Breaking the Rules (1st in Breaking Series)

Chapter Twenty-three

Chapter Twenty-Three

It took three days for Elizabeth and Thomas to reach Harmony, Virginia. Thomas had a little extra money and he was standing inside the Tailor's shop with Elizabeth as she tried to decide what she should get to wear to introduce herself to Jacob and his sisters.

"Should I buy a fancy dress so they think I'm a lady? Or should I just get a plain dress, so I don't look like I'm trying to impress them or trick them?? Thomas help me!" Elizabeth exclaimed, throwing her arms up with frustration.

In the last three days Thomas and Elizabeth had become close. He was like the brother that she had never had. He smiled as he shook his head and fingered a lacy silver dress hanging from the rack, "Just don't get this one. You'd look like a damn church bell."

Elizabeth shook her head and slapped his arm, "Help me!"

The tailor, an older, stern looking woman with deep wrinkles and a pinched mouth that made her look like she' d been sucking a lemon, leaned against the counter impatiently.

Thomas shrugged, "I think you should buy ya some britches that fit, and a shirt that's clean and go that way. We'll even get ya your own hat so I can have mine back," he added, running his hand through his thick, sandy colored hair.

Elizabeth bit her lip uncertainly, "Are you sure?"

"Men in the bunkhouse talk, Liz. Brody always made it clear that no fancy, spoiled woman, in a pretty dress would ever make him fall in love and he was telling the truth. It took a tough cowgirl in pants and boots to get the job done. If his family knew him, they'd never believe you if you showed up in a fancy dress."

Elizabeth gave him a grateful smile and then turned to the tailor, who stood up straight and looked ready for business, "I need some new pants," Elizabeth stated looking down at Grant's pants that were much too large. "And I need a shirt."

The tailor looked down her birdlike nose and her lips pursed even more, "Hardly the proper attire for a proper lady."

Elizabeth shrugged, "I never said I was a proper lady,"

The tailor looked at her as if she was the craziest person she had ever met and Thomas rolled his eyes, "Dear God, woman, what is your problem? The woman wants a pair of pants and a shirt! It's not that strange of a request. It's not like a man come in here asking for a poofy dress and petticoats! Just give her some clothes."

Elizabeth looked over at Thomas. Typical man, standing up for her and trying to fight her battle. Brody would have stood there and let her fight her own battle. Heck he might have sided with the tailor just to ruffle Elizabeth's feathers a bit. Her heart broke apart in her chest as she thought about Brody.

God she missed him.

***

The tailor gave them directions to Jacob's house and as Elizabeth rode behind Thomas with her arms wrapped tight around his waist, she couldn't fight off her nervousness. What if Jacob didn't believe her? What if he laughed at her and told her to get off his property? Where would she go? What would she do?

"I think we're coming up on the house, Liz," Thomas warned.

Elizabeth looked over his shoulder and saw the tiny cabin, nestled in the pines at the foot of a large mountain. There was a small barn, made of worn wood and several horses walking around in the corral behind the barn. Elizabeth could smell the pigs in the pen and she could hear a cows mooing coming from inside the barn.

As they got closer, Elizabeth saw two young girls, who she assumed were Brody's twelve year old twin sisters, Susie and Sally. They were hanging a basket full of clothes on a line outside of the cabin. When the girls noticed Thomas and Elizabeth riding in, one of them took off running to the barn with her blond curls bouncing wildly and her worn out cotton dress whipping around her legs.