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Authors: Kristin Hannah
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bags piled on the bench.
With some satisfaction she noticed how neatly Digby had stacked them. At least he was good for something.
"Where do I purchase my ticket?" she said without bothering to look at him.
Silence answered her. She turned to look at Digby, and shook her head in disgust. He was too busy ogling her trunk to notice she'd spoken. She sighed. This was going to be the longest trip of her life.
"Digby? Digby?"
Larence was dimly aware that she was talking to—or rather, at—him, but he couldn't wrench his gaze away from her baggage. He shook his head in denial. All these bags and that huge trunk couldn't be hers.
She had to know how they were getting to Cibola.
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65
A sick feeling crept into his stomach. He had mentioned it, hadn't he?
He decided that with Miss Hatter, it was best to take the bull by the horns—and hope she didn't fling him through the air. "You can't bring all that. Dr. Stan ton—"
"Is an idiot. I need all of these things. Surely you don't expect me to wear the same clothes every evening on the train? Now, where do I purchase a ticket?"
Larence let out a disappointed sigh. This wasn't going as well as he'd expected. He'd hoped the looming excitement of their adventure would soften her tongue. At least a little bit.
She snapped her fingers in front of his face. He jumped in surprise. "Where do I purchase my ticket?" she repeated in the slow, exaggerated tone of voice usually reserved for imbeciles.
He thrust a wadded-up scrap of paper at her. "Here." She frowned. "What is it?"
"Your ticket. I felt it was the least I could do, since it was your money that financed the expedition."
Emma's mouth dropped open in surprise. Relief buckled her knees. She grabbed the bench's hard wooden back to steady herself. Suddenly the fifty dollars in her purse swelled like a fortune. "Why, Dr.
Digby, that's very thoughtful of you," she managed.
"I figured we'd never get to sit together unless we purchased the tickets early. So I sent my assistant right over here after you left my office. He was able to get you a seat next to mine. And the very last one.
How's that for luck?"
Emma's relieved smile froze. "Next ... to you?" "Yes, isn't it great? I'll be able to tell you all about 66
Kristin Hannah
Cibola. Why, by the time we get there ..." He frowned. "Are you all right, Miss Hatter. You're pale."
Emma's retort was cut in half by the loud whistle of a train and the booming words: "All aboard!"
"That's it!" Digby said excitedly. "That's the number Eighty-Two to Albuquerque."
Emma's fingers curled around the ticket in her gloved hand. Five days—and nights—on a train with Dr.
Dimwit at her side. Her teeth ached at the thought of it.
She'd almost rather be poor. Almost.
"Let's go." Without waiting for Digby, she gathered her handbag, satchel, and parasol, and headed toward the train. Her expensive, scallop-edged twelve-button walking boots clattered like a Gatling gun as she marched toward the uniformed train attendant standing alongside the car nearest her. At her approach, the dark-skinned man offered her a warm, welcoming smile.
Emma cast a quick glance behind her. Larence was reaching for his ridiculously overstuffed, out-of-date valise. She breathed a sigh of relief. It would take him a while to flag down a porter and get their trunks and bags loaded on the train. She had a few precious moments without him.
She handed the attendant her ticket. "I'd like to trade this seat for another. Anywhere."
The man didn't even bother to look at her ticket. "Sorry, miss. Train's full up."
"I have money."
"I'm sure you do, miss," he said, taking her bag, "but that don't give this train mo' seats. Now, if you'll follow me ..."
Emma's lips stretched into a tense smile. "Fine," she said between clenched teeth. "Lead on."
The uniformed attendant climbed the creaky metal
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67
steps leading onto the car, then turned and offered his big, pinkish brown palm to her.
With some satisfaction she noticed how neatly Digby had stacked them. At least he was good for something.
"Where do I purchase my ticket?" she said without bothering to look at him.
Silence answered her. She turned to look at Digby, and shook her head in disgust. He was too busy ogling her trunk to notice she'd spoken. She sighed. This was going to be the longest trip of her life.
"Digby? Digby?"
Larence was dimly aware that she was talking to—or rather, at—him, but he couldn't wrench his gaze away from her baggage. He shook his head in denial. All these bags and that huge trunk couldn't be hers.
She had to know how they were getting to Cibola.
THE ENCHANTMENT
65
A sick feeling crept into his stomach. He had mentioned it, hadn't he?
He decided that with Miss Hatter, it was best to take the bull by the horns—and hope she didn't fling him through the air. "You can't bring all that. Dr. Stan ton—"
"Is an idiot. I need all of these things. Surely you don't expect me to wear the same clothes every evening on the train? Now, where do I purchase a ticket?"
Larence let out a disappointed sigh. This wasn't going as well as he'd expected. He'd hoped the looming excitement of their adventure would soften her tongue. At least a little bit.
She snapped her fingers in front of his face. He jumped in surprise. "Where do I purchase my ticket?" she repeated in the slow, exaggerated tone of voice usually reserved for imbeciles.
He thrust a wadded-up scrap of paper at her. "Here." She frowned. "What is it?"
"Your ticket. I felt it was the least I could do, since it was your money that financed the expedition."
Emma's mouth dropped open in surprise. Relief buckled her knees. She grabbed the bench's hard wooden back to steady herself. Suddenly the fifty dollars in her purse swelled like a fortune. "Why, Dr.
Digby, that's very thoughtful of you," she managed.
"I figured we'd never get to sit together unless we purchased the tickets early. So I sent my assistant right over here after you left my office. He was able to get you a seat next to mine. And the very last one.
How's that for luck?"
Emma's relieved smile froze. "Next ... to you?" "Yes, isn't it great? I'll be able to tell you all about 66
Kristin Hannah
Cibola. Why, by the time we get there ..." He frowned. "Are you all right, Miss Hatter. You're pale."
Emma's retort was cut in half by the loud whistle of a train and the booming words: "All aboard!"
"That's it!" Digby said excitedly. "That's the number Eighty-Two to Albuquerque."
Emma's fingers curled around the ticket in her gloved hand. Five days—and nights—on a train with Dr.
Dimwit at her side. Her teeth ached at the thought of it.
She'd almost rather be poor. Almost.
"Let's go." Without waiting for Digby, she gathered her handbag, satchel, and parasol, and headed toward the train. Her expensive, scallop-edged twelve-button walking boots clattered like a Gatling gun as she marched toward the uniformed train attendant standing alongside the car nearest her. At her approach, the dark-skinned man offered her a warm, welcoming smile.
Emma cast a quick glance behind her. Larence was reaching for his ridiculously overstuffed, out-of-date valise. She breathed a sigh of relief. It would take him a while to flag down a porter and get their trunks and bags loaded on the train. She had a few precious moments without him.
She handed the attendant her ticket. "I'd like to trade this seat for another. Anywhere."
The man didn't even bother to look at her ticket. "Sorry, miss. Train's full up."
"I have money."
"I'm sure you do, miss," he said, taking her bag, "but that don't give this train mo' seats. Now, if you'll follow me ..."
Emma's lips stretched into a tense smile. "Fine," she said between clenched teeth. "Lead on."
The uniformed attendant climbed the creaky metal
THE ENCHANTMENT
67
steps leading onto the car, then turned and offered his big, pinkish brown palm to her.
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