by Nancy Moser
Although Annie Wood left our family’s service unceremoniously—taking advantage of our trip to New York — I do admire what she has accomplished. I also understand how her drive and gumption could inspire someone who is searching for their own special place in the world.
So we understand, Etta. Reluctantly. But we also worry. I have contacted our New York cousins to tell them you might be contacting them. I have not given them your address, for I know their penchant for interference and do not want them to interrupt your journey of discovery unless you choose to involve them.
Be safe, my darling. Be happy. And know that we are here for you in all ways, for always.
Your loving Mother and Father
She let tears flow freely and went to Steven’s side, letting him take her into his arms.
“Oh, dear lady. Don’t cry. I’m sure they’ll come around.”
She spoke into his shoulder. “They have come around. It’s a wonderful letter.”
He pushed back to look at her. “So these are happy tears?”
She nodded and added a laugh. “All my worries were for nothing.”
He gave her his handkerchief, and she wiped her eyes. “I have another bit of happiness for you.” He pulled out the photograph from the park. “It turned out quite nicely, I think.”
Her fear about looking away as the photo was taken was unfounded. Steven was looking directly at the camera, with Henrietta looking aside. But it was still a fine picture. “We look quite smashing.”
“We do. And we are.”
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Although they all would have liked to immediately cement the deal on their shop space after the Sampsons’ offer, they had to delay a day. Election Day demanded Mrs. Sampson’s attendance at key polling places. Annie wondered if the Votes for Women protests did any good, but she did admire Eleanor for trying, for making her voice heard. She was told it was the American way and a right that was not to be discarded easily. Or abused.
Sean was happy with the election, for Woodrow Wilson was declared the winner by a landslide. It was the first time in history that a seated president—Taft—had come in third place. Bull Moose Teddy Roosevelt had claimed second.
With the election and its protests behind them, the ladies—including Gert and Ginny—stood before the building that would become Unruffled. Sean had taken off work to be there for the occasion.
Mr. Sampson held the keys he had procured from Mr. Ricci that morning after paying the necessary rent and deposit. “Shall we?”
His wife plucked the keys from his hand. “No, Harold. We shall not unlock the door.” She gave the keys to Annie. “It is yours to open, my dear.”
Annie took the keys, her emotions full with the immensity of this moment. If she’d been alone she might have lingered in order to revisit the steps along her journey, but the others were waiting, their excitement palpable.
She unlocked the door, and they streamed in like sheep through an opened gate. Although they’d seen the shop before, to see it now, after they had lost it…such victory over hardship created a new enthusiasm. She reveled with them, for their excitement matched her own. She immediately began to see beyond what was there, into what the shop could be and would be in just a few short weeks. “It’s beautiful,” she whispered.
“As are you,” Sean whispered back.
She took his arm, leaning her cheek against his shoulder. “Did you ever imagine this would really happen?”
“Absolutely,” he said. “And so did you.”
“Perhaps. But to actually walk in the space, touch its walls, look through its window…” She glanced at said window. “I’d like the name to be painted on the glass, so people can see it as they walk by on the sidewalk.”
“I like that idea. I’m sure Mr. Ricci knows of someone who has that talent.”
Maude interrupted to make a pronouncement. “With the cash register here, this will be the counter to take payment.”
“Maybe we should use the glass display case for accessories?” Vesta said.
The thought of coming up with accessories seemed too much. And yet…
Annie stepped outside to confirm her memory. She came back in. “In this immediate vicinity there is a milliner; a shoe store; and a store with jewelry, gloves, and other accessories. What if we speak with these shop owners and see if they would like to display their wares in Unruffled?”
“If a customer was interested we could send business their way,” Maude said.
“Perhaps they could display a few of our dresses with their products?” Edna asked.
“And send people to Unruffled to purchase them,” Mrs. Sampson said. “What a marvelous idea!”
Just then, Annie looked out the window and saw a man peer inside then step away as though not wanting to be seen. No. It couldn’t be. She went outside to confirm her sighting. “Richard?”
He stopped walking and turned around, his face red. “Hello, Annie.”
“What are you doing here?” She couched her question. “I mean, you are very welcome but…would you like to see our new store?”
He nodded and followed her inside.
“Look who I found.”
Vesta gasped and ran to him. Annie could tell she wanted to draw him into an embrace, but Vesta stopped short. Instead, she merely put a hand upon his arm. “Richard. I’m so glad to see you.”
Oddly, Mr. Sampson was the next to greet him. “Glad you could make it, Richard.”
“You two know each other?” Vesta asked.
“Of course we do,” Mr. Sampson said. “We both belong to the same business club.”
“I didn’t know that,” Vesta said.
“We ran into each other at the last meeting a few weeks ago,” Richard said. He kept turning his hat in his hands like a nervous beau.
Mr. Sampson slapped Richard on the back. “He told me about your business, and your dire need.” He looked at Annie. “This was before we stepped back into your life.”
Richard interjected. “I’d been told the Sampsons were funding you, but then they withdrew.” He looked at Annie and Vesta. “You said as much when you came to our house and asked…” He didn’t mention Vesta’s inheritance or his refusal to give her the money.
“Richard and I got to talking, which made me realize that our recusal had been the cause of your financial difficulties, and so—”
Mrs. Sampson took over. “Harold came to me and suggested we get back in the fashion business.”
So that’s why you suddenly showed up at the workshop?
Vesta’s eyes were full of happy tears. “You did that for us, Richard?”
He cleared his throat, obviously uncomfortable with the attention. “Despite what you all think, I do not want your venture to fail.”
You could have fooled me.
Sean shook his father’s hand. “Thank you for intervening. It is much appreciated.” He looked at his mother. “We all appreciate it.”
Vesta ignored her previous restraint and wrapped her arms around him. He blushed at the public display of affection.
“Why don’t you show Richard the neighborhood, Vesta?” Annie suggested.
Her face lit up. “Thank you. I will.”
As the couple left, Mr. Sampson nodded in their direction. “I didn’t know there was any dissension between them.”
“Hopefully what was, is no more,” Annie said.
Mrs. Sampson reached into the bag she had been carrying and pulled out a box. She handed it to Annie. “For you.”
Annie removed the lid and found stacks of cloth labels embroidered with Unruffled.
“They’re to sew into the neckline of each dress,” Eleanor explained.
Annie was genuinely moved and embraced them both. “I’d thought about getting labels but had deemed it a luxury since we had more basic needs. Though we have sewn a hand-printed tag into each side seam, marking its size.”
“Very wise,” Eleanor said. “As for the Unruffled tag? It’s advertising. W
omen need to remember where they bought their favorite dress, don’t they?”
Annie set aside the labels and took the hand of each Sampson. “This gift is so thoughtful, and yet my gratitude extends to so much more. To not have to worry about money…it is such a relief.”
Mr. Sampson squeezed her hand and gave her a wink. “Do it up right, Annie.”
Vesta walked beside Richard, pointing out the different shops. “Annie thinks the merchants could promote each other’s stores by displaying their wares—”
“It’s a good idea,” he said. “You can complement each other.”
Like we can complement each other? Vesta wished she could say it, but it seemed presumptuous.
But then Richard said the words. “We complement each other. Or we did.”
“We could again.”
He offered her his arm, and her stomach danced happily.
“I’ve missed you,” he said.
For him to say it first was memorable. His admission deserved her own. “I’ve missed you too. So much.”
“I apologize for avoiding your calls. Your leaving upset the balance of my life, a balance I never thought could be upset. After nearly three decades…”
“Things change. Circumstances change. We change.”
“I don’t take change well.”
“I know.” He seemed a bit taken aback by her honesty, but she had come too far to speak placating words just to make him feel better. “You should never have locked me in my room. That was unconscionable.”
“I know. It is a large regret. But again, my balance was tipping too far to one side. I panicked.”
“Your admission means a lot to me. But…do you understand why I had to leave?”
“I’ve tried to.”
“If you would have talked with me, not at me…”
She felt his arm tighten. She’d gone too far.
“You are here now,” Vesta said. “And I am glad for it. And thankful that you chose to help us as you did.”
“All I did was speak to Mr. Sampson. It’s his money. If I were a really good person I would have paid the money myself. I would have let you have access to your inheritance.” He stopped walking and faced her. “I know that the law says your money is mine, that you have none of your own, but that doesn’t make it right.” He let out a breath. “I was wrong, Vesta. And I’m sorry for it. I want you to come home.”
She blinked a moment, startled at his words. Then she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him.
Embarrassed, he pushed her back. “Vesta, really.”
“I can’t help that I’m happy.”
He smiled for the first time and touched her cheek. “I am happy too.”
They began to walk again, but this time Vesta was the one to stop their progress. “One more thing. A condition, if you will.”
“What is it?”
“I want to continue to be a part of this business. The shop. I am helping. The work fills me in a way that I can’t give up. I enjoy being a part of something special, something new. And I especially enjoy being near Annie and Sean every day. With the baby coming…”
“She looks well.”
“She is. But it will get harder for her in the coming months, and then afterward, with the baby born…our grandchild, Richard. I want to be a part of the baby’s life, every day.”
“But we live in Brooklyn.”
“Baines can drive me and bring me home every night. Or you could take me and visit the baby too.”
“And leave the store?”
He was so single-minded. “For a few hours, my dear. After all these years if it cannot function without you for that length of time, then you have not trained your employees well.”
“It can run well enough.”
“Well then.” She couldn’t help but beam. The world was right again.
And balance was returned.
Richard strolled through the empty shell that was Unruffled. “I agree with your idea of the counter to use for payment, but you also need ancillary display cases, perhaps smaller, to get people to move throughout the store, into every corner.”
“That’s a fabulous idea,” Vesta said, even though they’d already thought of it.
Annie loved how Vesta had returned from their private talk on Richard’s arm. She hadn’t had time to speak with her alone yet, but by the glow in her mother-in-law’s cheeks she expected good news.
Richard stepped off the width of the store. “Twenty-four, give or take. Not a bad size. How many different dresses do you have?”
“Twelve different dress. Each in eight sizes. Two of each. One hundred ninety-two, all told,” Annie said.
“Twelve is a good start. You’ll need racks.”
“I know,” Sean said. “Where do you get your store fixtures made?”
“I haven’t had cause for new ones in years, but I used Wilson & Company. I will give you their information. Tell them I sent you. They will treat you fairly.”
From naysayer to encourager. How extraordinary.
Sean and Richard climbed the stairs to Annie and Sean’s flat. Annie purposely lagged behind with Vesta. “Are you sure you are ready to move back home?”
“I am. Richard has changed.”
Annie was doubtful. “Are you sure?”
“No.”
Annie stopped her on a stair. “Then don’t go. Wait until you’re sure.”
Vesta shook her head. “One thing I’ve learned after nearly thirty years is that marriage involves give and take. And it’s rarely equal. But when the balance tips too far, changes must be made.”
“Are you glad you left?”
“I am. For I believe it forced a change for the better.”
“But will it hold fast?”
“We will have to find a new balance. I’m ready to work on that. Neither one of us is without flaw. The point is, we love each other. What God has joined together let no man put asunder.”
Annie pulled her into an awkward embrace, balancing on the stairs.
Life was all about keeping one’s balance.
Vesta carefully folded a white blouse and placed it in her carpetbag. She snapped the clasp shut. “There it is. I am ready to go now.”
Richard nodded toward the bag. “That’s all the luggage you have?”
“It is.”
“When we travel, you pack trunks full of clothes.”
“I didn’t have time to pack trunks. I made do with two outfits, a nightgown, and other necessities.” Vesta stood straighter. “I’m rather proud of myself for surviving on so little.”
Richard eyed the sofa. “You slept there, all this time?”
“I was quite comfortable.”
She would have been more comfortable at home if you would have been nice to her. Annie handed Vesta her straw hat. “We will miss you.”
“I’m coming back every day.”
“I know. It’s just…” Annie couldn’t find the right words and was about to say, let us know if you need us but realized the words might do more harm than good. “See you tomorrow then.”
Vesta hugged her and then her son, adding a kiss to his cheek. “Thank you for being there for me, Sean. I will never forget it.”
And then they were gone.
Annie leaned against the door, spent. “I knew she wasn’t staying forever, but…”
“I know.” Sean sat on the sofa and patted the space beside him. “Her departure came unexpectedly.”
Annie snuggled under his arm. “I find it hard to believe your father was the one who got the Sampsons to fund us again.”
“His bark is worse than his bite.”
“But he was adamantly against us from the beginning.”
“I do think Mother leaving was the impetus for his change of heart. If she had stayed with him, I doubt any of this would have happened.”
“We would be without Vesta working for us.”
“We would be without the Sampsons’ money.”
“Which means we
wouldn’t be renting the storefront.”
“Or ordering new fixtures from Wilson & Company.”
“God works in very mysterious ways.”
“He does,” Sean said. “He took something bad and brought good out of it. He amazes me.”
“Me too.” Annie sat upright. “You do like the store, don’t you?”
“I think it will be everything you hoped it would be.”
“You too,” she said. “You had hopes for it too.”
He pressed a finger to her forehead. “But you’re the one who had the vision for it.”
She found her snuggle place again. “We are so lucky.”
“Blessed, Annie. God does not deal with luck but with blessings.”
Maude’s thoughts jostled with the movement of the streetcar. She was not looking forward to this evening. When she’d first contacted her mother, wanting to ask her for money, they had made a tenuous reconnection. Her mother had said, “We shall have to have you over for dinner.” But when Maude had received the recent invitation, she’d wanted to decline.
But why?
One dinner won’t hurt.
She knew her attitude was unbecoming and mostly illogical. She reminded herself that it had been she—Maude—who had pulled away from their bond.
That her mother had so kindly accepted and forgiven Maude only heightened her turmoil. Her confusion made little sense, but she couldn’t seem to shake it away.
She was just stepping off the streetcar when she heard—felt?—some inner words, not of herself: Me. Ask Me for help.
“Miss? Excuse me?”
She’d stopped on the last step, barring other people’s exit. She moved out of the way, the words lingering. Was “me” God?
Don’t be silly, Maude. Why would God speak to you—about this?
She shoved aside the inner promptings, walking with her head down until she entered her mother’s building.
Her mother greeted her with open arms and a warm embrace. “It’s so good to see you, Maudey. Come in, come in.”
Hans also drew Maude into an embrace. “Velkommin, Maude.” His German accent was thick, yet rather charming. “Come. Sit.”
But as she entered the parlor, there was another guest present.