“You can have anything you want,” I said, splaying my hands as if to show her the extent of the wares.
But Violet seemed sad. “I wish Cora were here. She would love it.”
“We’ll find Cora,” I said firmly.
“May I help you?” a woman in a dark black dress asked, gliding up to us.
“We need a gown,” I said, nodding toward Violet.
“Of course,” the woman said. She gave Violet a glance from head to toe, but refrained from saying anything about her shabby clothes. Instead, she smiled.
“We have some things that will do very well. Come with me,” she said, motioning for Violet to join her.
She turned toward me. “You stay here. When I’m through with her, you won’t even recognize her.”
For a second, I paused. I didn’t want to let Violet out of my sight. Then I laughed to myself. I was being paranoid. We were in the finest department store in the world. It wasn’t as if the saleswoman would hurt her.
“All right, then?” The saleswoman arched her black eyebrow as if sensing my discomfort.
“Of course,” I said. I settled onto a plush peach-colored settee and glanced around. I felt like Whitechapel was in a different country. Could it be possible just to stay on this side of the town and forget about the murderer? I wanted to, badly.
“Stefan?”
I glanced up and gasped. Violet was clad in an emerald-green dress that accentuated her small waist and red hair. Even though her face was still drawn and there were dark shadows under her large eyes, she looked beautiful.
“What do you think?” she asked shyly, twirling in the mirror.
“She’s lovely, isn’t she?” the saleswoman murmured. “We tried two others as well, and your wife looks equally exquisite in all of them.”
“She’s not . . . yes,” I said simply. It was so much easier to lie. “We’ll take this dress. We’ll take all of them,” I said, pulling her aside to compel her to give us the purchases for free. The expression in Violet’s eyes was worth it.
Instead of taking a coach back to the hotel, we walked. Every so often, I caught her stealing glances of herself in the windows, twisting the skirts of her new emerald-green dress. It was nice that I could make someone happy.
“I fear I won’t be able to repay you,” Violet said at one point.
“No need.” I shook my head. “Your friendship is repayment enough.”
“Thank you. But I feel like I’m not being a good friend. All I do is talk about myself. I only know your name, and that you’re from America. Are you a businessman?”
I laughed. “No, I work on a farm. I’m just like you. And I know what it’s like to lose a family member. My brother once went missing. I was worried sick about him.”
“Did he turn up?” she asked, her eyes wide.
“Eventually. And I know you’ll see Cora soon.” My heart went out to Violet and her missing sister. “Tell me more about her,” I said.
“Well, we fought of course. But all siblings do, don’t they? She had to do everything first. And of course I wanted to be just like her. I don’t think that I would have moved to London without her. And now that she’s not here . . .”
“You have to figure out who you are,” I murmured.
“Yes,” Violet agreed. “But it’s hard to know who I am without Cora. We’re that close. Is that what it’s like with you and your brother?
“No.” I shook my head.
“Did you have a falling-out?”
“Yes, but that’s long in the past. Right now, I’m only focused on my future,” I said, offering the crook of my elbow for her to loop her arm through.
“Well, your brother’s making a mistake, to fight with you,” she said.