Aundy (Pendleton Petticoats - Book 1) Read Online Free PDF Page B

along with you,” Nora said, setting the towel on the table while Aundy got to her feet and tried unsuccessfully to unbutton her dress with one hand. Nora helped Aundy remove her clothes and wrapped the towel around the girl. Embarrassed to be in need of assistance, and from a complete stranger, Aundy’s pink cheeks flamed through the mud splattered on her face.
    “Go soak a while and by the time you’re ready to get out, the boys should be back with your things,” Nora said, pointing toward the bathroom.
    Hurrying down the hall, Aundy glanced at her arm, glad to see bone was not poking through the skin. Maybe it was just sprained.
    Eyeing the wonderful bathtub, Aundy closed the door behind her and used the old towel to wipe off as much mud as she could before sinking into the steaming water.
    Taking a few moments to let the water relax her sore, abused muscles, she continued to send up prayers on Erik’s behalf. She couldn’t hear what Garrett whispered to Nora, but by the looks on both their faces, it had to be bad. She felt guilty soaking in a tub of hot water with a bar of fragrant rose soap Erik had no doubt purchased for her scenting the air while he lay unmoving in his bed. As soon as she was clean, she’d go sit with him and hold his hand. It was the least she could do.
    Trying to wash her hair one-handed, she was relieved when Nora knocked and stuck her head around the door. “Need any help?”
    “If you don’t mind, I could use some with my hair,” Aundy said, looking chagrined.
    Smiling, Nora soaped Aundy’s hair, keeping up a running conversation while she did so.  “Did Erik say you were from Chicago?” Nora asked as she busied herself massaging Aundy’s scalp. Aundy didn’t think anything had ever felt so good before and closed her eyes.
    “Yes, ma’am.”
     “He said something about you being a seamstress. Is that correct?”
    “I worked as a seamstress in a factory that made ready-made clothing. Our mother taught my sister and me to sew when we were quite young.”
    “Did your sister work in the factory with you?”
    Aundy shook her head. “No, thank goodness. Ilsa has a rare talent with a needle. She works for my aunt, creating gowns for some of Chicago’s most elite clientele. I would not have allowed her to work in the factory.”
    “Oh?  Why not?” Nora asked, not familiar with what factory work entailed.
    “The hours are long, the pay is poor, and the working conditions are less than pleasant,” Aundy said, managing to suppress a shudder. Her beautiful, delicate younger sister wouldn’t have lasted a week in the factory. Some of the male supervisors weren’t above making life miserable for the pretty girls who turned down their attentions. On top of that, the work was backbreaking, sitting in front of a sewing machine for hours on end with insufficient lighting. Aundy never had any problems because she wasn’t perceived as one of the young, attractive girls. Instead, she was lumped in with the matrons who largely went unbothered.
    Wanting to make a better life for herself, and eventually her sister, Erik offered Aundy the opportunity when he asked her to marry him. Educated, Aundy hadn’t been able to secure any suitable work when she found herself desperate to earn an income, which was why she took the job in the factory. Her family needed the money and didn’t have the luxury of waiting for a good job to come along.
    “Does your sister still work for your aunt?”
    “Yes, she does,” Aundy said, her tone taking on an edge as she thought about the cruel woman who held her sister’s fate in her hands. “I was hoping to eventually bring Ilsa out here to live on the farm. Erik mentioned in one of his letters that he wouldn’t mind. He just asked that I wait a few months to give us time to get used to being married. Now, I…”
    Nora put a gentle hand on Aundy’s head as the girl struggled to keep the tears filling her eyes from rolling down her cheeks. Erik’s