His Brother's Castoff by Lena Nelson Dooley

Author:Lena Nelson Dooley
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Barbour Publishing, Inc.
Published: 2013-07-19T04:00:00+00:00

Nine

Anna turned the skirt she was working on so she could sew the other side seam. When she did, she twisted her hips a little to make them more comfortable. She had been sitting at the sewing machine in one position too long.

“Have you noticed how often August has been coming by the shop?” Anna didn’t take her gaze from her work when Gerda spoke to her. The young women often talked while working and were not distracted from their respective tasks.

“He did promise your father that he would check on us often. That’s the main reason you were allowed to move into the apartment with me.”

Anna came to the end of the seam and stopped pedaling. She cut the thread and tied the two pieces in a knot close to the fabric to keep the seam from pulling apart. She pivoted on her seat, enjoying the cushioning.

Gerda glanced up from the lace insertion she was sewing into a sleeve. “But did he promise to make us a padded sewing chair, too?”

“No. August was being kind.” Anna turned back to the sewing machine and started on another seam.

“Yes, he was.” Gerda shook the sleeve out before starting to baste it to the rest of the blouse. “Your brothers Lowell and Ollie promised to check on us, too, but they don’t come every day. . .and they don’t bring us gifts all the time either.”

“August doesn’t bring gifts all the time.”

“The new display tables he made. . .a book of poetry for the apartment. . .flowers for the showroom. . .a box of Irish linen handkerchiefs with embroidered flowers and dainty lace edging. Actually, he only brought the handkerchiefs to you. Remember, I wasn’t here, and he knew I would be spending the day with Olina. Those were only for you.”

Anna stood up and held the skirt by the waist so she could shake out any wrinkles. She could feel the heat warming her face. Probably another one of her blushes. Why did she do that? People with fair skin were supposed to be the ones to blush, not her.

“I tried to tell him that he shouldn’t give them to me, but he was insistent. . .and they were so pretty. . .”

Gerda laughed.

Anna started folding the skirt. “Well, the padded chair he brought to use with the sewing machine was for both of us.”

“August knew that you use the machine much more than I do. I think he made it with you in mind.”

Anna laid the folded skirt on the shelf to wait for Gerda to sew the hem by hand. It was time for her to take a break, and she needed to get away from this conversation. She walked into the showroom.

No one had come into the shop all day. She wondered if the Braxtons’ store had been busy. Sometimes Wednesdays were slow days for both the mercantile and the Dress Emporium. She decided to go ask Marja about their customers, so she hurried toward the door to the mercantile.

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