Free Tell Me I'm Dreamin' by Eboni Snoe Page A

literary source, and a possible source for more intimate things.
    With her thoughts in overdrive Nadine looked in the mirror. Her regular clothes were anticlimactic. The oversized top, like the majority of her wardrobe, had been bought to conceal her figure. Looking at it now, Nadine knew that it more than accomplished its purpose. A purpose contrary to her current plans. If she was going to play up Ulysses’ interest in her as a woman, these clothes wouldn’t do at all.
    With a lifetime of being inconspicuous to encourage her, Nadine sorted through the small pile of clothes Catherine had provided. She chose a white linen blouse with long sleeves and large, lazy ruffles trimming a V-shaped neckline, knowing it was just what she needed. Nadine held it up in front of her. It was soft and utterly feminine. Quickly, she put it on, tucking the tail into her navy-blue pants. Looking in the mirror again, she noticed a little cleavage at the bottom of the V, and decided she had been progressive enough for one day. She arranged the bountiful ruffles to conceal it, her upbringing still influencing her.
    With practiced fingers she unraveled her hair and found it was still a little damp from the night before. Through habit she began to comb it all to the back, placing it in its customary ball. Nadine stopped, then turned her face from side to side, examining it in the mirror. On impulse she let go of the auburn fibers, and shook her head vigorously. Using brisk movements she combed it out with her fingers. Nadine was pleased with the end result, and her eyes shone with more than the physical effort.
    When she arrived Catherine was not waiting for her in the designated area. Nonplussed, Nadine assumed she was still completing her chores and she went to look for her in the kitchen. As she entered the room she could hear muffled snapping noises coming from the direction of a screened door. Through it, she could see Catherine shaking out a square linen tablecloth in the midst of a flurry of white flakes. The delicate hand-woven diamond designs that edged the fabric seemed to blend with the floating chips, creating an illusion of snow. Catherine’s nose and mouth were covered with a red kerchief, protecting them from the flying material.
    Nadine watched the housekeeper take another tablecloth, identical to the first, and cover it with a bucket of white wood ash that she removed from a large beehive-shaped oven. After treating the material with the ashes and removing them with several hardy shakes, the linen was the purest of whites. Nadine stepped aside as Catherine brought the neatly folded squares into the kitchen and placed them in a convenient linen closet. She dusted off her hands.
    â€œDo you need to tell Madame Deane that we are leaving?”
    â€œNo, she is fine. I mentioned the festival to her before she took her medication. I’m pretty sure she is sleeping by now. It will be a while before she wakes up again. Usually, she reads after her morning nap. She should be content until we get back,” Catherine assured her.

Chapter 7
    The two women set off together down a well-trodden path lined with evergreen trees. The inspiring smell of pine helped to heighten Nadine’s sense of adventure. The scent reminded her of the woods that bordered Grandma Rose’s house, where she had embarked on countless flights of fancy as a child. She had always dreamed of traveling to far-off places. Books had been the medium that transported her there, and she loved the pictures and paintings of ancient cultures the most. In the Mississippi woods she had created her own imaginary world, using nature as her inspiration.
    Nadine felt content. She followed the path that opened onto a grass-tufted hill sprinkled with rocks and pebbles. In the distance she could see various shades of green.
    Seeing Nadine’s delighted expression, Catherine felt compelled to praise her homeland. “Those are the sugarcane fields. Barbados is