Gold Rush Wedding, Page 2

Abigail had Lucinda step up on a low wooden stool so she could make sure the dress hung correctly. “I can’t believe you were going to wear plain old gown to your own wedding. It’s a good thing I talked you into letting me make your dress and add this satin trimming.” Her words were almost a mumble around the pins in her mouth. The fabric from Mrs. Talbot's millinery shop was a beautiful cream, but it was plain. Abigail had worked magic with her sewing expertise.

  “Thank you, Abigail. It’s a lovely wedding gift. I feel blessed to be getting a sister by marriage as kind as you.”

  “What about me?” Tansy looked up from her seat next to the window, where she was idly flipping through one of Abigail's fashion catalogues.

  “Tansy, put my catalogue down. Obviously, Lucinda is happy to have you as a sister, too.” Abigail shook her head and lowered her voice. “She's so needy. She always has to be the center of adoration.”

  Lucinda laughed. The two sisters fought constantly. If they weren’t fighting over the attentions of George, they were fighting over anything and everything else. Being an only daughter, she had never enjoyed the unique pleasure of having siblings to battle with.

  She looked down at the dress and ran her hands over the fabric.

  “Stop that!” Abigail commanded. “I’m trying to make this dress perfect, and you’re fidgeting and making the fabric move.” Her brows furrowed like storm clouds above her sky blue eyes as she concentrated on pinning the ribbons to the lower ruffle.

  The dress was beautiful. It was simple, as befit Lucinda’s taste. She wasn’t one to wear showy clothing. The petticoat was cotton, and Abigail had embroidered flowers along the fabric’s edge. The dress itself was creamy cotton, with two layers of ruffles. The ruffles were lined with satin trim and a shorter ruffle covered her shoulders and breasts in a V shaped panel that descended to her waist. In the front of the ruffle, Abigail had sewn purple and orange satin blossoms after finding out Lucinda's favorite flowers were lavender and poppy.

  “Lucinda, let me show you something we brought for you.” Tansy picked up a small black box from the dresser.

  Abigail shot her a look and pursed her lips tighter around the last two pins in her mouth. They pointed like darts at her sister's face.

  "Or maybe I'll show you later, after Abigail finishes with the dress." Tansy set the box back down.

  Abigail sighed, placed the remaining pins, and then stepped back. “This dress is beautiful enough for a queen,” she announced after a thorough inspection. "And now we have a special adornment for it."

  Tansy smiled. “You know the old saying, 'Something borrowed, something blue, something old, something new.' This is your borrowed item."

  Tansy shoved the box into Lucinda's hand. "You're going to love it Lucinda. Open it already."

  Lucinda sat down on the stool, carefully avoiding any stray pins in the hem. Her eyes went to Abigail, who also nodded that she should open the box. She cracked the lid open, and saw a lyre shaped gold brooch. It had three tiny diamonds at the top. "Oh, it's gorgeous." She lifted it out of the box and held it up.

  "It's our mother's and she wants you to wear it," Abigail told her.

  "If you want to, of course," Tansy added.

  "I want to." Lucinda pressed it to her heart. "It's such a kind and wonderful thing to do. How can I ever thank you all?"

  "That's easy," Tansy told her. "Take good care of George."

  "That won't be easy at all." Abigail smiled and shook her head. "Our brother is an adventurer and stubborn to boot."

  "I think that's what I love about him the most," Lucinda said. "If he hadn't teamed up with me in Diggers Flat, I don't know how I would have managed. When that old sourdough miner tried to honey up to me, George sent him packing. He's looked out for me ever since. Now that I've gotten to know you both, I love you as my new family."

  The three young women embraced and kissed each other on the cheeks.

  "Now get out of your dress," Abigail urged. "I've still got work to do. Making a wedding dress in less than a week is not something I can do if we're lollygagging about all day."