The Potter's Daughter: An utterly heartwarming and uplifting historical romance by Jackie Ladbury

Author:Jackie Ladbury [Ladbury, Jackie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Choc Lit Historical Romance: A Joffe Books Company
Published: 2024-02-20T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eighteen

1904

At three in the afternoon, the late summer heat was stifling, bringing forth an odour from outside that made Mrs Parrot close the door firmly shut, only to have to open it moments later, as she and the entire staff became bathed in a sheen of sweat. All of the windows were flung open, and the noise from the street competed with the noise of the sewing machines, until Mrs Parrot became quite fractious and retired to the counting house she fondly called the parlour.

Maddie watched the people of the small world where she lived go about their business: selling, buying, courting, rushing here and ambling there, and imagined another solitary evening ahead of her. She sighed. It was her second summer at Mrs Parrot’s and although her status had changed radically, her personal life hadn’t changed at all. She would have lived in London for two years come the winter, and although she wasn’t homesick any more she did feel lonely more often than not. It wasn’t right for someone as young and as full of life as herself to be sitting on her own every evening but, sadly, she had no other options.

She would try to finish off the silver and aquamarine series of hats she had been styling, and make herself a proper tea, not just bread and dripping with a hunk of cheese on the side.

She made a mental note to chase up her new contact — a parasol maker. He had agreed to trim parasols in a colour that matched her hats, so she could sell both together, or at least try. The lady she had commissioned to accessorise handbags, according to her latest design and colour, had just left, and a contract had been agreed to their mutual benefit. The velvet embroidered bags and the sturdier, silver mesh bags were ideal for evening wear, and would complement Maddie’s latest hair designs for the lady who liked the finer things in life. The window display she had in mind would be fantastic, profits would increase even more, and she thought the time was right to suggest some kind of partnership with Mrs Parrot.

Mrs Parrot was proud of their new enterprise, and had made a lot of money since Maddie had first put her hats and hairpins up for sale. The business of hats was booming more than ever as they became more of a fashion statement than a necessity and Maddie thought she would be amenable to a deal of some sort, especially as Maddie did most of the work.

As her thoughts edged towards putting the kettle on and making a nice pot of tea, the bell chimed over the door. She looked up brightly, expecting to see another dowager trailing a pretty, spoiled girl behind her, intent on using up Mama’s allowance for the up and coming season.

Instead, a pair of soft, brown eyes met hers, a lock of silky hair drooping over one eyebrow.

‘Daniel!’ she cried, so astonished that she totally forgot herself.

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