Chapter 2 Sixteenth Birthday
With in Saturday and Wednesday plans were being made for Ivey's sixteenth birthday party. The Hempshaws were going to use the biggest room out of the whole academy. Ivey's mother, Millie, had planned for a giant cake right in the middle of the room with chocolate. She made a list of foods that included finger sandwiches, tea, mints, fruit, and much more. He mother even got a band to play while all of this was going on. She even got paper mache to go on the walls. Ivey couldn't wait for her birthday. Her birthday meant that she would be able to get out of the academy faster.
On Wednesday Ivey, Loretta, and their mother all went into town to find new dresses for Thursday. Their mother picked them up in a carriage and then took the train. Once they were into town they went straight to the dress shop. Ivey picked out a soft pink dress while Loretta picked out a deep blue one just like her eyes. While they were waiting on the tailor to sew their dresses they went out and shopped. When they stepped out Loretta say Whyatt and called his name. Ivey was sting there looking at the ground trying not to blush. Whyatt turned around and smiled. He walked right towards them and responded, "Hello! How have you fine ladies been?"
Mother responded, "We are quite fine thank you. You know Ivey is going to be in this years season."
"Mother!" Ivey said loudly at her and then recollected herself and said, "I am sure he knew that already."
"Oh yes, I'm sure too. You know Whyatt her sixteenth birthday is tomorrow. Are you planning on coming with your parents?" mother asked him.
"Yes Mrs. Hempshaw I am coming. I wouldn't miss it for a thing," Whyatt flirted. Ivey just blushed a deep pink.
"So Whyatt you still waiting for me?" Loretta asked. Ivey just rolled her eyes and their mother laughed.
"I'm trying to," he said and then looked at Ivey, "There are just so many women out there, but you still have my heart." Ivey then turned a deep red and said, "Well it was nice seeing you Mr. Nightson. I hope we can chat again soon. We have to go and finish our errands before tomorrow.
"Ah yes, I shall not hold you no longer. It was nice seeing you lovely ladies. Goodbye!" And just like that Whyatt was gone.
Ivey, Loretta, and their mother all took off. They got new hats, parasol, gloves, candy, and other little things. While they were walking mother asked. "So Ivey what do you think of Mr. Nightson?"
"Well, I think he is nice. I don't know. What do you mean mother?"
"You know what I mean. Do you think he is handsome?"
"Well yes mother I do—" Ivey was then cut off by Loretta.
"Well I think is more than handsome."
Mother responded, "Loretta don't interrupt your sister like that! Now Mr. Nightson is to old for you and is more suitable for you sister." Ivey then blushed again. Loretta just rolled her eyes with out her mother seeing it.
"Okay girls let's go get our dresses. They should be done by now," mother told Ivey and Loretta.
Once they got home, Hazel, Betsy, and Rosie all ran over to Ivey.
"What did you get?" Hazel asked.
"I love your dress color! It's the perfect shade for you!" Betsy told Ivey.
"Where's my candy? Hand it over," Rosie demanded.
"Well I got many things Hazel and I'll show you soon. Thanks Betsy I just loved this color there. Oh Rosie, Rosie, Rosie. I forgot to get you candy. I'm so sorry how could you ever forgive me?," Ivey said dramatically and then laughed, "Here it is Rosie. I even got you two something, too!" She then handed Hazel a new hat that was a dark green. It matches her favorite dress. She game Betsy a new book.
"Close your eyes. No peaking. I got something else," Ivey told them. They all closed their eyes, Ivey double checking Rosie's. She then put a necklace around everyone's neck that matched. It was a little pink rose with silver petals on a silver chain.
"Okay now open then!" They all did and saw the necklace.
"This is so neat Ivey! Thank you!" Hazel told her in excitement.
"This is beautiful. I don't know what to get you now." Betsy excitedly said.
"Eh it's nice." Rosie responded.
"How can you say that Rosie! It's beautiful!" Hazel barked at her.
"Oh its okay Hazel I know her true feelings. It's a new thing with these necklaces. They are called friendship necklaces. I guess they are supposed to be handmade but I didn't know how. So I went and bought us all the same necklace!" Ivey explained to them. Ivey then went on and showed them what she had gotten that day out and about.
"Ivey can you put on your dress to show us?" Betsy asked her.
"Yeah, give me a minute I'll put away my stuff and I'll put it on!" Ivey then ran up to her room and changed into the new dress. She walked down the stairs and everyone was staring at her.
"Is something wrong with it?" Ivey asked concerned.
"No, Ivey, it's just perfect." Rosie said smiling at her. She then saw the eyes of Elizabeth and her followers. Ivey thought, well they surly don't like it. Ivey then went back upstairs and changed. She was relived when she came down stairs nobody stared at her this time. She walked over to the girls. Hazel asked, "So who are you inviting to your birthday party?"
"Well my family is coming so Vincent, Raphael, Charlie my twin, Henery, and Francis, along with my parents. Then the Nightsons are coming, so is Whyatt! The teachers and of coarse you guys, and then the whole academy. I don't want to give Elizabeth, Jane, or Ann and invite so I'm going to 'forget' to give them one." Ivey explained.
"Wow that's a lot of people!" Betsy commented.
"Yeah it is!" Hazel agreed.
Ivey got dressed talking to Penelope. "Penelope what happens if today doesn't turn out as well as I thought it would? Or what happens if Elizabeth and her followers just showed up? Am I getting too worked up over this?"
"Yes you are Ivey! Don't worry about it. Everything is going to be fine. It's your birthday! Just remember to keep your head up high and remember your manners. You will be just fine today."
"You're right I'll be fine. I'm just getting worked up over the little things. I just have to get through today and I will just fine. Just fine. Well Penelope I got to go and check on Loretta. So I'll see you later." Ivey then put her bunny into her trunk and headed over to Loretta's room. Ivey helped her put on her dress and did her hair. They then went down the stairs together. Everyone in the room stopped and looked at the two. Ivey smiled and Loretta didn't know what to do. Loretta looked at Ivey and smile like her, they both had the same smile. They greeted their mother and father on the bottom of the stairs.
"How are my two girls?" Their father, Walter, asked them.
"Amazing." Ivey told him with Loretta's agreeing head nod.
"That's good. Would you like some cake now?" he asked.
"I would like to have just a small piece," Ivey told him.
"I would like a big piece," Loretta told him. He just smiled and looked at his to girls. They were the same yet very different. Ivey and Loretta followed him to the cake. Ivey then saw Elizabeth, Jane, and Ann. Ivey was wondering how this happened! She then saw her best friends and walked over to them.
"Why are they here? I didn't give them an invite," Ivey said through her teeth to Rosie, Betsy, and Hazel.
"Well your mother invited them after hearing they didn't get an invitation," Rosie said the same way.
"Great! Now part of my birthday wish is ruined!" Ivey said to them.
"Now, now, don't be that way! Come on let's go see if Whyatt is here," Hazel said pulling on Ivey's arm.
"Oh yeah, Whyatt. Better go get him before they do!"
"Maybe you won't have to worry about that. It looks like Ms. Elizabeth is flirting with your brother Charlie," Betsy pointed over in their direction. Ivey just looked over with her mouth wide open. She then walked over to Charlie and asked him very tensely, "What are you doing Charlie?"
"Just talking to Elizabeth. Why do you care?"
"Well, I care because I am you sister. Your twin, your sibling half! I also thought it was very clear in the house that no one can trust her because she stole my ring from me."
"She says she has changed. So, just bug off," Charlie waved his hand at her to get lost. Ivey started to walk towards her father and mother.
"Hello mother and father. I am having a great time! I believe Charlie is too. He is talking to Elizabeth." Ivey watched her mother's reaction; her eyes slightly widened and then went back to normal.
"Ivey, honey, don't worry about it now. I'll talk to him later about how the party went," Ivey's mother said urging her away. Ivey walked away knowing what her brother would get after the party. Ivey then started to walk right back to her friends but Whyatt found her first.
"Hello Ms. Hempshaw, how are you on this fine day?"
"Hello Mr. Nightson, I am doing quite alright. How about you?"
"I'm doing just fine thank you. How are you enjoying your birthday?"
"Just fine, well other than the part that Elizabeth is trying to have Charlie fall in love with her."
"Isn't that the girl who likes to take stuff from you? Oh, and also do nasty things to you?"
"That is the correct girl. I didn't know you actually read my letters I send you," Ivey told him and giggled.
"Oh I do more than what you think." Whyatt then winked at her. Ivey then blushed, "Ms. Hempshaw do you have a blushing problem. Every time I see you or say something you seem to blush. I wonder why."
"Oh so sorry Mr. Nightson. It's just…" Ivey started but didn't finish.
"Ivey I would like to ask you something."
"Yes Whyatt what is it?"
"Would you think about staying with me forever and me only?" Ivey didn't know how to respond. She just shook her head yes and blushed an even darker pink. Whyatt then picked up her hand and kissed it and whispered in her ear 'thank you'. He then walked away; Ivey didn't know what to do. Rosie, Hazel, and Betsy saw the whole thing and they walked over to her.
"Ivey are you okay? What did he say to you?" Hazel asking impatiently.
"It looked romantic!" Betsy commented.
"Hey give her some room. She is flustered" Rosie snapped at them.
"No its okay. I'll tell you." Ivey then went on to explain what just happened with Whyatt except the part about staying with him forever. Hazel and Betsy giggled at the end when she told them that he kissed her hand and whispered in her ear. Rosie didn't she just stood there and looked as blank as a rock. Ivey was scared of Rosie's reaction. Rosie finally responded, "It looks like somebody has a boy friend." Rosie then giggled. It relived Ivey to know she wasn't mad or anything.
When the party was over she said good bye to her mother and father and all of her brothers. She glared at Charlie when she said good bye to him. She then went up to her room and started to write her thank-you letters to everyone who gave her a gift. She wrote one big thank you that was read aloud during breakfast. During this she got out Penelope to talk to. It was late and she knew she had to go to class tomorrow, but she stayed up and told Penelope everything.
"Penelope do you think I should marry him? Yes he is wealthy and our parents are good friends. But I have my season coming up and I want to meet many people I don't want to be stuck inside a marriage and not be able to go any where." Penelope gave thought to this.
"Well, you could just not get married right away. He didn't propose to you yet. He just asked you to think about it. He also said it just to you and you only so nobody else could hear him."
"True. Well we'll have to see what happens. But the thing is, would he think I'm crazy with this power I have? I just can't ever show him."
"Good point. I'll ponder it since I have more time and energy that you do at the moment. You should get to bed or else you will fall asleep in class tomorrow." Before Penelope could finish that sentence Ivey already fell asleep at her desk. Penelope then got up, put out the candle and slept with her.