Southern Rain by Tara Cowan

Author:Tara Cowan [Cowan, Tara]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Tara Cowan
Published: 2019-09-13T04:00:00+00:00

“Thank you, Shannon,” Lizzie said, making the final tuck in the bodice of her gown. It was for the open ball which would be held at the Weymouth assembly rooms for the end of planting in May, and Shannon had shown her a deft stitch which would give the gown a Parisian flair, currently all the rage in Charleston.

“So charming to make it a V,” Miriam said, sitting nearby in the same small tea room, working on her own gown. They might have sent them to the dressmaker ten times over, but they preferred and were encouraged by their mother to make their own. And they were deft needlewomen. Shannon had been taught nothing so useful as they, but she did know fine stitches, and her sisters-in-law were happy to learn from her. Sarah sat nearby quietly cross-stitching a sampler but watching raptly.

“Did you have many beaux in Charleston, Shannon?” Miriam asked.

“Miriam!” her elder sister chided, eyes widening.

Shannon laughed. “Yes, I did.”

Lizzie looked up, a slightly shocked expression on her face.

“Oh, forgive me,” Shannon said, lifting a new spool of thread from the basket at her feet, but pausing. “Your brother knows. He jokes me for it.”

Lizzie paused for a moment. “Does he? You and John Thomas led such different lives in South Carolina, that I’m sure we can scarcely understand.”

Shannon studied her. After a moment she said, “Yes, our ways are very different. But John Thomas is the same wherever he is.” And she hoped she was, too, though she was uncomfortably uncertain of the truth of it.

Lizzie shook her head. “You don’t have to tell me that, my dear sister. I didn’t mean to imply otherwise.”

“Indeed, John Thomas is the best and dearest of brothers,” Miriam said. “Oh! No, I don’t mean that!”

Sarah fired up. “Well, he doesn’t read fubsy old books all of the time, or ride off to heaven knows where, or tug on my braids!”

“That is quite enough, Sarah,” Lizzie said with amused reproof.

Shannon smiled, looking up to see Patience peeking in the door. Patience was smiling. “What a charming foursome you make!” she said, cheeks rosy from the chill. She had already discarded her coat and gloves and was wearing a simple gray wool gown with pagoda sleeves.

“Dearest,” Lizzie said, getting up and kissing her cheek. “You’ve only just missed Mother: she went to take stockings to the tenants.”

“Oh, I shall stay until she returns,” she said, kissing Sarah and Miriam and extending her hand to Shannon, covering Shannon’s when she gave hers. “You are such a welcome addition to us, Sister!” she said. “What a pity you should be leaving us for Washington!”

Shannon smiled, realizing suddenly that Patience was the addition the sisters had lacked. She did not have sisters, but she knew the feeling nonetheless. She enjoyed watching them, found that Patience smoothed all of the little troubled moments.

“Oh! What do you think? Jonathan is to visit us next Saturday—and then it will just be a few weeks until the end of the term.

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