“It is already done.”
Diana stared. “You have not even asked the price.”
Lady Salford grinned wickedly, her eyes sparkling with the sort of mischievous delight that made it impossible to argue with her.
“My dear child,” she said lightly, “I am far too old to care about prices.”
Diana stared at her for a moment, trying very hard to maintain a sensible expression, but the absurd confidence in the older woman’s voice broke through her restraint at last. A laugh escaped her before she could stop it, warm and genuine, the sound surprising even herself as it filled the small shop.
For a moment, the tension seemed to dissolve completely beneath that simple laughter.
Lady Salford patted her arm with clear satisfaction, as though Diana’s amusement confirmed that the outing was already a success.
“Come along,” she said briskly, turning toward the door with renewed energy. “The day is far too pleasant to waste inside one shop.”
Diana followed her back onto the lively street, still smiling faintly as they stepped once more into the warm bustle of London. Carriages rolled past, voices drifted through the air in cheerful fragments, and the bright displays of nearby shop windows glittered in the sunlight like small invitations to curiosity.
Lady Salford slowed her pace only briefly before stopping again in front of another storefront, her attention captured with the same sudden intensity that had led them into the dress shop moments earlier.
“This one,” she announced with cheerful certainty, already reaching for the door.
Diana glanced up at the painted wooden sign hanging above the entrance.
A ribbon shop.
She had barely enough time to notice the delicate loops of colored silk displayed behind the glass before Lady Salford pushed the door open and stepped inside.
The small bell above the frame chimed softly.
Inside, the shop was a riot of color. Rows upon rows of ribbons lined the walls, neatly arranged in wooden drawers and displayed across wide tables in carefully folded loops. Silks, satins, and velvets shimmered in every shade imaginable, from deep jewel tones to the palest pastels, catching the light whenever someone moved nearby.
The place smelled faintly of fresh fabric and beeswax polish.
Diana stepped inside just as Lady Salford had already reached the central display table.
What followed, Diana quickly realized, would not be simple.
Lady Salford stood before the ribbons with evident focus. She lifted one ribbon, studied it with great care, then set it down only to pick up another immediately afterward.
“This one is charming,” she declared thoughtfully, raising a deep emerald ribbon so the light caught its sheen.
She tilted her head, considering.
“But this one is delightful.”
The emerald ribbon was replaced by a rich crimson one that she held up with equal admiration.
Diana watched, her lips slowly curving with amusement as the older woman continued examining the table as though she had discovered a treasure chest rather than a shop display. Lady Salford’s brow furrowed slightly, the expression of someone trying very seriously to make a decision that seemed far more complicated than it had any right to be.
“I cannot possibly choose,” she muttered.
Diana laughed softly. “You have been here less than a minute.”
“Yes,” Lady Salford said gravely, still studying the ribbons in her hands. “And already I am quite overcome.”
Diana shook her head, though her smile widened as she watched the older woman reach for yet another ribbon. It became increasingly clear that leaving with only one would be impossible.
Diana laughed. “You cannot possibly wear five ribbons at once.”
