“In truth, I do not know.” She could not answer the question for he had been kind indeed and admired practically every gown she wore these days.
“Why do you like the plain colors, Emily?” Julia asked, her tone more somber once again.
“Because they help to blend into a corner.” She picked up another sample, feeling the chance to be playful return. “Or maybe I should pick something like this, then I can blend into the curtains.” Her jest did not even manage to pull a smile from Julia this time, who merely folded her arms as she stared back at her.
“Do you want to blend into the curtains, Emily?”
“No.” The answer came from her surprisingly honestly. She lowered the two samples in her hands and turned back to wander across the room. She hovered a hand over some much grander materials, inlaid with such details of embroidered lace that her eyes were lost in tracing the curves and swirls of each one.
“Then, what would you like to wear?” Julia asked, reaching down to one of the samples beside Emily. “I think you would look nice in this.” She picked up a midnight blue sample, with white lace detailing, designed to brighten the material. She held it up to Emily’s cheek, checking the color against her eyes.
“How about this one, Emily?” Grace hurried over, startling Emily by throwing a much larger sample over her shoulder. It was satin purple, almost regal and royal in its rich color.
“I could not wear that!” Emily declared, trying to push the material off her, but Grace would not let her.
“Why on earth not? I think you would look quite stunning in it.”
“How about this one?” Charity’s voice interrupted their conversation as she walked over with a fresh bolt of material that had just been handed to her by the modiste. This one was white, but it was embroidered with dark red thread, almost the color of Emily’s auburn hair. It was both a delicate and equally bold pattern, one that made Emily walk toward it, reaching out a hand and dancing her fingers across the embroidered material. “What do you think, Emily? Would you like to try something a little different for a change?”
“Maybe, just this once,” she said, hearing Grace clap her hands together behind her.
“Hurrah!” Grace declared. “Quick, get her fitted before she changes her mind.”
* * *
Emily stepped out from the curtain toward the mirror, finding she could not quite look up into the mirror just yet.
“Oh my…” Charity practically breathed the words, fluttering a hand beside her chest. The move was just visible out of the corner of Emily’s eye. “You are quite stunning, Emily.”
“She cannot look,” Julia’s voice wafted nearer as she came to stand behind Emily. “Go on. Take a look.”
Emily breathed deeply before lifting her chin and looking into the mirror. The modiste had spent a long time pinning the material over her stays and chemise, until a gown was formed. As Emily finally looked at the mirror, she was uncertain she was looking at herself at all.
It was as if a different woman was staring back at her, wearing such a striking gown that her own eyes couldn’t move away. The neckline was deep and square, with the waistline accenting what appeared to be a slim waist between curves. If anything, it emphasized the subtle swell of her hips, down to her legs with floating soft material falling delicately to the floor. The color perfectly matched her hair, leaving Julia to stand beside her and fuss with her hair.
“How about doing your hair like this for the ball?” she suggested, pushing more curls to the front of her head so more color was on show.
“I like it,” Emily muttered, smiling into the mirror.
She could so easily picture the day that Aaron had brought her the dark red roses, she felt for the first time that she was perhaps good enough to receive one of those roses.
Maybe I am not quite as bad as I always thought…
“The red rose is perfect for you.”That is what Aaron had said as he had presented them to her.“Bold and seductive.”
“Oh, we simply must have that one.” Charity was on her feet already, hurrying toward the modiste as Grace came near, fluffing out the skirt of the gown.
“Emily, I think your suitor might swoon when he sees you in this,” Grace said, fussing with her skirt a little more.
“Do not tease me.” Emily waved off the praise.
“I am not teasing you,” Grace insisted. “Have you seen yourself in that mirror?”
Emily turned her eyes toward the mirror again, finding a smile take up place at last.
“Maybe it is not so bad,” she said aloud, much to the joy of Julia and Grace who shared a smile of their own.
“Good lord, Emily,” Grace said with a sigh. “If you wear this, I think I’ll fade into the background.”
