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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Silver Moon" data-source="post: 3889171" data-attributes="member: 8530">Chapter Two-hundred-twenty-seven, “Late Night at the Lucky Lady “, Sunday, June 18th, 10:15 P.M. Poker Alice Ivers finally loses her remaining stake. She thanks the dealer and players and departs gracefully. A number of people congratulate her for having done a superb job of keeping alive for two whole hours and offer to buy her drinks, which she accepts. By 10:30 PM it appears that Maverick has won the most during the last segment of play, Adair and Hawkes having lost rather evenly. Jake's attempt to pick up the pace worked, with him winning $ 1200 on the first hand. Unfortunately he loses the next three hands, one to each player. The winnings continue to alternate and by 10:30 PM Cook and Enion are each up less than $ 500 despite the larger pots, most of their winnings having come from Duvall. Jake continues to keep the pots larger and the hands moving more quickly, feeling good and certain he has what it takes to play to dawn if need be. A few blocks away, Kate enters to see all but one of Janet's suitcases are packed and waiting by the door.   The spinning wheel is also there, with burlap and cotton padding wound around it for protection.   She finds her guest at the table in the kitchen eating a snack and reading today's newspaper. "Such a long day it's been.  You had a good visit, I hope?"  She sat down at the table with Janet and smiled. Janet replies, "Yes, it has been a good day.  I am glad I stayed the extra day to say goodbye to all of my friends.   I will miss this place, although it will be good to see Roger again." Kate says, "It's hard to be apart, even when you're angry.  Those last few months when I was still in Boston and Tom was in Tombstone were torture. You can always come back and visit.  You'd be welcome here, and I'm sure any one of your friends would welcome you as well.  I will likely never be as good friends with those ladies as you have been, but I hope we can get along without you here to grease the wheels." Janet says, "Thank you.  You are a good woman Katherine and I appreciate your letting me stay here.   Beth is beginning to realize what an angel you truly are." "An angel?" Kate laughed lightly.  "Hardly that.  I just do the best I can, like most people.  But you are very welcome.  I haven't been a very good hostess, running around so much.  Although perhaps you needed some quiet time to yourself to work things out. I suppose I should visit Mrs. Eaton some day soon, although I wouldn't have anything to say.  Everything is fine and we don't have much in common." "You don't have to always see eye to eye to respect one another," is Janet's reply. "Absolutely true.  But respect doesn't make a polite visit over tea any more comfortable for either of us.  Speaking of..."  Kate got up and started getting the tea kettle ready. "Janet, you remember when I first invited you to stay, how you were worried that Mrs. Eaton would be upset because she wanted you to help me with the transition?  What transition was that?  I explained it away to myself, but I find I still wonder about it." Janet replies, "She had reservations about being around you given the bad blood between your school and the one that her husband teaches at.  She also had to resolve the internal conflict within her own mind about you, she had her preconceived notions that Diana's words contradicted.  If a person had said that to her she would have just discounted it, but how can you argue with a deity?" "Hmm.  Diana is nothing if not persuasive.  And kind.  And unfathomable."  Kate sat back down with far away eyes.  "The more so when she just drops in on occasion.   I was afraid that along with her midwife skills Mrs. Eaton hoped to change me.  To make me into what she would think is an appropriate mother for my baby.  I didn't want to be in a struggle like that with her.  Diana seems to think we can learn from one another, and I'm not going to argue with that, either." Janet replies, "Beth isn't a bad person once you get to know her.   She and James just want what they feel is best for their children." Kate says, "I never thought they were, just that we had different outlooks."  But you probably couldn't say the same for them, Kate thought. "Enough of me, though.  Do you have someone to help you move your things tomorrow?"   Janet replies, “Coolie Fagan from Wells Fargo offered to come by and get them.   He has been one of the boarding house's boarders for years now, a very nice man." "One of the borders you wanted me to meet.  I believe you intended to find me a husband, Janet," Kate teased. She smiles and says, "From what I hear there is no need for that, that Mr. Shaw is ready to propose but is waiting until Mr. Booth moves back east with his brother to make your decision easier.” "What?" Kate squawked.  "Where does everyone get these ideas?  Conrad isn't going anywhere, and Emery and I are just friends.  And really, I couldn't accept if I wanted to.  He'd call it off as soon as my condition begins to show anyway.  Really."  She finished just a bit indignantly. "Where did you hear that Conrad was going to move back east?" She replies, "People say that is why is brother has come out here, to convince him to return back east." Kate says, "Oh.  They are quite wrong, although I wouldn't be surprised if Mr. Booth were to try to convince Conrad to come to New York.  No, Edwin Booth came to visit and participate in the tournament as well as see Conrad in the play. I'm afraid Mr. Shaw will have a long wait if he is waiting for Conrad to leave town," she finished with a smile. Janet says, "Oh, but Kate, you are a rancher not a gambler.   And Mr. Shaw has already raised children.  Wouldn't he make a much better match for you?  It would be far more practical." Kate says, "Practical perhaps, but what about love?  Not that it would be impossible to love Mr. Shaw; any woman would be fortunate to gain his affection and I suspect he is the kind of husband we all might wish for.  And all I could wish in a father for my boy.  But that doesn't create love from thin air.  I respect him and I'm fond of him, but that isn't love. Perhaps I'm a foolish girl after all and love has taken all my sense.  I love Conrad, and he loves me despite everything.  But this is all speculation.  Despite the rumors I have no reason to think Emery Shaw would propose marriage to me." Janet says, "What is it about that gambler that you find so attractive?  I mean, he is good looking, but don't you feel that what he does for a living is less than respectable?  Gambling seems to attract all the wrong elements." Kate sipped her tea and considered.  "I don't really think of him as a gambler, but as an actor.  Would I prefer he do something else?  Certainly.  But he doesn't associate with anyone from the Long Branch outside it. What makes me love him...   I can hardly say.  He has a sense of chivalry that's very sweet.  He has an open mind, he doesn't judge people on race or station, or by their careers.  His mind is incredibly sharp and he very often sees to the heart of things, or sees a different viewpoint than mine that helps keep me from flying away on my own naiveté.  He loves the arts, something we both share. He makes me feel like I might be able to be as good a person as he thinks I am, and it's been a joy to watch him open up just because someone believed in him.  We needed each other, and then we loved each other." Janet says, "Then I am fortunate that you found one another.  It sounds like Mr. Booth is far more multi-faceted than most people in the town realize." Kate immediately states, "Much more.  People hear one rumor, believe it, and write a person off.  He has so much to offer and no one would accept it because he makes his living dealing cards and they believe he cheats at it.  What upsets me is that even with this evidence of Warren Watson's hatred of anyone carrying the name Booth, no one will think to question his accusations of cheating." Kate poured herself a cup of tea and talked with Janet for a while, turning the conversation away from herself and on to Janet's journey tomorrow.  But it was still late and the women didn't stay up too much longer. At the Lucky Lady over at the Van Horne table Adair continues to loose big, down another $ 2000 between 10:30 and 11:15 which is closely split between Hawkes and Maverick. Adair keeps glaring at the dealer with a beat red face and Jake notes the veins in his neck are standing out. At the Steven table Duvall finally hits upon a winning streak, taking a few hands from the others. Enion's luck also picks up. By 11:15 Jake has over fifteen thousand in chips, Enion is around a thousand behind him, Duvall is now around nine thousand and Masterson is just below seven thousand. Marshall Berg enters the Lucky Lady and takes Chester aside. "Chet, it appears that things are quieting down. You don't need to be around any more. Tomorrow's Wyatt's trial and I need everyone well-rested. Get to bed." Chester replies, "OK, Marshall. I hope that there won't be any more problems. See you in the morning." Jake continues to keep the game interesting at his table. He does not really care where it comes from right now, he just continues to work on building his stack. From 10:30 until midnight the Van Horne table continues with more of the same, with Hawkes and Maverick each exchanging winning hands and Adair continuing to lose. During that ninety minutes he has lost another $ 3,000 and is at around half of what he began with at 8:15 PM. If looks could kill the expressions on his face towards Van Horne would be lethal. Over at the Stevens table none of the players are doing exceptionally well or poorly, changing hands fairly evenly although Enion appears to be doing a little better and Masterson a little worse than the others. By midnight she is up $ 1,200 from where they began the evening, Cook is only up $ 100 from almost four hours of play, Duvall is down $ 700 for the night and Masterson is down $ 600 since 8:15 PM. As the games will continue until two more players are eliminated it looks like it could be a very long night. Quite a few spectators depart, including most of the reporters and photographers who leave messages where to contact them when the games are down to one table. Patrick Enion arrives to check on his wife and wish her well. While playing, Jake will watch for any interactions or distractions between the Enion's that would be useful to him. The interaction between the Enion's is brief, with him seeing how she is doing and giving her a kiss on the cheek.   He then goes to the bar, orders a drink and then chats with Michael George for a few minutes before leaving the saloon.   However, from that point on Moria Enion's game remarkably improves.  For the next forty-five minutes she wins five of the seven hands played, with Jake and Duvall each winning one apiece.   All of these hands have rather hefty pots, so she is up almost $ 5,000 in less than an hour, while Jake and Duvall are each down around $ 500 and Masterson has lost nearly $ 4000. "Next time your husband comes in, tell him I want a kiss too," Jake jokes over her sudden winning streak. Moria Enion laughs. Her winning streak also continues. Jake suspects she is cheating but thus far has not been able to identify exactly how, although his game also now picks up, with him and Enion swapping winning hands at the expense of the other two players. They play for another 45-minutes until Bat Masterson is eliminated from the game. He thanks the dealer and players and departs. At that point Jake's chip pile is a respectable $ 18,800, the only one in the room with more being Enion who now has around $ 23,000. Duvall is now down to $ 4,400, half of what he had an hour before. Over at the Van Horne table the pace has slowed although Adair continues to lose. His chip pile is now at around $ 5,000, a far cry from the $ 13,100 it had been at little more than five hours earlier. Brady Hawkes is now also staring to show physical fatigue and his quality of play deteriorates as a result, a fact that Maverick begins to take advantage of. Both Hawkes and Maverick are fairly even, each with between $ 17,000 and $ 18,000. Van Horne calls for a five minute outhouse break at his table. Jake notes that he shortly confers with Boston Harker and Jeff Mills, with Mills departing shortly thereafter. When the current hand at the Stevens table is played out he also calls for a bathroom break and then talks briefly with both Jonathan and Boston Harker. Moria Enion heads over to the bar and orders herself a whiskey, which she quickly downs before returning to the table. Jake takes advantage of an outhouse break, and then some water before returning to the table.  He keeps scanning Moria for what she might have been doing, but is starting to figure it may be magic and related to her husband coming to see her.  Having no skill in magic, he resigns to let Van Horne handle matters and worry about his own play. Minerva, with Nakomo at her side and Luna fluttering at her shoulder, strolls back home in the early morning hours. " I wish that this tournament were over. It is a waste of my time to lose sleep over the potential trouble that it brings with it.   Nakomo grins, his eyes glittering in the moonlight. "Yes, but it is very exciting to see Mister Jake in action. Did you see all those chips that he won?! And he is so cool, sitting back in his chair with that blank expression on his face. His eyes give nothing away!  He is soo amazing!"   Minerva smiles wryly. "Si, he certainly does hold his cards close to the vest and the favor of Herme's as well.  I wonder if he suspests that Senora Enion is cheating. Although I suppose Hermes could have suddenly changed his allegiance." she shrugs. When she gets into her room she strips off her clothes and thanks the gods for an uneventful day. She adds an extra prayer for Senor Earp, pleading his case to the ivory statue on her bureau "He is not an evil man, Father Jupiter. He is a just man in a harsh, lawless land. It is not justice when the law hangs a man for doing what he deemes necessary and right. Por favor, keep him safe."   She turns down the covers, yawns and stretches her lith body toward the ceiling in an effort to loosen tense muscles before falling into the soft feather bed. As she tumbles into sleep she dreams about her own brand of justice that she metted out before she was forced to flee her homeland. The games resume at both tables.  Over at the Van Horne table Adair finally wins his first hand of this session, but continues to lose thereafter.   By 12:45 AM he is down another $ 700, Maverick has lost $ 1,200 and Hawkes is up $ 1,900 since midnight. Shortly thereafter Jeff Mills returns accompanied by a young male wood elf who Jake Cook recognizes as Manuel Gonzales in the magical disguise of his younger self.    He and Jeff spend the next half hour in casual conversation as they continue to walk around the room and chat to themselves in Spanish. From 1:30 until 2:15 at the Van Horne table Adair actually begins to win, taking around half the hands with Maverick winning the other half, although that is probably due to to Hawkes fatigue than anything else, as the older man appears to be exhausted and does not win a single hand during the forty-five minutes. At the Steven's table Duvall also continues to lose evenly to Jake and Enion, but the stakes have slowed down to the minimum ante with him only loosing $ 800 evenly to the other two by 2:15 AM.   Jake notices that Moria Enion's self-confidence from the previous ninety minutes has declined and she now appears to be paying far more attention to the poker game than when she was winning easily. Jake cannot help a predatory feeling that comes over him whenever weakness is displayed at the poker table.  He orders a fresh bourbon and continues to smile in that annoyingly chipper fashion as if everything was right in the world.  To be fair, for Jake it was. Jake decides it is time for some 'exciting' play, and keeps upping the ante at every chance.  "Perhaps you just need another kiss from your husband," he comments at Moria's flagging performance. Jake's move works to shake her up and also sensing weakness Duvall's game is revitalized as well.  During the next forty-five minutes Mrs. Enion loses all but one hand, most to Jake but some to Duvall.  As the hour reaches 3:00 AM she has lost $ 1,500 in the 45-minute stretch while Jake is up $ 1000 and Duvall up the other $ 500. Over at the Van Horne table Adair is finally on a winning streak, taking hands  from both the overtired Hawkes and Maverick, who is also starting to show some signs of fatigue.  By 3:00 AM he has picked up $ 1200 from each during the 45-minute stretch with his chip pile now back up to $ 8,200. Jake switches tactics again. He slows the game down, taking his time deciding on his action but keeps the pots as large as possible. Let her have plenty of time to rethink her actions and doubt her play, he thinks to himself, I think it is time for her flagging self confidence to grow. After two more loosing hands Moria tosses a gold chip into the center as her ante for the next hand and says, "I'll sit this one out." She heads over to the bar and orders a Scotch-and-water from Michael George. Duvall wins that hand. She then returns to the table and her game picks up again, with her winning the next three hands. Jake places his ante on the table and stands. "I need to stretch my legs a moment, ward off a cramp," and with his omnipresent smile adds, "a fresh bourbon never hurts either." As we walks to the bar he catches the eye of the young Manuel Gonzalez for only a moment, then touches his own ear. Jake checks to make certain Jeff Mills is close enough to overhear his words at the bar. "A double bourbon Michael just the way I like it." As the man pours the drink Jake says, "Strange, that luck of Mrs. Enion's do you not think? Perhaps she just needs to clear her head once in a while to play better. Quite peculiar though, almost as if stopping for an interruption was magical for her the way her luck suddenly changes." Jake accepts the drink from his newest bartender. "Perhaps you are an alchemist sir, and I have underestimated your value at dispensing fine liquor." Jake smiles an neat, emotionless smile and locks eyes with Michael George looking for any hint of nervousness or deceit. The young wood elf Gonzales walks over to the bar beside Jake and orders a glass of wine. While George moves away the elf softly says to Jake, "Thank you for drawing my attention to over here. I have spent the last couple of hours attempting to detect magical use from either Mrs. Enion or one of the people watching in the room. I now see that the trouble is none of those places, that she has a magic-using accomplice over here behind the bar." Jake raises an eyebrow to that. "I must get back," Jake takes his glass and raises it to the elf, "To fair play. Enjoy the show." Jake resumes his seat at the table. "Now, where did we leave off. Ah, yes, Mrs. Enion had resumed her singular winning streak and I am afraid I need to put an end to it." Jake gives her a charming smile. "Of course I mean that in the most gentlemanly fashion." Jake notes Gonzales talking to Jonathan and Boston Harker, and the men then begin to circulate around the room to speak to the other security men and Tony Lucky then exits the building. At the Van Horne table Maverick appears to be on a winning streak, with Adair taking one out of every three hands and the physically exhausted Hawkes continuing to lose. Between hands Boston Harker approaches Van Horne. He excuses himself from the table and heads over to the corner to confer with Harker and Darla Peacock. Jake slows the game down again and keeps the betting to the absolute minimum. Tony Lucky returns with Deputy Marshal Eduardo Rodriguez and Deputy Sheriff Dave Nagel. They wait by the door until Van Horne's current hand is completed.</blockquote>

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