For Love

Chapter 7

It was daring for daytime wear, and she never would have gotten away with it as Sherman's lady of the house. Ladies usually wore high collars during the day hours, but living as a popular singer in San Francisco had given her a preference for wearing what she liked when she liked to wear it without censure. Or at least, any she cared about. Since her husband and his brothers weren't particularly fashion conscious, she hoped no one else in Seattle would care either. After she finished her attire with a matching sash around her waist, Laurie gazed at her reflection, admiring the bell sleeves with lace dripping off her elbows in the mirror that Jason had given her.

Dressing up gave her mood an unexpected boost. Jason was probably right. Perhaps it was time to acquaint herself with Seattle. She couldn't feel annoyed with him for inviting a friend to visit, although she wished he would have talked to her first. But then, she would have rejected the idea so, she couldn't fault him for that either. A quick pinch of her cheeks and a gentle bite of her lips took care of the paleness in her complexion although there wasn't much she could do about her eyes. She would just have to stop crying.

The next hour was a flurry of activity for Laurie. She finished her breakfast, stoked the fire hoping to banish the chill in the air, and completed her toilette by quickly pinning her hair up. Not quite satisfied with her appearance, she added a pair of cream-colored ear bobs that swung when she walked. She washed the breakfast dishes, made all the beds, swept the floor, and she had just finished dusting the mantel when someone knocked.

"Coming!" Laurie called out. She put away her apron and straightened a chair at the table while hurrying to the door. With a glance around the room to make sure nothing was out of place, she opened it to see four women standing on the porch. She was happy to note the pitter-patter of the rain had softened into the form of a drizzle, and none of the women even carried an umbrella.

"Hello," said a redhead with a petal-soft voice, blue eyes, and a friendly smile. "I'm Candy Pruitt. We're going to be sisters someday." She was taller than Laurie and wore a pink blouse with a brown skirt and black gloves.

So, this is Jeremy's Candy. Laurie smiled back at her and gave a semi-curtsy. "It's nice to meet you. I'm Laurie." Her eyes drifted over the three other women who stood beside Candy. Two of the women were blonde. One was middle-aged and had her hair cut short, a look Laurie had never seen before, but it suited the woman. She held a small, covered tin pail and beamed like a proud mother. The second blonde was pretty but looked cross with her. The last woman was a brunette with her lips pursed in prudish contemplation.

"This is Carlotta Hatfield," continued Candy, pointing to the older woman.

"Call me Lottie," she said and winked at Laurie. Recognizing the name, Laurie's smile deepened.

"And this is Hannah Baird who is... um, an old friend of Jason's," said Candy, pointing to the second blonde. The brunette cleared her throat. "And that's Biddie. Biddie Cloom."

"A pleasure to make your acquaintance," said Laurie, hoping her surprise over her extra guests didn't show. "Please come inside."

Hannah's smile deepened revealing a dimple, and she stepped past Laurie into the cabin, followed by the others. She looked around the room and with a sugary sweet voice said, "I see you haven't redecorated the place."

Laurie smiled back. "I haven't wanted to yet. My husband says he's making preparations for a new cabin, and I thought I would wait to..." Her voice trailed and she straightened, releasing the agitated grip she had on her one hand to let them both fall to her sides. "Honestly? I've given little thought about changing anything."

"Well, I think it's only natural that you haven't!" Lottie said, shooting Hannah a look that Laurie could tell meant something private. "It's all so new! It takes time to decide how you want a home to look and feel. That's a beautiful dress, Laurie," she added, eyeballing Laurie's wardrobe choice. "It looks like one of the newer styles Clancey was telling me he saw in San Francisco."