The Girl with the Red Ribbon (28 page)

‘Only two … well, that is, not clients exactly. There was Mr Acland and then as soon as he left, Mrs Parker came in.'

Louisa raised her eyebrows. ‘Did Father leave a message?'

Rowan shook her head.

‘And did, by some miracle, Mrs Parker decide to purchase anything?'

Rowan shook her head again.

‘Well, I have had a productive morning. I am pleased to report that Mrs Crawford was delighted with her bonnet. She was singing your praises, I can tell you. Miss Carruthers, being of the old school, requires a mantua in a traditional style. I have measured, cut and pinned it, and
brought it back for you to sew up,' Louisa said, drawing out a length of drab from her bag.

‘What a dreadful colour,' Rowan said, grimacing at the dull yellow-brown material.

‘It's what the client wants, Miss Rowena, and probably more to the point, what she can afford. It's not for us to question, and it is business, after all,' her employer pointed out. Rowan nodded and pulled up the high stool. ‘As you can see from the shape, Miss Carruthers wanted it fitted above the waist with the open front and draped skirt,' Louisa continued, raising her eyebrows. ‘You merely need to follow the pins and use this matching thread,' she added, holding up a reel. ‘I did have the temerity to suggest a bow on the front but was met with a stony glare.'

Rowan laughed. She could just imagine the timid woman's reaction to even the tiniest show of frivolity.

‘Now, if I hurry, I shall just have time to see if Lady Arlingham approves of her bonnet,' she said, picking up the other hatbox.

As the workroom fell silent, Rowan bent her head over her work. Although the drab was dull in the extreme, it was at least softer than the material of the uniform dresses in the asylum. Glancing around the well-equipped workroom, she couldn't help contrasting it to the sewing room in that dreadful place. She thought of Susan and her baby, and hoped they were at peace. Her fate was a tragic thing to have happened to such a vivacious girl in the prime of life, but at least, as Mrs Acland had pointed out, she had died thinking her Charlie was coming for her.

Carefully, she followed the line that Louisa had pinned, and before long was absorbed in her sewing. If she
concentrated she would have it finished before her employer returned, she thought, finishing one seam and picking up the scissors to snip off the thread.

‘Well, hello there!' a loud voice boomed, making her jump, so that instead of merely cutting the thread she sliced clean through the material.

As she stared from the ruined mantua up into the florid face of Mr Acland, the ribbon around her wrist tightened.

‘Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear,' Mr Acland's voice boomed so loudly the hand glass on the shelf vibrated. ‘It would appear you've got a problem, Miss Rowena,' he smirked, moving closer.

Her ribbon gripped her wrist even tighter.

‘But you frightened me half to death,' Rowan sobbed, staring down at the ruined material in dismay. As luck would have it, she'd cut right through the front of the mantua. Why couldn't it have been at the bottom? she thought. It was the first sewing job Louisa had entrusted her with and she was bound to be furious. Would she deduct the money for the material from her wage? Or worse still, sack her so she had no wage at all? Her employer had been quite tolerant of her mistake yesterday, but then no actual damage had been done.

‘Don't look so worried, my lovely,' Mr Acland crooned, sidling right up to her. ‘You are young and inexperienced. Why don't you let me show you …' he began.

Unable to bear his close proximity, she jumped to her feet. ‘Please leave me alone,' she cried. The smell of his heavy cologne was overpowering and she glanced around, seeking some way to escape.

He gave another smirk, his glassy eyes boring into her as he placed a hand on her shoulder and pushed her back onto her seat.

‘Now
then, whatever would dear Madame Louisa say if she found out her apprentice hadn't heard the bell? After all, she did leave you in charge of her shop in her absence, didn't she?' he asked, his eyes narrowing. ‘Still, there's no need for her to find out if you …' He stuttered to a halt as a figure appeared in the doorway.

‘Father,' Louisa spat, two red spots burning her cheeks.

‘Louisa, my dear, what a lovely surprise. I thought you'd gone out,' he said smoothly.

‘Luckily for Rowan, I had to return for something,' she said, placing the hatbox on the work table. ‘When I saw your carriage outside and nobody in the shop, I guessed you were up to no good. What do you think are you doing here in my workroom, Father?' As she stood there, hands on hips, staring glacially at him, he gave a little laugh and edged away from Rowan.

‘I was protecting your interests, my dear. You want to be more careful; a thief could have crept in and stolen all your beautiful bonnets. Your new little apprentice here failed to hear the shop bell. When nobody came to attend to me, I came through to make sure everything was all right. Miss Rowena was obviously daydreaming,' he said, smirking at Rowan.

Her heart plummeted. It was true. She'd been so engrossed in her work she hadn't heard the bell tinkle.

‘Rowan, it's time for your luncheon. Go and see what Maria's made for us today,' Louisa ordered sternly. With a last glance at the ruined material, Rowan got to her feet and fled the room.

‘Blimey, girl, you looks like you seen a ghost. Why, you're shaking,' Maria said when she saw Rowan standing
in the kitchen doorway. ‘Go and sit at the table and I'll bring you in a bowl of hot broth. That'll put some colour in you.'

For the second time in as many minutes, Rowan did as she'd been told, and moments later the maid appeared carrying a tray. Giving Rowan a searching look, she set the steaming bowl and a plate of bread on the table.

‘Want to talk about it?' she asked, pulling out the chair next to Rowan and plonking her generous body on it.

‘I think I'm going to lose my job,' Rowan whispered. ‘I've cut right through the material I was sewing. It was that Mr Acland, he crept into the workroom and made me jump,' she continued, the words coming out in a rush.

‘You want to keep away from him. He's a right dirty old man, that one. Always creeping in through the entry and frightening the living daylights out of me. Only last week, I was bent over the range and he crept up and pinched my behind,' Maria said with a shudder. ‘If my Jem finds out, he'll use old Acland's guts for sweeping his chimneys. He's very protective, is my Jem,' she said proudly, puffing out her ample chest.

‘Thank you, Maria,' Louisa said, coming into the room.

The maid jumped to her feet. ‘Sorry, ma'am, only Miss Rowena here was all upset and I was trying to cheer her up,' she explained.

‘That was kind of you, Maria. But I think you should leave her to her luncheon, don't you?'

‘Yes, ma'am. I was just saying how a drop of hot broth would put the colour back in her cheeks.'

‘Very true. Now if you don't mind I'd like to speak to Miss Rowena in private. I expect Mr Ware is waiting for
his luncheon, and we don't want that delicious-smelling broth going cold, do we?' Louisa said firmly.

The maid nodded and scuttled away.

‘I'm sorry, Madame Louisa. I'll pay for the damaged material,' Rowan offered.

‘There's no need to apologize,' Louisa said.

‘But I was so engrossed in what I was doing I didn't hear the shop bell.'

‘That's because it didn't ring. I understand Father came in via the entry. Apparently, it is one of his little tricks,' Louisa said.

‘Oh, that explains it,' Rowan cried, her heart lifting. ‘I'm so glad it wasn't my fault.'

‘Don't worry, I will ensure the entry door is kept locked in the future,' Louisa said.

Then Rowan remembered the drab and her heart flopped again. ‘But I've still made a mess of the mantua. I was being careful to follow your line of pins,' she said with a sigh.

‘Believe you me, there's nothing that can't be rectified. Eat your broth and everything will look better. Now, I really must get back to the shop,' her employer said, patting her shoulder. ‘Come through when you've finished.'

Rowan stared down at her bowl, not feeling the least bit like eating, but knowing she must do as her employer instructed. After a few spoonsful, though, the tasty broth warmed her insides and she felt her spirits revive.

Returning to the workroom, she found Louisa sitting on her stool, studying the mantua.

‘Feeling better?' she asked.

Rowan nodded.

‘Good.
I'm pretty certain you won't be bothered by my father again. Now I have had a good look at this, and with a bit of judicious alteration it can be saved.' She unrolled another length of drab. ‘Although as Father has kindly insisted that Miss Carruthers have a complimentary one made as well, we will have more work to do.' As Rowan stared at Louisa in surprise, her tinkling laugh filled the room.

‘Well, maybe he did take a bit of persuading to open his wallet. Luckily, when I visit a new client, I always take their measurements and then make a pattern,' she said. Rowan watched as Louisa took a shaped sheet of paper from her bag and pinned it on to the material. ‘Now, I'd like you to cut this out and begin sewing, whilst I'm at luncheon.'

Rowan stared at her in surprise. ‘But I messed up the other one,' she murmured.

‘And we all know why that happened,' her employer said briskly. ‘You are quite capable, Miss Rowena. When I return I will show you how we can adapt the original garment. Don't look so worried, Miss Carruthers will have her traditional mantua plus an extra one, slightly embellished. When she protests she has only commissioned the one, I shall assure her she will be doing me the utmost kindness in trialling my new design. The poor woman exists on such modest means it will be a wily way of increasing her apparel without compromising her pride.' Getting to her feet, she gestured Rowan to take her place.

As the door shut behind her, Rowan thought what a kind woman her employer was. Who would believe she had such a repulsive man for a father? The vision of her
own father's gentle face swam before her, but she forced herself to concentrate on her work, picked up the scissors and nervously made the first incision. Soon she was engrossed in the task and her confidence returned. By the time Louisa reappeared the mantua had been cut out and the first seam sewed.

Louisa took a look and nodded. ‘Just like falling off a horse, you have to get straight back in the saddle,' she said with a smile.

Rowan nodded, not liking to say she had always ridden bareback on the farm.

‘Let me show you what I propose doing with the other one and you can finish them both off whilst I deliver Lady Arlingham's bonnet,' her employer said. At the thought of being left along again, Rowan's heart sank, but she duly moved her sewing to one side.

‘Now, I propose we cut the front into a V to incorporate your little nick,' Louisa said, pointing to where the cut should be made.

‘But won't that make the neckline too low?' Rowan asked, remembering the timid little woman.

‘Yes, I know what you mean, but we could inset this triangle of contrasting material behind it, thus preserving Miss Carruthers' modesty,' she said, holding up a piece of pale buttermilk cotton. ‘Of course, if we were dealing with a less modest person we could really go to town and add a sprigged piece of cotton or a silk bow.'

Rowan stared at her employer in admiration. She would never have thought of such an ingenious solution.

‘That should keep you busy for the rest of the day, Miss Rowena,' Louisa said, getting to her feet and throwing a
soft lacy blue shawl around her shoulders. ‘If you finish before I return, please place Miss Carruthers' pattern in the bottom drawer over there,' she said, indicating the chest in the corner of the room. ‘That's where I keep the patterns for all my clients. It saves so much time if I don't have to keep remeasuring them. It also gives me an advantage over the competition.'

‘You have competition?' Rowan asked.

‘Oh, yes, there are quite a few milliners here in Saltmouth, which is why I also make mantuas. I pride myself on providing the best service possible, and by having my ladies' patterns to hand I can sew them a dress, just like that.' Louisa snapped her fingers. ‘I also keep a note of their bonnet size as well. Talking of which, I really must be on my way to Arlingham Hall to see if her ladyship's discerning eye will approve our
pièce de résistance
,' she said, gathering up the hatbox and bustling through to the shop.

Rowan heard the tinkle of the bell and settled down to her sewing. Luckily, this morning's mishap seemed to have turned out all right. Thoughts of the repulsive Mr Acland made her stomach turn and she hoped Louisa was right when she said he wouldn't turn up again.

She had just finished the first mantua and was stretching her back before making a start on the adaptations to the other, when she thought she heard someone outside the workroom. Opening the door, she nearly jumped out of her skin when she saw Maria hovering in the hallway. To her surprise, the maid coloured up and quickly thrust her hands in her apron pocket.

‘Is something wrong, Maria?' Rowan asked, frowning.

‘Oh, no, Miss Rowena, I was just checking the shop to
make sure madam was out. I came to see if you'd like to go to the May Fair on Monday. My Jem's calling for me. Have you got a follower? Only you can come with us if you haven't. It's being held on the field in front of Curzon Crescent. Jem's promised to try and win me a twit,' she added.

‘A twit?' Rowan asked.

‘It's a baby goldfish,' Maria said, nervously hopping from one leg to the other.

‘That's kind of you, Maria. I'll have to check with Madame Louisa, though. She hasn't told me which is to be my half-day off yet.'

‘I could get Jem to bring one of his friends along, if you like,' the maid called, as she hurried back to the kitchen.

Rowan shook her head as she returned to the workroom. The maid had seemed on edge. Surely she hadn't been worried in case Louisa caught them talking? Her employer didn't appear to be a snob. Shaking her head, she picked up the mantua and resumed her sewing. It would be fun to go to the fair. She hadn't had time to explore the little town yet, and it would be lovely to be free for a few hours. Although it was kind of Maria to offer, she really didn't fancy having to spend the afternoon with a man she'd never met. On the other hand, she did want to make new friends.

The shadows were creeping into the corners of the workroom by the time Louisa returned. She walked into the room sniffing the air and frowning.

‘Have you refreshed the fitting area this afternoon?' she asked, setting down her bag.

Rowan
looked up guiltily. ‘No, I haven't, Madame Louisa. Sorry if I was meant to, but I've been so busy sewing the time ran away with me. I'll do it straight away,' she said, jumping to her feet.

Louisa shook her head. ‘No, that's all right. Have you had any clients whilst I've been out?'

‘No, but I did keep my ears peeled for the bell.' Realizing what she'd said, Rowan burst out laughing.

Louisa smiled. ‘I could do with a little light relief after the afternoon I've just experienced,' she said, collapsing onto a chair. ‘Lady Arlingham is satisfied with what she is to wear, at last,' she added, with a shake of her fair head. ‘She was in a very particular mood, but the funny thing was, she never once said anything about the bonnet not being the one she saw in the window.'