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"Be careful, Megan. Don't do something you're going to regret. Don't forget that you're the person who has done the most judging. You judge yourself the hardest."
"You're right. And for what? What insignificant sin have I committed?"
She paced toward the back door, then turned and started the return trip. She stopped suddenly. The plan came to her fully formed. It was impetuous, foolhardy, even. She knew if she didn't do it, she would never forgive herself. She'd promised to shock the town before Sunday. This was the best way she knew how. "Will you keep Bonnie tonight?"
"Of course. Why?" Green eyes narrowed. "What are you planning?"
"To sully my reputation."
Mrs. Dobson put a restraining hand on Megan's forearm. "Once your good name is lost, you can never get it back."
"After Sunday I won't have one, anyway. What does it matter?"
The older woman studied her. "I hope you know what you're doing."
"No, I don't. Probably for the first time in my life." Megan ducked into her office and came out holding her shawl and reticule. She paused. "I appreciate everything. Don't worry, I'll be fine. I promise."
Mrs. Dobson nodded. "I'll be home tonight if you need somewhere to go."
Megan bent down and kissed the old woman's papery cheek. "Thank you for understanding."
"I was young and impetuous, once." She smiled, then her mouth straightened. "Be sure, Megan. Very sure."
"I am. I have to do this. I'm not sure why, or what I'm going to prove, but at least I can say that I've done one impetuous thing in my life without considering the consequences." She draped her shawl over her shoulders and stepped into the store.
One of the Greeleys' boys was staring longingly at the candy display. His mother kept him on a meager allowance. Megan marched over to him and pulled out a handful of sweets from the closest jar. "Winston, all this candy can be yours if you'll take a message to the sheriff's office for me. Can you do that?"
The boy's eyes widened as he stared at the bounty in her hands. "Yes, ma'am. Right away."
"Good." She placed the candy in a paper and twisted it into a cone. Then she quickly wrote a note and folded it twice. "The candy will be here when you get back. Just ask Andrew/'
Winston grabbed the note from her and raced out the door.'Til be right back."
"I'm sure you will be." She smiled, then told Andrew to give him the candy when the boy returned. She asked her assistant to close the store at the regular time, and left quickly, before her courage deserted her.
Forty minutes later, she stared at herself in the glass over her dresser. The Worth gown fit as well as it had when she'd bought it in St. Louis three years before. Unfortunately, the bodice was as low-cut as she remembered. She tugged at it, but it didn't budge. It clung to her breasts, exposing far more than it covered. She tried to convince herself the rosettes cast a shadow that concealed her curves. She turned a little in front of the mirror and knew she exaggerated the truth.
Aside from the shameful bodice, she was pleased with the dress. The creamy silk made her skin glow, and the flounced skirt reduced her waist to nothing. Ribbons and rosettes cascaded down the bustled back, and the pleated underskirt swished as she walked.
There was no time to curl her hair. She pulled out the remaining pins and brushed it smooth. She drew the top half up into a loose bun and pinned it in place. On either side of her ear, she made a braid about an inch thick, then weaved the two braids around the remaining loose hair, drawing it up off her neck into a coiled rope. She twisted the rope, then pinned it under the first bun. Several rosettes had been sewn onto a ribbon. She pinned these around her crown and secured loose ones to various points on her braid.
She stepped back to study the effect. She almost didn't recognize herself. Perhaps it was for the best, she thought, smiling nervously. If she did recognize herself, she might lose courage, and she didn't want that to happen now.
Her finishing touches included a pair of gloves made of the same silk as the dress and embroidered with rose-colored flowers, and a small silk bag. She glanced once more in the
mirror, then reached up and pulled at the tiny sleeves that barely rested on her shoulders. At least it was warm outside. If it had been cold, or raining, her entire plan would have been ruined. For once, the weather cooperated.
