17

The Masquerade was in a few days, and Katrina was nearly as delirious over it as she had been over Christmas. She was surprised when the D'Arcy family decided to go as the three goddesses who desired the golden apple; Beauty, Knowledge, and Power.

Helen was laughing her head off about it. "Mama is Knowledge, and Marie is Beauty, of course."

"Hardly," Marie remarked, her ridged frame, wide mouth, and bright red hair had always been sore points with her. "But I'm stuck with the role for an evening and a half."

"I find knowledge suits me quite perfectly," Madame said with a twinkle in her eye. "According to my daughters, I enjoy finding out things."

Katrina listened, the dress she was sewing on forgotten in her lap. "What does that make you, Helen?"

Before Marie could explain just what that made Helen, the younger sister replied, "I'm Power, my dear!" And flexed her arms to prove it. Katrina started giggling when Marie gripped the arms and shook her head.

"If that's all you are, Helen, perhaps you were right to refuse marriage completely."

This earned her a stern cuff from Power, which Beauty returned eagerly. Knowledge instantly began pounding her cane on the carpet. "Girls, girls! Really, you ought to behave better, and in front of the help."

Helen shook her head and sat down on the floor with Katrina. "What are you going as?"

"Uncle Erik won't let me have his Red Death mask; he said it would cause a riot." Katrina sounded disappointed, and Helen struggled to keep a straight face. "But I'm not going as a princess."

"You could go as a truffle," Madame said, eyeing the multihued, leftover bits of fabric that littered the apartment.

"Oh, Mama, really." Marie chided.

Helen looked around and her face lit up. "How about a gypsy then? We have scads of things to make it with. Surely Uncle Erik wouldn't say that would cause a riot?"

"No, he never mentioned gypsies. Just spirits of all kinds and the Red Death."

As soon as the current dress was finished, the sisters placed Katrina on a stool and wrapped her torso and hips in green-blue fabric, which was then cut and sewn to fit. All sorts of ruffles from red to pale pink with black in between were pinned together and checked for measurements. These formed the main skirt. To this was attached a small train of more blue-green, and somehow beads and ribbons were added to give it a wild look.

The poor child was quite confused at this sort of attention, having always had clothes ordered ready-made from shops. If it didn't fit, Erik had her fix it herself with the aid of her mother's sewing kit and book. With Christine, he had tried to be sure of the fit, but with his niece he viewed it as good practice. As a result she could sew nearly anything, but becoming the dress dummy was rather disconcerting.

Marie took off the gypsy dress at last to make the adjustments, and Helen handed Katrina the leftover beads to sting for a necklace while she made a headdress to match the costume.

"Is that what they do to you when they make your new outfits for the opera?" Katrina asked after a moment.

"Yes," Marie said, "why?"

"I didn't realize it was so dreadful. Do you never say ouch when they poke you?"

"Oh, dear, did we poke you?" Helen asked in concern, half expecting to see blood.

"Not very much. But surely it happens to Mademoiselle Marie."

Marie smiled thinly. "Sometimes, but I've grown used to it, I suppose."

They worked in silence for a while, before Madame cleared her throat. "Will your uncle be coming to the festivities?"

Katrina shrugged, eyes working over the lines of beads. The women's eyes met thoughtfully over her head. There really was nothing more to add, or ask on the subject, but it was a looming elephant among them.

The days went by quickly, and Katrina was completely distracted the day of the party. She couldn't hold still long enough for Helen to do the buttons properly, and it took three tries to get it right.

Katrina studied herself in the mirror, bouncing up and down. "I get to stay up all night! Oh thank you all!" she charged Helen, then Marie with hugs and started for Madame, but the old dame held up a hand.

"Gently, child, I'm not a stuffed cushion."

Katrina gave her a peck on the cheek, and spun around and around watching the fabric billow out. She stopped and sat down heavily, waiting for the room to still. Marie was looking at the wall, trying not to laugh, Madame was muttering something about behavior, and Helen was just howling.

"Dizzy, darling?" She asked, helping the girl up.

Nodding, Katrina stood, and looked around. "Can I go show Uncle Erik?"

Marie gave her assent, and the child opened the mirror, and disappeared.

She knew her way through the dark, and took it as quickly as she could, arriving at the house out of breath. She found her uncle reading a score, and stood there until he noticed her.

"Turn around," he ordered, and she did so. Several times.

"It's nice, isn't it?" She asked. He took her hand, and drew her close to his side.

"It is, child. Your parents would be proud of you. Tell the D'Arcy women thank you from me. And for heaven's sake, behave yourself tonight! I don't need to come pay for damages to the statues!"

With a kiss to his cheek, and a whistle to her dog, she took off, leaving him to ponder in silence.

The Ball was full of color, people, sound, food, and smells crushed together. Katrina spent the early part of the evening learning steps from one of the new gentlemen in the ballet corps. Soon, however, the adults became tipsy, and she found a corner to hide in and teach Tomino to fetch shrimps.

After a while, she wandered outside, the pup following, and she paused before the building to look back at all the lights and listen to the sounds coming in gentle waves to her ears. Snow was falling lightly, catching on her ruffles, in her wild hair, and on Tomino's fur. She buried her fingers in his warm ruff, and watched the lights flicker, and the shadow of people moving back and forth.

A step behind her made her turn, and there she saw Erik, draped in his cape, and holding his stick in the crook of his arm. Picking her up, he wrapped the deliciously warm folds around her, and walked slowly back towards their home. She linked her arms around his bony neck, and rested her head on his shoulder so she could look behind them as they went. Tomino shuffled along beside them, worn out himself.

"I forgot to tell Mademoiselle I was going outside."

"I passed Helen on my way here, she knows."

Nothing more was said between them as the new year slipped quietly into Paris.

So sorry it took so long for this, life happens all at once it seems.