Page 12 of Legacy of Glass
“I’ll have to leave after my cousins,” Olivia reminded her. “Since I’m not planning to mention my attendance to my aunt, I’d rather not create a scene.”
“Absolutely,” Marigold agreed with a gleam in her eyes. “You know I always believe in seeking forgiveness rather than asking permission.”
Olivia grimaced. “With any luck, my aunt won’t spot me at the ball at all, and I can avoid any unpleasantness completely.”
“I’m not sure there’s much chance of that,” Marigold murmured.
“What?” Olivia asked, eyeing her askance.
Marigold raised a challenging eyebrow. “Have you seen this dress? You’re going to look like a dream. No one will be able to keep their eyes off you.”
Olivia laughed. “You’re forgetting I’ll be at your side. You’ll be the one stealing all the eyes.”
She was far from insecure about her appearance, and she was already half in love with the dress her friend had ordered for her, but Marigold had a vibrancy that made other people fade by comparison. If Olivia had been seeking to draw attention, she wouldn’t have attended the ball in her friend’s company.
“Are you sure you don’t mind being late?” she checked a final time. “And your mother isn’t going to mind either? We’ll miss the receiving line, so we won’t have the chance to meet the royal family.”
“Stop worrying.” Marigold pushed her gently away, laughing. “Don’t you know me at all? I have no desire to wait in a receiving line. Everything is going to work out fine.”
Olivia finally let herself stop worrying and embrace the beautiful reality. The following evening, she would be entering the famed ballroom of the royal palace of Sovar.
In the privacy of her bedchamber, she examined every inch of the stunning dress, as she considered the best way to take it in. Her fingers moved over the material, folding and tucking as ideas came to her. But clearly the seamstress used by Lady Emerson was more skilled than the one employed by Aunt Helen because there was less room for improvement than there had been on her cousins’ dresses.
When a knock sounded on her door, she hurried over to check who it was, only opening the door a crack. But as soon as she saw one dark-haired head and one light-haired one, she opened the door all the way, ushering an excited Nell and Hattie quickly inside.
“Oh!” Hattie cried, clasping her hands to her chest as she saw the dress laid out on Olivia’s bed. “It’s beautiful!”
“And more importantly, it’s perfect for you,” Nell added. “Now hurry up and try it on.”
Olivia smiled affectionately at her cousins as they helped her slip the gown over her head. She had taken them into her confidence as soon as she’d realized she would need help with adjusting the dress. She couldn’t do it entirely on her own when she needed to be both model and seamstress.
Once the material was settled in place—draping comically on the floor as if Olivia was a child playing dress up in her mother’s gown—she began issuing instructions. Her cousins worked diligently to follow them, pinning the dress everywhere Olivia directed.
When they’d finally finished, they helped her ease the dress off again, only pricking her twice in the process. Once Olivia was back in one of her own dresses, she gave both girls a warning look.
“Please do be careful and don’t blurt anything out to your mother,” she pleaded.
“I’m sure she wouldn’t forbid you from going,” Hattie assured her quickly, clearly distressed at any suggestion that Olivia was being mistreated.
“She can’t forbid her even if she wanted to,” Nell declared. “The ball is open to everyone, and she’s neither Olivia’s mother nor her slave master. But that doesn’t mean Mother would like it.”
“No, you’re right,” Hattie said with a sigh. “We’ll all—including Mother—be much more comfortable if she doesn’t know anything about it.”
Nell slipped her arms around Olivia and gave her a hug. “I wish we could get ready together.” Before Olivia could respond, she hurried on. “I know we can’t, but at least I’ll be able to see you at the ball. You’ll look magnificent.”
Olivia returned her cousin’s hug affectionately. She had been fortunate that Nell and Hattie had turned out to be the sweetest possible relations.
When she waved them off from the front steps of their family’s mansion the next evening, she was proud to see how well they both looked. Their excitement gave their faces animation as well as sweetness, and she hoped they would have just as wonderful a time as they dreamed. But she didn’t linger to watch the carriage rumble down the street. As soon as it was properly moving, she flew back inside and up to her room to start her own preparations.
She managed to put up her own hair, but as she shimmied into the dress, Olivia realized she was going to need help fastening the gown. It wasn’t the sort of simple design that could be done alone. She ran through the options in her mind, trying to think who among the servants would be the least likely to report the whole incident to her aunt.
She was still considering the matter when her door opened forcefully. She whirled in time to see Marigold strike a pose, her hand over her heart.
“I’m struck silent by your beauty, great lady!” she proclaimed.
“Demonstrably untrue.” Olivia laughed with relief at the sight of her friend. “What are you doing here? I thought we were meeting in the carriage outside.”
“It occurred to me that you might need a little help,” Marigold said. “Given your planned subterfuge.” Her eyes twinkled as she said the word.
