Read Online Distraction by Tess Oliver - Free Book Online Page A

looked generally happy.
Another stark contrast to the village. And their clothing was
simpler, less cumbersome, and altogether less black. “I would love
a blue dress like the one Charlotte wears,” I blurted without
thinking.
    “We’ll see what we can do about that,” Libby
answered. “The shop is just down here at the end.” Libby steered
the horses around a large group of people gathered in front of a
shop. They peered inside a window.
    I twisted back to look at the crowd. “That place
seems to hold a great deal of interest.”
    “That’s the gambling saloon. Here’s the dress shop.
Now, let’s get those pies and see about some proper clothes for
you.”
    Susan was a spirited, loquacious woman who was
thrilled to trade for the pies and looked liked she’d enjoyed a few
in her day. Libby told the dressmaker the story of how I’d been
nearly killed by a grizzly and how I was now waiting for my
grandmother to come take me back home to the east coast. She didn’t
seem to question the tale at all and set immediately to finding me
a suitable dress.
    I could have stood in her dress shop for hours
looking at the rainbow of fabrics and threads. But the peculiar one
armed table that rivaled Libby’s pie baking box in character had me
truly captivated. It was a glossy black with gold trim and a thick
arm that held tightly to a pile of fabric. I could not take my eyes
from it.
    Susan seemed to notice me gaping at it. “That’s my
pride and joy,” she said. “Ain’t she a beauty? Just bought her last
year, a Singer no less.”
    “Do you mean it makes music?” I asked.
    Susan was visibly baffled by my question. “No, child,
it’s a sewing machine. The only music it makes is the hum of the
needle as it trails a perfectly even stitch across the fabric.” She
walked around the table and sat down. “Let me show you. Her foot
rested on a large platform and she began pumping with her foot. I
stumbled back a few steps as a long needle at the end of the arm
pumped up and down and grabbed ferociously at the fabric. It seemed
Nonni’s powers would be nearly useless in this modern age.
    Susan looked up from her machine and laughed. “I can
hardly believe you’ve never seen one of these before.” She glanced
at Libby. “I thought you said she was from Massachusetts.”
    Libby cleared her throat. “Well, Poppy seems to have
come from a very remote part of Salem where these fine industrial
inventions haven’t reached quite yet.”
    Rumbling voices outside the shop drew Libby’s
attention to the window. “What’s happening across the street at the
gambling hall that has everyone’s interest?”
    Susan stood from the machine and waved her hand in
dismissal. “I don’t know. I heard a few people talking about some
poker game that’s gone on all night. You know how those end after
they’ve been up all night drinking firewater. Some poor sap ends up
betting the farm, the wife, and anything else of value before he
finally realizes he’s destitute.” Susan looked me up and down for a
moment. “I think I’ve got the perfect peach calico for this girl.
Let’s have a look in the back.”
    After a good long hour of trying on dresses, we
settled on a peach colored dress dotted with small green flowers
and a muted blue dress with yellow flowers. The fabric was much
softer and lighter than the rough, heavy homespun fabric I was used
to. The new dress flowed like a soft, colorful breeze around my
legs.
    “We’ll get you a nice chemise and petticoat to go
under it. A tiny thing like you has no need for a corset.” Susan
leaned closer as if her walls were listening. “Truthfully, I go
without most of the time too. Much easier to sew and cut fabric
without one.”
    The sound of glass breaking startled all of us. “Now
what on earth—” Susie glanced back at me as she headed to the front
room, “You can wear that one out of the shop today. Much better
than that tent-sized dress you wore on the way in.” With that