The Parson's Daughters Boxed Set: Sweet and Clean Christian Romance - 4 Book Bundle

by Annie Boone

  “Frank, these are beautiful. I’m amazed at your connections. Where are these from?”

  “The cottons are from back East. There are some very fine producers in New York and Pennsylvania. The silks and taffetas are French, except for the red silks. Those are from China. It’s a nice collection, I think.”

  “I agree,” said Hope. “I’m not sure I’ll be able to choose. They’re absolutely decadent!”

  “Well, well, well! If it isn’t my favorite dress maker!”

  Hope was startled at the voice from behind her. She turned quickly to see Andrew Fenton enter the room. She was taken with his handsome features once again. This was an unexpected intrusion, but she certainly didn’t mind.

  “Andrew. Hello. It’s a pleasure to see you today,” said Hope. She had seen him one time since their initial meeting, but that was just in passing. She was coming in when he was leaving and they only waved and didn’t speak. All of a sudden she was nervous and felt her face grow hot.

  “So how’s your store coming together? Splendidly, I hope,” said Andrew.

  He seemed in a jovial mood and that helped take some of Hope’s angst away. Get yourself together, Hope thought. He’s just a man.

  Hope smiled at him, practically ignoring Frank. She’d almost forgotten he was in the room. “It’s coming along very well. I open in about two weeks.”

  “Yes, Andrew, old boy. We’re just looking over some new materials to make sure we’ve got everything set up to be off to the perfect start,” added Frank. “Didn’t I mention that to you a few days ago?”

  “You did,” replied Andrew. “I was hoping I’d be here to see Miss Barnesdale, and it looks like I’ve managed to do just that. When you’re finished with your meeting, I’d like a word with you if you don’t mind. I’ll be in the parlor if you’ll stop there on your way out.”

  “Sure, I’ll do that,” said Hope. Her heart was beating fast and loud. She wondered what he wanted to talk to her about. She decided to hurry things along with Frank just in case Andrew wanted to take her to lunch or something.

  “I think he’s taken quite a fancy to you, my dear,” Frank said, bringing Hope back to the present. “He’s asked about you several times since your first meeting.”

  “Really?” Hope croaked. She cleared her throat self-consciously. “He seems to be a very nice man. Is he not already involved?”

  “No, he’s quite single. Fair game.”

  Hope smiled and pulled her mind back to business. “So Frank, what about buttons? Were you able to find the special pearl ones I’ve been looking for?”

  “I did and they’ll arrive next week. You’ll have them in plenty of time for your opening.”

  Finally, business was concluded for the day between Frank and Hope. She walked with Nannette to the front of the house and chatted congenially about fashion on the way.

  “Thank you for showing me out, Nannette. It’s so good to see you,” said Hope as she hugged the other woman gently.

  “And you, Hope. Here’s Andrew, now. I’ll definitely see you at your opening.”

  Andrew stood as the women stood in the doorway. When Nannette left them, he gestured for Hope to sit beside him on the settee.

  “Hope, I’ve thought about you since we met. I don’t mean to be forward, but would you care to have supper with me later this week?” asked Andrew.

  “Well, that’s getting straight to the point,” Hope said. She was trying to not act coy, but she couldn’t help it. This was out of her usual realm of experience and she didn’t really know how to act. Suddenly, she decided that she didn’t want to do anything but get to know Andrew better. Spending time with him was the only way to accomplish that. “I’d be delighted.”

  He smiled and they made arrangements for Friday night. Hope could hardly wait for the time to come as she walked to the street to her carriage. She waved as she rode away.

  Hope stood in the back of her unopened store looking in the mirror that had been installed earlier in the week. She was primping and trying on a new dress, hoping that she would manage to look beautiful and fresh when she met Andrew in about an hour. Time had gotten away from her and she was rushing.

  She wanted to look rested, but the fact was that she was tired. Bone tired. She’d been working night and day to get everything ready for the opening that was scheduled for about ten days from today. She probably should have refused Andrew’s offer of supper, but she couldn’t resist. She wanted to get to know him better.

  Wearing a dress she’d made for herself before she started the journey of opening her store, it was a little too fancy for daily wear. She was thrilled to finally have a place and a reason to wear it. Charity told her over and over to wear it to church, but she felt it would be a waste to wear it to services. Who would admire it there, anyway?

  Tonight, she would feel special in the beautiful dress made of mint green silk trimmed in ecru tatted lace. The bodice was tightly fitted and the neckline was low, but the lace covered her chest up to her collarbone. It was proper enough, but still had a capricious edge to it. Hope felt really good in this dress and she hoped Andrew would appreciate her appearance.

  As she took a last look in the mirror and smoothed her skirt down, she heard a discreet tap at the door. She took a deep breath and went to greet her supper companion.

  When she got to the door, she opened it to Andrew and smiled. The response she got wasn’t what she expected. He was frowning deeply.

  “Hope, I’m sorry but I must cancel our plans for this evening. Something’s come up.”

  Hope’s jaw dropped in shock. She was more than disappointed – she was a little angry. “Why did you wait until now to tell me? You could have sent word sooner. I could have worked longer or gone home to spend time with my family. I’ve seen them so rarely the past few weeks and it would have been nice to have supper with them. This is quite rude, you know.”

  Andrew scuffed his shoe on the sidewalk and looked embarrassed. “I only found out a while ago or I would have let you know earlier. Again, I’m sorry. I hope that we can get together some other time. Can I have one of our drivers see you home?”

  “No, I’ll see to my own way home. Good night, Andrew.” Shutting the door in his face, she wiped a tear from her cheek and went into the back to change her dress. She didn’t want to soil her exquisite green silk on the dusty ride home.

  The small, but serviceable, retail space was just off the town square – the perfect location. It cost a little more than she’d wanted to spend, but the other options that were available at the time were too big, too run down, or too something. This one was just right.

  Aaron and a hired crew had done a few renovations to make the place flow and maximize the floor space to house shelves and racks. Hope directed all the decorating work such as adding curtains and painting the walls. The little store was cozy and inviting with two dressing rooms and a shop for doing most of the work in the back.

  Hope decided to add an area in a back corner of the front room of the shop for a small sewing station. She thought that customers would find it interesting to watch some of the work happening. If it turned out that this wasn’t a popular thing, she would move this station into the back. Time would tell if this was a good or bad choice.

  In addition to getting the shop set up and organized, Hope also made some decisions about what merchandise she would carry. Frank had come up with some marvelous choices for fabrics and she had selected the ones she believed would be the most popular to keep in stock. Her meeting with him the week before had proved fruitful as she was adding two more silks and a cotton material. The sample selection had grown and she expected there to be some women who would choose to have fabric brought in just for their dress.

  One of the adjustments she made from her original plan was to add more ready-made clothing. She didn’t want to turn customers away if she only had a few options for them and she was afraid this would happen. Some women would need an outfit right away and be unable to wait o
n it to be made. She ordered some of the most fashionable styles in a range of standard sizes. She was certain what she had chosen would appeal to a wide range of women.

  In the back of her head, she was evaluating another product line. She wanted to offer a service to embellish the simpler ready to wear choices. She thought that a good option for some women would be to buy a plain item and then alter it to include lace, new and trendy buttons, or braiding. This would make the garment unique but it would be less expensive and available quicker than custom designs. This would have to be added later, but she was going to do it.

  She hired two seamstresses and would start offering alterations along with the custom work immediately. She would do the design work with the special order customers and she was building up her portfolio considerably in preparation.

  And finally, after buckets and barrels of blood, sweat, and tears, Hope opened her shop in San Jose. She’d always pictured this event as a grand and opulent affair in Atlanta, Georgia. This opening wasn’t as grand as she’d imagined, but it was successful. San Jose was smaller than Atlanta, but she believed there would be less competition here and that would bolster her prominence in the community.

  On opening day, she was amazed at the people who came in. Some were curious window shoppers who showed up to walk through and see what was there. She was beside herself with joy when a young woman bought a lacy blouse to become her first paying customer.

  At the end of opening day, Hope had sold a blouse, two skirts, and a dress off of the rack. She had also booked four appointments for special design consultations. She was happy to make the sales, for she understood that these sales would likely help her keep the doors open. But the custom work is what she was eager to start working on.

  She loved the whole design process. Dreaming something from your imagination, putting it on paper, and then sewing it into something of splendor was food for her soul. Maybe that was a little dramatic for what the process actually was, but Hope saw it this way every time she created something new.

  Faith had been with her all day on opening day. Aaron had stopped by periodically to check in. Now, at the end of her first week, she was delighted that they had been part of the joyous event. Aaron as a business partner was supportive and generous. She looked around the shop and knew that none of this would have happened if he hadn’t stepped in to help.

  For the first week, the store always had received shoppers from opening to closing. Hope didn’t even close for lunch as most shops did. In fact, she had to add extra hours just to keep up with the demand. She knew this wouldn’t last, so she was happy to put in the long hours for a while.

  Hope was about to check on progress of a rush alterations order when the bell on the door tinkled. She looked up and smiled when she saw her sister and brother-in-law walk through the door.

  “We thought you might enjoy a little lunch. I knew you wouldn’t go out, so here you go. You can’t go hungry and keep this place running!” exclaimed Faith.

  Hope sighed a thankful exhale. She was really hungry, but she vowed to be polite and accept the package gracefully instead of grabbing it and ripping it open. “Oh, thank you! Your timing is perfect, as usual. I’m starved!”

  “Looks like The Gilded Goose is a success so far,” said Aaron. “You’ve made it inviting, for sure. Your merchandise and design skills will be what keeps them coming in, though.”

  “So far, so good,” replied Hope between bites of her roast chicken sandwich and pickled vegetables. “Thank you both for all your help and support. I was thinking to myself earlier that I couldn’t have done any of this without you.”

  “Nonsense,” replied Faith. “You’ve poured yourself into it. When I see what it’s like in here, it’s a complete reflection of your appreciation of style and dedication to beauty.”

  Hope looked around and nodded. “Well, even though this place is done in my vision, your money and connections made it possible. So, we won’t argue about that. Let’s just enjoy it’s success!”

  “Indeed!” replied Aaron. He looked around the room proudly. “I think this place is perfect.”

  Hope only heard the first part of his sentence. She was looking out the front window and saw a familiar figure standing there. Andrew was looking into the shop. Faith scowled slightly and got up to go let him in. She supposed they did need to mend a few fences.

  When she got to the door, he was gone. She went outside on to the sidewalk and looked up and down the street, but he wasn’t there. It was as if he had vanished into thin air. Disturbed and confused, she scowled again and went back inside.

  “What was that, Hope?” asked Faith.

  “Oh, nothing. I just thought I saw someone I knew. It was a mistake, though.”

  Hope was sitting in a rocking chair on the front porch of the guest bungalow after supper. Reflecting on all that had happened for her in the past few months was something she’d rarely had time for since her journey to open the store began.

  “Penny for your thoughts,” said Charity, coming up behind her.

  “Oh, not much really. Just thinking about all that’s happened recently.” Hope looked up at her sister and smiled and gave the other rocker a nudge toward her.

  Charity took the chair and sat. “You’ve been busy. That’s for sure. I’m proud of you, Hope. God’s blessing you every day.”

  Hope had developed the habit of smiling and agreeing when Charity made her references to God’s goodness. So, she nodded and smiled.

  “God is using you, too. I can feel it. You’re gaining a platform to help others through your shop. You meet so many people and it’s a chance for you to share His love with them,” Charity continued.

  “Um, Charity, I do believe that God has blessed me. He’s blessed all of us. But I’ve worked really hard to get that shop running. I’m not sure God deserves all the credit for that.”

  “Oh, really? Who do you think gives you the ideas, the brains, and the physical ability to do the work? Do you think that comes from within yourself? If so, you’d be mistaken.”

  “Charity, I don’t want to have this discussion tonight. I’m tired.”

  “You’ve been raised to believe the Gospel. You’ve been raised to share the Gospel. I’m worried about your antipathy towards the Lord.”

  “I don’t know how to describe it, Charity,” Hope said with a sigh. “It’s not that I don’t believe in God, I do. It’s just that I don’t think the He has his hand in every little thing that happens here.”

  “I hope you figure it all out one day. I think you’ll realize that the very things you set aside regarding your faith are the truths that will take you through hard times. Probably the good times, too.”

  “Maybe it’s the hard times that brought me to this belief, Charity. I don’t understand how God can take a Godly and devoted father from his children when they’re so young. How can he make a woman raise her children alone in a tiny little town with no support? And how can God allow a man’s heart to be so hard that he disowns his only son?”

  “I don’t know, but I don’t hold a grudge for it like you do.”

  “Like I said, it’s not easy to explain.”

  “One day you’ll figure it all out, Hope. I know you will. You’ll rejoice with the rest of your family over the peace of living inside His will.”

  “Maybe so, but probably not today.”

  Charity stood up and dropped a hand onto her sister’s shoulder. She squeezed lightly with love. Hope reached up and squeezed her hand back.

  When she was alone again, she thought about her short conversation with Charity. She was so weary of having to go through her feelings about God over and over. She kept putting off getting into deep thought on the subject, but she knew that one day she would have to make a firm decision about her faith.

  She wasn’t annoyed at Charity for pushing the subject with her. Everyone in her family was a joyous church goer and the Bible was read daily in their home. No meal was ever consumed before the Lord was
properly thanked for providing it. None of these things bothered her, she just didn’t feel the Lord’s voice in her heart like the others did.

  Was she not listening? Was her heart not open? She wasn’t sure. But she did know that she needed to look over the figures for The Gilded Goose from her first few weeks. She went inside, pulled out the ledgers to check her progress, and put her uncertainties about God aside.

  Hope was beginning to find her place in San Jose. She had believed at first that this would never happen. She had put little effort into getting to know people in her new town. She had her family and she was confining her social life to that circle. She attended church with her family from time to time, but unlike her sisters and her mother, she hadn’t reached out to connect with anyone in the congregation.

  She began to finally settle nicely into her California life. Since the doors were still open at Aaron and Faith’s estate, it was easy to just stay there. She imagined that one day she might move out, but then again, she quite enjoyed the distraction from work. The main distractions had names. Joseph and Sally is what they normally went by, though sometimes they answered to Rascal and Little Scamp.

  When Aaron added the animals to the spread, the children were thrilled. They were now learning about keeping farm animals. It was such a pleasure to watch them play with the horses and help them feed the chickens.

  As she grew busier, having personal time grew even harder to find. Having so many loved ones near, some more pushy than others, was something that was comforting to her.

  But once her shop became a reality, she felt a weight lift from her shoulders. She finally wanted to belong somewhere other than at home. She was making friends and gaining acceptance and this made her happy.

  In part because of the success of The Gilded Goose, she was making friends in San Jose. People started to come into the shop just to be social with her and amongst those people was Nannette Marcum. Her first real friend outside her family in a long time!