Page 75 of The Duke's Indecent Match
Holding her head high, Kalina swept back out onto the street, pulling Fiona with her.Her heart was pounding in her chest, and her jaw was locked tight against the angry tears that wanted to fall, but she kept a serene expression on her face.There was no way she was going to give that woman the satisfaction of knowing that she’d hurt Kalina in any way.
She also could not turn around and point out that Mrs.Galbraith was only reaping the rewards of her own actions.Not without behaving exactly the way the dressmaker expected her to, and Kalina would rather eat her hat than give her any satisfaction.
“Why was she so mean?”Fiona asked once they were out on the street, the door cutting off Mrs.Galbraith’s outrage.At least she had the sense not to follow them out.
Holding tightly to Kalina’s hand, Fiona looked up at her with confusion.Kalina took a deep breath, wrestling with her unruly emotions.Thankfully, Margaret came to her rescue.She had a rather unique perspective, coming from the outside but having observed what Kalina and her family had been through.
“Some people don’t like anyone who is different from them.Whether they come from a different place, look differently because of their skin or hair, or believe something different.”Margaret sniffed derisively.“They reject what they do not know.Some of them are afraid.”
“Afraid of what?”
“Mostly afraid they’ll be treated the same way they treat others who are different, as far as I can tell.”Margaret made a face.“I saw that a lot in India.There are those who lash out, trying to protect themselves, even though they are not under attack.In fact, in India, it was we British who were doing the attacking.We were the foreigners in their country, and we’ve been making it part of the British Empire.Something Mrs.Galbraith obviously did not think about.In India, it was her grace’s father who was the unwelcome foreigner.”
“Oh.”Fiona’s eyes widened, and she looked up at Kalina.“I do not want you to feel unwelcome.”
“You have made me feel very welcome,” Kalina said, smiling down at her and giving the girl’s hand a reassuring squeeze.She came to a halt, stepping to the side to get out of the way of any passersby, and turned back to the older two sisters.“Ah… I do not know where I am going.”
“This way.”Julianna stepped forward, and Margaret fell back to walk alongside Emma.The footman, who had been waiting outside the shop, trailed them.If he thought anything about their abrupt departure from the shop, or if he’d overheard any of the conversation between Fiona and Margaret, he did not show it in his very blank expression.“I cannot apologize enough, Kalina.I had no idea… if I had realized…”
“Do not worry.I do not hold you accountable for her actions,” Kalina said smoothly, smiling at Julianna.She could tell her sister-in-law had been sincerely distressed by Mrs.Galbraith’s words at the moment, as she was apologizing now.“You would have had no reason to know she felt such a way.”
Because, of course, the woman would hardly have behaved in such a manner to Julianna herself.
Despite Julianna’s claim that the sisters did not visit the village often, numerous passersby saw her and dropped a quick curtsy, along with a speculative look at Kalina.The people out and about were mostly born and bred English, but she slowly relaxed as she realized she was hardly the only person with darker skin in the village.Several of the shopkeepers appeared to also be some of the ‘foreigners’ Mrs.Galbraith was so unhappy about.
Kalina glanced at Julianna, but she seemed to find it unremarkable that so many knew her on sight.Perhaps she used to visit the village more.
“Here we are,” Julianna said, gesturing to the door of another shop.She looked at it dubiously.“I must admit, I have not been here before.Mrs.Galbraith’s mother was my mother’s seamstress.”
“I am sure we can find something,” Kalina reassured her.If she had to, she would send Julianna and Emma to Mrs.Galbraith’s on their own, though she hoped it did not come to that.
She was reassured on multiple levels the moment they stepped into the shop.It was clean and orderly, with high-quality fabric displayed in a multitude of colors.A mother and her daughter with dark brown skin were on the far side of the shop, heads bent over a bolt that they were discussing.
“Hello, hello!”A friendly round woman with grey hair, apple cheeks, and bright eyes came over to greet them immediately.“Welcome.Oh my, Lady Julianna!”She immediately dipped into a curtsy.
“I am sorry, I do not know your name,” Julianna said, though she seemed unsurprised at being recognized despite that.
“Of course not, my lady.I am Mrs.Collins.My parents moved away when I was younger, but I still remember what your mother looked like, and you are the spitting image.”Mrs.Collins tilted her head, smiling fondly at what was clearly a good memory.She had also cleared up the mystery of how so many in the village recognized Julianna, especially if Julianna was wearing one of her mother’s dresses, as Kalina suspected.It would enhance the resemblance.
“Thank you.”Julianna smiled at Mrs.Collins.“This is my new sister-in-law, the Duchess of Hereford.”
“Oh!Your Grace!”Mrs.Collins immediately sank into a deep curtsy.“I wish you very happy indeed.My apologies, I had not heard that his grace had married.”
“It is rather recent.”The side of Kalina’s mouth twitched as she echoed Julianna’s previous answer.Emma lifted her hand to her mouth, covering her smile.“The duke and I appreciate your well wishes.”
“Of course!What can I do for you today, Your Grace?My ladies?”Mrs.Collins beamed at the giggling Fiona as she straightened.Everything about her demeanor was the complete opposite of Mrs.Galbraith’s, and Kalina relaxed further.
“Do you have any ready-made dresses?”Kalina asked.One ready-made dress for each of the sisters, then they could order two more, but she very much wanted them to be able to each walk out with a new gown.
“Oh, yes, right back here.”Mrs.Collins waved her hand, turning her head as the woman on the other side of the shop called out to her.“Go ahead and take a look, and I will join you in a moment.”
The fact that Mrs.Collins went to attend to her other customer, who surely could not have been anywhere near in rank to Kalina, made her feel even better about the woman.Smiling, she went with Hereford’s sisters to look at the ready-made dresses.
Several hours later, they exited the store, all wearing new small clothes, gloves, and dresses.Mrs.Collins had packed up the old ones and promised to deliver them to the Hall along with the finished dresses that had been ordered.Beaming widely, she thanked them for coming and, again, gave Kalina her best wishes on her new marriage.
Stepping out into the street, Kalina smiled wide as she watched Fiona spin in a happy circle, quietly chanting “new dress” over and over again.Though more reserved, both Julianna and Emma were beaming as well, continuously glancing at their reflections in the shop glass as they went from Mrs.Collins’ shop to the milliners’, then on to the cobblers.All of them had their measurements taken, except Fiona, as she was still growing, and she received a new pair of shoes with some space to grow into.
Whispers about the duke’s marriage had spread quickly, and several of the town worthies came to introduce themselves, including the mayor’s wife, who apologized for her husband’s absence.Kalina was not certain if someone had said something about her exit from Mrs.Galbraith’s shop, but there were no more incidents.She was warmly welcomed by everyone who approached her.
