Astrid stood and folded her hands. “The bodice is much too tight.”

Ivy glanced down at her chest. The buttons did strain a little, but who would notice? Especially with the lacy collar and identical lace at the cuffs of each sleeve.

“You should take out the seams as Linnea suggested.”

“It’ll be fine.” Ivy swiped up a straw hat with a ribbon of the same pinstripe material and dainty flower on the side. “What do you think?”

“Wear it like this.” Astrid tilted it so far, Ivy was afraid it would slip off.

Earlier in the spring, Linnea had given Ivy a trunk full of gowns she no longer wore. They were all much fancier than anything Ivy had ever owned, but for a wealthy eastern lady like Linnea, the clothing had become outdated. Since Linnea’s mother sent her new garments from time to time, Linnea had no need to hang on to everything.

At first Ivy had been skeptical of accepting the gift, but with Greta and Astrid encouraging her to, she’d decided it wouldn’t hurt anything to wear a nicer outfit now and again.

She took off the hat and smoothed back her hair, which Astrid had already styled for her in a braid wrapped into a knot. “I look like a heifer playing dress-up.”

“You look just fine.” Astrid fluffed out her own skirt, a fashionable gown she’d sewn herself. Her light brown hair was perfectly coiled in a chignon. With her pale skin and dainty features, she was every inch a lady. And she acted like one too. The fun, precocious Astrid who’d loved adventures was long gone.

At sixteen, Astrid had mostly overcome the consumption that had brought her and Greta to Colorado. She still struggled with shortness of breath occasionally, but she’d learned to manage her breathing, had in fact become quite proficient in all things having to do with health and medicine. She even talked of going east someday and getting nurses’ training.

Ivy released a sigh. She was never gonna be as smart or as pretty or as refined as Astrid. And she wasn’t sure why she was trying, except that she liked the attention fellas paid her when she walked around in her new clothing instead of the old, worn stuff.

Of course, Jericho hadn’t paid her much attention last night when she’d gone to the effort of changing back into what she’d worn to church. His eyes had widened with surprise when he’d first seen her. But then he’d mostly ignored her the rest of the evening. Just like he’d always done.

She obviously hadn’t impressed him none. She never had.

Picking up her shoes and stockings, she started to the door.

Astrid followed. “You really should put your shoes on before you go down. Real ladies don’t walk around barefoot.”

“I’ll put them on right before I get to town.” Ivy had always gone barefoot in the summer, and if she had to wear shoes, she preferred her boots over the satiny pointed things that had been in Linnea’s trunk.