14. Zeth #2
Millie strolled out of the laundry door and made a show of inspecting my shirt collar, tilting her head to check all angles, so I sent her a scowl.
She was searching for the bruise that discolored a small patch of skin on my neck.
The mark Amby gave me with his claiming kisses.
Thankfully, my souvenir wasn’t noticeable when I buttoned up, but she’d managed to see it after our horse riding adventure.
I passed Millie to lock the door and shot her a don’t-you-dare-bring-up-my-bruises-again look. She grinned with knowing mischief.
She tried to hide it under her lashes as she hopped off the one step. “So, Zeth… Do you think we’ll see Amby today?”
“Sush,” I snapped. Dear heaven, she was getting under my skin. Too much time spent cleaning while she chatted and pretended to help. “Where’s the hat?”
“Here,” she answered and raised the straw circle with a trailing yellow ribbon from behind her brown riding skirt. “You know, Amby has money. He can help us.”
“Amby may never talk to me again, let alone lend me money. Let’s just say, I don’t fit into his equation. So, let’s sell your hat. Or did you change your mind?”
Millie waved for me to lead her. She suggested selling the fancy thing while we chewed on the last of our bread for breakfast, and I appreciated her sacrifice. Not that she ever liked the pretty hat.
It only took a few steps to reach the millinery and haberdashery next door. Our section of Main Street had a number of fashionable stores. I pushed a glass paneled door open to the sound of a small chime and Millie followed, watching the rocking bell above. Then she called out, “Hello Old Man.”
“Greetings,” the craftsman laughed at Millie’s renewed endearment. He was a relic from our past. He looked up from his counter with bushy eyebrows and a nod.
In front of him sat three lovely hats in pink, blue, and yellow silk in sharp pleats with feathers and ribbons. Fancy things, for fancy dances. I could imagine Anna wearing all of them in rooms with matching wallpapers.
There were also some fine-looking caps and evening hats, so I walked by those and flipped a few of their tags. Oh… the prices were high, so I kept walking. “Thanks again,” I said to the old man. “For letting us borrow your cleaning supplies.”
“Anytime. Sure you want to sell your old business? It’s been in your family for generations.”
“Aye, I can mop, but I’ve never been good with laundering or alterations.” I stuck a thumb at Millie, “And she pretends she doesn’t know the definition of those words.”
Millie stuck her tongue out at us both and walked to the counter with her hat. “Do you think you can sell this?”
“Where did you get it?” he asked. I bristled at his accusation. Despite my reputation, I didn’t steal it. Before I could argue that, the milliner answered himself, “Port Winchester, of course. Lovely piece.”
The City’s name made me cringe. Then I felt bad for thinking the worst of the nice man.
He held up the hat and inspected the straw with new respect. “Fine weave. Aye, I could resell it. I’ll give you two for it.”
“Two?” I clipped, this time without offense. Bargaining was practically second nature after the auction house. In fact, my boss used to make us bargain for our pay rate each week. The better I haggled, the more money I got. “Do you take us for children? We paid eight a month ago.”
“Paying too much was your fault, not mine.”
I sniffed and held out my hand for the hat. “Fine, I’ll get six elsewhere.”
“You won’t even get three. It’s used.”
“Used only once, and that doesn’t matter. A hat from the City is rare. You’ll double your price as soon as we leave. And we both know how ladies want pretty things for the Founders Day Festival. That’s fast approaching. So, I’ll sell the hat for four, final offer.”
The old man chuckled and nodded at me with a glimmer in his eye. “My, how you’ve grown, Washer. Four it is. Cals now?”
“If you have them, Mr. Laurel. And…” I hesitated for a moment, then took the plunge, “by any chance, are you hiring?”
His brow rose and my hopes rose too. We needed more money than one hat’s worth, but the old man’s face fell. I knew the look he gave me all too well. Yet another rejection.
I waved my hand to tell him to forget I asked, then I leaned against the counter and planned.
We needed to visit Arthur’s tailor shop for Millie’s fitting and to make a small payment.
After that, the general store to buy whatever plain, yet filling, food we might afford on half a hat’s worth of profit.
Hopefully, we’d sell Mum’s dresser soon.
Millie wandered off to the wall of men’s hats while the milliner counted out the paper cals from his register. He closed it again with a jingle and handed me the money.
The new weight to my pants pocket felt wonderful as I turned back to Millie.
She was trying on a black top hat with a low crown.
The way it squished her curls out into a brown wedge looked darn cute.
With her big curves and charming face, Millie was a gem.
Too bad the hat cost more than her straw one, or else I’d buy it for her.
I tipped my cap at the old man and kissed Millie’s cheek, wishing she hadn’t needed to sacrifice so much in her short life.
Putting the top hat back on its hook felt stupidly dramatic. I set it on the wall with care, using the brim to make sure it sat straight, before offering an arm to my sister. “Come along, my dear. We have an appointment with silk and satin.”
“So gallant.” She batted her big brown eyes and took my arm, and we both headed out through the bell-trapped door. Not even six steps from the chime, Millie said, “Maybe you can marry Amby. He is a potential prospect.”
“And maybe my ears will fall off, so I no longer have to hear your inane comments. One can only pray for the impossible.”
“So rude,” she huffed.
“What?” I put a hand to my ear, acting as if I didn’t hear her.
Millie smacked my arm. “I’m being serious. It’s painfully obvious you still like him.”
Tsking, I tried walking a little faster, but she lengthened her stride to hold on to me, not giving up.
“Zeth, stop avoiding the topic. Something happened between you and Amby, and you should talk about it. Don’t drown in your thoughts. It’s making you grumpy.”
I couldn’t deny that. My steps slowed as I realized I was still raw from my breakdown the other night.
Just the idea of talking about Amby made my stomach tense.
I would rather push the thought of him down to ignore it.
But Millie deserved some sort of explanation for my behavior.
“Amby… has his father’s legacy, and I have our survival to think about.
We reunited briefly, aye, but we parted on shaky terms. Don’t start making alternative plans. ”
Perhaps Millie didn’t expect an answer from her grumpy, big brother, because her eyes went wide. She patted my shoulder sympathetically and assured me, “Don’t worry. I’m sure he’ll forgive you.”
“What makes you think I did something wrong?”
“’Cause I know you,” Millie answered with mirth. She was such a bratty sister. I tried to shake her off my elbow, but she clung on like she used to do when we were kids. So I jostled her around playfully until she snorted.
Millie didn’t release me, but she did drop the subject, and I was grateful, because Amby’s goodbye was my fault.
We just started talking civilly when my lust took over, and then afterwards, I immediately pulled away.
Maybe I lost him completely. Or maybe Millie was right and Amby would forgive me, yet again.
After how poorly I’d treated him, I vowed never to be bitter again.
We could try to be friends. I truly missed his friendship.
I realized that in the barn, when I fell to the floor in a heap of broken chair wood and shared a damn good laugh with Amby.
I never felt such camaraderie with anyone else, and probably never would.
Perhaps that companionship would be enough.
I should pursue a friendship with him. I did wonder how he was doing. Better than me, I hoped.
Millie must have let me ponder that, because we were inside the tailor shop before I knew it.
This time it was empty, and I removed my cap and took a seat while Millie quickly scooted into the dressing room with Emiline.
I closed my eyes to rest while their friendly chatter spilled around me until Millie came back out wearing her new jacket inside out.
Emiline quickly put Millie on the dais and went to work pinning the men’s jacket into a more feminine shape.
Their chatter was calming, so I didn’t mind waiting. When they finished, Millie disappeared to change, and I stood to join Emiline at the counter, offering her the small payment. She accepted it, and I was glad she pulled out a receipt ledger to make it official. I didn’t want her charity.
There was a larger ledger book on the counter with numbers nicely drawn into straight columns, so I began adding up those receipts for the week, avoiding everything else in my life.
But the worries came to me anyway. Was Amby hurting as much as me?
Was he worse? Maybe he didn’t even care that we parted.
No, I was certain he cared. And he had the added weight of telling his dad he wasn’t marrying Anna.
How did that go? Did Amby decide on another woman to marry?
Was he visiting her right now? Despite my flailing mind, I reached a numerical total. And a decision.
“I’ve been meaning to ask,” I said, tapping my thumb on the counter, “How is Amby?”
Emiline’s hand paused, so I glanced up nervously to find her searching my face curiously.
Her eyes were the same brown as Amby’s, but not as pretty.
We exchanged a long stare while she measured my sincerity before she answered, “He’s been unusually quiet, and working in the barn more. Why do you ask?”