Disclaimer - I, do not own the rights to the "Sparkling Diamond[s]" of a
movie, "Moulin Rouge" (If I did I would be a genius going by the name of
Baz Luhrmann). I am simply one of the "Children of the Revolution"
(Although one of "Elephant [Melody]" proportions) that writes fanfiction
"Because We Can". "Come What May", but please do not sue me or I will be a
"Sad Hindi Diamond". May this be "Your Song" and may you say "Some Day I'll
Fly Away"! (I do not own the songs used in this story or in the titles of
the chapters either.)
*A Bohemian Storm Is Brewing*
Truth * Beauty * Freedom * Love
~Casidy
§=Þ
*~*
"Quoi Qu'il Arrive"
~ Part X: Girls Just Wanna Have Fun ~
By Casidy
When Satine woke up the next morning Christian had already left. After dressing she went downstairs and found Emily had just sat down for breakfast.
"Good morning Em." Satine said sitting down across from her.
"Morning Satine. My tutor should be here in about 40 minuets. You can sit in on my lesson if you want. I don't know if there's anything else you wanted to do this morning."
"I'd love to." Satine said excitedly.
"Great! Is there anywhere you need to go today? I have an errand or two that I need to do, myself."
"Well, I was thinking that we could stop by this jewelry store that Christian took me to yesterday. He saw a watch he liked and I wanted to get it for him for Christmas." Satine's eyes simply glowed with the thought of giving something to Christian. "Then I'll need you to take me to a dress maker that can alter a dress for me – one that does very good work and will do just what I tell them to. I believe that is it."
"Let's see. Christian would have taken you to Cantoff's right?" Satine nodded her head remembering the jeweler's name. "And as for a good dress maker, that would have to be Vinway's. I'm due for a fitting there myself for the dress I ordered for New Years! Oh! Wait, you don't even know!
"Every year mother would hold a huge New Year's ball. It was always the most fashionable place to be. Well, it was like pulling teeth but I finally managed to get permission from father to host the ball this year! You'll have to order a dress today as well, if you don't already have one. New Years is only a month away!"
Satine giggled at Emily's happiness. "I always loved having an excuse for a new dress. And your sure this Vinny's-"
"Vinway's," Emily corrected.
"Vinway's, will do a good job? I have a very important dress that needs to be made a little more… how do you say? Modest."
Emily nodded, taking a bite out of her English muffin. "Oh yes, Mother was an old friend of Nikki's."
"It seems you and Christian know everyone and everything about this town!" Satine said in amazement.
"No, just everyone and everything worth knowing. I guess that's what happens when you grow up in one place. No matter how big that place is it's always home." Emily smiled sweetly at her soon to be sister-in-law before gulping down her remaining orange juice.
*~*
Emily led Satine up a flight of back stairs onto the third floor of the brownstone. When she opened the door a gush of warm air breezed across Satine's face.
The room was bright, painted a pale shade of yellow. There was a giant window in the center of the far wall with a comfortable looking sofa in front of it. Several other smaller windows were also scattered about. A small wooden table sat in the center of the room and a black board had been nailed to the wall between two enormous bookcases. One was over flowing with books, the other had microscopes, diagrams, projects and science experiments haphazardly placed on odd shelves. The room was very pleasant with a reading chair beside a large fireplace.
"I love this room. It's so much different than all the other dark rooms in the rest of the house." Satine said, openly admiring the room.
"It was my mother's office when she was alive. It was always my favorite room in the house. I used to take lessons in what was my playroom growing up, but after Mother's death I kind of took over in here. One of my first memories is siting with Christian in front of the fireplace with mother reading to us."
Satine began to walk around the room admiring the cozy atmosphere. She noted the potted plants sitting on one of the windowsills with different sticks coming out of the dirt, labeling their relevance to some experiment or another.
Satine smiled as she plopped down in the soft chair, beside the fireplace. "How long will your lesson be?"
"Tomorrow I'm spending all day on a field trip so Jack will probably cut today short. We should be done in time to get as late lunch in town." Emily said opening some of the windows.
"Jack's your tutor?" Satine asked.
Emily nodded, walking over to the fireplace and standing in front of Satine. "He's a sweetie. A little dorky but he's really smart."
*~*
Christian sat at a large oak desk in a dark office with pen in hand. He had been trying to write for almost an hour now, but every time he put words down they just didn't seem right. He couldn't decide whether his lack of creativity was due to the drab atmosphere or his missing muse, although he was pretty sure the latter was the case.
Trying once again he began to write something down.
Ballerina.
Ya' must have seen her,
Dancin' in the dancehall.
Now she's in me,
Always with me.
Tinny dancer in my head.
Christian scratched out the verse he had written. Something just wasn't right. He could hear the tune in his head and could think of a few other lines to the song, but no matter how hard he tried he just could not get the first verse to go right.
Suddenly a knock came at the office door and startled. He shoved his notebook under a stack of files. Opening the first folder he came to he called out "Come in," and attempted to look emerged in the figures written before him.
A woman walked in Christian recognized as his father's secretary. "Sir, your father desires a word."
He nodded and followed her out the door and down the long, bleak hallway. "Great, I'm in trouble. How could I have done anything wrong? I haven't done a single thing all morning, how could I have done something wrong?" He thought as he knocked on his father's office door. After hearing an invitation to enter, which sounded strangely like a grunt, Christian walked into the office.
The walls were all painted the same deep brown, almost a black that made the office seem menacing and terribly cold. If it was even possible for this room to be darker than the others Christian had been in that morning, it was.
"Ah, you're here. Good. I wanted to talk to you about your fiancée." He said looking coldly into his son's gentle, gray eyes.
Christian's hands began to sweat immediately, "What does he know? How could he have found out about Satine's past?" he thought nervously.
"I like her vary much. I think she will make an excellent wife, and mother. That is why I have decided to show my approval of this union in the best way I know how." He pulled out one of his desk drawers and took out a small, dark blue box. He slid it across the table to Christian who took no hesitation in opening it.
Inside on a small pillow of velvet lay a large emerald surrounded in three layers of small, round diamonds, placed on a silver band. "Mother's engagement ring." He stated, unable to take his eyes away from the ring.
His father nodded, "She wanted you're wife to someday wear it. But you were to have it only if the woman you gave it to would wear it for all of the rest of her life.
Christian nodded smiling, "You can trust that Satine will wear it until her dying day."
*~*
Jack Diles stood in front of the blackboard in Emily's 'classroom' waiting for Emily to tell him what to write.
Instead of answering his question she sat back in her chair and crossed her arms, "This book is stupid. I don't see why I have to read it. No one reads Dickens anymore. And what was with Biddy marrying Joe? I thought she was in love with Pip. "
Jack put down the chalk and leaned against the wall, tripping when he found it further away then he had expected. "Alright, so the book is stupid, but your father wants me to have you read it. He wasn't very happy when he found out I was teaching you Greek mythology. Apparently the whole soldier/soldier, female-sexual-frustration thing isn't something a young lady should be learning. And Biddy married Joe because he needed her and Pip told her he didn't love her and she didn't see him for years. She wanted to marry and wasn't going to wait around for a spoiled brat of a child to come crawling back to her."
"Obviously what they have isn't true love." Emily stated, "I think Estella was Pip's true love."
Jack sighed and covered his face with his hands, "Em, he loved her because she was beautiful!"
She shook her head, "He wouldn't have loved her for that long if it wasn't true love. He would have out grown his infatuation, but he waited for her! The book never even says anything about him courting anyone else. Maybe she didn't realize what they had was love until the end. Better late than never!"
Jack cleared his throat, "I think that's enough "Great Expectations" for now. Why don't we move on to French? He smiled stupidly at Satine who still sat in the armchair by the fireplace. "I'm sure Mademoiselle Satine would enjoy hearing you speak a little French."
Emily rolled her eyes. Jack had been goggly eyed over Satine all morning. He'd even managed to become clumsier than usual.
Jack began reading Poetry in French and Emily tried not to giggle when he looked up from the page every few words to see if his serenading had any effect on Satine. Emily looked at Satine who rolled her eyes herself and seemed to be struggling to keep her eyes open.
*~*
After Jack had left Satine went to her room to retrieve something while Emily asked the butler to have a carriage brought around front.
When Satine came running down the stairs with a parcel under her arm they were off. Their first stop was a little café. After both has ordered Emily decided to bring up the topic of what actually happened in Paris.
"Satine, I want to ask you something- and if you don't want to answer I completely understand but, well, how did you and Christian really meet?"
"What do you mean?" she asked nervously.
"Satine, my brother has to be one of the worst liars I know. The two of you weren't introduced by a painter."
"Your right Em, and you deserve to know the truth. Do you know what the Moulin Rouge is?" Satine asked.
"Of course, it's a brothel in Paris."
Satine nodded, "That's where we meet. I was a courtesan there." She paused, "I was *the* courtesan, actually. The Sparkling Diamond. The star of the show. The Moulin was going bankrupt. To save it I had to seduce a Duke and convince him to turn the Moulin into a theater. Well, fate intervened and I mistook Christian for the Duke. He was there to try and get a job as the Moulin's play write. He was sent up to one of the rooms and I proceeded to seduce him. He fell in love with me and made me fall for him. We had to keep our relationship a secret because I still had to lead the Duke to believe I was in love with him. Eventually the Duke found out about our affair and I had to go to him and try to convince him otherwise. I was supposed to sleep with him but could not go through with it. Christian and I left Paris that night."
Emily sat on the edge of her seat, her mouth hanging open in wonder. "I knew Christian was a romantic but-" she giggled and let a charming smile cross her lips, "I never would have thought he had it in him!"
Satine, who had not taken her eyes off her water glass through the entire story, now looked up, "You don't hate me? Because of what I was?"
Emily waved the thought off, "Of course not. My brother loves you, nothing else matters."
During lunch the two made small talk, never staying on one topic long before excitedly bring up a different one. When both were just finishing their lunches Satine asked, "Em, do you think you could do me a favor?"
"Sure, just name it." She said without hesitation.
"Well like I said, I want to give Christian a watch for Christmas but I also want to give him something more personal. Do you think if I wrote a song for him, maybe you could write the music?"
Emily's face lit up excitedly, "I'd love to Satine! That is such a wonderful idea. I know Christian will just love it."
*~*
Satine held the large box close to her chest as her and Emily stepped out of the carriage and onto the sidewalk outside Vinway's Dressmakers. The two walked into the warm store and quickly shed their coats.
"Emily, how wonderful to see you!" a middle aged woman said walking up to the pair. "I was wondering when you would come in so I could make the hem of your dress."
Emily smiled sweetly a the old woman before replying, "Actually Nikki, I have a more pressing matter that needs discussing. Not only does my soon to be sister-in-law have a dress that needs great altering, but she is also in need of a dress for New Years Eve, herself."
The old woman took the glasses hanging from around her neck and balanced them on the bridge of her nose. Squinting, she looked Satine up and down. "Something red, defiantly. Bold, with attention focused the slim waist and long figure." She nodded in approval of herself, "I'm sure we can come up with something. Now than, what was the other matter? A dress you need altered?"
"Yes," Satine lay per precious parcel on a nearby chair and pulled off the lid. Pulling a white gown out of the box she held it up for the Emily and Mrs. Vinway to admire.
Both women were struck speechless. The bone white gown was not only the most exquisite looking gown either had ever seen, but also the most dazzling.
Satine looked down at the gown she held remembering its original purpose. Although meant as a wedding gown, per say, it was mostly for show but Satine had loved it from the first fitting and standing on that pedestal in the dust backstage dressing rooms of the Moulin Rouge she had envisioned wearing it to her wedding. Had day dreamed of Christian's reaction as she walked down the isle and his reaction when she took it off.
"I love this gown, but as you can se it's a bit-inappropriate for a wedding. I was wondering if there was anything you could do to bring it up in the neck line?"
Nikki Vinway took the gown gently in her hands and examined the beadwork. "It will be difficult, but not impossible. I hope you don't need this too soon. I should be able to have it done by early January."
Satine nodded her head, "We haven't set a date yet so that should be fine."
"Why don't you come into one of the fitting rooms and we'll take your measurements." Nikki said gently folding the wedding gown and replacing it in its box.
Satine and Emily were shuffled into back rooms and poked and measured for what seemed like an eternity. When Satine's measurements were finished she was told to sit and Mrs. Vinway would have several dresses brought out for her to look at.
While she was waiting Emily came strutting out of another dressing room. She was dressed in an elegant gown that made her look like nothing Satine had ever seen. She was seductive without any of the flashy colors or low necklines that the Diamond Dogs had always used to get a man's attention. The dress was in no way inappropriate but Satine wondered if Emily's father would allow her to wear it.
"Em, you look amazing! You aren't trying to catch your self a husband already are you?" Satine asked smiling at the young girl.
"Really? You like it?" She spun around letting the skirt twirl around her. "I don't even want to think about what father's reaction will be! I'm done with my fitting. How much longer do you think you will be?"
"Not that much longer, I just need to pick out what dress I want."
*~*
The girl's next stop was Cantoff's Jewelry. Mrs. Cantoff stood in the same spot she had the day before and was thrilled to see Satine.
"Did you bring more jewelry for me to buy? My husband was thrilled when I showed him what you brought yesterday."
"No, I wish to buy something today." Satine said.
"Of course, ma'am. What would you like?"
Satine walked over to the same counter Christian had been so interested in the day before and pointed to the watch he had been admiring. "I want to purchase this watch."
The woman seemed to stand even straighter than before. Reaching for the watch Satine had pointed out she said, "This watch was crafted right here in London. The shell is made of 24 carrot gold as are many of the inside parts." Her tone then changed and she almost whispered, "It is 280 pounds."
Emily made a coughing noise that sounded strangely like choke.
Satine did not even flinch, "Alright, and could you have it engraved also, please."
"Of course ma'am." Mrs. Cantoff reached behind the counter and took out a notebook and pen. Could you write it down please?" Satine took the notebook and wrote something quickly.
Emily looked over her shoulder, "Quoi qu'il arrive? Come what may?"
Satine nodded, "Christian will understand what it means."
Satine paid for the watch and Emily asked, "Is there anywhere else you need to go?"
"No, that is everything, I believe."
The two walked out of the store and Emily led Satine back to where the valet was waiting with their carriage. "I have a few more stops I need to make."
*A Bohemian Storm Is Brewing*
Truth * Beauty * Freedom * Love
~Casidy
§=Þ
*~*
"Quoi Qu'il Arrive"
~ Part X: Girls Just Wanna Have Fun ~
By Casidy
When Satine woke up the next morning Christian had already left. After dressing she went downstairs and found Emily had just sat down for breakfast.
"Good morning Em." Satine said sitting down across from her.
"Morning Satine. My tutor should be here in about 40 minuets. You can sit in on my lesson if you want. I don't know if there's anything else you wanted to do this morning."
"I'd love to." Satine said excitedly.
"Great! Is there anywhere you need to go today? I have an errand or two that I need to do, myself."
"Well, I was thinking that we could stop by this jewelry store that Christian took me to yesterday. He saw a watch he liked and I wanted to get it for him for Christmas." Satine's eyes simply glowed with the thought of giving something to Christian. "Then I'll need you to take me to a dress maker that can alter a dress for me – one that does very good work and will do just what I tell them to. I believe that is it."
"Let's see. Christian would have taken you to Cantoff's right?" Satine nodded her head remembering the jeweler's name. "And as for a good dress maker, that would have to be Vinway's. I'm due for a fitting there myself for the dress I ordered for New Years! Oh! Wait, you don't even know!
"Every year mother would hold a huge New Year's ball. It was always the most fashionable place to be. Well, it was like pulling teeth but I finally managed to get permission from father to host the ball this year! You'll have to order a dress today as well, if you don't already have one. New Years is only a month away!"
Satine giggled at Emily's happiness. "I always loved having an excuse for a new dress. And your sure this Vinny's-"
"Vinway's," Emily corrected.
"Vinway's, will do a good job? I have a very important dress that needs to be made a little more… how do you say? Modest."
Emily nodded, taking a bite out of her English muffin. "Oh yes, Mother was an old friend of Nikki's."
"It seems you and Christian know everyone and everything about this town!" Satine said in amazement.
"No, just everyone and everything worth knowing. I guess that's what happens when you grow up in one place. No matter how big that place is it's always home." Emily smiled sweetly at her soon to be sister-in-law before gulping down her remaining orange juice.
*~*
Emily led Satine up a flight of back stairs onto the third floor of the brownstone. When she opened the door a gush of warm air breezed across Satine's face.
The room was bright, painted a pale shade of yellow. There was a giant window in the center of the far wall with a comfortable looking sofa in front of it. Several other smaller windows were also scattered about. A small wooden table sat in the center of the room and a black board had been nailed to the wall between two enormous bookcases. One was over flowing with books, the other had microscopes, diagrams, projects and science experiments haphazardly placed on odd shelves. The room was very pleasant with a reading chair beside a large fireplace.
"I love this room. It's so much different than all the other dark rooms in the rest of the house." Satine said, openly admiring the room.
"It was my mother's office when she was alive. It was always my favorite room in the house. I used to take lessons in what was my playroom growing up, but after Mother's death I kind of took over in here. One of my first memories is siting with Christian in front of the fireplace with mother reading to us."
Satine began to walk around the room admiring the cozy atmosphere. She noted the potted plants sitting on one of the windowsills with different sticks coming out of the dirt, labeling their relevance to some experiment or another.
Satine smiled as she plopped down in the soft chair, beside the fireplace. "How long will your lesson be?"
"Tomorrow I'm spending all day on a field trip so Jack will probably cut today short. We should be done in time to get as late lunch in town." Emily said opening some of the windows.
"Jack's your tutor?" Satine asked.
Emily nodded, walking over to the fireplace and standing in front of Satine. "He's a sweetie. A little dorky but he's really smart."
*~*
Christian sat at a large oak desk in a dark office with pen in hand. He had been trying to write for almost an hour now, but every time he put words down they just didn't seem right. He couldn't decide whether his lack of creativity was due to the drab atmosphere or his missing muse, although he was pretty sure the latter was the case.
Trying once again he began to write something down.
Ballerina.
Ya' must have seen her,
Dancin' in the dancehall.
Now she's in me,
Always with me.
Tinny dancer in my head.
Christian scratched out the verse he had written. Something just wasn't right. He could hear the tune in his head and could think of a few other lines to the song, but no matter how hard he tried he just could not get the first verse to go right.
Suddenly a knock came at the office door and startled. He shoved his notebook under a stack of files. Opening the first folder he came to he called out "Come in," and attempted to look emerged in the figures written before him.
A woman walked in Christian recognized as his father's secretary. "Sir, your father desires a word."
He nodded and followed her out the door and down the long, bleak hallway. "Great, I'm in trouble. How could I have done anything wrong? I haven't done a single thing all morning, how could I have done something wrong?" He thought as he knocked on his father's office door. After hearing an invitation to enter, which sounded strangely like a grunt, Christian walked into the office.
The walls were all painted the same deep brown, almost a black that made the office seem menacing and terribly cold. If it was even possible for this room to be darker than the others Christian had been in that morning, it was.
"Ah, you're here. Good. I wanted to talk to you about your fiancée." He said looking coldly into his son's gentle, gray eyes.
Christian's hands began to sweat immediately, "What does he know? How could he have found out about Satine's past?" he thought nervously.
"I like her vary much. I think she will make an excellent wife, and mother. That is why I have decided to show my approval of this union in the best way I know how." He pulled out one of his desk drawers and took out a small, dark blue box. He slid it across the table to Christian who took no hesitation in opening it.
Inside on a small pillow of velvet lay a large emerald surrounded in three layers of small, round diamonds, placed on a silver band. "Mother's engagement ring." He stated, unable to take his eyes away from the ring.
His father nodded, "She wanted you're wife to someday wear it. But you were to have it only if the woman you gave it to would wear it for all of the rest of her life.
Christian nodded smiling, "You can trust that Satine will wear it until her dying day."
*~*
Jack Diles stood in front of the blackboard in Emily's 'classroom' waiting for Emily to tell him what to write.
Instead of answering his question she sat back in her chair and crossed her arms, "This book is stupid. I don't see why I have to read it. No one reads Dickens anymore. And what was with Biddy marrying Joe? I thought she was in love with Pip. "
Jack put down the chalk and leaned against the wall, tripping when he found it further away then he had expected. "Alright, so the book is stupid, but your father wants me to have you read it. He wasn't very happy when he found out I was teaching you Greek mythology. Apparently the whole soldier/soldier, female-sexual-frustration thing isn't something a young lady should be learning. And Biddy married Joe because he needed her and Pip told her he didn't love her and she didn't see him for years. She wanted to marry and wasn't going to wait around for a spoiled brat of a child to come crawling back to her."
"Obviously what they have isn't true love." Emily stated, "I think Estella was Pip's true love."
Jack sighed and covered his face with his hands, "Em, he loved her because she was beautiful!"
She shook her head, "He wouldn't have loved her for that long if it wasn't true love. He would have out grown his infatuation, but he waited for her! The book never even says anything about him courting anyone else. Maybe she didn't realize what they had was love until the end. Better late than never!"
Jack cleared his throat, "I think that's enough "Great Expectations" for now. Why don't we move on to French? He smiled stupidly at Satine who still sat in the armchair by the fireplace. "I'm sure Mademoiselle Satine would enjoy hearing you speak a little French."
Emily rolled her eyes. Jack had been goggly eyed over Satine all morning. He'd even managed to become clumsier than usual.
Jack began reading Poetry in French and Emily tried not to giggle when he looked up from the page every few words to see if his serenading had any effect on Satine. Emily looked at Satine who rolled her eyes herself and seemed to be struggling to keep her eyes open.
*~*
After Jack had left Satine went to her room to retrieve something while Emily asked the butler to have a carriage brought around front.
When Satine came running down the stairs with a parcel under her arm they were off. Their first stop was a little café. After both has ordered Emily decided to bring up the topic of what actually happened in Paris.
"Satine, I want to ask you something- and if you don't want to answer I completely understand but, well, how did you and Christian really meet?"
"What do you mean?" she asked nervously.
"Satine, my brother has to be one of the worst liars I know. The two of you weren't introduced by a painter."
"Your right Em, and you deserve to know the truth. Do you know what the Moulin Rouge is?" Satine asked.
"Of course, it's a brothel in Paris."
Satine nodded, "That's where we meet. I was a courtesan there." She paused, "I was *the* courtesan, actually. The Sparkling Diamond. The star of the show. The Moulin was going bankrupt. To save it I had to seduce a Duke and convince him to turn the Moulin into a theater. Well, fate intervened and I mistook Christian for the Duke. He was there to try and get a job as the Moulin's play write. He was sent up to one of the rooms and I proceeded to seduce him. He fell in love with me and made me fall for him. We had to keep our relationship a secret because I still had to lead the Duke to believe I was in love with him. Eventually the Duke found out about our affair and I had to go to him and try to convince him otherwise. I was supposed to sleep with him but could not go through with it. Christian and I left Paris that night."
Emily sat on the edge of her seat, her mouth hanging open in wonder. "I knew Christian was a romantic but-" she giggled and let a charming smile cross her lips, "I never would have thought he had it in him!"
Satine, who had not taken her eyes off her water glass through the entire story, now looked up, "You don't hate me? Because of what I was?"
Emily waved the thought off, "Of course not. My brother loves you, nothing else matters."
During lunch the two made small talk, never staying on one topic long before excitedly bring up a different one. When both were just finishing their lunches Satine asked, "Em, do you think you could do me a favor?"
"Sure, just name it." She said without hesitation.
"Well like I said, I want to give Christian a watch for Christmas but I also want to give him something more personal. Do you think if I wrote a song for him, maybe you could write the music?"
Emily's face lit up excitedly, "I'd love to Satine! That is such a wonderful idea. I know Christian will just love it."
*~*
Satine held the large box close to her chest as her and Emily stepped out of the carriage and onto the sidewalk outside Vinway's Dressmakers. The two walked into the warm store and quickly shed their coats.
"Emily, how wonderful to see you!" a middle aged woman said walking up to the pair. "I was wondering when you would come in so I could make the hem of your dress."
Emily smiled sweetly a the old woman before replying, "Actually Nikki, I have a more pressing matter that needs discussing. Not only does my soon to be sister-in-law have a dress that needs great altering, but she is also in need of a dress for New Years Eve, herself."
The old woman took the glasses hanging from around her neck and balanced them on the bridge of her nose. Squinting, she looked Satine up and down. "Something red, defiantly. Bold, with attention focused the slim waist and long figure." She nodded in approval of herself, "I'm sure we can come up with something. Now than, what was the other matter? A dress you need altered?"
"Yes," Satine lay per precious parcel on a nearby chair and pulled off the lid. Pulling a white gown out of the box she held it up for the Emily and Mrs. Vinway to admire.
Both women were struck speechless. The bone white gown was not only the most exquisite looking gown either had ever seen, but also the most dazzling.
Satine looked down at the gown she held remembering its original purpose. Although meant as a wedding gown, per say, it was mostly for show but Satine had loved it from the first fitting and standing on that pedestal in the dust backstage dressing rooms of the Moulin Rouge she had envisioned wearing it to her wedding. Had day dreamed of Christian's reaction as she walked down the isle and his reaction when she took it off.
"I love this gown, but as you can se it's a bit-inappropriate for a wedding. I was wondering if there was anything you could do to bring it up in the neck line?"
Nikki Vinway took the gown gently in her hands and examined the beadwork. "It will be difficult, but not impossible. I hope you don't need this too soon. I should be able to have it done by early January."
Satine nodded her head, "We haven't set a date yet so that should be fine."
"Why don't you come into one of the fitting rooms and we'll take your measurements." Nikki said gently folding the wedding gown and replacing it in its box.
Satine and Emily were shuffled into back rooms and poked and measured for what seemed like an eternity. When Satine's measurements were finished she was told to sit and Mrs. Vinway would have several dresses brought out for her to look at.
While she was waiting Emily came strutting out of another dressing room. She was dressed in an elegant gown that made her look like nothing Satine had ever seen. She was seductive without any of the flashy colors or low necklines that the Diamond Dogs had always used to get a man's attention. The dress was in no way inappropriate but Satine wondered if Emily's father would allow her to wear it.
"Em, you look amazing! You aren't trying to catch your self a husband already are you?" Satine asked smiling at the young girl.
"Really? You like it?" She spun around letting the skirt twirl around her. "I don't even want to think about what father's reaction will be! I'm done with my fitting. How much longer do you think you will be?"
"Not that much longer, I just need to pick out what dress I want."
*~*
The girl's next stop was Cantoff's Jewelry. Mrs. Cantoff stood in the same spot she had the day before and was thrilled to see Satine.
"Did you bring more jewelry for me to buy? My husband was thrilled when I showed him what you brought yesterday."
"No, I wish to buy something today." Satine said.
"Of course, ma'am. What would you like?"
Satine walked over to the same counter Christian had been so interested in the day before and pointed to the watch he had been admiring. "I want to purchase this watch."
The woman seemed to stand even straighter than before. Reaching for the watch Satine had pointed out she said, "This watch was crafted right here in London. The shell is made of 24 carrot gold as are many of the inside parts." Her tone then changed and she almost whispered, "It is 280 pounds."
Emily made a coughing noise that sounded strangely like choke.
Satine did not even flinch, "Alright, and could you have it engraved also, please."
"Of course ma'am." Mrs. Cantoff reached behind the counter and took out a notebook and pen. Could you write it down please?" Satine took the notebook and wrote something quickly.
Emily looked over her shoulder, "Quoi qu'il arrive? Come what may?"
Satine nodded, "Christian will understand what it means."
Satine paid for the watch and Emily asked, "Is there anywhere else you need to go?"
"No, that is everything, I believe."
The two walked out of the store and Emily led Satine back to where the valet was waiting with their carriage. "I have a few more stops I need to make."