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The day was surprisingly warm and sunny—a rarity. Before Lucky had a chance to direct the man near the front door of the hotel to find them a carriage, she asked, “Can we walk? I feel as if I haven’t done anything except sit for months.”
“All right,” he said. “It’s not far.”
“What isn’t?”
“The dress shop. I’m told Agatha Foster’s gowns are the most popular and highly sought after.”
For a moment, she’d forgotten where they were going. Once again his excitement prevented her from commenting, but two hours later, after having tried on several gowns, Maddie couldn’t maintain her silence. “Don’t you have anything that buttons up the front?”
The shop owner, Agatha Foster, had bright red hair and a crooked nose she looked down even while kneeling to check a hem or seam. It was her haughtiness that had rubbed Maddie the wrong way from the moment she’d stepped into the shop full of gowns covered with ribbons and lace. The shop owner had two young assistants, and rather than talk to them, Agatha Foster clapped her hands toward the girls to send them scurrying after whatever she wanted.
“Surely you have a dressing maid to assist you,” Agatha Foster said.
“No.” Even without the woman’s obvious scorn, Maddie didn’t feel like furthering her explanation. Once she and Lucky were parted, she wouldn’t have anyone to fasten any of the lavish gowns he’d already purchased.
“To answer your question,” the woman added snootily, “no. Fashionable gowns do not fasten down the front.”
Maddie turned and glanced in the long mirror. “Well, then, this one will do.” The gown was rather lovely. The shiny material was dark green, and rows of gold stitching formed decorative swirls on the cuffs, hem and at the waist. A heavy sigh escaped. She hardly recognized herself, and wasn’t sure she liked that.
“Very well.” The woman glanced toward the heavy curtain separating this room from where they’d left Lucky. “Mr. DuMont said you will need a few other gowns.”
“He was mistaken,” Maddie said, done dress shopping. She disrobed and retrieved the blue velvet gown—her favorite—that she’d put on this morning.
“How about undergarments?” the woman asked.
“I have plenty of those, too.” Maddie wasted no time in buttoning her gown, which did fasten up the front. “There is nothing else we need here.”
“Very well. I’ll make the slight alterations needed and have the gown delivered to the hotel, if that is to your liking, Mrs. DuMont.” There was definite disappointment and a hint of reprimand in the woman’s tone.
“That will be fine,” Maddie said, parting the curtain. She waited impatiently while Lucky settled the bill, something he always insisted upon doing, and practically ran out the door when he opened it.
Once on the boardwalk, he took her elbow. “I secured us a coach. I want to show you something.”
Holding in a tremendous sigh, she asked, “What is it?”
“I’ve arranged for us to tour a couple of homes,” he said. “To give you some ideas for the house you want to build.”
“I don’t want to build a house here,” she said.
Cole did his best to keep a smile on his face. This was the life she wanted, and he was trying his best, but it all reminded him of the things he didn’t miss. Gran had hosted lavish balls and galas, and as the eldest son, it had been his duty to escort his mother after his father had died. He was using that, his experience, to make them fit in now. Had to. He had an ulterior motive. Mad Dog was still on the loose, and Cole wanted the outlaw to know where to look for Maddie.
Not find her, but look for. He was using their mining success to make them the most popular people in town and wanted word spread that they were building a house—the house she always wanted. “I’m not suggesting we build one here,” he said. “It’ll just give you an idea for when you choose where you want to live.”
She nodded and allowed him to escort her into the carriage, but the smile on her face looked as strained as his felt. He couldn’t share his plan with her, but hopefully afterward, when all was settled, she’d understand why and forgive him.
He’d sent messages to both his grandmother and mother, saying he’d be home as soon as possible. That was part of his ploy, for everyone to know they planned on sailing south when Trig arrived. Whereas, in reality, it was all to set a trap for Mad Dog.
