Chapter 15
Chapter Fifteen
Caleb arrived at the office the next morning determined to make good use of his time, part of which involved not spending quite so much of it with Ivy.
Yesterday, it couldn’t be helped, and they had accomplished a great deal.
But it had been at the expense of Teddy come lunchtime, and he had no intention of ever repeating that mistake.
He’d barely shrugged out of his coat when Ivy and Teddy arrived. Perhaps the sisters would allow him to show Teddy a thing or two about interviewing a bride. The young woman might be rough around the edges, but she possessed a wisdom well beyond her years.
Caleb smiled at Teddy, then caught Ivy’s expression. She opened her mouth before he could. “I need to speak with you.”
“Oh?” He glanced at Teddy and back. “What about?” Teddy brushed past him. Was she smirking?
“Visiting a dressmaker’s shop.”
Caleb blinked a few times. Had he heard her correctly? “What?”
“For Teddy,” Ivy said. “She wants to buy a dress.” Ivy licked her lower lip, and he couldn’t seem to look away. “And she wants your opinion.”
He blinked again. “What… I mean, why?”
Ivy gave a small shrug. “Because when she meets her groom for the first time, she wants to make a good impression.”
“Oh. I see.” He nodded slowly. “One can’t blame her.” He paused, considering it. The sisters might frown upon him taking Teddy shopping for a dress.
“So she suggested we bring you along,” Ivy added.
Caleb opened his mouth to refuse. He didn’t just have the sisters to worry about. There was Ivy to consider as well. He shook his head. “Wait a moment. She wants me to join the two of you?” That was worse. “I don’t think Augusta would approve.”
“But it’s for Teddy. Besides, I think it would be good for her. Consider it part of her preparations.”
He could see the logic. Teddy was clearly accustomed to being overlooked. This wasn’t merely about finding a dress. It was about making her feel included.
There were other reasons as well. He didn’t want Teddy going alone. It could be awkward for her. The dressmaker might ask questions she didn’t understand, and who knew how she would answer?
“Very well,” he said at last. “I’ll accompany you dress shopping.” He glanced past Ivy as Augusta entered the office and went to her desk. “But we must do this properly and inform the sisters of our plan.”
“Of course,” Ivy said with a nod.
Caleb watched Teddy take a seat at the table before he gently took Ivy by the arm and approached Augusta’s desk. He half expected Augusta to narrow her eyes and issue a quick refusal. Instead, she listened without interruption as Ivy explained their plan.
“A dress shop?” Augusta repeated when Ivy finished. “You, Mr. Hartwell, and Teddy.”
“Teddy has requested a man’s opinion, ma’am,” Ivy said. “She believes it will help her choose wisely.”
“And you agree with this?” Augusta asked, her gaze shifting to Ivy.
“As a matter of fact, I do,” Ivy said. “Not so much about a man’s opinion, but because Teddy wants to feel confident. Can you blame her?”
Augusta’s expression softened. “No, I don’t. The poor thing has been through enough, from the sound of it.” She nodded once. “Very well. You may go after work, but you will not make an evening of it.”
Caleb glanced toward Teddy, who was seated at the table folding a piece of paper. He had a feeling that taking her dress shopping would be akin to an expedition across the American frontier. “Yes, ma’am. We understand,” he said, trying not to cringe.
Augusta leaned back in her chair, studying him. “I know you want what’s best for Teddy, Mr. Hartwell. And I admire that. Just be sure you do this properly.”
He nodded, unsure whether he’d just been granted approval, or issued a warning. Possibly both.
By late afternoon, he and Ivy had completed their work and received permission to leave a little early for their excursion with Teddy. He watched from across the room as Ivy went to the table to tell her it was time to go.
Teddy’s eyes lit up. “Really? We can go early?” She stood so quickly Caleb half expected her to faint.
He coughed to cover his smile. “It’s just a little shopping.”
Teddy crossed the room. “To you it’s a little shoppin’, but to me…” She snapped her mouth shut and blushed a deep red.
Ivy placed a hand on her shoulder. “How long has it been since you purchased anything new?”
Teddy lowered her gaze. “I don’t rightly know.”
Caleb nodded, helped Teddy into her coat, then assisted Ivy. Moments later, they were on their way.
After a few blocks, they came upon a respectable-looking shop and went inside. It was warm, a bit crowded, and filled with bolts of colorful fabric. Dresses hung neatly along one wall, while several women browsed nearby.
A clerk approached, smiling at Ivy, then Caleb. She took one look at Teddy’s eager expression, not to mention her clothing, and winced. True, both her coat and dress were careworn, but they were still an improvement over what she’d been wearing when they first met her.
“May I help you?” the woman asked, her eyes lingering on Teddy.
“Yes, thank you,” Ivy said. “We’re looking for something modest and practical.”
“And pretty,” Teddy added quickly. “It’s for me.”
The woman arched an eyebrow. “I see. Are you looking to have something made, or would you prefer a dress off the racks?”
“Off the racks, of course,” Teddy said. “I’d like to wear my dress out of here, if’n that’s all right.”
The woman raised her eyebrow again. “Of course. Follow me.”
They trailed after the clerk as she rifled through the dresses. She pulled three and handed them to Teddy in turn.
The first was a simple blue dress with white lace at the collar and blue buttons down the bodice. Teddy wrinkled her nose. “No. That’ll make me look like a schoolmarm.”
The clerk set it aside and held up the second.
Teddy shook her head.
The clerk smiled, placed it with the others, and lifted the third.
Teddy stepped closer, lifted a sleeve, then let it fall. “This feels like my Aunt Matilda’s curtains.”
Caleb snorted. “Like what?”
“Curtains,” Teddy said with a shrug. “Aunt Matilda had very poor taste.”
Caleb had to put a fist to his mouth to keep from laughing.
“Trust me,” Teddy said, “I don’t want to get married in curtains.”
Unable to help himself, he laughed anyway. “You’ll not be getting married in curtains, Teddy. I promise.”
She heaved a sigh. “Well, that’s a relief.”
The clerk smiled. “I promise I’ll find you something better than… um, curtains.” She scooped up the dresses and returned them to the rack.
“Can we go to another shop?” Teddy asked with a small whine.
Ivy stepped closer to the racks. “Don’t you want to look at a few more dresses here?”
“Not if they’re made from the same fabric as that last one,” Teddy said. She joined Ivy at the rack, and the two began to browse.
Caleb waited patiently. After a moment, Ivy shook her head, slipped her arm around Teddy’s, and guided her toward the door.
“Are we leaving?” he asked.
“Yep. On to the next shop,” Teddy declared.
The second shop, just a block down, looked more respectable. There were fewer bolts of fabric, but what fabric there was, was of high quality. Not only that, but the clerk also appeared less flustered and more businesslike.
Teddy didn’t mock the material this time. Instead, she inspected the dresses with the air of a duchess forced to shop among commoners and even tried a few on.
She emerged from a dressing room and approached Ivy. “I look like my friend’s grandma.” Her eyes widened. “I don’t mean your grandma, Ivy.”
“I didn’t think you did,” Ivy said, studying her. “It’s a little too big, isn’t it?”
“Sure is,” Teddy agreed.
Caleb gave a small shake of his head.
“Just as I thought,” Teddy muttered. She turned on her heel and marched back into the dressing room.
Caleb settled back into his chair and smiled at Ivy. “Do you think she’ll find a dress here?”
“I have no idea,” Ivy said. She sat on the cushioned bench near his chair. “But I do think she’s enjoying herself. She’s beaming, Caleb. Did you notice?”
He had and could hear Teddy’s giggles drifting from the dressing room.
They left the shop and moved on to a third. Caleb had to admit his patience was thinning, but Teddy was having the time of her life.
She bounced from rack to rack, commenting on every dress, questioning the clerks, then promptly dismissing their answers. This was an adventure for her, and who was he to deny it? Besides, he’d seen plenty of dresses that wouldn’t impress any gentleman.
But what kind of man was this Mr. Rowan? A rancher, yes, but beyond that?
Teddy held up a pale blue dress and made a face. “I don’t know. Do you think it has too much lace?”
“One can never have too much lace,” the clerk said and pulled another dress from the rack. She handed it to Ivy before moving on to assist another customer.
“Lace is nice,” Ivy said. “But there is such a thing as too much.” She studied it. “This is average. Do you like it?”
“It kind of makes me look pale.” Teddy examined it again, then glanced at the dress in Ivy’s hands. “Oh, that’s a nice one.”
Caleb studied it. It was brown with black lace and buttons. “Try it on.”
“I will.” Teddy took it and headed for the changing rooms.
Ivy sighed. “I’m beginning to wonder if she’s after something other than dresses.”
“What do you mean?”
“I don’t know. Attention, maybe?”
“Teddy?” He shook his head. “She seems to avoid attention. I don’t blame her for wanting a new dress. And she’s clearly enjoying herself.” Still, Ivy might have been right.
By the time they reached the fourth shop, the sun had set, streetlamps flickering to life as the cold deepened and sliced through Caleb’s coat.
Teddy slowed her steps, then stopped in front of a window. The shop looked modest, the fabric on display tasteful without being flashy.
Caleb watched her stare at the dress on the mannequin. “This one.”
“Really?” He stepped closer. The dress was a pretty blue with tiny black polka dots, trimmed in black lace. It would suit her fair hair beautifully. “Are you sure?”
Teddy nodded. “Do we have time for me to try it on?”
“Of course,” Ivy said. “Let’s go inside.”
Teddy turned to Caleb. “Are ya sure it’s all right? I know it’s gettin’ late.”
He studied her face. The playful spark from earlier was gone, replaced by something more vulnerable. It reminded him that, sharp tongue aside, she was still very young. He nodded. “Of course.”
Inside, the clerk retrieved the dress and handed it to Teddy, who disappeared into the dressing room. Caleb waited beside Ivy near the counter, his hands clasped behind his back. “You were right,” he said quietly.
“About what?”
“I don’t think she was looking for a dress, not at first.”
Ivy’s expression softened, warming his chest. “Perhaps not. It’s not just a dress she needs, Caleb. She needs companionship.”
He nodded, unable to trust himself to speak, especially when Teddy stepped out of the dressing room. Caleb sucked in a breath.
The dress suited her perfectly, transforming her into the very image of a fashionable young lady.
Teddy smiled and lifted the skirt, giving it a small twirl. “I like it!”
“You look lovely,” Ivy said.
Caleb smiled. “You made an excellent choice.”
Teddy turned to Ivy. “See? I told you. A man’s opinion counts.”
Caleb huffed a laugh. “Let’s not get carried away.”
Teddy giggled and twirled again. “I can wear it home, right?”
Caleb and Ivy both looked to the clerk, who shrugged and nodded.
Teddy paid for the dress herself. While she did, Caleb examined a few pairs of shoes. She would need a new pair, and he’d find a way to gift them to her later. A parting gift, from himself and Ivy.
When they left the shop, Ivy looked worn out, while Teddy wore a triumphant smile. Until her stomach growled.
Caleb’s did the same. “I know what Augusta said, but I’m famished. We need to eat.” He glanced at Ivy. “Unless your grandmother was making supper?”
“We were going to eat leftovers,” Ivy admitted.
Teddy brightened. “All the more reason to ask Grandma Evie to join us.” She turned to Caleb. “If that’s all right. I didn’t mean to invite her without askin’.”
He lifted a hand. “It’s all right, Teddy.”
“Oh, Caleb,” Ivy said. “I don’t want to impose…”
“You’re not imposing,” he said firmly. “We should include her.”
Ivy looked at him, surprised, then nodded. “All right. Let’s go.”
The three of them set off, and Caleb’s stomach growled again. They weren’t supposed to make a night of it, but after spending the afternoon with Ivy and Teddy, he found he couldn’t quite bring himself to care.