ix.

(Y'all I'm sorry if these dresses are reused or not from victorian times, it's so difficult to find those types of dresses on Google. So please don't get mad <3)

"Eleanor dear, you may want to wake up and get ready! The party starts in less than six hours." Josephine's voice rang through the quiet bedroom as I groaned and rolled over.

"Yes ma'am." I mumbled back before peeling myself out of the comfortable bed.

I can't believe that they let me sleep till noon! Mother would be off her rocker if she found out I had slept any more than eight hours. But I did feel quite refreshed, since now mother makes me sleep only about six because I have to take care of Harvey while she's off doing lord knows what.

Making my way to my own personal bathroom, I turned the water on and the tub began to fill with steaming hot water. Aunt Josephine was rich, obviously, so she had indoor plumbing built into her house. We have it at our house as well since father is wealthy, but I know Anne doesn't.

After about an hour of just relaxing and cleansing myself, I clambered out of the tub and drained the water. As the water was finishing draining, I leaned over the tub and pulled the curtains back before shoving the windows open. All at once, the bathroom was filled with warm summer air with a touch of cold from the breeze.

"Ahh." I sighed out as I made my way back to the mirror in the bathroom. Mirrors were another "rich people" thing, Diana and I had them in our house while Anne did not. But me and Diana made sure to give her one so she didn't feel left out, even if it was only a tiny hand held one.

"Are you getting ready Eleanor? Might we come in?" Diana asked as she gently knocked on the bedroom door.

"Yes, all except Cole." I yell back.

"Awe come on! Why not me?" Cole grumbled.

"Because I'm naked Cole, and that would be un-ladylike of me to allow a male into my room while I'm undressed." I giggle back.

"Ew yeah, never mind. I'll be downstairs with Josephine if you need me! But try not too!" he yells before I can hear his footsteps clamoring down the stairs.

"He's so dramatic." Anne giggles fill my room as I can hear her and Diana enter and shut the door.

"Do you have your dress Eleanor? Anne and I are already dressed. Do you need any help getting into yours?" Diana asked as I could hear her shuffling around the room.

"My dress is hanging in the wardrobe, along with my corset. I think I might need one of you to lace up my corset and zip up the dress, but other than that I should be alright on my own." I exclaim as I make my way out of the bathroom.

I had a towel wrapped tightly around my body as my wavy hair was starting to curl and bounce up from the water. Anne and Diana were looking through my wardrobe as I walked over and grabbed out my undergarments before slipping them on and letting my towel rest in the dirty clothing basket.

"This is your dress? Wow! It's absolutely gorgeous!" Anne gasped as she pulled out my dress.

The dress that I had picked out was one from a New York catalog that my father had sent to me. He allowed me to pick out one dress from the catalog and he would buy it for me, I picked out a beautiful gown.

The gown itself was a light beige color with beautiful pink pearl accents and lace trimming the skirt The neckline of the dress was more of a square cut, which may seem a little mature for someone my age but mother agreed that I would look beautiful in it.

"Don't you think it's a bit scandalous at your age?" Diana asked as she stared at the neckline of the dress.

"Not at all, Josephine's house is a place to express one's self without having to worry about what others think. I love the dress, and there shouldn't be a reason I cannot wear it. A silly excuse like "that's too mature for your age" or "That dress is showing too much cleavage!" is just a way of adults trying to nitpick and limit what us girls are allowed to wear. They shouldn't have to worry that something will happen to us if we show off a little more of our body, they need to teach their sons how to behave around women." I state as I pull my corset out of the closet and slip it on.

"Agreed!" Anne nodded before walking over and helping me tie the corset tight around my waist.

"I suppose that makes sense, oh Eleanor you have such a way of speaking! You truly do not care about what others think of you, I aspire to be like that. But I cannot help but feel weird if a boy gawks at me for too long, I feel like he might be planning something against me!" Diana wails as she dramatically flops onto the bed.

"Boys stare at you Diana because you're pretty, they stare at Anne because she's pretty, they stare at me because I'm pretty. Boys just stare in general, you shouldn't have to worry that they're going to try to do something to you just because they're staring. Plus, I really don't think anyone in our class would try to do anything that would make you uncomfortable. Well...maybe Billy." I grumble at the thought of the annoying boy.

"Don't even get me started on Billy Andrews...that boy in a menace!" Anne yelled as she pulled my corset a bit too tight, making me wince slightly.

"He is quite a rude...fellow." Diana agreed.

"Well lets not think about him right now okay? Let's just finish getting ready so we can go down and help with the preparation." I state before grabbing my dress and slowly pulling it up past my hips.

Diana and Anne quickly move towards me and help me pull it up and over my corset, making sure not to rip anything. Diana pulls the zipper up and quickly zips the dress up before she and Anne both back away. I make my way to the long mirror beside the wardrobe and glance at myself in the mirror.

"This dress is so...it's so beautiful." I gasp as I spin in a circle to get the full affect.

"It truly is, and it looks even more beautiful on you." Josephine's voice makes all of us girls squeak and turn to the door.

"Aunt Josephine! Shouldn't you be downstairs telling those men where everything needs to go?" Diana asked as she raced over towards her aunt.

"I'm quite sure they can handle it themselves Diana. Are you all three finished dressing? Why don't we go out for tea before the party?" Josephine asked, Cole pops his head out from behind her and gives us a smile.

"You want us to travel to town in our gowns to get tea?" Anne asked as she glanced down at her dress.

"That I do, it's quite exciting to walk around town in very fancy clothing. The amount of stares you receive make it all worth it." Josephine smiles.

"That sounds like a lovely idea, might I do my hair before we go?" I ask.

"Of course my dear, and you truly do look beautiful. I'm sure that every boy in town will be staring at you as you make your way down the alley." Josephine chuckles before patting my shoulder and sending me to the bathroom.

"She doesn't want every boy staring at her, she wants Gilbert to stare at her." Cole stated.

"Cole! Shut up!" I giggle and throw a curler at him as I quickly finish drying my hair and pull it back into an elegant braided crown with the bottom half laid loosely on my shoulders.

"Eleanor and Gilbert are the school houses sweethearts." Anne giggled.

"I despise you all." I groan.

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"Josephine, remind me again why we didn't just have Alfred make us some tea?" Diana asked as we trot down Charlottetown's sidewalks.

People were turning their heads and gawking at our dresses, and Cole's very sharp looking brown suit thing.

"Because my dear niece, we wouldn't be having as much fun as we are would we? I mean, look at Anne and Cole." Josephine chuckled as she motioned to the two.

They were dancing around and singing a song while blowing kisses to random people who were walking past and staring.

I seemed to be receiving more stares, but not the good kind. The kind of stares that make you want to wallow away and go hide in a hole. But I knew better than that, I looked amazing and if they had anything to say then they can go hide in a hole.

"Come on children, the tea shop is just around the corner." Josephine stated as we walked around the corner and into a large tea place.

The waitress allowed us to sit wherever we liked, so Josephine picked a table right at the window just so people would stare at our "beauty" as she stated.

I watched the people as they walk by, a few people shared glances with me but I just smiled.

They didn't return the smile.

"Eleanor? What are you thinking about? I can see the thought escaping your eyes." Anne asked as she gently laid her hand atop of mine.

"Why are people so judge? Can't I wear what I wish without being judged?" I sigh as I rest my chin in my right palm.

"I do not know...people can be quite rude sometimes." Anne nodded.

"Well I don't like it! I shouldn't be receiving stares just for the way I decide to dress myself! Or by the people I hang out with, or the ones I date." I grumble and sip on the fresh tea and biscuits that just arrived.

"Or the ones you love." Josephine said mid sip, sending a ghostly look to the sky out the window.

I give her a sideways look as she continues to stare at the sky before sighing again and returning to the conversation with Diana and Cole.

"Do you love Gilbert?" Anne asked suddenly, making me choke on my tea.

"Anne! You can't just ask me if I'm in love with him!" I cough.

"Well why not? It's a simple question, are you or are you not in love with Gilbert Blythe?" Anne scoffed.

"Love is more complicated than a simple yes or no question Anne, but I do suppose that I have strong enough feelings for Gilbert to believe that I love him. But I don't know yet." I sigh and stir my tea with the tiny spoons.

"Well by the way you two kiss it seems like you're in love." Diana whispered, making the whole table burst out laughing.

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"Are you sure you're all ready to go down? Aunt Josephine doesn't want us coming back upstairs when the party starts just incase other guest gets the idea that they're allowed to as well." Diana stated as she kept glancing at herself in the mirror.

"Yes I'm sure, Anne? What about you?" I ask as I try to flatten out my dress.

"Ready!" she smiled and spun in a circle, making her dress look large and more swirly.

"Ladies? Are you finished getting ready? The party is about to begin and Josephine has requested for you all to come downstairs and have a word with her." Alfred states from outside the door as he carefully knocks.

"We'll be down in just a moment." Diana yelled back.

The sound of Alfred's footsteps got smaller as he walked down the hallway and the stairs.

"Well girls...let's do this thing." I grinned as we all looped arms and started towards the stairs.

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