Disclaimer - I don't own Beauty and the Beast (2017) or any characters involved. Copyright to Walt Disney Studios.

Finally starting to upload BatB fics! This may be the longest single chapter I've ever written for a fic, there's a lot going on here. This story will be a three-shot covering my headcanons for Stanley's family, how he grew up and will set up his character/role in my upcoming LeFou Potts fic

Slight warning - there's a lot of cruel words directed at Stanley through this, and there probably will be in the next chapter once I get to writing it as well.

My Dearest Sister

"Now, Stanley, mon cher, you must be careful with those."

The young boy spun around at the sound of his mother's voice as she entered the backroom of the shop. Stanley had been examining the beginnings of a dress that was laid out on the bench waiting to be sewed, possibly a little too closely, but when he turned to look at her, instinctively bringing his hands behind his back, Vivien showed no signs of suspicion, and simply placed the stack of fabric she had carried in down and got to work on the pattern he had been looking at.

"Yes, Maman…"

He knew he should just go now, leave his mother to her work, but his eyes were drawn to the fabric she had just brought it. All pale pink or white. To be made into a set of new dresses for his older sisters' birthday which was fast approaching. Without thinking, and without taking his eyes off the fabric, Stanley asked a question.

"Will I get one for my birthday?"

"What?" Vivien lifted her head to see what her son was referring to, "Oh. Yes, I suppose if you'd like a special birthday outfit when the time comes, I'll make you something."

"A dress…" he mumbled absentmindedly, still staring, "I want a dress for my birthday…"

Vivien's head snapped up. "A dress? Stanley, darling, that's hardly appropriate," she gave him a stern look, "I'll make you a nice, smart waistcoat like your father's, shall I?"

Stanley, wide-eyed with fear at her apparent anger, nodded stiffly. But part of him still couldn't drop the subject.

"Why…" his voice shook, but he swallowed back his nerves and continued, "Why do the girls get dresses and I don't?"

"Because little boys don't wear dresses. Pretty dresses are for pretty girls, Stanley. Boys aren't pretty." There was a sharp finality to her tone that made him go quiet. He nodded again and she shooed him out of the room.

Elise, Eloise and Eliana were busy tidying up the shop now that they had closed for the night. Eloise, sweeping the floor, noticed Stanley's dejected-looking expression as he entered the room.

"Stanley? Are you alright?"

Elise and Eliana paused and looked up from the table where they had been sorting ribbons. While Eloise was concerned for her brother, they were entirely uninterested in his problems and weren't too happy about being interrupted. Stanley saw their glares and looked down.

"I'm fine."

He began organizing equipment without another word, leaving Eloise quite discouraged. Eliana scoffed and rolled her eyes before going back to work and Elise followed suit after a quick glance between Eloise and Stanley.

When Eloise didn't return to sweeping, instead watching Stanley with sympathetic eyes, Eliana spoke up, louder than necessary, as per usual.

"It's anyone's guess why Maman lets him in the shop at all. He doesn't do anything to help, he just stares at the clothes like he thinks it could solve all his problems," she turned her gaze on Stanley himself, "As if that could help the sort of problem you have."

Stanley's face flushed and his mouth gaped. Elise looked from Eliana to Stanley and back again, not sure what to say. Or if she should say anything at all. Eliana offered only a mock-sympathetic smile and went back to her work, Elise obediently copying her, but Eloise continued to glare at her sister. How dare she? She didn't say a word at first, just went on sweeping with her anger evident in the way she scowled down at the floor and gripped the broom tighter, but after a few seconds she threw the broom down and strode up to Stanley. Unlike Eliana, her sympathy was always genuine, especially when it came to her little brother. She gently took his hand and pulled him towards the backroom again, ignoring how Eliana huffed and rolled her eyes and how Elise curiously leaned forward over the bench.

"Maman?" Eloise called, knocking on the door.

"Come in, darling."

Stanley gripped Eloise's hand tightly, half hiding behind her as she opened the door and craned her head around the doorway. He had no idea what she was doing, but he trusted her far more than he trusted Elise or Eliana.

"Maman, Stanley isn't feeling well, would it be alright if I take him up to bed?"

He didn't hear a response but he assumed she had nodded or smiled or gave some other affirmation as Eloise thanked her and closed the door, walking slowly upstairs so as not to end up dragging him behind her. Instead of taking him to his room, she detoured to her own and Stanley felt his heartbeat quicken. Eloise knew exactly what would cheer him up after being spoken to that way.

With their mother and sisters busy, and their father not yet home, they had a fair amount of time to themselves.

"And now," Eloise said with a smile, closing her door behind them and opening the wardrobe, "It's time to play dress-up!"

A grin split across Stanley's face and Eloise's own smile widened. She let him take his pick from her selection of dresses and helped him put it on. She sat on her bed and watched him twirl around. He stood in front of her and curtsied and the two danced around the room.

It couldn't last long, though. This was a rare occurrence, and one that they couldn't risk being found out. All too soon, Eloise was carefully placing the dress back in its place and guiding the yawning Stanley to his bedroom. Once he was laid down and tucked in, she placed a gentle kiss on his cheek and whispered goodnight to him.

That was when Stanley was only nine years old, and his sisters twelve.

Over time, Stanley grew more and more hesitant to play "dress-up" with Eloise. His mother deemed his interest in pretty things as inappropriate and Eliana always had to remind him what a disappointment he was. It was too much and he couldn't keep risking being found out just for a few brief moments of bliss. He and Eloise talked about dresses often, laughing as they each playfully insisted that a particular one would suit the other better. Their whispered conversations would, however, earn sneers from Eliana and confused frowns from Elise, and soon they could only really talk in private. The only thing they could all agree on was their bitterness towards the strange outsider of a girl, the one who hadn't been born in Villeneuve like everyone else in their generation. The one who their mother had fawned over ever since the girl had been big enough to dress up. But that did no good to Stanley; Eliana was still a cow, and Elise was still a sheep.

It wasn't surprising that Stanley drifted apart from Eloise as he got older. And yet he found it difficult to make friends with the other young boys in the village. Sometimes he thought he had found one he shared some kind of bond with but it always seemed like he cared for the other boy more than he cared for Stanley. And apparently, something about that made them quite uncomfortable. Once, a boy called Lafayette – the friend of a rather arrogant older boy, who always called him "LeFou" – caught his attention. But whenever Stanley thought he was beginning to make a connection with him, his friend Gaston would come swaggering over and suddenly Lafayette only had eyes for him. Stanley would huff and roll his eyes (a habit he would never admit he had picked up from Eliana) but hadn't the confidence to speak up.

He was angry. At Gaston, at Eliana, at his mother, but more than anything, at himself. For being weak. For being wrong. Sometimes, Eloise would place a hand on his shoulder and ask if he was alright. He learned to hide it. He didn't want her to worry about him so much. He could find his own outlet for these feelings.

The first time Stanley held a sword in his hands, he felt he had found the confidence he had been lacking, as well as a substitute for the dresses. The shine of the light as it hit the blade, the elegant way it cut the air as he swung it and the strength it seemed to give him. It was beautiful, just like the dresses had been.

And all the little things drove him to work, to perfect his skills. His sister's dismissiveness, his mother's desire to stifle him, the ever-present threat that his father could learn his secret, the way Gaston captured the focus of not only Lafayette, but now Eloise, Elise and Eliana…

Wait.

His sisters? Fans of Gaston? Stanley felt jealousy rising deep inside him. And, strangely, something like admiration, but not quite. Idolization. That was how he supposed to be. The kind of boy his parents would be proud of, the kind Eliana and Elise would respect, the kind Lafayette would consider-

He cut off that thought before it could go any further.

By the time he was fourteen, Stanley had become hard as stone. It had been years since Eloise had last comforted him with a dress, and months since they had last had a real, sincere conversation between just the two of them. He was losing what had always grounded him. He still appreciated the fine fashions that filled his mother's shop and the beauty of the sword he had taken to wearing on his waist sometimes, but he was much more subtle about it these days, rather choosing to pick fights in an effort to look tough. So far, Stanley had managed to earn the favour of some of the boys at his school but the one he had no desire to befriend was always Gaston, for multiple reasons.

And one day, Gaston gave him yet another reason to dislike him.

As the boys ran out of the schoolhouse that afternoon, Stanley noticed the triplets at work together doing the laundry by the well. The three of them were sneering at the funny girl – Belle – who was stood opposite them, letting herself be distracted from washing by a book she had open on the wall beside her. Stanley couldn't help the way his lip curled in disdain at Belle's odd habits, just the same as his sisters' did. But then Elise, Eloise, Eliana, and every other young girl at the well besides Belle, suddenly looked up, past Stanley, and he turned around out of curiosity. Gaston had just come out of the schoolhouse, an arrogant smirk on his face as the headmaster berated him yet again. He never seemed to care if he got in trouble. Ignoring the headmaster's attempts, he sauntered away, over to Lafayette, who was waiting for him nearby.

Lafayette had given up going to school some time ago in favour of helping his family – his grandmother was old and frail, and his parents were too overworked to properly care for her. They needed all the help they could get and Stanley admired the boy for doing such a thing. But now, he was there waiting for his friend.

Stanley was about to move on when he noticed Gaston leaving Lafayette's side and approaching the well. Lafayette seemed to just be standing by to watch, gazing at Gaston the same way Stanley had often found himself gazing at Lafayette. Gaston himself was walking up behind the triplets and Stanley thought for a moment that he might just try to flirt with them. He wasn't prepared for what was actually about to happen.

The girls, sensing the presence behind them, all turned to look and couldn't help the grins that stretched across their faces when they saw who it was.

A rather passive "Excuse me," was all he said to them, though, as he pushed Eliana and Eloise apart and leaned against the well in between them. He paid them very little attention, apparently more focused on Belle, who had all but given up on her laundry to read her book. Gaston seemed unusually intrigued by the funny girl on the other side of the well. Stanley's brow creased at the sight of his sisters being ignored. He may not have gotten along very well with Eliana and Elise, but he was still their brother, and he felt some level of protectiveness over them.

Eloise, looking a little miffed, tried to go on washing the skirt in her hands, but Eliana evidently had other ideas. She edged closer to Gaston, hoping to draw his attention away from Belle, only for Gaston to give her an annoyed look and shove her away, harsher than before. He took a step back, right into Eloise, causing her to drop the skirt. It drifted to the centre of the well and Eloise struggled to reach it. Belle finally put her book down when she heard the splash and was surprised by the scene before her. She also tried to reach the skirt. It took a moment or two before it floated close enough for her to grab it, but none of the triplets noticed her help. They were too distracted.

When Gaston made no attempt to apologise to the girls or help at all, Stanley stormed towards him with a fire in his eyes. He was too angry to notice the worried expression on Lafayette's face.

"What do you think you're doing?" he demanded once he was only a couple of feet away. The girls circled around the well looked up at him but he barely even saw them.

Gaston was clearly shocked that Stanley was standing up to him and went to speak but Eliana did before he could.

"What do you think you're doing, Stanley?" she snapped, "he didn't mean any harm, it was just an accident."

Stanley blinked in surprise and Gaston looked smug. Belle was wringing out the soaked skirt, going completely unnoticed by the rest of them.

"You're going to defend him?" Stanley stared at Eliana, "In what world could you possibly say that was an accident?"

Eliana glared at him, gritting her teeth, "Stanley, be quiet."

"I won't! And what are you looking so proud of yourself for?" he turned to Gaston, "You're just taking advantage of them! How dare you?"

"What are you getting so worked up for?" Gaston countered, "They obviously forgive me, what's the trouble?"

"Forgive you? You didn't even apologise. You still aren't apologizing. Besides, Eliana does not speak for all of them. Despite what you may think about triplets, they don't all share one mind."

He looked past Gaston to Eloise, who was now picking up the slightly drier skirt that Belle had discreetly placed next to her, still unnoticed. In fact, it seemed Belle had disappeared without any of them knowing. Eloise didn't look at him, only hissed a response out of the corner of her mouth.

"Stanley, please, you're causing a scene…"

Stanley's face fell and he couldn't stop the rage bubbling up inside him.

"I'm causing a scene? He's the one who started this!"

With that, Stanley pushed Gaston away from his sisters. The push only sent him a couple of steps back and earned Stanley a hard shove in return.

"Stanley…!"

Eloise called out and went to pull him back but Eliana grabbed her arm and yanked her away. Stanley paid them no mind, too blinded by his anger. He swung a fist and it connected with Gaston's jaw, loud and clear. Gaston staggered slightly then fixed Stanley with a cruel glare. He lunged at him. The girls around the well, including the triplets, shrieked while the other boys still milling about whooped and cheered, forming a crowd around them. Eloise once again went to pull Stanley to safety but Eliana tightened her grip on her sister's arm.

"Let go, he's going to get himself hurt if we let him fight!"

"It'll be his own fault if he does," Eliana said firmly, "He needs to learn that his actions have consequences. You said it yourself, he's causing a scene, and we can't afford to get wrapped up in his problems. We're going home."

She was reluctant to go but she helped Elise quickly gather up the clean clothes and they followed Eliana. Still, she couldn't help but turn back briefly to see how her brother was faring, and she wished she hadn't. Gaston was older, bigger and more experienced than him and no amount of fighting spirit could compete with that. Stanley was on the ground, Gaston practically on top of him, throwing punches, kicking and even gnashing his teeth whenever Gaston's arm came too close to his mouth. But Gaston even got the upper hand in that area too when he pulled Stanley's leg back, making him wince, and bit him hard.

"I said we're leaving!" Eliana almost shouted and Eloise hurried after her.

They had only just rounded the corner when the headmaster arrived by the well and tore the feuding boys apart. His priority, of course, was to discipline Gaston, continuing his rant from earlier so Stanley took the opportunity to catch his breath, and possibly get a decent distance away that he might be able to avoid a scolding himself.

"Stanley?"

He jumped at the voice behind him, one which he was all too familiar with, one that made his heartbeat race even faster, and that was saying something considering the situation.

"LeFou?"

Stanley always opted to use his nickname, though he felt guilty with how degrading it was, when he spoke to him face-to-face. Everyone called him that now, and he didn't want to risk standing out.

"I'm sorry about Gaston, he doesn't mean to be like that. He's just keeping up his image, you see. He's going to join the war and he thinks acting this way is going to prepare him somehow."

Stanley was dumbstruck by the fact that Lafayette was actually talking to him, especially after he had just fought his best friend. Not only that, but he seemed concerned.

He must have noticed the way Stanley's face was heating up.

"Are you alright?"

"I-I…" he swallowed and willed himself to not stutter, "I'm fine…"

He wasn't fine, he was bruised and battered, not to mention the painful teeth marks on his leg. But he wouldn't let Lafayette see how weak he was right now.

"Good," Lafayette smiled and Stanley's heart almost stopped.

He was about to continue when Gaston called out "LeFou!" from somewhere behind them. He turned in the direction his voice had come from.

"I'm coming, Gaston!" he turned back to Stanley, "I have to go. Sorry again…" With a small wave, he started towards his friend.

Stanley finally found his voice.

"He's going away to war?" he tried not to sound too hopeful, but this could be his chance to spend some time Lafayette without Gaston around.

"He is," Lafayette grinned proudly, "And so am I. We'll be gone for a while, but I think we could come back to Villeneuve as heroes."

Stanley's heart dropped. He was only just too young to enlist himself. He wouldn't see Lafayette for quite some time. He dreaded to think it but, perhaps, he might not see Lafayette again at all after he left. His entire demeanour softened.

"… You're very brave to go," he said, almost whispered, "I wish I could join you…"

"They'd be lucky to have you, if that brawl was any implication. I'm glad you're okay."

Stanley watched him go, releasing a long sigh. He turned, ready to head home, only to be met with the headmaster. Right. Of course. Gaston had left, after all. He sighed again, this time in exasperation.

Roughly fifteen minutes later, Stanley was stood on his own doorstep, the headmaster having a firm grip on his ear. Gaston may have had his own ear talked off but he wasn't so well known as Stanley for getting into these fights on a semi-regular basis. It was common knowledge around the town that the only person Stanley would answer to in these times was his father.

The headmaster rapped on the door and within a few seconds, Eliana appeared. She gave Stanley a disgusted look, then politely thanked the headmaster.

"Papa!" she called back into the house before fixing Stanley with another glare, "You better have a good excuse this time. He's running late as it is, he hasn't the patience for you."

"Standing up for you isn't a good enough excuse? Fine, don't expect any more favours from me, in that case."

"You call the way you acted a favour?"

She was going to continue but their father had arrived.

"Eliana, get back to hanging the laundry, now, my dear."

He was always softer on his daughters.

"Yes, Papa."

Once Eliana had gone, Stanley lifted his head to meet his father's gaze, his expression cold and distant. He didn't bother trying to hide the obvious injuries, or the smudged dirt and blood on his clothes. It wasn't like this was anything new. Compared to the sharp, finely-tailored outfit his father wore, Stanley looked like a ragdoll tossed aside. Which, he thought, he might as well be.

"Again? This behaviour cannot go on, Stanley."

"I thought you said I should defend myself when someone offends me?" his expression didn't change, but there was a sharp edge to his tone.

"You can defend yourself with words instead of fists."

His father worked in very much the same way, appearing calm but the raging fire underneath was clear in his voice.

"And what if the other man decides to use his fists?"

"You need to learn to take the moral high ground, Stanley, instead of stooping so low as to resort to violence. Look at you, you're only making more work for your poor sisters. Go and clean yourself up. I don't have the time to waste on you right now."

Stanley went inside without responding. There wasn't a point – there was never a point.

Once he had washed his face, arms and legs of the blood and grime, he headed for his bedroom for a change of clothes but was stopped just outside the door.

"Stanley…"

He turned around to see Eloise standing outside her own bedroom, her back against the doorframe and her fingers fidgeting nervously. She glanced back inside the room, then looked past Stanley. Checking no-one was around, he assumed. He took a few cautious steps towards her.

"I have something for you."

Without waiting for a reply, she entered the room. Stanley followed but stopped short when he saw what Eloise has laid out on her bed.

A dress. One of her own. He looked at her expectantly.

"Just for a short time," she said as she closed the door, "I thought you deserved it. I know it's been a while, but you've been through a lot today and I wanted to thank you. I know this is your favourite."

"Eloise…" Stanley was shocked, "You know what Maman said…"

Eloise interrupted, picking up the dress with a smile.

"Which is precisely why it should be done in private. Under the wise supervision of your dearest sister!" she held it up against him, her face turning hopeful, "For old time's sake."

"Eloise, if any of the others… If Papa should see…!"

At this Eloise put the dress down and gently took hold of his arms, making him look her in the eyes.

"Papa is out," her voice was steady and reassuring, "Maman is working and Elise and Eliana are helping her. This is my dress to do with as I like. And if any of them come, you know I'll defend you. Now," Eloise picked the dress back up and once again held it up against Stanley, "It may be a bit tight in some places, a bit loose in others… But it's only for a few moments."

"I wouldn't want your dress ruined because of me. It could tear, and I'm not sure I cleaned up all of the blood… They would figure it out if I left a stain on it."

At this point, he was just looking for excuses. But there was something in him that desperately wanted this.

"Nonsense. Besides, I hardly wear this anymore. It wouldn't be a bother should it be damaged or stained. I'd just get rid of it."

Stanley heaved a sigh and his face twisted this way and that as he deliberated over whether or not to do it.

"… Take this as an apology," Eloise said after a short silence, "I should have stood up for you."

"You tried."

"I could have tried harder."

They smiled sadly at one another and Eloise held out the dress once more.

"Come on. I'm sure you're dying to get out of those filthy things."

She nodded at the soiled clothes he was wearing. She was right. And a dress, he mused, was far better than anything else he could put on instead in this moment. As Eloise helped him change, she continued talking in a hushed tone.

"I know I shouldn't have let Gaston get away with it. I can't help being so enamoured with him. He may be a brute but… you see, Stanley, that sort of thing starts to become quite attractive, in a way, to a girl when she's at this age. Until it's directed at someone she cares about…"

She couldn't seem to meet his eyes. She must have felt so guilty.

"Don't worry about that. You're making up for it now."

Eloise nodded and carried on.

"Besides, there is someone else I've taken a liking to…" she trailed off, as if unsure of what she was going to say next. Stanley, curious, waited impatiently for her to go on. She didn't say anything.

"Who?"

"No-one…" she shook her head, "Never you mind."

"Who?"

"Ge-…" Eloise took a breath and looked him in the eye, "Geneviève Patin."

Stanley froze.

He recognized the name, the girls has often talked about their friend Geneviève. And Eloise…? But she also liked Gaston... Still, at least in some way, she was like him. He was at a loss for words.

Eloise seemed to take his silence as a bad sign.

"A person can't help who they fall for, Stanley," she said softly, "People act like you can, but you can't."

Not knowing what else to do, Stanley hugged her. Eloise was stunned but soon she wrapped her arms around him and relaxed.

"I was beginning to think I was the only one."

His voice was muffled against her sleeve but she heard him. She pulled away.

"The only one?" she looked thoughtful for a second, then a smile grew on her lips.

Stanley nodded, unable to hide his own smile anymore. "Except… only boys. Not both. I didn't know that was possible."

"Well, my dear little brother, I can assure you it is," Eloise chuckled, "Wait a moment, let me finish this…"

She began to lace up the ribbons on Stanley's bodice. He had almost forgotten about that.

"To be quite honest with you, I think what I feel for Geneviève is a lot… deeper than what I feel for Gaston. She's beautiful, but more than that, I feel as though I could talk to her forever. She's gentle, she's kind, and she's especially creative. You should see how well she can draw. Did you see that sketch of a dress design Maman was working from last week? Geneviève drew that!"

Stanley felt so calmed hearing his sister talk about another girl like this, but then she moved on to a subject he would have preferred not to talk about.

"Gaston certainly is handsome, though. And…" she drifted off, almost in a trance thinking about him, "Brave and strong… It's more of a passing fancy, you know, but still. Surely, you have your eye on him as well. I suppose that's why you were upset that he approached us-"

Wait, what? Stanley was brought back to Earth in an instant.

"What? Ugh, definitely not!" he couldn't help his reaction, "Gaston's not exactly the sort I'm interested in."

"Oh?" Eloise blinked and raised her eyebrows, "I have to say, I'm surprised. What sort of young man would you be interested in, then?"

"… Lafayette…" Stanley mumbled just barely loud enough to hear.

"Who?"

"Lafayette," he said again, louder, but Eloise still looked lost, "LeFou. That's his real name. Did you not know?"

"I didn't," she shook her head, more concerned with straightening out Stanley's skirt and sleeves now, "So, tell me, what is it about Lafayette that you find so appealing?"

"He's…" he started, feeling a little shy, "Cheerful, considerate, funny…" a smile appeared on his face and Eloise grinned back as he continued listing off traits, "Have you heard him sing?"

They locked eyes, the two of them overjoyed to finally get all of this out in the open. Eloise clasped her hands together under her chin.

"Oh, Stanley, I wish you could see yourself right now. You're absolutely smitten, aren't you?"

He blushed and looked down for a moment, but then he remembered something and his smile faded away. He went quiet.

"Stanley…?" Eloise's hands dropped and she carefully placed them on his face, lifting his head back up to meet her eyes. She searched his face for a sign of what was wrong.

"He's going to war."

"Oh…!" her hands went to her mouth as she gasped, then she quickly hugged him close, whispering into his ear soothingly, "Mon cher…"

She knew that Stanley had more to tell her, but he was hesitating. He sniffed and buried his face in the crook of her neck. He stayed there as he continued.

"And so is Gaston."

Eloise bit her lip and held him tighter.

"They'll be fine," she said, stroking his hair and slowly rocking him back and forth, "They'll be fine, and we'll see them again when it's over. Won't we?"

"I-I don't kno-"

He was jerked out of her embrace only to be met with her firm gaze.

"Won't we?"

She wasn't going to let her little brother give up hope so soon. He gulped and nodded, but that wasn't enough for her.

"Say it. How can you believe it and accept it if you don't say it out loud?"

"We'll see them again."

"Good," her smile returned, "I think we should get back to cheering you up, don't you?"

Stanley was just barely the right size for Eloise's dress, with her being almost a grown woman and him still being a young boy. The skirt lifted slightly too much off the floor with his height but it would do for a few minutes of fun. Eloise took a step back and took his hands in hers.

"Just like old times, right?"

She spun him around and he laughed as the skirt billowed around him, and she laughed at his happiness. So pure and sincere. Neither of them noticed the door creak open. Eloise had been in such a rush to apologise and convince him to wear the dress that she had forgotten to lock it.

"Eloise, is your brother in here with y-"

They both jumped in fright at the sound of their mother's voice. They turned towards the door to see Vivien standing there in shock. Eloise immediately grabbed Stanley by the hand and pulled him behind her but it was too late – she had seen the dress.

"Stanley, what in God's name are you- Eloise, is this your doing?" she started towards them.

"Maman, please, it was only a bit of fun, just for a moment…"

"'Only a bit of fun', is it? I knew all this dress nonsense had to be your influence, your sisters know their place," she took hold of Eloise's arm and wretched Stanley out of her grasp, "And you! I heard you had been picking fights again today, and now this? It's one extreme to another with you, isn't it? You should consider yourselves lucky your father isn't home yet. But he will be any minute, so you better change out of that."

Eloise tried again. She'd failed her brother once today and she wasn't prepared to do it again.

"It's just a game, Maman, and it's an old dress. He's doing no harm! Please…!"

Stanley was too scared to do anything but look at her with pleading eyes. She had promised to defend him, she was trying her best, but it didn't look like her efforts would get them anywhere.

"He's been going on and on about dresses for years. I know this is not a simple game to the two of you."

Tears were pricking both of their eyes now. But the next words to come out of her mother's mouth drew out a sob from Eloise.

"Have you no concern for your brother's safety?"

Of course I do.

And for her brother's happiness. More than anything in the world, his safety and his happiness. The siblings locked eyes, both casting silent apologies to the other. Then the final blow came.

"The two of you will not be left alone together in the future. Come, now, Stanley, go and change. Your father mustn't see you like this."

Stanley was hurried out of the girls' bedroom and into his own, leaving Eloise to mull over her mistakes.

The crumpled dress was thrown on the floor by her door soon after.