Muslin two was very, very close. Just a few wrinkles; I released the side seams and the shaped back seam a bit and I think it's good. The only other adjustment was to trim out the lower back armsceye just a bit. I will trace off a clean pattern, with the additions to the side seams and back seam and then...maybe I'll make a linen version? Just to make sure it's gonna work? Decisions, decisions...
But, here's installment 10 for those who are following. Click HERE if you want to catch up; scroll to the end and read from the bottom up. Interesting puzzle: My feed burner dropped one of the names almost every time it appeared on the last installment. I've no idea why.
Prince Gregory,
having had to deal with a number of mothers and daughters who tried to have a
word as he threaded his way around the dancers, was delayed enough that he, closely
followed by the Grand Duke, arrived at the door in time to see the shadow of
the carriage disappear around the curve of the drive. It was Godfrey who spotted the glimmer of
glass on the floor and picked up the tiny slipper. “It seems your mysterious young lady forgot
something.”
Gregory took the slipper just as
Lady Alicia and Eugenia came around the corner, and commented ruefully, “Do you
suppose I’ll need to try this on every young lady in the kingdom?”
The Grand Duke saw the approaching women
and remembered the terrified face of the young lady who looked so much like
Bella
The King looked out the door. “My word, Gregory, whatever did you do to
frighten her off like that?”
Gregory shook his head. “Uncle Godfrey...” he began when Esmerelda
came hurrying around the corner from the ladies’ lounge.
“Your Majesties!” She dropped a quick curtsey. “I think I can tell you something about that
girl...”
Gregory looked at her sharply. “What?”
“Well, all the ladies who were
coming to the lounge were talking about this mysterious girl in a mask. I finally peeked out into the ballroom just
in time to see her running across the floor.
I think the Princess is responsible for her being here!”
Gregory gasped “Rita!” in the same
instant his mother gasped “Gwendolyn!”
The King frowned slightly. “What do you mean, Esmerelda?”
“Well,” Esmerelda began with relish,
“The Princess fairly insisted that we go up and look through the charity
dresses in the West Wing storeroom Saturday morning, and she picked out one and
had me get it cleaned for her...she said she knew someone who might need
it. I’d swear that that girl was wearing
that dress.” She caught her breath and
firmly stated, “We found a pink mask in the trunk as well.”
They all stood there a moment,
taking in Esmerelda’s information. Then
Gregory said slowly, “Do you mean she” (he meant the Princess) “might know who
she” (he held up the slipper) “is?”
Esmerelda nodded. “I’m sure of it,” she stated as Godfrey,
minus Lady Alicia and her daughter, returned.
Gregory looked sharply at the Grand
Duke. “What was the name you said when
you saw her?”
“Bella. That young lady is the image of Bella
The King suddenly recalled the
previous week’s conversation with his daughter.
“Did Gwendolyn ever ask you about the
The Grand Duke’s eyebrows shot
up. “Yes! She did!
And she knew Bella’s name....” his voice trailed off.
Gregory frowned. “I think I need to have a talk with my little
sister.”
The King nodded grimly. “I think several of us need to have a talk
with her. But we can’t neglect our guests
and we’ve been standing here too long already.
Esmerelda, please go to Gwendolyn’s room and tell her that we will be in
to talk to her as soon as the guests go home.
Wake her up if you have to. I don’t
want to leave this until morning.”
Esmerelda curtseyed. “Yes, your Majesty.” she said and headed toward the private quarters. The rest returned to the dance floor. However, Gregory had not yet finished the next dance with his mother when he saw Esmerelda speaking with Godfrey at the ballroom door. When the dance had finished, Gregory asked the Grand Duke what she’d said. He was somehow not surprised to hear that the Princess was nowhere to be found. The Grand Duke was certain that she was safe and would return before the night was over and felt no need to alert her parents just yet; although he did instruct the palace guards to allow the Princess to return to the castle unchallenged. They would simply wait in her apartment for her return, once the Royal Family officially bid their guests a good night. Neither one of them relished telling The King and Queen that their daughter had been unaccounted for during the entirety of the ball.
The Princess was, at that moment,
sleeping fitfully on the divan in the manor house parlor. She had had a rather miserable evening. It was the first time in her entire life that
she’d been completely alone at night, and she didn’t realize how many creaks
and groans a large, empty house could make.
She polished silver and polished silver, humming to herself and reciting
all the poetry she could remember in an effort to not listen to the stillness, or worse… the odd noises coming from
unknown origins. Finally, about eleven,
she decided she’d polished as much silver as Isabella would have and stacked it
neatly back into place. She’d then gone into the parlor and laid down on the
divan, trying to imagine how Isabella was getting along, and eventually dozed
off. She startled awake, however, when
Isabella arrived home and pulled the bell cord, and fairly flew to the door to
let her in.
During the ride home, Isabella’s terror
had subsided, and a kind of dreamy reverie took its place as she thought over
the evening’s events. She felt she couldn’t
possibly be the same frightened girl who left the manor house a few hours
earlier. She dropped onto the bench in
the foyer, hardly comprehending Rita’s barrage of questions. “Oh, Rita!” she sighed, “It was the most
wonderful evening of my whole life. I’ll
never forget it as long as I live!”
Isabella looked gratefully at her young friend. “I don’t know how you did it...but thank
you!” She winced as she stood up again, and
with a grimace she pulled the slipper off her right foot. She had a blister on her heel and another on
her little toe. Her left foot was
somewhat worse, since that slipper had been a bit too large. She looked at Rita and grinned ruefully. “Evidence that I didn’t dream it all...”
Rita’s jaw dropped slightly as she
looked at Isabella’s feet. “Did you
dance much? And what happened to your other shoe?”
Isabella laughed. “I danced almost all night. Come on upstairs and I’ll tell you about it
while I go back to my normal self.” They
headed up to the tower, and Isabella related the whole story, from the
beginning, as she took off the fine dress and its foundations with Rita’s help, put on her night dress, put away the things she’d ‘borrowed’ without her stepsisters’ knowledge, and
brushed the curl from her hair and braided it back to its normal fashion as
Rita packed up the things she had brought.
Finally, Isabella replaced her treasures -- minus the missing slipper
--and hid the trunk back in its cubbyhole under the loose board in the floor.
It was all Rita could do to contain
herself as Isabella recounted her conversation with the Prince on the
terrace. At one point, however, she
couldn’t resist interrupting, “He kissed you! He really kissed you?”
Isabella stood up after securing the
floorboard hiding her treasure box. “I was so surprised...and I think he was kind
of surprised himself.” She searched for
words to describe her feelings and found none.
So, she simply shrugged and said, “Who would ever have thought it?”
Rita knew very well who would have thought
it, but she wasn’t about to say. “Do you
think he fell in love with you?”
At this, Isabella actually laughed
out loud. “Fell in love with me! Rita, he barely knows me. He doesn’t even know who I am or
anything...how could he possibly be in love with me?”
Rita, surprised by Isabella’s
response, blurted, “But he kissed you!”
Isabella smiled, remembering. “Yes...he did. But part of the reason may have been that there
was music in the air, and moonlight on the lake...it was a perfect, romantic setting.”
Then, she turned brisk. “But, a romantic setting isn’t love.”
Rita persisted, “But...didn’t he say anything to you? He surely isn’t going to just let you disappear,
is he?”
Isabella scooped up the dustcover
with the dress and things Rita had brought, stating “I’ll carry it downstairs
for you. I’m used to the stairs,” and they
started down the steep, narrow staircase.
As they negotiated the steps, she added thoughtfully, “He did say he was going to solve the riddle.
Maybe he will, and maybe he won’t.”
Rita was aghast. “Isabella, if he said he would find you,
he’ll find you.”
Isabella was amused. “Rita, I can’t pin my hopes on what a young
man -- even the Prince -- says under the influence of music and moonlight. It’s too easy to forget it in the daytime.”
Rita, knowing Gregory as she did, knew
he wouldn’t have told Isabella he would find her if he didn’t intend to
look. However, she could hardly tell
Isabella why she felt that way. She
tried a different approach. “Well,
Isabella, what if he does find
you...would you marry him?”
Isabella stopped on the stairs and
looked at Rita in shock. “Marry him? Rita, I don’t know him any better than he knows
me...” She sighed and shook her head as
she started down the stairs again.
“You’re forgetting that I’ve seen firsthand what can happen when people
who don’t know each other get married.
If I get a chance to know the Prince...well, I won’t say I wouldn’t fall
in love with him, but I’ve got to know
whomever I marry. I don’t want to end up
in the same kind of trap my father did.”
They exited the staircase and crossed the house to the front door as she
continued. “As tempting as it might be,
I am not going to rush into marrying anybody—even Prince Gregory – just to
escape my stepmother.”
Rita was really surprised. It never occurred to her that Isabella might not be swept away by Gregory. She had only worried about Gregory noticing Isabella. How could Gregory take Isabella away if she wouldn’t marry him? She took the bundle from Isabella and waited while Isabella opened the front door. "But...what happened to your shoe?"
Isabella sighed. “It fell off my foot as I was hurrying to leave. My stepmother was coming down the hall; I didn’t dare go back and get it. I don’t know if anyone picked it up.”
Rita started to reply that she would check when she got home; she caught herself just in time. “Oh, I’m so sorry!" she stammered instead.
Isabella smiled again. “Oh, it was a lovely evening, and even if that shoe never finds its way home, I will be eternally grateful to you for arranging it -- however you did it.” Then she turned serious. “I may regret it later if my stepmother figures any of it out, but I’m foolish enough to hope that won’t happen.” Then, as Rita headed out the door, “Do you want to try to come this Thursday?”
Rita grinned back at her over her shoulder.
“I am getting good at this sneaking thing…I’ll certainly try!”
Isabella waved. “I’ll be looking forward to it!” She watched as Martin helped Rita into the
carriage and waved again as Jerry snapped the reigns and the carriage pulled
away. The clock chimed the quarter hour
as she headed back through the house-- it was one-fifteen. She checked around, making sure everything looked
as it should, then went upstairs, suddenly very sleepy. She was asleep almost as soon as she lay down.
Isabella got to sleep for a whole hour
and fifteen minutes before she had to get up to help her stepmother and
stepsisters undress.
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