understand.”
“If you saw a hungry tiger closing in on a flock of helpless lambs, one way to turn him aside from the kill would be to drag the scent of more interesting prey beneath his nose.”
She tightened her hand abruptly around his. “Must you use the word kill ?”
“Figure of speech, my dear,” he said quickly, soothingly.
“I wish I could believe that.” She sighed. “I hope we do not see either one of those men again.”
11
T he blue and sea green gowns are perfect for Edwina and Theodora,” Concordia announced. She looked at the girls and Mrs. Oates. “Don’t you agree?”
There was an affirmative murmur of approval.
“Lovely,” Mrs. Oates said, studying Edwina and Theodora with warm admiration. “The dresses go ever so nicely with their pretty blond hair.”
Edwina and Theodora held the gowns up in front of themselves and examined their images in the mirror. Their faces were aglow with delight. Behind them Hannah and Phoebe were waiting to take their turns in front of the looking glass.
It was five o’clock in the afternoon. Most of the assortment of gowns that had been ordered yesterday morning had yet to arrive from the dressmaker’s, but enough had shown up a short time ago to provide everyone with a much needed change of clothes.
In addition, Mrs. Oates had made the trip to one of the large department stores on Oxford Street and returned with a variety of ready-made essentials such as shoes, hats, gloves and lingerie.
Dante and Beatrice, who had already become the girls’ constant companions, had been temporarily banished into the hall to avoid any unfortunate canine-related accidents to the pretty clothes. Virtually everyone in the room was bubbling with excitement. Phoebe was the sole exception. She stood defiantly to the side, dressed in the inexpensive boy’s trousers and shirt that had comprised her disguise after the return from London.
“You were right when you specified the yellow and brown material for Hannah,” Mrs. Oates said, looking quite satisfied with the gown Hannah was trying on in front of the mirror. “The color goes very well with her eyes.”
“It has very pretty flounces at the hem,” Hannah said. “I wish Joan could see it.”
Concordia did not like the whisper of sadness that she heard in Hannah’s voice. “Don’t worry, she will see your new dress very soon.”
Hannah brightened. “It would be wonderful if she could have one just like it.”
“Not likely,” Edwina said. “At least, not as long as she’s at Winslow. All of the students have to wear those dreadful gray dresses. You know that.”
“Yes, but when she turns seventeen she will leave and then she can have a gown like mine,” Hannah insisted.
“Joan will become a governess or a teacher like most of the other girls who attend Winslow,” Theodora said in thoroughly squelching tones. “Women in those careers do not get to wear such pretty clothes.”
Hannah’s lower lip quivered. She blinked several times, very hard.
“Please do not cry, dear.” Concordia thrust a handkerchief into her fingers. “When this affair is concluded, we will see about Joan.”
Hannah wiped the moisture from her eyes. “Thank you, Miss Glade.”
“Cheer up now and try on these pretty shoes,” Mrs. Oates said, holding up a pair of pale yellow high-button boots. “They will go nicely with that gown.”
Concordia looked at Phoebe. “What do you think of the pink dress?”
Phoebe scowled at the gown. “I do not want to go back to wearing dresses. I prefer my trousers instead.”
“And you look quite dashing in them, indeed,” Concordia said calmly. “You may wear them as often as you like. But just in case you want an occasional change, what do you think about the pink gown?”
Mollified by the knowledge that she was not going to be forced back into a dress, Phoebe studied the gown with a critical eye. “It will do for tea, I suppose.”
“Right, then, that is settled,”
“If you saw a hungry tiger closing in on a flock of helpless lambs, one way to turn him aside from the kill would be to drag the scent of more interesting prey beneath his nose.”
She tightened her hand abruptly around his. “Must you use the word kill ?”
“Figure of speech, my dear,” he said quickly, soothingly.
“I wish I could believe that.” She sighed. “I hope we do not see either one of those men again.”
11
T he blue and sea green gowns are perfect for Edwina and Theodora,” Concordia announced. She looked at the girls and Mrs. Oates. “Don’t you agree?”
There was an affirmative murmur of approval.
“Lovely,” Mrs. Oates said, studying Edwina and Theodora with warm admiration. “The dresses go ever so nicely with their pretty blond hair.”
Edwina and Theodora held the gowns up in front of themselves and examined their images in the mirror. Their faces were aglow with delight. Behind them Hannah and Phoebe were waiting to take their turns in front of the looking glass.
It was five o’clock in the afternoon. Most of the assortment of gowns that had been ordered yesterday morning had yet to arrive from the dressmaker’s, but enough had shown up a short time ago to provide everyone with a much needed change of clothes.
In addition, Mrs. Oates had made the trip to one of the large department stores on Oxford Street and returned with a variety of ready-made essentials such as shoes, hats, gloves and lingerie.
Dante and Beatrice, who had already become the girls’ constant companions, had been temporarily banished into the hall to avoid any unfortunate canine-related accidents to the pretty clothes. Virtually everyone in the room was bubbling with excitement. Phoebe was the sole exception. She stood defiantly to the side, dressed in the inexpensive boy’s trousers and shirt that had comprised her disguise after the return from London.
“You were right when you specified the yellow and brown material for Hannah,” Mrs. Oates said, looking quite satisfied with the gown Hannah was trying on in front of the mirror. “The color goes very well with her eyes.”
“It has very pretty flounces at the hem,” Hannah said. “I wish Joan could see it.”
Concordia did not like the whisper of sadness that she heard in Hannah’s voice. “Don’t worry, she will see your new dress very soon.”
Hannah brightened. “It would be wonderful if she could have one just like it.”
“Not likely,” Edwina said. “At least, not as long as she’s at Winslow. All of the students have to wear those dreadful gray dresses. You know that.”
“Yes, but when she turns seventeen she will leave and then she can have a gown like mine,” Hannah insisted.
“Joan will become a governess or a teacher like most of the other girls who attend Winslow,” Theodora said in thoroughly squelching tones. “Women in those careers do not get to wear such pretty clothes.”
Hannah’s lower lip quivered. She blinked several times, very hard.
“Please do not cry, dear.” Concordia thrust a handkerchief into her fingers. “When this affair is concluded, we will see about Joan.”
Hannah wiped the moisture from her eyes. “Thank you, Miss Glade.”
“Cheer up now and try on these pretty shoes,” Mrs. Oates said, holding up a pair of pale yellow high-button boots. “They will go nicely with that gown.”
Concordia looked at Phoebe. “What do you think of the pink dress?”
Phoebe scowled at the gown. “I do not want to go back to wearing dresses. I prefer my trousers instead.”
“And you look quite dashing in them, indeed,” Concordia said calmly. “You may wear them as often as you like. But just in case you want an occasional change, what do you think about the pink gown?”
Mollified by the knowledge that she was not going to be forced back into a dress, Phoebe studied the gown with a critical eye. “It will do for tea, I suppose.”
“Right, then, that is settled,”
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