‘Right, let’s start in room twelve.’ Cassie led the way down the corridor. Once inside, she climbed on a footstool and unhooked the curtains, while Max proceeded to unscrew the old rail. Lisa clicked away, making him chuckle. ‘No laughing, Max,’ Cassie told him, tongue in cheek. ‘We want this to look professional.’
‘Maybe get you in a shot? To add a touch of glamour?’ he teased.
‘Excellent idea,’ said Lisa. ‘Hands-on management, it’ll look good.’
Cassie stood at the opposite end to Max. ‘No, you look too wooden there, get closer,’ encouraged Lisa, signalling with her hand to move in.
‘Yeah, get closer,’ said Max with a smirk.
Cassie moved next to Max, looking up and pointing, as if giving some form of input for the photo. She felt a little foolish, plus so small compared to him. Standing tall, his arms easily reached the top of the window frame.
‘Can you just hold it here?’ asked Max, needing to steady the pole as he reached for a nail in his pocket. Cassie squeezed in between his arms and reached up to grip. It was a tight squash, but between them they were managing.
‘Well this is cosy, hmm?’ whispered Max in her ear, as he screwed in the nails.
‘All in a day’s work,’ she replied with humour, noticing Lisa capturing the moment on camera.
Soon the pole was up, ready to hang the new curtains.
‘There you go.’ Max stood back, making sure it was level.
Cassie admired the intricate twirls and twists of the cast iron, just like Jasper had. He really was a master craftsman.
‘They’re lovely,’ said Lisa wistfully, wishing she had the same in her home.
‘I’ll show you to the next bedroom,’ interrupted Cassie, wanting to move on.
‘I don’t suppose it’s yours?’ asked Max playfully.
‘No, Max. It isn’t,’ replied Cassie flatly, ignoring his dramatic sigh.
Chapter 19
‘Are you sure, Fletcher?’ Lilly fretfully chewed her lip whilst moving sideways in front of the full-length mirror.
‘It looks grand,’ replied Fletcher firmly.
He was sat in the chair, kindly provided by the shop for patient husbands to sit and offer reassurance.
‘But it’s so expensive,’ she said, still hesitating.
‘Oh blow the price. If you like it, you’re having it,’ Fletcher told her in a no-nonsense manner, tinged with a touch of exasperation.
It was the end of a long, tiring day. Who knew shopping for clothes could be so exhausting? It was beyond him how women talked of ‘retail therapy’ as a form of pleasure. For him all this stopping, looking, trying on and agonising over an outfit was pure hell. Why they couldn’t just nip in and buy the first thing that fit was past him. This had been the seventh shop they had visited. Thankfully, Lilly had liked most of what the assistants had selected for her when asked to intervene by Fletcher. Well, he’d no idea, had he? And Lilly fussed and faffed about far too much. Though it tickled him the way they had oohed and aahed at her, as she pulled back the changing room curtain and strutted out like a peacock. He enjoyed seeing Lilly’s face light up when they had exclaimed how well she’d looked, using phrases like, ‘The colour’s just you!’ How can a colour be someone? Or, ‘The waistline’s so flattering.’ What was that all about? To him a dress either fit, or it didn’t.
‘Oh, I don’t know, Fletcher, you’ve already bought so much. I’ll leave it,’ she said decisively, turning to go back in the fitting room.
‘You’ll do no such thing,’ Fletcher wagged his finger at her. ‘It’s a smashing dress… the colour’s… err…’ he struggled to remember the words he’d heard.
‘What?’ Lilly searched his face, desperate for feedback. ‘Is it wrong?’ She looked down at the powder blue layered material. She’d always thought light blue suited her, brought out the pale blueness of her eyes.
‘No! No, it’s… it’s… you.’ There, he’d remembered just in time. He gave a nod to add confirmation. Lilly relaxed and smiled.
‘Yes, I do like it, I must admit.’
‘Well then, it’s yours. Come on lass, they’re waiting to close.’ He tipped his head to signal the assistant hovering by the door.
‘Goodness, look at the time!’ Lilly hurried back into the fitting room, whilst Fletcher obediently waited outside to be handed the dress and pay for it.
