Chapter 20: Landfall Part 6
"My purse is in the satchel; would you pay the gentleman?"
"My Lady may keep the hat." Shopkeeper ran through his shop looking at and rejecting things until he came on a pair of white gloves. "Please, Lady, accept these as a gift and remember my shop kindly."
Cal took the gloves from him and looked helplessly at Pentam.
"I have no idea how to put them on."
Between Pentam and the shopkeeper they got the gloves on her hands and up her arms past her elbow. The shopkeeper had added a couple of scarves to the pile, then ducked into the back and retrieved the skirt and blouse. He wrapped everything carefully in paper and looked like he wanted to add more to the bundle.
"Thank you." Cal inclined her head. "It has been a pleasure to visit you."
"Please, if you return to our city, remember to visit."
"I will." Cal tilted her head and Pentam offered her his arm and walked her out of the shop. "All right, what's going on? I've never seen anyone react like that to me buying clothes."
"I think he expected you to bargain with him."
"Bargain? But I'd pay fifty pounds or more for a gown like this in the city."
"He probably thought you'd stalk out of the shop in anger when he said three sovereigns."
Cal giggled, and shook her head. "I appear to sow confusion wherever I go."
Joliu ran up and bowed deeply.
"Is Lady Cal ready to return to the hotel?"
"I would really like to look around the market more. I've hardly seen any of it."
"I don't know if that would be wise now." Pentam winced waiting for her reaction, but Cal looked down at herself and sighed.
"The hotel, thank you, Joliu."
Pentam helped Cal into the seat, then to arrange her skirts. He climbed up beside her, feeling grungy and underdressed next to this Lady.
"Let's go, Joliu." Pentam said.
The crowds parted for them as if Cal were royalty. They were almost out of the market, when Pentam made Joliu stop.
"Wait a moment, Lady Cal." He ran over to a booth and entered into a spirited bargaining session but got what he wanted for less than he'd hoped. The woman wrapped it up for him, and he dashed back to the cart. This might make up for his earlier gaffes, but it was so hard for him to see Cal differently from the society woman he'd met through her father.
"All set."
At the hotel, the staff scurried to help Cal off the cart, then held the door for her. Pentam carried his bundle, her package and her satchel. He'd convinced her it didn't go with the dress.
Señor Calamphi bowed deeply to Cal and led to a table in the lounge calling for the staff to bring some iced juice for the Lady.
Pentam sat beside her, resigned to being ignored, and not really minding.
The juice came and a young girl ran up with a fan to gently waft air across the Lady's face.
Lahdin walked into the lounge, noted Cal, then Pentam sitting beside her. His puzzlement turned to amazement and he ran out of the room. A few minutes later he returned, followed by the rest of the team. They stood in middle of the room staring at Cal. Prof. Orthin headed over to her.
"My dear, I am flabbergasted. I should have expected the daughter of Sir Shillingsworth to be a ravishing beauty, but ship life isn't conducive to such fine looks."
The others stood back nodding. Dan had turned red and was twisting his hands in front of him.
Sir Shillingsworth strolled into the lounge and over to Cal.
"Calliope, you are looking especially nice today. It's good to see you enjoying fine clothes." He nodded at Pentam, then herded the team off to another table.
"I believe you need to let me take your photo."
"All this over a dress?" Cal looked quizzically at Pentam. "This isn't very practical."
"Sometimes practicality must give way to beauty. Think of it as a work of art." Pentam's stomach hurt, he wasn't making things better.
"I'm still just me." Cal plucked at the sleeves. "And I'm no work of art."
"You can wear beautiful clothes and still be yourself." Pentam put his hand out, then pulled it back. "Let me take your picture, and you'll see."
Cal nodded reluctantly, then turned her attention to her drink.