The Bloom Sisters~Part 1

 

Just north of Nichol's Corner Market and west of the Village Post Office in Camden Corners sits a quaint little shop called Bloom Quilts. The proud owners of the shop are twin sisters, Hyacinth and Dahlia Bloom. The sisters not only operate a quilt shop, their lives have revolved around quilts ever since they were toddlers sitting at their mother's knee watching her work her magic with a needle and thread.

Mother was a talented seamstress who was often hired as a dressmaker for the wealthy ladies of Fairville where the little family lived. Mrs. Genevieve Van Buren was one of those ladies and generously allowed Mother to take leftover fabric home where the scraps were combined and made into beautiful works of art.

The family moved to Camden Corners when the twins were just beginning their teen years. They were so busy making quilts in every shape and size, they didn't have time for any kind of social life and before they knew it, they were growing older and only had quilts to keep them warm on a cold winter's night.

The sisters purchased a lovely log cabin and with the help of some of the handymen of Camden Corners turned it into a quilt shop with a two bedroom apartment on the second floor. The walls of the shop and their home upstairs were covered with quilts. There were curtains made in a quilt pattern at the windows. They wore quilt skirts and jackets and even their flower beds resembled a quilt in the summertime. The ladies were happiest when they were teaching the young girls of Camden Corners how to quilt.

They may each have had thoughts of having their own family but they worked and lived as a pair and couldn't imagine life being any different than it had always been. It was difficult for anyone to tell the twin sisters apart. Both walked the same, talked the same and looked exactly alike. The twins didn't mind. They enjoyed the attention they received when strangers would enter their shop and think they were seeing double.

The sisters were not unattractive but rather plain. They wore their hair tied in a bun at the back of their necks. They didn't think it was proper for ladies to paint their faces and therefore never used any kind of powder or rouge to soften their complexion.

One autumn morning as the sisters were relaxing with a cup of tea on porch of their shop, along came Mr. Hennessy's covered wagon. Mr. Hennessy was a traveling salesman and the sisters bought most of their thread and quilting fabric from him. Instead of Mr. Hennessy, a younger man was sitting on the wagon. He was tall and very handsome.

“Good Morning ladies” the stranger called out “Harold Hightower at your service. Mr. Hennessy has taken a much deserved vacation and I am filling in for him for the next few weeks”.

Hyacinth greeted the salesman cordially and walked to the wagon to see what treasures Mr. Hightower had with him today.

Dahlia couldn't catch her breath. Never had she seen a man as beautiful as the one that was standing near her porch on this lovely, glorious autumn morning. Her whole body seemed to float as she walked toward the wagon.

Hyacinth notice Dahlia was acting rather strangely but didn't comment. Dahlia couldn't keep her eyes off of the salesman. She seemed to be in a trance. Hyacinth didn't know what to make of her sister's odd behavior.

Dahlia offered Mr. Hightower a cup of tea or a glass of cool lemonade. He was rather thirsty and gratefully accepted the spinster's offer.

“Please ladies, call me Harold. Mr. Hightower is so formal don't you think?”

Dahlia thought Harold was the most wonderful name she had ever heard. Harold was full of chatter and Dahlia hung on every word. Hyacinth thought Harold was a little too smooth and didn't trust him one bit. It never occurred to her that her beloved sister had fallen head over heals in love with Mr. Harold Hightower.

The week progressed and Dahlia was still floating through the air. She and Hyacinth had never had a cross word between them even when Dahlia had mistakenly planted tulip bulbs in the daffodil planter on the front porch of the shop or when Hyacinth used some beautiful silk fabric on her quilted jacket that Dahlia was saving for a skirt. Hyacinth noticed that Dahlia was looking in the mirror much more often than she ever had before. She didn't know what had come over her sister but she didn't like it one bit. That kind of vanity was a sin and besides, Dahlia wasn't as pretty as Hyacinth. Everyone knew that!

The following day the ladies walked to Warm Hearth Bakery. Diana Taylor was at the shop with her new baby, Joey. The sisters oohed and aah-ed over the beautiful baby boy and inquired about little Iris who was happily attending school.

Hyacinth was looking over the array of cookies when Dahlia took Diana off to a corner of the store. Diana was so pretty and Dahlia was asking her advice about maybe changing her hairstyle and using just a touch of makeup. Diana thought Dahlia would look beautiful with her hair flowing and a bit of rouge on her lips and cheeks.

They excused themselves and went to the back room where Diana undid Dahlia's bun. Her hair flowed as though it was happy to be able to breathe. Diana took her scissors and trimmed just a little off the sides and gave Dahlia some wispy bangs. Then she brushed her cheeks with powder and a bit of red coloring. The final touch was pale pink lipstick. Diana handed Dahlia a small mirror. When she looked at herself, she couldn't believe it was her. She loved her new look but she dreaded facing Hyacinth.

Slowly she walked out of the back room and over to Hyacinth who was looking longingly at an apple pie. Hyacinth turned around and nodded to the young woman standing behind her. Dahlia spoke and Hyacinth nearly fainted when she realized the young woman was her sister.

“What have you done?” Hyacinth was grasping her chest. She thought her heart was going to burst it was beating so fast.

Diana tried to calm Hyacinth down but to no avail. Hyacinth marched out of the store forgetting all about the apple pie. Dahlia was fighting back tears. She loved her sister but she was tired of being known as one of the plain Bloom sisters. She was tired of always dressing in quilts. She wanted to be fashionable. She confided in Diana that she had taken a shine to Mr. Harold Hightower and wanted to look appealing when he came to town next week. Diana didn't want to burst Dahlia's bubble, but she didn't think a traveling salesman would be the type who would settle down in a small town like Camden Corners .