The Stubborn Miss Butler

10

"Maria, I need you!" Eleanor hollered. The young woman Scarlett had hired to wait on Eleanor since they were both girls came bounding up the stairs.

"Miss Elnor? Whatchu be needing, miss?"

Eleanor led her into her bedroom, where she sat herself in front of the balcony, fixing her earrings for the party. Beau had asked if she wanted to meet some of his friends and Eleanor happily obliged, taking the opportunity to dress nicely for once since they'd left. Despite what she had said, she was mighty bored after three weeks of hardly ever going out.

"Be a dear and fix my hair please, Maria."

"I'd be happy to miss. Mister Beau's party is tonight?"

"Yes, it is, and these northern women ought to learn some good southern manners. And, you and I, Maria, we're going to teach them." Eleanor beamed proudly at the maid as they shared something secret between them. Despite the difference in their skin, they were southerners through and through.

"Yes, ma'am."

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"Eleanor! Come now, darling, or we'll be late," Beau halfheartedly yelled up the staircase for her. He didn't have the heart to boss her around or tell her that he didn't much care to go anyways. He leaned on the landing, drumming his fingers on the dark wood. It'd been four months now that they'd been up north, and he'd just felt comfortable living on campus. He'd made a few colleagues along the way, fellow aspiring lawmakers that he'd grown close to. He'd visit Eleanor every day after school or she'd visit him, and they'd walk around until the sun began to set. Eleanor had been more excited than him.

"Beau! Come here, I'll be needing your help!"

It was slowly that he made his way up the staircase, wondering what on Earth she could be needing his help with.

He heard her maid whisper furiously, "It ain't right, miss, that Mr. Beau be seeing your room-"

"Hush up, Maria," was Eleanor's vehement reply. "Beau isn't anything harmful, we both know that. Mammy is the one that ought not to know, you hear?"

"Yes, miss," Maria sighed, before opening the door with a basket of clothes and sheets, scaring Beau just a bit.

But the pretty maid smiled, "How are you this evening, Mr. Beau?"

"'Beau' will do just fine, Maria, and well. Thank you." He tipped his hat cordially and she scurried away, blushing furiously. Beau chuckled absurdly to herself, why wasn't Eleanor like the typical lady at all? She was a hell of a lot more difficult.

Before entering, he knocked on her doorframe and Eleanor appeared in mere moments to take his breathe away. She was in a rich blue gown, with a pair of white satin gloves riding up to her elbows. The neckline fell a bit lower than Beau would have been comfortable with,
but she was stunning nonetheless. Her hair wasn't as restrained as it always was and a good amount of her hair fell around her face, The sleeves came to rest gently below her shoulders and Beau thought there couldn't be anyone prettier than Miss Eleanor Butler right at that moment.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say Beau Wilkes liked this dress..." she teased, but she couldn't have been more right.

Beau sighed, chuckling a bit to himself at her. "Only you would have the gall to say such a thing, Eleanor."

"That might just be the kindest thing you've ever said to me, Beau Wilkes," she gave a dramatic curtsy before disappearing into the closet and reappearing with a necklace in hand. "Now, be a dear and help me put this on. You don't think it's too much, do you? What do the other girls wear?"