By the time Delores and Carrie had arrived at Hannah’s station by the coffee urns, they were both wearing identical “cat that got into the cream pot” smiles, a very useful phrase that Hannah had picked up while paging through her mother’s Regency romances. Carrie took a cup of herbal tea, Delores selected black coffee, and then Delores leaned close. “We just came from Beau Monde and Claire told us you bought a new dress for the Woodleys’ party.”

“That’s right, Mother.” Hannah wasn’t surprised that her mother knew about her recent purchase. It was almost impossible to keep secrets in a town the size of Lake Eden.

“I’d like to buy it for you, dear. Let’s call it an early birthday present.”

Hannah was surprised. Her mother usually wasn’t this generous. “That’s very nice of you, Mother, but my birthday’s in July and that’s over eight months away.”

“All right then, Christmas. I’m just so pleased that you bought something in the ‘first stare of fashion,’ dear. Claire said it looked divine on you and everyone knows that Claire has exquisite taste. You must let me reimburse you. I insist.”

Hannah stifled a grin, these club meetings always made her mother spout Regency phrases, but she wasn’t about to look a gift horse in the mouth. Delores could afford to be generous. Hannah’s grandfather had invested heavily in the fledgling Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company, and over the years 3M stock had split more times than Hannah could count. “Did Claire tell you what I paid for the dress?”

“I asked, but she said that it was just between the two of you. How much was it, dear? I’ll write you a check.”

Hannah sighed as she listened to the hoofbeats of the gift horse gallop off into the sunset. She couldn’t tell her mother what the dress had cost. She’d promised Claire not to mention the price. “I can’t say, Mother. Claire gave it to me at cost and I promised that I wouldn’t tell anyone what I paid.”

“Not even moi?”

“Not even you, Mother.” Hannah had trouble keeping a straight face. Her mother sounded just like Miss Piggy when she referred to herself as moi.

Carrie leaned close to whisper something in Delores’s ear, and her mother began to smile again. “That’s a wonderful idea. You’ll need a new purse and a pair of shoes, Hannah. Why don’t you let me pick up the tab for those?”

“I have a black clutch, Mother. You gave it to me two years ago. And my black heels are perfectly—” Hannah stopped and began to frown as she remembered that her only pair of black dress shoes needed to be resoled. “You hit it on the nose, Mother. I could use a new pair of shoes.”

“Then I’ll buy them for you. Choose Italian, dear. They’re the only ones that last. And make sure you walk around the store at least twice to make sure they don’t pinch. I could go out to the mall with you and help you shop.”