The Risk and the Reward (Kansas Crossroads) by Amelia C. Adams

Author:Amelia C. Adams [Adams, Amelia C.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2018-06-21T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter Ten

Sybil stood in front of Mrs. Evans’ dress shop. She’d been told by the girls who worked at the Brody Hotel that she’d be able to find whatever she needed there, but that didn’t calm her nerves. She’d never shopped for pretty things before, only serviceable ones, and it didn’t help that Grant would be coming along behind her and paying for everything she picked out. After the lawyer was done with the paperwork, she’d have money of her own, but in the meantime, what if Grant thought she was being foolish and didn’t approve of her choices?

After several moments of debate, she was startled when the door to the shop opened and a kind-looking woman stepped out. “Hello there,” she said warmly. “I’ve been watching you through the window for some time now. Can I help?”

Sybil felt sheepish. “I need to buy some things, but the thought of it is overwhelming.”

“You’re in luck. My specialty is overcoming overwhelming.”

Mrs. Evans’ welcome made Sybil feel much more relaxed, and over the next few minutes, they discussed everything Sybil needed.

“Now, I believe that takes care of the undergarments,” Mrs. Evans said, placing a few pairs of stockings on the ever-growing pile on the chair in the corner. “I have a few dresses readymade that should suit, but you’ll need to find a dressmaker in San Francisco or in London to finish you up.”

“Are you sure I’ll need so many?”

Mrs. Evans gave her a kind smile. “You’re being fitted for a different sort of life than you’ve ever had. You need day dresses, evening dresses, dinner dresses—I daresay you’ll even need an opera dress.”

Sybil blinked. “All that just to work in a shop?”

“All that just to work in a shop. You must be presentable to the public so they’ll trust you with their business. It’s how the world works.”

That was quite a change of thinking. Ladies’ maids were supposed to disappear into the background, not make good impressions out in front.

Mrs. Evans pulled a soft blue dress off a rack and held it up under Sybil’s chin. “Oh, that’s a lovely color on you,” she said.

Sybil blushed.

“Now, stop that,” Mrs. Evans admonished her. “You’re a lovely young woman, Sybil, and you’d better get used to compliments. Yes, this blue, and also this pink. Oh, and this green gingham day dress. I have a changing room right back here. Come put one of these on and let me see if I guessed your size correctly.”

By the time Grant showed up an hour later, Mrs. Evans had pulled out dresses and hats and fans and matching reticules and everything else she thought Sybil could possibly want. “I was telling her that she’ll need to speak with a dressmaker in San Francisco for her evening dresses,” Mrs. Evans told him. “I don’t get much call for things like that here, so I only do those for custom orders.”

“Completely understandable. What are you owed, Mrs. Evans?”

“You can’t mean to buy all of this,” Sybil said, completely flabbergasted.

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