A Stranger at Fellsworth by Sarah E. Ladd

Author:Sarah E. Ladd
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Published: 2017-03-29T04:00:00+00:00

Later that afternoon, Annabelle hurried down the path to Fellsworth School’s main gate. She had exactly one hour before she was due back to her duties.

She looked over her shoulder to make sure no one witnessed her escape. When she was certain she was not being observed, she hurried through the gate and made her way down the lane to the Fellsworth town square.

A little thrill surged through her. She tightened her clutch on her reticule that contained a strand of pearls—a strand that she hoped to sell today at one of the shops. A month prior she never would have dreamed of doing such a thing, but she had little choice. At the moment she was settled and comfortable at the school, but she had little money.

She could not help but remember how Miss Stillworth tried to steal her reticule that day. Even after all these weeks it still troubled her to think that one day she could end up in a very similar situation to her unfortunate friend. Nothing was certain, and it scared her to think that nothing may ever be certain again.

She’d had so many new experiences as of late, and her emotions swung wildly from one sensation to another. Fear of her brother. Disgust about Mr. Bartrell. Relief that her uncle allowed her to stay at Fellsworth. Uncertainty over her new environment. Feelings of inadequacy in her new role.

But there were positive ones as well. Her aunt and uncle made her feel like a part of a family. She warmed under the memory of the conversations she had with Mr. Locke. In the midst of her weakness, a glimmer of strength and self-sufficiency broke through.

Finding the village’s town square was not difficult. A cluster of shops and carts were positioned neatly around a cheery fountain. Wooden signs hanging outside of the shops indicated what they were: butcher, grocer, apothecary, milliner, tailor. She did not see a jeweler sign. She paused when she saw a sign labeled “Dressmaker.”

Uncertainty pulsed through her as she pushed open the door. A small bell atop the door chimed as she entered. The shop was much simpler than the elegant modiste shops she frequented in London. Normally when she would come into a shop, Crosley accompanied her, and usually a footman or two came along to carry her purchases. This shop was very different. Only two simply cut gowns were on display. Several bolts of fabric lined the walls, and ribbons hung from the low, dark ceiling. The scent of firewood overwhelmed the stuffy space, and smoke from a nearby fire teased her nose.

A woman stood behind the counter, engrossed in a ledger, but as Annabelle approached her, a floorboard squeaked under her weight and the shopkeeper looked up. She eyed Annabelle suspiciously. “May I help you, miss?”

“Yes. That is, I hope so.” Annabelle forced a smile.

The dressmaker’s demeanor remained firm. “I take it you are from the school.”

“I am.”

“I’ve not seen you before.” The dressmaker stepped from behind the counter and tilted her head to the side.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.