Read Online Nellie (The Brides of San Francisco Book 1) by Cynthia Woolf - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Cynthia Woolf
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and delighted her tongue.
“This is wonderful. We should serve it to your dinner guests.”
“I’m leaving the menu up to you and Cook. I do recommend that it have some variety.” He held the spoon in front of his mouth. “These men pride themselves on their gourmet tastes.”
“I’m glad you told me before I decided to serve them fried chicken and mashed potatoes.”
“Would you fix it yourself? I don’t believe that Cook has ever served me fried chicken.”
Pleased at being asked, she said, “I could. I happen to be a very good cook, though what I fix is simple. Cook is a chef. Where you got her I don’t know but she’s wonderful.”
He took a spoonful of soup and swallowed before speaking. “She applied to cook at The Nugget. Well, we serve a limited menu and certainly didn’t need anyone with her skills. Our money is made from liquor and girls.”
Her head snapped up. “I thought you didn’t have prostitutes.”
“We don’t, in the conventional sense. We rent the rooms to the girls who then do whatever they want in them. They live there.”
“So you rent to all kinds of women?” Her spoon clattered against the bowl. “Or just prostitutes?”
“Nellie, don’t get upset. Prostitutes are found all over San Francisco. It’s the way of it here. There are not enough women for the number of men and prostitution fills part of that need.” He narrowed his gaze. “Don’t tell me you’re going to be a prig about this.”
She frowned. “Not approving of prostitution, doesn’t make me a prig.”
“Does out here. Without the prostitutes, men would rape the so-called good women, the wives and mothers, which we also have. It wouldn’t be pretty. The girls serve a need and they want to do it. To them it’s just a job. No one is forcing them.”
“I see your point, but I still don’t like it.” Her hands clenched around her napkin in her lap. “The idea of selling sex goes against everything I was taught.”
“Yes, I know the activity does, but these are the times we live in.”
James took away the soup bowls and brought salads of fresh greens. He refilled Nellie’s wine glass after serving the new dish.
Nellie looked at the glass of dark, red liquid. “I have to admit, I don’t usually drink wine but this is really very good.”
“You might want to drink it slowly. It can have a vicious kick that sneaks up on you.”
“Nonsense. It’s just fermented grape juice. Nothing wrong with grape juice.”
They finished their salads. James brought their entrées of slices of rare roast beef and parsley-baked potatoes with fresh asparagus.
“James, may I please have some more wine.”
Nellie lifted her empty wine glass.
“Don’t you like wine, Blake? I’ve never seen you drink anything. Robert used to have a brandy or two before bed. Do you drink br…brandy, Blake?
“I have a brandy each night. Other than that, I’m not a drinker.”
“That’s probably a good t’ing for yer line of work. If you drank, you might lose track of yer customers.” She hiccupped. Her eyes widened and she pressed a hand to her mouth. “Excuse, me.”
“I think you’ve had enough wine for tonight. I don’t want to be responsible for your headache tomorrow.”
“Don’t b..be silly.” She giggled. Why aren’t my words coming out right?
“Have you finished with your dinner? I think it might be time to get you to bed.”
“Are you sleeping with me?”
“Yes, I plan on it.”
She gave him a wide smile. “That’s good. I like waking up with you.”
“I like waking up with you, too.”
“Blake, do you think we’ll have children? Do you want children?”
Tears formed. What if he didn’t want children?
“Yes, I definitely want children. You remember that we need to make love in order to have more children, yes?”
“Of course. I’ve known that all along. I want to make love with you. Will you make love to me, Blake? You said I had to ask.” She flung her arms wide. “So, so
“This is wonderful. We should serve it to your dinner guests.”
“I’m leaving the menu up to you and Cook. I do recommend that it have some variety.” He held the spoon in front of his mouth. “These men pride themselves on their gourmet tastes.”
“I’m glad you told me before I decided to serve them fried chicken and mashed potatoes.”
“Would you fix it yourself? I don’t believe that Cook has ever served me fried chicken.”
Pleased at being asked, she said, “I could. I happen to be a very good cook, though what I fix is simple. Cook is a chef. Where you got her I don’t know but she’s wonderful.”
He took a spoonful of soup and swallowed before speaking. “She applied to cook at The Nugget. Well, we serve a limited menu and certainly didn’t need anyone with her skills. Our money is made from liquor and girls.”
Her head snapped up. “I thought you didn’t have prostitutes.”
“We don’t, in the conventional sense. We rent the rooms to the girls who then do whatever they want in them. They live there.”
“So you rent to all kinds of women?” Her spoon clattered against the bowl. “Or just prostitutes?”
“Nellie, don’t get upset. Prostitutes are found all over San Francisco. It’s the way of it here. There are not enough women for the number of men and prostitution fills part of that need.” He narrowed his gaze. “Don’t tell me you’re going to be a prig about this.”
She frowned. “Not approving of prostitution, doesn’t make me a prig.”
“Does out here. Without the prostitutes, men would rape the so-called good women, the wives and mothers, which we also have. It wouldn’t be pretty. The girls serve a need and they want to do it. To them it’s just a job. No one is forcing them.”
“I see your point, but I still don’t like it.” Her hands clenched around her napkin in her lap. “The idea of selling sex goes against everything I was taught.”
“Yes, I know the activity does, but these are the times we live in.”
James took away the soup bowls and brought salads of fresh greens. He refilled Nellie’s wine glass after serving the new dish.
Nellie looked at the glass of dark, red liquid. “I have to admit, I don’t usually drink wine but this is really very good.”
“You might want to drink it slowly. It can have a vicious kick that sneaks up on you.”
“Nonsense. It’s just fermented grape juice. Nothing wrong with grape juice.”
They finished their salads. James brought their entrées of slices of rare roast beef and parsley-baked potatoes with fresh asparagus.
“James, may I please have some more wine.”
Nellie lifted her empty wine glass.
“Don’t you like wine, Blake? I’ve never seen you drink anything. Robert used to have a brandy or two before bed. Do you drink br…brandy, Blake?
“I have a brandy each night. Other than that, I’m not a drinker.”
“That’s probably a good t’ing for yer line of work. If you drank, you might lose track of yer customers.” She hiccupped. Her eyes widened and she pressed a hand to her mouth. “Excuse, me.”
“I think you’ve had enough wine for tonight. I don’t want to be responsible for your headache tomorrow.”
“Don’t b..be silly.” She giggled. Why aren’t my words coming out right?
“Have you finished with your dinner? I think it might be time to get you to bed.”
“Are you sleeping with me?”
“Yes, I plan on it.”
She gave him a wide smile. “That’s good. I like waking up with you.”
“I like waking up with you, too.”
“Blake, do you think we’ll have children? Do you want children?”
Tears formed. What if he didn’t want children?
“Yes, I definitely want children. You remember that we need to make love in order to have more children, yes?”
“Of course. I’ve known that all along. I want to make love with you. Will you make love to me, Blake? You said I had to ask.” She flung her arms wide. “So, so
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