Class or Love?

IV

     TWO WEEKS FROM that day and a few days before the ball, a large parcel arrived at the house. Madeleine had thought that she had a secret admirer. That is, until she remembers that they had gone shopping a few days back. Madeleine claps in excitement and then rushes off to the informal sitting room where her mother and father are residing having tea. Élisabeth is taking solace painting in her room. Antoine lowers his newspaper to see what his daughter had brought in. "And how many dresses did you order?"

     "Just one, for now. The other is for Élisabeth." Madeleine then rushes to the stairs and calls up for her sister, screaming as loud as she could. A few minutes later, Élisabeth is bounding down the stairs with a hard frown. "Must you scream so loud? What is the cause of such loudness?"

     "Our dresses have arrived!" Madeleine claps again and leads her sister to the sitting room.

     Rosalie gently sits her teacup down with a little tink, then she waves towards the boxes. "Please, I would like to see them."

     Madeleine is the first to move, going towards the box and snatching off the big red bow. Her dress is made of pastel green silks with expensive sequins and the sleeves were short that stopped in the middle of the arm. Rosalie has her hands over her mouth in awe. "Such a beautiful dress. You are going to get the attention of every suitor there."

     "You have read my mind, maman. That is exactly what I wanted to accomplish." Antoine snaps the newspaper getting Madeleine's attention. She can feel her father frowning at her words. "It is time for me to find a suitor father. I need to get married before I will be called an old maid." Being an "old maid" is the last thing she wants to be called, other than ugly or worst dressed.

     "Open your box next, Élisabeth," states Rosalie, pointing her finger at the leftover box.

     Élisabeth took her time opening her box then she gently set the top on the ground beside the table. She pulls out a dress the color of peaches. The sleeves were medium length with lace at the ends. "Élisabeth your dress is better than I thought it would be. It is magnifique. All eyes would be on Élisabeth instead of me," giggles Madeleine, taking a closer look at the dress.

     Despite her sisters' words being compliments, she didn't smile. She compliments from just anybody, she wanted them from Arnaud. He would complement her all night and she would not tire of it. Élisabeth could care less about what these men thought about her. And she states just that, "I do not care about what those men will think of me."

     Madeleine frowns at her sister's words. "Ever since we have arrived here, no, before we have arrived here you have done nothing but be negative. We will not be returning to France no time soon, it is time to put it behind you and think of the future."

     Élisabeth picks up the box top, placing it back over the chest all the while glaring at her sister. "I did not want to move in the first place. Perhaps you can think about that instead of yourself? No one asked me about my opinion on moving, they just decided that they were moving all of the sudden." Élisabeth folds her fingers into her palm, taking a deep breath to continue, "I did not want to be taken away from my friends and I certainly did not –"

     She stopped herself right there, almost revealing something that she shouldn't have. She clears her throat hoping they wouldn't notice that. Élisabeth loved attending balls, plays, and orchestras because she was attending with her closest friends. Here in New York, she has no one. It's hard for Élisabeth to make friends anyway since she isn't a talkative person.

     "Do you not think I was taken away from my friends as well, soeur? If I wanted to keep in touch with them I would write them a letter telling them I miss them," Madeleine sighs now, shaking her head. "You have to move forwards, this is a new chapter."