Four days after the ball, Emily was jarred from her sleep by a willowy nineteen year old girl jumping on top of her and shaking her awake while shrieking, "Get up! Get up!"
"What is it?" Emily said, instantly alert as she sat up in bed, bewildered. Alexandra was half in her lap, and was grinning excitedly, already dressed for the day with a bonnet that was half falling off perched on her head.
"Nate said we can go into town and go shopping for ball gowns. He's finally letting me attend my first ball next week and I need at least three for the next few. Cassie and Nate are already ready, and Kit said he'll bring Juliette and come too, so it's just you." Alexandra explained, jumping off the bed and grabbing Emily's hand to pull her out too.
Emily let herself be heaved out of her warm bed and barely paid attention to Allie as she chattered away about how excited she was. Deciding to be kind, she even let the younger girl choose her dress for the day and didn't complain even when she picked the frilliest, pinkest dress she could find. Emily could remember buying it when she was seventeen and forgot she still had it.
Ellen, Cassandra's lady's maid, helped her dress and brought her a bonnet from Cassandra's collection. It was odd to have Allie watching throughout this, but Emily was still quite used to this, having grown up as the second of three sisters.
Allie nearly bounced down the staircase once they were done and motioned for Emily to follow her to the foyer, where Cassie and Kit were fussing over Juliette. Nate was nowhere to be seen.
"Do you think she's warm enough?" Cassandra fretted, running a thumb along her daughter's cheek as she lay cuddled in Kit's arms. One of the things Emily appreciated most about her friend's husband was how much of a hands-on father he was. Most fathers simply didn't care much for child rearing, but Kit unabashedly took care of his daughter just as much as Cassandra did. They barely took the help of the maids when it came to caring for her and they did not have a nanny at all.
"She's fine, love." Kit promised, chuckling softly. "She's swaddled in blankets and I have her close. It isn't even a cold day, so she shall be perfectly alright."
Cassandra nodded reluctantly and stepped back slightly. Emily averted her eyes as Kit leaned forward to press a quick kiss to his wife's lips, in response to which she smiled widely. At this, Allie cleared her throat to make their presence known and the couple stepped back from each other slightly.
"Are you two ready?" Cassandra asked, adjusted the ribbon of her bonnet. "Nate just hurried to his study to find his pocket watch. He should be returning soon and then we can leave."
"I'm here, I'm here." Nate called as he hurried down the steps. "I'm sorry for the delay."
"It's alright. I do want to be home in time for Juliette's luncheon, though." Cassandra replied.
The butler opened the door for them and they stepped out. The village was only a short walk away, so they had decided against a carriage. Nate offered Emily one of his arms and Allie the other and they walked in a procession behind the other three, with Cassandra pausing to check and see if her daughter was alright every other minute or so. It should have been frustrating, but it was actually rather endearing.
Once they had reached the seamstress's, Juliette began fussing in her father's arms and Cassandra appeared torn between staying out with her daughter and looking at gowns.
"Shall I take her for a short walk?" Nate offered, "I won't be any good inside and I think a little bit of fresh air shall do both Juliette and I some good."
"Thank you so much, Nate." Cassandra said gratefully, and Kit nodded in agreement as he handed her off to her uncle, who held the baby close to his chest and rocked her slightly. Emily's heart tugged at the sight of the two of them together and, as much as she tried not to admit it, she knew exactly why.
The rest of the party entered the seamstress's shop, where they were immediately assailed by a shopgirl who interrogated them. Allie thrived as she answered each and every single question about styles, while Cassandra quietly found the nearest catalogue and pulled Emily to the nearest settee so that they could look through it together. Kit, on the other hand, appeared lost as he stared at the masses of fabric that surrounded them.
"Are you thinking of buying anything, Em?" Cassandra asked distractedly, her eyes falling on a pretty style of gown with an empire waist.
"I don't think so." She replied. She had kept most of her gowns from before she left, with Cassandra having been gracious enough to let her store them in her house. She'd only taken her more practical, sturdy gowns with her along with two evening dresses just in case. She had ample stock of gowns, for daily wear and for balls, and certainly didn't need any more.
They skimmed through three catalogues, and Cassandra found herself torn between two gownsâ the empire waisted one in royal blue and a flared one in delicate yellow silk.
"Which one do you think, Em?" Cassandra mused, holding them both up side by side.
"The blue would look lovely against your skin, but the yellow is certainly very unique. I don't think you have anything like it." Emily answered, considering carefully.
"Kit!" Cassandra called, and her husband spun to face her, raising a questioning eyebrow. "Which one?"
"Just get both." He said, shrugging. He soon caught sight of Cassandra's annoyed look and amended his words, realising that she wanted him to pick one. "Buy the yellow. Weren't you saying just the other day that you have far too much blue?"
"Very true." Cassandra chirped, and raised a hand to hail the seamstress over. She was a tall, slender woman who walked with a sense of import and confidence that one did not often find in a village seamstress.
"Your Ladyship." She greeted briskly with a nod of her head. "How might I be of service to you?" Emily wasn't aware that she knew or recognised Cassandra well enough to address her by her new title. Then again, it had been two years for everyone else, even if it felt like only yesterday for Emily.
As they went over the details of their purchases, with Alexandra practically skipping in her place while being fitted for the gown, Emily wandered around, running her hands across the different fabrics on view. She liked the varying textures and how they felt against her skin, especially the silks.
Finally, while Cassandra's measurements were being taken, Allie bounded over towards Emily and grabbed her arm. "Did you see the dresses I picked? Aren't they absolutely lovely? I cannot wait for next week. It is going to be perfect!"
"I'm sure your first ball will be absolutely wonderful but, if you wouldn't mind, I'd like to offer you a piece of advice, as a friend." Emily prodded delicately, waiting for her to respond.
"Of course." Allie agreed, not losing any of her enthusiasm.
"It's just that it would probably be better if you didn't put so much stock in these things. Believe it or not, but I was very excited before my first season too. When I arrived in London, however, and saw how everything was, I became disillusioned by it all. Speaking frankly, I was let down. I don't mean to rude or to act like a guardian, but if your expectations for the season are a little lower, they are more likely to be met."
"Oh, I don't expect it to be perfect, Emily, so you don't have to worry about me at all." Alexandra said airily, clearly elsewhere.
It wasn't Emily's place, so she didn't say anything else. Either Cassie or Nate would have to bring her back to reality, or she was sure to be met with a nasty surprise when she left for London. Not everything was balls and romance, but Allie was far too sheltered to have realised that. She didn't blame Nate for protecting his sisterâ of course notâ but Allie needed to know.
"Put the gowns on His Grace's account, please." Cassandra said to the seamstress, who nodded, and moved to do so when Kit interrupted.
"No, no." He protested, "They're my gift to my wife and sister-in-law. Since we won't be here for your birthday, consider these your present from me." Christopher said to Allie, who beamed excitedly and hugged him, much to the astonishment of the seamstress and the shopgirl.
"Thank you!" Allie squeaked, squeezing his arm before pulling away and smiling just as widely at her sister, who shot Kit a grateful look. Cassandra had confessed to Emily that she was unsure of what to give Allie for her birthday, considering that it was her twentieth and a milestone. Christopher's idea had been thoughtful enough for Allie, who had been looking forward to being out for so long.
As Kit settled the bill, the others conferred on where to go next. When both Emily and Cassandra realised that they needed some new ribbons, it was clear. The shop was only across the street from the dressmaker's, so they left the seamstress with a message for Nate that they'd be at the ribbon shop. However, that was deemed unnecessary due to the fact that they met him outside just as they were leaving, a now sleeping Juliette in his arms.
"You're a wonder with her, Nate." Kit complimented, taking his daughter from him. Juliette settled into Kit's arms after letting out a soft sigh that warmed Emily's heart. Babies were just so sweet.
"I agree." Cassandra added, eyes alight at this opportunity to tease, "Even better than Kit, I think. When she cries, all he does is get flustered and attempt to bribe her to stop, as if she can understand a word he's saying."
"Must you tell everyone?" Kit demanded, cheeks flushing lightly.
Chuckling, Emily caught Nate's eye and, for some reason, averted her gaze, embarrassed. It was odd and different and even he appeared to be confused at her reaction, but a smug look had entered his eyes when she found it in her to meet his gaze again.
"Well, shall we go in, then?" Allie asked impatiently, grabbing hold of her brother's arm and pulling him in the direction of the shop and the rest of them followed.
Emily couldn't help but be amazed at the sight of the many different colours and types of ribbons on display, hanging from hooks and laying across tables. She began looking around, brushing off the shop assistant who offered to help.
She was torn between a light pink ribbon and a deep red one and was at a loss. So, she turned to find Cassandra and ask for her opinion, and instead found a far more amusing sight. Allie had commandeered a grumpy Nate and was attempting to educate him in the art of choosing the perfect hair ribbon, a lecture to which he was entirely resistant. Even Cassie had noticed, and she appeared just as entertained as Emily was.
Finally, after five minutes of this, when Nate looked around pleadingly for some assistance, Emily decided to help. "Allie!" She called, and held up both the ribbons she had in her hands. "Which one do you think will suit me better?"
"The red, certainly." Alexandra answered without hesitating for even a moment. "It will look very striking against your dark hair."
Emily nodded, about to put the pink back, when Nate piped up. "I disagree. I think that pink is a much prettier colour on you."
Emily turned away swiftly to hide her blush. She looked into the looking glass and weighed both options, placing each ribbon against her hair. Allie was right, she supposed, the red looked daring and eye-catching against her brown hair, but Nate was also right. The pink was very pretty, too.
In the end, she chose the pink.