I lowered my eyes. She was right; I had been neglecting my training, and if I were going to survive, I had to learn as much as I could, and fast.
“Now, my dear.” Aunt Serena clasped her hands together in front of her. “The Blackwaters have invited you specifically. I think their son, Damien, told them about you. I must say I was quite surprised myself, but if we try to keep you from them, they will wonder what we are trying to hide. I have already informed Sorcha, the Duchess of Blackwater, that we will all be attending.”
I slumped in my chair. I guess what I wanted didn’t matter. I wondered if I could fake a headache tomorrow so I didn’t have to go.
A kind-looking, middle-aged woman came in.
“Ah, Ms. Rikley, please show Lady Rory to her room,” said Aunt Serena. She turned to me. “Once you freshen up, come downstairs for lunch, and then we can go into town.”
I nodded. “Thank you, Aunt Serena.” I followed the housekeeper up the stairs to the second floor of the house, where my room was situated.
It was a bright, cheery room with a big mahogany bed and gleaming walnut floors strewn with plush carpets. Rich, dusky-rose curtains framed the large windows, and I leaned over the side to see the blooming formal gardens of Everdale House, which led down in tiers to the river. Vivienne had once told me that all the best houses overlooked the river. I wondered where Foxmoor House was and how I could get a message to Vivienne to come over.
I washed my face and hands with the little porcelain bowl and jug in the room and went downstairs to join Aunt Serena and Erien.
Lunch was served in the dining room, a large, rectangular space with a massive, finely polished wooden dining table that could seat at least twenty people. Two crystal chandeliers hung from the frescoed ceiling, and four large, arched double doors led out to the gardens of the house.
The food was heavenly. There was a creamy mushroom soup; a fish in a delicate sauce with nuts; a whole assortment of vegetables, roasted game, different cheeses, and fruits; and a honey pudding with thick, yellow cream.
I ate so much I was stuffed, and all I wanted to do was crawl back into bed and go to sleep. But Aunt Serena was insistent that we had many things to do that day, and going to the dressmaker was one of them.
We climbed into the Everdale carriage, and it rumbled down the broad, paved streets of the city of Neris. The dressmaker’s shop was not far away.
This area of the city was very different from what I had seen before. I peered out of the curtained carriage window and glimpsed a host of fashionable people walking around, shopping or chatting as they came across an acquaintance or friend on the street.
The shops in this area were also different from my last experience; they were bigger and more ornate. There were no blacksmiths, masons, or carpenters here; the shops were mainly jewelers with big, decorative shop windows, and dressmakers with their latest creations on display. There were also shoemakers, tailors, barbers, headdress makers, wine sellers, spice merchants, and a few luxurious bakeries.
The carriage stopped in front of a large dressmaker’s shop with a purple awning. Above the front of the shop, in big, gold, letters was written Lady Charlotte’s Creations.
When we got out of the carriage, I could smell the wonderful aromas coming from the bakery next door.
“Can we go in there first?” I pointed to the little bakery with delicious-looking cakes sitting on the windowsill.
Aunt Serena’s gaze turned stern. “No! We are running late as it is.”
I followed the countess into the shop to meet with the dressmaker. She was a thin little lady with stern, black eyes and a hooked nose. Her white hair was tied back securely in a severe bun.
The shop was a dream of fabric heaven, and shopgirls bustled about taking out bolts of beautiful fabrics as others worked away on spindles and looms, creating dresses and adorning them with buttons, lace, ribbons, and even jewels.
“Lady Charlotte is the best. Her designs are the most coveted by the nobility of Eldoren and beyond,” said Aunt Serena, trying to appease the stern little lady, who looked extremely peeved to have been kept waiting.
Lady Charlotte held a rich ruby fabric in her bony fingers as she showed it to us. “Touch this,” she said in her heavily accented voice and flicked a look at me. “This is the best Eldorean velvet.”
I caressed all the lavish fabrics as Lady Charlotte helped Aunt Serena choose an appropriate one for my dress. She showed us shimmering satins from Illiador, the finest silks from Brandor, along with magnificent brocades and linings made from the softest Andrysian furs. Lady Charlotte gestured to one of her shopgirls to bring out some more.
Lady Charlotte draped me in different fabrics in a variety of colors and designs, pinned me, and poked me again and again. I was convinced that all the poking was done deliberately as my punishment for keeping her waiting. She measured me in so many places that I was exhausted by the end of the session. Getting fitted for a ball gown seemed to be the most strenuous work I had ever done.
“We also need a ready gown for a dinner party tomorrow night,” said Aunt Serena to the dressmaker.
The stern little lady nodded. “I have just the thing.” She snapped her fingers to call one of her girls and send them scurrying to find what she required.
They brought out a shimmering, cream satin gown that had a fitted bodice exquisitely embroidered with snowy-white pearls and cut beautifully in a wide,
