XII

"Move aside, girl!"

The gruff man with the crate on his shoulder made Lissie jump and scurry out of the way. She had never been this far from the tannery, and she was not at all sure how to get to Mr. Merriman's. Still, she would try. Even if the streets were terrifying in the hustle and bustle of people, she was determined to see the place where Ben lived and worked. As the street she was on came to an end, and produced an even busier road with more crossways, her shoulders slumped and she fought back tears. How could Ben want to marry such a hopeless thing like her when she couldn't even make a simple trek to his store? If she was to be the wife of Benjamin Davidson, she would have to learn to manage.

She squared her shoulders, and approached a large woman with a green ribbon in her cap. "Pardon me, ma'am. I'm looking for Mr. Merriman's store, but I'm quite lost."

The woman frowned. "Merriman's store is the finest in all of Williamsburg. It's no place for beggars."

"Please," she called desperately as the woman turned away, "I'm no beggar! I must get there! I... I have a message for his apprentice, Benjamin Davidson."

Wary as she was rotund, the woman relented and pointed the way to her. Lissie thanked her, and made her way to the shop as fast as she could, afraid the woman's directions would flee her mind at any moment.

She was out of breath, and quite chilled when she arrived before the door with Merriman's sign above it. Lissie pulled her shawl tighter around her shoulders and stole a peek in the window. The sight of the ladies within made her gasp in dismay.

Lissie had taken great care with her dress that morning. She put on her only gown which she'd scrubbed thoroughly the day before while she shivered in her nightdress, and mended the stockings that stretched thinner and thinner with each washing. Her cloak and mittens, made from the latest gift of material from Ben, were brought out of hiding for the occasion. She had even dyed a strip of leather to tie in her clean and braided hair. With more pride than she had ever felt in her life, Lissie Nye donned the silk shoes that had been so lovingly kept over the years, which pinched only slightly—though once they were far too large—and went out to seek her best and only friend.

She felt more than adequate to be seen through town, until she spied the patrons coming to and from Mr. Merriman's store. The skirts were full, and swished about elegantly. The gowns were all an array of ruffles, and lace, and decorative stays, and the colours! Yellow, green, blue, gold, purple... She had spied on the guests gathering for a wedding once, and thought at the time their clothing the finest in the world. But now that she saw these women, it was clear they were modest forms of fashion in comparison. Though their clothing was vibrant, she noted that not one of them wore shoes like hers as all were in more practical walking shoes, and she realised with filling eyes that she'd made a mistake in that, as well.

Three of the ladies came waltzing out the door, allowing the sweet and spicy fragrance of the shop's wares to waft through the open air. The delightful smell met Lissie, nearly making her choke on her sobs. It only reminded her how very hungry she was; how she was always hungry, and how different this world was from her own.

How could she be so foolish? Ben would not want her here. She could do nothing but shame him, and cause trouble. She turned away to go before someone noticed, her shoulders shaking from crying, and woollen mittens proving inadequate to wipe away the many tears that were falling.

A sudden crash jolted her into panic. She searched for the source of the terrific noise, and saw Ben racing out the door, knocking over barrels and crates in his haste to catch her.

"Lissie!" he grabbed her by the arms, even as she shrank back. "Has something happened? Are you hurt?"

She shook her head, eyes darting back and forth at the people who were staring at them. "No, nothing like that." Her voice shook from the affects of her crying. "I only wanted to see you here... I'm sorry." She struggled not to begin crying again.

"Why are you sorry, Lissie?" Ben passed a thumb over her cheek. "You've been crying! Here, come inside. I've knocked some barrels about that I should right before someone trips."

Lissie let him pull her into the glorious warmth of Merriman's store. Her cheeks, pink from the cold, flushed even pinker when the delicious aroma made her stomach growl.

Ben finished putting things back where they belonged, and then led Lissie to the storage room. He rolled a giant barrel on its side until it reached her, then righted it and dusted the top with a handkerchief. "Come and sit," he offered, pulling up a stool to sit just below her. The moment she was situated on the barrel, he took both of her hands and kissed them.

"Now tell me, why are you crying?"

As he asked, she shifted, uncomfortable with the question, and shook her head. She began crying harder when he noticed her colourful shoes, marred now by the dirty streets of Williamsburg.

His face broke into a wide smile as he recognised them as the present of years past; the product of his hard work, and unwavering desire to make Lissie happy. "They look beautiful on you."

Her sobs were muffled as she threw her arms around his neck and buried her face into his shoulder.

"There, now, Lissie," he soothed, "Something must have happened. Won't you tell me what it is?"

"No," she rubbed at her eyes until Ben stopped her to dab them with a new handkerchief. "Truly, 'tis nothing. I only wanted to see where you work, but when I arrived, there were so many ladies in their fine gowns, and trimmings..." she snuffled a little and looked to him in earnest, "But, Ben... my shoes are the prettiest."

"Of course they are!" he grinned sheepishly, "For you are the prettiest girl of all, and should have shoes to match."

Lissie laughed and squeezed his hand. "Then you are not ashamed of me?"

"Lissie, that is a truly foolish question." He proved it so by kissing her sweetly. "I would marry you at once, if you were willing."

"Yes," she breathed, as their foreheads touched. "I will marry you."

As Lissie made her last backwards glance, and left the shop behind her, Mr. Merriman stole beside Ben at the window.

"That is your friend? The one you must help?" His voice turned wistful. "Jiggy Nye's daughter."

"Yes, that is my Lissie."

"She is so... young. I..." Mr. Merriman floundered. "Of course she is young, but so pretty, as well. What God has withheld in circumstances, he has blessed her in looks."

Ben thought him absurd. "You sound surprised."

"I know I should not be. She looks so like her mother did." With a sigh, he added, "Poor Miss Greene."

"Poor Miss Greene, indeed." Ben huffed. "If Miss Greene is such a fine, affable lady, worthy of marriage, why don't you marry her yourself?"

Mr. Merriman turned a fascinating shade of red, matched only by Ben's darkened glower. "I... there is no question of that! She is far too... I am far too old for such a sweet creature!"

Ben scoffed. It was the only time Mr. Merriman had heard such a mark of disrespect from him. "It's a pity you think that, for I am sure she would not think the same... sir," he added with a mischievous tone. His demeanour turned humble again as he said, "The salary you offered me, sir. I think I should reconsider."

"I'm glad to hear it." Mr. Merriman crossed his arms expectantly. "What changed your mind?"

"Lissie and I are to be married, and I will need a living to support my wife and children."

"Benjamin Davidson!"

"I know what you would say, and I am sorry sir, but I must marry Lissie."

Mr. Merriman watched the fading form of Lissie Nye as she inched her way into the distance, turning ever so often to see if she could still spy Ben at the window. He watched Ben wave and smile warmly each time, as if her life depended upon the action.

He relented then, for in such circumstances, who could not?

"I suppose you must," he said with finality, and left Ben to his waving as he ushered Miss Greene into the store.

Author's Note: I'm dreadfully sorry about not responding to reviews this week, and giving snippets! My laptop was attacked by a rather severe malware that encrypted all my documents, and I only got my computer back last night! Thankfully, my fan fiction stories were backed up on my Beta's laptop, but I lost a lot of original stories. Thus, I'm going through a grieving process right now that I'm sure you can understand.

But what are my troubles when compared to the cuteness of Lissie and Ben? I missed them the most while my laptop was gone.