With the dates of Schuler’s holiday set, they began preparing for the actual vacation. Adorned with the skull, Schuler rode to Haverston to arrange their travel. Balancing a series of train schedules to maximize efficiency required professional assistance. Laden with the easier tasks, Patience entered Keaton at the end of a pleasant stroll through the countryside.

The sun filtered softly upon her woolen shoulders. Birdsong twisted in the breeze carrying the scent of dry earth. The tranquil essence of late autumn continued to stay with her until the rising edifices of the town hid away the browning landscape and dusty blue horizon.

Patience stood stiffly under the hanging sign of the dress shop, arms encumbered with a huge bundle packed in a flour sack. The spotless glass panes revealed an occupied store with the proprietor hurrying to complete transactions. Hesitant to enter, the young woman shuffled her feet in place as she waited for the crowd to thin.

The people passing by did not ease her nerves either. Were they residents of Keaton, their eyes immediately caught the irregular skin of her burn that would lead them to wonder why Patience, of all people, was at the dress shop. It was the wrong season for her to turn in the toys she made over the winter to sell.

She already had her wedding in September. What use did she have for another dress. Were any onlookers not familiar with her, their eyes would still bulge at her scalp. They would feel pity over the poor soul thinking that having a nice garment would distract from her unseemly parts. All these imaginings bore down on her spirit, and Patience nearly turned around until the door opened before her.

“Patience, my dear! Don’t just putter around in the cold! Come inside, have a seat, and I will be with you at my earliest convenience,” Mrs. Laurence softly demanded.

The stern yet gentle seamstress was difficult to refuse, and Patience felt much more at ease with the personal invitation. She hefted her bundle and entered a world that was not her own.

Far out of the way, sitting silently on the step leading to the front window display, Patience watched the ladies inside the store accomplish their business. She rubbed her arms sleeved by her rough woolen jacket while staring longingly at the velvet of new coats displayed on mannequins. Her wedding gown was a great expense and a new jacket would be beyond her budget for a while yet.

Eventually, the awaiting customers were satisfied and trickled out of the store. Aside from other staff, Patience was alone with Mrs. Laurence. She told the woman of the circumstances that led her here. Excited and amused, the matron ushered Patience away from the window steps to begin their impromptu appointment.

Mrs. Laurence hummed a slow melody as she pinned the dress hanging over Patience’s frame. A manicured garden of fabrics and completed garments sprouted along the walls. Their painter’s palette of hues sang from the dark woodwork of the shelves. Patience’s feet planted her atop a low platform as the master dressmaker circled and cultivated her as another fine bloom.

“Just a little while more,” the woman murmured.

It was no trouble to Patience. But she felt very aware of herself, standing frozen like a mannequin. She allowed her gaze to wander if only to feel a bit more human.

She watched Mrs. Laurence’s assistant take her previously pinned skirt to the backroom. As the door opened, a vignette illuminated in morning light flashed for a brief moment. Inside, a couple of other seamstresses worked, their faces cherubic in the bright light. A chorus of chattering sewing machines heralded their brief appearance before the assistant closed the door once more, having deposited the offering.

From the few her mother owned, Patience had picked a dress and a skirt she liked. The olive tan wool skirt was embellished with twin columns of buttons from the waist to the top of the thigh. It was a bit wide on Patience, and had a tear in the back. Simple fixes for any decent seamstress.

The full dress was a light maroon with neat pleats down the breast. However, it had enormous puffed sleeves that marked it a decade out of fashion. It would be given new life in the expert hands of Mrs. Laurence who would infallibly tailor it not only to fit Patience’s body, but to be more stylish as well.