Free Shades of Honor by Wendy Lindstrom Page A

livery to fail. It was mostly because she was a woman doing a man’s job. Maybe her father saw that and thought Radford’s presence would give her a chance to bring the business back to life. Then again, maybe he had just lost faith in her because business had gotten so bad.
    Evelyn laid the soap back in the basket and wiped her hand on the front of her shirt, hoping to keep some of the scent with her. The feel of her coarse cambric blouse returned her sanity and she turned away from temptation. How foolish of her to bother with frivolities. She spent her time with horses and hay and work that made her hands as rough as a man's. What use would someone like her have for scented soap?
    A quick in-drawn breath drew her attention to the front corner of the store. Rebecca was pressing both hands to her cheeks and staring at a cradle that held a small doll with a painted porcelain head. The sleeping baby doll was wrapped in a soft white blanket with a pink bonnet on her head.
    Slowly, Rebecca squatted beside the cradle and peered inside. Her eyes took in every inch of the sleeping infant until she appeared breathless with wanting to touch it.
    Evelyn laid her items on a stack of boys’ clothing, then went to Rebecca. “She's a pretty little thing, isn’t she?”
    “She's beau-tee- ful ....” Rebecca fairly breathed the words, she was in such awe over the rosy-cheeked baby. Her small fingers closed over the side of the cradle, but she did not touch the doll.
    Evelyn wanted to tell her she could take her home, but a doll like that would cost far more than a simple cake of soap. Regretfully, she knelt beside Rebecca and unthinkingly stroked the tiny, rounded back, her own heart full of misery. She had no idea how Radford managed his finances and wouldn't risk embarrassing him by showing him something that he might not be able to afford to buy for his daughter. But she would find out the price and talk to him about it later.
    “I'm sorry, honey, but I don't have enough money to buy your baby doll today.”
    Rebecca's expression fell and she cast a long, sad look at the doll.
      “Maybe we can come see her another time, sweetheart.”
    Rebecca touched the white blanket that covered the infant, letting her fingertips trail across the cotton softness. “Bye, baby,” she whispered. She gathered her worn blanket and turned away, following Evelyn without a single word of complaint.
    Evelyn felt awful, especially since Rebecca accepted the loss as though she were used to going without the things she loved. Other than her blanket, Rebecca had no toys that Evelyn had seen. Where was her doll? Didn’t Radford know that little girls needed things like baby dolls?
    Evelyn searched for the items she had left on a pile of ready-made clothing. A small pair of britches caught her eye and she picked them up, thinking how much easier it would be for Rebecca to play in them instead of her dresses.
    “Oh, Evelyn, surely you’re not thinking of purchasing those for this precious child?” Agatha Brown asked, stopping beside her and peering down at Rebecca.
    Evelyn smiled at the store owner. No, she wasn’t considering it. She would never make Rebecca into a misfit like herself. “I was looking for my jar of molasses.”
    “Well, thank goodness,” Agatha said, retrieving Evelyn’s missing jar from between two piles of trousers. “You know how children like to imitate.”
    Before Evelyn could reply, the bell over the door rang. Both women glanced up as Radford came in, scanned the store with anxious eyes, then headed directly toward them.
    “There you are,” he said, scooping Rebecca into his arms as though he’d been away from her for a year rather than fifteen minutes. “Have you introduced yourself to Mrs. Brown?” he asked, winking at Agatha.
    “We haven’t had a chance, young man. Perhaps you can introduce yourself, as well.”
    “You don’t remember?” Radford asked with mock surprise. “Well, I used to be your best