It's the day before Eliza and I leave, and I wake to the sound of someone rummaging through my closet. I rub my eyes and sit up. I get out of bed and look around, but Eliza is nowhere to be seen. I'm about to go look for her when a maid opens the door to my suite and says, "She's in her studio, but she said that there's a maid in your closet who'll give you a dress." "Okay, thank you." "I'm Beatrice, and I'll be outside if you need me." I nod, and she closes the door behind her. I go into my closet and am met with Lilliana, who hands me a dress and shoes. "I can put up your hair if you'd like," she says with bright eyes. "Sure! Let me get dressed first." I put on the dress and slip on the shoes and Lilliana says, "Elizabeth is very talented. That dress is beautiful!" "It sure is!" I reply while looking in the mirror. She points to a plum-colored chair, and motions for me to sit. I do, and she goes straight to work. "Up or down?" She asks while she brushes my hair. "Down," I reply. I haven't worn my hair down in a long time. In the end, I am left with my hair perfectly curled and pinned. I thank her and leave my suite to go see Eliza. When I open the door I am met with a mess of about four trunks, all of which are filled to the brim. "You do know that we are only going for three days, right?" I say, eyeing the luggage. "Yes. But because we're supposed to be ladylike or something, I'm trying to pack all of these huge dresses into these tiny trunks. Which is not going great, if you were wondering." "Well, I'm not exactly an expert, but we can ask a maid." She calls for Beatrice, and when she enters the room she just laughs. "I take it you've never packed for a trip by yourself?" Eliza shakes her head sheepishly. "Well miss, all you have to do is iron the dresses," Beatrice says, her eyes full of laughter. "But won't that ruin the form?" "Not at all! Just steam the dresses when you arrive. That's all." "Thank you, Beatrice." With that maid leaves, and I burst into laughter. "You're a seamstress. How on earth have you gotten this far?" "I honestly have no idea," she says, looking absolutely dumbfounded. "A true mystery!" "Oh, shush," she says while she pulls her iron from a shelve. "You have to admit it, though. It was kind of hilarious." I say. "Something like that."
+++
A few hours later, we are eating lunch in my room. "Have you ever ridden a train?" Eliza asks. "Never," I say with my mouth full. "How attractive. Anyways, I've never ridden one before. I'm excited and scared at the same time." She pours dressing on her salad and takes a bite. "I've heard that it goes so fast you don't even feel like you're going." "That's believable, I guess," I reply. "It's definitely faster than a carriage." "I can't believe that we're leaving tomorrow!" She says excitedly. I nod in agreement and finish my sandwich. "Are you okay? I thought you'd be more excited," She asks. "I am. Speaking of the trip, what dresses did you pack? I know you packed the flowery white one, but what else?" "I picked out a lavender one, and I also made some wonderfully modern pieces for us to wear. Something our parents would hate." That's certainly intriguing, I think. "Can I see these wonderfully modern creations of yours?" I ask her. "Nice try, Eira. But then it wouldn't be a surprise." "Anyways," she adds, "I have to go. I'm having to with my mother today." "Have fun," I say as she stands. "I always do." She leaves my suite and ventures into the hallway. I stand and begin to clean up the table. "You don't have to do that," a light voice says behind me. Beatrice walks through the door and takes the plates. "You should make sure you have everything you need packed. I'll clean up." "Oh, thank you." I excuse myself and enter my room. I get down on my knees and retrieve the little box of knives I had hidden in the floorboards. I wrap the knives in a sheet of thick leather and put the locket around my neck. I'm as ready as I'll ever be.
It's the day before Eliza and I leave, and I wake to the sound of someone rummaging through my closet. I rub my eyes and sit up.
I get out of bed and look around, but Eliza is nowhere to be seen. I'm about to go look for her when a maid opens the door to my suite and says, "She's in her studio, but she said that there's a maid in your closet who'll give you a dress."
"Okay, thank you."
"I'm Beatrice, and I'll be outside if you need me."
I nod, and she closes the door behind her.
I go into my closet and am met with Lilliana, who hands me a dress and shoes.
"I can put up your hair if you'd like," she says with bright eyes.
"Sure! Let me get dressed first."
I put on the dress and slip on the shoes and Lilliana says, "Elizabeth is very talented. That dress is beautiful!"
"It sure is!" I reply while looking in the mirror.
She points to a plum-colored chair, and motions for me to sit.
I do, and she goes straight to work.
"Up or down?" She asks while she brushes my hair.
"Down," I reply. I haven't worn my hair down in a long time.
In the end, I am left with my hair perfectly curled and pinned. I thank her and leave my suite to go see Eliza.
When I open the door I am met with a mess of about four trunks, all of which are filled to the brim.
"You do know that we are only going for three days, right?" I say, eyeing the luggage.
"Yes. But because we're supposed to be ladylike or something, I'm trying to pack all of these huge dresses into these tiny trunks. Which is not going great, if you were wondering."
"Well, I'm not exactly an expert, but we can ask a maid."
She calls for Beatrice, and when she enters the room she just laughs.
"I take it you've never packed for a trip by yourself?"
Eliza shakes her head sheepishly.
"Well miss, all you have to do is iron the dresses," Beatrice says, her eyes full of laughter.
"But won't that ruin the form?"
"Not at all! Just steam the dresses when you arrive. That's all."
"Thank you, Beatrice."
With that maid leaves, and I burst into laughter.
"You're a seamstress. How on earth have you gotten this far?"
"I honestly have no idea," she says, looking absolutely dumbfounded.
"A true mystery!"
"Oh, shush," she says while she pulls her iron from a shelve.
"You have to admit it, though. It was kind of hilarious." I say.
"Something like that."
+++
A few hours later, we are eating lunch in my room.
"Have you ever ridden a train?" Eliza asks.
"Never," I say with my mouth full.
"How attractive. Anyways, I've never ridden one before. I'm excited and scared at the same time." She pours dressing on her salad and takes a bite.
"I've heard that it goes so fast you don't even feel like you're going." "That's believable, I guess," I reply. "It's definitely faster than a carriage."
"I can't believe that we're leaving tomorrow!" She says excitedly.
I nod in agreement and finish my sandwich.
"Are you okay? I thought you'd be more excited," She asks.
"I am. Speaking of the trip, what dresses did you pack? I know you packed the flowery white one, but what else?"
"I picked out a lavender one, and I also made some wonderfully modern pieces for us to wear. Something our parents would hate."
That's certainly intriguing, I think.
"Can I see these wonderfully modern creations of yours?" I ask her.
"Nice try, Eira. But then it wouldn't be a surprise."
"Anyways," she adds, "I have to go. I'm having to with my mother today."
"Have fun," I say as she stands.
"I always do."
She leaves my suite and ventures into the hallway.
I stand and begin to clean up the table.
"You don't have to do that," a light voice says behind me.
Beatrice walks through the door and takes the plates.
"You should make sure you have everything you need packed. I'll clean up."
"Oh, thank you." I excuse myself and enter my room. I get down on my knees and retrieve the little box of knives I had hidden in the floorboards.
I wrap the knives in a sheet of thick leather and put the locket around my neck. I'm as ready as I'll ever be.