Truly I do by Katherine West Page A

also
treated herself to a fabulous Rouleau, off the shoulder, sheer silk
evening dress with vibrant peacock green patterns over
sophisticated charcoal black. She knew that her dark hair and
slender, delicate features would really compliment the colours and
cut of the dress and she hoped she'd get the chance to wear it
soon.
    She was
thrilled to find a Russell & Bromley store and some other good
shoe shops nearby. She was equally thrilled to visit some fine
independent ladies-wear stores where she picked up sweaters,
blouses, casual trousers and a few accessories. Finally exhausted
with shopping Julie-Anne had one more hurdle to overcome. She was
going to need to pick up some underwear. But Russell was so
attentive, joining in and commenting nicely about her choices that
she was at a loss. Surely she couldn't buy such intimate items with
him watching and commenting.
    She was tiring
and her feet were beginning to hurt, so she decided there was
nothing for it but to be blunt. "Tell me where we are going for tea
will you," she questioned, looking determinedly into his handsome,
tanned face, "I need to grab some more personal items and I'd
rather have a short while on my own and meet you somewhere."
    He grinned
knowingly at her, the skin around his blue eyes crinkling
delightfully. "If you must I suppose. But don't be gone for too
long or I'll start to get paranoid and worry about you. I had
thought we might go to Betty's for tea, but frankly I think there
are less crowded places close by." He pointed out the place he'd
chosen and Julie-Anne took a good look around to get the land marks
so that she could find her way back. She noted Hoopers on James
Street. It was a lovely old fashioned department store with a run
of gorgeous art nouveau red and yellow stained glass all around
tops of the front windows. In the darkening late autumn afternoon,
the warmth and colours of the stained glass - combined with the
Christmas decorations in the store - looked so inviting that she
decided she could probably get all the lingerie she needed right
there. She pointed to let Russell know that's where she planned to
go and left him to his own devices for half an hour.
    Within seconds
of walking away from Russell Julie-Anne felt as if there was an
eerie coldness around the hand he'd just let go, and down the side
of her that he'd seemed to shelter as they'd walked along. She felt
as if she'd actually peeled off a layer of herself and left it
behind. 'This is silly!' she admonished herself, 'You can't start
thinking of him in these terms, he's not going to be a permanent
fixture and you know it. He's not in love with you and you have to
stop falling in love with him.'
    As she stepped
inside the brightly lit store she turned and glanced back towards
where she'd left him. She was suppressing a child-like urge to run
back to him and cling on to his strong arms. She expected him to
have gone out of her sight and she was feeling slightly panicky -
instead she saw that he'd moved along behind her and was standing a
little way off, on the corner, watching her. 'Hmph!' she thought,
'he doesn't even trust me!'
    Indignant now,
she strutted into the store and tried to put him out of her
thoughts. She hadn't missed noticing that he'd blown her a kiss
when he saw she was looking at him. 'Fool!', she smiled playfully,
even though he could never possibly hear her.
    In the
lingerie and nightwear departments Julie-Anne stopped herself from
buying a plain brushed cotton nightie and plain white cotton
undies. Instead she picked out a short, deep red Chaslyn chemise,
styled in soft silk with a blossom print. She stuck to her old
habit with the dressing gown though, choosing a long, thick, fluffy
robe that would be so warm and comforting when she got out of the
bath; or early in the morning when it was cold. The robe was also
seductive red and did compliment the chemise in a rather nice
way.
    Realising that
she was taking rather a long time she moved on to select a