Emily

Chapter Sixteen

When the night of the ball arrived, Emily was still fuming. She wasn't sure if she was angrier with herself, Nate or Mary.

On second thought, she knew. It was Mary she was furious with.

She found herself in Alexandra's room with Cassie and Allie, trying to choose between two gowns. She herself was more partial to a yellow one while both Cassandra and Alexandra were insisting that she wear a cream lace gown. When Ella, Cassandra's lady's maid, walked into the room, she too declared her preference for the cream. In the end, Emily decided to listen to them. There would always be another opportunity to wear the yellow.

"Is Miss Smithson ready, Ellen?" Cassandra asked, once they'd all dressed.

"Yes." Ellen said, grimacing slightly. "Forgive me, milady, for complaining but I don't think I can ever go back to help her again. She screamed until I tightened her corset and screamed more when it became too tight. She didn't allow me to do her hair properly, and accused me of pulling. By the end of it, she asked me to hand in my notice to her, as if I were under her employ!"

"I detest that girl." Emily growled, dragging the brush in her hand a little too roughly through Allie's hair, making her squeal lightly. "Oh, sorry, Allie!"

"It's alright." She said, managing a smile before scowling. "But I agree wholeheartedly about Mary. She boasted about her dress all day today and, in the end, asked me if I would like to try it on. Before I could answer, she 'changed her mind' because my complexion was entirely too wrong for her perfect dress and it would simply wash my skin out, whereas her complexion is so flawless that it would only enhance her own natural beauty. Those were her exact words."

"Natural beauty?" Cassandra scoffed, having long since given up on being kind to Mary. "She doesn't even come down to breakfast without wearing at least powder and rouge. Once, she even stained her lips to go riding alone."

"Since when have you given up on your crusade of being kind to her?"  Allie asked, sticking her tongue out at her sister, who responded by making a face.

"Since the time she told me that my daughter is far too chubby in the thighs." Cassandra answered plainly, making Emily, Allie and Ellen's mouths drop open.

"How dare she!" Emily exclaimed. "Juliette is absolutely perfect, just as every baby is. To make such comments about an innocent baby is despicable."

"Oh, I put her in her place after, so don't worry." Cassandra brushed it off, smiling gleefully. "I do wonder how Mr. and Mrs. Smithson can live with her, though."

"There's a reason they sent her here, where she could torture us." Allie commented, smiling devilishly as she allowed Emily to do her hair in twining braids. Emily had recently learned that she was quite good with doing hair, and Allie had allowed her to practice on her. She was planning on plaiting Allie's hair into multiple braids before twining them together in the form of a crown atop her head. Since Allie had long, waist-length hair, it would look lovely when she was finished.

While still concentrating, Emily found herself spilling the story of what had happened when she had accompanied Mary to the seamstress the previous week, down to every last detail. She remembered that moment for it had been playing over and over in her head ever since it had happened. At first, she hesitated, but she even told them of what Nate had said to her.

It seemed private, which was why she'd been reluctant at first, but she remembered Cassandra once telling her that friends told each other everything, except only those things of utmost confidentiality. Over time, she'd grown to consider both sisters very dear friends of hers, although she hadn't thought Allie would be the sort of girl she could befriend.