Chapter 10 #2
Still, she shook her head faintly at herself before beginning to change, reminding herself that this entire situation had unfolded far too quickly for proper protest.
Ten minutes later, she stepped back through the curtain. The reaction was immediate.
Lady Salford gasped so loudly that the young shop assistant across the room nearly dropped the spool of ribbon she had been holding.
“Diana.” The older woman rose halfway from her chair, pressing one hand dramatically against her heart as she stared at her with delighted disbelief. “You look exquisite.”
Diana felt heat rush to her cheeks.
The gown fit perfectly. The soft fabric draped elegantly across her figure, the pale blue bringing out the warmth in her hazel eyes.
Lady Salford nodded decisively. “We are buying it.”
“Grandmother, you cannot—”
“It is already done.”
Diana stared. “You have not even asked the price.”
Lady Salford grinned wickedly, her eyes sparkling with the sort of mischievous delight that made it impossible to argue with her.
“My dear child,” she said lightly, “I am far too old to care about prices.”
Diana stared at her for a moment, trying very hard to maintain a sensible expression, but the absurd confidence in the older woman’s voice broke through her restraint at last. A laugh escaped her before she could stop it, warm and genuine, the sound surprising even herself as it filled the small shop.
For a moment, the tension seemed to dissolve completely beneath that simple laughter.
Lady Salford patted her arm with clear satisfaction, as though Diana’s amusement confirmed that the outing was already a success.
“Come along,” she said briskly, turning toward the door with renewed energy. “The day is far too pleasant to waste inside one shop.”
Diana followed her back onto the lively street, still smiling faintly as they stepped once more into the warm bustle of London.
Carriages rolled past, voices drifted through the air in cheerful fragments, and the bright displays of nearby shop windows glittered in the sunlight like small invitations to curiosity.
Lady Salford slowed her pace only briefly before stopping again in front of another storefront, her attention captured with the same sudden intensity that had led them into the dress shop moments earlier.
“This one,” she announced with cheerful certainty, already reaching for the door.
Diana glanced up at the painted wooden sign hanging above the entrance.
A ribbon shop.
She had barely enough time to notice the delicate loops of colored silk displayed behind the glass before Lady Salford pushed the door open and stepped inside.
The small bell above the frame chimed softly.
Inside, the shop was a riot of color. Rows upon rows of ribbons lined the walls, neatly arranged in wooden drawers and displayed across wide tables in carefully folded loops.
Silks, satins, and velvets shimmered in every shade imaginable, from deep jewel tones to the palest pastels, catching the light whenever someone moved nearby.
The place smelled faintly of fresh fabric and beeswax polish.
Diana stepped inside just as Lady Salford had already reached the central display table.
What followed, Diana quickly realized, would not be simple.
Lady Salford stood before the ribbons with evident focus. She lifted one ribbon, studied it with great care, then set it down only to pick up another immediately afterward.
“This one is charming,” she declared thoughtfully, raising a deep emerald ribbon so the light caught its sheen.
She tilted her head, considering.
“But this one is delightful.”
The emerald ribbon was replaced by a rich crimson one that she held up with equal admiration.
Diana watched, her lips slowly curving with amusement as the older woman continued examining the table as though she had discovered a treasure chest rather than a shop display.
Lady Salford’s brow furrowed slightly, the expression of someone trying very seriously to make a decision that seemed far more complicated than it had any right to be.
“I cannot possibly choose,” she muttered.
Diana laughed softly. “You have been here less than a minute.”
“Yes,” Lady Salford said gravely, still studying the ribbons in her hands. “And already I am quite overcome.”
Diana shook her head, though her smile widened as she watched the older woman reach for yet another ribbon. It became increasingly clear that leaving with only one would be impossible.
Diana laughed. “You cannot possibly wear five ribbons at once.”
“Why not?”
“Because you only have one hat.”
Lady Salford considered this. “Hm.”
Then she handed the ribbons to the shopkeeper. “I will take them all.”
Diana shook her head in disbelief. “You are incorrigible.”
Lady Salford winked. “And proud of it.”
She picked up a soft golden ribbon and held it against Diana’s hair.
“Oh.” Her smile softened. “This one suits you.”
Diana felt a strange warmth spread through her chest as the older woman pressed the ribbon into her hand.
“For you,” Lady Salford said simply.
Diana’s throat tightened unexpectedly. No one had done something so simple and kind for her in a very long time.
“Thank you,” she said quietly.
Lady Salford merely waved the gratitude aside with the casual ease of someone who considered kindness an ordinary matter rather than something deserving ceremony. Yet Diana carried the warmth of the gesture with her as they stepped back out onto the street, the ribbon tucked carefully in her hand.
They continued along the lively pavement at an unhurried pace, pausing now and then before a window display or exchanging quiet remarks about the people passing by. The outing had settled into a comfortable rhythm, the sort of easy companionship Diana had rarely experienced before.
After some time, Lady Salford slowed once more, her attention caught by another shop just ahead, a small pastry shop tucked into a quiet corner of the street.
The air inside smelled richly of butter and sugar. They settled at a small table by the window while a tray of pastries appeared before them.
Lady Salford immediately reached for the largest one.
Diana laughed. “You are supposed to pretend to hesitate.”
“Why?”
“Because ladies must maintain appearances.”
Lady Salford bit into the pastry.
“My dear Diana,” she said cheerfully, crumbs scattering slightly, as she gestured to the tray. “What is life without sweetness?”
Diana smiled. And as she took her own pastry, she realized something quietly surprising.
For the first time since Alexander’s return, she felt peaceful.