“Nicole, please move out of my way. You are not my employer, and neither is Lord Du Montfort. I have answered your questions in the past because I’d like to be co-operative, but I would appreciate it if you minded your business and let me get on with mine.”
And without waiting, she pushed past the other woman and climbed the stairs. God! It felt good to stand up for herself.
It wasn’t over. Something told Laura there would be more trouble, and soon.
Chapter Fifteen
She’d been finalizingthe bodice on the toile. Tomorrow, Laura would be able to start on the silk and chiffon.
There was a knock. Mrs B’s kind voice called through the door, “Laura, you here, dearie?”
Laura put down the pin cushion and went to unlock the door.
“Sorry to disturb you, only Nicole is asking for you.”
And did she think Laura would run every time she was summoned for an audience with her ladyship? Ever since their last conversation had deteriorated quickly into a confrontation, she’d done her best not to cross paths. The rest of the household didn’t need to know or be troubled with petty rivalries.
“She can phone me. She has my number.”
“She is meeting with the photographer and they need to arrange a few sessions with you now. She says it’ll only take five minutes.” Mrs B sounded more anxious than her usual self. No doubt Lady Spite had bullied the housekeeper into running her errands.
Laura bit back an impatient retort. It wasn’t an unreasonable request. And no matter how much she’d have loved to keep Nicole waiting, she was a professional and would behave as such. Besides, the photographer didn’t need to be messed around just because she and Nicole didn’t like each other. She sighed. “Ok. Where is she?”
“Down in the conservatory. There seems to be some urgency.”
* * *
Rain lashed the glass walls of the conservatory. Inside, sitting on the sofa working on a laptop was a young man, probably about 30. He had a couple of cameras on the table next to him and a thick file open on a map of the island. It was a folder she’d often seen Nicole working on. A page with the names of some of the staff lay on the table next to it. Her own name was there next to the word “Dressmaker.” That was clearly Nicole’s handiwork. Just like her to insist on ‘Lord’ but diminish Laura to a mere ‘Dressmaker.’ If she could, she’d have tried calling her a ‘Seamstress.’ The woman herself was not here. Thank God for small mercies.
“Hi. I’m Emmett.” The man stood up as soon as Laura came in.
He had a nice face with a trim brown beard and a tanned complexion as if from working outdoors.
“You must be the photographer.”
“That’s right. And I understand you’re the bridal designer?” He didn’t call her a dressmaker, nice man.
“How can I help?”
“Nicky mentioned you might like some early photographs taken of your work in progress. I’m afraid I don’t know much about clothes. I was planning to go out and take pictures of the church and the gardens but with the rain, I’m stuck here, so I’m happy to follow your suggestions.”
“Are you staying here overnight?” Mrs B had made it sound as if this was urgent as if the man was leaving in the next five minutes.
“I’m staying here for a few weeks until after the wedding.” He glanced across to the windows. “I’m much more a nature photographer, although I’ve done some functions. It would be a nice idea since I’ll be here for a while to take some unposed snaps of everyone and of life here on the island. So if you’re happy for me to tag along, I might take a few pictures of you working on the wedding gown.”
It sounded like a good idea. Although he was wasting an awful lot of time on this one job. “The wedding is five weeks away. Do you always take so long over a project?”
“Not really.” He gave her a quiet smile. “I was at loose ends, and Nic was going to be here. So when she offered me the job, it made sense to join her and maybe put together a private project of my own. The island is very beautiful, even in winter.”
This ‘Nic’ he kept talking about, was it Nicole? Emmett was the right age and he seemed to have gotten this job without much qualification since by his own admission he was not a specialist wedding photographer.
“And you and Nicole are a couple?” she asked when he stopped talking.
He gave her a warm smile. “We’re engaged.”
“Congratulations,” her mouth said while the rest of her brain was busy thinking. So! ‘Nic’ had lined up a plum job for her fiancé. If Laura had been anything like Nicole, she’d run up to Lord de-Rottweiler and report her. But it was none of her business; she just wanted to be left alone.
“So?” Emmett said, folding his laptop closed. “Shall I come and watch you work and maybe…” He picked up one of the camera’s.
