Page 91 of Moonshine and Magnolias
“Ready.” Brandi stepped in front of her and turned around, exposing her unbuttoned dress. The room bustled with everyone preparing for the final act of the night. Petticoats sprouted up from the floor like a rainbow of mushrooms. A few four-bone hoops sat among them. The Hamilton sisters gossiped and chatted as they did their hair and makeup.
Wendy swept her cousin’s hair off her back, concerned at the light layer of sweat on Brandi’s skin. In the mounds of material her cousin had been wearing for the past eight hours, the thought of heatstroke crossed Wendy’s mind. “You okay, honey?”
“Yeah.” Brandi snapped open her fan with an ease that Wendy envied. “Nothing some water won’t fix.”
Wendy sent one of the Hamilton sisters to fetch a bottle and pressed her hand against her cousin’s flushed face. Fiddlesticks. She was burning. “You’re really hot. Maybe you should sit down.”
“No, I’m fine. I’m—” Brandi stumbled on her way to the sofa.
“That’s it.” Wendy undid the dress she had just put on her cousin and pulled it over her head. “Get out of these clothes. You need to cool down and fast.”
“No.” The protest was weak, and Brandi shimmied out of the chemise without any more discussion and plopped on the sofa in her pantaloons and a tank top. “What about the last act? The grand finale? Meeting the captain and falling in love? You’ll have to do it if I don’t.”
Yeah, like that would ever happen. No one would believe Wendy as the beautiful, vivacious Pansy Hamilton. “We can find someone else.”
“No one else knows the part as well as you. You’ve helped me run my lines.” Brandi reached for her gown. “Suit me back up. I can’t disappoint everyone, not when they’re counting on me. You taught me that.”
The fact that Wendy was able to get her to lean back again was enough of a confirmation that Brandi was too overheated to get into her clothes and finish the day as Pansy. She scanned the other women in the room, but none of them were the right height or size to fit into the dress or age to be convincing. Even Wendy would have to suck it in to get the tight corset and hold the dress up in order to walk. But Brandi was right. There were people counting on Pansy Hamilton to save the town.
“And you’ve worked so hard to make this amazing event happen.” Brandi said. “Months of work all leading up to this, only to leave it unfinished? It has to be you, Wendy.”
Ooh, going after Wendy’s pride was playing dirty. It would be beyond epic if the reenactment crashed and burned during its grand finale. She could shove aside her own inner turmoil for a little bit longer. No one would believe a dour-faced Pansy Hamilton. “Fine,” Wendy growled.
As if her words were some cue, the women bustled her into the bedroom to help her shed her plain, serviceable blue dress and put her into Pansy’s clothes. Brandi mustered up enough strength to go over what Wendy had to say. They had studied the lines together so hopefully she’d be able to remember.
“And if something happens that’s not in the script, just go with it,” Brandi instructed. “You remember the time Beatrice’s phone rang? And when the Captaintried to help her silence it, he tore her dress with his ceremonial sword?”
Wendy held on to a bed post to keep from being yanked backward with each tug of the laces on her corset, then waited while the Pansy Hamilton dress was put over her head. Mrs. Hamilton tightened the built-in stays to give her the proper shape for the time period.
“How do you feel?” Brandi asked when Wendy was all suited up.
“Can’t breathe,” Wendy gasped.
“Lean forward,” Brandi instructed.
“In this thing?” Wendy narrowed her eyes. “Why?”
“Because you have to…” Brandi gave her breasts a little lift. “You know. Pump and fluff them out to give yourself some cleavage.”
“No one is going to be interested in my cleavage.” Except maybe the one person she didn’t want interested. Wendy stared down at the material that stopped below her shoulders. Her girls could use a little help. “Fine. Let’s do it.”
She bent over and stuck her hand inside the dress bodice, then scooped her breasts up. It had the added benefit of giving her more room to inhale as well. She added soft cotton gloves to the outfit and stood for inspection.
“Perfect. You look great.” Brandi handed her the empty prop satchel and pinned a hat on her head. “Go team.”
Wendy studied her cousin and frowned. The sweat and faltering had miraculously disappeared. “You’re looking much better. We can change back rea—”
“It’s time!” The woman playing her mother grabbed Wendy’s hand and led her to the door. “Let’s go save the town.”
Even though meeting the Captain was the highlight of The Winning of Pansy Hamilton, the sheer number of people surrounding Wendy’s path to the next performance stage almost made her turn back and shove the dress at Brandi. Only the fact that six other Hamiltons blocked her way to the door forced her to continue. Give her a bat and ball over a theatrical performance any day.
“I’m scared!” the youngest sister said.
“Everything will be fine.” Wendy lied to herself.
“I want Mother.”
“We’ll see her soon.”
