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Chapter Twenty-One
Settling In
It was still the first night since the sisters had arrived at Julie's and they were all sitting around the small circular table in the kitchen, eating dinner. Well at least most of them were. Esmerelda was playing with her food but making no attempts to eat it.
"Esmerelda, do you not like it?" Julie asked her seeing she was just playing with the food.
"I am just not very hungry" Esmerelda replied and Julie glanced at the girl. She was very skinny already she couldn't afford to skip meals.
"Well you best eat some of it, I won't let you leave the table unless you do" Julie said gently but firmly. She did not ever allow meal skipping because it was dangerous.
Esmerelda glared at Julie but did take small bites of her food which was something. Sybil was eating her food normally and Ethel was eating fast, clearly hungry.
"Slow down Ethel you will be sick" Julie said chuckling as she saw her stuffing food into her mouth.
"I can't help it, the baby wants more" Ethel replied as she chewed on some potato. Julie was happy at least two of the girls seemed to enjoy her food but Esmerelda did not each much and the longer Julie saw the girl, the more worried about her she became.
That night Julie was sitting on the sofa watching the telly and relaxing as the girls were in their bedrooms, unpacking and settling in. Suddenly Sybil ran into the room and plonked herself on the sofa next to the curly haired woman.
"Are you alright honey?" Julie asked the youngest blonde who nodded with a smile. She was dressed up as if she was going to a party.
"Yes I am okay, what are you doing?" the little girl asked looking at her foster mother curiously.
Julie was watching EastEnders but switched over to a game show not wanting Sybil watching that show. She smiled at her before replying.
"Just watching a game show" Julie told the girl with a smile. Sybil was a sweetheart. She loved her already.
"We don't have a telly at home" Sybil said sadly as she watched the screen with Julie.
"Oh what did you do for fun then?" Julie asked her wondering what she and her sisters did to entertain themselves.
"We played games, or read books or wrote stories, Esmerelda is a genius, she always was thinking of something fun to do" Sybil said happily as she spoke about the eldest blonde.
Julie tried to hide her sadness at that. Esmerelda was not letting her in, she was not bonding with the eldest girl and Julie knew she had closed herself of from her. Sybil saw the look on her face and kept talking.
"Esmerelda doesn't hate you, she always closes of from new people, well from most people actually except for Ethel and I, I think she thinks you are taking over and she is upset" Sybil explained to Julie.
"Taking over?" Julie said not understanding what Sybil meant.
"The thing is we came from a two parent home but mum and dad were always at work leaving us in the care of servants, but they didn't do much, just checked on us every half an hour or so. Esmerelda is sort of the only mother Ethel and I have ever known, she looked after us all day, entertained us, made sure we had food to eat and put us to bed, it is hard for her to let go" Sybil explained sweetly to Julie and the woman felt her heart break. Esmerelda did not know how to let Julie in as she was now parenting the girls she had always parented. It made sense now and Julie nodded.
"I will never take over, you and tour sisters have a special connection I don't want to ruin that" Julie told the tiny blonde who nodded.
"I know that, Esmie will come around but she has seen adults hurt us she just doesn't want us to get hurt anymore" Sybil told Julie who nodded and smiled at the little girl, believing her words.
"Julie?" Sybil then asked as she played with her hands nervously clearly anxious about what she had to say.
"What is it love?" Julie asked the girl worried she was nervous, suspecting she had something bad to say.
"Do we have to ask your permission to hug you? Mum and dad didn't like us to do it without asking" Sybil told the woman and at that statement her heart shattered. She could imagine Sybil asking her mother if she could give her a hug and her saying no. The little girl would have being devastated.
"Of course not, you don't have to ask" Julie told her and Sybil smiled before hugging her. Julie put her arm around her cuddling her close, the material of Sybil's clothes rubbed against her cheek.
"Sybil I don't mean to be rude but is there a reason you are dressed like that? We are not going anywhere special" Julie informed her thinking she was way overdressed for only being at home.
Sybil sighed as she hugged Julie but spoke into her chest.
"Our parents always made us dress like this, they used to say you never know who will turn up for a visit and we had to be prepared for our guests" Sybil replied. She spoke like she had heard that quote many many times and was just repeating it.
"Do you like them?" Julie asked Sybil. If she did like them she had no problem with her wearing them even if thy were over the top they were appropriate.
"Oh no!" Sybil replied sadly "My sisters and I hate them, we all use to complain when mother and father were not listening, they are really tight and restricting and they itch" Sybil replied taking that moment to scratch at her arm to prove her point.
Julie was so angry in that moment. Were Mr and Mrs Hallow just stupid? Why would they make their daughters suffer like that? Julie detached herself from Sybil before shouting.
"ESMERELDA, ETHEL" she shouted and the two other blondes came out of the bedroom looking worried. Mildred followed behind them both curiously.
"What is wrong?" Esmerelda asked placing her hands on Ethel's shoulders worried.
"Nothing don't worry I was just wondering, will you like to go clothes shopping tomorrow?" she asked the girls. Esmie was the first to respond.
"No please, anything but clothes shopping, I hate being measured and fitted" Esmerelda said with a sigh and Julie was shocked. She didn't think anyone got their clothes custom made these days unless it was for a big event.
"You get your clothes fitted by tailors?" Julie asked shocked and Esmerelda nodded with a sigh.
"Well don't worry, in this shop the clothes are already made, all you have to do is try them on and then buy them" Julie explained to the sisters.
"Really?" They are made already?" Sybil asked as she stared at Julie in shock.
"Yes" Julie replied with a smile towards the youngest.
"Are they tight?" Ethel asked Julie then after she had finished talking. "All my current clothes are tight over my bump" Ethel told Julie and indeed she could tell this was the case. The top Ethel had on was straining against her bump.
"Yes darling they are loose, they even make special clothes for people who are having a baby, they are called maturity clothes and they are made so you can be comfortable" Julie told her and Ethel's face lit up at that.
"Oh great, I really want some of them" Ethel said as she stroked her bump smiling.
"Great, tomorrow then we can all go shopping and get you all some new clothes, clothes you can wear when you are in the house, how does that sound?" Julie asked them.
"Great" Sybil said beaming and Julie patted her head and smiled at all the girls.
"Right well it is getting late, we have an early start tomorrow so I want you all off to bed" Julie told the girls who walked into their bedroom without argument.
"Esmerelda" Julie said and the girl stopped halfway to the door and looked at her.
"Are you okay?" Julie asked worried about how quiet she was being.
"Yes….tomorrow then yes?" Goodnight" Esmerelda said as she walked into the bedroom and Julie sighed, upset she still wasn't getting through to her.