Chloë by Marcus LaGrone Read Free Book Online Page A

every book to be found.  Dawn used to help read books
to her, wonderful lady.  Well heck, Alexis is nice too!  Don’t mean
to slight her!”
    “So
you stole that guy’s gun when you hugged him?” laughed Chloë.  “That was
marvelous!”
    Heather
pouted, or at least tried to, “It is only stealing if you plan to keep
it.  I ‘disarmed’ him.”
    Chloë
just grinned, “ Mea culpa !  I should be thanking you, but standing
here I’m just trying not to laugh my tail into a knot.”
    Heather
smiled back, “Hey, a good laugh is always a good thing.  Let’s see if we
can make it those last ten feet and actually get inside the dress shop
this time.”
    “Let’s!”
       

7            
     
     
    Chloë
stood in front of a mirror in her bedroom back at the house as she spun back
and forth in one of her new dresses; its flow was perfect.  It bounced and
lifted with every turn but fluttered expertly back into place ever so
elegantly.  She had worn finer fabrics, but quite honestly she had never
worn anything that had fit her so perfectly.  There was a level of art and
craftsmanship that was present here that was sorely missing back home. 
“It is gorgeous,” beamed Chloë.  “They all are.  Machine sewn
garments have nothing on these.”
    Heather
nodded, “That is what happens when you have people who take pride in the work
for its quality, not its speed.”
    “Indeed. 
I noticed the stitching was uneven, but symmetric.  That threw me for a
loop.   But now wearing the garments I can understand: the density of
the stitching changed to help control the stretch of the fabric.  That is
an amazing level of detail and understanding!”
    Heather
nodded with a smile, “There are many lowlanders who visit just for clothes
shopping.  I think you are starting to see why.”
    “Yes. 
Yes indeed.”  Chloë suddenly frowned, “I hate to ask, but how expensive
were these?”
    Heather
cut loose with one of her signature raspberries, “If Dad said ‘don’t worry’ we
don’t worry.  Besides, I think they’ve been emptying the pockets of
everyone they deport.”
    “Was
there a problem with those other three?”
    “Don’t
know.  We can ask Dad later.  But I seriously doubt there was a
problem on our end.   If they leave when asked nicely, they get to
keep all their teeth.”
    “This
is just a side of you I would never have suspected, Heather.  Not exactly
brutal but…”
    “Mercenary?”
Heather offered with a grin.  “Hey, I’m happy to be sunshine and
roses.  But I’m not going to roll over and play dead if someone is causing
problems.”
    Chloë
smiled weakly, “I, on the other hand, was instructed, trained, to roll over and
do as I was instructed without pausing and without question all of my life.”
    “Didn’t
take as well as they would have hoped for,” grinned Heather.  “Be proud of
what you are and the fact that you did finally take a stand.”
    “I’m
not so sure if it was I who took a stand or if it was just that my governess
felt sorry for me,” murmured Chloë.
    “Don’t
sell yourself short, even with your governess’ support, packing up and leaving
home and traveling 7000 light years away isn’t something you do lightly.”
    Chloë
tried to smile, “Yeah, I guess so.  Although it wasn’t much ‘packing up,’
I only made it out in my nightgown!”
    They
both had a laugh at that.  Chloë suddenly noticed Heather’s ear was
twitching, “You all right?  Your ear is twitching.”
    Heather
laughed, “Sorry about that, just straining to listen.  My dad came in the
front door and I was trying to tell if he was coming up here or not.  He
likes sneaking quite a bit, and I don’t like getting caught.”
    “Do
I really sneak that much?” suddenly asked Llewellyn from the hallway.
    Chloë’s
fur spiked on end before she broke out laughing, “Yes, yes that is considered
sneaking!”
    Llewellyn
was grinning broadly, “The dresses seem to suit you both