Page 134 of The Wedding Dress Repair Shop
The veil had not survived, but there was a little square,tasselled drawstring bag in matching crimson silk, which was designed to be worn tied to the side of the bodice.
While both the bodice and skirt showed signs of regular use after the wedding, I thought the long sleeves and overdress had been made just for the occasion and then packed away.
There was some moth damage, not extensive, and a few small rents in the red and white lace that I’d have to repair, but on the whole, it would need surprisingly little work before it went on display.
It took quite a while to examine and evaluate. I took notes and photos of all the parts separately, before reassembling them on the dressmaker’s dummy. It looked much better with the hooped petticoat holding out the skirt.
I snatched a quick sandwich lunch before beginning to mend the lace, but I hadn’t got very far before Thom, Pearl and Simon arrived. This being their half day, I’d drafted them in to help me get some more of the dresses I’d already finished out on display and then forgotten about it!
Ella, Kay and Derek were having a blitz in the shop and staff room too, unpacking stock that had arrived and setting up the new, scarily gleaming till.
Kay was at the staff-room computer, entering stock because, as she said, she was going to count it all in, and then count it all out again, as it sold.
With the others’ help I filled some of the shallower, shelved cabinets with accessories and their matching information cards. Pearl had brought a stack of the A4 paper leaflets with her, so afterwards we retired to my cottage living room to fold them into three, and since Pearl had thoughtfully cut four pieces of rectangular card to fold them around, it wasn’t as fiddly as it might have been.
*
We went our separate ways once the origami session was over, but were to meet later at the pub, though I called in at Pearl’s a little earlier to look at a wonderful old fairy storybook with lovely illustrations that she’d happened to mention … and which, of course, I bought.
I seem to be a sucker for fairies, and possibly now angels too, since my trip to the Jericho’s End waterfall.
Still, it also gave Pearl a chance to unburden herself about her lingering sense of guilt at having fallen for Simon …
*
By the time Honey returned from London late on Friday afternoon, I’d finished the repairs to the Bartered Bride’s dress and reassembled it upstairs on its special mannequin, where the deep crimson made a bold and beautiful statement.
And when Honey came to look around at what had been done in her absence, exhausted but still wired from her trip, she was amazed at the progress we’d all made.
There was just over a week until we opened – and one more dress, a bittersweet story, to end with.
Rosa-May
27 June
In my reply I unburdened my heart to dear Letty. But then, having a sudden, although perhaps unfounded, suspicion that Rafe was keeping back my letters, I had Sara enclose it in one of her own to her sister and requested that Letty reply in the same manner.
I did also send a short note to Letty in the usual way, because if Rafe was indeed intercepting them, then I did not want him to suspect I was now corresponding with my friends by a different means.
I have now also secretly written to Mrs Aurelius Blake, begging for news of old friends and hoping that she had not quite forgotten me, since I had had no response to my last two letters to her …
Today I again told Rafe that I wished to return to Town and begged him to assist me to do so, but he would not hear of it and I have not sufficient means to make the journey alone, especially since I am very sure he would do all in his power to prevent it, and we are so very isolated here.
There would be neither sympathy nor help to be got from the vicar in the nearby village, for he is Rafe’s kinsman and has shown me by his manner how much he disapproves of my former profession.
I am unaccustomed to having my freedom curtailed in this manner, and my spirit rebels, so that I have begun to try and think of a means of making my departure with Sara.
I feel certain that once Guy reaches London he will be pleased to see me and I would be able to obtain the best of medical assistance to help me nurse him back to health.
If I were to appeal to Letty, we might devise some way to secretly arrange my journey …
*
30 June
Since I wrote in this book, a new and very dread fear has overtaken my mind!
I had put down some recent queasiness and lack of appetite to a passing malady, but now further signs make me suspect I may be with child!
