Vampire Residence

XXIX

London, 1845.

Sybil was sitting in the back of her family's boutique, adjusting the pleats on a dress- a modest style in pastel blue.

There was a clatter from the other room as the bell by the door rang, a cheerful chime that signaled the arrival of a new customer.

"Please don't be another young lady with expectations far too high for her budget..." Sybil muttered, standing and smoothing the creases in her gown before leaving the storeroom to greet the new customer.

As she rounded the corner, however... she froze in her tracks, staring blankly at the figure that stood by the counter, examining the wares laid out.

Sybil tried to collect herself- the customer was a rather stunning young lady. Black, curled hair fell over her shoulders, and she wore an expensive gown in a style a few years dated. Sybil tried not to stare as she approached the counter.

"Do you need assistance?" Sybil asked politely, though she couldn't help glancing at the counter, where one of their most expensive dresses had been pushed aside, clearly displaced from its original display. Her eye twitched ever so slightly in annoyance.

The woman turned to her with a slight smile, being careful not to show her teeth. But the gaze of the young woman lingered oddly long on Sybil, almost as if she was measuring her up for something.

After an uncomfortably long beat of silence, she finally spoke.

"Yes... I need a custom gown, and your shop was recommended to me." She spoke with a strong accent unfamiliar to Sybil, stumbling over the longer words.

"A custom gown...?" Sybil repeated, blinking in surprise. That was a rather unusual request. Most of their customers were just interested in their off-the-rack dresses, tailored to their measurements of course but otherwise unchanged. A custom gown would require far more design work.

The woman nodded, moving closer to the counter to look at the dresses on display. Sybil followed her every move with her eyes, a little put off by the whole situation.

"Yes, and rather urgently. Could it be done within let's say... a fortnight?"

A fortnight? That was... extremely brief. For a custom-ordered gown, that would require several fittings, and the work itself would be rushed...

Sybil tried not to show her distress, still keeping her gaze on the customer as she moved around the store, now looking at necklaces.

"Well... we could rush the work, but such a fast timeline would likely not allow for more than a single fitting."

"There will be no need." The woman selected a necklace- a diamond locket and glanced over at Sybil. "I have all of the required measurements. You will require nothing more."

That... wasn't exactly standard practice. It wasn't unusual for customers to bring their measurements to a fitting, but no fittings at all. Sybil frowned, crossing her arms across her chest.

"And these measurements? Are they your own?"

"No... they are not my own."

Sybil let out a huff, moving to stand her ground in front of the counter.

"So you want to commission a single gown based on the measurements of someone else? What if they're wrong, or you've lost or gained some weight since they were taken?"

The woman chuckled slightly, placing the jewel back on the counter and moving back around to stand directly in front of Sybil.

"I assure you, there will be no risks of... any of that. My wife- she does not change."

Sybil paused for a moment, trying to process that statement. A gown for a woman who... didn't change. She shook her head, pushing back a few loose strands of hair from her forehead.

"Forgive me, I'm afraid I don't quite understand what you mean."

The customer didn't respond, now examining earrings. Sybil felt her grip on the counter tighten, her pulse quickening slightly with frustration. A few seconds of silence passed.

"And what sort of gown is this? If we're to get started right away, we'll need a design brief,... a choice of fabrics- and what is your name?"

"My name?" The young woman glanced up from her examination of the same pair of earrings, another subtle smile playing at the corner of her lips.

"Daciana Mitrea."