An Agent for Dixie by Linda Carroll-Bradd

Author:Linda Carroll-Bradd [Carroll-Bradd, Linda]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Inked Figments
Published: 2020-05-08T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter 6

Tuesday, May 28, 1872

Awake since shortly after dawn when Liana started stomping around her room, Dixie lifted a hand to cover a big yawn. After the day of the interviews, she dreaded this day—the one of goodbyes—the most. She leaned against the doorjamb of Liana’s bedroom, watching her sister flit between piles of clothes heaped on her bed and the two hard-sided valises lying open on the floor.

“Do you realize I may take only forty pounds?” Sighing, she crushed her nightrail to her chest. “Is that not unbelievable? How am I to look my best with only five or six dresses?”

“But, Liana, you will be working in a saloon.” Dixie could not reconcile she had just spoken those words. Oh, what rants Maman would have if she knew. “Maybe you will have a uniform, or dresses, provided by the owner.” A wild guess, but it might work to pacify her fretting.

“Oh, do you think so?” Nodding, she dropped the nightrail into a puddle of rumpled cotton on the other garments. “A uniform would really solve this dilemma.”

“I said maybe.” Dixie walked to the valise, stooped, and folded the garment. Then she looked up, waiting for the next selection.

“What about you?” Liana lifted her yellow dress, smoothed it against her front, then sighed and tossed it toward the pillow. “Has your husband”—she circled a hand in the air—“this Alexei…has he imposed the same unrealistic limit? Ces hommes horribles.”

Dixie moved a hairbrush from beneath the clothes and tucked it into a side pouch. “I am allowed up to one hundred pounds in my trunk.”

“Cent livres? Ce n’est pas juste.” Hands on hips, Liana stamped a foot and huffed out a breath.

“I did not claim the situations to be fair. We are going on very different assignments.” She stood and walked to the opposite side of the bed. “So, why not tell Mister Gordon we should switch assignments because you want access to all your clothes?”

Gasping, Liana whirled, eyes wide. “Switch assignments? Non. I am Dale’s wife.”

So, her sister had already developed feelings for her bearded trainer-husband. Arching an eyebrow, Dixie grinned and tilted her head.

“Are you teasing me?” Liana’s posture relaxed. “When did you learn to make a joke?”

She shrugged. “Alexei is very easy-going. He has a way of looking at the lighter side of things.” She reached for a rose-colored dress with a ruffled vee that ran from shoulder to mid-waist with a lace bodice insert. Too fancy for a mining town. “This one must stay, oui?”

And so the next ninety minutes went, with Liana packing and then repacking after she’d changed her mind and switched out selected items.

Still wearing her dressing gown, Dixie made them a light breakfast of toast with honey, tea, and canned peaches with cream. As she worked, she bit back tears because this insignificant meal would be the last the sisters would share for an unknown time. “Liana, please come eat something.”

“Thank you for preparing this food.” Liana walked into the kitchen and took her normal seat.

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