One #2
Much to her father’s dismay, Theo showed neither interest nor aptitude in the skill. The boy wanted to be a soldier or a farmer. Which one depended on the day.
Lucy grinned, thinking of how much joy the child brought to the Carlson household.
She had been the firstborn, but her mother had then lost four babies before Theo had come along—a squalling red-faced infant with a hearty set of lungs and a determination to survive.
Two more babies had followed Theo, but they had both died before they were more than a few days old.
For the sake of her mother’s health and mental acuity, Lucy hoped no more would come.
The sound of rushed footsteps drew Lucy’s gaze out the window to the cobblestone walk that paralleled the street.
A woman near her mother’s age hastened over the cobbles, skirts slightly lifted in her hands, moving so quickly she was almost running.
Repeatedly, the woman glanced over her shoulder, as though pursued by a fearsome foe.
Lucy hesitated to step into something that wasn’t any of her concern, but she also didn’t want the woman to feel alone and frightened.
Many of the people who frequented High Street were familiar to her, but the woman was a stranger.
Lucy had noticed her stroll by an hour or so earlier with a servant walking close behind her, but that had been the first time she had seen the woman in their area.
The woman’s attire—from the fashionable hat on her head to the glimpse of purple satin shoes on her feet—spoke of wealth, yet something about her made her seem approachable.
Decision made, Lucy moved just outside the doorway and smiled. “Would you like to come in?” She waved a hand to motion the woman into the shop.
An expression of relief flew across the woman’s attractive features as she hurried inside, moving to stand with her back to the door, as far away from the window as she could get. Her breath came in gasps, and her face was flushed from the heat and exertion.
Lucy studied the small woman with brown hair peeking from beneath her hat and intelligence in her hazel eyes, wondering what or who had alarmed her.
The woman tugged off the gloves she wore and placed them on the corner of a display table full of rings, then pulled a handkerchief from the pocket of her gown. She glanced around as she dabbed at her face and neck.
“I appreciate the invitation to step inside,” the woman said once her breathing had returned to normal. “I’ve heard this is a place where all are welcome.”
“It is, Missus …”
“Patsy. My friends call me Patsy,” the woman said with an inviting smile.
Lucy couldn’t hold back a grin. “I’ve always thought it to be such a delightful name.”
The woman nodded. “It most certainly is. And you are?”
“Oh, begging your pardon.” Lucy dipped her head politely and felt an urge to curtsy, but refrained. “I’m Lucy. Miss Lucy Carlson. This is my father’s shop.”
“And what a wonderful shop it is. So many lovely things.” Patsy looked around with interest as she stuffed her handkerchief back into her pocket.
At the sound of running footsteps, Lucy moved in front of Patsy, blocking her from view of anyone who happened to glance into the shop through the window or open door. Two men raced by. Only a few moments passed before a third fellow, the one Lucy had seen with Patsy earlier, trailed after them.
A fourth man, standing in the shade of the building across the street, appeared to be keenly observing the proceedings. A sense of unease settled over Lucy when he stared into the shop, as though he intended to peer all the way into her soul.
“Do you require an escort home, Patsy? My father will return shortly.” Lucy pulled her gaze away from the stranger and turned to find Patsy studying the display of rings. Patsy lifted a silver ring set with a large pearl surrounded by tiny diamonds that sparkled in the afternoon light.
“I do not require an escort, but the offer is appreciated, Lucy.” Patsy slid the ring on the middle finger of her right hand, but the ring was too small.
She moved it to her ring finger and smiled.
“This is exquisite, and I must have it. I shall tell my husband it is a belated gift to commemorate my birthday.”
“Birthday felicitations to you, Patsy. I hope it was a lovely day.”
Patsy’s expression softened. “I spent the day with my beloved, so I could ask for no grander gift than that, although this ring might come close.” Her eyes conveyed her humor as she pretended to preen over the ring.
Lucy laughed and took a step closer. “Then you must have it. How does it feel?”
“Only slightly tight. Would you be able to adjust the fit?”
“Yes, ma’am. I would be able to do that.
” At a nod from Patsy, Lucy lifted the woman’s hand in hers, studying the way the ring fit, then retrieved what she needed to accurately measure Patsy’s finger.
Lucy removed the ring from Patsy’s hand, looked at the piece of jewelry, and noted to herself the slight adjustments she would need to make.
“It won’t take long to enlarge the band. Would you like to wait while I do so?”
Patsy craned her neck to look outside, then shook her head. “It would be best if you would deliver it to me, although I will pay for it now. Might you be able to make the delivery this evening?”
Rarely did they make deliveries after the shop closed, but Lucy felt drawn to Patsy and found she couldn’t refuse.
“Of course. Where would you like it to be delivered?” Lucy asked, curious as she studied the small woman who appeared charming and warm yet held a lively spark in her eyes.
Patsy offered an address Lucy knew was on Society Hill. “If you would arrive at six, that would be most appreciated.”
“I will be there.” Lucy’s mind raced with what she would wear and the care she would need to take in styling her hair that could be every bit as wild as her brother’s.
She completed the purchase and noted the sale in her father’s ledger. She turned the book around and held out a quill for Patsy to sign the ledger, then reached for the box where her father kept money to make change.
“Keep the money, dear. The ring is worth more than you’ve priced it, and your kindness is priceless.” Patsy returned the quill she had used to the inkwell stand, then glanced out the window.
The man who had been loitering in the shade across the street was no longer there. The woman’s shoulders relaxed, as though she noted his absence. “I must leave now, Lucy, but thank you for inviting me in. I’ll see you this evening, promptly at six.”
“I will be there. Thank you for coming in today.” Lucy walked with her to the door and watched as the woman strolled away, as though she hadn’t a care in the world.
It wasn’t until Patsy turned at a corner and disappeared from sight that Lucy returned to the workbench.
She made a few notes in the ledger and set it aside, then went over to the ring display to retrieve her tools.
It was then she realized Patsy had forgotten her gloves.
Rather than dash through the streets in an attempt to catch her, Lucy decided she would take them to Patsy that evening.
One of the gloves felt weighted, though, so Lucy reached into the soft leather and pulled out a locket.
Shocked to find it there, she wondered why Patsy had stuffed the locket into her glove.
It made no sense to Lucy. Perhaps the locket was the reason the men had been chasing her.
How frightened the woman must have been.
Lucy held the locket to her heart, thinking how precious the piece must be to Patsy to protect it as she had.
She sent up a silent prayer that the woman made it safely home, then looked at the locket again.
A strange feeling settled over her, as though she were about to embark on a journey, which was utterly preposterous.
The only place she was going was to Patsy’s to deliver the ring.
The locket appeared to be finely made, and it wasn’t all that different from several lockets she and her father had created.
Intrigued, Lucy carried the gloves and her tools back to the workbench. She was about to open the locket when her father entered the store. She hastily tucked it into her pocket and turned to greet him with a smile.
“Papa. Welcome back.”
Ward Carlson was a lean man with long, tapered fingers that were useful in the detailed work he created. But he was also as strong as an ox, as Lucy’s mother was apt to say. He had passed his robust health along to his two surviving children, a fact that made Lucy grateful every day.
“Well, Daughter,” Ward said, removing the cocked hat from his head and glancing at Lucy. “Did you have any customers while I was gone?”
“One. A woman purchased the pearl and diamond ring. She asked me to deliver it to her this evening. It’s an address on Society Hill, so I felt it imperative to agree.
It could mean future business for the shop.
” For reasons she couldn’t begin to explain, she felt a need to keep the locket a secret.
Something about it and the mysterious Patsy made Lucy cautious to share it with anyone, even her family.
She intended to study the locket later, when she could do so without fear of anyone watching her.
“You did well in agreeing to her request, Lucy.” Her father smiled and smoothed a hand over his head. His hair, a faded shade of red, was still thick, although gray touched his temples. For a man in his forties, he remained quite handsome.
“By now, your brother likely thinks we’ve starved him half to death. Shall we partake of the fine meal I know your mother has prepared?” Ward closed the shop door. If anyone came during the meal, the strap of bells attached to it would alert them to a visitor.