Vicki and Coreen stared at the woman holding the dress.

"Well, I guess that means no." she sighed.

"Wait!" Vicki and Coreen said in unison, grabbing for her before she could go back to the other room.

"Oh, are you interested?" She asked, raising her eyebrow, with just a hint of smirking on her face.

"I'd like to try it on if that's okay. I haven't really found anything before that I've liked. But, I'm worried, if it's so old, isn't it brittle or something?" Vicki knew as much about wedding dresses as Mike knew about knitting, next to nothing.

"Oh, dear, we have been very careful with this. Do you have any idea how old this really is?" She asked rhetorically.

"Oh, about 460, give or take," Vicki said nonchalantly. Coreen's eyes grew wide.

Cindy, the little sales clerk, eyed Vicki. Vicki eyed her right back. This could be interesting..

"Hmm, aren't you the good guesser..Come on, let's go back here." She motioned for them to follow her. They entered into a small back room with an antique mirror against one wall and a large trunkish container that had apparently held the dress. It did look odd, something Vicki had never seen before. It was made of solid wood, cherrywood to be exact. It had an old lock on it but the inside was covered in something Vicki couldn't even begin to describe. She wasn't going to ask. If it had actually preserved Henry's mothers dress, then she wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth.

"Okay, let's get you in this." The woman waited for Vicki to disrobe. She wasn't concientious at all, she had been in her undergarments enough over the years that it no longer bothered her among other women. Besides, she felt good about her body. She was the mother of twins and yet she knew she looked good, of course it didn't hurt that not only was she not aging, she was immortal and had regressed somewhat when she had the twins. Yeah, she was kind of proud of herself right about then. That is until she thought...

"Hey, what size is that dress?" Vicki knew that could be a problem as women were much smaller as were men in the earlier eras.

"No matter, we can size it for you." Vicki frowned. She didn't want to have the dress altered.

She sighed and hoped her post-baby breasts would fill out the bodice.

She looked at the dress one more time. This could very well truly be the dress that Elizabeth, Henry's mother had made for herself. She would have been measured for it and surely would have tried it on. Vicki was unsure of how to feel at this moment, excitement, fear, anticipation or nervousness. Maybe all of the above.

Then she thought of something else..."Aren't these dresses supposed to have some kind of hoopy-thingie?" she asked making swirling motions with her hands.

Cindy sighed, "Sweetie, these were made for royalty, they didn't have the hoops, they were elegant, sweeping." she answered with sweeping motions of her own, only out in front of her not around like a hula-hoop as Vicki had done.

Vicki shrugged and realized she was prolonging trying it on. She didn't want to be dissappointed. She wanted this dress to fit her perfectly. She knew it wouldn't so she prepared herself.

Cindy came over to Vicki and had her step into it. Coreen was on the other side helping Cindy slide the dress up Vicki's body, putting her arms into the laced sleeves. As the pulled the dress completely up, Vicki was readying herself for the big let-down.

"Coreen, will you button it please.." Vicki looked at Cindy, silently, the older woman understood. If the dress didn't fit, she wanted her friend to be the one to let her down. There were lots of buttons, it was of course, the style of the day.

The buttoning seemed endless with Vicki waiting for it to stop as Coreen could no longer button.

But Coreen didn't stop, Vicki could see Coreen's face over her shoulder in the mirror in front of her. Vicki was afraid to look at herself completely.

"Coreen, don't force it, I know it won't.."

"All done!" Coreen said proudly, forcing Vicki to look at herself finally, fully in the mirror.

Cindy stood there with a cheshire-cat grin on her face, Coreen was clapping her hands and hopping, Vicki was just staring at herself.

"It fits." Vicki barely managed to whisper it out.

Fate. That's what Henry would call it. Luck. That's what Vicki would say. Romantic, is what Coreen had giggled out.

The dress was pure silk, very expensive even in today's times. It had pearls sown in around the neckline, pearls for buttons and the lace was hand-made as well. It wasn't over-done at all. It was elegant, yet simple at the same time. Just what Vicki would want. The neck was curved from shoulder to shoulder as the sleeves were off the shoulder just a bit. Henry was going to love the way the dress pushed Vicki's breasts up just enough to be sexy, not vulgar. The silk flowed down perfectly, following Vicki's body to the ground, the train of lace and silk four feet behind her. It was even the right length.

She really wanted this to be Elizabeth's dress. There would never be absolute proof but they could..

"Now, I don't know if you want these other things in here, they came with the dress, some momentos of hers I suppose, we think this is a lock of her son's hair, his christening gown.."

Lock of son's hair..??