with a dirty, smelly old man? It couldn’t possibly be good for business.
Turning back to the task at hand, J.T. gripped the pitchfork and shoved it into the hay. He doubted he’d ever understand Miss Hannah Richards. Trying only made his head hurt.
C HAPTER 10
Hannah bit into the bacon sandwich she’d made from her breakfast leftovers, trying not to let discouragement steal her good humor. She’d swept the shop floor, straightened her collection of fashion plates and pattern books at least six times, and repositioned her display dummies twice. Still, no one came. The idleness was about to make her daft.
Didn’t word of mouth travel at high speeds in small towns? Surely the women in Coventry knew her shop was open for business. Why didn’t they come?
Hannah set aside her half-eaten sandwich. How was she supposed to entice customers? True, it was only the first day, but curiosity if nothing else should have brought potential patrons to her door. Was something wrong with her display? Had she committed some unforgivable social blunder? Was the fact that she was an outsider keeping people away?
Her stomach twisted and a dull throb crept behind her eyes. Hannah moaned and rubbed at her temples. What did she know about running a business? All her professional life, she’d sewn for someone else—someone with an established clientele. She’d had no need to drum up customers. They’d simply been handed to her. Apparently, her assumption that a notice in the general store and an Open sign in her window would be enough to bring the women of Coventry flocking to her door had been a tad naïve. So now what should she do?
Not having a good answer to that question, she crammed the rest of her bacon biscuit into her mouth. And of course, that was the precise moment her shop door opened. Mortified, Hannah spun around, cheeks bulging as she tried to swallow the lump of food rapidly expanding in her mouth. She grabbed her water glass and sipped small drinks until she managed to get the bite down, then turned to greet her customer.
“Good afternoon,” she gushed.
Louisa James stood in the center of the shop with a daughter clinging to each hand. After meeting the laundress yesterday morning, Hannah had not expected the hardworking woman to be her first customer, but then again, there was no law against a laundress looking her best when the occasion called for it.
Hannah stepped around the counter to greet the threesome. “What can I do for you ladies?”
“We come by to welcome you to town, official-like—and introduce you to my daughters.” Louisa’s no-nonsense voice echoed loudly in the quiet room. “You done met my boy, Danny. This here’s Tessa,” she said, lifting the clasped hand of the taller girl, “and this ’un’s Mollie.”
“What a pleasure to meet such lovely young ladies. Thank you for stopping by my shop.” Hannah kept her smile firmly in place even while her optimism crumbled. Louisa had not come to purchase dress goods.
However, she had taken time from her own business to pay a call, Hannah pointedly reminded herself, and such a gift deserved appreciation, not disappointment.
“Welcome to Coventry, Miss Richards!” the taller girl enthused. She dropped her mother’s hand and bounced forward to wrap her arms around Hannah’s waist.
Surprised yet delighted, Hannah staggered back to catch her balance, a giggle rising up in her throat.
“Tessa!” her mother scolded. “Don’t bowl the woman over.”
Hannah met Louisa’s eye over Tessa’s head and smiled. “It’s no bother. A hug is exactly what I needed today.”
The other woman nodded, understanding glowing in her gaze. “The first couple weeks are the hardest. But business will pick up.”
Tessa released her grip on Hannah’s waist, and Hannah focused on the young girl. “Thanks for the warm welcome, Miss Tessa. You brightened my day.”
“Sure.” The youngster smiled with a grin so infectious it was impossible for
Turning back to the task at hand, J.T. gripped the pitchfork and shoved it into the hay. He doubted he’d ever understand Miss Hannah Richards. Trying only made his head hurt.
C HAPTER 10
Hannah bit into the bacon sandwich she’d made from her breakfast leftovers, trying not to let discouragement steal her good humor. She’d swept the shop floor, straightened her collection of fashion plates and pattern books at least six times, and repositioned her display dummies twice. Still, no one came. The idleness was about to make her daft.
Didn’t word of mouth travel at high speeds in small towns? Surely the women in Coventry knew her shop was open for business. Why didn’t they come?
Hannah set aside her half-eaten sandwich. How was she supposed to entice customers? True, it was only the first day, but curiosity if nothing else should have brought potential patrons to her door. Was something wrong with her display? Had she committed some unforgivable social blunder? Was the fact that she was an outsider keeping people away?
Her stomach twisted and a dull throb crept behind her eyes. Hannah moaned and rubbed at her temples. What did she know about running a business? All her professional life, she’d sewn for someone else—someone with an established clientele. She’d had no need to drum up customers. They’d simply been handed to her. Apparently, her assumption that a notice in the general store and an Open sign in her window would be enough to bring the women of Coventry flocking to her door had been a tad naïve. So now what should she do?
Not having a good answer to that question, she crammed the rest of her bacon biscuit into her mouth. And of course, that was the precise moment her shop door opened. Mortified, Hannah spun around, cheeks bulging as she tried to swallow the lump of food rapidly expanding in her mouth. She grabbed her water glass and sipped small drinks until she managed to get the bite down, then turned to greet her customer.
“Good afternoon,” she gushed.
Louisa James stood in the center of the shop with a daughter clinging to each hand. After meeting the laundress yesterday morning, Hannah had not expected the hardworking woman to be her first customer, but then again, there was no law against a laundress looking her best when the occasion called for it.
Hannah stepped around the counter to greet the threesome. “What can I do for you ladies?”
“We come by to welcome you to town, official-like—and introduce you to my daughters.” Louisa’s no-nonsense voice echoed loudly in the quiet room. “You done met my boy, Danny. This here’s Tessa,” she said, lifting the clasped hand of the taller girl, “and this ’un’s Mollie.”
“What a pleasure to meet such lovely young ladies. Thank you for stopping by my shop.” Hannah kept her smile firmly in place even while her optimism crumbled. Louisa had not come to purchase dress goods.
However, she had taken time from her own business to pay a call, Hannah pointedly reminded herself, and such a gift deserved appreciation, not disappointment.
“Welcome to Coventry, Miss Richards!” the taller girl enthused. She dropped her mother’s hand and bounced forward to wrap her arms around Hannah’s waist.
Surprised yet delighted, Hannah staggered back to catch her balance, a giggle rising up in her throat.
“Tessa!” her mother scolded. “Don’t bowl the woman over.”
Hannah met Louisa’s eye over Tessa’s head and smiled. “It’s no bother. A hug is exactly what I needed today.”
The other woman nodded, understanding glowing in her gaze. “The first couple weeks are the hardest. But business will pick up.”
Tessa released her grip on Hannah’s waist, and Hannah focused on the young girl. “Thanks for the warm welcome, Miss Tessa. You brightened my day.”
“Sure.” The youngster smiled with a grin so infectious it was impossible for
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