Chapter Thirteen #2
“Please, don’t worry about us,” Sadie told him confidently.
“Ellen and I come here very often and we’ve never had any problems. Do whatever it is you must do, and then come and find us here.
” She smiled at him again, hoping that he would relax enough to let Ruby go with them.
Sam visibly gritted his teeth, but then he nodded, allowing Ellen to take his daughter from him.
“I promise I’ll be quick,” he said to Ruby, who was distracted by all the colorful ribbons and fabrics in the window. She didn’t even acknowledge him in that moment.
“We’ll wait here,” Sadie said with a smile. Sam looked at her imploringly, while Ellen and Ruby entered the shop, then he turned back to his stallion. “Be careful and come back safe!” Sadie added, giving him a small wave.
Sam paused and looked at her with such an intense gaze, it took Sadie’s breath away. Should she not have said anything?
As he turned to leave, she smiled and quickly followed Ellen and Ruby inside.
The store was split into two sections, with the ladies’ section on the left and the men’s section on the right.
Mrs. Pemberly, a silver-haired older lady in her late fifties, and her husband were both very talented and experienced in their work, creating the most amazing suits and dresses for their wealthy clients.
“Sadie! Ellen! How nice to see you again,” Mrs. Pemberly greeted the small group as they walked into the slightly larger front room, where all the fabrics, ribbons, buttons and models were displayed.
“And who do we have here?” the older woman asked with a bright smile. “Aren’t you a doll! What’s your name, Sweetheart?”
“Ruby!” the girl replied proudly.
“We are here to get her a full wardrobe for the upcoming winter,” Sadie told Mrs. Pemberly, whose eyes went wide with obvious excitement. “Including shoes, boots, and a thick coat, too.” Mrs. Pemberly nodded at that. Then she pulled out a piece of candy and handed it to Ruby.
“I’ll have my work cut out for me, won’t I?” she said to her. Ruby took the candy with both hands and looked at it in awe. Then she sniffed it and popped it into her mouth.
“First, I’ll need to take your measurements, young lady,” Mrs. Pemberly told her. Ruby instantly went to her to take her offered hand, loudly sucking on the candy.
Sam had been so kind to leave Sadie a small list of items Ruby might need and the limits thereof.
However, it quickly became clear that two dresses, one pair of shoes, one pair of boots and a couple of undergarments wouldn’t be sufficient.
There were too many dresses to be had, too many colors to choose from, and Sadie was determined to get them for Ruby.
Not only that, but winter was coming and Ruby needed to have certain essentials that weren’t on the list.
As they looked through all the different fabric samples from brocade and satin to several furs and leathers, it was obvious that Ruby knew exactly what she wanted.
She picked out new and fun color combinations—a bright green dress with purple flowers, a pink one with yellow and blue flowers, icy blue satin with dark red and purple flowers, all with matching ribbons for Ruby’s hair.
The little girl definitely had a theme going and Sadie loved it.
She and Ellen picked some of Ruby’s choices even for themselves.
Sadie immersed herself fully in the experience. Dress shopping for herself was one thing, but doing it for Ruby was the most fun she’d had in a long time.
They were picking out materials for Ruby’s new winter coat when the little bell above the door chimed.
Sadie heard Mr. Pemberly’s voice greeting a customer on the other side, so she didn’t pay attention to the person, but then she heard the client respond and she froze. Ellen shot her a wide-eyed glance.
Walter.
“I love these buttons!” Ruby exclaimed loudly. “Sadie? Can I have these too?”
Sadie pinched her eyes shut when Ruby called out her name. She hoped that Walter had already walked over to the men’s side of the store and hadn’t heard it.
“Niece!” came the prompt response from the doorway. “Fancy seeing you here!” Walter said overly cheerfully as he walked into the room. “Oh! Who do we have here? All the ladies spending my money?” he added with an obnoxious laugh.
Sadie and Ellen both stepped in front of Ruby, trying to hide her from his eerie eyes.
“None of it is your money,” Sadie responded with a flat tone.
These kinds of accusations were getting old. She knew that he only did that to embarrass her in front of people. Thankfully, Mrs. Pemberly knew all about Sadie’s history and also Walter’s, since Sadie’s parents had come here as well.
“Why don’t we go to the back and try on some shoes, darlin’?” Mrs. Pemberly asked Ruby behind them. The woman took the little girl with her as they left. Meanwhile, Ellen hooked her arm with Sadie’s, presenting a united front.
“Ah, I see,” Walter said, snootily. “You still think you are too good to speak to your uncle in a respectful manner, hm?” He stretched his neck to get a glimpse of Ruby as they left the main room. Sadie and Ellen took a small step toward him, so he had to refocus.
“What are you doing here?” Ellen asked. Sadie could sense that her friend was getting impatient with him much quicker since his first visit at the ranch. “We are busy!”
Walter chuckled arrogantly.
“So am I!” he replied with a single raised eyebrow, as he glared at Ellen. “But something has come to my attention and I think it’s important for you to stay informed on that matter. After all, you ladies aren’t particularly wise in your decision-making.”
Sadie pulled Ellen’s arm tighter against hers to stop her from responding to Walter’s obvious insult. Sadie waited to hear what he might say.
“I don’t trust that new husband of yours!” he blurted out. Sadie rolled her eyes. “No, hear me out!” Walter exclaimed. He seemed to notice that Sadie was rapidly losing interest. “Did you know that he was dishonorably dismissed from his sheriff’s position?”
Sadie was surprised to hear it, but knowing her uncle, his story was probably very much inflated. Usually, only half of what he was saying was true. At the most.
“Aren’t you going to say anything?” Walter asked, staring at her in disbelief.
“We are busy!” Ellen repeated. “Why don’t you turn around and go away?”
“Watch it, you brat!” Walter said to her, shooting her a warning glance down his nose.
“Would that be all?” Sadie asked with an exaggerated bored tone. “We are very busy.” Walter huffed at that.
The doorbell chimed again and another client stepped inside the foyer.
“You are being foolish!” Walter yelled at her, ignoring the newcomer. “You can’t trust that man! You should send him packing!”
Sadie released a deep sigh of relief when Sam appeared in the doorway.