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Fort Daniels, 26 February 1871
A scream woke Claire from the deep sleep she’d fallen into after her nightmare.
“What the hell…?” She held her breath and listened, but she didn’t hear another one. The clock on the dresser said it was seven-thirty. She cursed. She was going to be late to meet Radcliffe. Again. What had happened? She never overslept. She blinked to dispel the fog in her head, but it stubbornly stuck around.
A knock on the door set her heart beating in staccato.
“Do you need help getting dressed, Miss?” a young girl’s voice called out. “I have coffee for you even if you don’t.”
“Coffee would be perfect.” Claire threw on the robe but couldn’t find her shoes right away, so she tiptoed across the cold floor and opened the door.
A young dark-skinned girl entered with a t
