Free All the Blue of Heaven by Virginia Carmichael

surprise. Allie stood behind stacked fabrics, mere feet
from the group of gossips, listening to her character being maligned in broad
daylight. Thomas felt fury bubble up within, and he wrestled with his first
instinct, which was to stride over to Louise and give her a piece of his mind.
               
No. That was not what Allie needed, or wanted, surely. She shook her head a
little, mouthing  no . The look in her eyes begged him to be silent and
to not acknowledge her presence just yet. She was proud and stubborn, but he
had no memory of her arguing in public with anyone. Thomas gritted his teeth
and forced his face into an impassive mask. She was a grown woman used to
taking care of herself. She didn’t need him to ride in on a white charger and
rescue her reputation. Perhaps this was not a battle he could win and it seemed
by her expression, she didn’t want him to try.
    ****
               
“Auntie Allie, why are you hiding back there?” Janey was suddenly at her elbow,
little head tilted in consternation.
               
Allie tried to hush her, motioning to the back of the store, but Janey was a
stubborn thing. “Auntie, Grandma Leeds asked me to bring you to the front. Mrs.
Morton has arrived to take your measurements.”
               
Allie raised her head very slowly and met Thomas’ gaze. His pained look was
gone, replaced by a distant smile. She stepped from behind the row of lace and
felt the gaze of every person in the store.
               
“Miss Hathaway,” Thomas said, a bit too loudly, tipping his hat. “I was
intending to call on you and your mother at Bellevue but I saw the carriage
outside. I wanted to inquire after you, whether you had recovered from your
fainting spell...”
               
“Yes, thank you. I was just tired.” Allie could hardly meet his eyes and her
face felt hot. Could he possibly believe those gossips?
               
Mr. Morton hurried to greet him, his small hands rubbing nervously together.
“Mr. Bradford, please come in. Your mother’s order of linen has arrived. Let me
go fetch it for you,” he said, his rotund body zipping around the long counter
toward the storage room.
               
“Allie?” A lovely woman approached them, curious blue eyes peering out from
under her hat, several elaborate feathers gracefully bobbing above it. “It’s
Sarah Varness. Well, Sarah Deacon now. Do you remember me?” Her tone was
hesitant, but as Allie’s face split with a wide smile, Sarah launched herself
into Allie’s arms.
               
“Oh, Sarah!” she cried, blinking back tears. “It’s so good to see you again.”
               Sarah
leaned back and appraised Allie’s short, dark locks. “Let me look at you. What
have you done to your hair?”
               
“Oh, just a new style,” Allie said, blushing. Her gaze flicked to Thomas,
standing silent and somber.
               
“Well, you always were the first to try anything new,” she laughed. She grasped
Allie’s gloved hands and sighed, her eyes gleaming. “I have so much to tell
you. But listen to me! I’m sure you have more tales than I can imagine.”
               
A soft snort came from behind Sarah and Allie noticed a beautiful young woman
barely out of her teens standing there. Her bright blond hair shone against a
straw hat trimmed with matching yellow ribbon and her dress was a light yellow
silk painted with trailing roses. Allie had never disliked the color yellow so
much in her life.
               
Sarah frowned, turning. “Allie, this is Louise Lloyd. Her father is John Lloyd,
our mayor.”
               
Allie nodded and dipped her head politely, but Louise barely tilt her head. Her
large, golden brown eyes focused intently on Allie’s face.
               
“I see you and our Mr. Bradford are already acquainted?” Her expression was
simpering,