another piece of plain navy cotton and shook it out. Settling in front of the Singer sewing machine, she worked to position it under the needle and smoothed wrinkles with her fingers. “I’m listening.”
“I thought Cooper filled your ears.”
“Oh, he did, but I want to hear it from you.”
But something stirred around in Marylu’s mind, and she determined to have her say on the matter before launching into the story of Chester. She moved to the wooden table where Jenny had laid the striped material. “Didn’t you say Mr. Walck paid you for the dress Sally left?” She picked up the basted dress and held it up. Since Jenny was slight of form and shorter than Sally, her idea would work. “Yes. He insisted.”
“Then why don’t we make it up for you? You go to that minstrel show and show Sally Worth a thing or two.” Marylu clutched it to herself. “Since it’s just basted together, we can try it on you, then I’ll hem it and make final adjustments.” She smiled at Jenny. “You’ll be so beautiful that Aaron Walck will leave Sally Worth’s side and come a-runnin’.”
Jenny’s laughter split the air. “Probably not, but it is lovely material. You’ve done wonderful work.”
“Who do you think it was who sewed all those little dresses for you growing up?”
“My mother, of course.”
Marylu chuckled. “You believe that if you want, but I’ve got enough pinpricks in these here fingers to prove otherwise.”
Jenny hesitated. Her eyes met Marylu’s. “You really think I should?”
Marylu crossed her arms and grinned. “Sure as Cooper’s going bald.”
With a wide grin splitting her face, Marylu followed a determined Jenny to the back room. As soon as the dress swirled down around her friend’s slim frame, she knew the dress was perfect. Jenny gave a little gasp of excitement when she saw herself in the mirror, and even did a little preening. Her friend looked anything but plain now. With the pink in her cheeks and her eyes bright with unbridled joy, Marylu swelled with pride.
“Yes, ma’am. That Aaron Walck is going to forget Sally Worth right quick when he lays eyes on you.” Marylu left Jenny to change and took the material straight to the chair in front of their Model 15 machine and set to work on the seams.
As her fingers guided the material, her mind went to Aaron Walck and the wistful expression on Jenny’s face as she talked of the man. Shy or not, Marylu was sure he’d seen something distasteful in Sally, else why would he feel badly enough to offer to pay for the material? Maybe he didn’t know how to handle the situation with her. He seemed the sort who would be unsure of himself in such matters, or maybe he just wasn’t sure how Jenny felt, whereas half the town knew Sally’s feelings.
“Seems to me two people can come right out and tell each other how they feel without all this mooning,” she muttered to herself. When she realized what she’d just said, she stopped pedaling and let the machine go silent.
I’m a fool
.
The sound of Jenny’s footsteps shattered her private reprimand. She knew what was coming. Sadness gripped her anew. She tugged the material around to begin sewing a new seam and worked the pedal to get the machine going. Jenny would nail her hide to the wall. She knew it for certain and didn’t relish the conversation. Being a realist, Jenny could give sympathy, but the moment she felt someone hadn’t made the best of a situation, her patience became short. Marylu closed her eyes and wondered if she had truly put off Chester. If he would ever return. Was he even thinking about her? Oh, to rewind time and get a second chance.
Jenny poked her head around the corner. “Marylu, I almost forgot, Lydia Redgrave’s order needs to be delivered.”
“Thought she was going to come get it.”
Jenny disappeared again, and Marylu heard her rustling around in the back, no doubt locating the two dresses of Lydia’s order. When she reappeared, box in
“I thought Cooper filled your ears.”
“Oh, he did, but I want to hear it from you.”
But something stirred around in Marylu’s mind, and she determined to have her say on the matter before launching into the story of Chester. She moved to the wooden table where Jenny had laid the striped material. “Didn’t you say Mr. Walck paid you for the dress Sally left?” She picked up the basted dress and held it up. Since Jenny was slight of form and shorter than Sally, her idea would work. “Yes. He insisted.”
“Then why don’t we make it up for you? You go to that minstrel show and show Sally Worth a thing or two.” Marylu clutched it to herself. “Since it’s just basted together, we can try it on you, then I’ll hem it and make final adjustments.” She smiled at Jenny. “You’ll be so beautiful that Aaron Walck will leave Sally Worth’s side and come a-runnin’.”
Jenny’s laughter split the air. “Probably not, but it is lovely material. You’ve done wonderful work.”
“Who do you think it was who sewed all those little dresses for you growing up?”
“My mother, of course.”
Marylu chuckled. “You believe that if you want, but I’ve got enough pinpricks in these here fingers to prove otherwise.”
Jenny hesitated. Her eyes met Marylu’s. “You really think I should?”
Marylu crossed her arms and grinned. “Sure as Cooper’s going bald.”
With a wide grin splitting her face, Marylu followed a determined Jenny to the back room. As soon as the dress swirled down around her friend’s slim frame, she knew the dress was perfect. Jenny gave a little gasp of excitement when she saw herself in the mirror, and even did a little preening. Her friend looked anything but plain now. With the pink in her cheeks and her eyes bright with unbridled joy, Marylu swelled with pride.
“Yes, ma’am. That Aaron Walck is going to forget Sally Worth right quick when he lays eyes on you.” Marylu left Jenny to change and took the material straight to the chair in front of their Model 15 machine and set to work on the seams.
As her fingers guided the material, her mind went to Aaron Walck and the wistful expression on Jenny’s face as she talked of the man. Shy or not, Marylu was sure he’d seen something distasteful in Sally, else why would he feel badly enough to offer to pay for the material? Maybe he didn’t know how to handle the situation with her. He seemed the sort who would be unsure of himself in such matters, or maybe he just wasn’t sure how Jenny felt, whereas half the town knew Sally’s feelings.
“Seems to me two people can come right out and tell each other how they feel without all this mooning,” she muttered to herself. When she realized what she’d just said, she stopped pedaling and let the machine go silent.
I’m a fool
.
The sound of Jenny’s footsteps shattered her private reprimand. She knew what was coming. Sadness gripped her anew. She tugged the material around to begin sewing a new seam and worked the pedal to get the machine going. Jenny would nail her hide to the wall. She knew it for certain and didn’t relish the conversation. Being a realist, Jenny could give sympathy, but the moment she felt someone hadn’t made the best of a situation, her patience became short. Marylu closed her eyes and wondered if she had truly put off Chester. If he would ever return. Was he even thinking about her? Oh, to rewind time and get a second chance.
Jenny poked her head around the corner. “Marylu, I almost forgot, Lydia Redgrave’s order needs to be delivered.”
“Thought she was going to come get it.”
Jenny disappeared again, and Marylu heard her rustling around in the back, no doubt locating the two dresses of Lydia’s order. When she reappeared, box in
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