For the next week I worked on the dress in secret. I sewed mostly at night,
but all my breaks during the day were used as well. I fitted the dress to
my body, and sewed the extra fabric unto the stain, creating a fold-like
area on the front of the skirt. It wasn't corresponding to the latest
fashions, but I thought it was gorgeous non-the-less. I hid the dress,
along with the jewelry, in my bed roll during the day. I also invested in
a pair of sturdy, yet elegant walking slippers. The newest rage was glass
slippers, but I didn't buy into it. Who would be walking around in glass?
It would break with even the slightest amount of pressure. Marketing fads-
they never were very sensible. The slippers I bought were cheap, but went
well with my dress anyway. Those were kept in the bed roll as well.
I occurred to me one day that Ethan could very well be giving that ruby to me!. The thought randomly popped into my head while I was scrubbing the floor in the entrance hall. Why hadn't I ever thought of it before? I was so happy I jumped up to do a dance right then and there. Unfortunately my foot slipped on the wet tiles and I fell into the bucket of soapy water, much to the annoyance of Wendy, who was helping me. Needless to say I had to get more water and finish the rest of the tiles under Belinda's supervision while Wendy took a break. I was much more careful after that.
Two days before the ball, the house turned into the lower levels of Hell. Ella ran screaming through the house with only a shift on, claiming that she couldn't find the dress she was wearing to the ball. Even Ann and Nina, who were normally so level headed, spent hours in front of the tall mirror in the dining room, practicing curtseys and polite smiles. Twice I tripped over them as they were sweeping into a curtsy (bending that low cannot be good for you) and was forced to hear a lecture from them about how servants should watch where they were going and be careful of all the important people. I was glad that they didn't call Belinda on me though.
For some reason Ella decided that I was the only one able to help her. This resulted in me missing many breaks to fit different corsets on her, then to catch as she practiced fainting, or truly fainted from the apparatus she was wearing. Honestly these wealthy women, killing themselves for a small waist. I was fortunate that I had finished my dress the day before because I was given no time to relax between Ella and the rest of my chores. I tried to be nonchalant amid the chaos, but my own heart yearned to go try on my entire ensemble and practice curtseys and smiles. I still had details to work out, such as when I was going to leave the ball, if ever, how I would meet Ethan with out others seeing me, how I would find out if I was the one he wanted to marry, and other things.
The next day I was summoned up two hours early to clean and wax the coach. I suppose it was my punishment from Belinda for ever asking to help with the coach at the ball. I came in sore and rather wet to begin my regular chores. As I closed the front door softly so as not to wake anyone, I heard a soft "psst" and turned. There stood Ella at the top of the stairs. She motioned me to come up, so I did. "Look!" she whispered excitedly, pointing to her feet. I looked down. She had gone out and bought those stupid glass slippers. "Ella, you know your mother will kill you if she sees you wearing them." I trailed off as Ella's expression changed from joy to anger. "She is NOT my mother!" She hissed. "Besides these aren't that hard to walk in. Watch."
Before I could stop her, Ella starting descending the stairs in those stupid inventions. She had gotten four stairs down when the heel on her left shoe cracked slightly. She turned to inspect it, lost her balance on the other foot and plunged, screaming, head over heels, down the rest of the stairs and landed on the floor with a sickening crack. She lay there in a daze as I ran down the stairs to help her. "Can you walk?" I said urgently. Ella shook her head, her face extremely pale. "I think my leg is broken." She whispered. I was afraid she would faint, but instead she took a deep breath and peeled of her shoes. Handing them to me, she gasped out. "Please.please don't let mother see these. It's bad enough about my leg, but if she knew those were the cause." She trailed off. I nodded, and stuffed the shoes into the pockets of my apron. Then I flew to Madame's and Sir's bedroom.
I never knew Madame could run, but she nearly slid down the banister to get to Ella. Sir went to fetch a doctor, while Madame, Ann and Nina stood by Ella, comforting her. "What happened?" Madame inquired. "I was coming in from waxing the coach when I saw Ella at the top of the stairs." I explained. Ella paled even more, but I wasn't about to betray her. "She started down the stairs, but ended up falling from basically the top stair." "I tripped on my gown." Ella put in sheepishly. Madame smiled at Ella. "Nothing to be ashamed of, everyone looses their grace at the most inopportune times." Ella started to smile back, then stopped, a look of horror on her face. "The ball!" she cried. "It's tomorrow! I can't go!" Ann patted her arm reassuringly. "Now, now, we have to find out what the doctor says. You may just have a bad sprain."
I was about to mention the crack I heard, when Belinda came storming into the room. "Mabel, where the hell have you been! I've. Oh pardon me Madames." Belinda curtsied, flustered. I grinned at the fact that Belinda had cursed in front of them, but my grin disappeared once Belinda looked at me. "What happened?!" she demanded, as if it was my fault in some way. "I. I was coming in and I saw Ella at the top of the stairs. She tripped and fell before I could reach her." Belinda glared at me. "You lie! How could you do this to one of those who employs you?! I'll have you fired for this. I'll have you hanged! Why I'll." It was Ella who rescued me. "Please," she said faintly, tapping Belinda's knee. "She didn't do this. I tripped. She went and got help. If it wasn't for her." Belinda glared at me one more time. "Well, then better get to chores soon Mabel." She said gruffly, turning and hurrying out of the room.
I sat back, digesting what had just happened. Belinda was trying to blame me for something that obviously wasn't my fault. And Ella had been on MY side. I turned to her and mouthed a thank you. She smiled and mouthed "you too". With that I ran off to do chores so Belinda wouldn't find another reason to fire me.
I occurred to me one day that Ethan could very well be giving that ruby to me!. The thought randomly popped into my head while I was scrubbing the floor in the entrance hall. Why hadn't I ever thought of it before? I was so happy I jumped up to do a dance right then and there. Unfortunately my foot slipped on the wet tiles and I fell into the bucket of soapy water, much to the annoyance of Wendy, who was helping me. Needless to say I had to get more water and finish the rest of the tiles under Belinda's supervision while Wendy took a break. I was much more careful after that.
Two days before the ball, the house turned into the lower levels of Hell. Ella ran screaming through the house with only a shift on, claiming that she couldn't find the dress she was wearing to the ball. Even Ann and Nina, who were normally so level headed, spent hours in front of the tall mirror in the dining room, practicing curtseys and polite smiles. Twice I tripped over them as they were sweeping into a curtsy (bending that low cannot be good for you) and was forced to hear a lecture from them about how servants should watch where they were going and be careful of all the important people. I was glad that they didn't call Belinda on me though.
For some reason Ella decided that I was the only one able to help her. This resulted in me missing many breaks to fit different corsets on her, then to catch as she practiced fainting, or truly fainted from the apparatus she was wearing. Honestly these wealthy women, killing themselves for a small waist. I was fortunate that I had finished my dress the day before because I was given no time to relax between Ella and the rest of my chores. I tried to be nonchalant amid the chaos, but my own heart yearned to go try on my entire ensemble and practice curtseys and smiles. I still had details to work out, such as when I was going to leave the ball, if ever, how I would meet Ethan with out others seeing me, how I would find out if I was the one he wanted to marry, and other things.
The next day I was summoned up two hours early to clean and wax the coach. I suppose it was my punishment from Belinda for ever asking to help with the coach at the ball. I came in sore and rather wet to begin my regular chores. As I closed the front door softly so as not to wake anyone, I heard a soft "psst" and turned. There stood Ella at the top of the stairs. She motioned me to come up, so I did. "Look!" she whispered excitedly, pointing to her feet. I looked down. She had gone out and bought those stupid glass slippers. "Ella, you know your mother will kill you if she sees you wearing them." I trailed off as Ella's expression changed from joy to anger. "She is NOT my mother!" She hissed. "Besides these aren't that hard to walk in. Watch."
Before I could stop her, Ella starting descending the stairs in those stupid inventions. She had gotten four stairs down when the heel on her left shoe cracked slightly. She turned to inspect it, lost her balance on the other foot and plunged, screaming, head over heels, down the rest of the stairs and landed on the floor with a sickening crack. She lay there in a daze as I ran down the stairs to help her. "Can you walk?" I said urgently. Ella shook her head, her face extremely pale. "I think my leg is broken." She whispered. I was afraid she would faint, but instead she took a deep breath and peeled of her shoes. Handing them to me, she gasped out. "Please.please don't let mother see these. It's bad enough about my leg, but if she knew those were the cause." She trailed off. I nodded, and stuffed the shoes into the pockets of my apron. Then I flew to Madame's and Sir's bedroom.
I never knew Madame could run, but she nearly slid down the banister to get to Ella. Sir went to fetch a doctor, while Madame, Ann and Nina stood by Ella, comforting her. "What happened?" Madame inquired. "I was coming in from waxing the coach when I saw Ella at the top of the stairs." I explained. Ella paled even more, but I wasn't about to betray her. "She started down the stairs, but ended up falling from basically the top stair." "I tripped on my gown." Ella put in sheepishly. Madame smiled at Ella. "Nothing to be ashamed of, everyone looses their grace at the most inopportune times." Ella started to smile back, then stopped, a look of horror on her face. "The ball!" she cried. "It's tomorrow! I can't go!" Ann patted her arm reassuringly. "Now, now, we have to find out what the doctor says. You may just have a bad sprain."
I was about to mention the crack I heard, when Belinda came storming into the room. "Mabel, where the hell have you been! I've. Oh pardon me Madames." Belinda curtsied, flustered. I grinned at the fact that Belinda had cursed in front of them, but my grin disappeared once Belinda looked at me. "What happened?!" she demanded, as if it was my fault in some way. "I. I was coming in and I saw Ella at the top of the stairs. She tripped and fell before I could reach her." Belinda glared at me. "You lie! How could you do this to one of those who employs you?! I'll have you fired for this. I'll have you hanged! Why I'll." It was Ella who rescued me. "Please," she said faintly, tapping Belinda's knee. "She didn't do this. I tripped. She went and got help. If it wasn't for her." Belinda glared at me one more time. "Well, then better get to chores soon Mabel." She said gruffly, turning and hurrying out of the room.
I sat back, digesting what had just happened. Belinda was trying to blame me for something that obviously wasn't my fault. And Ella had been on MY side. I turned to her and mouthed a thank you. She smiled and mouthed "you too". With that I ran off to do chores so Belinda wouldn't find another reason to fire me.
