Before she could think about it, Laura’s fingers had already swiped the screen to call Pierre back.
Pierre answered on the first ring. “You haven’t seen anything, have you?”
“Of course I have.”
“It’s not true,” she rushed to explain. “Bloody Nicole followed Millie around all day insisting she should try the dress, telling her it was Lord M that had asked for it to be bought, which wasn’t true at all it was Nicole who had badgered him. Anyway, finally to shut her up – you know how Nicole can be when she has a bee in her bonnet – Millie agreed to try it on. There was no question that she would actually wear it to her wedding and she did say very clearly that she was happy with what you made for her.”
“So why did she post it on social media?”
“I don’t know. She’s…” Pierre was silent for a few seconds.
Laura’s own mind supplied several words to fill in.
“Well, what can I say…” Pierre added with feeling. “Bloody Nicole. I think she hopes to get as much advance publicity on her side. When she goes off to America, she can share the posts and no one will know what Millie actually wore on the day.”
The rest of Pierre’s words faded into the background as Laura sagged with relief.
Which was bad, very bad. She’d nearly had a meltdown over a client changing her mind about a frock. It was almost as bad as her broken engagement to Jacob. For God’s sake, she couldn’t afford to fall apart like this if she were to start her own business.
Millie’s words from earlier came back.
I decided to create wonderful things that wouldn’t melt away if some man said nasty things to me.
Well…by the same token, Laura would do wonderful things for herself that wouldn’t melt away if other people changed their minds.
Pushing herself off the floor, she went out into the main workshop and found the desktop computer and printer. Her phone was still in her hand; she scrolled through her saved pictures until she found the one she wanted and sent it to the printer. Then she looked for Rovena.
“Can you try to weave something special if I give you a pattern?” she asked sketching quickly on a piece of paper. “I’ll pay you.”
Rovena looked at the drawing, “With these dimensions?”
“Yes.”
“So, this is like a shawl or a pashmina, but in silk.”
“Exactly. Jacquard.” Laura retrieved the first printed picture and gave it to the other woman.
The picture showed the blue grass hill where Adam had taken her that first time, near the marina. It showed the greenish-blue between the pale blue sky and the sea with light sparkling on it.
“Keep the sky section to just two shades of blue; I’ll give you the hex codes. But randomize the lines; I don’t want repeating patterns. It should look natural. Then the middle section will fade into it gradually, again two colours, and finally the sea, the same two colours as the sky, with flecks of the green-blue. The light will have to be gold and silver thread.”
Rovena examined the picture. “The important thing is to have the right threads.” Her finger traced over the blue-green and the variations of blue on the water.” The colours are unusual, not standard stock, so we have to order them.” She met Laura’s eyes. “If you give me the exact hex codes.”
“How long will it take?”
“When the threads arrive…maybe two weeks. Then we just need a day to change the spools on the jacquard loom and re-thread it.”
“No rush; do it after the wedding. I’ll stay an extra week or two.”
Chapter Thirty
“What brought you to La Cannette?”
The question was so unexpected Adam found himself answering, “I wanted to turn a new page.” He shrugged. “Not sure what, but something different and unplanned. I packed a bag, renewed my passport, took a random ship and got off at a random port. I thought I’d stay here a few days, maybe a few weeks and then move on somewhere else.”
They sat in silence. Then du Montfort spoke again. “Turning a new page is easier said than done. I should know, I’ve turned so many pages, I could fill several books.” He winked at Adam.
They were in the private hospital room the day before Lord Du Montford was slated to return to La Canette. George, having sat with his father all morning, had gone back to his hotel room to catch up on work.
