Pearl by Lauraine Snelling Read Free Book Online Page A

Brandons’ eldest daughter and two years older than me, hadn’t worn them much before I got them.’’
    ‘‘Like that blue coat you got hanging in your room?’’
    ‘‘Um-hm. Matching shoes and hat too. Along with the dress.’’
    Opal smiled, a dreamy smile that spoke of good memories.
    ‘‘Well, I never. Like in a picture book. Bet you was sad to come out here.’’
    ‘‘Yes, but I wanted to meet my papa.’’
    Milly’s snort suggested perhaps Opal had not made the best choice. After all, Milly had been the maid when Dove House had a less than savory reputation. Not that Opal had had anything to say about the matter.
    ‘‘I ain’t . . . er . . . never had . . .’’ Milly flinched as she corrected her own English before someone else could do it for her.
    ‘‘Good.’’ Opal grinned back, her approbation making Milly’s smile even wider.
    ‘‘Never had a new dress for Easter, or any time, until Cimarron sewed this for me.’’ She fingered the folds in her dark serge skirt. ‘‘And now I have two new skirts and another waist. Ruby ripped my old things up, said they was—were almost too patched for rags. Patches on patches they wa—were.’’ She rolled her eyes heavenward. ‘‘Land sakes, tryin’ to talk right is harder’n, well, about anything I ever done before.’’
    ‘‘Did.’’
    ‘‘Oh!’’ She stamped her foot but gently, as if to make a point and make Opal laugh at the same time. ‘‘See, what did I tell you?’’
    Everyone liked to make Opal laugh.
    Opal leaned closer and dropped her voice. ‘‘Ruby’s got a surprise for you.’’
    ‘‘Opal?’’
    At Ruby’s call the two stepped apart and stopped giggling.
    Ruby came through the door from the dining room, humming under her breath. ‘‘All right you two, what are you up to now?’’
    ‘‘W-why? Nothing.’’ Opal donned her most innocent expression, an act of supreme expertise.
    ‘‘Oh really?’’ Ruby turned her head slightly to the side, a sure sign she didn’t really believe her younger sister. The way Opal was growing, she wouldn’t be called little sister much longer.
    ‘‘Have you seen Belle?’’
    Both the girls shook their heads.
    ‘‘The others are ready to practice, and she promised she’d play the piano.’’ Ruby made a tsking sound through clamped teeth. Belle could always be counted on to play dance hall and drinking music. But hymns? Anything to cause friction. Could nothing go right this day?
    The sound of scraping boots at the back door caught their attention, and with a blast of cold air, Belle sailed into the room, snowflakes dusting the shoulders of her black wool shawl.
    ‘‘So is everyone ready?’’ The feather on her green felt hat dipped over one eye. With a twitch of a hand, she settled the upper drape over her full skirt.
    That’s new, Ruby thought, trying to remember if she’d seen the outfit before. Why is it Belle can afford new clothes when the rest of us sew our own or make do with what we already have? I better ask Charlie if she’s been skimming off the card take again. Surely she wouldn’t. She promised me to deal fairly and keep only a third of the winnings. Ha! Only if she felt I wouldn’t check. But what about the missing money?
    The argument in Ruby’s head seemed to go on continually. No matter how hard she tried to subdue or ignore the inner discussions, any confrontation, especially those with Belle, set her head to clamoring. She often wondered why Belle stayed on at Dove House. Although why not? She obviously made enough money running the cardroom to buy the things she desired. Her room and board were cheap, and unless she volunteered like she had for the Sunday music, she had no further responsibilities. Unlike the rest of them who worked from before the world even thought of dawn to well after dark.
    ‘‘The others are waiting for you .’’ Ruby emphasized the word, waiting in the hope that Belle would get the hint.
    ‘‘I won’t