'Move aside,' a phrase Elise heard far too often being pushed in every direction. There was a reason she rarely if ever ventured into the market. Another shove to the ground almost made her hood come off her face. Grabbing it tighter in her fist she pulled it down again.
This was reason enough to go back home where it was safe and private. Far from curious glances even with her cloak hood down she was an oddity among the market goers. Many wore capes and hoods but none so far pulled down to conceal their complete identity.
"Excuse me," Elise muttered when she finally arrived to the front of the fabric booth of her choosing. "I need yards of blue fabric enough for a simple dress. How much would we take?"
"You need at least double what you be offering girl," The man scoffed at her pocket change. "With the tripling prices of fabric in the past months. You waited too long and offer to get out and let others to the front."
"But I…" Elise began to argue but was quickly pushed aside by a woman yelling about needing another shall made by the end of the week.
Elise pulled her cloak tighter around her chin closing her eyes and taking a deep calming breath in and out before opening her eyes and continuing on her way. Walking back to the house would be a long and depressing route for sure with no fabric in tow.
"I have some fabric for sale," A cracked feminine voice came quietly from her left.
Turning to see who had spoken Elise furrowed her brow she was alone on the path home. Turning slowly all around she lifted her hood to see everything she could while still being able to cover her face from anyone she might encounter while doing so. Seeing no one she continued on.
"Aren't you searching for fabric my dear one?" The voice came again an elderly woman's voice that although old sounded somehow kind and oddly young at the same time.
"Hello?" Elise called out. No reply came and she walked on shaking her head and rubbing her forehead. The heat must finally be getting to her.
"My dear one," The old woman's voice came a third time making Elise stop in her tracks.
"Where are you?" Elise asked aloud turning around before taking a startled step back. An old woman stood right next to her a donkey beside her pulling a large cart filled with various diritied fabrics.
"I am seldom seen by those unwilling to look for me." The woman smiled at her motioning towards her cargo.
Elise smiled politely and ventured closer a feeling of acceptance washed over her urging her to take off her hood but she held it firm.
"There is no need to worry about appearances," the woman laughed aloud showing various gaps in her smile. "Remove your hood if you wish."
"I...I can't," Elise replied her voice low. "I think I should go now."
"Without any fabric? Are you sure?" The woman motioned to the fabric beside her.
Elise felt oddly calm watching the old woman and couldn't help but feel like she was safe and in good company. It was a feeling she hadn't experienced before. It almost reminded her of when she was talking to the man by the river. Slowly she lifted her hood waiting for the gasp of disgust but was surprised when the woman didn't give her a second glance.
"Do you see something you like my dear?"
Elise moved closer fingering the fabrics with her fingers though they were heavily dusted with dirt they felt smooth and light. Rifling through the many fabrics a glitter of sun reflecting off the fabric caught her eye. Pulling out a light blue shimmery fabric her eyes widened.
"This must be a mistake," Elise breathed out. It wasn't a bolt of fabric, it was a fully sewn ball gown. Studying it she couldn't contain her awe. "This is a dress, an exquisite one surely. The stitch work is perfect and precise. The corset is well boned and the skirt full and….This should be more on display in the markets not hidden under other pieces of fabric. You could sell this for a lot."
"My dresses," The woman smiled lovingly stroking the dress Elise held. "They are only for sale to the person they belong to."
"I don't understand?" Elise
"The dress is yours," The woman smiled reaching and pushing the dress back into Elise's hands. "It will not be of any charge."
"I can't take this dress," Elise sighed fingering the fine garment even as she tried to back away.
"No of course you can't without this," Reaching behind her the old woman pulled out a gold and blue mask one that dipped down deep on the left. "It reminds me of water with its flow of blue fabric don't you think."
"Water," Elise whispered holding the dress against her and twirling softly. "Almost like a water minx?"
"I would think that would describe it perfectly."
Elise thanked the woman still in a sort of daze as she gathered the dress and mask in her arms and walked back to the house. Climbing the tree back up to her bedroom proved more difficult with added weight. Careful not to get the dress caught on any branches or bark from the trunk.
Falling into the room she spread the gown out on the small bed. Seeing it spread out it looked even more extravagant and graceful than when she first held it up in front of herself. It truly was the best gown money could buy and she had gotten it for nothing at all.
Closing her eyes she replayed the conversation in her head. It was a confusing conversation but it had happened. She had met someone on the road home, taken off her hood, showed her face, and been given the perfect outfit for Friday's ball.
Looking into a tall cracked mirror in the corner of her room she pulled the mask over her face. A small gasp left her mouth as her ugly scars were covered seamlessly by the mask only showing porcelain like skin untouched by the sun peeking from the eyes and along the edges.
Along with the dress all she needed was the perfect pair of dancing shoes. Her current shoes were perfect for traveling there and back but once she was inside she would need something more fitting to her gown. Frowning she picked the dress up to hang and something fell to the floor from the folds of the dress.
There were two things that fell out she found when she leaned down to look.Glass slippers with a tint of blue shining through when the sun from the window hit it just right. It was impossible for them to be hidden in the dress all this time. It was as if by magic that she had obtained these shoes.
Shaking her head she turned her head heavenward. It was by some magic that she had obtained anything at all she couldn't wrap her brain around anything that had happened. The old lady that appeared on her way home with a perfect dress and mask that seemed to be made for her. The comfortable and familiar feeling she felt in her presence was enough to show her face to her. Even now just as she worried about one more aspect of her night shoes had appeared as well.
The ball couldn't come soon enough and with the other ladies of the house busing themselves with preparations for it Elise was sure she would go about her chores fully ignored. She would be able to sneak out and go to the ball unnoticed when the time came she was sure of it.
"Elise," Adaline muttered pulling Emmaline's hair tight against her head making her squeel in protest. "Grab more pins from Katherine's box. We need these girls to look their best and a smooth coiffe is just the start. It's a long process but we start early in the morning. We will be ready tonight."
"Mother," Kiana whined beside her. "I need perfect hair as well. When will it be my turn?"
"Kiana," Emmaline announced smugly pursing her lips as she turned to look at her. "I am the eldest I need to look better in turn."
A sharp tug of her hair turned her head around with a shriek of pain. Kiana rolled her eyes sitting back down with a pout.
"Elise, pins now!" Adaline yelled motioning with her head down the hall.
Nodding her head she turned quickly moving out of the room in search of the servants quarters.
"Elise," a soft friendly voice called out and she turned to see Katherine standing closely to her left. "No need to cover your face you are with friends."
Elise smiled lowering her hand from where she had raised it to cover her face.
"I need more hair pins," Elise smiled at her. "The girls are running low."
"Ah yes the girls," Katherine laughed bitterly. "Those girls would need much more than pins to make them beautiful enough for the prince like their mother wants. I hope for our sake they get some nice Duke or Earl's look of affection. Adaline will not be sated for weeks if they do not."
"Yes," Elise whispered looking down.
"What has gotten your mind unconnected from your tongue this morning," Katherine nudged her shoulder making her unbalanced for a moment.
"I have been invited to the ball this evening," Elise whispered a hint of a smile creeping up on her lips at the thought.
"So has everyone but we cannot accept. Can you imagine us at the ball?" Katherine laughed, shaking her head at the thought. "I am glad to see you are in good humor with everything so hectic going on.
"Yes," Elise laughed turning to follow Katherine as she crossed a room grabbing the box of hair pins from her. "If we cannot laugh we cannot live."
"Your father was always saying that," Katherine smiled at her sadly. "I am glad you have memories before he left. You were so young my mother still talks of him fondly. He loved you so much you know."
"I know," Elise answered turning her eyes to the ground and holding back tears threatening to come to the surface.
"It is not the same I know but you will always be the lady of the house to all of us," Katherine promised.
"It means the world truly it does," Elise assured her nodding her head before leaving the room and returning to the chaos of the master bedroom where the girls were still being pulled and tweaked to Adeline's perception of perfection.
"The pins!" Kiana cried running and snatching them out of Elises grip and running back to her mother. "I found the pins. Please hurry I need my hair to be perfect. I want curls framing my face and a tight crown round my head."
Elise left the room before she could hear Kiana finish her demands for her mother to follow when it came to how she did her face. Climbing the stairs down to the kitchens she gathered her cleaning rags and got started on her chores that were waiting for her.
Scrubbing the floors leading up to her father's late study she couldn't help but remember her few memories she still had of her late father.
"Your mother used to sit on these branches way up there," Her father would say pointing to a nearby oak tree. "And think of the hundreds of years it took to stand so tall and firm in the fierce wind. Nothing but the highest force of wind could make the branches shake and even then the trunk would remain solid."
"Mmm" Elise would murmur in agreement leaning her head against her father's arm and looking up at the large tree.
"We need to stand firm at our base solid in our core. Though it may look like we shake at our center we need to remain ever steady."
"Just like mama."
"Exactly like mama."
Wiping the tears from her eyes Elise let out a slow shaky breath. She had to focus on these chores if she even wanted the option of deciding whether to really go tonight. She would need to do her own hair but that wasn't a big concern. She had done her stepsisters hair multiple times before.
It wasn't long before the stairs were clean enough she didn't want to look at them for fear of seeing her own reflection staring back at her. Scooping up her cleaning towels and bucket of soapy suds she strode to the window. Throwing the dirtied water out the window she walked to the small closet in the study gathering a feather duster and her hand.
Careful of the old books and small objects she dusted the rarely used study and left to quickly finish the rest of the house.
It took the rest of the day to clean the entire house. Filled with stairs, walls full of windows, endless walls and so much more. Daily dusting, weekly scrubbing, and monthly polishing. It was all done today of all days to keep her out of the way of the girls getting ready for the ball. Adaline had planned this day from beginning to end to be filled with more cleaning than Elise had ever done before.
While there was no way that Adaline knew she was planning on attending tonight's ball it was as if she did. It was almost as though Adaline had given her double the duties in order to take away her own time of getting herself ready for tonight.
"Elise!" Adeline's voice cut through her thoughts as she finished polishing the last piece of silver. "Elise come here now!"
Running down the hall Elise worried at what she could find for her to do now just hours before the start of the ball what more could she need? Finding Adaline at the entry way with her stepsisters beside her made her pause. They looked ready to leave. What could they want from her?
"We are leaving," Adlaline announced. Elise tried to hold back a smile of surprise keeping her eyes and head down to the ground. "We are meeting with the esteemed Yetter family. They have offered to sponsor the girls upcoming seasons if they do not find matches tonight and we must pay our respects before the ball. Assure them that it will not be necessary. Look at my girls. They will not need another season."
"Yes Ma'am," Elise curtsied low to the ground.
"Have you completed all on your list?" Adaline asked holding her head high a smirk on her lips.
"Not yet Ma'am," Elise lied lifting her hand half way to her face before forcing it back down.
"Good I like to think that you will be too busy to miss us or think to much on what you are missing out on tonight," Adaline laughed as she hurried her girls out the door and to the awaiting carriage.
Elise smiled now as they left she had a little under two hours now to get ready and have plenty of time to get her own carriage from the barn hitched up to Reginald and one other horse of her choosing. It was almost too perfect as she now had the house to herself. Everything was falling into place it would seem.
Running up to her room she grabbed her dress throwing it over her naked shoulders it fell down easily sliding over her curves and hugging her gently. Twirling slowly the dress kissed at her ankles. It was almost too perfect. She slipped the mask over her face and looked into the mirror standing in the far corner.
Through the cracks in the mirror her reflection made her burst into tears. She was beautiful. For the first time in her life. She felt physically beautiful.
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