The High Price of Secrets

Still, she refused to be cowed. Someone in the district had to know where her mother was and as soon as she crossed paths with that someone, she would know, too. A person didn’t just disappear off the grid without leaving a trace somewhere, did they?

Four

After her shopping expedition into Blenheim, where she found all the basics she needed, as well as a few things she didn’t but were fun to buy anyway, Tamsyn continued back toward her accommodations. Certain she could navigate her way without her GPS, she was surprised when a wrong turn brought her out into a small but bustling township.

She wondered briefly, as she pulled up to halt on a street peppered with cafés and boutiques and art stores, why Penny hadn’t directed her here first for her shopping. With a shrug she got out of the car and locked it before strolling the length of the main street down one side and back up the other before going into one of the clothing boutiques to browse.

“Hello, are you looking for a special outfit?” the older woman behind the counter asked with a welcoming smile.

“Not particularly, but I love this,” Tamsyn said, pulling out a sleeveless dress in vibrant hues of purple and blue for a better look.

“That would look lovely on you with your coloring. The fitting room is just to your left if you’d like to try it on.”

“Oh, I don’t think…” About to refuse, Tamsyn hesitated. Why shouldn’t she indulge herself? This morning’s shopping had been mostly about function—jeans, T-shirts, a pair of shorts and a few sets of underwear, together with some trainers. Her hand stroked the fabric, relishing the texture of the hand-painted silk. It would feel divine on. “Okay, I’ll try it,” she said before she could change her mind.

A few minutes later she turned this way and that in front of the dressing-room mirror. The dress was perfect, as if it had been made for her. If only she had the right shoes to go with it, she’d be able to wear it to lunch with Finn. Not that she was setting out to try and attract him or anything but a girl needed her armor, didn’t she? And the way this dress made her look and made her feel was armor indeed.

“How does it feel on?” a disembodied voice asked from outside the curtain.

“Fantastic but I don’t have the right shoes with me.”

“Oh, maybe we have something here. We carry a few styles and sizes. You’re what, a size seven?”

When Tamsyn murmured her assent the woman replied, “I’ll be right back.”

Tamsyn took a minute to study her reflection again. She loved the dress, loved the softness of the silk as it fell around her legs, as it caressed her body. It made her feel feminine, desirable.

Was that what her need for armor was all about? Had Trent’s betrayal left her feeling so unappealing? Questioning her femininity so much? Not surprising, given how he’d deliberately misled her throughout their relationship. The sting still smarted. And looking at her reflection now, thoughts of her former fiancé made her angry, too. Her reflection in the mirror looked beautiful and sexy—why had she let Trent make her feel any different? Why had she agreed to marry a man who never made her feel irresistible?

Tamsyn was more certain than ever that this trip was exactly what she needed. She had to get away from the perceptions and expectations everyone had of her back home and figure out who she really wanted to be. She just hoped her mother would want to be part of that—part of her life.

“Here we are!”

Tamsyn pulled aside the curtain.

“Oh, my,” the assistant said, “that dress is really you. You look wonderful. Here, try these on with it.”

She held out a pair of sandals in shades of purple, blue and pink, and with a ridiculously high heel. They were perfect, Tamsyn thought as she slid off the trainers and socks she’d been wearing and slipped her feet into the sandals, bending down to fasten the dainty ankle strap.

“Come on out into the store, we have a full-length mirror just over by the counter. You’ll have more room to twirl,” the woman said with a wink.

Tamsyn couldn’t help but smile in response. She actually felt like twirling when she saw her reflection in the larger mirror.

“I’ll take it,” she said impulsively. “The dress and the shoes. Do you mind if I wear them now?”

“Why would I mind?” The assistant smiled in response. “You’re the perfect walking advertisement for one of our local designers—Alexis Fabrini.”

“I love what she’s done with this dress, do you have more of her clothes here? I’d really like to come back when I have more time.”