Again, Lucy hesitated. “He might. But he has never said so directly. But there are looks, and we have held hands. And heaven knows my heart goes aflutter at times when I am near him, and we brush shoulders, or he looks at me with those eyes.”
“Ah… just as I thought. A sure sign of true love.”
“Isabell, please do come down to earth. A romance between us is about as likely as the sun dancing with the moon.”
Chapter 14
The ball was two weeks away. It was late September, and George was busy with his father preparing for the autumn shearing. But every free moment he could spare was spent at his easel, so he was totally unavailable to help with the preparations for the grand event.
However, the Duchess managed to rouse herself enough to be actively engaged in executing the plans for the ball, and she had Flossy, Lucy, and Mrs. Mead scrambling to carry out her orders.
And for the sisters, it was all about the new gowns. Betsy was quite content to wear what she already had—much to her mother’s chagrin. But Charlotte and Ann had worried and fussed over the design, construction, and fitting of their gowns for the past several weeks.
The dresses were due to be delivered this morning, along with the dressmaker and her assistants, for any final adjustments that might need to be made if there were any concerns.
As Ann had the largest bedroom, the three sisters were gathered there in preparation for the arrival of the dressmaker.
Betsy, even though she was not getting a new dress, had been asked to come along because she had elegant taste and the other sisters valued her opinions. But until the dresses arrived, she was curled up in the window seat with her latest book, oblivious to her sisters’ conversation.
Ann was standing before her full-length mirror with a tiara worked into her hair, and she was turning her head from side to side to gauge the effect.
“Too pretentious, do you think?” she asked Charlotte.
Her sister took a step backward to study her. “It makes you look too matronly,” Charlotte offered.
“Oh, no. Anything but that.” And she whipped the tiara out immediately.
“I am going with a floral look,” Charlotte said, “I am securing the hair on top and adding a ringlet of blue flowers. I think simple and charming is the look to go for.”
“I believe I shall wear my hair shorter with spit curls around the face,” Ann replied. “It will make me look younger, think you not?”
But Charlotte was already engrossed in selecting just the right necklace and was searching through the family jewel box looking for what might work for her. She found a simple choker of gold leaves that would match her gown perfectly.
Without knocking, the Duchess rushed in followed by the dressmaker and her assistants carrying the new dresses.
“Oh, daughters, they have arrived. Come, change immediately and let me see how you look.”
Even Betsy raised her head and closed her book.
Ann and Charlotte quickly changed and stood before the standing mirror admiring themselves.
The dressmaker, Madame Hortense, fluttered around them, adjusting the fall of the fabric, examining a seam, or pulling up a puffed sleeve into its proper position.
“Ah,zayare so lovely. What charming daughters you have, Your Grace.”
Judith sighed as she beheld the lovely gowns. Even Betsy smiled as she looked on.
Ann’s gown consisted of a robin’s-egg-blue, satin, high-waisted, full-length base with puff sleeves, overlaid with a sheer floral-patterned fabric that fell to the floor and created a modest train. A white satin belt was fitted just under the bust.
Ann raised her arms and frowned, “It pinches,” she said to Madam Hortense. “The sleeve seams need to be let out.”
Madame Hortense checked the seam as Ann held her arms in the air. She then turned to one of her assistants. “One-quarter inch,” she commanded. “Miss, if you will remove the gown we shall make the adjustment immediately.”
“Thank you,” Ann said as she shed the gown.
Then Judith and Madame Hortense turned to Charlotte who was wearing an extremely simple cream-colored gown with a pattern of grey dots covering the entire dress until the bottom where the pattern turned into a delicate floral pattern, evolving into a simple train. It, too, had puff sleeves with the dotted pattern.
Charlotte looked radiant, Judith thought.
