CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
Sacramento
Jarrod, Heath, and Margaret gathered in front of the doctors' office. "Where do you want to go next?" Jarrod asked.
"The dressmaker," Heath stated.
Jarrod nodded. "I can drop you off there, but would you mind if I visited the bookstore while you were there?"
"Not at all," Heath said. "I'm sure it will take an hour or two."
They all clambered aboard the surrey again, and Heath directed Jarrod to Mrs. Romano's shop. Jarrod walked in with them to make sure the dressmaker was in. She was, and she greeted Heath and Margaret joyfully.
While Margaret went to chat with her, Heath pulled Jarrod aside. "Could you get me something at the bookstore?"
"Of course. What do you need?"
Heath's face flushed. "I, uh. Well, uh." He ran a hand through his hair and glanced around to make sure no one was nearby. He moved closer to Jarrod. "Margaret is extremely naïve. She's been isolated. Do you think they might have a book that could explain to her what to expect after we get married? I mean, I'd like for her to have a little bit of understanding before, you know."
Jarrod struggled not to smile. The only thing that helped him keep a straight face was Heath's extreme discomfort. He put an arm on Heath's shoulder. "I'll see what I can find, little brother."
"Thanks." Heath avoided Jarrod's eyes. "When we get done here, why don't we meet you at the Capitol Hotel Restaurant?"
Jarrod's brow crinkled. "Any reason why there?"
Heath nodded. "I haven't had a chance to talk to you about it yet, but when Margaret and me were there last, they gave us wine that wasn't Barkley wine, even though we requested Barkley wine. When I called 'em on it, they said it was an upgrade." He swallowed hard. "They also advertise that they sell Barkley beef, but I ain't seen no paperwork go through that says we're supplying them. Have you?"
Jarrod shook his head. "I think we did several years ago, and then Father got into a disagreement with them."
"Well, they're selling something else then and calling it Barkley."
Jarrod nodded. "Good to know. Sounds like we do need to have lunch there."
"It's just around the corner and down the street two blocks from here. We'll meet you there when we're done here."
"Happy dress shopping!" Jarrod grinned at his brother and waved at Margaret.
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Heath hurried over to Margaret. "Jarrod will meet us at the Capitol Hotel Restaurant."
Margaret looked up at Heath and grinned. "That's a good idea!"
Mrs. Romano smiled at Heath. "Your wife—I'm sorry, your fiancée—tells me you're getting married soon. Do you have a date set?"
"Do you have a calendar?" Heath asked.
Mrs. Romano motioned for them to come to her desk.
Heath turned the page to October. "Do you think we can do it by October thirteenth?"
Margaret considered. "I'd like to invite Caroline—my friend in Missouri. I think with the railroad complete now, it would only be maybe four days by rail from St. Joseph—and she lives just outside St. Joseph. But she'd need time to make arrangements."
"Why don't we send her a telegram and ask how soon she could come?" Heath suggested.
"That's a good idea." She looked at Mrs. Romano. "How long will it take to make my dress?"
"Depends on what you want."
Margaret shrugged. "I have no idea. What do you recommend?"
"The most popular fabrics for wedding dresses this year are silk taffeta and velvet. Velvet is good if you have flaws to cover, but you have no flaws, my dear. I'd recommend the silk taffeta."
Margaret nodded. "What color?"
"In England, white is now the preferred color for wedding dresses of the wealthy."
"I'd rather just have a dress I can wear again."
"We just got in a midnight jade silk taffeta that would look lovely with your coloring."
"That sounds pretty," Margaret replied.
"Now, the bustle is still popular."
Margaret shrugged. "My derriere is already big enough."
Mrs. Romano chuckled. "You are the envy of the other ladies and the dream of all the men." She stepped back and studied Margaret. "You know, I'm thinking a form-fitting dress that really showcases your figure, and then, once it hits mid-thigh, it tapers out to create a full skirt. Now, not like a hoop-skirt full skirt, but something more flowing that just has fabric that still tends to hang to your figure, but when you dance, the skirt will fill out and flow with your movements."
"Is that popular now?" Margaret asked.
"No, dear, it isn't. But I dare say you might start a new trend. The newspapers pick up a picture of you in that type of dress, and you'll be all the rage."
Margaret blushed slightly. "I don't care about that. I'd just like to do what's best for Heath and me, and I'm not interested in being popular."
"In that case, do you want to go with what I described?"
Margaret looked at Heath. "What do you think?"
Heath smiled. "I can already imagine you in it." As soon as the words left his mouth, his blush returned.
Mrs. Romano wrote down the order, then looked at Heath. "Now, would you like a matching shirt? Same material?" She looked at his blue eyes, then glanced at Margaret. "That midnight teal is going to look just as good on him as it does on you."
Margaret smiled at Heath. "I think that's a great idea, don't you?"
Heath shrugged. "Whatever you want."
"And a new suit, too? You could go with a cream color—and we'd use that same cream for embellishments on Margaret's dress." Mrs. Romano stepped back and considered. "Or a silvery gray. What do you prefer?"
"Okay," Heath said uncertainly. He hadn't considered that he would need a new suit. But he probably did. He'd been wearing the same one since he arrived at the Barkleys. He looked at Margaret. "Cream or silver?"
Mrs. Romano picked up samples of each and held them next to the midnight jade fabric. "I'm thinking if we did your suit in a light color with the tie matching the suit, and then do the shirt and the trim around the pockets in the midnight jade, that would bring everything together."
"Cream," Margaret stated, and Mrs. Romano nodded.
"My brother is a tailor." Mrs. Romano replaced the samples. "His shop is behind me—in the same house, but just using the rear entrance. He's out of town today, but I can take your measurements and what you want, and he'd be happy to make it for you."
Heath looked at Margaret.
Margaret nodded.
Mrs. Romano looked from Heath to Margaret and back to Heath. "What a beautiful couple you will make. Just beautiful." She smiled happily. "And you will certainly have gorgeous babies."
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