The House of Beardsley

Chapter Eighteen

After the day ended, each one of us girls held a freshly-brought and wrapped package tightly.

Beth, as expected, bought a hat, an umbrella, and an expensive pearlescent brooch Clo said was impractical but she argued "might come into use one day". Clo, on the other hand, only bought practical things like stockings, which she was running low on, and a bit more rouge. Rhiannon got her ink, and I got ribbons.

"I mean, you've got such long and pretty dark hair," Beth was saying, tugging at her short brown hair, "you really should put it in something other than those braids of yours. I know—what about curling them?"

"If you like long hair, why don't you have long hair?" Rhiannon asked her. Throughout the day, she had started talking more to us. When we stopped to eat a quick lunch in a small cafe, she had even managed a conversation with us and not gotten into any arguments with Clo.

"I used to," Beth said nostalgically, "and I would braid it, put it in pigtails, and curl it, but then I went for a change."

We continued to walk through the streets, the stalls closing down and people also finishing their business and leaving stores when we saw a bookstore. It was a small one, with a humble storefront that had nothing but a wooden sign, and it didn't even set up a booth—no wonder we passed by it before. I suddenly remembered that Clo and Rhiannon might want to visit a bookstore, so I turned to them.

"It's a bookstore! We still have some time before supper-time, do you want go inside?"

"Oh," Clo's face lighted up. "I almost forgot. Jesse and Izzy will like some books."

"I would like some books, too," Rhiannon added. With their approval, I opened the door to the bookstore and a bell on top of the door chimed.

"Welcome." A middle-aged woman sat at the front. She peered at us over her spectacles. I waited for her reaction, but she simply resumed reading. In a way, her nonchalant attitude reminded me of Master Valentin. I smiled at idea when I heard another bell ring.

"Meow—"

I looked at my feet to see a beautiful grey cat loop around my legs, then caress my boots with its head.

"Oh, look at the cat!" Beth tugged at my arm and pointed at it, as though I hadn't noticed. I laughed.

"You're so excited."

"I've never been this close to a cat!"

"Really?" I folded my skirt behind me as I knelt down, then the cat sat down too and began to nuzzle it's head against my hand whilst purring.

"It loves you!" Beth said. Clo and Rhiannon had disappeared, so it was only me and Beth there, off to the aisle, playing with a cat in the store. It was dark and smelled like papers and ink, but not unpleasant. In fact, it was a nice change from the loud and busy day.

"You think?" I laughed. "I hope it does. It's an adorable cat. Do you want to try petting it?"

"I'm afraid I'll be allergic." She pouted a bit. "I don't know why, I sneeze and get rashes at everything. I don't even know what I'm allergic to sometimes."

"Oh, no wonder why said you haven't seen a cat this close."

I looked up at Beth, who was still standing, but looked down at me and the cat with her beaming face.

"Today was fun, wasn't it?" she asked.

"It was." I continued to pet the cat, enjoying the feeling of its short fur against my skin until I remembered something. I looked around and made sure that Clo and Rhiannon were not in sight before I stood up and faced Beth.