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When the dress was in pieces, she picked up the heavy paper she was using as a pattern. She pinned it to the cloth, then carefully cut around the edges. Bonnie sat on the floor and played.
"Can we make a dress for my doll?" she asked.
"I think so."
"And Alice?" The kitten had awakened from her morning nap and had come to investigate their activities. She was still small enough to sit in a teacup, but she was growing. Her bright green eyes didn't miss anything, Megan thought as the kitten swatted at a falling bit of fabric.
"I think Alice likes her calico coat just fine."
The cat meowed her agreement, then hopped into Bonnie's lap.
"What are you going to wear?" the girl asked.
"Oh, I have lots of dresses."
"But you have to wear something special."
"I'll find the right dress."
Bonnie picked up Alice and cradled her in her arms. "Let's go pick one now."
Megan set down the blue fabric. She could finish the dress later, while Bonnie was taking a nap, or even that evening. It wouldn't take long. "All right." She took the little girl's hand and led her upstairs to her bedroom. There was a large armoire opposite the bed and another one beside the big window.
She opened the one opposite the bed. "I have a pretty pink dress," she said, pulling out a floral print calico that had to be at least four years old. It was wearing a little at the shoulder seams and the fabric had a decided droop to it.
Bonnie climbed onto the bed and shook her head. Alice flopped down beside her and started to purr. "It's not pretty, Megan."
All right." She reached into the armoire again and brought out a light blue gown. It had pleats across the front
d a big lace collar. The back pulled up into a cascade of
118 Justin's Bride
flounces. The style was nice, but the color was a little off for her. Even before Bonnie wrinkled her nose, she was already hanging it back up.
They went through three more dresses. There was a second pink dress of silk that Bonnie admitted might be all right. Then the girl pointed at the other armoire. "What's in there?"
Megan hesitated. She shouldn't really show her. It wasn't as if she could wear the dress. It was completely scandalous. But no one had ever seen it, and suddenly she desperately wanted to know what the little girl would think.
"This is very special," Megan said as she approached the armoire. "But it's a secret. You can't tell anyone. Do you understand?"
Bonnie nodded so vigorously, the bed shook. Her eyes widened in anticipation.
Megan opened the armoire. One half was shelves where she kept most of the silk and lace lingerie that Justin had seen the other night. She flushed at the memory. She'd been rearranging her things while Bonnie slept that evening and he'd seen her room before she'd had a chance to put everything away. But she didn't reach for any of the fancy undergarments. Instead, she pulled out a cream-colored silk dress.
The neckline dipped scandalously low in front, and was edged in deep rose-colored rosettes. The tiny sleeves would just cover her shoulders and leave her arms completely bare. The tightly fitted bodice flared out at the hips before the luxurious fabric draped down to the underskirt. Rows and rows of gathered flounces had been edged in rose ribbon. The last foot of the skirt was pleated. She turned it slowly so Bonnie could see the back. A bustle of rosettes and rib- ' bon cascaded to the ground.
It was a dress made for a princess. Bonnie stared open-mouthed. "Oh, Megan, that's so pretty. If s the prettiest thing I've ever seen forever."
"I know. It's a Worth gown." She brushed a speck of lint from the shoulder seam. "Three years ago, I was in St. Louis buying for the store. This gown had been ordered for a lady who changed her mind about it. The gentleman I
purchase my ready-made clothing from showed it to me, and I simply had to have it." It had been wicked of her, she knew, but she didn't care. The gown had been too beautiful to resist. The previous year had been her best yet, so she'd told herself she deserved a reward.
"Wear that," Bonnie said.
"No. I can't." Megan put the gown back. Just thinking about what the townspeople would say—what Colleen would say—was enough to make her shudder. Like the lingerie, this was a guilty secret. She had more than anyone suspected.
