The Chocolatier's Wife (51 page)

He
could
not
get
farther
than the
front gate,
so
he
pulled
the
bell
and waited.
His
eye
was
drawn
to
a
flash
of
bright
color.
It
was
Cecelia,
wearing orange and
red under a
green cloak
as she half-ran
out the door to him.

“Please
tell
me
you
have
work
for
me;
they
have
me
sewing
and
if
I
have
to do a
n
other stitch I
shall throw a
curse on
them all.”

He frowned. “Why
do they have
you sewing?”

“Ah,
‘tis
actually
a
good
thing. When the
ladies
are
between
jobs,
they can
sew
to
make
a
few
pennies,
or
to
work
their
rent.
I’ve
been
sewing
here and
there for
extra funds while waiting for
you to get back
to the shop.”

“But I
thought you were all right,
rent wise?”

“Stop
fussing.
I
would
rather
occupy
my
time
making
a
few
coins.
Now, how may
I
serve you?”

“It seems that someone has stolen Tasmin’s wedding dress. Have you
ever seen it?”

She
looked
a
bit
shocked.
“No,
never.
Why
would
anyone
do
such
a horrid
thing?
It
was in
her room,
wasn’t
it?”

Now
was
his
turn to
be
surprised.
“I
would
have thought
that
you
had seen it,
yourself.
I
was under the impression she
had it on
display, of sorts. Surely you helped her air
it?”

She shook
her head. “I
am
not allowed into the house.”

He frowned. “But they know
you work
for
me?”

“Exactly.
I
am not
allowed
in
the
house
because
I
am a
single
woman working
for
a
single man.
Very
improper.”

“What
the
devil
is
improper
about
that?
You
are
in
the
front
of
the
shop, in
plain view,
the majority
of the time!”

She
shrugged.
“That
is
what
I
was
told.
Still,
I
visit
Tasmin often.
We have
great plans for
when the shop opens again.”

“Indeed?”
He
wanted
to
remain
noncommittal, but
she
snorted
so
he knew she didn’t believe it.

“I
am determined
to
remain
a
part
of
your
life,
at
least
until
my
debt
is paid.”

“You
owe
me
no debt,”
William
said,
as
they
began
walking.
“I pay
you to perform a
reasonable service.”

“You
are
a
man
of
honor,
William;
you
know
there
is
more
to
us
than
that.
You saved my life.”

“Nonsense.
Your
husband
saved
your
life.
Anything
I do
is
simply because
I
am
a
fool
for
a
pretty
face.”
He
helped
her
across the
street
and up
onto
the
sidewalk,
then
said,
“I
would
thank
you
if
you
searched
the grounds for
Tasmin’s
dress. I
do not know
what it looks like.”

She
accepted
the
change
of
subject,
or
rather
the
return
of
it,
with
grace. “White, pearls,
silver
embroidery.
She
said
things
about
cut,
but
as
I
am not
from
this
land
it
sounded
much
like
what
they
wear
now,
so
I
paid
little attention to it.” She shrugged. “I have eyes; I can recognize a dress made for
a
wedding.”

He
took
one
of
his
calling
cards
and
wrote
a
short, rather unpleasant message on
the back.

“This
will
get
you
into
the
house. If
they
still
give you
trouble, tell
them it
is
a
sad
day
when
a
man
must
bribe
his
own
servants.
I
am
still
a
son
of
that
house.”
He
frowned,
feeling
rather
grim.
“Whether
they
care
for
it
or not.”

“At
last!”
she
said,
snatching
up
the
card.
“I
will
stick
close
to
thy
lady’s side, sir,
and
protect her with my very
life.”

He
gave
her
a
curious,
but
still
fond,
look.
“I
doubt
that
will
be needed.”

“But
how
else
can
I
repay
you
your
many
kindnesses
to
me?”
She
reached up
and
stroked
his
face
gently.
“I’ve
always
thought
it
a
pity
you
were
in
love with
your
wife.
But
now
I
see
why.
Still,
we
could
have had
fun.”
She
gave him
a
wicked
look
that,
like
her
romantic
preference,
he
could
not
make
out as a tease or a truth, and left in a flurry
of colorful skirts.

“In
love
with
her?
How
could
I
have
been
in
love
with
her?
I
didn’t
even know
her.”
But
he
was
talking to
the
wind.
Still,
her
words
made
him
feel pensive.
How
could
he
be
in
love
with
a
woman he
did
not
know
and
had not chosen?

Back
to that
old saw again,
are
we,
William? You have
become
dull.

“Found
you
at
last!”
a
young
man said
cheerfully.
He
was
wearing Pencote’s
clothes,
and
he
held
a
message
out
to
William with
a
smile. Pencote
only
hired
han
d
some
young
men
and
lads.
This
one
still
had
a few
years
of
employment
left,
but
once
his
“youthful
zest”,
as
William
had overheard
the
owner
of
Pencote’s
call
it,
was
gone,
he
would
be
looking for
other means.

“Forgive
me.
I
did
not
realize
I
would
be
so
hard
to
find.
Here
is
a
shilling,
thank
you for
your perseverance.”
The
lad
flipped
the
coin
over
his
fingers,
bowed,
and
left
William
staring at
odd,
angular
handwriting.
He
couldn’t
recall
seeing
handwriting
slanting in
quite that
way
before.
But,
his
name
was
on
the
outside,
so
he
supposed he should read the inside as well.