CHAPTER 4
“Violet, come along!” Hiram exclaimed, the polished toe of his boot tapping in the street at the entrance of yet another store filled with junk and antiquities. “We’re going to miss the train.”
“You should change your shoes,” she replied mildly. “Those fancy things won’t last a day in the desert.”
“The train,” he reminded her.
Violet sneezed into a handkerchief, waved a cloud of dust away from her face and regarded her father through watering eyes. “The train leaves in two hours. Our luggage is being loaded for us at the station. I may not get another chance to see Alexandria, so I’m not missing out. If you don’t want to be here, go get a cup of tea, but I’m not leaving yet.”
Resolutely, she returned her attention to the shelves in front of her. Places like this, with their
