The Prettiest Girl in the Land (The Traherns #3) by Nancy Radke

ships and sends them here for their dresses.  Lila says you are to
meet the bankers tomorrow at one. You come at eleven and we’ll put in the hem.
Your work dress may not be ready then, but the one you’ll need to meet them
will be.”
    “Thank you very much. And Ma’am, could I get some of the cloth
scraps?”
    “I’ll give you some right now, already cut to size.”
    “Thank you.”
    “You’re welcome. I always have some ready.”
    When we got back, Gage was up and heading out the door, clean
shaven and back in his broadcloth outfit.. He stopped, looked me up and down,
and smiled.
    “The dirt does wash off,” he said.
    “Thankfully.”
    “I love your hair that way. Looks beautiful.”
    “Thank you.” I wasn’t used to being complimented on my looks.
Lila had done an outstanding job.
    “I’m off to find work,” he added. “Mrs. Jones showed me the
newspaper. With that kind of recommendation, I should get some quick.”
    He was back at suppertime, saying he’d got a job as a driver
hauling freight to the mines. “The miners pay for it in gold dust, so the
company wanted someone who they could count on not to take the money and
skedaddle.”
    I’d spent a wonderful afternoon in the kitchen, learning how to
make a soup stock and pies with flaky crusts. It felt grand to be able to
actually enjoy what I’d cooked.
    I told Mrs. Jones that I always burned everything, and she said
I had my stove too hot and was trying to cook things too fast.
    She had a huge stove with two ovens, but a lot of it was extra
top. There were different spots on the top, one where she could set a pot to
simmer all day, and another to boil potatoes. And it had a warming shelf. I
think anyone could cook using that. I watched her careful like, seeing what I’d
been doing wrong most of my life, asking questions and having her show me.
    Her other boarders came back from work, so we had a table full.
Twelve in all. They asked Gage and me so many questions that we almost didn’t
get to eat.
    Afterwards Gage asked me outside. He wanted to sit on the porch
swing that Mrs. Jones had there, but I told him I needed to put Travers outside
once more. So instead we went to my room, opened the door for Travers, and
followed him out into the backyard.
    “I got a shovel and dug a hole over in that corner of the flower
bed,” Gage said, pointing. “We can use it to keep the yard clean. I talked it
over with Mrs. Jones and she agreed. We’ll leave the shovel here by the house.”
    “I don’t like keeping Travers in this small space.”
    “I have two routes. One short, one long, with a day off between
routes. I could take him out on those days. And you’ll be free on weekends. So
some days we could take him out together.”
    “I’ll ask Mrs. Jones where we could let him run. When do you
start work?”
    “In two days. I need to get a change of clothes. Can’t live in
these all the time.”
    “That’s where I was today. Buying a dress for the meeting with
the bankers tomorrow. And just to have a nice dress.”
    “That meeting. You’re right. I should get something better to
wear. I don’t know where to go to get something in that short of time.”
    “Ask Mrs. Jones.”
    “I will. Come with me. Travers will be all right here.”
    We went inside, Gage holding the door for me as I went through.
He was always doing little, thoughtful things like that. In that, he reminded
me of Trey, who had always helped me when he was around.
    Mrs. Jones considered our request and sent Gage to her
storeroom.
    “I had a gent about your size who left without paying, so I
never sent his trunk on. Go see if there’s anything in it you can wear. He was
a smart dresser, but I think he did it to hide the fact he was broke.” As Gage
opened the storeroom door and went in, Mrs. Jones added to me, “The man was a
gambler. Don’t ever marry a gambler.”
    Gage came out carrying a suit of clothes. “The length looks
right. I’ll have to try it on.”
    “Do