“Of course. Come along.”
The woman directed Tempest to a changing room then left her alone to change. Only then did she remember that she had trousers on beneath her skirts and hid them beneath her folded dress and stood only in her shift when she asked the woman back in and asked her to fasten the garment for her.
It nearly cut off her breath, but Tempest needed this piece of clothing.
“How much?”
The woman named a price that was likely twice as much as such would cost on Dominica, but they also weren’t suffering.
“I will take it,” she said. “I will also wear it home.” Her face heated again.
“I will leave you and calculate this with the cost of the gloves.”
Tempest hastily dressed, once again pulling on her trousers, then returned to the main shop.
She needed a shawl to protect her shoulders until she was inside the gaol and a skirt because her dress simply would not do, especially since the corset was hidden.
If she could not find what she needed elsewhere, Tempest would return, but she did not want to buy everything in one shop.
She thanked the proprietress then continued walking and looking in different windows until she came to a dress shop.
She wanted a skirt, except dresses were the fashion.
What she needed was a place that sold clothing more for the working class. They did not dress in fashion but for practicality.
Were there such shops?
It was something she had never considered and assumed such clothing was hand sewn, but perhaps not.
Tempest moved away from the shops that would have welcomed a wealthier client and entered an area that catered more to trades and that was when she found a Cast Off shop.
The items of clothing inside the shop were not necessarily fashionable, but were previously owned and no longer wanted, or sold for funds.
She perused the clothing until she found a full skirt of burgundy, which would compliment her gold corset. Tempest held it up against her body and determined that it would not be too large or too small. She then searched for shawls, which were organized in a separate area, and found a perfect one made of delicate lace and ecru in color, then brought both to the proprietress for purchase.
The woman smiled and then told her that they were new arrivals from a husband who had lost his wife and had brought in the clothing that she had kept for years.
While she enjoyed the story, Tempest was just grateful that she had found what she needed. Now all she needed to do was wait and plan to rescue Rhys.
She had to save him.
She loved him and needed him safe.
Tempest’s heart nearly stopped when she realized the thought that had crossed her mind.
When had she fallen in love with Rhys?
Eighteen
For a gaol, the jailers were not very attentive, nor were there many prisoners.
A meal of what could only be described as tasteless gruel had been delivered with a pint of ale and he had only eaten it because starving made for weakness and that he could not afford. Strength was needed to escape when the time came.
Rhys then settled back on his cot and watched, listened and waited, noting weaknesses he could use, and how he might go about obtaining the key to his cell, then overpower the two men left to watch the five prisoners.
He also had to get back to Tempest and her sisters.
What if the soldiers had gone back and searched again?
