Free The Virtuous Woman by Gilbert Morris

you will,” Key whispered to Ruby.
    “Where are you goin’?”
    “Day coach, two cars down.”
    Ruby stared at him and nodded.
    Key’s face was pale, and he was perspiring. “You keep the billfold. The porter here will show you to the dining car.” He shuffled painfully away.
    “That ain’t your husband, miss?” the porter asked. “He don’t look too good.”
    “He had an accident. And no, he’s not my husband.”
    “He looks mighty poorly. Anyway, if you’d like something to eat, let me know. The dining car is the one up ahead.”
    “All right.” Ruby stepped back and shut the door and then explored the tiny sleeping compartment, the first one she had ever seen. She had only ridden in day coaches when traveling with the Royal Shows. When she discovered the sink, she cried with delight and immediately stripped off her biker’s outfit and took a sponge bath. After drying off, she opened one of her bags and put on one of her two dresses.
    Leaving the compartment, she went directly to the dining car, carrying Francis’s money in a small purse.
    A white-coated server met her. “You’ll be dining alone, miss?”
    “Yeah.”
    “Here’s a nice seat right here by the window. Can’t see much right now, but when we pass through a town you can see the lights.”
    Ruby sat down nervously, and the waiter put a menu before her.
    “Can I bring you something to drink while you’re waiting?”
    “Maybe some coffee, please.”
    “Yes, miss.”
    Ruby studied the menu and was amazed at the variety. She ordered lobster, which she had never had before, and when it was placed on the table, her eyes opened wide. “How do you get at this thing?”
    The server’s white teeth flashed in sharp contrast to his shiny black face. “You use this nutcracker, miss, to crack the claws. Then you pull the meat out. You dip it in this melted butter here.”
    Ruby found the lobster delicious and unlike anything she had ever eaten before. She ordered fresh strawberries and cream for dessert and had another cup of coffee. She sat there feeling full, and as the train sped through the night, she leaned her head back against the seat and thought about Francis Key. He had appeared from nowhere, and she had thought at first that he was a con artist. Some suspicion still lurked in her mind, but at least he had gotten her away from Hack Keller. She had planned to leave him soon anyway, for he was abusive and not a man any woman would stay with for long. He had been virile and tough enough to attract her attention, but now she felt almost dirty as she thought of the time she had spent with him.
    She smoked a cigarette, then ground it out and got to her feet. The waiter was there immediately, and she said, “How do I pay for this?”
    “You can pay me if you’d like, miss.”
    Pulling out the roll of folded bills, she paid the tab and added a little extra for a tip. “It was real good,” she said.
    “Thank you, miss. We have a good breakfast too. Anything you like.”
    Ruby left and went back to her compartment and sat down. Wondering where she was supposed to sleep, she tried to figure out how the berth worked. By experimentation, she discovered there was an upper berth that could be pulled down.
    A knock on the door startled her and she jumped up to open it.
    “May I make up your bed, miss?” the porter asked.
    “Yeah, sure. Thanks.”
    She stood back while the porter expertly made the seat into a lower berth and then said, “Good night, miss. I hope you sleep well.”
    “Thanks.”
    When the door closed, Ruby ran her hand across the clean white sheet. It smelled so fresh, and the pillow was fluffy and inviting. She started to undress but quickly changed her mind and left the compartment. She passed through one coach and entered the next, which was a day coach. She spotted Francis at once in the half-full car. He was halfway down, leaning his head against the window, holding his side. She moved down the aisle and stood over him.