Read Online Jade Lee - [Bridal Favors 03] by What the Bride Wore - Free Book Online

quickly. The very first thing she had to do was visit the dress shop. It was possible—just possible—that they already had the funds available to pay her for her last purchases. If that were the case, then she had the money to pay Carol’s salary for a month at least. If they didn’t… She grimaced. Well, she could always ask her father-in-law for a loan, although that thought soured her stomach to the point of pain. Still, she was very hopeful. The dress shop was doing well. She ought to have some funds waiting.
    Her hope lasted until she walked into the back room of the shop. One look around at the tight faces of her friends told her that something was amiss. Something very bad indeed.

Five
    “ No one has paid?”
    Irene slowed her steps as she walked into the workroom of A Lady’s Favor dress shop. Her best friend Helaine was there—back from her honeymoon—and she was obviously going over the books with her fellow owner Wendy, the seamstress. Helaine was hunched over the desk while Wendy spoke from behind her table deeper in the room. The worry in her voice did nothing to interrupt the steady pace of her needle as she stitched a seam.
    “A few have paid,” Wendy said as she adjusted the fabric on her lap. “Francine has, God bless her. And our clients from before you got married.”
    “But the aristocrats haven’t?” pressed Helaine. “None of the ton have paid their bills?”
    Wendy grimaced. “It’s one excuse after another with them. My man does that. The Lady does that. Come after quarter day.”
    “Quarter day. Of course.” Helaine rubbed at her chin. “I expected some problems. God knows I’ve juggled my share of debt collectors before. But I never thought they would all ignore us.”
    Irene snorted, then belatedly realized she’d been eavesdropping. She stepped into the room as Wendy and Helaine turned to greet her. “I’m sorry,” she said quickly. “I didn’t mean to overhear.”
    “No, no,” said Helaine with a distracted wave of her hand. “You’ve as much a right as anyone to hear. Especially since…” Her voice trailed off on a sigh, and Irene picked up the rest of the thought.
    “Especially since you haven’t the money to pay me right now.” She shrugged, the faith inside her shrinking despite her love for her best friend. Of course the aristocrats would duck their bills. That’s what aristocrats did.
    “It’s just so maddening!” fumed Helaine. “They’re wearing the gowns. We deserve to be paid!”
    “Which is exactly what my father-in-law says every time he has to deal with a peer.” She held her hands tightly together and forced her exterior to remain casual. “Well, not about the gowns, of course. But he’d much rather deal with the craftiest captain than any nobleman in England.”
    Helaine grimaced. “Well, that’s a sorry state of affairs for our country. So what does he do?”
    “He’s got his own brand of collection agents. Rough men. Ugly ways of demanding payment. He doesn’t talk much about it, but sometimes I overhear.”
    “I’m not sure I can do that.” Helaine lifted up a list of debtors. “These are ladies of the ton . Lady Brandleton is in her sixties!”
    Beside her, Wendy snorted. “Well, we’ll have to do something. And do it quick.”
    Irene quickly scanned the neatly tabulated column of funds owed and funds available. The shop’s bookkeeper, Anthony, had a way of summarizing everything down to simple numbers. And what she saw told her that the shop was in trouble if they didn’t get paid. Immediately.
    Then Helaine snapped her fingers. “I am going to throw a ball.”
    She spoke as if that were the answer to their prayers, which—obviously—it was anything but. Irene frowned. Wendy was so confused, she stopped her needle in the middle of a stitch. Neither spoke. Meanwhile, Helaine looked up at their sudden silence.
    “You don’t understand. I’m the newly married Lady Redhill, co-owner of a dress shop, and daughter of