Alice gnawed at her lip in frustration. “The seagulls represent…bad luck?” she asked, still uncertain what his point was.
He chuckled. “No. They will be other millineries attempting to take them away before they even arrive at your shop.”
“But I will be the only millinery in St. Mawes,” she said.
“That might be true now,” Johnathan insisted, “but there are others in nearby towns and villages that have already established their businesses. Furthermore, another proprietor might decide to open another shop in St. Mawes at some point. Never believe that you will be a woman’s only choice in hats; always be ready for someone else to attempt to entice her away at a moment’s notice.”
Alice nodded. Why had the man not simply stated his point as such in the first place? All this talk of ocean waves, fish and seagulls only made it that more confusing. However, sometimes men tended to think of practical ideas in the abstract; her father was one who did so quite often.
“When I visit the ocean, I find myself watching the waves just as we are now. They are continuous, never-ending, much like the Earth on which we live. It is quite fascinating when you truly consider it.”
Alice looked at Johnathan with great consideration and she found herself noticing the thick brown wave of hair that moved with the light breeze. The sun shone on his face, his eyes lit up, and the hint of a small smile played on his lips. He looked nothing like the rogue she had known back in Exeter, and she found herself considering that marrying this man might not be as bad as she first suspected. Perhaps he was a better man than she was led to believe.
***
The linen-drapers had no other customers besides Alice and Johnathan, and Alice was growing impatient as Johnathan and a Mr. Ethan Johnson argued over numerous bolts of fabrics. There were many colors, though Alice liked the coquelicot over which they disagreed in price, she was in love with the evening primrose. She ran her hand over the soft linen printed with red and purple roses and looked up when Mr. Johnson let out an exaggerated sigh. His shop was not busy at the moment, though the man kept looking around as though he was inundated with customers.
Johnathan placed his hands on the counter. “I understand your position as much as you understand mine. I simply wish to establish locally rather than using a source in London,” he stated in a calm and collected voice that had an underlining exasperation.
Mr. Johnson snorted. “If you can wait that long, then perhaps you should. I find your offer quite insulting.”
Alice bit at her lip, wondering if she should interject. This had not been the first time she had considered interjecting herself into the conversation, but Johnathan had been clear before they entered that she was to listen and learn. However, she was finding their bickering aggravating, to say the least. She had seen the look of defiance both men had when her father had negotiated terms, although he never knew she listened in. However, because of her eavesdropping, she knew just what to say to convince the man to concede.
“Mr. Johnson, if we buy from London, then how will people know that you supply the finest fabric in St. Mawes?” she asked as if she were asking him if he took sugar in his tea.
The man narrowed his eyes and then he smiled. “You make an excellent point,” he said with a tilt of his head. “However, I already am known to have the finest fabrics in St. Mawes.”
“Is that so?” Alice asked as she picked up a swatch of white linen with yellow printed flowers. “I heard that said of Mr. Stapleton’s shop, as well.”
The man’s jaw dropped, but Alice did not allow him the opportunity to comment. “Despite what I have heard, which I believe could have been started as a rumor by someone close to Mr. Stapleton, from what I have seen so far, you truly do have the best fabrics in town. This being the case, I believe we can help each other out. I can use your shop exclusively to purchase what I need, as long as you have it on hand. If for whatever reason you do not carry a particular pattern or color I would like, I would be free to use whatever means necessary to meet the needs of my customers. In return for advertising that you supply all of the fabrics for my hats, you will give me an exclusive price.” She dropped the swatch back onto the counter. “I really would hate to make that offer to a competitor who would provide me with inferior material.”
Both men stared at her as if she had grown a third arm, and she held back a giggle at their reaction. Mr. Johnson snapped his mouth shut and cleared his throat. “You make an excellent point,” he said. “Very well, I agree to those terms.” He nodded at Johnathan. “I will have your order delivered tomorrow, if that is acceptable, My Lord.”
Johnathan’s gaze was intense, and Alice felt herself shiver. However, she would not allow him to take away the pride she felt. Then he appeared to return to the conversation. “It is,” he finally replied. Yet, now his gaze was thoughtful.
Alice smiled as the two men concluded their business and Johnathan paid for the purchase. Johnathan could teach her a lot, she was sure; however, she knew a few things herself. Then a new thought occurred to her. Although she had only negotiated once—with Johnathan over their agreement to marry—she found herself enjoying the act of negotiating immensely. Not only was it exciting, she was very adept at it.
“Thank you, Mr. Johnson,” Johnathan said as he put out his hand.
The man took it and shook it. “I imagine you should not thank me, My Lord,” he said. “You have a right businesswoman on your hands there.”
Johnathan glanced at Alice. There was something in his eyes that made Alice recoil. Was he annoyed with her? Why would he be angry? She had helped them get a good deal. However, the look was quickly gone, replaced by a smile. “I suppose she did,” he said. Alice could not read the emotion behind his words, but perhaps it was because they did not truly know each other well. Rather than see it as a bad sign, Alice decided to look at it as positive. After all, she would have to live with this man for a very long time.
As they made their way back to the shop, dark clouds blocked the sun that had been shining when they had arrived. The waves crashed against the pier and the boats bobbed in the water. Rain would soon be upon them.
Alice glanced over at Johnathan and was shocked to see the dark clouds reflected in his eyes.
“That was quite an experience,” she said in a cheerful voice. “I found your skills for bargaining quite amazing.” She had expected him to gush over her compliment, but he said nothing, and she found it quite odd. He had just secured a wonderful contract, yet the man was unhappy. She pondered over what could possibly be the matter, but nothing came to mind. The wind picked up and she had to hold her hat in place lest it blow away. “You would not know how to negotiate with the wind, would you?” she asked with a laugh.
Again, Johnathan remained quiet. When they arrived at the shop, Johnathan unlocked and opened the door, holding it open for her to enter.
She carefully removed her hat and gave him a quick smile. “I was wondering…”
“I told you earlier that you were to remain quiet,” he said in a tone for which she did not care. “Why did you feel the need to go against my wishes?”
So, this was what bothered him? The typical man, worried about a woman stepping on his toes? Alice shook her head. “I was only trying to help,” she said in a quiet voice, though she wanted to shout at him instead. “He seemed hesitant, and the moment seemed to call for it.”
He moved toward her, and her heart skipped a beat. He would not dare strike her, would he? However, he moved past her to where the box of fabrics and ribbons she had purchased before sat. “Although you believe you aided me, you did not,” he said in a quiet voice. It reminded her of the quiet before the storm and she shivered in response. “You embarrassed me. He will no longer see me as a skillful businessman, but rather as one who allows women to use their feminine wiles to bargain for him.”
Feminine wiles? How could it be that Alice simply explaining the situation have been her using her feminine wiles? It was ridiculous at be
st. However, men had a tendency to be rather stubborn when it came to their egos, so she decided it would be best, at least this early in their negotiations, for her to point it out. “Very well,” she said, though she did not attempt to hide her irritation, “I will remain quiet from here on out, if that is what you prefer.”
“That is exactly what I want,” he said. Then he turned and she took a step back when she saw the ire radiating from his face. She almost expected fire to launch from his eyes and smoke to billow from his ears. “You need to listen and learn. Remember that.” He closed his eyes for a moment and then took a deep breath. “I will return tomorrow,” he said, his voice now calmer, although she could hear the underlining anger behind it. “Have a pleasant evening.” He stepped through the door and slammed it shut behind him.
Alice stared at the closed door in wonder. Sadness replaced her fear and anger at his words and attitude. He was no different from her father—yelling, slamming doors, wanting women to obey him and stay silent. She walked to the door, turned the lock and walked over to the shop window. Rain now fell, the heavy clouds now completely obliterating the sun and once blue sky. Twice today she had considered that marrying Johnathan would be a positive action, that perhaps there was hope for a tolerable, if not satisfactory life with the man.
She sighed. No matter how she looked at it, she knew this relationship would be as volatile as the weather.
Chapter Fifteen
Johnathan rode his horse down the lane as the rain pelted him, only making his anger worsen. He was soaked through—another stone on his altar of anger—and he dreaded the ride to Cliff Heights House, his Cornwall home. He should have waited for the rain to let up, but he could not remain in that shop for one more minute. What had begun as a good day ended abysmally, and all because Miss Alice Huntington could not remain silent. Had he not instructed her that her only task was to listen and learn?
However, he knew it was more than that. A single instruction that was ignored at this level would only increase and cause more problems later in their relationship. Since Alice was now officially his fiancée and would soon be his bride, it was imperative he nip it in the bud now before it got unmanageable.
As the horse ambled through the drizzle, Johnathan’s mind went back to the beach earlier. Alice had seemed to show what he thought was common sense when he explained to her how important it was for her to observe how he made agreements and negotiated with other businessmen. He had been pleased that she understood his explanation of the similarities between the ocean waves, birds and fish and a business. However, her defiance at every level frustrated him no end, and he flicked the reins in frustration.
The rain lifted enough for him to remove his black top hat and shook off the wetness. It had a smooth surface and a luxurious look with its deep blue silk band at the base of the flue to match his coat. He had not anticipated rain for the day, so the narrow brim did little to keep the rain off his face, but at least it helped. It was well-made and water did not accumulate on it as it might on some of his hats, but shaking off the water gave him something to do and gave his head some relief from the covering. The light mist cooled his forehead before the drops once again gathered to create yet another deluge, and he sighed as he returned the hat to his head. Would the house never come into sight? Regardless of the sense of urgency, he forced the horse to walk rather than gallop. He needed time to cool down his anger as much as his forehead.
His mind returned to the beach of its own accord. This time, however, he found himself remembering how Alice looked as she watched the bird swoop down and grab hold of the fish. When she talked to him, when she was herself and not some clumsy fool, her beauty was astounding. She no longer wore those ghastly eyeglasses, which told him that, for some unknown reason, she chose to wear them rather than because they were necessary for her to see. The pretense confused him, and yet it made perfect sense after today’s debacle. How he could have thought affiliation could be successful, he had no idea. She did not follow instruction—she proved as much when she interjected herself into his and Mr. Johnson’s negotiations. Business was a man’s domain, and it was imperative that she learn as much. He had recognized the pride on her face, but it was misplaced pride, for she could have easily lost the deal completely. The chances of Mr. Johnson being offended by a woman’s attempt at doing business was all too conceivable, and she had to learn to give way to Johnathan’s knowledge and expertise.
When the gates to Cliff Heights came into view, Johnathan let out a heavy sigh of relief. It had been quite some time since he had spent any amount of time here, and it still brought on a feeling of sadness. This was where he and Jane were to reside during the summer months once they were wed, but once she had broken off the engagement, he chose to remain in Exeter for the summer, leaving only three servants in residence. Susan and Hannah kept the house clean and Harold, who had been with the family since before Johnathan was a born, served as the house butler. The trio had been surprised when their lord showed up unannounced, but Johnathan had been pleasantly surprised that the house had continued to be well-maintained even in his absence.
He stopped the horse in front of the house and looked up at the building. It was not as large as some of the country homes in the area, but it was more than adequate for what a family would need. He imagined riding up to the house and looking up at his children’s faces peering down from the dozen or so windows that lined the front of the house, happily waving at him before they disappeared to run down the stairs and out the front door to greet him.
“What rubbish,” he whispered to himself. He had learned long ago that a happy family was not a real entity. The reality was that families hid their secrets behind the stone walls and in the crevices of the large towers that flanked either side of the house. For a brief time, when Jane had been the center of his life, he had thought differently, that what he had seen in his father had been an anomaly rather than the norm. However, that was not the case. Instead, he learned that women were good only for bedding and running a home and nothing more, for they lied to ensnare men into their webs of deceit.
Now, he would be bringing Alice here. The few times he had encountered the woman, he had thought her a bit odd, perhaps even a bit gauche. Now, however, something gnawed at him—perplexed him. Deep down, under all the anger and humiliation he felt in her actions today sat a grain of pride and admiration for her, so small and insignificant, he could barely grab hold of it. Yet, it was there nonetheless. This realization brought on a feeling of confusion, for it was in direct contradiction to the anger he had ridden with from St. Mawes.
Letting out a sigh, he rode around the house to the stables where he shoved the mixture of feelings into a tiny box in the back of his mind and concentrated wholeheartedly on brushing down the horse and giving him oats. The animal had done well and had gotten him safely home.
Now if he could only do something about the safety of his heart.
***
As the rain continued to fall, Johnathan stared out his bedroom window. It was not as heavy, but the strong wind sent the droplets pelting against the window, causing one to believe it was torrential. Lightning flashed in the distance, leaving an eerie glow in the clouds before dissipating to once again leave the sky in complete blackness.
Johnathan took a sip of his cognac and closed his eyes to the light bursts in the sky. His mind turned to Jane in her yellow dress, the sly smile as she adjusted the hat on her head. She had chosen the fabric on the hat from her father’s shop and had convinced Johnathan that she, too, was interested in opening her own haberdasher. Johnathan was all too happy to help her realize this dream, for he loved her deeply and thought her of high intelligence and great wit, two qualities one would need to be successful in any business venture.
Jane’s image disappeared when Johnathan sensed a presence at the door, and he turned and saw Susan standing with her hands clasped in front of her, her head bowed.
“I’m sorry, My Lord,” she said without l
ifting her head. “I was not sure if you required my…presence this night.” Her voice was barely audible beneath the rumble of the thunder as Johnathan walked past the bed to stand before her. Though the usual stirring deep within him to seek the pleasure in the arms of his help, he stopped for a moment as an image of Alice came to his mind, her smile radiating like the sun. How strange that it was Alice, and not Jane, who appeared before him. However, regardless of the unfamiliarity of what he was feeling, he could not fathom why he would spend a single night with Susan. In truth, the idea of her remaining in the room to satisfy his needs was loathsome.
“No,” he replied in a quiet voice. “Please retire for the evening.”
Susan looked up at him, her brow scrunched. However, she did not argue, but rather nodded and headed back out the door and toward her room the candle in her hand flickering wildly, making the shadows ebb and wane as she moved away.
Johnathan closed the door and leaned against it. What was wrong with him? He had no true loyalty to Alice and had every right to bring any woman he pleased to his bed. Yet, even the thought of doing so now repulsed him.
Angry at his sudden weakness, he grabbed the glass and downed what was left of the cognac and refilled the glass. Then he grabbed his own candle in one hand and his drink in the other and headed to his study. He needed to do something to ease the confusion in his mind.
***
As Johnathan tried to tear thoughts of Alice from his mind, Alice sat in her tiny room attempting to remove Johnathan from her own mind. She was finding the task difficult, to say the least. She was unsure whether she despised him or if she found him appealing, and the battle that raged inside her made it difficult to think clearly.
Alice took another sip of her tea and her mind turned to Sarah Crombly, the woman she had encountered on her journey to Cornwall and to whom she had given one of the dresses she had exchanged. Perhaps it was time to write a letter to the woman. Yet, where would she send it? She knew the woman had mentioned going to Weymouth, but she had no idea how to address the letter. Plus, if the woman had taken Alice’s advice, she would be using a false name. No, she would have to simply wait for the woman to seek her out, for Alice was quite certain their paths would cross once again at some point. However, now was not the time.
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