itself.”
“Yes, sir.” She smiled at Elijah then beamed all around and floated out and upstairs. Gwen’s door was closed, so she eased on to her room. Nothing looked amiss. But something had happened for certain. She strolled into her water closet.
A crunch underfoot stopped her. Stepping back, she raised her shoe and extracted a piece of what looked to be cut crystal from its sole. Oh, no.
She checked, and sure enough, her listening glass had disappeared. She marched straight to Gwen’s room, filling her lungs on the way to calm herself. No need to get into a fuss with her big sister.
Though Gwen had no right listening, it surely must have infuriated her that Cecelia’s marriage had been blessed before hers…her being older and all.
But this day needed no arguments, being an entirely too perfect one to ruin.
She eased the door ajar. As suspected, a Crockett-sized lump lay in the middle of the bed. Her sister sat in the rocker working her needle and thread.
Cecelia held out the shard then whispered. “You know about this?”
She nodded then looked toward her water closet and mouthed. “Bonnie.”
The tap backed Bonnie away from the door. Gwen must have snitched her out.
“Open it now.”
She glanced to the ceiling, but retreating to the attic wasn’t a possibility. The few times she’d been up there, either Charley or CeCe herself had helped her get through the hatch.
“Come on, Bonnie. Open up.”
She didn’t sound too mad. “You going to hurt me?”
“Of course not. Now unlock the door.”
“Promise?”
“Bonnie Claire, if you don’t do it now....”
Smoothing her dress, she lifted her chin then flipped the lock with every intention of marching out, but Cecelia blocked her way.
Her sister leaned in close. “Why were you in my room?”
“Because you can’t hear good enough from mine. Plus your crystal is the…oh well, it was the best….”
“Exactly. Why did you break it?”
“I was mad.”
“Why?”
How could she ever tell her? She shook her head. Cecelia didn’t need to know anything. “What difference does it make? I’m not mad anymore, and I’m sorry.”
CeCe glanced at Gwen who just smiled then turned back. “That glass cost me two dollars and sixty-five cents.”
“Fine. I’ll go get your money.”
“No, ma’am. You’re working it off. Ten cents a day. I’m getting married, and between now and then, I’m going to need me a chaperone.”
Oh well, even though she didn’t like it, that sounded better than having to give up over half her coin horde. She hated not having money when she did get to go to town of a Saturday.
“Fine, but I heard Pa talking to Miss Laura about starting school back up once planting is over, and that’s going to be pretty soon.”
“Not a problem. Elijah and I will help you with your lessons.”
Bonnie looked past CeCe to Gwen who smiled, raised her brows, and nodded. “I’ll do it, but I want fifteen cents a day credit.”
“How about we ask Daddy? Let him decide.”
Oooo, she hated being the youngest sister and them always getting the best of her. She pursed her lips. “No. Nevermind. A dime will be fine.” She smiled real big.
A lot can happen between now and next March.
Chapter Twelve
The trip to Clarksville produced two boons for Braxton. When posting his letter at the stage office located inside the Donoho’s lobby, he overheard an interesting conversation about a nice block of timberland north of town only about seven miles.
That gave him a reason to be out and about, but the second bit of news warmed his heart. Seemed there was an out of the way saloon in these parts after all. And darkening the door of the Methodist meeting hall is exactly what got him an invite.
That afternoon, he spent a rather pleasant time playing poker with gents who seemed to love giving him their coin. As was his custom first time at a game, he gave back almost all of it, right before he figured he
“Yes, sir.” She smiled at Elijah then beamed all around and floated out and upstairs. Gwen’s door was closed, so she eased on to her room. Nothing looked amiss. But something had happened for certain. She strolled into her water closet.
A crunch underfoot stopped her. Stepping back, she raised her shoe and extracted a piece of what looked to be cut crystal from its sole. Oh, no.
She checked, and sure enough, her listening glass had disappeared. She marched straight to Gwen’s room, filling her lungs on the way to calm herself. No need to get into a fuss with her big sister.
Though Gwen had no right listening, it surely must have infuriated her that Cecelia’s marriage had been blessed before hers…her being older and all.
But this day needed no arguments, being an entirely too perfect one to ruin.
She eased the door ajar. As suspected, a Crockett-sized lump lay in the middle of the bed. Her sister sat in the rocker working her needle and thread.
Cecelia held out the shard then whispered. “You know about this?”
She nodded then looked toward her water closet and mouthed. “Bonnie.”
The tap backed Bonnie away from the door. Gwen must have snitched her out.
“Open it now.”
She glanced to the ceiling, but retreating to the attic wasn’t a possibility. The few times she’d been up there, either Charley or CeCe herself had helped her get through the hatch.
“Come on, Bonnie. Open up.”
She didn’t sound too mad. “You going to hurt me?”
“Of course not. Now unlock the door.”
“Promise?”
“Bonnie Claire, if you don’t do it now....”
Smoothing her dress, she lifted her chin then flipped the lock with every intention of marching out, but Cecelia blocked her way.
Her sister leaned in close. “Why were you in my room?”
“Because you can’t hear good enough from mine. Plus your crystal is the…oh well, it was the best….”
“Exactly. Why did you break it?”
“I was mad.”
“Why?”
How could she ever tell her? She shook her head. Cecelia didn’t need to know anything. “What difference does it make? I’m not mad anymore, and I’m sorry.”
CeCe glanced at Gwen who just smiled then turned back. “That glass cost me two dollars and sixty-five cents.”
“Fine. I’ll go get your money.”
“No, ma’am. You’re working it off. Ten cents a day. I’m getting married, and between now and then, I’m going to need me a chaperone.”
Oh well, even though she didn’t like it, that sounded better than having to give up over half her coin horde. She hated not having money when she did get to go to town of a Saturday.
“Fine, but I heard Pa talking to Miss Laura about starting school back up once planting is over, and that’s going to be pretty soon.”
“Not a problem. Elijah and I will help you with your lessons.”
Bonnie looked past CeCe to Gwen who smiled, raised her brows, and nodded. “I’ll do it, but I want fifteen cents a day credit.”
“How about we ask Daddy? Let him decide.”
Oooo, she hated being the youngest sister and them always getting the best of her. She pursed her lips. “No. Nevermind. A dime will be fine.” She smiled real big.
A lot can happen between now and next March.
Chapter Twelve
The trip to Clarksville produced two boons for Braxton. When posting his letter at the stage office located inside the Donoho’s lobby, he overheard an interesting conversation about a nice block of timberland north of town only about seven miles.
That gave him a reason to be out and about, but the second bit of news warmed his heart. Seemed there was an out of the way saloon in these parts after all. And darkening the door of the Methodist meeting hall is exactly what got him an invite.
That afternoon, he spent a rather pleasant time playing poker with gents who seemed to love giving him their coin. As was his custom first time at a game, he gave back almost all of it, right before he figured he
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