CHAPTER TWO
Mirren took her headband off and smiled at Frazer. ‘We were about to have a cup of tea. Would you like to join us?’
‘I don’t want to intrude on your busy day,’ he said. ‘But I was thinking about something Lily said. That the dresses in the window display are snapped up. And I wanted to buy the pink ballgown before it was gone, like the other dresses I’ve seen recently.’
Lily and Mirren exchanged a surprised look.
‘Is this for your studio?’ said Mirren.
‘Yes, and...I have other plans that I’d like to chat to you about regarding ballgowns,’ he added.
‘I’ll make the tea,’ said Mirren. ‘We can chat over a cuppa.’
Mirren hurried through to the kitchen, leaving Lily standing facing Frazer.
‘Right, I’ll get the dress out of the window,’ said Lily, walking over and stepping into the display to ease it off the mannequin.
‘Sorry for ruining your display,’ he apologised, going over to help her.
‘It’s fine. I’ve been doing this all week. And I’ve just finished two other dresses that I can replace it with.’
‘Are they similar to the pink ballgown?’ He sounded interested.
‘Yes, they’re based on the same pattern. My own designs. They’re hanging up on that rail over there.’ Lily gestured to where they were.
Leaving Lily to wrestle the dress off the mannequin, Frazer went over and unhooked the blue chiffon dress. ‘This is gorgeous.’ Then he lifted the yellow one. ‘And so is this one. I’ll buy these two as well.’
‘What do you take in your tea, Frazer?’ Mirren called through to him.
‘Just milk, thanks,’ he called back.
Lily stepped out of the window with the pink ballgown draped over her arm and took it over to the counter and folded it carefully.
Frazer was standing holding the other two ballgowns as Mirren came through with three cups of tea on a tray, napkins, two pieces of shortbread and the two slices of Christmas pudding. She sat it down safely out of the way behind the counter.
‘Is that Christmas pudding?’ he said, eyeing the slices.
‘Yes,’ said Mirren. ‘Help yourself.’
Frazer hung the dresses back on the rail and took his coat and scarf off to reveal a long–sleeve, crew neck, grey top that emphasised his lean, fit build. He lifted a slice of the pudding and put it on a napkin. ‘Thank you. I love Christmas pudding. And I haven’t had breakfast.’ He bit into it and nodded.
Lily put the pink ballgown in a bag, and then picked up a piece of the shortbread to ensure Mirren got the other slice of pudding.
Mirren glanced at her and smiled as she helped herself to the remaining slice.
Then they exchanged a look, seeing Frazer in their shop munching the Christmas treat and sipping his tea.
They chatted while they had their tea.
‘I’m planning to hold a fairytale ball at the dance studio on Christmas Eve,’ Frazer began. ‘I want to promote the studio, and have dancing events like this throughout the year. There’s a cafe next to the studio and they’re keen to cater for the ball and other parties we’ll hold. The ball will have a buffet and a whole evening of dancing.’
‘That sounds wonderful,’ said Lily.
‘Will the ball just be for members of the dance studio? Those taking lessons?’ Mirren said to him.
‘No, tickets will be available for everyone,’ he explained to Mirren. ‘But clients have expressed an interest in attending the ball, and we’ve started taking bookings. The posters advertising the ball are up in the studio. I’ll show you when you come up tonight for your assessment,’ he said to Lily.
A surge of excitement charged through her at the thought of dancing with Frazer later.
‘Regarding the ballgowns...’ he said. ‘I want to encourage everyone attending the ball to put on the glitz, wear ballgowns or evening dresses, classic suits. Dress to impress, make that part of the festive fun.’
Lily glanced at the bags containing the three dresses he’d bought. ‘Are you planning to sell these dresses in your shop at the dance studio?’ said Lily.
‘Yes and no. Let me explain,’ he said. ‘We stock the dance shoes because there were so many clients eager to wear them. Now with the Christmas Eve ball, they’re interested in ballgowns. When I saw the ballgowns in your window this week, I thought I’d chat to you about supplying them for the studio. Or we could direct them to your shop for the dresses.’
‘We don’t have many ballgowns in stock,’ said Lily.
‘Could you get more in?’ he said. ‘Clients are looking to us for advice on what types of dresses to buy. The length. The style. We’re able to give advice, and Victoria has brought in some of her dresses to show them. But I thought I could hang your dresses up in the shop as examples of what to wear.’ He looked at Lily. ‘Your designs remind me of ballgowns my dance partners wore in the past when I took part in shows and contests.’
Lily looked flattered. ‘They’re what I imagine a fairytale dress should be. Lots of chiffon and sparkle.’
Frazer nodded as he finished the last piece of pudding and wiped his hands on the napkin. ‘Sticky fingers. I’d better not touch those lovely dresses now.’
‘You can wash your hands through here,’ said Lily, leading him into the back of the shop.
Frazer washed his hands at the sink and dried them.
Lily stood beside her work table, looking at him, thinking how tall he was, making the room suddenly seem smaller.
He turned and had a look around. ‘Is this where you do all your sewing?’
‘Most of it. But I live in the flat upstairs and I have a sewing machine set up there where I work on my dressmaking in the evenings. Though I don’t think of it as work. I love sewing and dressmaking.’
‘You sound like me. I dance morning, noon and night, and love it. I’ve always loved dancing.’
‘Did you learn when you were a wee boy?’
‘I did. My parents weren’t dancers, but they enjoyed going to the theatre and they’d take me with them, and to dinner dances. It was the dancing that I liked, and they were happy to send me to dance classes to learn. And I made it my profession.’
‘Now you’ve opened your own dance studio,’ she prompted him, wanting to know more.
‘About a year ago, I inherited a considerable sum of money from my grandfather.’ He shrugged, and played down what he said next. ‘It’s no secret from publicity in the press when I opened the studio that my parents are wealthy and I come from money.’ He looked awkward for a moment and then continued. ‘Anyway, I decided to invest my grandfather’s inheritance in the studio, and so far, it’s been a success.’
‘I love watching ballroom dancing. I’ve been to a couple of shows, but I like viewing films and videos about waltzing, the foxtrot and classic dancing. I didn’t intend taking lessons as an adult, but Mirren and Bert gave them to me as a Christmas present.’
Frazer walked over to where she was standing beside her sewing machine, lit by the spotlights. ‘And now, here we are.’
Her heart reacted to him, his manliness, his deep voice that resonated in the quietude. So quiet she hoped he couldn’t hear her heart beat excitedly.
He looked at her sewing machine and the remnants of chiffon that were on the table. Picking up one of the pieces of blue chiffon, he felt the softness of it against his fingers. ‘Beautiful fabric.’
Lily gestured to the bolts of fabric on the shelves. ‘Mirren has a wonderful selection of fabric, though she buys in whatever we need. Over the years, she’s built up a lot of reliable suppliers, especially for the vintage dresses. She buys them mainly in bulk. But she has a great eye for what will sell well. The dresses usually only need minor repairs made to them. And she’s able to offer them at bargain prices.’
‘I like the idea of dresses being pre–loved. The past appreciated rather than thrown aside. I love tradition. Things that last.’
‘So do I. And I enjoy repairing the vintage dresses. Sorting the hems, a minor repair to a seam, embroidering over a blemish.’
‘You do embroidery too?’
‘Yes.’ Lily reached over and showed him a dress she’d been working on recently. ‘I embroidered a rose on this tea dress where there was a stain on the fabric.’
He moved closer to have a look at her handiwork. ‘That’s a pretty idea. It probably makes it nicer than ever.’
His closeness caused her heart to flutter, but she couldn’t step back as it would seem awkward, and he was genuinely just looking at her embroidery.
Calm down, she scolded herself, feeling a blush start to rise across her cheeks. She was unable to hide it as she was highlighted by the overhead lamps.
‘I think the embroidery adds a sweet touch to the dresses,’ she said, and then stepped over to where she kept her designs in folders. ‘These are some of my embroidery designs. Mainly floral patterns — cornflowers, bluebells, sunflowers, snowdrops. I draw them on to the fabric and then embroider them.’
He studied her illustrations that she used for her patterns and noticed she’d bookmarked some Christmas designs. ‘I see you’ve got Christmas roses, a Christmas tree and a robin.’
‘The robin embroidery is popular. I’ve embroidered it on some of my clothes.’
He nodded, looking interested in everything she was showing him. ‘Have you been here long?’
‘Barely a week. I moved from a town in Ayrshire. Mirren offered me the chance to work with her at the shop. I’ve done dressmaking and sewing since I was a wee girl, and later started up my own business selling dresses from my website. My own designs. I studied patternmaking too.’
Frazer nodded, urging her to continue.
‘I lived with my parents in the west coast town, but they’ve now moved away to Perth. So when Mirren invited me here to work at the shop, I made the move. Mirren and Bert said I could stay with them at their house on the outskirts of Edinburgh, but I opted to live in the flat upstairs. It’s like living in my dream shop and being able to pop down at night and work on the dresses.’
‘I get that,’ he said. ‘Sometimes, when I’m locking up the studio at night, turning the lights off, and I have the whole place to myself, I’ll dance. I’ll keep the twinkle lights on, turn up the music and dance, just for fun, for the magic of it. I’ve often burned up an hour in my own wee world of classic choreography.’
‘That does sound magical. It must be wonderful to have the dance floor to yourself.’
‘It is. You should join me one evening. We’ll dance the night away.’ The offer was out before he realised that he’d overstepped. ‘What I mean is...’
‘Come and have a look at these ballgowns, Frazer,’ Mirren called through from the front shop.
Looking relieved that he didn’t have to unwind his inappropriate offer, Frazer bounded through.
Lily took a deep breath, and headed through as well.
Mirren had accessed a selection of ballgowns for sale from one of her regular suppliers. She viewed them on the shop’s computer. Each dress was listed with pictures and details, including any minor blemishes. These were mainly a hem that had come down, a ripped seam, fasteners missing, sequins dangling from a bodice and needing secured.
Frazer peered at the screen. ‘These are beautiful ballgowns. How many are there?’
‘Twenty,’ Mirren announced, looking pleased to have sourced them. ‘Various sizes and colours from pastel shades of pinks, lilacs and sky blues to midnight blue, emerald and ruby. All in lovely condition.’
Lily looked at the dresses as Mirren scrolled down the pictures listed. ‘You always find gems.’
Mirren smiled. ‘They’re a bulk buy. A really great bargain. Apparently, the seller wants to clear this stock as it’s taking up a lot of space and no one has bought them.’
Frazer skim–read the details. ‘It says they were worn for professional ballroom dance contests.’
‘And for stage shows,’ Mirren added, having read all the information.
‘They’d be perfect for what you need,’ Lily said to Frazer. ‘And looking at the pictures, they do seem in lovely condition.’
‘My suppliers assure me they don’t need a lot of work,’ said Mirren. ‘I messaged them and they said they could send them off today if I’m interested.’
‘Tell them yes. Buy them,’ Frazer said decisively. ‘I’ll pay for them. And I’ll pay for any work you do on the dresses. We’ll arrange a fair price that makes it worth your while.’ He made the transaction there and then so that the order could be sent off that day. He paid for next day delivery too.
Mirren smiled excitedly. ‘They’ll be here sometime tomorrow.’
‘Sewing and mending ballgowns,’ said Lily, sounding equally excited. ‘That will be fun. I won’t feel so bad about letting the pink ballgown go now.’
Frazer frowned as he purchased the other two ballgowns that Lily had designed. ‘Did you want to keep it for yourself?’
Lily shrugged as she bagged the dresses for him. ‘I often don’t want to part with some of the dresses I make. I loved the pink dress. But if I love it as much, someone else is bound to love it too. So I have to let it go.’
A customer came into the shop and blinked when she saw Frazer was there.
‘Frazer!’ she said, smiling at him. In her forties, she’d come in to pick up a tea dress she’d ordered from Mirren. ‘You probably don’t recognise me, but I’m taking lessons from Dougal at your studio.’
He did recognise her, though he didn’t know her name. ‘I’ve seen you at the studio. How are you enjoying your lessons?’
‘They’re great fun,’ the woman said. ‘Dougal is such a wonderful instructor. I’m learning with a few friends from my work. He’s teaching us as a group. We’re going out to a hotel for our work’s Christmas dinner and there’s dancing too, so we’re all learning to waltz. We’re loving it!’
‘I’m delighted,’ said Frazer.
‘I hope I’m not interrupting,’ the woman said to Mirren. ‘But I just came in to pick up my tea dress.’
‘I’ve got it ready for you.’ Mirren had it in the storeroom. She went through to get it.
Frazer put his coat and scarf on and picked up the bags with the three ballgowns. ‘I’ll let you get on with your business,’ he said to Lily. ‘We’ll talk later when I see you tonight.’
‘Yes,’ said Lily, and smiled as he left. She watched him through the window, seeing his tall figure laden with dress shop bags, walking away.
‘Are you dating Frazer?’ the woman said to Lily, smiling at her.
Lily blushed. ‘No, no, we’re just doing some business.’
The woman looked surprised. ‘I thought you had a bit of a... spark ...between you. And the way he looked at you...’
‘Lily’s planning to take ballroom dancing lessons from Frazer at the studio,’ Mirren was pleased to tell the customer, coming back through with the tea dress.
‘Lucky you,’ the woman said to Lily. ‘Frazer’s a heartbreaker.’
Lily smiled tightly and hurried through to her sewing machine, hoping to hide her blushes and gather her senses.
‘I’ve sorted the seams,’ Mirren told the woman, showing her the repairs she’d made. The dress had been hanging on a rail, not ready for sale, when the customer had seen it in the shop a few days ago, and Mirren had repaired it ready for collection. Customers often rummaged through the dresses that had just arrived, but hadn’t been sorted for sale.
‘Thanks, Mirren.’ The customer sounded thrilled with her purchase.
Lily listened to them chatting, and then their voices faded into the background as she started sewing, repairing the seams on a wrap dress. The reassuring whirring of her machine always calmed her senses, as did sewing, dressmaking. While she sewed, she rewound some of the things Frazer had said, and wondered what would happen that evening when she went to the studio.
‘What are you going to wear tonight?’ Mirren said, walking through to talk to Lily after the customer left.
Lily blinked and snipped the thread from finishing a seam. ‘I hadn’t thought about it.’
Mirren went over to a rail in the stockroom and plucked a dress from several hanging up. ‘How about this? It’s your size, and I’ve mended it. I just hadn’t had time to add it to the stock yet.’
Lily stood up and looked at the classic tea dress with its pretty print fabric. ‘Are those Christmas roses?’
‘They are. It was listed in the description when I bought it. Ideal for Christmastime. Try it on. See if it fits.’
Lily stepped into the changing room, put the dress on and looked at herself in the mirror. The dress fitted nicely.
She stepped out to show Mirren.
‘You suit it,’ said Mirren, going over to check the fit. ‘Does it feel comfy? Could you dance in it?’
Lily smoothed her hands down the fabric and then held out the skirt. ‘It feels dressy but comfortable, and the skirt has a nice flair for dancing.’
‘Wear it if you want, or have a rummage through the rails for something else. And I’m sure you’ve got plenty of dresses of your own.’
‘I do, but I like this, thanks,’ said Lily, feeling it would give her a boost in confidence when she headed to the studio later. ‘I’ve got a couple of pairs of shoes that I can wear for dancing.’
‘Run upstairs and try them on with your dress,’ Mirren encouraged her.
Lily hurried up to her flat, kicked her shoes off and ran through to the bedroom. It was at the back of the flat and had a great view of the city in the evenings. Her single bed had a quilt on it that Mirren had made, and everything from the light cream, white and pastel pink and pale blue walls created a homely atmosphere.
The first pair of shoes she tried on were black courts. She kept them on, picked up the cream courts with t–bars straps and ran back down to show Mirren.
‘The black shoes are classy and look nice with the dress. Can you burl around the floor with them?’
Lily did a twirl. ‘Yes, and they’ve got comfy insoles.’ Then she tried on the cream shoes. The background of the floral print was light cream and these went well with the colour.
‘The cream are nice too, and maybe the t–bar would help to keep them on,’ said Mirren. ‘It depends on what Frazer plans to do with you tonight.’
Lily blinked.
And then they both giggled.
‘You know what I mean, Lily. Maybe he’ll have you doing more pirouettes, or waltzing around the dance floor. Or have you doing a tango.’
‘My heart’s starting to race at the thought of it. I’m sure he won’t be doing any fancy dances with me this evening. It’s just to assess my ability.’
Mirren gave her a knowing smile. ‘He’s the type to sweep you off your feet. Tall, handsome, fit, successful, a wonderful dancer, is interested in your dressmaking, likes Christmas pudding...’
Lily laughed, and they chatted about her outfit, finally deciding that the cream shoes were her best bet. Tango or not.