Christmas in the City - Jill Barnett Page 0,70

carnations--the ones that were most fragrant-- and were full and lush and he started to lower his head.

"Mr. Lowell. Please," she said so quietly he wondered if he had imagined it.

He dropped his hands as if burned, paused, then tipped his hat and stepped away. "I beg your pardon, ma'am. Excuse me." He turned and walked down toward the other end of the store. When he reached the children's department at the end of the gallery, he looked back. She still stood there, her fingers to her mouth as if they had kissed.

She caught his look and spun around stiffly, then disappeared inside another room.

He found Penelope and Miss Clement in the children's shoe salon, where his niece was playing with a small wooden puzzle, head down while the saleswoman carried away two boxes of shoes and Miss Clement waved him over, then leaned down as said something to Penelope.

She looked up at him and brightened, and Ed picked her up and a huge hug. "I'm sorry I'm late. Did you find some new shoes?" She had outgrown the shoe they'd brought with them.

Penny stuck out a stockinged foot with a new black leather shoe, top strap and bright new buckle, twisting her ankle this was and that as smiled at him.

"Yes, sir, " Miss Clement said to his irritation, ruining the opportunity for his niece to say anything. He noticed that was happening more and more lately. He understood this was new for all of them, that the nurse had spoken nervously, but he made a mental note to talk to her. Echoing in the back of his head was Doctor Cummings warning him against forcing her to talk. Ed felt damned if he did and damned if he didn't.

"We found boots and leather slippers with plenty of room to grow."

He set her down. "What have you there?"

She held up the small wooden square, a painted reindeer cut into six little puzzle pieces and Ed sat down with her and dumped the pieces out and fumbled with the puzzle so she would show him how to fit the pieces together. They'd finished by the time the saleswoman returned with the shoe boxes in hand, tied with string for carrying, and a purchase receipt.

Outside the shoe salon, Ed stopped. The toy department, a wide, open section in the back end of the third floor, was only a few steps away, flanked as it was by children's clothing salons, boys' to the west and girls' to the east, a sharp marketing arrangement meant to force more shopping, especially with children. "Wait Penelope. Let's go in here." He turned to Miss Clement. "Why don't you go to tea room and have a cup of tea while we look around. We'll meet you at the carriage out front in say...half an hour." She looked relieved, thanked him and he took the shoe boxes. "Don't worry about these. I'll take them."

His niece was looking at the toy department with a serious look. "Come along, let's explore." He took her hand and they went inside.

Set back from the columned entrance was a crowd. Children with their mothers stood three deep around a long table where a whole winter scene was laid out with brightly painted blocks and carved wooden people, painted metal soldiers and tin toy lithographed carriages, trolleys, wagons with horses and real leather reins, complete with a mirror skating rink topped with moving metal skaters, miniature fir trees and a winter castle. Around the whole thing was a Marklin toy train that moved via a clockwork mechanism and had steam coming out of the engine.

Ed was as taken with it as everyone one else. He's had a wooden train as kid, a pull train. The kid in him wanted that train. He wondered if you ever grew up. As he walked around the place with his niece, pointing out toys--she wanted nothing to do with any of the dolls, even the new baby dolls dressed in christening gowns with bassinets and swaddling blankets--as the sales woman explained at one point, but they found a meeting ground in the children's book department. He had read to her each night; it was their ritual. So as he paid for the stack of children's books, he was surprised to hear, "Uncle Eddie?"

He squatted down eye level with her. "What is it?"

"Tea," she said.

"Yes, Miss Clement went to tea. Are you hungry? Thirsty?"

She shook her head and her shoulders drooped.

He wasn't testing her. He honestly didn't understand.