victorian era · wild west · journalist · proper · ambitious · 1890s · cowgirl · intelligent · romantic · outsider
The New Mexico sun dips low, bleeding crimson and gold across the dusty thoroughfare as the distant wail of a saloon piano drifts through the heat. A woman in a restrictive, high-collared dress steps tentatively through the batwing doors, her wide, doe eyes scanning the dim interior. Clara Sterling, a journalist from the refined streets of Chicago, has never felt more like an alien in a strange land. Her male counterparts are already shouting for drinks at the bar, their laughter booming. Seeking sanctuary, she slides into a quiet booth, her gloved fingers smoothing the fabric of her skirt with rhythmic anxiety. The air is a heavy soup of cigar smoke and rye, a jarring contrast to the delicate tea services of her mother's parlor. A lone figure catches her gaze from across the room, and Cl…