Read Online Chevonne: Bride of Oklahoma (American Mail-Order Bride 46) by Leighann Dobbs - Free Book Online

things? We need to be practical. Trey needs your help on the ranch, and that,” she waved her hand up and down at Chevonne, “is simply too fanciful.”
    Chevonne’s blood boiled. She took note of Sarah’s plain-Jane brown dress.
    Before Chevonne could reply to the taunt, Celia came to her aid, “Really, Sarah, I like Chevonne’s style. In fact, I think more women around here should dress like her. Why shouldn’t we pamper ourselves and look good? The town has grown up. We don’t have to sacrifice anymore. Look, we’re even getting fancy fabrics and adornments like in big city stores.” Celia held up a strip of lace as evidence.
    Sarah sniffed. “Well, I know Trey likes more practical women. A city girl in Oklahoma, what was he thinking?” She looked Chevonne up and down again, then spun on her heel and stormed off.
    Chevonne stared after her, still clutching the blue silky material in her hand. “I don’t think she likes me.”
    Celia whispered, “She really did have her sights set on Trey, but he was never interested in her. Mama tried to push them together, don’t ask me why. Once you get to know Mama, you’ll come to love her.”
    “I’m sure I will,” Chevonne said diplomatically, then testing the waters added, “I was thinking of adding just a touch of lace to the reticule of hers that I’m repairing. You know, just a little to fancy it up. But after what Sarah just said, maybe I shouldn’t. It seems women around here don’t like these fancy fixings.”
    “I wouldn’t say that. It’s just that we’ve only had the bare necessities up until recently. Believe me, Mama likes the finer things as much as anyone else and adding some to her reticule will be a way to get in her good graces. I think you should do it.”
    “Then I will.” Chevonne didn’t care so much about getting in Trey’s mothers good graces as she did in getting another person on board who might be appreciative of her grandmother’s fancy undergarment designs.
    “You know, I really do like your dress.” Celia’s gaze took in the length of Chevonne’s dress, then she looked down at her own plain, navy blue cotton dress. “I wonder if I bought some of these adornments here and sewed them on the cuffs and the collar, they would spruce up my dress?”
    Chevonne’s eyes sparkled at another potential customer. “Certainly.” Chevonne pointed to her own cuffs. “This is just a plain dress with some lace on the cuffs and bodice.”
    Celia smiled. “Just because we aren’t in a big city, doesn’t mean we have to look dowdy. I’m going to buy some.” Celia stacked the card of lace on top of her pile of utilitarian fabric.
    They made their purchases, including several yards of the silky blue fabric, which Chevonne assured herself was because of the extraordinary color and not because it was Trey’s favorite. She paid for her purchases with her own money, rather than charging it to Trey’s account. It seemed only right since she’d be using them for her project.
    As they headed out of town in the buggy, Chevonne spotted Phinneas Gulch on a street corner hawking his wares. Celia spotted him, too, making her grimace.
    “Do you know that man?” Chevonne asked. A sudden wave of doubt crashed over her. Here she was, tempted to trust Celia with her secret, but it seemed she knew Phinneas just like Trey did.
    Celia shook her head. “I don’t know him, but his reputation precedes him. You don’t want to have anything to do with that man. He’s bad news.”
    “Really? Why do you say that? Did he do something to you?” That might explain Trey’s odd behavior last night.
    “Not to me. To my cousin. That man, Phinneas Gulch, is a cheat and a liar. He stole my cousin’s formula for an herbal treatment and claimed it as his own. And I heard that he also tried to steal someone else’s invention by filing a patent before the inventor.” Celia scowled at Phinneas, then flicked the reins to make the buggy horse speed