Eventually, they were dressed and ready to leave the shop, adorned in their new purchases. The shopkeeper, however, had no intention of letting them walk out in the same tattered clothes they’d arrived in.
“These atrocities?” he exclaimed, holding up their old garments with a look of utter disgust. “They need to be burned. Free of charge, of course!”
Rose opened her mouth to argue, but before she could utter a word, the man had already marched to a furnace at the back of the shop. With a dramatic flourish, he tossed the clothes inside. The flames flared briefly, consuming the fabric with alarming speed.
Rose blinked in stunned silence, watching her old dress vanish into the fire as though it had never existed.
“There! It’s done,” he announced proudly, brushing his hands off as though he’d done her a great service.
Rose sighed, shaking her head. It wasn’t as though she was particularly attached to those clothes—they were well past their last legs—but a little warning would have been nice. Still, she supposed he wasn’t wrong.
“So, how much do I owe you?” she asked finally.
“Eh,” he waved his hand dismissively. “10 Bron for the lot. Who cares?”
What a grade-A asshole. Rose smiled thinly. “I would hope you care.”
“Ugh, fine,” he groaned, rolling his eyes. “5. The lot was a throwaway anyway.”
Wait, what? Rose blinked in confusion. “Five?”
“I did tailor them, didn’t I?” he replied, his tone as exasperated as if she’d accused him of robbery. “Five is as low as I’ll go.”
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“Oh…kay.” Rose quickly pulled the coins from her purse and passed them over, still reeling from the unexpected discount.
“Come back anytime!” he called over his shoulder, pocketing the coins before disappearing back into the chaos of the shop, vanishing into the nearest pile of clothes like a wraith.
Rose stared at the mound of clothes for a moment, half expecting the shopkeeper to reemerge with another dramatic flourish. When he didn’t, she turned to Dahlia, who was beaming in her new outfit—a long-sleeved woolen kirtle over a linen shift, paired with thick woolen leg warmers.
With a sigh, Rose adjusted the twine-wrapped bundle she carried over her shoulder. The string cut slightly into her hand. “Let’s go,” she said, gesturing for Dahlia to follow.
The dresses were bundled neatly in scraps of fabric sewn into a makeshift bag. The bundle contained three changes of clothes for Dahlia, tailored for both the winter and summer. Two extra linen shifts, a faded gray woolen tunic dress, and another in faded red rounded out her daily winter wear, while a lightweight summer kirtle and wide-brimmed straw hat were tucked in preparation for the warmer months ahead.
For herself, Rose had chosen, or rather she was obligated to get two new woolen kirtles—one long-sleeved and a deep gray, and the other muted brown for heavier wear.
Rose’s gaze lingered on Dahlia, watching the child skip ahead, her new dress bouncing lightly with each step. She herself had to admit that the feeling of the new clothes were… more than a little comfortable. “Hold my hand here,” Rose called out.
“Okay!” Dahlia chirped, hurrying back to clasp her hand. She looked up at Rose with bright eyes. “You look pretty!” she declared with a grin.
Rose smiled faintly, the compliment pulling her from her thoughts. “You look adorable too,” she replied, squeezing Dahlia’s small hand.
“Hehe, I can’t wait to show Mommy!” Dahlia exclaimed, her voice full of excitement.
Rose’s steps faltered. God damn it. The day had been going so well. Forcing a smile, she steadied her voice. “She’ll love them,” Rose said warmly, though the weight of the words tightened against her chest.
As they started walking, Rose cast a sideways glance at the window once again, her eyes resting on the shoes. She shook her head. They could reuse the fabric encircling their purchase for added comfort. Wraps were good enough, Dahlia was right, it was an unneeded expense. adjusted the bundle on her shoulder again, “Alright, where should we go now?”