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Sidney opened up his barbershop with a new sort of trepidation he’d never before felt. It was not the customers he feared or Irene’s habit of breaking all his most expensive items, it was Belle. He’d gone back on everything he’d promised himself he would not do.
Not only was he talking to Belle again as if they were friends, after all, he had now offered her a job in his barbershop. But they could never be friends again after the way she’d accused Irene of being a thief, though he still admitted to wondering about the source of her money himself.
“What were you thinking?” he muttered to himself, shaking his head.
He had no good excuse for his suddenly relaxed attitude regarding Belle except perhaps for what had transpired between him and Irene just two hours ago. He had still been in a fitful state when he’d called on Summer and Emile. He had been far from thinking clearly and had allowed Emile to talk him into hiring Belle for his assistant when he knew it to be a terrible idea.
“Please,” Emile had whispered to him right in front of Summer and Belle. “Do this as a favor for me. Belle has been here one day, and she is already driving me mad with her moping about. She must get out of the house or I shall lose my head.”
Now that he was thinking about it, Sidney was angry at his brother for his role in all of this. Though if he’d really been so dead set against hiring Belle, nothing Emile could have said would have changed his mind. And yet Belle was on her way here now, this very second. How did he explain that?
Sidney looked in the mirror suddenly and decided his hair was far too untidy. He began combing it then took some pomade and ran it through. His face was clean-shaven and smooth, and he brushed any bits of lint from his clothing as best he could.
The door chimed, and Sidney turned to it, expecting to see Belle. His eyes widened as Irene entered the shop.
“Hello,” she said softly, looking at the floor before raising her gaze to meet his.
“Hello,” Sidney said. They stared at each other for a long moment, neither saying a word. Sidney’s heart began to pound in his chest, and he looked behind Irene at the door she continued to linger in front of, the door where at any moment now Belle might appear.
Irene pursed her lips together and stepped forward. “Forgive me,” she said quickly, as if trying to get the words out as fast as possible. “I should never have yelled at you as I did. I should never have suggested we postpone our wedding. The dress is unimportant compared to the life we are to have together. Please tell me that it’s not too late for us and that you’ll still have me.”
Sidney’s stomach began to turn. He felt something prick at his heart, but it was not elation. Guilt, perhaps? Disappointment? Whatever it was, the sensation was unpleasant. He forced his lips into a soft smile and said, “Of course, I forgive you.”
He could see no way around forgiveness. He had pledged himself to Irene, and if she was willing to forgive his temper, then he ought to be willing to forgive hers as well. Still, a part of him wished that things had remained as they were—with their engagement at a standstill and him free to entertain ideas of him and Belle...
His heart suddenly picked up speed. Belle! She was on her way here now. If she and Irene met, he did not know what would happen. The ensuing argument would no doubt end badly for everyone involved.
Sidney went to Irene and enfolded her in his arms, kissing the top of her head. “Thank you for coming to me. And now that I am thinking clearly, I would not have our wedding tarnished with a dress you are not entirely satisfied with. We shall marry next weekend as you wanted, and that shall be the end of things.”
Irene was shaking her head. “I promise you it is not at all necessary that we should wait.”
“And I promise you that I shouldn’t have it any other way. Now go back to Meadow’s and take a rest, and later this afternoon, go and check with Mrs. Dunford and make sure there is nothing else the matter with the dress.”
Instead of moving, however, Irene continued to stand there. “Mrs. Dunford does not need me to return again until tomorrow. And I would feel so much better about my foolishness if you let me make it up to you by working in your shop today.” She smiled brightly at him. “I promise not to break anything.”
A pain began to twinge in Sidney’s back. “Thank you, but it’s not at all necessary. You should go back to Meadow’s.” He began ushering her toward the door, but she dragged her feet on the tile.
“At least let me help you for an hour or two. I will feel so much better about our argument if you do.”
“But I’m not at all angry with you,” he said, still pushing her toward the front of the shop.
She resisted, digging in her heels. Her voice grew tighter. “Nor I with you. Nevertheless, I would prefer to stay.”
The door to his shop chimed just then, putting an end to any further argument. Belle’s eyes widened when she saw him and Irene standing together. Sidney quickly pulled his hand away from Irene’s back and ran it nervously through his hair. Irene shot him a look that told him all he needed to know. This was going to go just as badly as he’d envisioned.
“What’s she doing here?” Irene snapped.
Belle rolled her shoulders back. “I might ask the same of you, seeing as how you’re no longer engaged.”
Irene wrapped an arm around Sidney’s. “That was just a fight. We’ve settled things between us, not that it’s any of your business, and are to be married next weekend.”
The color drained from Belle’s face, and he thought for sure that she would turn and go at once. He was relieved to think she would leave so easily. But instead, she tilted her head back, holding her chin high. “
I’m to be Sidney’s assistant,” Belle said with a haughty attitude that made Sidney cringe.
Irene looked at him as though she were ready to strike out at him like a cobra, her venom in her eyes instead of her mouth. “Is that so?”
He quickly shook his head. “No.” Belle gave him a look perhaps even more venomous than Irene’s. “I mean yes,” he said, stumbling over his words. “It is only as a favor to Emile though.”
Belle’s mouth dropped open slightly. Irene’s eyes narrowed, but they lost a touch of the venom behind them. “What do you mean? Why should Emile wish for Belle to be your assistant?”
Sidney knew he was making this worse but hadn’t a clue how to get out of the situation now that it had arisen. He looked apologetically at Belle before turning his eyes back to Irene. “Belle was making short work of his nerves,” Sidney said, trying to phrase things in the kindest way possible so as not to offend Belle further. “He asked me to give her something to do so that she might busy her attention elsewhere for a while.”
Irene’s face changed from anger to understanding. “I see. Well, that makes sense.”
He could see Belle fuming, however, and worried she might snap. Suddenly, her demeanor calmed. Her shoulders and face relaxed, and her eyes lost the hateful look they’d had but a moment before. This new demeanor frightened Sidney even more because he didn’t understand it.
“I see no reason why we both can’t help Sidney in his shop,” said Belle to Irene, her voice coated with sugar.
Sidney was already shaking his head no, determined to send Belle away in light of these new circumstances, when Irene nodded. “Certainly,” Irene said, her voice as sweet as Belle’s. “In fact, I think the two of us ought to get to know each other better.”
“Wonderful,” said Belle. “I’d like nothing more.”
“Oh, no,” Sidney said without thinking. His cheeks colored when Belle looked at him. “I mean, I really don’t need two assistants.”
“Nonsense,” said Irene. “Any minute now you’re going to be neck deep in men’s hair. You need all the help you can get.”
“Yes,” said Belle. “One of us can ring while the other sweeps. And together, we might straighten out your back room.”
“That’s right,” said Irene. “A project like that will give me and Belle some time alone together.” The two women glared at each other with ice-cold eyes even as their voices dripped with honey.
Sidney’s thoughts turned to all the bottles and other items he had in his back room that were easily breakable. “Sweeping and ringing are more than enough,” he said quickly. “Forget the back room.”
“All right,” said Irene. “Then it’s settled. Belle and I shall work together.”
Sidney cringed. He didn’t know what Irene meant by that. Was she saying that she and Belle would work together at the register and sweeping as he’d asked, or that despite what he’d just said, they would work in his back room anyway?
The thought of them working where he couldn’t watch them made him ill, and he thought his stomach might force his breakfast back up. After a moment, though, it all passed, and he accepted defeat as best he could. His only hope was to keep the pair so busy that they had no time to talk. Later, he would ask Belle not to return, but until then, he would do whatever it took to keep them apart. Even if it meant sending Irene to tidy up his back room alone so that she could break every bottle in the place. As long as she and Belle were not back there together, he would not care. Better that bottles be broken than anyone’s bones.
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