𝘊𝘖𝘕 𝘖𝘍 𝘙𝘌𝘝𝘌𝘕𝘎𝘌 | ᴘʀᴇ ʀᴅʀ2

Chapter One

1885

A nineteen-year-old girl with large brown eyes smiled at the shopkeeper from the other side of the counter. Her blonde curly hair was tied back with a blue bow, a few loose strands curling around her thin face. There was an innocence about her as she rocked on the balls of her feet and wrung her hands together, giving a shy smile to the shopkeeper.

"I'm sorry, sir. My Daddy usually doesn't send me to the store alone, but he's a very busy man. He asked me to give you a list and have someone run the items over to the inn we're staying at." She kept her gaze on him as she spoke, slowly dropping her eyes to the top of the counter as she finished her explanation.

The shopkeeper ran a hand over the bottom half of his scruffy chin. His features twisted in hesitation at her request, his lips downturned and his eyes squinted. "I dunno 'bout that miss. We ain't do that 'round here. At least not usually."

The girl looked up at him with wide brown eyes. "Oh, you don't? I'm so sorry! My Daddy, uncle, and I are passing through on business. We're from New York City, you see. They do that for us up there all the time... though my uncle usually does the shopping for him. Oh, Daddy is going to be so mad at me..."

She pressed a hand to the side of her face and mustered up a sniffle as tears filled her eyes. "I-I hope he isn't too upset... the one thing he asks of me and I can't even do that..." She whimpered.

The girl looked as though she would burst into tears at any moment. The shopkeeper shifted uncomfortably.

The last thing he wanted was to have some girl sobbing on her way out of the only general store in town... he could only imagine the judgmental glances and whispers that would follow.

She didn't look all that harmful to him anyway. Young, clean, seemingly well educated, wearing a little blue dress and matching bow. The explanation she was from New York City made sense to him with her manners and firm way of speaking. There was no hint of an accent, save for maybe a bit of roughness in how she said a few words. Perhaps a hint of a German accent from a parent, but nothing else.

She seemed trustworthy enough to him. He didn't want to make a girl cry anyhow.

The shopkeeper's demeanor softened as he relented to the girl's request. He drawled out his words, his tone warm but hesitant. "Well, alright then. I reckon we can make an exception this time," he said, scratching the side of his scruffy face. "But ya gotta promise me, this ain't gonna be no regular thing, ya hear?"

The girl nodded eagerly, her large brown eyes wide with gratitude. "Yes sir, I promise! Thank you so much!"

The shopkeeper motioned for one of his employees to come over, a young man with a worn apron tied around his waist.

"Tommy, gather the items on this here list and run it over to the saloon for this young lady. And make sure you collect the payment from whoever receives it," he instructed, handing over the list.

Tommy nodded, tipping his hat to the girl with a friendly smile. "You got it, boss. I'll get it done quick," he said, before turning to the girl. "Don't you fret none, miss. I'll make sure everything gets there in no time."

The girl flashed him a bright smile. "Thank you so much! My Daddy and Uncle will be pleased."

She skipped out of the store and into the street, the spring air a tad humid as the season leaned into summer. She weaved her way through the bustling town of Farmington, Iowa. Dodging passing stagecoaches, groups of women chatting together and children running errands for their parents. It was busy, even for a small town.

A perfect place for them to remain undetected.

The girl went to the nearby inn where she was staying with her uncle and father. She passed through the entryway of the inn, the clerk regarding her with little care as he thumbed through a book behind the desk. She danced up the stairs and down the hall till she made it to the room she shared with her uncle and father.