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Eloise’s hands were trembling, and she stared at the piece of paper, reading the words over and over again. Could it be… she dared not believe it, even as she longed to do so. The gentleman Madame Jonquil had shooed away, was it…
“Madame Jonquil? Could you help me with this?” Eloise called out, her voice trembling as she spoke.
The curtain rustled and the modiste’s smiling face appeared.
“Of course, Mademoiselle. Do you want me to tie you up?” she asked.
Eloise nodded. She had hastily pulled the strings of the dress apart, and now she raised her arms for Madam Jonquil to help her. The modiste pulled at the strings, trussing Eloise like plucked fowl.
“That’s just right,” Eloise said, even as she was struggling to breathe.
“It is a beautiful dress,oui?” Madame Jonquil chirped.
“Oh… yes, very beautiful, indeed. Madame Jonquil, did I hear you shooing out a man from the dressing rooms?” Eloise asked, trying to sound disinterested.
“Oh, forgive me, Mademoiselle. Sometimes the gentlemen take the wrong way to their dressing rooms. My husband is a tailor, you see, and we have our two shops joined together. Yes, there was a man here, but only for a moment. You must not concern yourself, Mademoiselle.” The modiste smiled at Eloise’s reflection in the mirror.
Eloise nodded.
“What did he look like?” she pressed, her heart pounding in her chest despite the tightness of the dress.
“The gentleman? Oh, let me see… I only saw him for a moment. Black hair, a trimmed beard… do not worry, Mademoiselle, he left now. There is no need to worry,” Madame Jonquil said.
Eloise could hardly contain her excitement. The description was that of Jackson, and now she was certain of what the note meant. He had found her sister. He had found Alice, and Eloise’s heart leapt for joy.
“Oh, how wonderful,” she exclaimed.
Madame Jonquil looked at her in surprise.
“I’m glad you like the dress, Mademoiselle. Shall we show your soon-to-be sisters-in-law?” she asked.
Eloise drew a deep breath and nodded. Her hands were trembling, and she could hardly believe what had happened. Jackson must have followed them that morning and watched as they entered the modiste. Hope returned to her heart. She had thought he had abandoned her, but all this time he had been watching over her. She could not have felt happier, despite still being trapped in her ugly fortune.
“Do you like it?” Penelope demanded as Eloise emerged into the parlor at the front of the shop.
“Oh… yes, I think it’s wonderful,” Eloise gushed, and Penelope and Claudia looked at one another in surprise.
“Is that so?” Penelope narrowed her eyes.
Eloise smiled at her.
“I’m sure it’s just the right fit. Madame Jonquil did the strings for me. Isn’t it lovely?”
Penelope and Claudia looked at one another. Eloise knew what they were thinking. Was this another trick? Another apparent madness?
“It’s a fine dress, very elegant,” Claudia agreed, and Penelope nodded.
“Yes, we’ll take it. Go and change out of it, Eloise. Madame Jonquil, will you have it wrapped for us? We’ll take it at once if it fits without the need for alteration,” Penelope said, and the modiste nodded.
Eloise returned to the changing compartment, half hoping to find another note on the floor. The thought of Jackson having been so close brought a shiver to her spine. She smiled as she undid the strings of the dress, pausing to look at the piece of paper once again.
“I’ve found her” Those simple words were everything Eloise had ever hoped for.
She had spent the years since her sister’s disappearance longing for this moment, and hardly daring to believe it would come. She had almost given up hope, but now she was overcome with joy. A hundred questions raced through her mind. What was to happen next? She pictured Alice walking through the door of the house, and the look on their father’s face when he saw her. What would she look like? The thought caught Eloise by surprise. She pictured Alice as her elder sister. In Eloise’s mind, Alice was preserved in aspic, the same today as she had been on that last evening they had been together.
What if I don’t recognize her?
She pulled off the wedding dress, allowing it to fall to the floor in a heap.
