Vampire Residence

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A bit of time had passed, a good twenty or so minutes since Eleanor had gone to change into the new dress.

By now, the rest of the family had come downstairs- Sybil, Dorothea, and Garrett were all seated in the room, all waiting for Eleanor to come back down.

All three sat anxiously waiting, their eyes occasionally darting to the open door from the hall.

Sybil and Dorothea sat next to each other in a pair of armchairs. Both were fidgeting restlessly in their seats, shifting and re-folding their arms as they waited.

Garrett sat by the hearth, leaning against the arm of his chair and looking vaguely impatient.

"Now, why is she taking so long?" Sybil asked in an impatient tone, leaning forward in her chair as if to emphasize her point. "How long can changing into a dress take? And where is Jarosława?"

"I'm sure she'll be down soon," Dorothea replied, though she sounded just as impatient.

Garrett shrugged. "I don't know why she's taking so long-"

Almost as though summoned by her presence, Daci appeared in the doorway, her face now showing an almost smug smile.

All three looked up as she appeared, and three pairs of eyes all darted to Daci.

Dorothea's expression held a mix of eagerness and impatience, while Sybil looked more frustrated than anything else.

Garrett's expression was a mix of annoyance and confusion as he raised an eyebrow.

"Where's Eleanor? She's been up there for ages-"

"She is coming," Daci assured them, her expression still holding that same smug smile.

She stepped further into the room, moving towards Garrett's armchair and leaning against the side of it.

"She is just taking a bit longer, because she is excited, you know. I did a very good job."

Sybil snorted, her expression showing irritation.

"And now you're the one being smug, yes?" she asked, raising a mildly exasperated eyebrow in Daci's direction.

"Clearly."

Sybil rolled her eyes, a motion which was mirrored by Garrett.

"Yes, yes, you did a very good job," He added in a mildly sarcastic tone, his expression similarly unamused.

"Sarcasm? You are an ungrateful-"

Daci was cut off before she could finish her sentence, as another voice sounded from the doorway.

"I'm done, I'm done-"

Eleanor, now down from the upstairs hallway, stepped into the room.

All four sets of eyes now went to her, with varying reactions.

Dorothea's eyes went right to the new dress, admiring the way the velvet and lace looked under the lamplight.

Sybil's expression had become one of slight surprise, a hint of admiration mixed into her mildly taken-aback look.

Garrett's eyebrows raised as he watched, though his initial impression of surprise now shifted more into amusement and slight incredulity.

And Daci was smiling.

Beaming.

It must've been at least a hundred years since she'd pulled such an expression.

Even though many of the other family members were staring, Eleanor was far too distracted to notice.