The Spinsters Secret

by Monroe, Jennifer

  Alice patted the girl’s hand. “Nonsense,” she said. “I would be honored to help you. You are the first friend I met here in St. Mawes, and it would make perfect sense for you to ask.” Then a thought occurred to her. “In fact,” —she went over to the small wardrobe and pulled out a purple muslin gown with yellow flowers stitched around the hem and bodice— “I would like you to have this for this special evening.”

  Sally began to cry. “I-I can’t take that,” she said. “It’s much too beautiful for the likes of me. I mean…I’ve never owned anything so grand in my life.”

  “Well, it is yours now,” Alice said as she hung it from a peg on the wall. “Now, would you like another cup of tea before we begin the process of readying you for dinner?”

  “I would love that,” Sally said. Then she rushed around the table and gave Alice a hug so tight, Alice wondered if she would be able to breathe properly again. “Thank you so much!”

  They talked more about whatever came to mind as they finished their tea. Sally looked so happy, and Alice could not help but share in the woman’s excitement. Once they finished their tea, Alice set about helping Sally dress. Although it should have been an odd feeling, Alice thought it a bit humbling. Here she was, dressing the woman who would be her lady’s maid. If her mother could see her now, she would fall into a dead faint. And her father? He would drink himself into a stupor and blame her for humiliating him. However, Alice was glad to help her friends. They had treated her with dignity and respect, and she was thankful for that.

  As Sally turned this way and that in front of the large mirror, tears came to Alice’s eyes as she observed how happy the dress made the woman. However, it was more than the dress, it was the idea of being married, which brought to mind Johnathan. The rogue who had disgusted her now charmed her. His words, his smile, everything about him, she found herself cherishing. And being apart, like today, caused her to miss him.

  “What do you think? Do I look all right?”

  “No,” Alice said as she moved away from the vision who stood before her. “You look more than all right. You look beautiful. I am sure Patrick will stumble walking beside you.”

  Sally laughed, though a tear ran down her cheek. “Thank you for this,” she said emphatically. “I wish I had something to give you of value.”

  Alice smiled and shook her head. “You already have. I cherish our friendship.” She gave Sally a hug. “Now, come and sit at the table and I will fix your hair.” She pulled a basket from a shelf and removed a tin of pins and a small hairbrush. “I am afraid I do not have a curling iron, but I am sure I can do something that will be acceptable.”

  As she brushed Sally’s hair, that humbling feeling returned. Never again would she disrespect her lady’s maid. Not that she ever had, of course, but more than once Esther had not fixed her hair as she had asked. Granted, that was because she refused to give up her severe styles, but regardless, she had spoken a bit sharply at the poor woman and now she felt terrible.

  “When Patrick asks, will you say yes?” Alice mumbled through the pins she held in her lips as she had seen Esther do.

  Sally laughed. “Of course, I will. I want nothing more.” Then she looked up at Alice in the mirror. “But I am worried about something.”

  “What is that?” Alice asked as she pinned another strand of hair up into place.

  Sally blushed profusely. “Well, I have never kissed a man before. What is it like?” When Alice laughed, Sally quickly added, “It’s not that I believe you’ve kissed a lot of men, or even Lord Blackmoore for that matter…”

  “No, you are fine,” Alice assured her. “Tell no one, but I have kissed one man, many years ago. A man I loved dearly.”

  “And?”

  “And it was a beautiful thing, the most wonderful feeling in the world.”

  “Have you kissed Lord Blackmoore yet?” Sally asked. Her cheeks were now a deep crimson, and Alice almost laughed.

  “Not yet,” she replied. “But I am sure it will be just as pleasant.”

  Sally sighed. “You are so lucky to be marrying Lord Blackmoore,” she said dreamily. “To be in love, is such a wonderful thing, isn’t it?”

  Alice considered Sally’s words. She was not certain love would be the word she would use, but she did have strong feelings for the man. What those feelings were exactly, she could not say, but they were there nonetheless. “I am lucky, indeed.” She pinned the last strand of hair into place. “There. What do you think?”

  “Oh, it is wonderful!” Sally gushed as she looked at herself in the mirror.

  “Now, see he does not insist on taking you up to one of the inn’s rooms after you have finished eating.”

  Sally gasped. “Of course not! I am not that type of woman.”

  “I am only teasing,” Alice assured her. “Now, go, or you will be late. And be careful; you will have every man in town begging for your hand on your way to the inn.”

  “They can try all they want,” Sally said firmly. “There is only one man for me.”

  Once Sally was gone, Alice closed the door to the shop, deep in thought. There used to be only one man for Alice, but now that was changing, and as she felt herself happier thinking of Johnathan, she also felt a pang of guilt. What if she was betraying Thomas by marrying Johnathan? Yet, he was the one who had left her alone, not she. No, it was time for her to give her heart to someone new. It was finally time for her to move on.

  Chapter Twenty

  Alice looked proudly around her shop. It had been just over a month since Johnathan had agreed to help her, and true to his word, he had done everything he had promised. The wall which separated the back area from the front shop area had been moved forward, creating more space in back, and Johnathan was just now paying the builder for completing the work.

  The workman had a look of admiration on his face as Johnathan complimented him on how well he had done. Alice could not blame the man; she, too, admired the Earl. Not only was he a man of his word, he was unlike most other men. She had grown accustomed to their walks on the beach, each sharing a little more about themselves with each excursion. Although thoughts of his motivation for wanting to marry her had been suspect at best, she felt he had changed. The walls he had built around him had crumbled over the last few weeks and the devilish rogue was gone, replaced by a kind man, a man of great integrity. Where he would shout at the men of the working class before, now he treated them with respect, and that only made Alice’s pride swell all the more. For she would marry that gentleman in just a few weeks, and that thought brought a smile to her face.

  Johnathan saw the builder to the door and removed several notes from the inside pocket of his coat. He removed several receipts and counted a few notes to pay the man and then shook his hand before they parted ways. Alice turned her attention back to her assessment of the new work area lest she be caught watching him.

  The shelving on the walls contained spools of a variety of colors of fabrics. One section held rolls of ribbon made of satins and silks, while another stored wiring, linen, and buckram for creating the hat frames. Boxes of feathers of all sorts of colors, beads, and swatches for creating faux flowers and fruit sat lined in baskets. Even passamenterie hung from large spools, its tassels dangling at a steep angle to cover the stitching on which they were attached.

  Her next step would be to create a variety of samples to set in the window, and she could not wait to get started.

  “I believe the shop is nearly ready,” Johnathan said as he walked up to stand beside her. “What do you think?”

  She gazed up at him. “It is everything I dreamed of and more,” she said. “Thank you, Johnathan, I could not have done this without you.” He had warned her early on that without his help, she would be bankrupt before the shop even opened. Now, she had gained knowledge of how to price her hats by figuring in the costs, and not simply the cost of the fabrics and the ribbon, but of her time, as well as that of whomever she hired to help her.

  “You
see,” he said as he turned and looked down at her, “the rumors about me are not true. I am actually a nice man.”

  Alice wondered if he could hear her heart skip a beat, or if he could tell how dry her mouth had become. His confidence was causing her body to feel flushed and a wave of hair over his brow to make her breath catch.

  “You are a nice man,” she whispered as he took her hands in his own. Immediately the feeling of being protected came to her. His hands, like the rest of him, were strong, yet so gentle.

  “We will order the signage soon, possibly even next week,” he added. “That will give us more than enough time to finish up here. I would like to head back to Exeter when that is done.” Alice nodded, unable to say anything. “I will be your husband and you will be my wife. It is something that means a lot to me, Alice. I promise you, I do not take it lightly.”

  “I-I am looking forward to becoming your wife,” she said, her voice shaky. Then, he leaned in and his lips met hers. The kiss was soft, yet it sent a warm sensation through her body. As the kiss ended, she realized something. She had thought Johnathan as only a friend, their marriage of convenience something required of her. Now, however, she wanted it to happen, for he had won her heart. It was a beautiful feeling, one that she had only experienced once before, which seemed a lifetime ago. But now, it had returned, and the confused feelings she had over the last week were now confirmed. “I love you,” she whispered, wishing he would kiss her again, afraid these new feelings and emotions in her would disappear once he released her. However, as his hands left hers, she was pleasantly surprised that those feelings did not leave. They had remained.

  Johnathan walked over and began inspecting the shelves, and Alice smiled. Leave it to a man to share a special moment and then return to matters of business without a thought. She let out a small laugh and then quickly covered her mouth, but not before Johnathan turned to glance back at her. Granted he had not returned her sentiment, but he was a man after all.

  “Is something funny?” he asked as he raised an eyebrow at her.

  “Not at all,” she said, her hand still covering her mouth.

  He snorted, then turned back around. “I have to be honest about these ribbons,” he said, his hand pointing to the shelf.

  Alice walked over to stand beside him. “What is wrong with them?” she asked, looking them over.

  “Look at the yellow ones,” he explained. “Tell me you do not see a problem.”

  Alice looked with confusion at the ribbon. There seemed to be nothing amiss with the color, which was as bright as a buttercup in spring. Nor was there an issue with the cut, for it was not frayed or damaged, at least not that she could see. By all appearances, it was fine. Then she felt a light tickle at the back of her neck, and she swiped her hand behind her and turned around.

  “Johnathan!” she said with a laugh. He stood with a feather in his hand and a smile on his face. “Give me that!” She reached for it, but he was much quicker, and it disappeared behind his back.

  “I’m sorry, but I cannot give it to you,” he said authoritatively. “For it is my feather, given to me by my father, who received it from his father. As a matter of fact, it has been handed down through five generations.”

  “I see,” Alice asked as she clasped her hands behind her back and twisted at the waist, not caring that she appeared as a little girl. “Perhaps I will have to go share my heartache with a true gentleman in town.”

  Johnathan gasped in mock astonishment. “There will be no need for that,” Johnathan said, bringing the feather back around. Alice smiled at having won, but as she went to reach for it, he ran it against her neck. She giggled as she pushed him away.

  “Here,” he said finally. “I will behave.” He handed her the feather and bowed his head in defeat.

  Alice placed it on the work table. “Very good,” she said as she attempted to put her mind back on the task at hand. “What shall we do next?”

  “I must go by the bank and then I have a meeting to discuss business with a gentleman in town.” He picked up his hat and placed it on his head. “I shan’t be gone long.”

  “May I ask what business you will be discussing?” Alice asked as she walked him to the door.”

  He turned and offered her a smile. “I am afraid I cannot tell you,” he replied cryptically. “I will stop by before I head home for the evening.” He took one more glance around the shop. “Again, I tell you, there are fine inns in which you can stay. There is no need for you to remain here.”

  “Thank you,” she replied, “but I have grown accustomed to the place. Plus, we will be leaving in a week; there is no need to move things about now.”

  He sighed. “Very well. I will see you soon.”

  Alice watched him walk away, not wanting to take her eyes off him for a moment. There was no doubt that not only had she fallen for him, she was in love. Closing the door, she headed back to the work area. Soon she would be Lady Alice Blackmoore, Countess of Lidenburg. She would be able to kiss Johnathan whenever she liked. The thought brought a flush to her cheeks and she was thankful no one else was around to bear witness to it. As she closed the door, a few tears of joy came to her eyes. However, as the tears rolled down her cheeks, a realization came to her. She was in Cornwall, had her own business, and most importantly she was in love. All her dreams had finally come true, though perhaps not exactly as she had expected.

  As she wiped at her cheeks, she glanced over and saw a small stack of money on the counter. “That man!” she said in mild exasperation. Here he was on his way to the bank, but the money he wished to deposit was sitting in the shop. She walked over, picked up the notes and placed them in her pocket. He would not have gotten far, and if she hurried she would be able to catch him before he got to the bank and realized his mistake.

  ***

  Johnathan walked down the road, his stride long, his head held high, and his heart strong. He had vowed never to fall in love again, a vow built on a foundation of anger and hurt. However, somehow over the last month, Alice had won his heart. He did not know when it began, but each day speaking with her had brought them closer together. Although he did not know how to tell her with words, he had hoped the kiss would convey how he felt. Judging by the look in her eyes and the redness on her cheeks, it had. He let out a small laugh as he thought on how he had tickled her with the feather. Perhaps the actions were childish, but she had laughed and expressed the defiance in her that he secretly loved.

  A month earlier he had been a cold, bitter man. However now he could not have been happier. Giving love a second chance was exactly what he needed. No longer would he cower his heart in darkness. No longer would he be victimized by his past. He had taken a risk with Alice, and now he was glad he had, for once she had dropped her guard, he saw the beautiful woman who had been in hiding, just as he had been. Now they would resurface as a new man and a new woman, much as a butterfly breaks from its pupa, to live a new and glorious life together.

  He was close to skipping as he made his way to the bank, tipping his hat to every passing person and offering them each a smile. He received their greetings with a happy heart, something he had never done in the past years. The surprised glances he received were easily ignored as the sun shone down on him and his new life.

  The bank was not busy, for which he was glad. The ‘business meeting’ of which he had told Alice had been a lie, the first since his arrival over a month earlier. Earlier in the week, he had dropped off a brooch that had belonged to his mother. She had given it to him upon her deathbed, asking him to pass it on to his wife since she would be unable to attend his wedding. A butterfly, so fitting for their circumstance, with emerald wings and a golden body, his plan was to have it converted to a pendant that would hang from a chain. As luck would have it, the goldsmith had sent a message stating that it was ready for him to pick up, and he could not wait to present it to Alice as a sign of his affection for her.

  Caught up in his thoughts as he waited to speak to t
he clerk, he had not expected the voice that spoke up behind him.

  “Jonathan?”

  He turned and his eyes widened. “Jane?” he said, his mind racing. She had not changed much since the last time he had seen her. Her dark hair was pinned up under a stylish bonnet, both complimenting the rich blue gown she wore. A thousand questions came to his mind, but he had no idea which to ask first.

  She grabbed his elbow and practically dragged him out the front door and down the small alley between the bank and the draper’s.

  Halfway down, he pulled her to a stop. “What are you doing here?” he demanded.

  “Johnathan,” she cooed in an overly sweet voice that at one time would have him done anything she asked, “my sweet Johnathan. It is indeed fate that brought me here, back to you.” She rested a gloved hand on his cheek and gave him a pout. “Did you not miss me?”

  “I did,” Johnathan said in confusion. “I…and your husband?”

  Jane shook her head then let out a theatrical sigh. How was it he could see through her antics now and not all those years ago? “He died two years ago, leaving me his estate and no husband to love.” She glanced around her, although what she could see, he did not know. From his vantage point, all he saw were stone walls and soot. “I always wanted to live here, do you remember?”

  Johnathan nodded. It had been their dream to grow old in the house he had purchased for them both. But she had ended that, and now he realized he had very few feelings for her he could consider being even remotely connected to love.

  “You left me,” he growled as he grabbed her wrist and removed her hand from his face. “You walked out and married another man because he was of better title and wealth.” She remained silent for a few moments, as though gathering her thoughts. This was the moment he needed to tell her about Alice. So, before she would be able to speak, he added, “Jane, you need to know…”

  However, she interrupted him, a terrible habit she had that had annoyed him, even before. “I do not deny that I was a fool as a young woman.” She spoke as if he had said nothing, another habit he despised. “Now I understand my mistake. I married the wrong man, a man I did not care for. Johnathan,” she placed her hand on his cheek again, “I love you. I always have.”