Chapter Sixteen
WHEN SARAH EMERGEDfrom the dressing room ten minutes later with the beautiful violet gown tucked under her arm, Luke and Mr. Bradford were waiting.
“Did it fit?” Luke asked, giving her a breathtaking smile.
Sarah blushed, very aware of the storekeeper. “I shouldn’t let you do this. We’ll give those women even more to talk about.”
“That’s not what I asked,” Luke chided. “Come on, sweetheart. Smile for me. Everything will be all right. I promise.”
He was fairly beaming with good humor, and she loved him so much she’d face a tar and feathering just to keep that smile on his face. “All right,” she murmured, doing her best to match his grin. “The dress fits fine.”
Actually, the dress had fit as though it had been made for her. She hadn’t had anything so fine since the first days of the war, when Savannah society had thumbed their noses at the blockade by wearing the most beautiful gowns to be found. But that had been eons ago, and the sight of herself in this simple, store-bought dress had brought tears to her eyes.
“Good.” Luke took the dress and undergarments from her and handed them to Mr. Bradford. “We’ll take it all,” he said. “And you might want to think about ordering more dresses in this size.”
Sarah looked away as the man rang up the items, giving Luke a total that made her want to sink through the floorboards. Luke paid, took the neatly wrapped package, and escorted her back out to the street.
“Wasn’t that fun?” Luke inquired, his eyes sparkling. “I like buying things for you.”
Sarah shook her head in dismay. “Fun isn’t the word I’d use to describe it. Have you lost your mind? Everyone will think I’m your mistress now.”
Luke laughed. “We’re not done. By the time we’re through, we’ll have given the gossips enough to talk about for a year.”
She frowned. “I don’t like the sound of that.”
Luke took her hand and led her across the street to the hotel. “I’m going to rent a room so you can freshen up and change into your new dress. I have some things to do, but I’ll come back in about an hour and we’ll go to dinner.”
She shook her head. “I’m not up to this. I’d really just like to go home now.”
He stopped in the hotel lobby and caught her hands. “Trust me, Sarah. Please.”
How could she say no to that? He was so earnest, so intent. “Promise me you’ll protect me when they form an angry lynch mob.”
Luke grinned. “I promise.”
Before she could protest any further, he walked over to the front desk and asked for the best room in the house. The young clerk promised to have a hot bath sent up right away, and then Luke handed her the room key. “I’ll be back soon,” he told her, then lowered his voice. “I can’t wait to see you in that dress.”
