1
New York City, April 1876
Hannah McAllister couldn’t help but gawk at the plate-glass magnificence that confronted her. R.H. Macy’s, proclaimed the sign above the door, while the shop windows offered the promise of all sorts of delights, from lacy parasols to beautifully be-flowered hats. She touched one hand to the straw hat she wore, wondering if it looked obviously homemade compared to the sartorial splendor displayed in the window — and on the streets of the city itself. For this outing, she had worn her best blue dress, but now she thought it must appear terribly plain and drab to anyone with a discerning eye.
“Are ye plannin’ to go inside, or are ye just goin’ ta look?” her brother Ian teased her.
“Go inside, of course,” Hannah replied, lifting her chin. His Highlands accent so
