by Lynn Wolfe
Chapter Thirteen
Once Thomas returned to the hotel and freshened up he realized it was time to meet James, Susannah and Anna in the lobby. He put on the best happy face he could muster and entered the lobby with a quick prayer he could pull this act off without being caught. He was surprised to see everyone was waiting for his arrival.
“Somehow, I didn’t think I would be the last to arrive,” Thomas said pleasantly re-checking his watch and trying not to fidget. “James, is the time on my watch correct? I believe if it is, this would be a first that the ladies have been on time since we’ve known them, wouldn’t you agree?”
James smiled broadly. “I do believe you’re correct, Thomas, you see, these lovely ladies can’t wait to enter the dining room and see what the ladies of London might be wearing. It would have been nice to think they were ready on time so you and I would be pleased with their presence and punctuality, but no, I’m afraid it was only out of their curiosity of what the English wear that led them to be ready on time.”
“Why, James, that’s simply not true. When have Anna and I ever been late? You make it sound as if we are always keeping you and Thomas waiting. You can’t truly believe we’re only on time tonight because we‘re being nosy about how the other side of the world dress!”
“Susannah, the question you need to ask yourself is this, when have you or Anna been on time for anything? And yes, I do believe you are both being nosy, but I understand the need to size up the competition. But you two lovely ladies will have no competition as far as Thomas and I are concerned. You’ll be the most beautiful women in the dining room. Now, since we’re all present and we’ve cleared up this matter as well as possible, why don’t we see about our reservations? I, for one, am starving!”
“Me too,” Thomas piped in anxious to get seated and dinner over with.
“Honestly, you two act like we want to garnish attention when we enter the dining room,” Susannah said pretending to pout.
“Ah, love, I believe that’s a correct assumption. Besides, you couldn’t help but be noticed as you enter on the arms of two very handsome gentlemen!”
That being said, Thomas was quite amused when Susannah and Anna rolled their eyes and latched onto their arms with not another word spoken. Now, if only he can stay focused on looking happy and getting through this evening, Thomas thought.
The dinner was excellent and Anna and Susannah enjoyed the English lamb and potato dish they’d ordered. Thomas and James had equally enjoyed their steaks with potatoes with extra gravy. They all decided on mince pie for dessert.
Thomas was relieved that no one questioned him during dinner regarding his father or Mary. He knew very shortly the subject would be brought up and Anna didn’t disappoint him once they sat in the lobby to chat before retiring for the evening.
“Thomas, how did today go? You seemed to be in such a good mood I tend to think things must have went far better than you had expected.”
Thomas watched the faces of Anna, James and Susannah and knew they were very interested in his answer.
“I found out my father is conveniently out of town. Once I was over the disappointment of not being able to confront him, I decided after much thought, that maybe things that had happened in the past are best left alone. Time will heal the hurt caused by people’s actions, whether the actions were right or wrong. For the time being, I think it would be best if we dropped this subject.”
Thomas felt as good as one could about his answer. He didn’t lie, however, he didn’t tell the truth. He was glad that no one questioned him any further on his remarks. He was aware how sympathetic they were regarding his situation with Mary so he took advantage of their thoughtfulness.
Thomas was grateful when James changed the subject and talked about how busy he and Thomas were going to be for the next few days.
“Susannah, where are you and Anna planning on shopping tomorrow? I’m hoping Thomas and I return early enough from the docks to have dinner with you before eight.” James inquired. He wanted to make sure they would stay close to the hotel.
“I’m not sure. I’ve heard there are a few shops close at hand. The most important thing is to find Anna her wedding dress. I might look for something, too. Something I can wear after the baby’s born. Maybe a few ball gowns, depending how expensive they might be.”
“Why am I not surprised? Susannah, the truth is you’d want to purchase a ball gown for the mere pleasure of saying you purchased your gown in London, if not several of them!” James said teasingly. “Your only problem will be not having the ability to try them on in your condition.”
Thomas noticed Susannah gave no verbal reply but smiled and nodded to her husband as she rubbed her stomach.
“Anna, when you’ve found your wedding dress, please request the shop to send the bill directly to me, at the hotel. I’m sure they can also have the dress delivered here. I imagine you will also pick up a ball gown or two?” Thomas didn’t need for her to reply, for everyone knew that was a sure thing.
“Once Friday morning arrives, we can say our vows and be ready to set sail as, Mr. and Mrs. Ball.” Thomas said smiling intently at his betrothed. “Please pick out whatever you want, Anna, the cost is not an issue. I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m quite tired after our trip from America and my activities today, I think I shall head to bed, I could use a good night’s rest for we have much to accomplish before Friday.”
Thomas was hoping to end any further conversations. He was indeed exhausted and he wasn’t sure how much longer he could continue with his act of being happy.
He was relieved when everyone agreed to call it a night. He was also glad he and James were going to be busy the next day. He prayed James would not ask him any questions about his father or Mary any time soon, if ever. Time would only tell.
Thomas was very grateful Miss Minnie’s Dress Emporium was several blocks away. He doubted there would be any chance of Susannah and Anna walking that many blocks from the hotel with Susannah so easily getting tired due to her condition. At least Mary should not have to deal with any further drama for the remainder of their stay in London.
Thomas undressed and practically fell into bed. But no matter how hard he tried, his mind kept drifting back to Mary and the hurt she was bearing because of his and James’s stupidity. He could still see the pain in her eyes and the defeat etched on her face. Mary’s pain haunted him. She didn’t deserve this brutal torment.
In his heart he knew full well if the shoe was on the other foot, Mary would have defended him till hell froze over, if anyone had said anything against him or James. She would have never wavered in her loyalty.
He’d let her down and she had every right to despise him. He hated the thought of never seeing Mary again. For the first time since he lost his mother, Thomas cried himself to sleep, feeling depressed and ashamed of his words and actions this day.
Chapter Fourteen
Susannah was up and moving early the next morning. Not because she wanted to be up so early, but because Anna had purposely awakened her. Despite all of Susannah’s grumbling about needing more sleep, Anna continued to chatter non-stop while Susannah complained the entire time she was getting dressed about how inconsiderate her sister was being to her. She realized Anna had been ignoring her pleas without any bit of guilt.
Both women were thankful James had left a tray of pastries and tea on the table, in the center of the room. Once they had eaten they took great care in putting on the dresses they had brought with them from one of the best shops in Baltimore. Despite their denials to James and Thomas that they didn’t wish to draw attention, Susannah and Anna did hope they would get some admiring comments on their attire as they shopped for the wedding dress.
They’d been told from Thomas and James that the English were quite curious about the American people and their way of life, so who else could they find to better to inform them than she and Anna, was Susannah’s way of thinking.
“Anna, this is the
third store we’ve been to and you still haven’t come close to finding a wedding dress, let alone a ball gown. I really liked the wedding dress with the puffy sleeves and the full skirt in the last store we visited. You keep making excuses as to why you’re not ready to purchase a dress. Isn’t there anything in this store you would at least like to try on?” Susannah asked almost pleading now. She was getting quite tired. She had already found three dresses and possible a forth for herself in the stores that had proceeded this one. Yet, once again, Susannah realized Anna had not found one thing suitable to wear for her wedding.
“I haven’t found one that I think is perfect. How can I possibly look for other dresses until I’ve found my wedding gown? I would like to go to at least one or two more shops. Please, Susanna, you know how important this is to me! The dress must be perfect.”
“I understand, Anna. It’s just that I’m a little tired and need a rest.” Susannah lied. She was exhausted.
“Why don’t we ask someone if there is another shop close by? In fact, I think I might ask the lady in the red dress that just entered the shop. I love her red shoes and I would like to know where she purchased them,” Susannah said excitedly as she approached the shopper apparently forgetting how tired she had been previously.
“Excuse me, Madam, could you possibly help us? We’re looking for a wedding dress for my sister and so far we’ve been unable to find one that suits her. If you could give us a suggestion to a shop that makes bridal gowns we would be very grateful. I also wanted to add how much I admire your shoes, would you mind telling me where you purchased them?” Susannah could see the woman was quite flattered. She appeared to be about the age of their mother.
The English lady glanced at Anna and then to Susanna. As she looked down at Susannah’s shoes, she smiled when she realized her condition.
“Thank you for the compliment. I was wondering if you might be from America. Your speech is not exactly English and yet I cannot place where you’re from.”
“Yes, we’re from America,” Susannah replied pleased.
“I thought so. I must tell you my shoes came from France. I bought them on my last trip there some time ago. To my knowledge, there are no other shoes like them in London. However, I don’t think you’d find these shoes very comfortable considering you are expecting. But, regarding other dress shops, I think I can be of help. Have you been to the Curtis’s Dress Shop?”
“Yes, and we also tried Baxter’s down the street.”
“Hmmmm, let me think, I do know there is a quaint little shop I go to now and then that is a few blocks from here. The name is Miss Minnie’s Dress Emporium. She and her two seamstresses make lovely dresses. I like to use them on very special occasions. The dresses there are quite reasonable.
“Some of my friends would never shop there due to their location and the fact they believe only very expensive dresses are worth their time. The dresses there, in my opinion, are exquisite. Believe me; I have had many compliments on my purchases from that particular shop.”
“Do you think they might be able to have a wedding gown available by Friday?” Anna anxiously asked.
“Oh, I’m sure it’s possible. They make mostly wedding gowns and fancier dresses. You need to travel about four blocks south of here. The store will be on the corner. You can’t miss it. There are no other stores that I can think of that are close besides the ones you’ve already named. I hope you have success in your shopping.”
“Thank you, you’ve been very kind to help us. I hope my sister finds a dress today or we might have to take another day looking for shops further away, and we really don’t have the time!” Susannah said loud enough for Anna to hear, hoping she would take the hint that she needs to find something soon.
Due to the distance they’d have to walk, Susannah knew she had to hire a carriage to take them the next few blocks south. With the street being crowded it took some time to jostle the carriage down the street. But just when they thought they might have missed the shop they noticed the sign, Miss Minnie’s Dress Emporium, at the next corner written in bold black letters.
They anxiously entered the shop and right away both Susannah and Anna were pleased with the dresses they saw on the racks. Anna went over to check out two wedding dresses on display while Susannah found herself busy checking out the beautiful ball gowns. All of a sudden, Susannah realized she wasn’t tired at all. The short rest in the carriage did her a world of good.
The store was small in comparison to the other stores they had visited, yet there were more dresses on display. Maybe, Anna would find her dress! Susannah thought as she looked at a lovely red ball gown.
Chapter Fifteen
The Encounter
Mary had gotten to work at exactly nine the next morning. After her terrible ordeal at the dock and then her confrontation with Thomas, to no one’s surprise, she tossed and turned all night. She nodded to Minnie as she came into the shop and went directly to the back fitting room to work on alterations she needed to have completed for pick-up in the next day or so.
She felt safe there, where she could be alone and try to face the day with some form of dignity. Mary didn’t understand why she felt so ashamed and humiliated by what had happened when she hadn’t done anything wrong. Mary heard the door open and knew Minnie had stopped to see how she was faring.
“Mary, I believe I strongly suggested to you yesterday to take a few days off. You’ve been through a terrible shock. You need to rest and you look terrible. Why, dear, must you insist on being here today?”
Mary half smiled at the comment regarding her looks. She didn’t care about her appearance for it no longer mattered. “Because I need to work to get through this, please let me work. If I were to stay home, my thoughts would be consumed by yesterday. I can’t just be at home and re-live the pain over and over again in my mind. At least here, there will be moments I can possibly stay focused.
“I decided when I awoke it would be best for me to work. Besides, if I’m going to fall apart, I would like to have you near, to help me through the rough patches. I’m sure I look the way I feel–— horrible. My eyes hurt and are swollen from the many tears I’ve shed.”
Mary knew Minnie would not really argue with her decision. This was exactly what she had done when she had lost her mother. She’d work hard each day until she was so tired that when she went home she just fell into bed from exhaustion. She forced the pain away as much as she could.
Today, Mary knew she must start to heal. She would work through today, then tomorrow, and continue until hopefully the day would come when things would appear brighter. Mary wasn’t sure how long that would be, but life goes on. She had to believe she would be a stronger person for going through this. Yet, Mary knew, even after talking to her mother last night, nothing had stopped the hurt and pain inside. And nothing stopped the flow of tears.
Mary realized at some point Minnie had given up trying to reason with her and had left the room. Mary continued with her alterations and was amazed at how much she had accomplished in such a short time, but then realized she had worked through lunch.
Mary got out the meager amount of food she had brought and was about to take a few bites when the shop door opened and Mary felt a sense of dread the minute she recognized voices that were definitely not English.
When Mary was sure things couldn’t have gotten any worse, she heard Minnie say, “You say you came from America and arrived yesterday?”
Mary’s heart sank. Those two women couldn’t be in the store. Not here. God wouldn’t continue to put her through such agony, would he? Mary thought once again life was playing some cruel joke. She quietly crept to the door and cracked it open so she could hear what else was being said. She desperately tried to get a glimpse of the women Minnie was speaking with.
“Yes, I’m Susannah Parker and this is my sister, Anna Webb.”
“Damn,” Mary swore under her breath and felt the pain of yesterday returning. Minnie hadn’t responded to them and Mary t
hought the silence was awkward. Please Minnie, say something to get them to leave. Please, she prayed.
“My sister is engaged to a Mr. Thomas Ball, formerly from London. We’re looking for her wedding dress.”
“You’re welcome to look around. If you should find something that interests you, please send Alice to come and get me. I’ve some work to do in the back. You might want to try Baxter’s or the Curtis Dress Shop; they also have some lovely gowns.”
“Thank you for your suggestion, but we’ve been there already with no success. I do hope we find something here.”
“I hope we can accommodate you,” Minnie replied as she headed for Mary.
Mary stepped back so Minnie could enter the room without running into her.
“Mary,”
But before Minnie could say another word Mary interrupted. “I heard. I’ve been listening ever since they entered the shop and I knew from their voices they weren’t from England. I heard them mention Thomas. So, Thomas is engaged, and to James’s sister-in-law. Somehow, we didn’t get to that fact. Are they as beautiful as I first thought?” Mary asked dreading to hear the answer she was sure she already knew. What did it matter? But, somehow, it did.
“Aye, Mary, they are both quite lovely. They seem very nice. Not snobbish or anything like some wealthy people are. I’m hoping they’ll soon leave. You know, I’d have done anything to spare you from this twist of fate.”
The door opened and Alice stated the ladies wanted to speak with Minnie.
“Stay here, Mary. I shall be right back. I hope to have them out shortly.”
Mary nodded and stopped at the door to listen. She knew her heart was filled with envy. Those two ladies held the hearts of the two men she also loved. Why did they have to choose this shop? She glimpsed at the emerald rings sparkling from the hand of James’s wife. Mary bit her lip to keep from crying.
Those were to have been her rings. Mary had to close her eyes to prevent the tears from slipping out. Why did they have to shop here when there were so many other shops to choose from?