The Dressmaker's Son (10 page)

CHAPTER 21

The first
collection sold well beyond Rebekah’s expectations.  Within three weeks of the
collection being introduced, Rebekah had orders for thirty-three gowns and she
had six weeks to deliver them.  She hired three seamstresses and went to work.  She
did them in the order in which she received the orders and hired Solomon to
deliver them.  He was now almost nineteen, out of high school, and taking
college classes at night in business and accounting.  Before long he had set up
her books and created a system to keep track of all orders and payments.

            Immediately Rebekah got
to work on the holiday collection.  Jacob had ordered in a variety of fabrics
and trim, and Rebekah was spending the afternoon browsing through them and
making selections. “These are beautiful, Jacob,” she said. “They seem to get
prettier and prettier.”

            “I tried to find things
that were a little bit different, even though some of them are more expensive.”

            “That’s okay, Jacob.  This
buyer wants something different that looks expensive,” She paused for a minute.
“Jacob,” she started diffidently.  “I’d like to talk to you about a possible
business proposition.”

            “Business proposition?"
Jacob responded.

            “Yes. Perhaps you and
Rachael and I could speak about this after dinner tonight.”

            “You have me intrigued,
Rebekah.  Of course we can.”

            It was not unusual for
Rebekah to eat with Jacob’s family a couple of times a week. “What’s one more,”
Rachael always said, “If there’s enough for six, there’s enough for seven.”  The
meal was always delicious and Rebekah enjoyed all of her nieces and nephews,
especially Gabe, who was the closest in age to Samuel.

            That night Rebekah
helped Rachael and the girls clean up.  When they were done, they went into the
little parlor.  “So tell me, Rebekah, what kind of business proposition do you
have for me?” Jacob asked with a smile in his voice.

            “Well, Jacob, this may
be premature and maybe even over-confident of me, but I think my business with
Bloomingdales could be way bigger than I counted on.  I’m not sure how I will
be able to handle it.”

            “And what do you think
I could do, Rebekah?”

            “Well, if the business
grows like I think it might, having women sew in their homes won’t be a good
option.  Already I’ve had a few instances where some fabric was ruined by a
spill or a sick child kept the mother from sewing.  And sometimes, the gowns
smell like fried onions or some other food and I have to air them out before
Sollie can deliver them.”

            Jacob and Rachael both
smiled.

            Rebekah continued.  “I
think, perhaps, I could find a loft or store somewhere and hire seamstresses to
work for me there. We could have an area for cutting out the patterns, and an area
with several sewing machines, and a pressing room.  Actually, Sollie is the
mastermind behind this.  He already does my books and would handle the finance
and business end.”

            “It sounds like you
have it all planned out, Rebekah.  What do you need from me and Rachael?”

            “Truthfully, Jacob, I
don’t think this is something I can do by myself.  I was thinking that you and
Rachael might want to become my partners.  Martin has already commented on the
dresses I wear when I come to see him and has asked me to design a collection
of daytime dresses.  I can do the designing, but I will need someone to help
manage the factory and the production.”

            “So you want to have
your own factory?” Jacob asked.

            “Factory sounds so
big,” Rebekah replied. “But I guess that is what it would be.  If we start
small and try not to commit to more than we can do, it should be okay.  We can
always grow it.  All I want to do is be able to design the lines.  And fashions
are changing.  I want to be part of those changes.”

Rachael, who had
been listening intently, spoke up, “It could work, Jacob.  I can be at the
store most of the time, and with Sollie only going to school at night, he can
help.  Miriam has been helping in the store for a year now, and she can work
after school.  And Leah watches Gabe now, so among us we can pretty much cover
things.”

“And David would
probably help us set up all the accounting stuff like he did for me here.  Payroll
is a whole different thing about which I know nothing,” Jacob interjected.

“Sollie could work
with David, Jacob.  He is already learning that stuff,” Rebekah said. “I
already don’t know what I would do without his help.  He has all kinds of ideas
for my business.”

“Let us sleep on
it, Rebekah,” Rachael said.  “There is a lot to think about, but maybe this
could be good for everybody.”

That night when they
got in bed Rachael said to Jacob, “There is something Rebekah isn’t telling us,
Jacob.  I’m not sure what it is, but she is doing this for a reason.”

“What kind of
reason could she have, Rachael?”

“I don’t know, but
I know Rebekah.  I could see something in her eyes.”

Jacob leaned over
and gave Rachael a hug.  “I only look at your eyes, Rachael,” he said with a
smile.  “And they are as beautiful as the day I first met you.”

Rachael giggled
and reached over and turned out the light.

Rebekah had a
sleepless night.  She thought her plan was a good one and a way to make a lot
of money.  But what was she thinking?  She knew the truth, and the truth was
that she was going to go to St. Petersburg to get Samuel.  It was only a matter
of time.  She couldn’t do this to Rachael and Jacob.  If the business really took
off, who would design the dresses if she left? It wasn’t that she felt she was
indispensable, but the women bought the gowns for their style and fabrication.  How
would she find someone to do that for her while she was away?  What if it took
two or three seasons to get him and get back to America? She couldn’t use Jacob
and Rachael this way.  It wasn’t fair.  Tomorrow she would go back and tell
Rachael the truth. This could still happen, but not now, not until she found
Samuel.

The next day she
spent the morning designing one of the gowns for the holiday collection and
then headed over to Rachael’s.  Jacob was in the store and Rachael was upstairs
with Gabe who was playing on the floor while Rachael cooked.

She picked up Gabe
and kissed on him.  “How many kisses do you have for Aunt Bekka, today?” she
asked him as he squirmed.

“No more, Aunt Bekka,”
he answered as he maneuvered out of her arms.  Rebekah laughed and kissed Rachael
on the cheek.  “He’s getting so big.  I can’t imagine how big Samuel is now,” she
said as she sat down.

Rachael turned and
looked Rebekah in the eyes.  “I have fresh coffee,” she said. “Let’s sit and
talk.”

Rebekah sat at the
kitchen table and Rachael brought over two cups of coffee and then went back
and got a little plate of cookies.

Rebekah smiled, “Mama
used to make these cookies,” she said wistfully.

“They were always
my favorite,” Rachael answered.  "She used to come to the house and make
them with me when the children were little.  I really miss her.”

“I know. Me too, Rachael.”

“So tell me, Rebekah,
what’s wrong? What are you not telling me?’

“You’ve always
been the wise one, Rachael.  Even when we were little, you always knew when I
had done something wrong.  Sometimes you even knew it before I did it.  But you
are right.  I’ve had a plan since not long after Misha took Samuel.  You must
know I am saving so I can go and get him back.  That is why I started taking
clients again and then did the collection for Bloomingdales.  I am saving my
money to go and get my Samuel. That’s what I wasn’t telling you, and the truth
is, it wouldn’t have been right for me to build a business with you and Jacob
and then leave.  If I knew how long it might take to get him, I thought that
maybe before I left I could design the next collection and leave it for you to
take to Martin.  But what if it takes longer than I thought?  That would put
you all in a terrible position.  And I can’t do that to you after all you’ve
done for me.  So I will do a few more collections, continue to save my money,
and then go to St. Petersburg to get my Samuel. Hopefully when we come back, we
can really start up a business together.”

“I wish I could
say I am surprised, Rebekah, but I’m not.  I would want to go and find my son
also.  But have you been listening to what Jacob has been telling us about what
is happening in Russia?  The letters he receives from his friends talk of
unrest; the Dumas has failed three times; the political unrest is becoming
stronger; and worst of all, Jacob told me that Russia has lost hundreds of
thousands of soldiers in the war against Germany.”

“I know, but I am
not afraid.  I worry that if Misha goes to war and dies what will happen to my
Samuel?  Do you think his wife will still be in the right social circle if the czar
is overthrown?  And here’s the rest of what I haven’t told you.  I will go
first to Yelizavetgrad and get Mama.”

Rachael gasped. “What
do you mean? How will you do that?”

“Before Misha
came, I always thought I could save the money to send her a ticket and bring
her here to surprise you like Jacob did, but now that we know that Misha has
intercepted our letters before, I can’t risk it.  So I will get her papers
ready and bring her a ticket.  What scares me as much as anything is what
effect the war could have on towns like Yelizavetgrad. I worry that Mama will
not be safe.  We must get her out of there.”

Rachael got up and
walked behind Rebekah’s chair and put her arms around her. “My brave Rebekah,”
she said her voice husky. “I know you have made up your mind.  We will talk to
Jacob and he will help you make a plan.”

Jacob was not
thrilled with the idea of Rebekah traveling to St. Petersburg.  Things there
were getting worse.  In letters from his friends he had learned that leaders of
the revolutionary movements were continually rounded up and imprisoned.  Still
their followers pushed on to gain some equality for the downtrodden workers.  Others
worked to overthrow the czar.  Jews were certainly not welcomed in St. Petersburg.
 “You can probably count the number of Jews there on two hands, now,” he had
told Rebekah.  

But he realized
that she would not change her mind, so he wrote to two of his old friends in Yelizavetgrad
and Kiev to get the latest updates, and over the next several months they made
a plan.  Rebekah was already working on the holiday collection which was to be
delivered at the beginning of October.  She would do the Spring/Summer and Fall
collections in March and August.  In October she would deliver the holiday
collection and tell Martin that she was going away for a while.

Jacob helped
Rebekah get the tickets for both herself and Rose.  Rebekah would take Rose by
train to Amsterdam where she would then take the steamship to America.  Then Rebekah
would take the train to St. Petersburg.  She wasn’t sure exactly how things
would go once she got there, but her initial plan was to try to find a job as a
seamstress.  She would travel under a different name and as a Christian. It was
not safe for Jews in Russia outside the Pale.  Much had happened since Rebekah
left, and with the upheaval that was going on, she couldn’t risk traveling as a
Jew. “In fact,” he had told her, “It isn’t even St. Petersburg anymore. The czar
has changed the name to Petrograd.”

The time went
quickly.  Rebekah’s next two collections were even more successful than the
first and Bloomingdales had taken more orders than Rebekah and Martin had
agreed upon.  As a result, she now had ten women sewing for her in their homes.
 So far this had not presented any serious problems.  

Solomon had come
to work for her, helping in many ways.  With Uncle David’s help, he put
together an accounting system for her that tracked the expenses of the fabrics
and sewing notions as well as the payments she received from Bloomingdales.  He
handled paying the seamstresses for their work.  Mrs. Weiss allowed him to use
another room in the house to organize and check the gowns for quality before
delivering them to Bloomingdales.  Rebekah didn’t know what she would have done
without him.  

“Aunt Bekka,”
Solomon told her one day. “Mama and Papa told me you talked to them about
having a shop of your own.  When you come back, we must look into that.  You
can have a thriving business, I know.”

“Absolutely,
Sollie, especially now that I really know how talented you are.  You could
manage everything.  When I come back with Samuel, we will put it all together.  Meanwhile,
I know you will be in school.  Look after your mama while I’m gone.  She will
always worry.”

Solomon blushed
with pride.  At nineteen he was an exceptionally handsome young man, soft with
dark blue sensitive eyes and a smile just like Jacob’s, but his hair was dark
brown and wavy like Rachael’s. And he was as beautiful on the inside as the outside;
always making sure that Rebekah was okay and helping Jacob in the store without
being asked.  Now he was taking college courses at night hoping to become an
accountant.  Rebekah had once teased him about not having a girlfriend.  “I see
how the girls look at you, Sollie.  How come there is no special girl for you?”

Rebekah noticed a
sad look on his face. “I’m sorry, Sollie,” she said. “I didn’t mean to pry.”

“I’m waiting for
one like you, Aunt Bekka,” he teased back with half a smile. Then he added, “Actually,
I had someone I really liked, but she died in the big fire.”

“Big
fire?” Rebekah prompted.

“At
the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory.”

“Yes.
I remember that. You used to work there.”