Rocky Mountain Dreams. Danica Favorite

didn’t leave until after she was seated in the kitchen, Maddie fussing over her.

      “I can’t believe you fainted and didn’t let anyone call for the doctor. You should have at least had someone get you a carriage.” Maddie placed a cup of tea in front of her.

      “I got too warm, that’s all.” As Annabelle sipped her tea, she watched Joseph slip in the back door.

      Annabelle looked up at him. “Would you care for some tea?”

      “Thank you, no.” He turned his gaze to Maddie. “I want to visit my pa’s cabin. Frank gave me the information, but I’ll admit the directions don’t make much sense.”

      Maddie stirred the pot of soup. “I never venture out of town. Don’t want to get mixed up with the riffraff. Annabelle used to go up to the camps with her father. She might know.”

      Annabelle slumped in her seat. She had purposely avoided going to any of the mining camps since the illness that had taken her family. It hurt too much to see the work they’d done together, and realize that for the ones who’d died, it had been all in vain.

      “Of course I’ll help.” She tried to sound cheerful, but the look on Joseph’s face told her that he didn’t believe her.

      Joseph held up a hand. “Don’t put yourself out on account of me.”

      “I want to,” Annabelle said quietly. She wanted to add that she was sorry for not being more welcoming, but that would only serve to get a scolding from Maddie.

      Surely he would be able to accept her peace offering after explaining her feelings last night. This was as much as she could give, and he had to be gentlemanly enough to know that.

      The door opened, and her father walked in. “The soup smells delicious, Maddie.”

      Maddie beamed. “I’ll get you a bowl, and for everyone else. Joseph is going to look at his father’s cabin, and Annabelle fainted dead away on Harrison Avenue. A bit of soup will perk everyone up.”

      “I did not faint dead away.” Annabelle met her father’s look. “I got too warm, that’s all.”

      “She did, too!” Nugget piped up. “Fell on the ground and everything.”

      The worry on her father’s face nearly killed her. After having so much illness in the family, the last thing he needed was to be concerned about Annabelle’s health. Especially if what Lucy had said was true. He’d never let her leave if he thought she was taking ill.

      “I’m fine. It was just warm, and my dress was a bit...tight.” She whispered the word, knowing that ladies of her acquaintance often said that they sometimes got a little dizzy if their corsets were too tight. She would have easily said such a thing to her mother, or Maddie, if they were alone. But her father, being a man...still, if it eased his worry, a little diminished modesty would be worth it.

      “Well, land’s sakes, child!” Maddie set the bowl in front of her with a thud. “Why didn’t you just say your corset was too tight? No sense in suffering misery for the sake of fashion. I told you I thought that dress was too much. I don’t care what the other girls are wearing. We’re getting you upstairs and changing out of that monstrosity and into that nice calico where you don’t have to be laced so tight.”

      Annabelle’s face heated. She’d at least been discreet in her words. But for Maddie to be so free in front of... She stole a glance at Joseph, who winked at her.

      Annabelle looked down at her bowl. Of all the...

      “It’s all right, Annabelle. I have sisters. I never did see the point in those contraptions making a woman miserable.”

      She opened her mouth to say something, anything, to make this man know that such talk was completely inappropriate. But Maddie was tugging her out of her chair.

      “Let’s get you changed.”

      If only a change of clothes was enough to fix the woes in Annabelle’s life.