The Elysian Romance

Chapter 2: Laura

"Madam, are you sure that you have to go?" the red haired woman in the maid's gown asked as she moved to the closet of her mistress's bedroom, pulling out the sheer ivory colored gown that would be worn at tonight's ball and bringing it over to the girl standing in front of the mirror, a seriousness upon her porcelain face as she awaited her, the pressures of the evening already showing upon her.

"Of course Roslyn, I do not wish to disappoint Father as Benjamin has done for me. Come now, we still have not finished my hair." her voice as soothing as a mother singing a lullaby to a child proclaimed as she stepped into the gown and let her maid and closest companion bring it around her shoulders and to the middle of her back, hooking the buttons and bringing the zipper up until none of Laura's perfect skin was revealed. Such scandal if a woman dared to show anything else that would imply she wanted more than a simple walk home and a kiss goodnight. The weeks leading up to this day were challenging in many ways, Laura's father in a state of dismay at the letter his son had written him to inform that he had eloped with a farmer girl in the country and the pressure was now completely on Laura to bring some kind of honor back. If that were even possible at this point. But maybe all hope would not be lost.

A girl with the beauty and the brains, Laura stood out from most of the women who attended such parties. Her blue eyes the color of the ocean and her dark blonde hair in a consistent shine, the wavy texture like golden flame against her shoulders. Her personality was the prettiest thing about her however, especially when she really got her gears going. She defended her maids as if they were siblings rather than boss to employee, best friends who had been through the worst and the best of one another and she trusted them in everything. She was kind and considerate, but like her mother before her, she also was headstrong and gave no cares on making sure her voice was heard when it needed to be. A woman with power was a woman with ambition and class, as long as she knew how to balance it all equally.

But that did not mean that she wanted to be like others and put herself up as if she was someone being sold to the highest bidder, as that was what it felt like. How could men think so little of a woman that they fussed over one another to see who would gain the chance of courting them? Women had a voice, women had the right to say no to anyone that they believed would bring shame to them and their future children...or if they were too ugly to picture in the bedroom. Whoever had the nerve to sleep with someone that smelled of cabbage and regretful hygiene choices had no business in her inner circle. And that was a fact.

Once the dress was upon her frame, Roselyn led her over to the vanity and helped her sit down before she grabbed the hairbrush and began to comb through waves of hair, the sensation soothing to the girl and Laura's eyes closed in content, shivering here and there as it reminded her of when her mother had done this for her growing up, many times over. Good heavens, how she missed the woman. Missed her laugh and her strength, everything that she was had been placed within Laura's soul and her only goal in life was to honor her mother's late name and make something of herself. Marriage did not fall into those guidelines. 

"Is there anyone that you are looking forward to seeing, m'lady?" the woman asked her as she started to braid the golden hair and twist it into a bun behind the head, adorning it with artificial flowers for simple decoration, to which Laura could only sigh. "Not really, I know everyone there already. The same simple minded men, the same goody two shoes women. No one that is worth me seeing, but I will be nice anyway. Better to be polite than a complete droll of a person." That comment made the woman laugh and she reached to pull a nearby drawer out of the vanity, lifting a golden chain with a rose emblem at the bottom, bringing it over the girl's neck and fastening it to her skin. Laura could already feel her emotions rising.

Her mom's necklace, given to her by the woman herself before her untimely passing. It still smelled like her fragrant perfume too, which gave some sense of comfort. Knowing that her mom was still here in a sense gave Laura the peace of mind to go forward with this whole social season, plus her father was driving himself wild with everything else. It would be selfish of her not to take on some of the load from his aging body. Her fingernails brushed against the rose and she looked to Roslyn, smiling. 

"It is time. She is with me now and I can't fail. The door please, my friend." she said as she rose up, earning a bow from the middle aged woman, who raced over and opened the door to the hallway and Laura took a breath. It was time, time for what exactly....there was no answer she could see. She just had to have faith. Faith that no matter what came of this ball, that she would still be the same person she had always been. Strong and independent. No matter what....