self-conscious
Eloise quickly gathered the books and pamphlets that Theo had given her at their last meeting and bundled them into a satchel. She turned on her heel, eager to make her way to the printers as quickly as possible, but suddenly stopped.
She had caught sight of herself in the mirror that sat on her vanity, and she frowned at her reflection. Had her hair really looked like that all day? She shook her head from side-to-side, trying to shake the curls into an acceptable position. She resisted the urge to reach for a brush—she had long since learnt that her talents did not sit with hairdressing. In fact, she seemed to have a remarkable talent for ruining almost any refined do with just a look.
Impulsively, she rummaged through her drawers and found a lilac ribbon. Taking a deep breath, she placed it at the top of her head and tied the ends of it at the nape of her neck. She considered herself in the mirror, thinking that perhaps the light purple tone looked lost in her dark hair. Maybe the ribbon would've better suited Daphne.
There was a crash elsewhere in the house—Gregory's fault, most likely—and Eloise jolted to attention. What was she doing? She wasn't usually the kind to think so long about how she looked, so long as it wasn't totally ridiculous.
But for some reason, she found herself spending longer and longer in front of the mirror every time she prepared to go to the printers. She found herself wondering if she looked good in baby blue and if aubergine simply drowned her out. As she slipped on her gloves, she thought about what she'd worn last time and tried to remember how Theo had looked at her—if his gaze had lingered. The memory often made her heart clench.
Eloise forced herself away from the mirror. There was no time to indulge in such vain thoughts. She had a carriage to catch.