Gilt by Association (8 page)

Now she bent to Lady immediately, and played with her ears. “You're such a pretty girl.”

“Walking in this slush and snow, she's soon going to need a bath. I'm going to have to take her to the groomer.”

“Are they going to put pretty bows at your ears?” Dulcina teased.

“I don't know,” Caprice returned. “A jeweled collar could be next. According to my family, I pamper her too much.”

“One can never be pampered too much,” Dulcina said with a laugh. “Are you staging a house today?”

“Actually, I have a video consultation late this afternoon. But after Lady and I take a walk, I'm going to go shopping,” she said wryly.

“You don't sound too happy about it.”

“It's more of a case of not knowing exactly what to buy. I need a dress for the Valentine Day's dance.”

“I'm going, too,” Dulcina responded with a smile.

“Did you get something really dressy?” Caprice wasn't sure
what
kind of outfit she wanted.

“Cocktail dress-style. It's a little more sparkly than what I usually would wear, but that's because I have a date.”

“You do? That's great.”

Caprice had to admit, she felt a little burn of jealousy. Her curiosity took over and she asked, “Is this someone new, or have you been dating him for a while?”

“This will be our third date. I met him New Year's Day. I was alone so I decided to go to the movies.”

“The old theater downtown or the new one at the shopping center?”

“The old one downtown. I love that place. They were having a silent film day that I thought would make me laugh, and I guess he wanted to laugh, too. We started talking between the films, and we seemed to get along well. We went to dinner together afterward. I thought that might be the end of it, but then a couple of weeks ago he called and we had supper at the Blue Moon Grille.”

Talk of the Blue Moon Grille brought back memories for Caprice. She and Seth had eaten there. In fact, that had been the night he'd told her he might be getting the fellowship at Johns Hopkins. They'd had a great time together on the outside deck, under the stars, a guitar player playing close by. It had been romantic, and she thought with an inward sigh about how much she missed him.

“I like the Blue Moon Grille, especially in the spring and summer when you can eat outside,” she responded softly.

“They put in a gas fireplace so it's cozy inside now, too. Those pretzels with the crab and cheese topping are to die for,” Dulcina said.

“And how about the man you're seeing?” Caprice asked, focusing once again on her neighbor. “Is he to die for?”

Dulcina laughed. “He is tall, and he is handsome in his way. He has custody of his daughters and they keep him pretty busy. But for Valentine's Day, he said he wants to do something special. That's why I bought a sparkly dress.”

Since the women were in conversation, Lady went up to the porch of the two-story Colonial and sat in front of the door.

“She wants to come in.” And Dulcina sounded as if she'd let her.

“She can't always do what she wants.” Caprice had to be a good mom.

“Think about this,” Dulcina suggested. “If you're going to be gone, she could stay with me for a while.”

“I don't want to impose.”

“You're not imposing. I'm caught up with work, and I'd like the company. Seeing you with your animals, I'm thinking of getting a dog or a cat. I just haven't decided.”

“If you want exercise and an animal to get you outside, a dog would be great,” Caprice advised. “But if you'd rather stick close to your home and inside, then a cat would be better.”

“It's a commitment, and I just don't know if I want that. Even dating . . . It's been so long since I've done it that it seems strange. Sometimes I don't know what to say or do.”

“You're not the only one with that problem,” Caprice pointed out, remembering how she'd felt with Seth.

“Do you have a date for the dance?” Dulcina asked.

“No, actually, I don't. Somebody I know is going, and I was hoping he'd ask me to go with him, but that didn't happen.”

“Then you know what you have to do.”

“What's that?” Caprice asked warily.

“You have to absolutely wow him. You'll have to find a dress that he can't possibly ignore.”

Hmmm. Maybe finding that kind of dress would take longer than she expected. “Are you sure you don't mind watching Lady?”

“Not a bit. I even have food left from the last time she stayed with me. Will Sophia be lonely without her?”

“I'll give Sophia some time before I leave. She'll probably sleep all afternoon, especially if she has peace and quiet. Thanks, Dulcina. I really appreciate this.”

“Anytime,” she said. “And when you get back, I want to see what you found.”

Caprice hoped she could find that wow dress that would be everything Dulcina expected . . . and everything Grant
wouldn't
expect!

Chapter Eight

The primary store for Caprice's clothes shopping efforts had always been Secrets of the Past. Suzanne Dumas' shop was known for its actual vintage fashion as well as for up-and-coming designers delving into the past for new looks. Caprice found most of her professional and casual clothes there. But today, her drive downtown, and her delving into the racks in her favorite shop had left her clueless and disappointed.

What exactly was she looking for?

Suzanne had even checked in her storeroom but couldn't find anything suitable. Caprice suspected that other residents of Kismet, shopping for dressy clothes for Valentine's Day weekend, had wiped out the small store's cocktail dress inventory.

But she wasn't out of ideas. Roz's fashion boutique, All About You, had opened this past October in time for the Christmas holidays. Bella, with her associate degree in apparel design, had worked with Roz and made the opening a success. Toward the end of her pregnancy, Bella had acted more like an office manager than a sales representative. For the most part, Roz's fashions were pricey. She purchased with current trends in mind, and Caprice's taste didn't always fit into current trends.

Roz's inventory could be picked over, too, but not every woman in Kismet went to the Valentine's Day dance, did they?

Roz's shop was worth a try.

All About You was located in what Kismet residents called Restoration Row. It was a street of row houses in an old section of town. The street had been a scab on Kismet's pretty face until a developer from Harrisburg had bought the whole section of town. He'd named the street Bristol Row, refurbished the houses, sand blasting brick, refacing the fronts, putting siding over clapboard, adding black shutters, and making the street respectable once again. Roz had decided to rent one of the houses for All About You.

The store had an unusual layout, with two stories and separate rooms for specific types of fashions. But that was the point. Roz had wanted her boutique to be unique. The back entrance had an inside stairway with a chairlift for anyone disabled who wanted to shop there. There was a ramp out back, too, for the first floor, and limited parking. Roz had gone to a lot of trouble to make this boutique exactly the way she wanted it. She'd inherited tons of money from her deceased husband, and she was using it the best way she knew how.

On a Monday in the middle of winter, Caprice was pretty sure Roz could give her one-on-one time.

When she opened the door to All About You, a bell rang. She heard a little yip-yip to accompany it and realized Roz had brought her dog, Dylan, here as she did most days to keep her company. Dylan had been one of the strays Caprice had taken in last year. But Roz had fallen in love with the little dog and the dog had fallen in love with her. They made the perfect match.

Caprice hadn't walked three feet into the store when Dylan came running to her, yipping, winding in and out of her legs, greeting her in an I-missed-you kind of way. She stooped down and picked up the mixed breed—part Pomeranian, part shih tzu.

“Hi there, fluffball. How are you today?”

Roz laid her clipboard on top of one of the clothes racks. “He was playing tug-of-war with an old scarf I brought in. But he takes every opportunity to get attention from the people he likes.”

Caprice laughed. “Don't we all.”

As she rubbed Dylan's back, he settled in her arms. He'd always been a cuddler.

“What brings you here today?” Roz asked. “Nana Celia has given me a list of everything she wants me to do for the Give-from-the-Heart Day on Saturday, so I'm sure she's tied you up, too.”

“I haven't started on a list yet,” Caprice admitted, “other than making calls for donations and posting on social media. I'm going to stop at Grocery Fresh and talk to the manager on the way home. I'm hoping they'll have a ton of food to donate. My Web site's bringing in monetary donations. That should please Nana and the coordinators.”

“I'm sure anything will. Donations are down on all the charities I work with. It's the state of the economy. I'm donating clothes I was able to buy wholesale.”

“People need food and clothes as much as ever. It makes me feel guilty for why I came here today.”

“Guilty?”

“I want a pretty dress for the Valentine's Day dance. Something special. But I decided whatever I buy, I'll match it in a donation to Give-from-the-Heart Day.”

“You usually buy your clothes at Secrets of the Past.” Roz said it without any defensiveness or rancor. She'd often shopped there with Caprice and advised her on what to buy.

“Suzanne's party dress section was almost nonexistent. How about yours?”

“My clientele is a little different. I had a lot of special orders, but I also had a new shipment come in that I ordered specifically for my cruise-taking clients. This is a big time of year for cruises, and I get a lot of inquiries about formal wear. So . . . Come with me upstairs and we'll take a look. In fact, I have something I think you'll like a lot.”

“In my size? Not a size four?”

“You know I believe every woman should be able to look pretty no matter what her size. So I always order a wide range. Your waist is your best feature, and curves right now are in.”

“Uh oh. What does
that
mean? Because I won't wear something too clingy.”

Roz laughed and shook her head. “Come on, follow me. Trust my fashion sense.”

And Caprice did.

Caprice carried Dylan up the stairs, but let him down at the second floor. He followed them through the shoes and handbag room into the formal fashion area.

Roz went straight to a rack built into the wall, pushed a few dresses aside, and found the one she was looking for. She held it up in front of Caprice and said, “What do you think?”

The color was fabulous. It was dark fuchsia, one of her favorite colors. Roz knew that, of course, and the style was—

“Forties glamour fashions are coming back. Don't you think this looks like something Susan Hayward would wear?” Roz asked.

The dress had long sleeves and a lovely scooped neck. It was a satiny material that formed a fitted bodice. The waist was form fitting, too. There was a slight flair to the hips of the dress that arrowed down into a pencil-thin knee-length skirt.

“Do you really think I'm going to fit into that?”

“This material is forgiving. It might be a vintage style, but it's a current fabric. It's your size, and this designer's sizes aren't skimpy. Try it on, then decide.”

Caprice liked the dress so much, she was afraid to hope it would fit.

In the spacious dressing room, she quickly disrobed, then reverently handled the dress, unzipping the zipper, then slipping the garment over her head.

Roz rapped on the door and then came in. “Need help?”

“Can you zip me?”

“Of course, I can.” Roz carefully pulled the zipper up its track, and Caprice couldn't believe the way she looked. She looked . . . glamorous. It fit her like no dress she'd ever worn before. She was almost speechless.

“Didn't I tell you?” Roz asked.

Caprice couldn't help the grin that spread from one corner of her mouth to the other. “You did, and I'll never doubt you again. The pearls Mom and Dad gave me when I graduated from high school will look perfect with this.”

“Just the right touch. How about wearing your hair up for a change? I'm sure my hairdresser could find a forties style to do you proud. You never treat yourself like that. Why not go all out?”

Caprice's hairdresser trimmed her hair about every six weeks, fringed her bangs, and made sure the side layers fell just right. But specialty hairdos weren't her thing.

“Could he fit me in?”

“I'll text him and see.” Roz took out her phone and did just that. “If he has an appointment, it might be a little bit before he gets back to me.”

“A texting hairdresser,” Caprice mused. “The world sure is changing.”

“But one thing doesn't change,” Roz said. “Friendship. Don't you agree?”

Their friendship had grown stronger through Roz's crisis last spring. They were almost like sisters now, and that's why Caprice could ask, “Do you mind that I shop at Secrets of the Past?”

“Of course, I don't mind. A woman's fashion sense is her fashion sense. You like vintage. I don't always have that.”

Caprice's conversation with her mother made her go beyond the dress shopping subject. “About friendship. . . Do you mind when I talk to Bella and Nikki several times a week? Do you feel left out?”

Roz looked puzzled. “No, I don't feel left out. You and I talk when we can. We're both busy. Where's this coming from?”

Caprice had called Roz to talk about Louise's murder, finding the body, all the feelings associated with that. Roz understood because of what had happened with her husband back in May.

Because Roz could understand, Caprice explained, “Mom thought she and Louise were really good friends, maybe even best friends. But I ran into Millicent Corsi and she told me Louise and Gail Schwartz were best friends. My mom seemed hurt by the idea and wondered if her friendship with Louise had been as solid as she'd thought. Women can be jealous of other women's closeness to friends. I've seen it before. In fact, Bella sometimes gets jealous of everything I tell Nikki, and what Nikki tells me. So I was just wondering.”

“After what we went through, our friendship is solid no matter who else is in our lives, don't you think?” Roz asked.

Caprice was glad Roz felt the same way she did.

“Well, since we're such good friends, just what do you expect out of going to the dance with Vince on Saturday? I mean, are you two dating?” This was the first time she'd brought up that subject because she hadn't been sure what she wanted to say.

“This will be our first date, and the truth is, I don't know if I'm ready for dating. But I'm comfortable with your brother, and when he asked me,
yes
just popped out of my mouth.”

Caprice was glad Roz's response had been instinctive. “I think you and Vince can have fun together, but Vince's romantic track record isn't the best.”

“I know that. My eyes are wide open. One date won't hurt.”

Caprice was about to say she hoped that was true when her phone played from her purse. She'd settled her fringed bag that seemed to gain weight daily on a shelf in the dressing room.

Roz's phone beeped at about the same time. “I'll check mine. You get yours,” she said as she exited the dressing room.

Caprice took one look at caller ID and saw Grant's number. She didn't have a picture of him on her phone. She'd have to take one, though she didn't know how he'd feel about that.

She answered with “Hi. Are you going to puppy class tonight?”

“I didn't call about puppy class,” he said seriously. “But yes, I'm going. I'm calling about Louise Downing. Her body's been released. From what I heard, the viewing is Wednesday evening, and the funeral is Thursday morning. I thought you'd want to know.”

She did want to know. “I'll tell Mom,” she said.

“Are you planning on going?” Grant asked.

“Of course, I am.”

Grant paused and then went on. “If you're going to the viewing to support your mom because you feel Louise is part of your family, I understand that. But if you're going to try to pick up clues, after what happened to Louise, I think you should shut down your intentions. This time, leave it to the professionals.”

Caprice always bristled at this type of Grant's protective advice. “And if I don't?”

“If you don't, this time you could end up just like Louise Downing.”