Abigail's Secret (A Whimsical Select Romance Novella) Read Online Free PDF Page A

out tonight?
    Come out tonight, Come out tonight?
    Charlotte gals, won't you come out tonight,
    And dance by the light of the moon.
     
                  “Oh, Thomas,” Abigail whispered.  “This is an unseemly thing to do to poor Tess.  Having her arrive into this maddening town is as calamitous as having her march into Hell’s fire.”
    “She’s an entertainer by trade, Abilene ,” he prompted, reminding her of the importance that she kept up appearances with her new name.  “I went to Wilmington and spoke to her last week and she is wholly in support of our cause.  In fact, she was rather tickled and eager to participate.”
    From the corner of her eye, Abigail glanced at Brice Winslow where he was leaning against the station’s wall.  She looked over her shoulder to improve her view and was embarrassed that he was already looking at her.  He nodded and tipped his hat and she hastily turned back around.
    “I see Mister Winslow is eagerly awaiting my arrival,” she gritted out quietly between her teeth.
    Thomas looked toward Brice, smiled, and waved him over to join them.  Abigail nudged him in the ribs.  “What are you doing?”
    “Aren’t you the least bit curious at seeing his reaction when he comes face to face with Tess?  She’ll surely make fun sport of him.  I don’t know about you, dear sister, but I want a front seat to that show.”
    “Oh, Thomas,” Abigail snickered.  She lightly smacked his arm with her lace fan.  “Truly, of late, I believe the devil has taken over all your senses.”
    “Good day, “Brice offered after he pushed his way through the crowd to meet them.  Abigail noticed that he was back in his formal wear for the event, unlike his daily wear she’d seen him in town the previous week wearing that consisted of basic wool trousers and a plaid cotton shirt.  Out of the corner of her eye, she secretly perused him and reluctantly acknowledged that he looked quite dapper.  He had an aroma of cinnamon and spice about his person and she wondered if it was something he’d ingested or from something that he wore.  Either way, it was alluring.
    “So, Mister Winslow, as the week’s past has brought a multitude of new gentlem en into your town, are you beginning to fret whether Abigail will choose you?”
    He looked lazily down with his bright green eyes and gazed into hers.  Abigail had a feeling of great discomfort by his closeness and inwardly cursed when the crowd prevented her further distance away from him.  He finally smiled and slowly shook his head, completely confident that he’d be the one that she’d choose.
    “Well, Mister Winslow, every garden in the county has been plucked bare of floras , and the all the town’s stores have sold their supplies of chocolates and candies, so what will be your plan of attack to gain Miss Abigail’s heart? “
    “ Well,” he drawled out, “I don’t intend to sound like I’m going to war with her as you suggest, Miss Abilene, but rather woo her.”  He glanced at the crowd as if to weigh their numbers.  “And from the looks of how many Blue Bellies and Darkies are present, I suspect the numbers in competition would narrow considerably, as I’m sure our Abigail wouldn’t shock polite society by taking them into consideration.”
    The boxcar door slid open and the crowd turned toward the train. They all stood deathly still and quiet, and Brice, Abigail, and Thomas turned to watch.  Stepping toward the doorway, Tiny Tess appeared in a bright pink gown with pagoda sleeves and a lace neckline that looked uncomfortable around her thick neck.  Although her gown was no longer fashionable, it suited her rightly well.  The woman glanced over all the people in the crowd and then placed her hands aside her wide hips.  A smile brightened her face and she shouted out into the crowd in a loud, robust voice, “I’m Abigail Large and I am here to get myself a husband!”
    The crowd whirled with excitement.