Read Online No Place for a Lady by Maggie Brendan - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Maggie Brendan
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thunder?" one girl asked.
"Not at all," April said. "I just think she looks and acts like a
floozy, and she's throwing herself at the men!"
"Well, I just think all of you are being a little unfair;' spoke a
quieter voice.
"Oh, Emily, grow up!" April said. "She doesn't know the difference between a pancake and an enchilada. I'll be glad when she's
gone." The talking diminished as they walked out of earshot.
Bill swallowed hard as Crystal's face crumpled with hurt. "I'm
sorry you heard that, Crystal." In the light glow of the lamps
Crystal saw his face turn scarlet. "They didn't mean anything by
that. Perhaps when they get to know you, they'll feel differently,"
he soothed.
"They are indeed lacking in hospitality," she said, swallowing
the lump in her throat. She sounded stronger than she felt, and
she could feel her eyes burning. She had lost her appetite.
Later, Crystal stood talking with Charles and Sara Johnson,
whom she liked on the spot. They were simple homesteaders, and
she could sense their genuineness. Their daughters, Emily and
Beth, were two rather plain-looking young girls she recognized
as the ones she'd overheard earlier. Beth eyed her openly, but
Emily was sweet and struck up a conversation with her. Out of the
corner of her eye, Crystal watched as Luke encircled April's waist
and hugged her to his hipbone while they stood watching others
dancing. Jube sauntered over to where she and Emily stood.
"Would you care to dance, Emily?" He shifted nervously, not
looking at her.
"Well ... I can't dance too good:" She had a soft smile, and Crystal
thought she was prettier when her smile reached her blue eyes.
"What you don't know, Jube can teach you," she said. She pushed
Emily in his direction and smiled inwardly. What a sweet couple
they would make.
By now, Crystal had a gnawing feeling in her stomach. She
was a bit giddy with excitement from all the fun and gaiety. She
supposed she should eat something, but that was soon forgotten
as Luke ambled in her direction.
"Care to dance, or have you worn yourself out?"
"Tired? Me? I'm used to dancing;" she responded a little louder
than she intended. Luke chuckled and led her to the floor. Rusty
was calling a square dance, and before she knew it she was being whirled and sashayed from one partner to another until she ended
back up in Luke's strong arms, but not before she saw April place
a possessive hand on his arm. Crystal looked away. Then, out of
nowhere, Luke was at her side, pulling her off the dance floor.
"Follow me!" Luke said as she tried to keep up with his long
strides. He steered her to the door and outside into the cool night
air.
"I believe you need to get some fresh air." They strolled toward
the corral.
"I feel mighty fine. I don't need air," Crystal said, but Luke put
a protective arm around her.
Her rib cage is so small. Why, my two hands could span her
waist. He remembered how she looked as Bill whirled her around
on the dance floor. The bodice had a low neckline, narrowing to
her waist, where white ruffles peeked out from the pleated folds
of her skirt. He thought she couldn't have looked lovelier with
her chestnut hair pinned with velvet ribbons hanging down her
back. He'd felt a strange pull inside as hed watched her giving rapt
attention to the pastor.
"I just haven't eaten anything yet. That's all that's wrong with me"
She looked up at him, her eyes sparkling like diamonds as they filled
with tears. "Luke, some of the girls don't like me:" She leaned against
the corral railing. "They think my dress is gaudy and the neckline
too low and... " Her voice trailed off, and she started crying.
Luke felt a tug at his heart and pulled the small form to him.
"Shh ... you are just imagining they think that:" He stroked her
head as he would a child. Her hair smelled so sweet.
"No, I heard them." She pulled away, wiping her face with the
back of her hand.
"You sure do stick out like a sore thumb.
"Not at all," April said. "I just think she looks and acts like a
floozy, and she's throwing herself at the men!"
"Well, I just think all of you are being a little unfair;' spoke a
quieter voice.
"Oh, Emily, grow up!" April said. "She doesn't know the difference between a pancake and an enchilada. I'll be glad when she's
gone." The talking diminished as they walked out of earshot.
Bill swallowed hard as Crystal's face crumpled with hurt. "I'm
sorry you heard that, Crystal." In the light glow of the lamps
Crystal saw his face turn scarlet. "They didn't mean anything by
that. Perhaps when they get to know you, they'll feel differently,"
he soothed.
"They are indeed lacking in hospitality," she said, swallowing
the lump in her throat. She sounded stronger than she felt, and
she could feel her eyes burning. She had lost her appetite.
Later, Crystal stood talking with Charles and Sara Johnson,
whom she liked on the spot. They were simple homesteaders, and
she could sense their genuineness. Their daughters, Emily and
Beth, were two rather plain-looking young girls she recognized
as the ones she'd overheard earlier. Beth eyed her openly, but
Emily was sweet and struck up a conversation with her. Out of the
corner of her eye, Crystal watched as Luke encircled April's waist
and hugged her to his hipbone while they stood watching others
dancing. Jube sauntered over to where she and Emily stood.
"Would you care to dance, Emily?" He shifted nervously, not
looking at her.
"Well ... I can't dance too good:" She had a soft smile, and Crystal
thought she was prettier when her smile reached her blue eyes.
"What you don't know, Jube can teach you," she said. She pushed
Emily in his direction and smiled inwardly. What a sweet couple
they would make.
By now, Crystal had a gnawing feeling in her stomach. She
was a bit giddy with excitement from all the fun and gaiety. She
supposed she should eat something, but that was soon forgotten
as Luke ambled in her direction.
"Care to dance, or have you worn yourself out?"
"Tired? Me? I'm used to dancing;" she responded a little louder
than she intended. Luke chuckled and led her to the floor. Rusty
was calling a square dance, and before she knew it she was being whirled and sashayed from one partner to another until she ended
back up in Luke's strong arms, but not before she saw April place
a possessive hand on his arm. Crystal looked away. Then, out of
nowhere, Luke was at her side, pulling her off the dance floor.
"Follow me!" Luke said as she tried to keep up with his long
strides. He steered her to the door and outside into the cool night
air.
"I believe you need to get some fresh air." They strolled toward
the corral.
"I feel mighty fine. I don't need air," Crystal said, but Luke put
a protective arm around her.
Her rib cage is so small. Why, my two hands could span her
waist. He remembered how she looked as Bill whirled her around
on the dance floor. The bodice had a low neckline, narrowing to
her waist, where white ruffles peeked out from the pleated folds
of her skirt. He thought she couldn't have looked lovelier with
her chestnut hair pinned with velvet ribbons hanging down her
back. He'd felt a strange pull inside as hed watched her giving rapt
attention to the pastor.
"I just haven't eaten anything yet. That's all that's wrong with me"
She looked up at him, her eyes sparkling like diamonds as they filled
with tears. "Luke, some of the girls don't like me:" She leaned against
the corral railing. "They think my dress is gaudy and the neckline
too low and... " Her voice trailed off, and she started crying.
Luke felt a tug at his heart and pulled the small form to him.
"Shh ... you are just imagining they think that:" He stroked her
head as he would a child. Her hair smelled so sweet.
"No, I heard them." She pulled away, wiping her face with the
back of her hand.
"You sure do stick out like a sore thumb.
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