Page 44 of The Seaside Homecoming
Confusion puckered Claire’s brow. “What? Why?”
“Why do you think?” Miss Patel snapped.
“Do you mean because you are not English? But that ... is...” Claire faltered as unspoken words coursed through her mind in a torrent:Unfair. Unjust. Undeserved.
Words hurled at her by Aunt Mercer came back to her, striking her like sharp pebbles:Undeserving girl. Foolish. Fallen. Ruined.Claire had done something to deserve such contempt. Mira, however, was innocent.
Miss Patel lifted her chin. “When Mr. Hammond returns, he shall have to take her himself.”
Indignant, Claire said, “No. I shall take her. Now.” Claire thrust out her hand, and after a moment of wide-eyed surprise, Mira slipped her small brown hand into hers.
“He should not have treated either of you so poorly. Where is this shop?”
Sonali told her.
Claire barely stopped long enough to plop a bonnet onto her head before marching out the door, down the steps, and up the street, moderating her agitated pace for the little girl’s sake. As they walked, Claire was vaguely aware of perplexed looks from passersby shifting from her to the child and back again, but she ignored them.
As they neared, Mira pointed to the cast-iron, shoe-shaped sign ahead. “There it is.”
Claire pushed open the shop door with more force than was strictly necessary. Mira, perhaps startled by this, or not keen to face the cobbler again, hid behind her skirts.
The man on his wooden stool, hammering away at a sole of a boot, paused in his work and turned. He took in Claire’s face, straight posture, and fine, if no longer fashionable, attire. “Yes, madam, how may I assist you?”
“I require a new pair of shoes.”
“Of course. Happily. What had you in mind? Half boots, heeled shoes, slippers?”
Claire rested a hand on Mira’s shoulder, drawing her forward. “A pair of leather shoes for Miss Hammond here.”
The man’s gaze slid down to the child and his obsequious smile faded. “You again. As I told her mother, or servant, or whatever she was, I am a very busy man with certain standards. I don’t make shoes for just anybody.” He puffed out his chest. “If you are not aware, I had the privilege of makingPrincess Alexandrina Victoria’s first pair of shoes, when the Duke and Duchess of Kent resided here over the winter.”
“How nice for you, Mr. Taylor. Yet you were perfectly willing to make a pair for me a moment ago, and I am not noble in the least.”
“You are English.”
“What has that to say to anything?”
The man scowled. “Who are you, anyway? To this girl, I mean?”
Who was she, indeed? “I am a ... business associate of her father, Mr. William Hammond. He recently bought Broadbridge’s Boarding House. Perhaps you have not yet met him.”
“Her father, you say?”
“Yes. A gentleman who has decided to settle here in Sidmouth with his daughter. A fine welcome this is.”
“A nabob, is he?” The cobbler’s lip curled. “Come home from India with a fortune and akutcha-butcha?”
Claire did not know what the term meant, but it certainly sounded derogatory. “That is none of your concern. All that matters is that his daughter needs a new pair of shoes.”
Changing tack, Claire said, “Apparently we shall have to go to a different shop where everyone is respectfully and promptly served. I believe there are several shoe and boot makers in the area. And when we find such an establishment, we shall recommend it to all our family, friends, and numerous guests. Come, Mira.” She took the girl’s hand, prepared to depart.
As she turned, she saw the man’s eyes widen and his expression transform. He rose and raised both hands in supplication. “Now, madam. Please. I do beg your pardon. I did not fully understand the situation. I will make this young ... lady ... a fine pair of shoes. Far better than you could get elsewhere.”
Claire hesitated, not wishing to appear too eager. Then she said coolly, “Very well.”
In short order, measurements had been taken and materials and color decided upon.
When they left the cobbler’s, Claire blew out a relieved breath. Back on the street, she spied a confectioner’s shop. “How about something sweet? I think we both deserve a treat after that ordeal, don’t you?”
