Swan's Grace by Linda Francis Lee

Author:Linda Francis Lee [Lee, Linda Francis]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, Romance, Historical, General
ISBN: 9780449002063
Google: G18O2buJ8W0C
Amazon: 0449002063
Publisher: Ivy Books
Published: 2000-09-04T16:00:00+00:00

Grayson shook his client's hand in the courthouse rotunda before they both headed out. Buttoning his coat, he headed for the Back Bay, but four steps beyond the large plate-glass window of Sloan Market he stopped dead in his tracks. His head cocked in confusion; then he took four steps back, certain his eyes were deceiving him. But when he peered through the gold lettering on the clear glass there was no question that the person standing at the counter, a long line of impatient customers behind her, was his betrothed.

Sophie was sure her cheeks were as bright as the shade she had painted the library walls.

"I'm sorry, Miss…"

"Wentworth," she said, her smile forced. "From Swan's Grace."

"Wherever," the young clerk said with a huff, snapping the thick black ledger book closed. "But you can't just sign your name, then walk away with groceries. What do you think this is?"

"I told you that I was referring to an account," she said as quietly as she could through clenched teeth, the line of people behind her on the verge of revolt, "with a bill being sent at a later date."

"And I keep telling you I don't have any Wentworth at Swan's Grace in my book. Now either hand over the money or put the goods back."

"Yeah, hurry up, lady," a man behind her stated. "We don't have all day."

Mortification stung Sophie's cheeks and she stared at the items on the counter. "How much does it come to?" she finally asked.

"A dollar fifty."

A dollar fifty! Who would have guessed groceries could be so expensive? She ran her eyes over the tin of her favorite cakes—why go to all the trouble of making them yourself when you could buy them?—her favorite sardines. It wasn't as though she were trying to buy caviar.

Praying that she had more money in her reticule than she thought, she pulled out her coin purse. She flicked her finger through the change. A meager thirty-five cents.

With a wooden smile, she reached out and took away a jar of peach preserves. "There, now how much?"

Someone in the line groaned. The clerk blew out his breath in an exasperated puff. "A dollar twenty-nine."

With a self-conscious shrug, she took the tin of sardines and set them aside. "Now what is the total?"

A woman stamped her foot. "If you quit buying fancy gowns with feathers, and hats with birds, you might be able to afford groceries."

"Heck, just put back those expensive cakes and you could pay for a thing or two," another woman barked.

Sophie turned with a jump, and started to say something to the hecklers. But her mouth froze, the words hanging unspoken on her tongue when she saw Grayson. He stood just beyond the line, a look of confusion on his face.

"Is there a problem here?" he asked, stepping forward.

"No, no problem," she said quickly, whirling back to face the clerk. Of all the rotten luck She leaned close. "Please just pack up thirty-five cents' worth of things, and hurry," she whispered frantically.

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