chance then being a street urchin..." She whispered.
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Post by Raynesleigh on Aug 28, 2012 11:44:14 GMT -5
"I know," Georgiana said gently, stroking Hope's head. "I know that Madame is going out tomorrow shopping..." she said. "And I asked for the night off since I don't have any normal customers scheduled for this coming night." She was one of the girls with a high pain tolerance so since she was no longer a child, her customers were ones that liked beating and controlling. The rules for her clients were that they could do anything they wanted as long as she could still work the next night. But the madame was nicer about such things than Eddie was and since she brought in a lot of money, she could ask for a night off. And because Dahlia was on bedrest, tonight would be perfect for her to get some rest and then they could pay off the doorman with their allowance money. She'd saved the majority of hers and they had about ten dollars between them which should be plenty for the man to stay silent. If they could get out of the door then they could get out completely.
"So I'll sleep tonight and we will sneak out tomorrow..." she said simply then ran her fingers over her braid and then grabbed a rag and put it over her shoulder, taking little Hope and patting her til she burped and then putting her back in the cradle where Dahlia did not have to get up. Then she walked over to her own bed and sank down under the sheets and looked at Damien. To imagine him being able to go outside and play, to go to school. His skin was pale, he was scrawny and thin and fresh air not polluted with human stench would be just the thing for him. She'd been born in the south and her parents had left the south to escape retribution for not supporting slavery to New York. A lot of good that had done them because both of them had been killed by the time Georgiana had been six. Her father in a raid and her mother of consumption. She'd been a little street urchin then. Left to her own devices, she'd ran around five points with a gang of orphans pickpocketing and stealing. Most of the kids had been the children of Irish Immigrants. They had adhered to their own set of rules. She'd been good at duping others. Then she'd been eleven when Eddie had found her sleeping in an alleyway with the others. Coppers had come to arrest them and send them to work houses and she'd ran. When she'd been caught, the man had decided to 'adopt' her. He'd taken her into his care, dressed her up. She'd escaped a few times. He hadn't put her in the brothel. Not for a couple of weeks. And after that couple of weeks, he'd taken her to the bedroom, drugged her, put blush on her cheeks, red stain on her lips and brushed her hair and then in her drug induced state had managed to tie her to the bed. She shuddered at the memory. Her son would grow up to be a lackey to Eddie or a little pickpocket and he deserved a better life. As did she and Dahlia and Hope.
"Tomorrow," she whispered, stroking his cheek and looking at her best friend. "And then we'll have days before Eddie comes back. Plenty of time to disappear..."
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Post by anjelrocker on Aug 28, 2012 15:05:13 GMT -5
When Georgina took Hope, Dahlia smiled with a nod. "I will never have to sell myself again." She whispered with a sigh of contentment as she laid back and curled into herself. Her little Hope was sleeping soundly but she knew that she would have to get up again to feed the baby. It was what it was but there was Hope and they could get away to paradise.
---
The stage coach was coming to a stop in a little town in Montana named Missoula, Montana as Dahlia had little Hope against her chest, cooing to her as she looked around. "What do you think, Georgie?" She asked as she looked down to Damien who was holding his Mama's hand. They did not know where they were to go but she thought that this was the right sort of place. "We could start a boarding house or a shop for ladies dresses?" She said with a tilt of her head knowing that the town would need something of the sort. It did have a number of things but, it would need some things for the growing settlers.
They had more than enough money to show for it as well since Dahlia cashed out her entire dowery from the bank. The money and gold was sewn into her skirts and pockets so that she would be alright when the time came to use it. "We already bought that shop from that man in St. Louis. Something about his father having died and wanting to give it away." She said as she smiled, the fresh air and overwhelming feeling of freedom made her want to jump and scream. It took them three months but they were so far away that no one would find them. Not even Edward Hurst.
At least, she hoped.
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Post by Raynesleigh on Aug 28, 2012 15:38:30 GMT -5
"I think this place will do nicely," Georgiana said stepping off the coach and looking at the town. It already had a saloon and tavern and a general store. And there stood the empty shop building that they held the deed too. It had an upstairs that could be made into a house and it seemed the town, though small, could be busy judging by the small mill of people. She glanced at Dahlia and nodded, leading her toward the empty shop. Looking in the bag, Georgiana found the deed and then slowly entered the room, seeing that it needed some repair but not much. She glanced back at Dahlia and took a deep breath as Damian came in and looked around.
"What do you think sweetheart?" she asked, glancing at her son. He looked about for a moment then grinned. "Do we live here now momma?" he asked. She nodded and he came to her and hugged her tightly and she lifted him up, hugging him as tight as she could, tears in her eyes. It would be hard but she and Dahlia would figure it out. She took a deep breath and glanced at Dahlia. "We have to think of what to do. I think we could manage a dress shop. We're both so good with a needle," she mused, thinking of how they could set up a tailor's shop that offered more than a few samples from the general store...yes they could manage just fine. And it would be a life unlike what they had had before. They would be free to make their own decisions and to work as they pleased. Not pleasing men at all hours of the night. She gave Damian a squeeze and then set him on his feet for him to explore upstairs.
"We have to get some furnishings made quickly. The man said there were a couple of bed already made so we'll just use them till we figure out what to do with the downstairs and find someone who can make things we need...oh Dahlia...I think we're going to be safe here," she said then went over to her and hugged her, tears in her eyes. This was their new, fresh start and she wanted to scream to the heavens.
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Post by anjelrocker on Aug 28, 2012 17:30:12 GMT -5
The building was fairly new but it would need some cleaning up, that was for sure. "It is a bit of a fixer but, we will be able to get this place running. I think we should look into a boarding house since there is the mill and mining..." She frowned knowing that it could be hard with the fact that a number of men would be living there. "Or... we could become seamstresses... making ladies... or the local woman's dresses and..." She paused knowing that would not work because most people made there own dresses in the wide open. "I do not want to step on anyone's toes with a shop that is already here." Dahlia mentioned with a sigh as she had Hope in her arms knowing that she was going to have to get a cradle or crib for the baby since sleeping in her bed was dangerous for the child. "All will be well, you shall see." She mentioned as she waited for their small trunk was brought in. It was only the things they had had to buy on their way out to Montana terrority. The one thing that she was worried about was the indians out here. It was said that they would kill white men and women... and the stories from New York were never flattering.
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Sitting on his horse, Jesse had a rolled up cigarette in his mouth as he waited. Not really for anything but he was the deputy of this town in Montana. There was action sometimes at the saloon between the men who were roaming. After all, it was a mill town with a number of young men who did not have much to do with their salaries. He had been the Sheriff in Hell's Gate but that was a dead town now... it had always been rough and a few people died. He had also been in the war for a time as well but after an injury at Gettyburg's. He had gone out West like a few men trying to get away from the fighting.
Taking the cigarette, he flicked it into the grass of the open plain. It was nice here but he wondered how long this town would go until it too was a ghost town.
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Post by Raynesleigh on Aug 28, 2012 19:11:48 GMT -5
Walking upstairs, she noted there were several rooms and with the space downstairs, she guessed a boarding house would be their better bet. Their were even rooms meant as bedrooms downstairs. It would take a little time but they had the money to get a business going and get some furniture. She saw the two rooms with beds and knew those would be the ones that she and Dahlia would use for now. Coming back downstairs, she grabbed the trunk, carrying it up the stairs before returning. "I think we'll be doing just fine...a boarding house...there's five bedrooms upstairs and two small rooms downstairs. We can make this an open area and set up a kitchen...I think it'll make a lot of money once we get it done...we'll never have to worry again..." She sighed. The house was situated just on the edge of town close to the coach station making it perfect for a boarding house without having the ill crowd that might come from the saloon and inn down the street. She smiled, hands on her hips. THis was there fresh start.
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About two weeks later, news had gotten round about the new women in town setting up a boarding house. Widows from the war. Men kept coming around introducing themselves but any advances were ignored. The last thing that Georgiana wanted was some man pawing at her. With Dahlia still waking up at all hours of the night to feed Hope, most of the work fell on Georgiana but she wasn't one to complain. A local carpenter had made a cradle and a couple of tables in the past week so that they had a place to eat at and a place for Hope to lay her head. Georgiana had ordered things through the mail coach to St. Louis. Orders of upholstry and some furniture so all should go well. There would be a iron stove arriving as well and when that arrived they could have bread freshly baked instead of the flat bread she'd been making in the skillet on a pit outside. Even so, they were doing alright for themselves and Damien was an eager lad. Always wanting to help where he could and she was glad he was so excited and was able to play outside. She didn't have to worry as long as she could see him. Sitting on the porch, she was busy churning some butter. The general store owners wife Em had taught her how to do it and though the process was slow, the butter would keep for a few days. She sighed as she worked then heard noises and turned to see a man on her porch. A badge on his shoulder. "Can I help you?" she asked, feeling a frisson of nervousness swoop in but ignored it. She had to stop thinking that every man wanted her as a fuck toy and something to batter. She went back to churning the butter, glancing at Damian as he played in the dirt, keeping a weather eye on him.
-----
Kellan was the local carpenter. While most were their to harvest lumber, he was the one that crafted that lumber into furniture. Because the town was small, business was slow, except for the past couple of weeks. A couple of war time widows had asked around for him and when the locals had mentioned him, they'd immediately come putting in orders with enough money for him to order some stuff from catalogs. Not that he truly needed anything of course but it was nice that they paid him. Both of them were pretty as pictures but he thought the older of the two was lovelier. Not that there was anything wrong with the redhead.
Kellan Garrett had been in the war but not for long. Three battles in and he'd gotten his leg blown by canon fire. Now he had a peg which he kept covered with his trousers but it was hard for him to truly move around. He couldn't ride a horse anymore and it took him damn near ten minutes to get on his wagon right. He lived about a mile from the main of town and finished loading a few dressers and bed frames in the back of the wagon. Those ladies had already ordered some feather mattresses from St. Louis and onward, planning on opening a bed and breakfast. Which was a nice idea. A respectable town needed a respectable place for travellers to lay their head. Not some rough and rowdy saloon. They were kind women for sure.
Gathering up the reins of his horse, he clicked his tongue and slapped the reins and the horse began toward town.
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Post by anjelrocker on Aug 28, 2012 20:20:58 GMT -5
The rolled up cigarette hanging from his mouth, Jesse had been passing through the main town of Missoula Mills as he had seen on of the new widows from the war on her front porch as he decided to greet the woman. After all, he was the Deputy and the second man under the Sheriff and well... she was pretty enough. Apparently, the other one was prettier but there wasn't enough young women wanting to get married in this town. "Sorry to bother you, Ma'am... I hear that you are going to be running a boarding house or a bed and breakfast. Suppose I am curious to what it is...?" He said tipping his hat as he looked to the little boy playing in the dirt like most did his age. "I apologize. I am Deputy Jesse Spencer." He said in his southern draw. He had been born in Kentucky and had fought for the South despite thinking that all men deserved to be equal. Not all southeners wanted slavery to remain in place.
"I was wondering if it was a boarding house then, if you're accepting anyone at the present moment." He did not enjoy living above the town's jail. Taking his hat off, he looked once again to the boy. "And how old are you young man?" He asked with a grin trying to be friendly to the boy who had dirt smears on his cheeks.
He looked up to see another woman with a baby on her back like one of the native american woman. "Look Georgie, one of the local woman told me about..." She paused and stared at the man on their door step. "Oh, afternoon... Sheriff?" She said as he shook his head. "I am the Deputy. More work for half the pay." He teased as he looked back to the other woman.
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Post by Raynesleigh on Aug 28, 2012 20:54:53 GMT -5
Georgiana gave a polite smile before standing up as Dahlai came out. She wiped her hands on her apron then cleared her throat. Damien smiled. "I'm Damien Thatcher!" he said proudly, going to hide at his mother's skirts. "Deputy...I'm Georgiana Thatcher...my sister in law...Dahlia...her daughter...um...Dahlia...the deputy was just inquiring about a place to stay..." she trailed off, glancing at Dahlia then looking at the house. "We're still working on furnishing it right now. But we were thinking a boarding house...um...as soon as our furniture comes in from St. Louis....mattresses and such, we can definitely see to rates and such. Right now we're just getting settled," she said, smoothing out her dress before looking at Dahlia as Damien stepped forward
"I three!" he said beaming. Georgiana looked at her son and smirked before looking at Dahlia and then back at him. "If you're willing to wait a little while longer Deputy until we finally get everything settled..." she said. Guessing that he seemed alright enough. Having a deputy would comfort any boarders they might have but then she knew of plenty of crooked cops back North. His tongue was like honey on her ears though. A southern burr she hadn't heard since being a child. She heard the sound of a wagon and turned her head, seeing Mr. Garrett coming up the way with a wagon full of furniture. No doubt a few of the items they'd ordered. The man was in his early thirties but had blonde hair that was gray at the temples, a few scars on his face and a peg leg that she'd only ever heard about in pirate stories. Even so, the man's work was quality and he wanted to work for free but she and Dahlia had both insisted on paying him, though the sum was paltry really.
"Evening ladies," he said, hopping off of his wagon then limping up, the steps. "Deputy," he greeted, tipping his hat to them and smiling before looking at the women. "I've got the wagon full of some of your furniture. Three dressers, three bedframes and a few chairs."
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Post by anjelrocker on Aug 29, 2012 10:54:36 GMT -5
Hope was on her back as Dahlia smiled awkwardly at the Deputy as she could see Mr. Garrett rolling up in the cart as he hopped down. "Evening, Mr. Garrett..." She said as the Deputy put his hat back on and said. "Well, atleast let me help with bringing in the furniture..." He mentioned looking down at the little tike that was hanging onto his mother's skirts. "Good to meet ye, young man... you being good to your Mama... looks like you are the Man of the house." He said with a grin as he scruffed up the kid's hair.
"So, what do you say... I expect that Mr. Garrett will like the help..." He mentioned as he went to help since he did not want the ladies lifting up any heavy furniture. "So, think about it... I can wait a few weeks until you all have things settled but it beats living over top of the jail cell. The drunks can be loud when they want out." He chuckled as he took one of the dressers. His gun in his holster as he was doing some extra work for the two ladies. Not for profit but because he thought it was a good thing to do.
"Oh, Deputy... you don't have to do that for us... You either, Mr. Garrett." She said as she went to help and she heard little Hope crying as she frowned thinking that it was a bad time for her daughter to be making a fuss. Dahlia knew that she did not like the little sling for the back but it made things easier for her mother. Sighing, she said. "Allow me to pay you a little bit more for you craftmanship and your help." She said looking as the Deputy was hauling the dresser up the porch. "Where dp you can this one?" He called out awaiting a reply.
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