For Love

Chapter 22

LAURIE

Laurie's skin fairly glowed. She had soaked and scrubbed all the emotional pain out of her system with Lottie's perfumed soaps and had brushed her hair dry. She wound it up in a soft french knot and slipped one of the coral combs against the knot. Not his favorite look, but she was confident wearing his mother's comb would please him. She glanced at the clock and felt a tremor run through her hands. He could arrive at any moment.

She changed into the red silk dress, the collar of the dress high on the back of her neck, accentuating the plunging neckline that barely covered her corset. The designer had elected to do a simple drape of fabric in the front with matching trim along the bottom to make a gown that stressed the tiny waist made with Lottie's insistent tugging at Laurie's corset. The bustle in the back was soft folds of the same material, with no lace used at all. Instead of adorning herself with all the normal extras, Laurie had elected to wear a single necklace, a ruby encased in an intricate gold setting. She knew the simplicity of the gown supported her shapely beauty. She slowly twirled in front of the mirror, watching for flaws. Thinking she looked pale, she pinched her cheeks and dabbed on a little scandalous lip rouge.

Laurie glanced at the clock on the dresser again, even though it had been only a few minutes since the last time. She couldn't imagine what was taking so long. Perhaps Joshua and Jeremy couldn't convince Jason to come. What if he didn't want to come? Perhaps there had been another accident with the flume. What if he had been hurt? Or one of his brothers? Laurie closed her eyes and took a deep breath. If she kept this up, she would be in no condition to sing. She was better off thinking of happier things, like Jason's reaction to her appearance. It might keep her thoughts superficial, but superficial was safe.

Forcing herself to focus on the dress, she remembered Lottie running her hand over the soft fabric a half-hour ago. She had given Laurie a gleeful hug before hustling downstairs to watch over the bar, assuring her with the simple declaration, "Jason is going to love it." Laurie smoothed her skirt and gave into the innate desire to pull at her hands. Would he like it? Yes, he'd admire it, but even in San Francisco, it was a daring dress. She had meant it to be when she had asked Madame La Fève to design it. No matter how talented you were, every performer had to capture the audience's attention before she ever sang one note, strummed the first chord, or kicked her first dance step.

That's why Laurie had needed something to set her apart from everyone else. To catch the interest of the crowds she was singing to, she had refused to wear the more obvious dress choices that showed more of a performer's body than they covered, and the dancers often wore skirts short enough to get whistled at from the audience. The Maguire Opera House had even had a woman in a flesh-colored body stocking riding on a horse! That performance had been long before Laurie had arrived, but those that worked there still whispered of that night with pride mixed with scandal.

Laurie didn't agree with such tactics. It might be necessary for a dancer to show her legs, but a lady never would, and unnecessary for a singer. The dilemma had almost been crippling. After a long debate, she had decided on a dress that showed enough decollete' to intrigue a man but kept enough of her a mystery to compel him to return for the hope of more. After she had worn her red dress on stage carrying a large feathered fan singing "Oh Danny Boy" with her full Scottish brogue, her popularity had soared among San Francisco's Irish and Scotsmen earning her the title, "San Francisco's Scottish Sweetheart." Some men would not appreciate having their wives so exposed, yet over the last few weeks, Jason's curious glances at the garment suggested he might be different.

Laurie glanced at the clock again.

A knock sounded at the door, followed by Clancey's voice. "Look alive, dearie! Jason's here, and he's as anxious as any bridegroom to see ya."