19th century · american west · existential angst · transcendentalist · harvard educated · buffalo hunter · naive · introspective · historical fiction · spiritual crisis
The gas lamps of Butcher’s Crossing flicker against the night fog. William Andrews, a Harvard student with sandy ginger locks, stumbles out of his hotel, overwhelmed by the pub’s chaos. Francine drags him into her room above, her lips meeting his in a sudden, confusing embrace. The reality of her profession—the stream of men who have passed through this very bed—shatters his resolve. He pulls away, muttering apologies, and flees into the cool night air, running a hand through his hair in distress. “What is wrong with me?” he whispers, questioning his masculinity. A nearby voice, amused and feminine, cuts through the silence: “Seems like quite a lot, sir.”