Chapter 6

She sighed. There were two competing thoughts that she wanted to articulate. The first, that the night should be buried forever. The second, that she did not want River to disappear from her life. The taste of her still lingered on her tongue, and she wanted to taste more.

River didn’t give her a moment’s chance to decide her next words. She shuffled over through the deep snow and embraced Emma and kissed her.

Emma turned her face downward. River lifted her chin up with a finger and kissed her again.

“You’ll forget all about me when you’re with your fiancée and eating your Christmas ham, and drinking your sherry.”

“I don’t think I’ll ever forget you.”

“I suppose you’re right. You never forget your first time.”

Emma laughed. “It’s not just that.”

River responded, “It’ll have to be,” and went to her horse.

They left the hut and back to the trail by the railroad, which could not be seen on account of the snow, but they could tell where it was by the clear cut in the dense evergreen. The horses pushed through the light snow easily, as River had said, and they made their way through, pushing through like a fleet of ships down the mountain.

Lonely winter songbirds disturbed the mountain silence to sing echoes from the deep spruce, and every so often the horses would disturb mountain grouse, causing them to fly up from the snow. Emma tried to keep her mind busy with the sounds of nature and the grandeur of the mountain valley, but it was hard not to linger back to thoughts of River.

They came around one last bend and saw Bozeman in the distance, a glittering square of a city in the flat prairie below them.

The sun was low on the horizon when they arrived at the city. The city smell — the burning coal smell, and the smell of horse and wet hay, and the city sounds, the laughing men, the sounds of bells and hammers and the shoveling of snow from the fronts of shops invaded Emma’s senses. Even for Christmas Eve the frontier town was lively and jarring to her.

River called to her, “what hotel was it again?”

“The Imperial, I believe.”

River nodded. “That’ll be on Central Avenue. We’ll be there shortly.”

When they were there, they tied the animals to a nearby post, and a hotel porter came out to help with the baggage and word was sent to Percy about her arrival. The hotel had a grand, luxurious look about it, with tall Italian columns and Italian motifs, a copy of the architecture Emma once saw in Venice. Electric lamps adorned with wreaths and red bows lined the entrance.

A man in top hat and a long coat and with graying sideburns, an employee of the hotel, came out to greet them and inform Emma that her fiancée was on his way down and proposed that she head to the lobby to have a hot tea. As she started to follow him in, she spotted River feeding an apple to Annabelle at a horse trough and went to speak to her.

The evening light casted a golden aura and long shadows through the city streets. Emma sighed deeply as she approached River. River turned to her and winked.

Emma stood politely and said, “Miss Langtry. I owe you a debt of gratitude. Well, I owe you money. But I… well… thank you for everything.”

Before River could reply, a voice rang out from the lobby. “Emma!”

Emma swung around to find Percy running towards her. “My sweet, sweet Emma!” he shouted.

With a wide grin on his face, he embraced Emma tightly and lifted her off her feet.

Percy kissed her cheeks exuberantly, and said, “I got your telegram. You had us so worried when you didn’t show last night. Father had to reassure me you would stay in Livingston until the storm had passed. I had half a mind to go up in the mountain to search for you myself. But here you are. What a pleasant surprise!”

He spotted River from the corner of his eyes and turned his attention to her. “And you must be the one that brought Emma. Thank you very much for bringing her all in one piece.”

River nodded and responded, “don’t know about all in one piece but I can assure you, nothing’s missing.”

Percy burst into laughter. It was a gracious laugh. He took out his wallet from the breast of his jacket and thumbed banknotes from it.

“How much do we owe her darling?”

Emma glanced sheepishly at River.

“I’ve already paid her a hundred dollars.”

Percy shook his head. “Well, for your trouble.” He counted the money and held it out to River. “Another hundred.”

River shook her head. “You really don’t…”

Percy pushed the money into her hands and clasped her hands shut with the banknotes in it. “I really must insist. To do this for us. On Christmas, for heaven’s sake, when you could be with your own family.”

River took the money and said, “thank you. It’s really too much but thank you.”

Percy smiled at her and held Emma tightly to his side.

“So, Miss Langtry, forgive me for being so nosy, but do you have any plans for Christmas? Do you have family to spend it with in Bozeman?”

River shook her head.

Percy looked to Emma and then back to River and said as if it were obvious, “you must spend it with us here.”

River laughed. “Don’t think that’s a good idea. Nothing personal. I’m just more comfortable in my own company.”

“She’s a free spirit,” Emma said.

Percy smiled and said, “well, I must really apologize again for pushing, but where are you lodging for the night then?”

“I haven’t figured that part out yet, but they always got room for me down at the… at the…”

“We’ll put you up here.”

“I promise we’ll stay out of your business.”

Emma added, “Please Miss Langtry. It’s Christmas. Allow us to be generous. Percy here won’t have it any other way.”

Percy nodded. “That’s right.”

“Alright, if you’re going to twist my ankle.”

Percy clapped once and exuberantly shouted at the hotel receptionist to find a room for River. A room was found.

It was dark when Percy and Emma arrived with River to the foot of her hotel room door, which was at the very end of the red-carpet hallway on the same floor as Percy’s family. Percy once again urged her to join them for dinner, and River once again politely refused.

When it was time to say goodbye, Emma clutched River’s hand in hers and said, “Miss Langtry, it was an immense pleasure. You have a Merry Christmas, and a safe trip back.”

She was careful not to look into River’s eyes. River squeezed her hand. She squeezed back then turned to walk with Percy to his room.

That night, they had Christmas dinner in Percy’s parents’ suite. The room was dressed up in nice Christmas decorations. A twelve-foot fir for a Christmas tree stood by the fireplace blushing with glass Christmas ornaments and candles. The table set out by the hotel’s kitchen staff brimmed with rich food – roast beef, roast potatoes with rosemary and butter, browned turkey, and cranberries.

Percy introduced Emma to his parents for the first time at the dinner – George and Mary. George was short and plump like the turkey and wore tiny spectacles that twinkled with the candle glow. Mary was tall, and graceful and wore a satin green tea dress. They were both full of joy and charming people, and this relieved Emma.

The conversation went immediately to Emma’s harrowing overnight journey through the mountain pass, and the family was delighted to hear it and made light of it.

“You should have seen her. If I didn’t know any better, I’d swear my Emma was being escorted down the mountain by Calamity Jane herself.”

George chuckled and spilled a bit of wine on the table skirt. Mary’s eyes went wide with excitement and she touched Emma’s arm and said, “this place will turn you into a savage if you’re not careful,” and drank her wine. Her face flushed.

Emma smiled at her and responded, “Oh River is not like that at all. I’ll have you know that despite her strange appearance, she’s a true gentlelady. And an intellectual by the way. She’s a lover of literature.”

“And she’s a quicker draw than every gambler and fur trapper in the state,” Percy added in jest. George chuckled deeply, and Mary giggled. Emma gave Percy a light-hearted slap on the arm with a ‘tsk’ and laughed along for posterity.

“I will say that she was — you’ll forgive me for saying this Emma – a positively handsome woman,” Percy said.

Emma responded with a nod in agreement, “she was certainly something.”

Mary turned to Emma and asked, “did you say she was without a husband?”

Emma nodded. Mary held her heart and said, “oh the poor girl.”

“A woman here ought to have a husband,” George said with a pitying shake of his head.

“Or at least have Christmas dinner with us,” Mary added. “Just the thought of her alone tonight. It breaks my heart.”

Emma’s heart ached too. She pictured River sitting in her room. Or alone at the saloon with haggard men and whiskey. The subject matter was too much for Emma.

“She’s a strong woman who seems able to take care of herself. Anyways, why don’t we open gifts?” she said, doing the best from keeping her voice from quivering.

“Darling, in the middle of dinner?” asked Percy at the odd suggestion.

George shrugged and said, “why not? Now’s a good a time as any. We’re all still sober and in a festive mood.”

Emma brought gifts that she had packed from England for the parents and for Percy. They were almond Christmas crackers from a popular London confectionary. Emma received a wool shawl from Mary and a delicate and impossibly ornate diamond necklace from Percy. He draped it around her neck.

“Don’t you look just like royalty,” Mary said as she admired the glittering jewelry.

In that moment they heard singing voices outside the window.

“Carolers!” Percy said. He jumped from his seat and ran to the double door that opened out onto the balcony. Like an excited child, he shouted, “come watch with me,” and swung the doors open.

They joined him at the threshold of the balcony. Emma nestled into Percy’s warmth and he wrapped his arm around her as they stood and watched the carolers under the glow of the lampposts in the snowy street. The other hotel guests joined to watch from their rooms. The carolers sang ‘Away in a Manger’ with a slow cadence.

Emma glanced over to where River’s room was but did not see her standing on her balcony.

When the carolers disappeared, the family finished their dinner and retired to the hearth. Mary poured hot wine and Percy smoked a tobacco pipe they all sat quietly to listen to the crackle of the logs. George fell asleep in his armchair, and Emma rested her head on Percy’s shoulder. The fire helped her thoughts wander back to the cabin. She thought of the whiskey. And the shattered window. The cut on her rib. And the kiss. The kiss that led to the discovery of the wonderful touch of another woman and to ecstasy. She then thought of sherry. That River never had sherry before. And that thought turned into an idea. A conspiracy to see River once more. She ought to be taken some sherry, Emma thought.

“Do we have any sherry here?” she asked to no one in particular.

George rustled awake to the word ‘sherry’. Mary raised an eyebrow at her and replied, “I believe we do. Are we in the mood for a glass?”

“No. I want to give a gift to River. She told me she never had sherry and would’ve like to try one.”

Percy went to the liquor cabinet and grabbed a bottle and handed it to Emma.

“That is a decent one. Give her our regards.”

Emma kissed him on the cheek and said, as if she had never said it before, “Percy, you’re a good man,” and nearly ran out the door.

Mary called out after her, “shouldn’t you wrap that, dear?”

Rather than give her an answer, Emma opted to have pretended to not hear her. She marched down the hallway.

When River opened her door, Emma’s breath stopped. River wiped a strand of hair from her face and smiled at her. She wore a loose linen blouse that glowed white in the blue shadow of the dim room. She looked like an angel.

“Is that for me?” River asked.

River motioned her into the room. The stove was not on, so the air was cold. Emma placed the sherry onto a dresser drawer and faced River.

River said, “well… should we have a drink then?”

In response, Emma walked towards River and put her hands on her face and kissed her lips with a long kiss.

River returned the kiss and swung the door shut with her foot. She pushed Emma backwards towards the bed and they both fell onto the bed together, kissing still.

“Drink the sherry tomorrow. I have to leave shortly, or they’ll get suspicious,” Emma said between kisses.

“Then you’ll leave shortly,” River replied. She reached a hand up Emma’s skirt and ran it up her gartered stockings until she found her hot, soft fruit. She rubbed her thumb against the cotton that covered it, and Emma sighed deeply.

Emma took River’s blouse off her shoulders and pulled them down over her breasts and touched the breasts with her hands and kissed them wet and stained them red with her lipstick. River’s fingers found their way through the underwear to Emma’s clitoris. After rubbing her to an appropriate moistness, River carefully pushed her fingers into her and out and continued this motion as they kissed each other madly. As Emma got closer to climax, River stopped to pull off her own blouse and underwear.

Naked, she climbed back on top, hiking Emma’s skirt up to her waist to rub her mound against Emma’s through her cotton underwear.

Clear of alcohol, Emma’s mind pulsed with delirium with River’s gyrations. She closed her eyes to bring her focus to the feeling of the tufted pubic hair, and the touching of their swollen clitoris through the cotton fabric. She grasped onto River’s naked back to bring their bodies closer.

When the climax boiled up, she bit her lips to stop her screams, but the sounds came through her shut mouth. River kissed her mouth to quiet her and held her face with her hands as she crashed her naked body against her.

At the moment of her orgasm, she clasped her arms tightly around River to brace against the tremendous pleasure that surged within her. A moment later, River trembled and screamed out and collapsed on top of her. Emma enjoyed the weight of her body and the thumping of heart against her breasts and the feeling of her stickiness and sweat seeping through cotton.