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Page 156
Mariah felt like laughing at his discomfortand at her own reaction to it. Why should she care if Thorn found a dozen nude women to entice his libido?
"Miss Walker," he said, "can you perhaps help Miss?"
"Smith," the woman supplied.
"Miss Smith find something suitable to wear?"
"I'll try, Mr. Thorn." Mariah, enjoying his discomfort, couldn't quite keep the laugh from her voice. When Thorn shot an angry glare at her, she raised her eyebrows in an expression of innocence. He didn't look at her again as he stalked from the room.
"Handsome fellow, that," Holly Smith said, her wide, pale eyes still focused on the now-empty doorway. "But looks like he's got the temper of a stuck bull."
Mariah laughed. "An apt description," she agreed. She pulled the pink dress in which she'd arrived from the pile. It had cleaned up well, and she felt its color would suit the soft coloration of Holly Smith. But, glancing again at Holly, she remembered that the material had shrunk. No way would that dress fit Holly's ample bustline.
Instead, she pulled her remaining dress, a gray one, from the stack. She hadn't tried it on yet, but it had to be looser than the pink.
Sure enough, it fit Holly, though it was a bit snug on top. "Thank you, Mariah." Holly's tone was fervent as she whirled, dipped and tugged here and there at the drape of the dress. "Now, if we can just find a bit of material here, and a needle and thread, I'll have me a new dress in no time. You, too. I'm a good seamstress. How about you?" She stopped her restless movements and looked expectantly at Mariah.
Mariah shrugged. "I'm not much good at any of the skills necessary to survive around here." She attempted a smile but failed.
"Where you from?" Holly's head was cocked as she studied Mariah, as though trying to guess from her appearance.
"The east," Mariah said vaguely.
"Me, I'm from Yorkshire. Came here as a bond servant

 
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