Ellen Fraser

Chapter 5 Ruby Red

"Are you sure this is what ladies wear to dinner parties?" I ask, hesitantly taking the red dress from Claire's outstretched hands. 

"I imagine fashion has changed since the last time I wore that, but it'll do" she smiles, rummaging through the trunk Jenny had sent to Jamacia ahead of us.  

"Where did you wear this one?" I ask, moving towards the mirror and holding it up to my frame.

"Paris, at the palace at Versai" 

"Ye went to the palace? In France?" I gasp, turning to look at her as she chuckles.

"What, did Jamie never tell you of our time in France?" she asks. 

"No, he dinna. He dinna tell me much about your time together...and I dinna ask, for fear of upsetting him" I explain as she stood up from the chest. 

"Well, you can feel free to ask me whatever you like," she says grabbing another dress from the trunk. 

"Oh, I wouldna know where to start" I laugh turning back towards the mirror. 

What felt like hours later, we were both dressed, and prepared to go to the fancy dinner party being held at one of the plantation houses. I stood in front of the mirror, surprised at who was looking back at me. The dress was a bit low cut for my taste, but it showed off my ruby necklace in a simple setting. The sides of the dress that were once puffy were now pulled back to make a simple full skirt. Claire did my hair so it was pulled up like hers, with a single tendril hanging lose. 

"Here, I have something for you," Claire says, turning to the dress she had switched for her current one. She rummaged in the pockets, pulling out the bundle of pictures and putting it in her pocket before pulling out another small bundle. She hands me the small package, and I open it hesitantly. 

Inside is a beautiful intricate pearl bracelet.

"It's beautiful...where did you get it?" I ask, holding up the bracelet to exam it.

"Your father gave them to me when I was...leaving. He wanted you and Brianna to have them. I gave them to her a while back and she suggested I split them between you. She has a bracelet just like yours back in her time" she explains, taking the bracelet and slipping it on my right wrist. 

"I love it, thank you," I tell her, giving her a hug. 

"You're welcome, now let's get to that party shall we?"

We descend from the stairs of the room and to the parlor, where Da stands waiting, wearing a powdered wig in addition to his formal attire. Claire descended first while I waited at the top of the steps nervously. 

"Come now Lass, we haven't the time to wait" father calls from the bottom of the steps. I take a shaky breath and slowly begin my descent. My father's eyes go wide at the sight of me. 

"Christ Sassenach, could you have not found something more modest for the lass?" Da asks, turning towards Claire with a look on astonishment on his face. 

"What are you talking about? She looks beautiful, and you seemed to like the dress perfectly fine when I wore it" Claire remarks. 

"Aye, but I do not want my daughter to be paraded around and stared at" he hisses, taking a deep breath from what I knew to be stressed. 

"Oh come now Da, it canna be that bad" I mumble, looking down at my dress, and smoothing out the invisible wrinkles. 

"It's not. It's wonderful, your father just doesn't want to admit what a beautiful young lady you are. Now come on, like we said we don't have time to wait" she says, turning to leave.