Eliza slipped out at lunchtime and took a cab to Bergdorf Goodman. She wanted to pick out the birthday present herself. Paige was working out to be the most competent, conscientious assistant Eliza had ever had. Eliza was impressed with how the young woman had handled all the anxiety that had been swirling around her. It was a bonus that Paige had such a winning personality. Eliza was very happy with her and she wanted to show it.
She had noticed that Paige was a clotheshorse, dressing stylishly on what Eliza knew was not a big salary. As Eliza went in through the store’s Fifth Avenue entrance, she headed for the sweater section.
The cashmere collection was extensive, a cornucopia of colors and styles. Eliza had trouble deciding between a jewel-necked black one and a cornflower-blue turtleneck. She loved the blue, and thought it would look terrific on Paige, but the black might be more practical. She bought both. Paige was more than worth it.
Eliza stopped in the children’s department and picked out a new winter jacket with matching hat and mittens for Janie and then scooted over to the hosiery section and bought a dozen pairs of pantyhose for herself. She was satisfied with her forty-five minutes of power shopping when she went out again into the Fifth Avenue sunlight As she stood on the corner of Fifty-seventh Street, waiting for a cab in the crowded lunchtime traffic, Eliza glanced across the street in the direction of Tiffany’s.
He didn’t see her, but Eliza thought she recognized Samuel’s tall, lanky frame coming out of the store. Yes, that was him, she confirmed as the figure walked to the corner and waited for the light to change. Samuel was carrying a small blue shopping bag in his hand.
Eliza was relieved when a yellow taxi glided to a stop. She quickly got into the backseat of the cab. She didn’t want to see Samuel right now. Saturday night would be soon enough to tell him what she knew he wouldn’t want to hear.
She certainly hoped that the bag he was carrying didn’t hold something else for her.