Chapter 37: Returning gifts (2)
"You can take it if you like it," Annalise offered Cara since Cara was the one to enjoy dresses.
Cara imagined herself wearing the dress, but she also knew it would be rude to take the dress from Annalise. Annalise should take it and dress up at least once. They were plenty of festivals soon to come where they got to leave work and have fun.
Cara would not have Annalise wearing the dresses she wore when working to those festivals. Just because they were maids did not mean they should not dress up.
"You should keep it for yourself," Cara rejected the offer. "I always say I want you to be interested in dressing up and this would look good on you. I would be open to wearing it once you have worn it a few times. I have some shoes that would go well with this. I bought them from the shoemaker. Apparently, some lady was throwing them away and his niece who worked as a maid ask for them so he could repair and sell them. You can borrow them if you don’t mind they were worn by someone other than me."
"That doesn’t bother me. It still does not change the fact that I do not have anywhere to wear this. I have no plans to dress up. I would feel better if you take it," Annalise said, pushing the dress into Cara’s hands, but Cara would not hold onto it.
"There will be plenty of festivals for you to wear this dress to. You cannot convince me to take it though I so desperately see myself in it. Put it away," Cara said, taking it from Annalise’s hands to wrap back up so the temptation would go away. She also thought Annalise should put it away since the jealousy in the room was growing and those who liked Rafael would either try to steal or destroy the dress.
Annalise thought of returning it to Rafael. She wasn’t an expert on dresses, but she knew this one cost enough to buy her a handful of the ones Connor had torn. She didn’t think his feeling sorry for her was worth spending so much money. Hopefully, he could send it back and be given his money or give it to Delilah as a gift. Though Annalise thought that would send the young lady crazy if she would ever find out who the dress was meant for.
Annalise had an idea in mind of how to return the dress and see if there was anything odd about Rafael’s study today.
Annalise turned to look at Mavis who was watching her every move already. She walked over to where Mavis stood with the dress in her hands. "Miss Wiggins, can I please go to the young master to return this? It doesn’t suit someone like me."