Academic Success

I've enjoyed this chapter. I wanted to not push Will and Annabelle to the side but they seem to have been haven't they? I have also thought of bringing in a certain butler for a chapter or so. Haven't made up my mind yet but we'll see.

Chapter 9

It had taken some coaxing to get Annabelle to go with Abigail and Akane to the dress shop. Finally she had agreed, but only for an hour or so.

As the little bell announced their arrival, a brunette instinctively turned to see who had entered the shop. Her arms were crossed over her chest and she frowned at the three of them, but turned her attention back to the blonde woman who was being fitted for several gowns.

"I'll want the pink done first," she told Molly, who was busy taking notes. "There's a nice dinner coming up and it would be perfect for it."

"Yes, ma'am," Molly remarked. "It's the most beautiful of the ones you've picked out."

"Thank you," the blonde woman said with a smile.

It did not take much longer with the blonde. She hurried out the door with her mousy-headed maid, thanking Natalie and Molly as she left. Natalie held the gowns over her arms as she went into the back of the shop to make a few alterations. She called over her shoulder for Molly to handle the shop while she worked.

Molly took the notes she had taken to Natalie and then hurried back to the front. She smiled when she realized who had come in the shop while she was working. "I remember you two," she said, then gestured to Annabelle. "She has to be related to one of you, right?"

Abigail nodded. "This is my mother, Annabelle."

Molly curtseyed and smiled at Annabelle. "I'm sorry, I should have been with you sooner but that was a favorite customer of Miss Natalie. She goes out of her way to spoil her and usually gets nicely paid for it. She's only started coming here in the last year or so, since Nina Hopkins stopped making clothes."

Before any of the three could speak, she dropped her voice and continued, "She desperately wants her business. That woman was engaged to an earl or something to that effect. He vanished some time ago, along with his butler. No one knows why but she still stays at their manor, spending money on gowns and dresses for dinners and parties to keep herself happy."

She looked sad for a moment, then smiled. "What can I do for you today?"

Abigail looked towards her mother. For a moment, she could have sworn her mother looked angry. If she did, that look was gone immediately. Annabelle smiled at the eager young woman and said, "Well I'm sure it's clear that we don't really have dresses. How about you explain all the different types of gowns you have."

Annabelle allowed Molly to lead her towards the dresses on display, acting as though she was interested only in the gowns and materials they were made of.

Abigail turned her attention to Akane, who was now smirking. "It's only our second day here," she whispered, "and you had to bring mommy along. I suppose if we weren't in a dress shop it would have been that daddy that came."

Abigail opened her mouth to tell Akane to shut up or at least say that a woman's dress shop would not stop her father from coming, but she shut it quickly. She was not going to take Akane's bait. Not then.

She merely joined her mother just as Molly asked, "Forgive me, but why do all of you wear suits?"

Annabelle smiled. "It's part of the job," she explained.

Molly looked bewildered by this. "What sort of job do you have?" she asked.

Annabelle winked this time and said, "It's a secret."

Molly was not satisfied by this answer, but she knew it would be pointless to ask further. She turned her attention back to the dresses, secretly hoping she would sell something to one of these strange women.

She pointed out a simple green dress, the only decoration was a small bit of lace at the collar and sleeves. "That would look very beautiful with your eyes," she remarked.

Annabelle found the girl's attempts to selling a dress somewhat charming and difficult to resist. "I'll have to ask my husband what sort of funds we can put aside for a dress." she told her. To Akane and Abigail, she added, "I really need to get to work now, are you two coming with me?"

For a moment Abigail wondered if her mother meant to take them along with her as she gathered souls. She did not. After they had told Molly good-bye, they followed her to the corner, which had apparently become the spot to meet at before going to the dress shop.

Annabelle addressed them both at that point. "The two of you do not need to become close to this young woman. We are not supposed to become mixed into the affairs of humans, we are simply here to do a job."

Abigail wanted to protest, wanted to tell her mother that she only asked Annabelle to go with her for two reasons. One being her fear of the shop, the girl, and getting too close to her just as her mother had warned her about. The second being that she wanted to do something that was just for mothers and daughters, even if it was the silly human "tradition" of buying gowns together.

She had no chance to speak as Annabelle turned her attention on Akane. Though Abigail was sure she did not have it on her in the shop, her mother now held her death scythe. She pointed it directly at Akane, the clippers dangerously close to her face.

"And if you do not stop giving my daughter grief about being a Spears, I will handle you myself."

Akane blinked in surprise. Within the blink of an eye, Annabelle was gone and she was staring with fear at nothing. Abigail wanted to laugh. That had certainly shown Akane!