Page 102 of Some Like It Scot
“Miss Lennox will expect you in an hour, Miss Duncan, and we are all looking forward to seeing your designs on display.” Mrs. Lennox nodded and then left us.
“So, Miss Duncan—”
“Please, call me Allison.” She hung a long garment bag on my closet door. “The only part I play in the charade is as a designer.”
“You’re one of the few Scots Mrs. Lennox has brought on, so she must really like your work.”
“I think she liked my price even better.” Allison unzipped the bag to reveal a shimmery confection of warm teal. “But I need the visibility, and I have a soft spot for Mull.”
I stepped closer to the gown, mesmerized. “You... you think that’s the best one for me?”
“Oh, aye.” She ran a hand over the slim bodice, beaded with darker teal to make delicate vertical rows that gave off an almost elegant, corseted look. “You have curves we can certainly complement with the right gown.”
I refrained from sharing that I’d tucked a curve or two into my jeans.
“It’s beautiful. Like something from a movie.”
“Which is what I hope to do in the future, if I can continue getting my designs out for the world to see.”
“Design for movies?” I stepped forward and fingered one of the elbow-length lace sleeves. This? For me?
“As you well know, visibility takes time and lots of hard work, but my work is poised to be noticed right now, and this extra opportunity is just what I need.” She tugged the full length of the gown out from the bag.
“It’s not as puffy at the bottom as some of the other evening dresses I’ve worn.”
“There was a slimming to the bottom of the gowns as the Edwardian era neared its close, and I thought that with your proportions you would showcase this certain style quite well.” She raised a dark brow, examining my face. “It hints toward the flapper gowns of the twenties and will certainly accentuate your silhouette.”
Accentuating my silhouette didn’t sound as flattering as her expression conveyed, so maybe I needed to reevaluate.
“The difficulty so often associated with women of your body type is that you try to minimize what you have.” She waved to herself, amuch slimmer but still hourglass shape. “Would you tell me not to wear things that showcase my shape?”
“Of course not, but you’re—”
“The same shape as you, except to fit my height. And your body type fits your height beautifully, so let’s celebrate it.” She scanned the room. “Come now, I’m excited to see how it looks, so put it on for size.”
I took the gown into the large walk-in closet and slipped out of my jeans and T-shirt and into the shimmery combination of soft cloth and delicate beading. Thankfully, both the bottom and top of the cello fit with only a slight catch on the upper quadrant.
“Ah yes.” Allison brought her hands together in clear delight as I walked into the room. “The color is perfect and the sweetheart neckline complements the straighter lines on the rest of the dress. Oh, it’s even better than I imagined.”
“You really have a gift.”
“It’s a special compliment when the wearer brings out the best in my designs.” She took her fingers and pinched in various places on the gown. “Only needs a tuck here and there for the bodice to maintain the slip look around your waist.”
“Did you say you have a soft spot for Mull?”
Allison kept her head bent as she pinned the cloth at my waist. “I’ve spent a great deal of time here in the past. It’s a brilliant island to visit, but not the kind of place most people choose to stay.”
“No?”
“There’s not much here, and people are stuck in their old ways of thinking and living.” She looked up. “The villages are quaint and sweet but small, with limited options. The landscape is gorgeous but desolate at times. And if you really want any variety, you must travel an hour or more to reach the nearest city.”
Variety? My walks along the countryside in the misty air, the vastness and somewhat intimidating mountains. The winding paths and roadways that led to untold adventures that kept unfolding around every turn.
And the people?
Sure, this island and its “small” life wasn’t meant for everyone, but the appeal to my heart kept growing.
It felt more and more like the home I was beginning to want for my future.
