Bewildered in Billings by Lynn Donovan

Author:Lynn Donovan [Donovan, Lynn]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2020-08-18T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter Six



The day of the barn dance had finally arrived. The morning had been filled with last minute details out at the copper mining camp. Ginger rushed into her parent’s house. Her dress had been delivered from Mrs Talulah’s, while she had been gone, and hung on the door of her chifforobe. Sea-foam-green silk taffeta draped elegantly from a snugly fitted bodice. It was trimmed across the shoulders in a delicate lace that Mrs. Talulah made by hand. It was a one-of-a-kind and complimented Ginger’s unusually red hair. The cobbler has died her slippers to match the light green of the dress and mother gave her emerald earrings to wear. All these things had been laid out for Ginger to change into and head back to the camp.

She washed quickly from the pitcher and bowl and sat at her vanity to fix her hair. A quick brushing, then a twist up on the crown of her head, she secured with pins and pulled a few wisps to soften her face. A touch of rouge to her cheeks and lips, and a pat of powder. She was ready to don the beautiful dress.

She stood before her chifforobe and gingerly eased herself into the gown. “Mother!” She cried for help lacing and tying the bodice.

Her mother rushed through the door, flustered and wrapped in her dressing gown, her hair half pinned up and half hanging over her shoulder. “What is it, dear?”

“Oh Mother.” Ginger sighed. “Come, sit down. Let me help with your hair.”

“Thank you, dear Ginger-snap.” Mother grinned, having caller her Father’s pet name. “Pamy is skilled in many things, but hairstyling is not one of them.”

They giggled and Ginger unpinned her mother’s hair and brushed it out, twisted, tucked, and rolled it into a design that looked elegant and yet simple. She pinned it securely and handed her mother a small mirror.

“Oh, Ginger. It’s lovely.” Mother patted her hair tenderly. “Now, what is it you needed?”

“I can’t…” She turned and pointed over her shoulder and around her waist.

“Here, let me.” Mother tugged and tightened the lacings, securing it at the bottom of her waist with a neat bow. “There you are.”

Ginger turned and hugged her mother. “Go, you need to get dressed, too.”

Mother smiled and crossed the room to leave.

“Mother? Didn’t you say you would lay out those pretty, dangly emerald earrings for me?”

“Yes, dear. I did. They’re right—”

Mother stopped near her vanity table. “I put them here, so you’d see them first thing. Oh dear.”

They looked under the table, behind her small jewelry box, under the hairbrush, the hand mirror. “Goodness…” Mother looked around the room. “Wait.” She rushed over to the window. “Here’s the one.” She bent and picked up the single earring.

Ginger stared at the open window. “How odd. It’s as if a squirrel came in through the window and took your earrings, only she dropped one during her escape.”

“Oh Ginger! Your imagination, sometimes—”

They gawked at the window, all the same. “Well.” Mother broke the silence. “I have a pair of pearl earrings that will look just as lovely.

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