Chapter 14 – The Dress

"I'm not sure about this one, Louisa," Morwenna said as she looked at herself in the mirror. "Awful frilly. And poofy."

"It does have a lot of lace, doesn't it?" I agreed.

Amy, the wedding dress saleswoman, rolled her eyes. The shop was small, and rather dowdy looking from outside on the block over from High Street in Truro, yet the interior was spic and span as well as bright. Morwenna and I were the only customers though.

"It does," I repeated.

"Kinda scratchy as well," Morwenna added.

The saleswoman's mouth clamped down. "Less lace; less frilly."

"That's what I want," Morwenna told her. "Maybe…"

I and the saleswoman looked at each other, for this was the fifth dress she'd tried on.

"Maybe simpler? And… something to hide my belly."

"There may be something in the back with an empire waist, let me look," Amy sighed. "Just be a tick."

I followed her, asking, "A word please?" at the back of the shop.

She turned stiffly. "Fine."

I cleared my throat. "My friend… well she's going to have a baby."

Amy nodded. "Ah. I thought so. Buying a dress in such a rush."

"Right. And when we do find something, can you something? Look, just don't tell her the price. I'll buy it for her no matter the cost."

Amy smiled. "That's what sisters do."

"I'm not her sister. Don't have a sister."

Amy looked over her shoulder to where Morwenna was posing in front of the mirror. "I see."

"I'm just – oh, a good friend – and she works for my husband."

Amy smiled. "Good of you to help her out." She turned and disappeared into the storage room in the back.

I thought back to when I bought my wedding dresses, and I did it on my own, not having anyone I felt comfortable enough to give me input. So the fact that Morwenna is letting me do this says what? We're friends? I glanced at the girl. Kind of friends.

I returned to Morwenna who was pressing the dress against herself, "I'm gonna look like a cow, aren't I?" she said to me. "Blow up like a balloon."

"Oh nonsense. Least not…"

"For a while?"

"Right."

She shook her head. "Gonna get fat and slow." Morwenna sighed. "I don't want to lose my figure, but it's for the baby anyway."

"You'll be fine. You'll get it back; your figure." I had a feeling that she'd be one of the "all belly and baps" mums, without an ounce of fat in the wrong spot. I was still struggling with some of it.

She smiled. "Thank you for helping me. I don't know what I'd do…" she sniffled and turned away.

I pulled a tissue from my handbag and she took it.

Morwenna wiped her eyes and nose. "Better not bugger up this dress. I don't want to buy it – don't like it."

Amy came back with a different dress on a hanger. "I found this. Empire waist, no train, no frills. Cap sleeves, modest coverage over the chest, and no cleavage shown," she described it. "Cream polysatin." She glanced at me from the corner of her eye. "Last year's model, so it's a good price, and your size I think."

Morwenna touched the material. "Ooh. Lovely."

"Let's try it on, shall we?" Amy said.

Morwenna followed her to the dressing room. Sister? The saleswoman had asked me. Not quite. But villagers, both, and she and I are tall, brunettes, and slender. And more than that as well. Each of us with wayward parents was a good way to put it. When I was at Uni all of my friends came from stable two-parent homes. No divorces or runaway mums, and no Spanish gigolos. At least none that they mentioned. Holly, Kate, Nathalie, Sheri, Linda, and me. The six girls we were then. We'd shared a lot of things in those days, even, to our surprise, a boyfriend or two. Plenty of classes, dances, midnight study sessions, Ramen noodles, and wine. Long ago – so far back in time. I still heard from them once in a while. Some were married, and others divorced; some not at all, such as Holly. And a few children over the years too. We'd always thought about a reunion but it never happened. Oh well, but with family, and jobs, and moves all over, it hadn't ever occurred.

Amy appeared at the dressing room door and waved for me to come, so I walked towards her. She swept the door open in dramatic fashion to reveal Morwenna. Oh my goodness! The dress was perfect. It fit her like a glove, and in all the right places. Her long, bare arms framed the material accentuating the length of the skirt and her slender shape. If there was a pregnant belly under there it was perfectly hidden. The dress had a sparkly belt under the bust and the skirt fell to the floor from it in dramatic folds. Amy had found a tiara with an attached veil which matched the dress perfectly.

"Silk veil," Amy said. "Which matches the color of the dress material perfectly."

Morwenna stared at herself in the mirror, then turned to me in wonder. Her hands brushed the material, then she caressed her chest and felt the cap sleeves. "This… this might be it."

"It is beautiful on you," I said. "So pretty."

Morwenna shook her head. "Really?"

"Dramatic. And you are beautiful in it," Amy told her. She walked around her with a critical eye. "I don't even think it will need any alterations. That will save time."

"Time?" Morwenna asked. And money, I thought.

"You can have it next week, if you want. The hem needs a bit of pressing, is all."

"How much?" Morwenna asked, her voice quivering.

"Discounted," Amy said, with a wink at me. "Last year's stock. Let me just go… and see… hm, what the total will be."

Morwenna looked at her mirror reflection wide-eyed. "I never imagined."

"What?"

She sighed. "That I'd find anything this beautiful." She bit her lip. "This is gonna cost a pretty penny."

I waved her comment away. "Pish. We'll see."

The saleswoman returned with a paper in hand. "Last year's stock, discontinued style, and the veil comes with it, unless you want a longer one?"

"No… this, uhm, seems fine," Morwenna answered.

"With your hair worn down it will be wonderful." I smiled at her encouragingly. "How much is it?"

Amy sighed. "Well, I did see a little dirty spot down by the hem, and that drops the price somewhat. We can spot clean it when we get it ready for you. Say £350?"

Morwenna shook like a leaf with fright. "Oh, that's a lot more than…"

I cleared my throat.

"Ye… s," Amy stammered, "And… taking… that into account… call it… £300?"

I coughed. "With both tiara and veil."

"Right," Amy winced. "I could let you have it for… £270?"

Morwenna stared at her image in the mirror. "Oh Louisa, this is… a lot of money, but… this is the one."

"We'll take it," I said.

Amy nodded her head, and mouthed the words three-hundred, which I nodded to. The dress was worth at least twice that amount. Al would be pleased, and from the way that Morwenna glowed in it, she was very happy. It felt very good to do something both positive and helpful.

The saleswoman grinned. "Now what about undergarments? And shoes? We have some lovely pieces over here, and these nightgowns are very nice," she gushed. "Interested?"

Morwenna beamed. "I ought to at least look at those."

I had a feeling that the discount on the dress was going to be costly. "Sure… might as well," I answered. Martin would go through the roof when he found out what I was spending.