Page 28 of Bride in Blue
“That sounds remarkable.” Max wondered how she knew that a shaving station was on his list.
“Well I think we are done. We should probably head home and see how many pairs of pants Father managed to hem today.”
Home.
Home had never sounded sweeter.
Cassie laid out the pattern once more. She wanted to have no doubt before she cut the beautiful fabric that would become her dress for the theater.
Cassie had purchased the fabric a few days before, and it had taken her this long to design a pattern and pin it in place. Max actually picked out the final fabric.
She was going to go with a less expensive one, but he insisted on paying the difference. He added lace and cording to the pile; she could get her buttons, threads and needles from his shop. When it came time to ring it up, Max asked for it to be added to his account, and Cassie wasn’t able to pay a cent.
He appeared quite pleased with himself. When they were done, they walked back up the street towards his house. They passed the mercantile window and Cassie noticed the blue dress wasn’t on display anymore.
A sense of disappointment washed over her, but she was happy that a dress that beautiful was going to be worn by one of the lucky women in town.
Moving one of the pins Cassie allowed her scissors to glide through the fabric.
“Do you think you might be done with the table soon? I think Mrs. Brown wanted to set it for dinner.”
She turned to see Max standing in the doorway. She gave him a quick smile before turning back to her fabric. “Mrs. Brown can have your table back as soon as I’m done cutting this out.”
Max came over and stood next to her. Cassie could smell his bay rum and pomander. It tickled her sinuses and settled in her chest. She felt a warmth stirring and paused her cutting. She didn’t want to be distracted as this was the last bit she had to cut.
Max must have noticed her stopping. “I was just watching you.” He stepped back so she could continue. “You will look beautiful once it is done.”
“Thank you.” Cassie finished the last clip and laid the scissors to the side. She gathered up the fabric pieces and placed them in a pile. “I’ll start on the skirt first.”
She opened up the two cut pieces and looked at the fabric. It was a cream with delicate roses on it. She had never had anything so fine before.
“I hope I’ll get it done before the theater.”
“About that,” Max said. “We aren’t going next week.”
Cassie looked at him. “Not going?” Of course. He must not want to be seen with her. She saw the way some of the ladies in town looked at her. They would sneak glances and then whisper among themselves.Why didn’t she see it?
Max was a member of the Creede upper class. She was just a factory worker pretending to be something she wasn’t.
Cassie put the fabric back down on the table. No need to hurry to make a dress now. She tried to hide her disappointment as Max didn’t say anything.
“We are going tonight.”
Cassie glanced back up at him. “Tonight?”
“We’ve been invited to a private showing tonight before it opens to everyone.”
“Oh, my goodness, I don’t know what to wear. I was expecting to have this ready early next week.”
“Don’t fret,” he said, taking her hand and guiding her to the sitting room. “A package came for you today.”
“For me?”
“Open it.”
Cassie sat down on the settee and placed a box wrapped in plain brown paper on her lap. She looked at Max. “Go on,” he signaled.
“I wonder what it is.” She lifted the corner of the wrapping, gently unfolding it so as not to tear the delicate paper. When the paper was removed and carefully folded to the side, she lifted the lid and a soft noise escaped her lips.
