Evan inspected the suit closely, and nodded her head. ‘There’s nothing like a piece of haute couture, is there? The cut, the shoulderline, the overall silhouette. It’s simply impeccable, a masterpiece of workmanship.’
Linnet pulled a dress out of another cotton bag. ‘And this is a cocktail dress by Balenciaga. Emma also bought it in 1951. I happen to think it’s fantastic. Here, Evan, hold it against yourself.’ She handed her the cocktail gown on its padded hanger; Evan did as she instructed and held it against her body, looking down at the dress, which was made of black tissue taffeta. ‘I love the way the skirt is flounced in tiers and the bodice wrapped around. It’s unique. And the wonderful thing is that, like the suit, it’s not a bit dated.’
‘I agree with you. There’s a picture of Emma in the dress, and it looks as if it was taken only yesterday. Over there–’ Linnet swung her head, gestured toward more racks–‘are some couture outfits lent by my mother, India’s mother, and my aunts Emily and Amanda. Their pieces will also help to flesh out certain years in design.’
Evan helped Linnet put the two garments back in their cotton covers and, as they stood at the rack, Linnet remarked, ‘I think you’re going to enjoy working on the retrospective, Evan. Even though we have a tough road ahead, I believe that the three of us will be able to pull it together most effectively.’
‘I know we will,’ Evan answered, crossing her fingers, stepping away from the clothes rack and picking up her purse.
‘Let’s go and see Maggie and get you properly hired as my assistant,’ Linnet said, leading the way out of the storage room.
CHAPTER NINE
Evan felt as if she were walking on air when she left Harte’s several hours later. She was not aware of the cold, frosty weather and the biting wind, nor did she feel hungry, even though it was turning two. I’m on cloud nine, she thought, hurrying towards the cab she had hailed, and which had suddenly slithered to a stop close by.
Once inside, she sat back against the leather seat, her thoughts on her father. All she wanted now was to get back to the hotel so that she could put in a call to him.
Since today was Wednesday she knew he would be at the antique shop in New Milford; he always did his books when business was slower. She could hardly wait to tell him her news; he would be surprised, she was certain of that. She could scarcely believe it herself: that she actually had a job at Harte’s was something quite incredible to her.
Once she was in her quarters at the hotel, she shrugged out of her red scarf and long black coat and put them away in the cupboard. And then, after turning on the electric fire in the small sitting room, she sat down next to it in the big easy chair. Picking up the phone, she dialled his Connecticut number and waited for it to ring through. A couple of seconds later, her father answered the phone.
‘Good morning. Hughes Antiques.’
‘Hi, Dad! It’s me, Evan.’
‘Evan, honey, you sound great! You’ve made a good recovery, I can hear that.’
‘I’m feeling like my old self, more or less. But listen, Dad, I’ve got some great news. I’ve got a job.’ She paused for maximum effect, and then cried, ‘At Harte’s! I’ve got a job in the fashion department at Harte’s.’
There was a moment’s silence at his end of the phone, but in her excitement and enthusiasm Evan paid no attention.
‘Well,’ he said, at last and rather slowly. ‘That’s good news.’
It struck her then that his voice was flat. Certainly there was no enthusiasm in it, and she exclaimed, ‘You don’t sound a bit excited, and I thought you’d be thrilled for me…’ Her voice died away on her, and she clutched the phone a little tighter, frowning.
‘Oh I am, Evan, I am. I was simply taken aback, that’s all. I hadn’t realized you’d already been there and applied for a job.’
‘I didn’t. What I mean is, I hadn’t been there before, I just wasn’t up to it until yesterday morning. But I felt so much better that I got ready and went to the store. Basically to see Emma Harte, as Grandma told me to do.’
‘Yes, I know what she told you. And did you see Emma Harte?’
‘Dad, she’s dead! And for thirty-one years. So I don’t know what Gran was going on about. If they’d been friends she must have known. Anyway, I was startled. And upset. But, you know me, I bounced back after I’d had a cup of coffee and time to think. I liked the look of the store, it’s very beautiful, so I decided to go up to management and apply for a position. I mean, what did I have to lose?’
‘Nothing. And so they hired you just like that. Is that what you’re saying, honey?’
‘I was lucky yesterday, very lucky. I happened to be in the right place at the right time.’
‘Were you now,’ he murmured. ‘So go ahead, tell me all about it.’
‘What happened was this…’ Swiftly, but graphically, Evan told her story, finally finishing, ‘And before I knew it, Maggie Hemmings, of Human Resources, was taking me to see Linnet O’Neill. She’s the head of fashion and the great-granddaughter of Emma Harte.’
‘It does sound very fortuitous,’ Owen remarked softly. ‘And this Linnet O’Neill was impressed enough to hire you on the spot, is that it?’
‘Not exactly, I had to go back today for another chat with Linnet O’Neill and then she hired me on a trial basis.’
‘Congratulations, I’m pleased for you. And who was the nice young man you mentioned?’
‘His name’s Gideon Harte, and I found out later that he works at the family’s newspaper company. He runs the London Evening Post.’
‘I see. Well, Elayne and Angharad are going to be thrilled when I tell them the news later.’
‘Give them my love. I’ll be helping Linnet put on a fashion retrospective for the next few months, and hey, Dad, guess what? Some of Miss Trigère’s clothes are going to be in the retrospective. Emma Harte was a fan of hers.’
‘I’ll tell Pauline. She’ll be pleased to hear it,’ Owen replied.
‘Dad?’
‘Yes, honey?’
‘Do you think Grandma knew Mrs. Harte was dead?’
There was total silence at his end of the phone.
Evan said insistently, ‘Dad, are you still there?’
‘Yes, I’m here.’
‘So…what do you think? Did Gran know? If so, why did she tell me to go there?’
‘I’ve no idea. She never mentioned anything about Emma Harte to me, except that she’d known her during the Second World War. Look, Evan, my mother could’ve been wandering in her mind, or delirious, in her last moments. I told you that before you left for London.’
‘I know. At least she pointed me in the right direction…as it turns out.’
After another short silence, her father agreed, saying quietly, ‘That’s true, yes.’
Evan asked, ‘How’s Mom?’
His voice brightened as he answered, ‘She’s better; she’s come out of herself a bit. And she cooked a nice dinner for me last night. I think the new medication’s started to kick in.’
‘Oh I’m so glad! That’s great. Give her my love.’
‘I will. When do you start at Harte’s?’
‘Tomorrow morning.’ She began to laugh, and quipped, ‘They really do need me there, Dad.’
She expected him to laugh with her, which was usually his way, but he did not. ‘Perhaps,’ he answered in the same low voice, and rapidly changed the subject.
They talked for a few minutes longer about other things, and then said their affectionate goodbyes.
After Evan put the receiver down she leaned back in the chair, thinking about her father’s reaction to her news. It wasn’t what she had expected at all, and she felt oddly disconcerted, even irritated by his low-key response, and somewhat baffled by his attitude. The more she thought about it the more she came to realize that he hadn’t sounded pleased about her job. She couldn’t help wondering why. Like her grandmother, he had always cheered her on, been her greatest booster. But not today.
> Pondering this in London, Evan Hughes had no way of knowing that, thousands of miles away, her father, seated at his desk in his New Milford shop, was staring absently into space. He was wondering what exactly his mother had set in motion on her deathbed, admitting to himself that he should have known Glynnis would have been unable to resist pulling a few strings at the end. Under his breath Owen cursed himself for having so enthusiastically encouraged Evan to go to London, to take a sabbatical there as he himself had once done years ago. Instead, he should have discouraged the trip. But in December he had not known what he knew now. Anyway, it was too late. Evan was already there…and the wheels had begun to turn…
Evan liked the public rooms at the little hotel in Belgravia, which George and Arlette had decorated in the manner of an English country house. Not that she had ever been in an English country house, but she had seen photos in magazines, and she was partial to that particular look: the vivid floral chintzes, the mellow woods, the fine antiques, the beautiful porcelain lamps with their cream silk shades, plus the big vases of flowers loosely arranged in the English style. Of all the rooms downstairs on the main floor, her favourite was the sitting room with its walls painted terracotta and glazed with light peach, the red-rose patterned chintz curtains at the three windows, and the overstuffed sofas and chairs upholstered in russet-red linen. On the floor, a wonderful old Persian rug had a similar background colour to the draperies, with a pattern of deep blues, pinks and greens. It helped to pull the entire scheme together, and acted as the perfect anchor for the seating arrangement.
The room was empty when Evan went down for afternoon tea, and as she walked in and headed for the fireplace, her spirits lifted. The atmosphere was rich, warm, welcoming, and the huge fire blazing in the hearth added to its overall cosiness, its lovely roseate glow.
She seated herself on one of the big sofas near the fireside, sat back and relaxed against the oversized needlepoint cushions, mentally pushing aside her preoccupation with her father’s odd manner on the phone. She let herself drift, staring at a painting of a moorland scene with a waterfall, heather and several sheep. It was restful to look at.
A moment later, her eyes roamed around, taking in the other traditional oil paintings, most of them landscapes obviously executed long ago. She liked them; the room had a particular style which made her feel comfortable, at ease, at home.
The grandfather clock in the corner began to strike four, and a few seconds later one of the young waitresses came bustling in, pushing a three-tier trolley laden with teapots, plates of finger sandwiches and scones, bowls of strawberry jam and clotted Devonshire cream.
The young woman was closely followed by a colleague, also behind a tea trolley, this one stacked with a variety of cakes on antique silver stands.
The two waitresses were dressed in Edwardian style, wearing long black dresses, white frilly aprons and caps, and they looked most effective in the period setting. Both women busied themselves at a long, mahogany sideboard at the far end of the room. The cake stands, plates of sandwiches and scones were soon deposited there, along with the numerous teapots.
Clara, one of the waitresses Evan was acquainted with, came hurrying over when she saw her sitting by the fire. ‘Good afternoon, Miss Hughes,’ she said with a bright smile. ‘Here for tea, are you?’
‘Hi, Clara, and yes, I am.’ Evan flashed her a friendly smile in return, and added, ‘I didn’t have lunch today, so I think I’ll go for the whole works.’
‘The full afternoon tea, then. Sandwiches, scones, and cake. Right away, Miss Hughes. Oh, and it is English breakfast tea you like, isn’t it?’
‘Yes, it is, thanks, Clara.’
It was her gran who had introduced Evan to afternoon tea when she was a child growing up in Connecticut. Glynnis had made quite a ceremony out of it, serving the tea from a silver pot with a silver strainer over the cup, and thin slices of lemon, or milk for those who preferred. The tea had always been Twinings brand from London, usually the English breakfast tea preferred by Glynnis, but sometimes replaced by Orange Pekoe. Never Earl Grey, because Gran didn’t like the flavour. Smoky, she had called it.
Evan and her sisters had loved the finger sandwiches filled with egg salad, slices of cucumber or tomato, occasionally thin slivers of chicken, sometimes sardines, or wafer-thin pieces of smoked salmon between the crustless bread. Because Gran had liked to bake, there were always fresh scones right out of the oven, served with strawberry jam and clotted cream, and for the finale, a caraway-seed cake.
On special occasions her grandmother would make a light sponge cake, which she sliced through the middle into two flat pieces, and filled with whipped cream and raspberry jam. And when she had grown older Glynnis had taught her how to make the sandwiches, the scones, and the various cakes; in fact, it was her gran who had taught Evan how to cook any number of things, and over the years she had become quite accomplished in the kitchen.
Evan thought of this now as she munched on a smoked salmon sandwich, wondering what to do about an apartment. Should she look for a small one in this area? Or should she stay on at the hotel? She had meant to ask her father about this earlier, but she had been so distracted by his lacklustre response to her news that it had slipped her mind.
In many ways the hotel was more convenient because she was so well taken care of here; on the other hand, she did not have a kitchen and had to eat in the hotel dining room, which added to her expenses.
After wrestling with the problem for a few minutes, she made a decision. She would stay on at the hotel for the moment, very simply because she did not have time to look for an apartment.
In any case, Evan already had a good picture of what working at Harte’s was going to be like: back-breaking routine, long hours, and total devotion and dedication to duty. She had already perceived that Linnet would be a hard taskmaster, and that she would expect everyone to work as hard as she did. And especially a newcomer like her, who was bound to be on trial. Evan had discerned that Linnet, for all her sweetness and beauty, was at heart a tough businesswoman. This did not trouble her; rather, she admired that trait.
Yes, it’s better to stay here, Evan told herself, where I’m comfortable and have every convenience. Later, once the retrospective is set up and things are rolling along smoothly, I’ll think about finding my own place, one with a decent kitchen where I can cook; an apartment where I can do a little entertaining, even. This thought pleased her, and she reached for a scone, spread it with strawberry jam and added a large dollop of cream.
As she ate the scone she realized just how hungry she had been, but she also reminded herself how fattening scones and rich cream cakes were. Not too many of these afternoon teas, she vowed to herself, and then smiled. She would be at the store most of the time anyway–and how she was looking forward to it! All of her life she had found challenges enormously appealing.
Leaning back against the cushions once again, Evan let her thoughts wander, reviewing the events of the day. And eventually they came to settle on Gideon Harte.
He had been pleasant and helpful in the corridor when she was looking for the management offices. But later this pleasantness had turned to genuine masculine charm and much solicitousness. When she had walked into Linnet’s office with Maggie Hemmings, he had hurried across the floor to greet her. Once she had been introduced by Maggie to his cousin, he had not hidden his interest in her. In fact, he had been so attentive to her that she found herself staring back at him, as intensely as he was staring at her.
His light green eyes had gazed into hers, and she found she could not look away, mesmerized by him. Now she remembered how her heart had skipped a beat, and that his long, penetrating look had made her legs go slightly weak at the knees. Nothing had ever happened to her like that before; but then no man had looked at her quite like that, not ever in her entire adult life. A moment later, when he had taken hold of her arm to lead her over to the chair, his hand had seemed to scorch through the fabric of her jacket. She ha
d been momentarily thrown, so attracted to him was she—
‘Evan. How are you?’
At the sound of Arlette’s lilting, lightly accented French voice, she sat up with a start and exclaimed, ‘I’m fine, Arlette. How nice to see you. And how’re you?’
‘I am well. Busy, busy. George is away on the business, so I am in command, as he calls it. And one needs the bon courage to be in charge of a hotel. Even a small one such as this.’
‘But you do everything so well, so I’m sure you run it exactly the same way George does.’ As she spoke Evan smiled at Arlette, her face dimpling.
Arlette, as always, was completely captivated by that warm, wide smile, which she found so infectious, and she smiled in return. There was something unique about this friendly, open, outgoing American girl who was full of such charm and grace. Now she asked, ‘Are you all right? Are you feeling better?’
‘I’m back to normal, thank you,’ Evan reassured her, and then she leaned forward from the waist, looked up at Arlette. ‘Can you sit for a minute? I’ve got some news for you.’
‘Mais oui, cherie.’ Arlette lowered herself onto the sofa next to Evan.
‘I got myself a job today, a wonderful job. At Harte’s store in Knightsbridge.’ Once again, Evan enthusiastically launched into the retelling of her experience at the store, explaining in detail about the events which had taken place. ‘And Linnet O’Neill hired me,’ she finally finished, settling back, a look of pleasure lighting up her lovely face. ‘I will be working in fashion with her.’
‘Très bien, Evan! It is wonderful news. I know you like the fashion. And what made you pick Harte’s? Out of all the stores here?’
‘I’ve always wanted to work there. It’s the finest store in the world, in my opinion.’ Evan had no intention of confiding to Arlette her grandmother’s dying words; she would appear ridiculous if she did.
Arlette Thomas sat studying Evan for a moment or two, thinking how stunning she looked. The black hair was glossy, the complexion translucent, the blue-grey eyes huge pools in her delicate face. She was a beautiful woman, very feminine, yet compelling. Alluring to men, Arlette had no doubt, and there was also an air of refinement about her that the Frenchwoman admired.
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