Sinking further back against her seat, her eyelids drifted shut as she expelled yet another breath in a failed attempt to calm her nerves.

The coach began to slow down after several minutes of journeying. She sat upright and glanced out of the window just as the coach came to a halt before a dark gray building. She stared at it, the wide glass window with the inscription ‘Sue’s dress shop’ showcasing a mannequin dressed in a fashionable lace gown within the shop.

“This is it,” the coachman announced as he pulled open the door.

Nodding nervously, Gretchen stared at the shop once more through the window. It was indeed lovely, and she thought that if the dress displayed in the window was anything to go by, then Sue was indeed an expert dressmaker.

“Of course,” she nodded her appreciation before taking the man’s withered hand and climbing down the coach. She settled on her shaky feet and waited until he had handed her bag to her before turning to make her way into the unfamiliar building.

She pushed the screen door open, a tiny bell on top of it announcing her presence as she stepped inside. Her gaze immediately swept the cozy room; a few women went about their business shopping while two women stood in the center of the room —one stood on what appeared to be a small podium and the other stood holding a measuring tape over her. The woman with the measuring tape glanced at Gretchen who stood glued to the doorway. Reaching up, she pulled out what appeared to be pins from her mouth.

"Welcome," the lady called with a lovely English accent, a smile creasing her beautiful face.

"Thank you." She returned her smile. "I'm here to meet with Sue."

"Of course," she bobbed her head, causing strands of her blonde hair to come loose of its bond on top her head. "That's me."

She ran her gaze over Sue for a brief second, surprised by her youth and the success of her business. What was even more surprising was Sue’s unmarried status, she thought, her gaze slipping to her ring finger —it certainly came as a shock to find that Sue had done so well for herself without the help of a man.

"Is there a particular dress you'd like?" Sue called, dragging her back to the present.

"No, not exactly, I'm Gretchen," she said, standing still for several seconds as she waited for Sue to recognize her name from the letters the two had exchanged.

Sue shrugged, a slight frown creasing her face as she watched Gretchen.

She sighed. "You offered me a job about three months ago."

"I did?” The frown on Sue’s face deepened. “Well, are you here for a dress?"

Frustrated by the seeming confusion of the woman before her, a frown settled on Gretchen’s face. "I'm here for the job," she offered, clarifying her purpose to the dress shop.

"What job? I already hired someone and I did send out letters informing everybody of my decision."