Charity nodded and added, “You two will get along as long as you don’t mention Joseph.”
“I won’t,” Holly assured.
Chapter Six
Holly stopped at the hotel to pick up her sewing kit and sharp scissors before walking the short distance to Lydia’s small house.
Lydia must have been watching for Holly because the door flew open before Holly reached the porch. A smiling Lydia greeted Holly warmly and invited her inside.
“Here, let me take your coat. I’m excited about working on my dress. I tried to lay it all out but was too worried to cut the fabric. Please have a cup of tea, and I’ll show you the fabric,” Lydia rambled on as Holly sat at the table and waited for Lydia to settle down.
“I’m pleased I could help,” Holly assured Lydia. “Please sit down with me and discuss the dress. If you have the picture from the pattern, we can decide how you want it to look once we sew it and embellish it.”
“Embellish it how?” Lydia asked excitedly.
Holly turned her hands over and tilted her head to the side. “Whatever you like. Lace, small satin roses, bows, ruffles.”
“You know how to make the satin roses? I can never get mine to look right,” Lydia admitted.
Holly smiled, “Yes, but it did take me some time to practice. I’ll show you.”
Holly sipped her tea and Lydia brought out a package wrapped in string. She placed it on the table and carefully unwrapped it revealing the deep red fabric.
“This is a lovely color,” Holly told a smiling Lydia. “You have two choices, we can use ivory lace and satin roses, or if you just want lace, we can add black lace.”
“Black lace? That sounds so romantic. Do you think the people in town would think I was acting a bit loose if I wore a red dress with black lace?”
“I honestly don’t know. I helped Miss Constance embellish quite a few dresses with black lace and satin trim, but it was a bigger city. You know the people in town better than I do. We won’t make you look like a loose woman. The neckline will be proper. It’s just the lace color that will be bold.”
“Let’s do it,” Lydia said. “I think they have black lace at the mercantile. If not, I’ll special order it, and they can get it quickly. I’ve done that before. The order can be telegraphed instead of sent by mail, and it will arrive on the next stage. I’m excited.”
“If you plan to turn heads on Christmas, this dress will do it.”
“Do you think it’ll turn Joseph’s head? He’s the only man I’m interested in. I plan to marry him as soon as I can convince him,” Lydia laughed.
Holly wondered what to say. She remembered Charity’s warning about talking about Joseph, and she took the safest way out. “I wish you all the best. I don’t know Joseph well at all. He barely talks to me.”
“That’s good,” Lydia mumbled.
Holly pretended she didn’t hear the remark and asked, “Are you ready to start on the dress. I can cut it out, and we can sew it together.”
~ * ~
For the next three days, Holly spent a few hours each day helping Lydia with her new red dress. Holly would walk to Lydia’s house after working at the café, and the two would enjoy getting to know each other and sewing. Lydia was starting to be a good friend, and Lydia confided in Holly about her life, her father’s passing, the fact she refused to live with her older brother, and her love for Joseph.
Holly felt her own feelings for Joseph grow and said a small prayer that she and Lydia would still be friends if Joseph returned Holly’s feelings.
On the fourth day of their planned meeting, Lydia walked to the mercantile to see if her black lace had arrived and was thrilled to hear it would be on the next stage. She rushed to the café to share the news but stopped before she reached the door. She could see Holly and Joseph through the large window and what she saw made her blood turn cold.
Holly was supposed to be her friend. Joseph was supposed to be her husband. How could the two of them stand there and flirt the way they were. Holly even reached out and touched Joseph’s arm. How could they? She swallowed her anger and pulled the café door open.
Lydia called to Holly, “Something’s come up, and I can’t make our sewing session today. Can we do it again tomorrow or the next day?”
Holly nodded, but before she could say a word, Lydia spun on her heel and disappeared out the café door.
Charity had watched from the kitchen and commented, “That was odd behavior even for Lydia.”
“Perhaps she isn’t feeling well,” Holly offered.
“Perhaps,” Charity said before she turned back to kneading the bread dough and added under her breath, “But I wouldn’t trust her.”
Holly picked up a cloth and began to dry dishes.
“You don’t have to do that,” Charity insisted. “This is your time for yourself.”
“I don’t mind. I don’t have anything else to do, and I enjoy talking with you. We don’t get much time now that I’m helping Lydia and you’re spending more time with Annie and Ben.”
“Annie keeps asking when you’re going to visit again. She keeps pointing to the little hearts you stitched on her dress collars and says, ‘Holly come soon?’”
“She’s adorable, and I’m making her an apron for Christmas. I noticed how she tried to wear yours after supper the other evening.”
“Are you adding hearts to it?”
Holly shared, “Of course,
