Chapter 4: Birds of a Feather
Lord Isles had just read the reports from France and they were not good. All through 1844 and into 1845, the government was cracking down on the general populace. Now, the word had come that Louis-Philippe was planning on outlawing all assemblies. The Queen was not going to like this news. With the government becoming harsher, the people were going to revolt and leave the door open for Louis-Napoleon.
The only hope to avoid another Napoleon was to find a compromise government. The Lord Isles was considering recommending to the Queen the leader of the moderates, Alphonse Marie Louis de Lamartine. The Queen wasn't going to like it; she hated parliaments. She was having enough problems with her own Parliament without having to deal with someone else's.
Taking a copy of the King James Bible from his desk, he coded a message to Patrick Doyle. Lord Fredrick needed more information on the current status of Louis-Napoleon and whether Lamartine could be cooped.
At that moment, a skipping young seven year honey blonde came into his office. She asked, "Father, can I have a moment of your time? I need to discuss something of the utmost urgency."
Lord Fredrick could never get over the vocabulary of his brilliant daughter. Not quite eight and she sounded like an adult. The ex-sea captain smiled at his little girl. He picked her up and placed her in his lap. She exclaimed, "Father, please, you shall muss my gown."
Her father laughed, "Maura, I'll buy you a new gown. Now, what is so urgent?"
The little girl tried to get down from the offending lap, but was forced to give up. She sighed and said, "Father, you are impossible. However, I do like your lap," as she gave a girlish giggle.
The young girl put on her serious face and said, "Father, I want to talk to you about an article I just read. Do you know that there is a new process to extract sugar from cane that will increase the yield per ton by 15 to 18%. A man from Yorkshire has perfected the process. I have made an inquiry and have found that he is having financial troubles and is willing to sell the process for Ᵽ350. I think we could get the process for Ᵽ275."
Her father had heard about this process. He had sent out inquiries about it just this morning. He had to ask, "How do you know he is in financial trouble and willing to sell the process?"
The young blonde rolled her eyes and sighed with exasperation, "Father, after I read about the process, I sent an inquiry to the Bank of England. Mr. Morgan, our representative in the Bank, informed me that Mr. Marshal, the man from Yorkshire, had mortgage his farm to buy sugar cane from Haiti. I then contacted our agent in London to find out how the sugar was being shipped. I was informed that the shipment was contract to one of our ships and was arriving in Dover tomorrow. I then sent a message to our agent in Dover to tell the Captain to quarantine the shipment for fourteen days, because it was suspected of being contaminated with sugar beetles. Mr. Marshal had a payment due in seven days and cannot meet the payment without that sugar. Mr. Marshal has been questioned by our agent in Yorkshire as to a price for the process. He said he wanted Ᵽ350. However, Ᵽ248 will pay his debt completely. I assumed he would want to make at least a 10% profit round to the next quarter hundred. Hence, Ᵽ275."
The astonished Lord sat back in his chair, tilted back his head and roared with laughter. His daughter was shaken by his behavior. She thought he was laughing at her and a tear rolled down her cheek. The man stopped laughing and hugged his child, asking, "Why are you crying, Child? I couldn't be more proud of you."
The young girl sobbed, "I thought you were laughing at me, Daddy. Did I do something wrong?"
A huge smile broke out on his face as he replied, "No, heavens no, dear one. You did everything right. I don't know if I would have thought of the quarantine. Whose negotiating the deal?"
Maura smiled, "Henry Hudson, out of Yorkshire, he is a lawyer with our firm there. He has instruction to not go over 275. I would have gone more, but that is all the capital I had available."
The tall man rose from his chair carrying his daughter with him, as he questioned, "I don't understand. We have millions."
The young blonde responded shyly, "But, Daddy, I wanted to do this on my own. I wanted to show you that you could depend on me to do what is best for our company."
The Lord lifted the squealing child in the air and spun her around. He exclaimed, "Sweetling, you have shown me that I can rely on you and that you are very resourceful."
There talk was interrupted by a message for Maura. It was from Hudson. She clapped and told her father, "Daddy, he sold the process for Ᵽ260. The papers have been drawn as we speak. The process will be in our hands by noon tomorrow."
Her father gently placed her on her feet and smoothed out her gown and asked, "Maura, I would like for you to implement the new process and determine when and where the improvements will occur."
The child lit up and said, "Oh, Father, I have such a plan already designed. It only needs to be implemented. Do you wish for me to turn over the design to someone in particular?"
With a look of grave sincerity the Lord proclaimed, "You miss understand me, Maura. I want you to oversee the project personally. I want you to implement your design and I want a written report upon its completion. I am giving you a big responsibility, an adult responsibility. An increase in sugar yield would mean more rum and profits. I want to see an increased yield of 8% by the end of the year. Is that possible?"
"Father, I will have twice that by the end of November," she answered as she swished her gown and regally stroll from the room. Maura had gotten everything she had wanted from her father. The man was so easily swayed.
***SE***
Constance Isles was furious. The young mother had just heard what her daughter had done to Jonathan Marshall, the farmer from Yorkshire. The statuesque brunette stormed into her daughter's quarters to confront her. She fussed, "Maura, you promised me that you would do no harm. Yet, I hear you drove a man from Yorkshire out of business in order to steal his process for increasing sugar production. Why did you do it?"
Maura never looked up from the papers that covered her desk as she answered the accusations, "Mother, I did the man a service. Three of our competitors had already looked into the man's financials. Father had already contacted our bankers in order to ascertain the man's credit. Any of those would have driven the man in bankruptcy. Whereby, he would have lost his farm and ended up in Newgate.
I offered the man several options before I took action. I offered to buy his process. I offered a partnership. I then offered his both a secured loan and an unsecured loan. He turned them all down. I knew he was destroying himself. So I took the only action I could for him to save his farm and make a modest profit.
Had I left it to father, do you think the man would have fared as well?"
The woman looked at her seven year old daughter in astonishment. How could so young a child see all the possible variables in such a situation and then act upon them? The woman looked at her young child with new eyes and said, "I'm sorry I doubted you darling. You have always been a most generous child. I should have realized your motives could only have been for the good. I will never doubt you again."
With that said Lady Constance left the room and would keep her promise for seven years, when she doubted her daughter's motives again.
After her mother left, the seven year old genius went to work on an outline on how to implement the process in all their sugar mills throughout England and the Americas. The honey blonde with girlish curls and dimples penned a letter to the mill managers in Haiti, Cuba, Louisiana and Texas outlining in detail how to implement the process and a time table to do the work.
***SE***
Then the young girl sent messages to her four sugar mill managers in England to come to Swansea within four days. By which time, she would have detailed a plan and time table to proceed, which she could then relay to the mill managers.
Four days later, Lady Maura then went to the bank and withdrew Ᵽ400 for expenses. On her way home, she stopped at a small dress shop. The fashion conscious girl examined every dress before selecting two ball gowns and two evening dresses. While in the store, Hugh spotted a tail. He knelt beside his charge and asked, "We are being followed by one man."
The very young lady asked, "Am I in danger, Hugh?"
The large man smiled and as he left the shop he said, "No milady. I'll take care of it."
Five minutes later, the big man had returned. With her man back, the honey haired blonde entered her carriage and told her driver to take her to their offices in Swansea.
Two blocks away a man with several broken fingers was found strangled by a garrote.
Young Maura Isles had taken charge of the meeting of mill managers. With the large man behind her, she didn't look to be an innocent young girl. She told them that a new process was being implemented and gave them the specifications. No one questioned whether the process was going to be implemented, but questions on the logistics and the methods for determining progress.
Following the meeting the young heiress entered her carriage with Henry Hudson and Hugh, her bodyguard, who was now her personal assistant. The young blonde ordered, "Driver take us to Mr. Hudson's residence."
Henry Hudson had only been working with the seven year old child for about a week and he was already a convert. This child knew more about business than anyone he had ever met. At seven, she was a force to be feared. The young blonde had a natural instinct for exploiting science and technology for profit. All she needed to learn was how to handle people.
Lady Maura made eye contact with her assistant and said, "I want you to contact Mr. Marshall and hire him to run all our sugar mills. Buy his farm, if you have to. I want him working for me full time. The man is brilliant when it comes to manufacturing sugar.
Additionally, I want to fire Daniel Cousins, the man's already making excuses. He'll never get it done. He will have one excuse after another, trying to shift blame on everyone but himself. Give him three, no six months of salary in lieu of notice. I want everyone working to succeed, not looking to shift blame from themselves.
Henry nodded and suggested, "Lady Isles, might I suggest you promote Mr. Cousins' assistant, Ethan Sanderson. He has worked for the company for six years and is young, bright and eager. He will want to show what he can do."
The young heiress considered the possibilities, running probabilities and scenarios through her mind. Maura was not as familiar with the personnel as she should be. She would have to remedy that and said, "I want to interview him and two other assistant managers day after tomorrow at the offices in Swansea. After the interviews, I will make a decision."
The carriage stop in front of young Hudson's residence and as he left his boss said, "If the conversion is completed by the second week of October, I will give you a bonus of Ᵽ100."
The young lawyer's eyes exploded with energy and he said, "Thank you, milady. It will be done on time and within budget."
The smart business woman exclaimed, "Hang the budget. I do not care one half penny about the budget. I just want it done on schedule to impress my father."
With that the carriage left to take the young child home. Hugh watched his young charge as she was deep in thought. He marveled at the girl. At seven, she was terrifying to see in action. This girl would surpass her father, if she doesn't get caught up with some no account for a husband.
***SE***
After the faithful bodyguard left his charge in room to retire for the night, Hugh reported the incident at the dress shop to Lord Fredrick. He told his lordship that the man had told him before he died that he was in the employ of a man named Martine. The thug had been paid to shadow the girl, find a weakness in her security and to kidnap her.
Lord Isles was furious as he searched his memory, 'Who the hell was Martine? He knew no Martine. Could he be a Republican or worse one of Louis-Napoleon's men? He sent a coded message to Doyle asking for information on a man named Martine. He didn't tell his man why. Had he done so, what happened a few years later would not have occurred.
***SE***
After speaking with Kiowa, Jane agreed to hunt sixty buffalo for them in exchange for three nuggets of gold per buffalo. The tall hunter would only shot the buffalo, they would have to dress the animals. Korsak hated the idea of the young girl going into that camp alone.
Jane laughed, "What's the matter old man, you getting skeered in your old age?"
Korsak answered seriously, "Janie girl, I don't like it. You can't trust everyone to keep their word. Red Blanket doesn't like the idea any better than I do."
Jane held the older man's hand and looked him in the eye, "I have it to do."
Korsak knew that saying, he had heard it a hundred times from the girl's father. Once it was said then it had to be done. That was the Rizzoli way. He had one final compromise, "In three days, I'm going to be taking Red Blanket to his people. I will send two of your hunters to the Kiowa camp to help you. You have to get the Kiowa to let them come."
Jane agreed. The tall brunette didn't think they would get there in time anyway. By her plan, she would be leaving the Kiowa camp in four days.
***SE***
Four days later, the young hunter was riding Grey toward the Comanche village. Her two hunting companions intercepted her on the second day after leaving the Kiowa. When they got to the village two days later, Korsak was bundling the last of the buffalo hides.
He smiled as he saw his charge riding proudly into the Comanche village unharmed. He shouted, "Well, how'd you do?"
The young girl took a pouch from her saddle bag and tossed it to the man. The leather sack was quite heavy. He opened the pouch and found it filled with gold nuggets. The smiling girl stated, "There are sixty nuggets in that pouch and I have three others just like it. I figger there's about a hundred ounces in that pouch alone. That's about 300 ounces of gold."
The older man was impressed and said proudly, "You did good child. Your pa will be proud of you."
The youngster continued, "This trip gave me an idea. I think we need to open a trading post on our land that borders the Comanche and Kiowa lands. I figger we can trade with both sides. We can go to Dallas and get trade goods, cloth, needles, thread, beads, knives and other doodads."
Korsak thought on the idea for a full minute before he commented, "It's a great idea, but having Comanche and Kiowa in the same place at the same time is asking for trouble."
The young Italian girl was not dissuaded as she responded, "I will get a treaty from both the Comanche and the Kiowa agreeing that the trading post to be neutral territory. They will agree that there will be no fighting will in the trading post. Now, what they do away from the trading post is their affair."
Korsak asked kindly, "Janie, do you think you can get such a treaty from them."
At this the pretty brunette smirked, "I already got a signed treaty from the Kiowa," she removed a piece of deer hide from her saddle bag and gave it to the old mustanger.
Korsak opened the deer skin and written in Spanish using charcoal was a treaty agreeing to the trading post being neutral territory. It was signed by their chief. Korsak rolled up the skin and gave it back to the wily youngster and offered, "I'll help you convince Red Blanket. Hell, he owes you big for saving his hide back yonder."
The two hunters then walked over to Red Blanket wickiup to get his signature.
***SE***
With a signed treaty, Jane proceeded to the next step. While walking back to the waiting bales of hides, the tall huntress stated, "Now, we are going to Dallas and get the trade goods we need. I'll sell the hides and gold we have and buy everything we need. I figger to get two freight wagon and teams to pull them and everything doodad and knickknack I can buy or trade for. Then you and I are going to build a cabin right on the border of our land and the Indians."
The steady cowboy asked, "Janie, do you know how much work you talking about? Not to mention the fact we are already overdue getting home. Your father is going to send our men hunting us soon."
Jane shook her head and replied, "I've ready sent Two Horns with a message to my father telling him we're fine and will be delay about a month. I didn't say why, I want that to be a surprise."
Korsak laughed so hard it was hard for him to talk as he surmised, "Yeah, he'll be surprised all right. I guess there's no dissuading you. You're a Rizzoli and when you dig in, it's impossible to dig you out."
The young Italian just smiled and started loading bales of hides onto the mules.
***SE***
The pair was approaching Dallas leading ten mules loaded with buffalo hides and other pelts they had acquired from the Comanche in trade. It turned out that Jane was a natural at trading. The soon to be ten year old won almost every trade by the mustanger's tally.
About three miles out from Dallas, two men were blocking the road with a wagon. They each had a rifle in hand. Jane slyly eased her Colt from her belt. With her peripheral vision she saw Korsak line up his rifle on the two men.
The bold youngster didn't like the setup at all. There were too many places from which men could stage an ambush. She was determined not to stop and talk. This was a trap and she could smell it.
So she flipped her lead rope to Korsak and spurred her horse toward the two men. Pulling her Colt into action the girl opened fire on the two men. The first men took on to the chest. The second took one high as he dove for cover. Grey didn't miss a step as he hurtled the two wagons.
Suddenly, three other men on horseback came riding out from tree cover. Korsak fired and another man was down. Jane drew up Grey and wheeled him around to bring her gun to bear. Both men decided that the man with the mule was the target. After all, they wanted the mules of furs not a pitch battle.
They hadn't counted on Jane. Calmly, the child took aim on the lead rider. To account for his movement, the crack shot lead him a bit and fired. The man flew from his saddle as the bullet struck home. The second rider shot high, but Korsak didn't his colt bucked in hand as he fired. Five bushwhackers lay dead in the road.
Tears ran down the young girl's cheek. Jane never thought about what to do, she just did what was necessary. But that didn't mean that the child in her wasn't affected by the killing. The youngster knew it was wrong to kill, but she also knew that there were good people and bad people in the world. And that if the good people didn't act, the bad people would win.
Korsak rides up to the girl with an angry expression on his face. The aging mustanger shouts, "Wha' the hell war ya'll thinkin'? Howcha know dat weren't somebody from town collectin' a toll or somethin'?"
The young brunette didn't wilt under the onslaught. Jane met his eyes and said, "No badges."
The older hunter looked at the child and shook his head. He hadn't noticed. Yet, this young girl had seen it and acted upon it. He also hadn't noticed the tears running down her cheeks. Sometimes he forgot she was only nine going on fifty.
He rode up to her and handed her his handkerchief and said, "Sorry, I war wrong. You done good."
The young Italian girl wiped her eyes and dried her face and extended the handkerchief in order to return it. The old cowboy waved it off and said, "Keep it. Yar gonna need it, bein a girl and all."
He rode off in hurry. He didn't want to get shot.
***SE***
In 1845, Dallas was a new town. The name was only a year old, before the downtown was laid survey and laid out, it was known as Bird's Fort. In 1839, John Neely Bryan traveled the Caddo Indians trails until he came to a ford across the Trinity Flood Plain. It was the only ford for a hundred miles. He planned to build a trading post. But after a trip home to Arkansas, the pioneer decided to found a town.
His little settlement steadily grew. The year before the first doctor put out his shingle and a couple of months earlier the first lawyer opened his office. Right after that the first election took place to vote on annexation by the United States.
Jane and Korsak drove the wagons that they had confiscated from the bushwhackers to the trading post. They had the five bodies in the first wagon and several bundles of furs in the second. The two hunters found the furs while inspecting the wagons. In addition to the furs, they found seven rifles and four pistols among the bodies.
Korsak strolled into the trading post, while Jane waited outside, ready for any trouble. The aging mustanger went up the clerk and asked, "Can anybody identify some carcusses we has outside? They tried to bushwhack us about three miles out and warnt successful."
The clerk looked up from his bookkeeping and replied, "I'll see if I can. How many twere thar?"
The wily cowboy answered, "Five."
The clerk examined the bodies and the horses. He shook his head, while saying, "I recognize Billy Hatch, his pa has a farm outside of Cedar Springs. The others I never seen before. But I think they be part of the Hoyt gang. A raider named Hoyt has been astirring up trouble for people. I don't recognize the brands on the horses either."
Korsak asked, "Is thar any law here?"
The clerk smiled, "Not really, but we will be soon. Thar is a doctor, though I don't see him helpin these fellars. How's about ya and your daughter comin in and we can take business. I seen your furs."
The mustanger corrected the man, "Though I'd be rat proud to call her my daughter, she right likely ain't. This here is Jane Rizzoli, her pa is Big Frank Rizzoli."
The clerk replied, "I heared that name afore. Well, I'm glad to meet cha. I sent for the undertaker, he's our blacksmith as well. What can I do ya out of?"
Jane answered this time, "I have prime pelts that I want to trade for some Injun trade goods. Y'all know needles and such."
Greed lit the man's face as he said, "We carry such things. Maybe we can make a deal?"
Jane just gave her half smile that said, 'I gotcha."
Two hours later, the last of the supplies they had traded for were loaded onto the wagons. Jane had needles, bolts of cloth, flour, sugar, coffee, tobacco, candy, buttons, nails, tools, every knife the man had and all his hatchets and tomahawks.
They finished later than they planned. So, the pair decided to stay at the hotel for the night. They boarded the wagons, mules, horses and wagons at the livery overnight. It had been a tiring day for the young girl. She went to her room and found it very empty. Korsak was in the room across the hall, but Jane didn't want to bother him.
So, that night Jane Rizzoli slept with a light on.
***SE***
Six days later, the pair of hunters arrived at the site Jane wants to build a trading post. They had traded and barter every fur into trade goods and supplies. In addition, they gone to assay office and converted their gold into $6,148 in coins. In an attempt to avoid telling were the gold came from Korsak filed a claim on a plot adjacent to the trading post. We would dig a mine and a corral to improve the site and use it to keep livestock.
The pair spent four days shoring up the claim and building livestock pens. Then the two hunters became builders. They dug a hole roughly 20' by 30'and 10' deep. The laid stone at the bottom and filled the gaps with wet clay and set it to harden. It was getting close to winter, so the two builders were in a bit of a hurry, however the basement storage was vital to their trading post.
Additional time was taken building a long trench from the top of the rock floor to a five by five by twelve foot hole. The trench ran at a diagonal from the ten foot basement floor to the twelve foot deep trench. One of the things they traded for was lengths of iron pipe, they dug the drain hole as far as they had piping. The pair then filled in the trench.
Using split rails from a nearby spruce grove, they lined the basement walls with wood and used tar between the gaps. Once the basement was completed, the dual started on the main building. The foundation was large spruce logs 25' by 35'. Two thirty five foot logs were notched and matched to five 25' logs space about 7' apart. Holes were drill and dawl pins were hammered at each joint. Then leather straps were wrapped around each joint and sealed with glue made from render deer hooves.
Using the same technique, the wall foundations were constructed and fastened to the floor foundation. Jane was a bit worried that their small grove of spruce was going to be completely decimated. Therefore it was decided to use adobe for the walls. But it was a gamble, making bricks took time and straw. Red Blanket came to the rescue. He owed Jane his life, so it was a matter of honor to help her.
He sent twenty of his squaws and older children to collect straw and make bricks. While they were making bricks, Jane and Korsak were completing the framing of the roof. The right wall was one foot higher than the left wall, so rain would run off the roof and a large fireplace and chimney to be made of adobe was framed. Then long poles from the branches of the spruce trees were added to the roof. They really didn't have enough wood to make shingles. Finally using dirt they sealed the roof.
The first bricks were dry by the time the whole house was framed and the roof completed. Snow started filtering down by the time the walls were being built. The two workers feared that the real snows would come before they completed their dwelling. Several of the older children started helping with the adobe and clay mortar for the walls. By the end of the third week the dwelling was finished.
Snow was falling in earnest by this time and it took all twenty-two people to unload the wagons into the basement. By the time the blizzard came the building was completed. Blankets intended for trade were passed out two to a person and the group slept on the pole floor of the new trading post. Jane looked around at what they had accomplished and smiled.
***SE***
It had been ten weeks since Jane had gone on her one week hunting trip and she came back leading twenty mules without a single buffalo hide. Her father was very puzzled and nervous when he approached his daughter. Korsak was not with her and she was accompanied by only Comanche teens.
Angela didn't care her baby had come home. Angela was now three months pregnant and it showed. Jane leaped from Grey and ran to her mother. They furiously embraced each other. Within her mother's embrace weeks of tears were released. The young girl sobbed, "I've kilt, Mama. I've kilt so many men. I's might be evil, Mama. I's don't know anymore."
Angela ran her hand through her daughter's long black hair and answered, "Child, y'all not evil. Sometimes good people has to do bad things, 'specially here in the wild. That does not make ya evil, it makes ys strong. Janie, y'all the strongest person I's ever known. There's iron in ya."
Big Frank came over and asked, "Where's Korsak?"
Jane wiped her tears and replies, "He's fine, Papa. He's guarding our new trading post."
The man was even more confused and asked, "What trading post?"
Jane went to his horse and pulled down her heavy saddle bags containing over six thousand dollars in gold and silver coins and then went into an explanation of the last ten weeks.
***SE***
Though her father was very in favor of the trading post, it came at a serious time. General Zachery Taylor had moved 3,500 troops to the Nueces River to challenge Mexico for the Rio Grande strip. It looked like war with Mexico was eminent. Taylor had personally come to the ranch to purchase 300 of their finest mounts. He even paid in gold coin.
The tall brunette didn't like this talk of war. The young Italian had left Korsak alone with no idea of the current situation. She kissed her mother and tossed the saddle bags to her father and mounted Grey and newly flew from the ranch toward their new trading post.
***SE***
Jane made the six day trip to the trading post in three days. Grey was laboring when Jane galloped into the front yard of the trading post. Korsak came out to meet his young charge with a hug and a quick review of the progress he was making.
He had cannibalized one of the wagons to make shelves and a counter. The mustanger had traded with the Comanche for twenty buffalo hides and three pair of moccasins and with the Kiowa for about six ounces of gold.
The soon to be ten year old loved his progress, but he needed to know what was going on at the Nueces. Korsak did not like the news at all. It could mean Mexican patrols and fighting with the Comanche and Kiowa. Either side could decide to attack her small group. To make matters worse, it appeared that this was going to be a tough winter.
Two weeks later, the pair was discussing what to do. It seemed the trading post was a booming success. The stock that they had purchased was dwindling, quickly. They had a basement full of furs.
Jane wanted to take a load into Dallas and get some new stock. Korsak didn't see how they could protect the trading post and drive a team into Dallas, The situation was too unstable. The problem was solved the next day. Big Frank rode up to the post with six men at his back. Neither Jane nor Korsak recognized any of the men.
Big Frank bellowed, "Janie, your maw is some put out with ya. Y'all promised to hep her while she was pregnant. So, I promised her that I'd bring ya home. I brung six men to work the post while ya go home and see yar Maw."
Jane replied, "Paw, I don't know these men."
The broad rancher announced, "These ere good boys. Doncha trust me?"
So the young brunette agreed, as long as Korsak could stay and supervise. Additionally, Jane was going to bring a load of furs and such home in order to trade for new merchandise.
***SE***
Jane stayed through the winter and spring. Her brother Frank was born April 28, 1846. The news from the border was bad. A small patrol of American troops was attacked by Mexican cavalry and the losses were heavy.
It seemed that there was no peace. Feeling isolated, Jane convinced her father to let her take a wagon into Dallas and get supplies for the trading post. The young girl had been gone from the post for almost six months and was anxious to get back to it.
Her father would not allow her to go allow. So she picked Henry Silverman to go with her. He was one of the hardest workers on the ranch. Henry was seventeen and a dead shot with his rifle.
The pair rode into Dallas and it had grown, since she was last there. The storekeeper, who had been so helpful the last trip recognized the young Italian. He got from behind the counter and proceeded to hug her. Jane stiffened a bit, she hated being touched. However, she was courteous enough to hug him back.
The store owner asked as he released the girl and stepped back from her space, "So, what can I do for ya?"
Jane replied, "Why don't you step outside and she wat I brung to trade. Then we can take deal on my long list of supplies I need at the post."
So the storekeeper followed the tall thin brunette outside to assess the value of her load.
***SE***
With the war going on, prices for all goods were high. However prices of furs and such were even higher. So a deal was struck. The young Italian girl struck a hard bargain, but the wagon couldn't carry it all. So the resourceful girl got another wagon as part of the deal.
The only problem was that Henry had disappeared. The young Italian had left her helper on the wagon. While the young girl was inside with the shopkeeper, he left.
The angry eleven, soon to be twelve, year old walked toward the saloon. The young Italian blood was near a boil as she approached the swinging door of the barroom. Without going in the almost teen scanned the room. There by the long mahogany bar was Henry drinking a beer. It's not that she had any problems with the man having a beer, but they had a job to finish.
The saloon had about twenty tables with four chairs around each table. There was a small stage with no curtains or other decorations. There was a large wagon wheel hanging from the ceiling with a gas lantern hanging from each spoke and a larger lantern hanging from the hub. Eleven men sat at the tables or at the bar. Six of the men were at a longer table at the end of the bar. They were playing cards.
Jane hitched up her pants and made sure that the gun in her belt had an easy pull. If there was any trouble, the young warrior wanted to be ready. Pushing her way through the swinging doors, the upset brunette stormed into the saloon.
Every eye in the place turned to see what had just slammed opened the doors. The bartender called out, "Hey, no kids in here."
The wild Italian pulled her dragoon colt and shot off the leg of an empty table and replied, "Mister, I ain't been a kid for six years. My name is Jane Clementine Rizzoli. My father is Big Frank Rizzoli. I've kilt bears, buffalo, Injuns and white men. I've hunted every hill, valley and stream in West Texas. I can out shoot and out ride any man twice my size. And that man over there works for me and he left without finishin' his job. Iffin he don't get to finishin' that job, I'm agoing to crease his pants at the ass for him."
A man sitting at a table to her left and slightly in the shadows laugh, "Boy, you better skid-daddle before she does what she says."
Henry dropped his beer and nearly ran out the door. Jane never took her eyes off the man who spoke. The young girl tried to make out who it was in the shadows. A slight movement out of the corner of her eye caught her attention. She cocked her pistol and pointed it at the man trying to move from her field of vision, "Mister, I'd stay still while I'm in a bad mood. I might just think you're atryin' to bushwhack me for the money I'm acarryin'."
The coward froze in his tracks and started concentrating on his beer. The man in the shadows clapped as he said, "Miss, you will do. My name is Benjamin Franklin Carson, but I answer to about anythin. I'm ahuntin' work. I was awonderin' if you're ahiring."
Jane thought for a moment as she eased her pistol back into her belt, before she replied, "Well, I'm alookin' for men, who kin ride, rope and cuss. I wont men who can break horses and hearts. I wont men, who can work a lot and fight a little."
The man removed his hat and smiled, "Well, ma'am I kin fight a lot and work a little."
The Italian girl liked the man and smiled, "You're hired. We leave at first light. Do you need any eatin' money?"
The cowboy grinned a half smile and replied, "Why no ma'am, I et yesterday."
Jane pulled a five dollar gold piece from the watch pocket of her jeans and tossed it to the man, "I'm agoin' regret you. I kin see it now."
The smirking cowhand answered, "Why no ma'am, you're goin' enjoy my company."
***SE***
Lady Constance Isles loved the feel of Gina delicate fingers lingering over her swollen breasts. As well as the nanny's hot breast and soft tongue trailing down her taunt stomach. Perspiration clung to the two women despite the coolness of the winter morning. Silk sheets had long since been able to absorb any more moisture.
The Lady had just been awoken from glorious slumber after a night of passion by the caresses of her French lover. The statuesque brunette felt the dampness forming in her womanhood as the persistent tongue of her lover approached the spot.
The young nanny loved the taste of the salty flesh of her English lover. There was no class distinction in the bedroom. Here they could be equals, here they were lovers, each possessing the other, each providing ecstasy for the other. The woman's delicate fingers reached her lover's center and parted her vaginal lips. Lightly her fingernail flicked her exposed clit and the prim and proper English noblewoman's back arched and a moan escaped her lips.
Moving slightly further down the bed, the smaller woman blew a warm breathe lightly onto her lover's exposed center. Deftly she flicked her tongue repeatedly onto the swollen bud. Lady Constance Isles exploded and had to drown her screams in the down pillow. The young Frenchwoman continued her assault until her partner was totally spent. The Noblewoman collapsed limply into the bed.
The statuesque brunette gasp for breathe, her body gleaming with the moisture of sex and exertion. The younger woman slowly moved up her lover's body, her face smeared with the other woman's fluids. She licked her lips seductively with a smirk of satisfaction on her face. Sensually, the smaller woman burrowed beside her spent lover.
Constance panted out, "Gina, darling, give me a moment and I shall make you howl."
***SE***
The two lovers failed to see the three sets of young eyes monitoring there erotic dance. Maura, Georgina and Bridgette watched their mothers make passionate love to each other from the ajar entrance from Maura adjoining bedroom. The ten years looked at each other and had to suppress giggles, while the thirteen year old Georgina watched with avid interest. The young teen had spied many times on the pair of lovers from this very spot.
The younger girls were being treated by the curious teen to their first glimpse of their mothers' affair. Georgina had her reasons for this excursion. After every other encounter the squat brunette witnessed would go back to her room and rub her privates with her fingers.
After signaling the two younger girls to retreat away from the door, Georgina closed the adjoining door. The young girls scrambled to Maura's large four poster bed and began to giggle.
Maura had a long list of questions for the others, but was too nervous to ask. However, Bridgette was not that bashful as she asked, "What were they doing?"
The two younger girls looked to the more worldly Georgina for an answer. The older child answer simply, "When you rub your hole, you start to feel…"
But before she could finish her explanation, the girls heard Maura's maid pour a bucket of water into her copper tub. The sisters scampered from Maura's bedroom as fast as they could. After several more buckets of water were poured into the tub, Charlotte enter the bedroom and asked, "Did I hear voices in here milady?"
The child answered. "Hardly, there is no one here but myself. And if I were talking to myself, I would think I would be mad."
***SE***
A Christmas party raged in the Isles mansion in Swansea. Maura and her best friends were engaged in a frenzy of opening package after package of toys, gowns, underwear, stockings and shoes, all in the latest fashions, designed and sewn by Constance's full time dressmaker.
The tables were laden with cakes, pies, pastries and sweets. A string quartet played Chopin, Bach and Beethoven. Jugglers and clowns were abundant and frolicking about. But Maura was not distracted them. She tried to enjoy the festivities, but she knew her father was totally distracted by the events in France.
Lord Isles was at a loss of what to do in France. His careful plots and smooth manipulations had failed and Louis-Napoleon was now in control in France. He had been elected president. The news had just reached him the previous day, though it was no surprise to the former sea captain. The signs had been there for three years and the astute businessman had been instrumental in delaying the inevitable.
Maura had informed him that by the middle of December, another Napoleon would be in power. His young daughter also predicted that he would relinquish power as the French constitution required in 1851. The innocent, but wise, girl had more dire prediction, which he had conveyed to the Queen herself, his young girl had informed him in her most direct way that Napoleon would crown himself emperor by 1852.
What the English Lord feared the most is that his daughter had never been wrong. Assuming she is correct and there was no reason not to assume it, then what was the next step. Great Britain was building an empire as great and as rich as ancient Rome. They could not afford another Napoleon.
Maura watched her father. The child had opened all her gifts with as much feigned enthusiasm as she could fake, but she had to speak with her father. The honey blonde picked up a doll from her pile of presents and skipped to her father. As the young girl approach, she smiled, "Thank you for the dolly, Papa. What do you think I should name her?"
The father's scowl was replaced with a vivid smile. His daughter could always make the salty Lord smile. So, he answered with some enthusiasm as genuine as her own, "I don't know. I'm not so good with doll names."
The young blonde continued, "How are you at planning for the future of France, now that Louis-Napoleon is President of France?"
The smile vanished as he replied, "How do you know about that? I just got the message, a half hour ago."
The genius girl answered, "I saw a courier from Dover deliver a message. Since I predicted that the elections would go to Napoleon, it was only logical to assume the message was confirming my prediction."
The aging father tiredly picked up his ten year old daughter and laughed, "Of course, you were quite right I just hope you will be wrong about the rest."
The young girl smiled at her father, who could never get enough of smiles from his lovely daughter, "I'm afraid, father, that I will be right. I further predict that there is going to be a sugar prices are going to drop with the new process fully in place and with the new free trade policy. Cuban sugar is going cause a large drop. Jamaica will not be able to compete. I suggest we start loaning money to the Jamaican Sugar Plantations, so we can buy up their properties to settle their debts."
Her father nodded, "Do it. If your prediction is wrong for once, we will still receive interest."
Maura waved her hand and said, "Father, I will keep the interest rate low in order to attract more takers. Additionally, I have thought of a way to keep this new Napoleon from causing us trouble."
The worried Lord, "Really, pray tell, how do we keep this Napoleon from being as much a pain as his uncle."
The young girl's eyes lit up as she answered, "The answer is simple. A common enemy makes rivals friends."
The great Lord thought on this for a moment and smiled, which turned into laugh. He laughed until he had trouble catching his breath. Lord Fredrick picked his favorite girl and whirled her around, while laughing. When he stopped they had to catch their balance for a moment. Lord Isles looked his daughter in the eye and said, "You may be the most dangerous person in the world."
Maura just smiled.
***SE***