"First off, Cherie, off with those clothes." Lily stated as soon as the pair reached her room. "You may do so behind the screen while I look for the dress." Bo Jun stepped behind the screen and slipped the patched worn clothing from her body. She could hear Lily rummaging through a trunk on the other side of the room. "Here." A dress of grassy green silk was thrust into her waiting hands.

Bo Jun slid the dress over her body and stepped out. Lily quickly did up the buttons along the back. She instructed the young woman to turn around examining her. "Well, it will do for tonight." She handed Bo Jun a hair brush instructing her to undo the braid and brush out her dark hair. Lily rummaged in a drawer before finding a small pin cushion. "I am no seamstress, but I believe that I can at least pin up the bottom an inch or so for the evening. We would not want you to trip and fall. Grace will be an important factor in your, endeavor."

Lily knelt down while Bo Jun drew the brush through her ebony hair. Bo Jun watched the older woman place several pins in place before suddenly covering her mouth and turning away. She grabbed the edge of the dresser and pulled herself up splashing water from the basin on her face.

"Madame? Are you not well?" Bo Jun reached out tentatively touching Lily's shoulder. In the dim light of the room Lily was as green as the dress Bo Jun wore.

"Please, Cherie, you must call me Lily." She gave her a weak smile. "And I am fine. It will pass in a few moments."

"After a few months you will not suffer from this." Lily nodded knowing it was true. The doctor had informed her of the symptoms she would suffer in the beginning.

"Let us speak of happier things." Lily eyed the dress again. "Yes, that will do for this evening. Tomorrow we will see the dressmaker. Oh, if we were in San Francisco," Lily's eyes shown. "I knew a dressmaker there, she said the fabric sang to her. She would hold the fabric up to a woman and the fabric would sing to her what the dress should look like." Lily cocked a eyebrow, "I can't say I ever heard a note, but they were the most beautiful dresses I have ever owned."

"This is a beautiful dress." Bo Jun examined herself in the mirror. The material was soft and luxurious against her skin. She watched as Lily pulled the peacock combs out of a felt lined box. She swept the hair away from Bo Jun's face holding it back with the combs.

"Oh Cherie, I dare say, there will not be a man in the room who will be able to concentrate on his cards when he sees you."

"Thank you for this." Lily shook off the gratitude as if she was doing nothing.

"I should warn you, there will be people in this town who will believe that you are intending to engage in a different type of enterprise. They will assume that you are participating in less virtuous activity." Lily waited for the recognition to sink in. "Not that it is all that an unpleasant way to earn one's income."

Bo Jun wondered what Lily's comment meant. Had the woman in front of her once sold her body? Perhaps at another time she could inquire as to what she meant. "I found myself placed under that assumption when I arrived. But men quickly discovered that I was not selling myself to the highest bidder or any others. While it has not stopped their looks, at least I am not under a barrage of lewd comments."

"I would think they would be afraid of Mr. Larabee." Bo Jun would have had to be blind not to see the way the man looked at Lily. She wondered though if Lily saw the same thing in his eyes. It also had not escaped her that by the sounds coming from the bedroom at night that Chris was one 'round eye' who knew more than how to drool or snore on a pillow.

"Yes, well, on some days I would agree with you, on others. . . " Her thought trailed off. "Alright then, I believe you are ready now. I will go down first. Wait a few minutes and then come down. You want to make an entrance. And remember, enter like you own the room."

Nathan flipped through the medical book understanding about half of the words in front of him. He'd asked Mary if she could find him a book months ago and it had come in two days before. Now he was searching for any information on pregnancy. He didn't want to be helpless if Lily needed him. A shadow fell across the book and he looked up to see Vin looking down at him.

"Evenin' Vin."

"Nathan." Vin paced back and forth in front of his friend.

"Somethin' wrong?" Nathan had noticed something different about Vin lately. It hadn't escaped him that there'd been some tension between him and Chris.

"No, no nuthin's wrong." Vin rubbed his chin obviously distracted by something that he wasn't ready to share.

"What do you say to a beer?"

"I say lead the way."

Josiah closed the book in his hands and leaned his head back against the building. He'd tried to read to distract his mind from the disturbing outburst by Molly Gallagher. He heard light footsteps arrive at his side. His eyes opened to find Lily smiling down upon him.

"Evening Lily." She nodded in return her eyes scanning the street for someone. "I saw him ride in a few minutes ago."

"Who?" Lily seemed genuinely surprised by the comment.

"Chris, isn't that who you were looking for?" She shook her head. He watched a cloud of sadness cover her eyes. "You haven't told him yet." Josiah said the words with a firm assertion.

"I assure you Josiah, when the time is right I will tell him." He opened his mouth to respond but closed it as Vin and Nathan approached.

"Good evening gentlemen." Both men nodded in greeting. "Nathan, may I have a moment of your time?" Vin leaned against a post watching them step several feet away. The pair talked intently but their voices were too low for Vin to catch their words.

"What do you suppose that's all about?"

"I could venture a guess, but I think that it would be best if we left it between them." Vin wanted to ask Josiah to explain what that meant but Lily and Nathan joined them before he could. The four chatted amicably for several minutes when Lily felt a hand on her shoulder. She knew without looking to who the hand belonged.

Chris's hand slid down from her shoulder along her spine coming to rest on her hip. The gesture was protective and also possessive. Lily allowed her body to relax leaning back against his. She turned and found Chris gazing down at her with just a hint of a smile on his lips. For an instant Lily considered grabbing his hand and dragging him away somewhere private and telling him about the child growing inside her. But the feeling quickly passed.

"Anyone seen Molly this evenin'?" Josiah had hoped that she might have come to see Lily after the outburst.

"Why Josiah?" Lily was worried about the girl. She had seen her less and less lately. They all listened as Josiah related the incident in the church expressing his complete ignorance at what he had done to cause the girl such terror. Both Lily and Chris saw the blanket of concern that covered Vin's face. He pushed himself away from the post and excused himself from the group.