warm—to get married in. She put on a day dress, wondering how much time she had to pull something together.
At least that was all she had to worry about. She’d talked with Sadie and Suzanne when she got home—between shrieks and laughter—and they’d settled on the wedding at Archer Ranch and a small luncheon at the Occidental afterward. There were no guests other than family to be invited, so the group would be small enough to be in the small dining room to the side of the restaurant, with long, red velvet curtains to close for privacy.
She wrung her hands as she looked once more in her wardrobe. Suzanne had offered the dress she and Sadie had both married in, and it did look like it would fit—and was lovely. For some reason, though she’d wanted something of her own. Why hadn’t she thought to bring something more appropriate from Chicago?
She jumped at the knock on her door as it pulled her away from her thoughts. “Come in,” she said as she moved to open the door.
Backing away as it opened to allow enough room for the twins and Suzanne to enter, she looked with surprise to Suzanne. The twins struggled with each end of a rather large, flat box, and Suzanne shrugged as they finally made it to the bed and set it down.
“This just came for you. I think I recognized the deliverer from Archer Ranch, but I’m not positive. There’s a note.”
“Hurry up and open it, Clara!” Lucy cried, sitting on the bed beside her and bouncing up and down.
“Is it candy?” Lily said as she stood beside Clara, her eyes wide.
“I don’t think so,” Suzanne said as she moved to sit at the vanity.
Clara held the note in her hand, the gold-embossed
‘A’ in the left corner letting her know it was from the Archer Ranch.
“Do you think it could be a wedding gift from Hank? How thoughtful,” Clara said as she turned the envelope over and opened it.
She read the letter silently and looked up as it dropped to her lap. She frowned at Suzanne, and set it to the side, picking up the box and untying the ribbon that surrounded it.
“Well, what did it say? What is it?” Suzanne said as she stood and moved closer for a better look.
“Just one line. From Mr. Archer.” Clara removed the ribbon, wrapping it around Lucy’s neck as she giggled. “It just says that he wants me to have this to wear today. It was Katie’s.”
Suzanne gasped as Clara took the lid off the box and lifted up a beautiful, sky blue chiffon dress.
Clara blinked hard as she looked at it, her eyes moist as she looked from the dress to Suzanne.
“It’s beautiful, Aunt Clara,” Lily said.
Lucy reached out to touch the soft chiffon. “You’ll look like a princess again.”
“Stay right here. We have just the thing, don’t we girls?” Suzanne said over her shoulder as she left, both twins in tow.
Clara walked slowly to the mirror, holding the dress in front of her. The color was stunning, and she spun in a circle, laughing at the way the chiffon followed her with a flounce.
As she regarded herself one more time, wondering if it would be appropriate to wear it for the wedding, Suzanne held up a pair of ice blue earrings, the exact color of the dress, and placed a hat on her head.
“Look at how beautiful this color is with your red hair and green eyes,” Suzanne said softly. “And it’s warm now that it’s spring. The hat will do you well.”
Clara reached for the earrings and held it to her ear. She hadn’t given much thought to her actual wedding, really, and was pleased with what she saw. She hoped Hank would be, too.
“You think I should wear it, then?” She turned to Suzanne who regarded her with her arms folded.
“I think there is absolutely no question that you should.”
Clara turned back to the mirror and frowned, holding the shoulders of the dress where they would rest—a bit off her shoulders. “You don’t think it immodest with my shoulders exposed?”
“Certainly not. Katie Archer was well loved and well
At least that was all she had to worry about. She’d talked with Sadie and Suzanne when she got home—between shrieks and laughter—and they’d settled on the wedding at Archer Ranch and a small luncheon at the Occidental afterward. There were no guests other than family to be invited, so the group would be small enough to be in the small dining room to the side of the restaurant, with long, red velvet curtains to close for privacy.
She wrung her hands as she looked once more in her wardrobe. Suzanne had offered the dress she and Sadie had both married in, and it did look like it would fit—and was lovely. For some reason, though she’d wanted something of her own. Why hadn’t she thought to bring something more appropriate from Chicago?
She jumped at the knock on her door as it pulled her away from her thoughts. “Come in,” she said as she moved to open the door.
Backing away as it opened to allow enough room for the twins and Suzanne to enter, she looked with surprise to Suzanne. The twins struggled with each end of a rather large, flat box, and Suzanne shrugged as they finally made it to the bed and set it down.
“This just came for you. I think I recognized the deliverer from Archer Ranch, but I’m not positive. There’s a note.”
“Hurry up and open it, Clara!” Lucy cried, sitting on the bed beside her and bouncing up and down.
“Is it candy?” Lily said as she stood beside Clara, her eyes wide.
“I don’t think so,” Suzanne said as she moved to sit at the vanity.
Clara held the note in her hand, the gold-embossed
‘A’ in the left corner letting her know it was from the Archer Ranch.
“Do you think it could be a wedding gift from Hank? How thoughtful,” Clara said as she turned the envelope over and opened it.
She read the letter silently and looked up as it dropped to her lap. She frowned at Suzanne, and set it to the side, picking up the box and untying the ribbon that surrounded it.
“Well, what did it say? What is it?” Suzanne said as she stood and moved closer for a better look.
“Just one line. From Mr. Archer.” Clara removed the ribbon, wrapping it around Lucy’s neck as she giggled. “It just says that he wants me to have this to wear today. It was Katie’s.”
Suzanne gasped as Clara took the lid off the box and lifted up a beautiful, sky blue chiffon dress.
Clara blinked hard as she looked at it, her eyes moist as she looked from the dress to Suzanne.
“It’s beautiful, Aunt Clara,” Lily said.
Lucy reached out to touch the soft chiffon. “You’ll look like a princess again.”
“Stay right here. We have just the thing, don’t we girls?” Suzanne said over her shoulder as she left, both twins in tow.
Clara walked slowly to the mirror, holding the dress in front of her. The color was stunning, and she spun in a circle, laughing at the way the chiffon followed her with a flounce.
As she regarded herself one more time, wondering if it would be appropriate to wear it for the wedding, Suzanne held up a pair of ice blue earrings, the exact color of the dress, and placed a hat on her head.
“Look at how beautiful this color is with your red hair and green eyes,” Suzanne said softly. “And it’s warm now that it’s spring. The hat will do you well.”
Clara reached for the earrings and held it to her ear. She hadn’t given much thought to her actual wedding, really, and was pleased with what she saw. She hoped Hank would be, too.
“You think I should wear it, then?” She turned to Suzanne who regarded her with her arms folded.
“I think there is absolutely no question that you should.”
Clara turned back to the mirror and frowned, holding the shoulders of the dress where they would rest—a bit off her shoulders. “You don’t think it immodest with my shoulders exposed?”
“Certainly not. Katie Archer was well loved and well
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