The Wolves Belong Underground

Chapter 7

As the week carried on Maria and Zorath continued with their days, only meeting once a night for his French lesson. He was making progress, but not enough to carry on a conversation on his own. He became more anxious for the party every day, especially as the dress took its time to arrive. 

The day of the party came, Maria eagerly waiting for the time to come to go. She knew this would be the one chance she'd ever attend one and counted herself lucky to be a guest rather than a servant, even if it technically wasn't real.

Just a few hours before they had to leave the manor for the party, Maria was getting a few things around the house done when there was a knock on the grand front doors. She answered, the post man handing her a large package. She thanked him and took the bag and scurried down to her room. She couldn't help but feel giddy, excited to see what she would get to wear. Her very first formal, brand-new dress. All she ever wore were hand-me-downs from her late mother or her neighbors. She tried to make her own clothing in the past but could hardly stitch a pocket. 

She got to her room, ripping open the packaging. She opened the box and gasped. There laid her dress for the night. Crimson red satin shined in the candlelight like pools of gold and blood. Black lace trimmed adorned the bodice, lining around the sweetheart neckline. A pair of black ballroom gloves sat delicately on top, matching ever so perfectly.

She picked the dress up out of the box carefully and held it to herself. It was so soft against her skin, like water down a stream grazing through her fingers. She set it down and began to get ready for the night.

She took crushed, dried berries and rose petals in a small tin she made the night before, applying them to her cheeks and lips, adding some color to her pale face. She then took some cloves she stole from the kitchen earlier in the morning and held them over the candle until it burned. She used it to draw in her eyebrows, then feeling bold and applied them on her waterline against her eyes. She'd hate to admit it, but she had been planning all week how she wanted to look for this party, going as far to make her own cosmetics. This was the first time she got to really feel like a woman. A beautiful one at that. 

She took her hair out of her usual braid, brushing out her long, ebony curls and pinning them on top of her head. Once she was finished, she admired herself in the small mirror.

She really did pass as a lady; she was going to blend in, no problem. She undressed out of her maid's uniform, now only in her undergarments. She went to put on the dress, only already stumbling across some issues. She was struggling to get it on herself, trying to reach back to button the tiny, endless buttons with no avail. She huffed, finally giving up when her arms were growing sore at her attempts. She stepped out of the dress, setting it back gently on the bed.

She stared at it, wondering how she was going to get it on. She glanced over at the clock; she didn't have much time left before she needed to leave. She knew she had no choice. With a sigh she grabbed her dressing robe and threw it on before taking the dress and rushing to Zoraths room.

She knocked on his door and waited a few moments before he answered. He looked nearly ready himself, wearing a deep red and black brocade waistcoat, a silver pocket watch hanging from the side pocket and a white cravat tucked into his chest. Over it he had on a black jacket, making his shoulders look broader than they were already naturally. He looked down at her, puzzled. 

"What is it?" He asked her.

"I need some help getting this thing on, I can't do it myself." She explained. He looked at her as though she was just asking him to help her bury a body.

"Just ask Ann, she'll help you."

"How on earth am I going to explain to her why I'm wearing such a dress?" She arched a brow. Zorath sighed and stepped aside.