It's a little different when you're the one running the store, though. That's not to say Amelia didn't brush people off when she did less than legal things for them if they were rude or upsetting in some way, but the daily stream of people visiting her family's spice shops always got her best face.

"Not every dress needs to be made of the brightest of fabrics." Alex offers Verity a sympathetic smile. "Something simple, yet elegant, in black can be just as ravishing as something in, say, turquoise."

Amelia rolls her eyes at the comment but doesn't say anything as she continues looking through the wall of fabrics. There's a few patterned materials that have caught her eyes with the same base color as the first fabric she picked out, so she's taking a closer look at them.

"Everything I make presents its own unique challenge," he adds quickly, returning his full attention to Verity, "so let's see if we can't find something to begin yours. Tell me, what kind of fabrics do you like? Something soft? Sturdy? Something that moves easily or breathes well? Once I have a picture of what you like, we can look through every bolt of black fabric that will meet your requirements."

Accommodation is this man's specialty, and he's going to do everything possible to make Verity feel comfortable with the process. They'll take things nice and slow, and build her something beautiful together.