A VOYAGE TO REMEMBER
Chapter Nineteen
Edith motioned to the maids to
leave; they bowed their heads respectfully and scooted away quickly. Isolde was
whisked away by Erica and Emily. They stood her behind the changing curtain and
motioned for her to take off her clothing. Isolde did as she was told until she
only remained in her underclothes. She could see that the two approved of her
new hairdo and makeup.
All five were rifling through
Emily’s wardrobe. She could hear their arguments over what colors matched her
complexion. Edith was the deciding factor and like a mother to them all. She
was obviously the oldest. Grabbing Isolde’s hand, she yanked her away from the
changing screen, all of the young woman’s modesty gone with it.
"Oh, you certainly are a
silly thing," Erica expressed to her. "You shouldn’t be afraid.
You’ve got a beautiful figure."
"Yes," Elaine muttered
to her softly. "Edith will just want to enhance it."
Isolde attempted to turn towards
her, but Edith turned her back to face her for an evaluation. She motioned for
her to stand straight. The Welshwoman was not even close to being as thin as
Emily. She made tsk-tsk noises while studying her. Grabbing Emily’s extra
corset, she threw it on Isolde. Without any warning, she began tightening the
strings. The woman gasped and held her stomach.
"You’re a good seven inches
more than Emily," Edith told Isolde. "We’ll have to get you within
two to be even close to fitting into her morning outfits."
She continued to have a hand
placed against her stomach. The girls sent words of advice, to suck it in or
don’t expand. Isolde clenched her teeth against making an angry retort. Edith
finally finished with a nod of approval. Elaine motioned her to look in the
mirror to see the difference, but Edith sent a stern look that said no.
"Not until we’re completely
done," she said with a bit kinder smile.
First a yellow dress with pink
lace was attempted; it only made Isolde look paler. Emily frowned when her
choice didn’t work. Erica brought up a deep blue dress with black lace; Edith
immediately rejected it after she had just put it on, claiming it made her hips
much too slender and not wanting her to look like a stick. She huffed in
response. Elizabeth was the next to choose, bringing a bright pink dress with
white bows adorned everywhere. Isolde didn’t have a chance to try it on. She
silently thanked Edith, who sent it away, insisting it would make her look like
she was constantly blushing…and besides…it was much too gaudy. Elizabeth simply
rolled her eyes at her sister. It was now Elaine’s turn, bringing out a black
dress with navy blue buttons. The deciding factor pointed it back to the
wardrobe; it was much too dreary. The girls looked at each other nervously.
Nothing had been found to suit their new friend yet.
Edith pushed through the mass of
sisters and began throwing dresses left and right. She finally pulled one out
with an ah-ha! Walking over to Isolde proudly, she held out a mint green dress
with cream lace on the sleeves, v-neck, and hem. Isolde carefully slid into it,
afraid it would tear, and what a pity that would be to ruin something so
beautiful.
Everyone nodded and smiled.
Isolde could finally see herself in a full length mirror. The dress reached
down to the floor, covering her shoes. The sleeves went to her elbows and the
lace hung a few inches further. The neckline was very low; every time she
breathed, her chest looked confined against the fabric and pulled it tight,
enhancing a certain feature of her body. Her hair was held up with a clip made
of crystals. Perfect ringlets fell onto her shoulders. Most of it was pulled
away in a ponytail to hang over her back and to show off its length. Her cheeks
were rosy, no bruises to be seen. The green of the dress brought out her eyes.
They didn’t look like a green hidden by the brown, but a brilliant emerald. I
am a different person, Isolde thought happily; it would take the most
observant of people to notice her.
Isolde was so entranced with the
transformation that she didn’t notice the cream gloves being slipped over her
hands. The girls all wore expensive, exquisite hats, but they decided that
their new friend’s beauty would only be masked by it, and led her out the room
without one.
They all squeezed into the lift.
The young man running it had a difficult time keeping his eyes off them, but
Elizabeth looked at him with narrowed eyes and crossed arms. Edith explained
everything as they walked slowly to their destination, Elizabeth claiming it
was always acceptable for them to be fashionably late.
"Now," Edith started
off like a personal trainer, "be yourself, but don’t speak of things you
don’t know. It’ll always turn out badly." She sent Emily a pointed look.
The youngest looked at her feet. "Look self-assured. Speak when spoken to.
Laugh at the jokes. If you don’t know how to use the silverware, look
discreetly at the person next to you…" Isolde knew Edith had probably said
much more, but she was having trouble keeping focus on the room. It was
beginning to spin around her, the corset limiting nearly all of her oxygen
intake.
They were reaching the entrance
of the French café. Every woman was going in with an escort. Isolde’s jaw
nearly dropped. She saw Harold waiting to escort one of the ladies in her own
group. Elizabeth noticed and efficiently placed herself with Harold, winking
back at Isolde. Harold looked over and gave Isolde a second glance, as if he
knew who she was, but couldn’t quite place it. He quickly turned away when
Elizabeth grabbed his attention.
The rest of the sisters gave each
other knowing looks; their new friend was the girl the Fifth Officer had been
courting in secret. Edith motioned for everyone to look normal and respectful
as they allowed the group behind them to enter first. She pushed Emily forward
to be placed with an officer, who the young girl was obviously sweet on. Erica
was sent with a pleasant man who she fluttered over to without instruction. He
openly kissed her.
"Her fiancée," Edith
whispered to her.
Elaine went in with a frown on
the arm of a boy her age, barely twenty, with blond hair and a large smile, who
looked very nervous. They were opposites. Why on earth would they be paired
together?
Isolde and Edith stood waiting in
line for an escort. "That young man asked Father for Elaine’s hand in
marriage without even courting her. Father, of course, said yes, believing no
one else during the season would have the heart to accept her for who she is.
She acts as though she hates him, but I think she’s actually quite taken and is
being stubborn. The boy really is trying a great deal to earn her love. It’s
quite sweet, actually."
Edith sent Isolde off with a man
who introduced himself as Officer Boxhall. He was quite handsome and a generally
nice man. He spoke to her politely until they reached the table and he pulled
out a chair for her. She was placed next to Harold and her escort. Isolde
nearly pulled away. What little breath she had left in the corset was whisked
away when she laid eyes on her fiancée. She managed to stay calm and acted like
a natural; inside, however, she was as nervous as a startled horse.