“Oh, then you have good news for us?” Allie asked hopefully. “Are we really going to get some of the money?”
“I don’t know yet,” Nancy was forced to admit. “So far I haven’t been able to learn a thing about the missing will.”
Allie’s face fell, but she tried to hide her disappointment.
“We need the money so badly,” she said, with an apologetic smile. “Grace hasn’t had a new dress in three years. She makes all of our clothing out of old things we happen to have in the house. If our luck doesn’t change soon I’m afraid we’ll be mistaken for rag pickers.”
“We really didn’t expect much of Uncle Josiah’s money,” Grace broke in quickly, lest Nancy misinterpret her sister’s remarks. “We weren’t related, you know.”
“Well, you can hardly say the Tophams were, for that matter,” Allie declared. “They were third or fourth cousins.”
“We can get along without the money,” Grace said quietly. “We manage very well when I have plenty of work. We’re a little discouraged right now because dressmaking has fallen off. It’s a slack season, I guess people would rather go to the store and buy a dress readymade.”
“I wouldn’t,” Nancy declared impulsively. “Grace, I’d like to engage you to make me a dress. Will you do it? I’ll pay you well.”
Tears of joy came into Grace’s eyes.
“Will I? Oh, you don’t know how grateful I am for the work. I haven’t had anything to do for nearly three months. I don’t mind poverty so much for myself, but for Allie—” her voice broke. “I promised mother I’d look after her.”