The Hatmaker's Heart: A Novel Read Online Free Page A

and had set her on the path to being a real designer. It wasn’t Paris as she’d once dreamed, but Manhattan was closer to her mother and bursting with opportunity. Now, if only her boss and the Benchleys liked what she’d done.

Chapter 3
    Oscar Fields studied the finished hats Nell placed before him. He stroked his chin, his thin mustache twitching ever so slightly, but Nell couldn’t read what he was thinking.
    He leaned back in his swivel chair. “You’ve certainly come up with some unique ideas. The aquamarine butterfly is inspired. I can picture Daphne quite vividly, flighty thing that she is.” He leaned forward and looked again at the design for Claudia, the furrows deepening in his forehead.
    “The proportions are wrong. And the balance. While the silk velvet is elegant, I’m not sure a rose flower on olive green is a wise choice. And the petals are droopy like you pulled them from the bottom of the box. Not fresh nor inspired, I’m afraid.”
    “I’m g-glad you like the one for Daphne, but…” Nell tried to picture in her head the words she would say, giving her defense of Claudia’s design. She was certain this hat would draw attention to Claudia’s large eyes, her slender neck, and at the same time minimize her height. Calvin had been skeptical, too, when Nell showed it to him, saying it was her funeral, but he’d come around when she explained.
    Mr. Fields drummed his fingers on the shining mahogany of his desk. “But what, Miss Marchwold?”
    “I’m not sure what. P-personally, I believe it’s my best work to date. I know I don’t always explain things p-properly. I apologize. But it would mean a lot to me if you would let Claudia try it and decide for herself.”
    “This isn’t about feeling good about yourself. I am trying to run a successful business. You are but a piece of that, and up until now, your work has been adequate.” He looked again at the hat. “I’ll make an allowance this time. Just make sure you have something else to show Claudia and Mrs. Benchley should this not meet with their approval. I wouldn’t want to disappoint one of my preferred clients.”
    “Yes, sir. And thank you. You won’t r-regret it.”
    He pushed the molded form with Claudia’s hat toward Nell. “If she doesn’t like it, we can always put in on the reduced-price shelf.”
    *  *  *
    Nell had all three hats ready and waiting on the consulting salon counter when Mrs. Benchley and her daughters arrived that afternoon. Daphne grabbed the butterfly cloche and put it on at once, her eyes sparkling, her cupid mouth puckered as she tilted her head first one way, then the other, as she looked in the dressing mirror. “It’s simply copacetic!”
    When Nell shrugged, Claudia giggled. “It’s the latest word. She means it’s divine.” Claudia’s long, slim fingers stroked the velvet on the one for her. “May I?”
    “Allow me.” Nell held her breath as she lifted the hat from the form and placed it on Claudia’s dark bob. Nell had chosen the domed crown and the pleated layers of silk velvet for a demure effect. A contrasting band shimmered near the face emphasizing Claudia’s mahogany eyes, giving her a youthful glow. The flower added a bit of whimsy. The two wide velvet ribbons that curved downward from the floppy flower brushed Claudia’s right shoulder, adding grace and elegance. Mr. Fields had been wrong. It did have just the right balance and proportion. The best part of all, though, was seeing Claudia’s eyes widen at her reflection, the tiny quiver in her chin, then her smile, shy at first, growing into radiance.
    Mrs. Benchley gasped. “Oh my gracious. It’s…why, it’s exquisite. However did you do come up with such a stunning idea?” Her mouth hung open like she was seeing her daughter in a new light for the first time.
    Daphne hollered from the mirror where she was still admiring herself. “Ya know, it’s almost a shame to waste these gorgeous creations on Daddy’s