The Duke and the Dressmaker (The St. James Series) by Montclair Keira

Author:Montclair, Keira [Montclair, Keira]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Keira Montclair
Published: 2013-10-31T18:30:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty-One

Sara sorted her receipts carefully at the front counter. A few days had passed since she had last seen Philip, yet he was always lurking somewhere in her mind. She forced herself to focus on the task at hand. A smile of triumph enveloped her when she finished. There was almost enough money for Stinky.

She had one customer that was expected to pick up several gowns today, and then she should have more than enough money. In fact, she had moved those gowns into the front room to be ready for her customer when she arrived. Gowns did not move easily with her broken finger. She had learned to think ahead. Her heart soared as she realized she should have enough left over to buy food for the week. She took a bit and hid it in a separate place for safekeeping. Stinky didn’t know all of her hiding places.

She immediately returned to her sewing table in the back room to finish the gown she was working on for the front display. The more inventory she had, the better chance she had of paying the blasted man and finally being free of him.

The front door slammed and Sara jumped out of her seat. It was too early for Stinky. He couldn’t be here yet. She rubbed the palm of her good hand down her dress to wipe the dampness away. Her heartbeat sped as she proceeded to the front. She held her breath and stepped around the corner.

A liveried footman stood just inside the door with his arm outstretched. “A package for you, Madam. Lady Ardleigh instructed me to wait until you open the package. If they are not quite right, you may return them.”

Sara’s curiosity piqued. What would Phoebe send her that she could return? She accepted the package with a smile and slid behind her counter to open it. Handling it carefully, her heart pounded in anticipation. How long had it been since she had received a surprise gift such as this?

Untying the ribbon, she carefully pulled the wrapping back until her eyes fell on the assortment of blue and ivory round baubles inside. Sara couldn’t stop herself from uttering a small moan in appreciation for the beads inside. “Oh, they are so beautiful.”

She fingered each bead individually as she peered at them.

“Oh, I think they could be perfect.”

She knew Phoebe’s messenger was not interested, but she announced her satisfaction anyway. Running into the back room, she retrieved her mother’s bag, slammed the drawer, and rushed back to the front room to determine if the beads matched.

Her entire body bursting with joy at the prospect, Sara placed the edge of her mother’s bag next to Phoebe’s package.

“Oh, no! They are too small. Oh, but the shape and coloring are a perfect match. If only they were a touch larger.” Sara rolled the pale gems between her fingers with a sigh. Grabbing her pen, she set to writing a response to Phoebe’s thoughtfulness.

Addressing the messenger, she said, “Sir, if you will please wait one more moment, I will pen my response to Lady Ardleigh.

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