Alaskan Bride by D. Jordan Redhawk

Author:D. Jordan Redhawk [Redhawk, D. Jordan]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, lesbian, romance, Adult, Historical, Alaska, Wilderness, Rape
ISBN: 9781594935015
Publisher: Bella Books
Published: 2016-08-30T04:00:00+00:00

* * *

The evening was more magical than any Clara could recall ever having experienced before. She had attended both the ballet and opera in Boston, had seen any number of plays with Emma at her side, but nothing quite compared to the earthy humor she’d been exposed to tonight. The perfect capper was sharing a bag of peanuts with Callie as they enjoyed the show, shoulders rubbing as they listened to the commentary of their fellow spectators or laughed at the antics onstage. Callie had laughed more often than Clara had seen from her in the two weeks of their acquaintance.

Skagway had yet to build a concert hall so the talent show took place in an alleyway between two buildings. Sheets had been strung up and painted as a backdrop and a rudimentary stage had been built for the occasion. Benches and chairs had been procured from nearby establishments, and Clara shared a bench with Callie in the second row. The acts that crossed the stage varied from the newly arrived and celebrated piano player with his rendition of Chopin to a trio of saloon girls wearing sequins and net stockings as they pranced about the impromptu platform. Aghast and awed at this latter act, Clara spent most of it with her hands covering her mouth as she blushed. At least I’m not the only one, she thought, taking into account the deep red of Callie’s cheeks.

The crowd was equally as rowdy as those plying their stagecraft. Wolf whistles and thunderous applause met even the most lubberly of acts. Clara had been impressed to discover not only miners and their ilk in the audience but the upper crust as well. The town fathers were in full attendance as were their wives. Until now, Clara hadn’t realized the number of well-to-do women that resided in Skagway. There were far more than she’d thought, convinced that they would want nothing to do with the wild frontiers of a mining boom town. Being an unwed woman—a mail-order bride promised to a deceased trapper—didn’t do her any favors as far as the good opinions of those in high society, but she felt a little more comfortable knowing there were others of her social standing in town.

Intermission arrived and the audience stood and stretched. Lanterns were lit on the stage to counteract nightfall. Clara looked up at the sky with the sudden realization that the sun was setting. “My! It’s past our bedtime.”

Callie nodded. “Yep.” She muffled a yawn. “Do you want to stay longer…?”

Clara hooked her arm through Callie’s as she pulled them both to their feet as she stood. “No, unless you do?” At Callie’s negative shake of her head, Clara hugged her arm. “Let’s get some sleep. We’ll need an early start tomorrow.”

“Why?” Callie walked them away from the audience and out into the street, their abandoned bench seats immediately taken by a fat man dressed in sweaty furs. Callie steered them sideways to avoid a horse and cart that trundled past, dust kicking up from the animal’s hooves.

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