Page 44 of Scandalous

Daniels had located the shop for her and then escorted her there first thing when they came ashore. Sarah had been the only customer that early in the day, and the two French sisters who owned the shop had both come out to greet her and take her back for a fitting.

“I’ll wait for you out here, Miss Fisher.” Daniels had motioned to a small waiting room, complete with reading material, a platter of biscuits, and a comfortable chair.

“No, you must leave her with us,” one of the women said. They were identical twins, or at least near enough. “This is no place for a man,” the other added, escorting Daniels to the door. “Come back for her just before luncheon,” she said, shutting the door in his surprised face.

When the women learned Sarah had arrived on Captain Bouchard’s ship, they’d hung the Closed sign in the window, ordered a full tea from their servant, and pulled Sarah into the back room. “We must know everything about you and the delectable captain.”

They’d proceeded to extract every detail about Sarah’s life to date, including the little she knew of Captain Bouchard. The sisters, like everyone else in the world, had heard of Bouchard even though they’d only seen him from afar.

“He is beautiful, that one, eh, Arlette?” the one named Adele asked.

“Oui! So exotic! So virile!” She nudged Sarah in the ribs. “You will need something special to keep that one’s attention, I think.”

“His attention is not mine to keep,” Sarah protested. “Nor is any other part of him.”

The sisters ignored her, instead rooting through the large rack of ready-made garments. “You have a beautiful figure—so tall and thin—no corset for you, eh?” Arlette had a remarkably ribald laugh for such a small woman.

Sarah’s ears burned. “I’ve only borrowed enough money for one dress,” she said, watching in dismay as the women began creating a huge pile of garments.

Adele waved away her words as if they were a bothersome fly. “Don’t be a silly girl. You cannot live with only one dress. Especially not on a ship filled with men. You can send us payment after you reach your family.”

“But I told you, I don’t know if I have any family left. Even if I do, I cannot assume they will be in a position to give me money. Really, I—”

“You belong to a wealthy family—I know it.” Adele closed her eyes as she spoke, as if prognosticating. “They will be delighted to have you back.”

Arlette nodded. “Yes, you must have several dresses. It is a shame you are not here longer. We will have to alter what we have instead of making something just for you.”

Sarah had protested over and over, but they had ignored her.

“We are giving you these dresses because we wish to do so. If you cannot pay?” Arlette flicked her wrist in a gesture that was richly dismissive. “Bah! It is nothing to us. We have no daughters or nieces of our own, and our father left us well provided for. We have never needed to take a man as husband. Only to bed, eh, Adele?”

They cackled and then went on to list their multiple lovers and describe them in fascinating, but excruciating detail. Both of them offered unsolicited advice on how to capture Captain Bouchard and what to do with him once she had him.

Sarah learned more in a few hours about men and their various uses than she’d learned in all her previous years. She was convinced her face was a permanent shade of red. Instead, when she gazed in the mirror, she looked almost pretty. They’d trimmed, curled, crimped, and arranged her hair high on her head and forced a string of pearls on her, complete with matching bracelet.

“It’s only paste, my dear. Besides, neither of us are the type who can wear pearls,” Adele had explained when Sarah demurred.

“We are too wicked,” Arlette had agreed through a mouthful of pins, which she was using to mark the dress Sarah was wearing.

The women had compensated for her above-average height by quickly adding several flounces to the hem. Oh, and the fabric—it was delectable enough to eat. It was a peachy pink muslin that made Sarah’s hair look tawny rather than mousy brown. The ensemble also made her very small breasts seem prominent, if not actually larger. In fact, they looked so prominent she was concerned. The women had waved away her concerns.

“You do not need stays for your very slim waist, but a corset is helpful in other ways.” They’d cinched her into a beautiful pink undergarment that pushed up her small breasts until they were two creamy swells.

After seeing the reactions of Daniels, Bouchard, Graaf, and even the usually shy and retiring Mr. Banks, Sarah could not feel sorry she’d allowed herself to be laced into the tight corset. For the first time in her life, she felt pretty.

The meal passed far too quickly. Even with the dining room in shambles, it was still the most elegant experience she’d ever had. Graaf was amusing and engaging, Daniels sweet and friendly, and even the reticent Banks spoke a word or two, coming out of his shell for a brief time. Everyone looked happy except for Bouchard, who maintained a grim silence throughout the meal. Sarah refused to let his sullenness dampen her excitement about dining in a hotel and wearing a new dress. And it wasn’t her only new dress, either.

“We will work like women possessed and send the other gowns to the ship before it departs.”

“Are you sure I can’t—”

Arlette made a firm chopping motion with one hand. “I’m sure you can hem a straight seam, but you will not do so on these dresses. You are only here for a short while. You must see the island and enjoy yourself.”

“You can join us for tea tomorrow if you find yourself with some time.”

“But your evenings you should reserve for the delicious Bouchard.” Arlette placed the back of her hand on her forehead and feigned a swoon.

Sarah had quickly made her first adult female friends since leaving her village and would just as quickly have to leave them.