Travels through Time, Part Six
by Jamie

When Amy met Trudy in the kitchen, Trudy took one look at her and said,
"What? You have no bonnet? A lady must wear her bonnet in public! Go and borrow one from somebody."
Amy shook her head with a sigh and left to borrow Megan's hat.
Lady Pellew came to the kitchen with some instructions for Trudy. She wanted Amy to get the whole outfit. She wanted her to not only have a nice and comfortable work dress, but an apron and sensible shoes. Trudy suggested a shawl and a bonnet. Lady Pellew agreed to this suggestion.
On the ride to town, Amy asked Elderidge, who was driving them to town, "Are you going to stay in town with us?"
"No, Miss. I am just taking you two to town and then I have to go back to the house and do my chores. I will be picking you ladies up this afternoon," he said.
"So, we can do some shopping?" Amy asked.
"We are only going to town to get what we need. We are going to Mrs. Rappaport's house for the fitting, the cobbler for your new shoes and the hat maker for a bonnet. That is all," Trudy told Amy.
When Elderidge dropped the ladies off near Mrs. Rappaport's house, Amy saw a paperboy selling newspapers.
"Look, a newspaper vendor! I am going to get one! Do you have a copper on you?" Amy exclaimed as she darted towards him.
"Miss Amy, wait!" Trudy called after her.
"May I have one, please? How much is this newspaper?" Amy asked the paperboy.
"It is a pence, ma'am," the paperboy replied.
Amy quickly scanned the date on the paper. It said, May 8, 1800. She wasn't in the 18th Century. She was in the 19th Century. Somehow, after all that wondering, it seemed like the date did not matter. She was still stuck in the past. It didn't really make a difference if it were 1798, 1800, or 1812.
Trudy wanted to get everything done and finished. She was beginning to wonder why she was chosen to go with Amy. Then she thought, if Megan or Marianne had gone with her, maybe nothing would have gotten done. Lady Pellew trusted her to do her job the correct way.
"Miss Amy, I don't have any money for that paper. Don't waste his time
or mine," Trudy pleaded.
"I will buy the paper for the lady," a male voice said joyously.
Amy looked up from the newspaper and saw Archie standing there. Amy smiled brightly, as she said to him, "How are you doing today, Lt. Kennedy? I am pleased to meet you again."
Archie gave the money to the boy and beamed at her, "Fine, just fine. What are you doing in town? How is your job going?"
"We are here to get me a dress. So, I guess the job is going well. The dress is for work. I enjoy being with the Pellew family."
"How are your charges? Do they give you trouble?"
"No, not at all. They are all nice and quite helpful. I think that the boys will grow up to be heartbreakers," Amy said to Archie.
He had no idea what she was talking about. But, he was so happy to see her again, it didn't seem to matter.
"Miss Amy, we have to get to your fitting," Trudy told her.
"Your fitting? Oh, for your dress. Would you introduce me to your friend, Miss Bradley?" Archie asked.
"This is Lady Pellew's personal maid, Trudy. Trudy, I would like you to meet, Lt. Archie Kennedy of his Britannic Majesty's frigate, Indefatigable," Amy said proudly.
Archie gave a slight bow to Trudy and said a how do you do? Trudy nodded to him, but did not say a word.
"Would you like to come with us to the fitting, Lieutenant?" Amy asked.
"You do not invite men to a fitting. It is not proper," Trudy told Amy.
"I don't care if it is proper or not. I really don't think that they are going to strip me naked when I get measured," Amy said not thinking about what she was saying, while she was saying it. Trudy was starting to get on her nerves and she wanted to spend all the time she could with Archie.
Trudy gasped in horror at Amy's statement, while Archie laughed at it. He found it rather amusing.
"I would love to come with you, Miss Bradley. Is that all right with you, Trudy?" Archie asked.
"Humph!" Trudy exclaimed.
"I will take that as a ëyes', " Archie said with a sly smile as he took Amy's arm to walk to the dressmaker.
Trudy gave Mrs. Rappaport a letter from Lady Pellew, which discussed about getting the dress and that everything should be put on her husband's account.
Mrs. Rappaport, a widow about 60 years old, smiled at the group of people that came to her house. She told them, "We have several fabrics to choose from. I also have pattern books. I do have the latest styles to pick from. Miss Bradley, let me take you into the other room to get your measurements and then we can talk about what kind of dress you want."
When Amy went into the next room with Mrs. Rappaport. An uncomfortable silence filled the air. Archie looked over at Trudy, who was looking at the ceiling and avoiding to look at him.
"You don't care much for me, do you, Trudy?" Archie asked. He did it mainly to see if he could annoy her.
"Humph!" was Trudy's only reply.
"Come on, you have to say something more than that. Tell me what it is about me that you don't like?" He asked with a devilish grin.
"You are too self assured of yourself. All men think that us women are going to swoon at your feet. I feel that you are mistaken," Trudy said in a snotty tone.
"You don't know me very well, do you? I am not self assured. I would love to have women fall at my feet. They always ask me about my friend, Horatio, they never seem to be interested in me, alone," Archie told her.
Amy came back into the room and exclaimed, "Now, for the fun part. Where is that pattern book?"
"You are only getting a work frock. You don't need to look in a book for that. You need something simple and practical," Trudy said.
"Yes, you are right about that. I talked to Mrs. Rappaport about that. I still want to look at the book," Amy shot back.
Mrs. Rappaport showed Amy where the pattern books were kept. Amy started leafing through one of them, when Archie came up behind her and said, "If you could have any frock in the world, what would it look like?"
Amy jumped. She didn't expect him to come up behind her. She did, however, like his breath against the back of her neck. His being near her, gave her body chills of excitement.
She turned to answer him and brushed against his face. This startled Archie. He did not realize the touch of their skin would affect him so. He was just playing a game, which was turning into something more. Amy looked at him, she had Archie Kennedy by her side. She was beginning to hope that she could stay in this time, so she could have Archie to herself.
He was so unlike the Archie from the series. Had this Archie NOT been victimized by Jack Simpson? Did Jack Simpson ever exist? The other characters from the mini-series seemed to be real. She wondered if the casting director knew that he hired the right actors for the parts. Amy realized that she hadn't answered his question and replied, "I had always pictured myself in a pale yellow evening dress. I would love it to be in that new empire style. Is that what they are calling it?"
Mrs. Rappaport nodded her head, ëyes'.
Archie told Amy, "Pick a style you like your yellow dress to look like and I will have them make it for you."
"You can not accept a present like that! Amy, tell Mr. Kennedy, thank you, but you can not take a gift such as that!" Trudy huffed.
"I believe Miss Bradley can speak for herself," Archie said.
"I would love the dress, but . . ." Amy knew it was wrong. She was not a lady of this age. In her day, it was acceptable to accept presents. Amy loved getting presents. This was special, this was from Archie Kennedy, the man she always called "our boy" when speaking of him on A & E's message boards.
Archie tried explaining himself, "I expect no favors from you Miss Bradley. I just want to see you happy. My only request is that I get to see you in your new dress. Please, accept my gift."
Amy smiled at him, "I would be honored, Lt. Kennedy. Thank you for my lovely gown."
Trudy was outraged. She mumbled and grumbled to herself. No one had ever given her such a present. She was jealous of Amy and hurt for herself.
As to the yellow dress, Amy picked out a plain, yet elegant style, which only had a chemise to go under the dress. It had no frills, but Amy thought it was quite refined. She chose a pale yellow chintz fabric, but Archie insisted that she get the silk. Amy felt just like a princess. Is this how going to the dressmaker was for all women during this time period? Getting a frock, as Archie and Trudy called it, was quite enchanting.
Amy was, in fact, getting two dresses. The one that Archie was getting for her and the one that Lady Pellew was getting for her. The dress she picked out for work, was burgundy colored cotton with an ivory colored cotton lace collar. She asked for the fabric covered buttons to be put on the front of her dress. She had an ivory apron to go over her dress, plus she got an ivory colored shawl to keep her from the cold. She thought that simple was the right way to go with the work dress. She liked the lace collar. Being cotton and not nylon, it would not itch. Amy thought for a moment. They didn't have nylon back during this time, did they?
Mrs. Rappaport noted to Amy, "You should get yourself a pair of boots. Those slippers match your yellow frock, but not the burgundy one."
"We have the cobbler and the hat maker on our list. Thank you, Mrs. Rappaport," Trudy told the dressmaker.
"I could take you to the cobbler," Archie told Amy.
"You will NOT!" Trudy told Archie with great displeasure in her voice.
"You may come with us, Trudy," Archie graciously announced.
"Humph!" Trudy replied.
Amy said to Archie, "You don't have to do this for me, Lieutenant. The dress is more than enough. I don't know how to repay you as it is."
"You don't have to repay me. It is a pleasure to help you out. Remember, you did ask me to help you. I am trying my best to do that," Archie said to her.
"I do admit that I may make my slippers would get dirty playing in the garden. But, Lady Pellew had all ready offered to pay for them. You don't have to do," Amy told him.
"Playing in the garden?" Archie asked her.
"With the children. Lady Pellew says that fresh air is good for them," Amy replied.
"So, you like your position. I knew you would be right for the job. I am glad you like it," Archie told her as he grinned.
"Yes, I do enjoy it," Amy responded.
"So, you want me to go and get those shoes for you?"
"I . . ." Amy was about to reply, when Trudy dragged her away.
"Do you know what you are doing?" Trudy scolded her.
"Yes, I am talking to a friend of mine and we are discussing the topic of buying shoes. If I had any money, I would buy the shoes myself," Amy told her.
"He doesn't want to give these things with nothing in return. I am sure he wants favors from you. I have heard a lot of things about sailors," Trudy warned.
"Like a girl in every port? It's my life, not yours. How do you think that Lady Pellew became Lady Pellew? I am sure she didn't say, ëSorry, Edward, I can't accept anything from you or even dare to spend some time alone with you!' No, that would not be lady like would it be? Horrors!" Amy said in mock fright.
"I see nothing I say will persuade you not to go through with this. You are putting your virtue in danger."
"My virtue? That is still in tact. No man has ever wanted me. Lt. Kennedy is the only man who has shown more than a ëlet's be friends' interest in me. Do you really think I would pass this chance up? This is Archie Kennedy! Cute, vulnerable Archie with the chipmunk cheeks smile and the bright blue eyes. Plus, He is a nice guy to boot! You can't tell me you don't think he is handsome, can you?"
"You are impossible! Go with your Lieutenant, but leave me here. On second thought, meet me at the hat maker's store at around 3 o'clock," Trudy told Amy.
"Thank you for letting me go. Archie won't do anything wrong. He is not that type of man," Amy said.
"How do you know? Do you know this fellow? I don't trust any man," Trudy told Amy.
"I can see that. I will meet you at the hat maker's store. I am sure that Archie knows where it is. Bye!" Amy said as she left the house on Archie's arm.