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When it was time for the corset, Eloise held her breath. Her aunt had an odd rule for her—she claimed that her corset should be laced tighter than other Ladies to make her appear more desirable. It didn’t make much sense to her, but it did succeed in tightening her waist.
And when finally, she slipped on her handcrafted blue gown, she felt beautiful. For once, she felt like she could compare to Kate and the beauty of other Ladies. She smiled to herself, feeling the soft, silk garment against her fingers.
“Thank you, Letitia,” Eloise said.
Eloise continued staring at herself in the mirror. For once, her hazel eyes brightened up as her cinnamon hair helped reveal more of her creamy, clear skin. She tucked some strands of it behind her ears as her smile beamed. It all fit together just as she had hoped. James would be smitten when he laid his eyes on her.
Suddenly, the door burst open, revealing the sight of Felicity—her older cousin.
“Eloise!” Felicity spoke out. “You’re just the person I wanted to see.”
Felicity stormed inside the room in a teal feathered high-waist gown, taking a seat on the bed and scrambling the carefully ordered sheets. She was holding a glass of milk in her hand, taking a sip from it every few words.
“Yes?” Eloise asked nervously.
“My room needs cleaning, you know,” Felicity said. “I realize you cleaned it this morning, but you might have left the window open. Anyway, everything is a mess.”
Eloise nodded. She began brushing her hair, trying to ignore Felicity’s baseless words; even Felicity couldn’t ruin her mood today. The window was definitely shut when she had left, and even if it was left open, there was no possible way that the room could be in ruins again. Winter was nearing, indeed, but the weather had been comparatively tame these past days.
“I’ll be sure to take care of it once I’m ready,” Eloise replied. With the help of her maid, she put her hair into a half-up, half-down style. Perfect.
Felicity was definitely not satisfied with the answer she received. If she had been, she wouldn’t be in the room anymore, nor would she have been in deep thought like she was now. Her thin lips were pressed in a tight line, and her hazel eyes twinkled with trouble.
And then, in just one movement, she jumped to her feet, spilling a faint droplet of milk on her teal gown. The shrieks that followed could only be described as demonic; Felicity sounded like someone was strangling her.
Aunt Alexandra rushed into the room at once, her brown eyes wide, trying to understand what was happening. Felicity stood by the side with her arms in the air and her dress now ruined, while Eloise and her maid remained frozen with their mouths open wide. Felicity was known for her clumsiness, but this was unexpected.
“What happened? Felicity, dear, are you all right?” Aunt Alexandra said as she stepped closer to her.
“My dress… is stained.” Felicity began to sob. “I need a new gown for the ball—I can’t wear the same one, mama!”
“Of course you can’t, dear. Don’t cry,” Aunt Alexandra said, as she too fell into panic. “I’m sure there’s something we can do, we must have a spare somewhere. Letitia, go find the seamstress!”
Felicity eyed Eloise for a moment, who still hadn’t moved an inch. “I want Eloise’s dress. I think blue looks much more high-class on me,” Felicity continued. “She can wear an old dress, right mama? She’s a failed debutante, so it shouldn’t matter for her, right?”
Aunt Alexandra appeared in thought. “I—yes, perhaps you’re right.” She turned to Eloise, stepping closer to her. “Oh darling, do the kind thing and let Felicity wear your dress. You’re both the same size, so it won’t be much of an issue.”
Eloise was lost for words. She had spent hours and hours finalizing her gown, making sure it looked the best it could for this year’s Winter Season ball. She had everything planned to a tee, the dress, the accessories, the hair. And now…
“But Aunt, I—”
“Please, call me mama,” Aunt said.
“Mama…”
Eloise’s words were interrupted by Felicity burying her head in her hands and crying even louder. And just like that, Eloise knew she had lost. She took a deep breath, turning to face the mirror, and giving one final look at her own handcrafted piece.
“All right,” Eloise mumbled.
“Oh, and you can wear my yellow dress instead!” Felicity said suddenly.
“But that one is hideo—”
Eloise stopped herself from saying what everyone knew. The dress was truly hideous. Felicity had an odd obsession with feathers, and that dress had feathers stitched all around its hems. It looked unflattering even on Kate, the recognized diamond of the first water, so there was no doubt it would look atrocious on Eloise.
“You’re so kind, Eloise, thank you.” Felicity’s thin lips stretched into a sly smirk.
“Thank goodness,” Aunt Alexandra exhaled. “I’ll go bring the gown while you undress. It won’t be long.”
They stepped out into the hall, leaving Eloise alone, silence filling the room. She had no other option but to listen to them. She would try her best not to let this taint her experience at this year’s ball, but deep down, it was all hopeless.
