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Page 96
A laundromat! Automatic washers that filled, then did the washing, all by themselves. Heaven!
But here and now were her current reality. ''Okay," she told René. His earlier promise had never left her mind. "I'm ready to hear about Thorn." She wondered if the story she was about to hear would follow what she'd gleaned about the screenplay Thornhow he had let down his guard, resulting in a child being kidnapped by Indians. More likely, the real Thorn's background was as skewed as the other episodes she'd encountered here so far.
First, René handed her a dress from her bags and demonstrated what to do. Taking it from him, she began to scrub the material vigorously against the ridges of the wooden washboard.
Her hands immediately stung from the hot water and strong brown soap that smelled of lye, and tears pricked her eyelids.
Well, so what if her hands were ruined, she told herself. She should know better than to have such pride in anything.
Especially here.
At least, she thought, she had a wardrobe, thanks to Thorn. He'd apparently dived to the bottom of the river, though near the shore, to retrieve the bags. That was quite a kindness to perform for a woman who'd barged into his life and insisted that he hire her. Especially from an aloof man like Thorn. If she asked how he'd rescued her clothing, he'd probably just say he'd been fishing. He'd never admit to having gone to any trouble for her benefit.
Now she had three additional cotton dresses, some undergarments, a nightgown, a robe, stockings and several capsthough she didn't intend to wear the latter, no matter what the fashion in this time, any more than she'd wear the corset. They were all filthy, covered with river slime and starting to smell.
What she wouldn't have given for a T-shirt and blue jeans.
René hunkered down on his haunches on the ground beside her. "What I am about to say, Mademoiselle Mariah, you must keep to yourself," he began. "I do not tell you to make the gossip, but only so you will understand why the

 
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