The Fear Merchant by Lou Cameron

Author:Lou Cameron
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: adult fiction, renegade, western pulp fiction, lou cameron, captain gringo
Publisher: Piccadilly Publishing

Chapter Eleven

“Oh dear. I’ll have to do something about comforting the boy’s family. But let’s do one thing at a time. This is the servant’s wing. I know we’re not supposed to coddle them, but I don’t like dirty people handling the food I eat or the linens I sleep on, so I made my husband install a bathroom with a new geyser from England.”

She led them into a small but clean bathroom and knelt to make sure of the flame under the patented hot water heater at the end of the cast-iron tub. She said, “There’s plenty of hot water. Why don’t you wait for me in the drawing room while I show Rosalita how Christians wash themselves?”

He put the girl down with a smile and as he turned to go the little Indian girl sank to her knees at Consuela’s feet, took the hem of her gown in both hands, and kissed it.

He left, feeling grateful and angry at the same time. Consuela was being kind to the little stray, but he’d noticed she hadn’t been at all embarrassed by being treated like a plaster saint. People down here either acted like whipped dogs or walked around like their shit didn’t stink. It was all or nothing. You were a Grandee or a Peon. Where the hell was the middle class? There didn’t seem to be one.

He went out to the drawing room and sat down to have a smoke. He noticed for the first time he was hungry and Consuela had said something about dinner being late.

Where the hell was everybody? Most of these big houses had more servants and poor relations hanging around than you could shake a stick at. He knew the old planter and his wife had no kids and they were pretty far from civilization. But their money-wise relations were probably staying away because something figured to happen. Something like a gunboat. The rival factions in this country had maybe worked out some civilized rules of warfare over the years, but with the whole outside world bidding for canal routes across the isthmus these days, the fight was getting serious.

He’d just finished his smoke when Consuela came in, looking upset. She said, “I left her with a bar of perfumed soap and some clothes to put on. She told me a horrible story. I’m glad you shot the nasty old pervert. My husband assured me he was harmless.”

He said, “I’m sure Don Marin thought he was. Where is he, by the way, and what’s this about your maid taking off on you?”

She said, “Let’s go in the kitchen and I’ll fry some eggs. Marin went down to the next plantation. A runner came back with orders from the revolutionary committee and they’re having some sort of a meeting. He should be back sometime tomorrow.”

As he followed her out of the room, she added, “Lupelita seems to have run off. Probably with one of the peones she’s been sneaking off with.”

He followed her into

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