𝓤𝓷𝓬𝓸𝓷𝓿𝓮𝓷𝓽𝓲𝓸𝓷𝓪𝓵 𝓟𝓪𝓼𝓼𝓲𝓸𝓷

𝒞𝒽𝒶𝓅𝓉𝑒𝓇 𝟤

"Oh, you look absolutely stunning in your dress, Lady Lucinda!" Gushed the maid Briony as she and the Price sisters watched from the side of the room as the family tailor, Antoine Martine, added the finishing touched to Lucinda's dress in preparation for the ball that was being hosted by Lord Grey tomorrow's evening.
"But of course, it is designed by Uncle Antoine after all," Lucinda noted as she watched the French man hand sew a white, fabric rose to the skirt of her dress.
"I've known you girls since you were mignons petits bébés. I know exactly what colours and fabric techniques compliment you all," Antoine said in his thick French accent, what he said in French causing the girls to giggle though Briony had no idea of a word of it.
"I must give you credit for making Lucinda look like a woman who wouldn't critique every little detail in a person's personality that she didn't like," Catherine jeered at her sister, Lucinda rolling her eyes as she didn't bother to look in her direction.
"Ignorance is not a personality trait, Catherine," Lucinda quipped, "so I will critique it as much as I like in your case."
"Oh! Why must you vex me so?" Catherine gasped, Lucinda giggling as she looked over at her sister.
"Because it amuses me," she answered, Catherine sighing in defeat as she crossed her arms and leaned against the wall.
"I pray for the day when your taste in entertainment is not at the expense of others," Catherine huffed, Lucinda allowing a last giggle to fall from her lips as she faced forward once more and allowed Antoine to finish her dress.

In the large mirror before her, Lucinda could see herself standing on the stool that Antoine always made the girls stand upon when he was working on another one of their dresses. She noted the way that the light blue satin was ruffled upward on the outer layer of her dress, her white cotton hem gathered in lace and with the ability to touch the ground. It was off the shoulder and sleeveless, and a white satin rose was sewed to the centre of her chest.

She was certain that Antoine was also working on a head piece to go with the dress, he'd never let her even leave the manor even if she'd worn an already made piece that matched her outfit. He insisted every outfit and fabric accessory be custom made together, or it simply would not work. That was just in his nature, and Lucinda had been scolded many a times for mismatching her clothing pieces.

After having looped the thread into her dress one more time, Antoine bit the white tail of the needle before standing back and admiring his work.

"Lady Lucinda, you look absolument magnifique! The baby blue really compliments your complexion," Antoine said as he subconsciously tucked his needle into his belt, where he kept it for keepsakes.
"I'd noticed," Lucinda said with a slight nod, a sweet smile peeking through her lips, "merci, oncle Antoine. It really is beautiful."

~

The ball was just as fine and Lord Grey and Lord Price had planned. The food was to the highest quality, the entertainment was civilized, and not a single guest had less than £1,000 per annum to their name. Such company was a little too...pristine, or snobby I should say, for Lucinda's taste. Any time she was ever in attendance of a ball with people such as these, she was always given scolding looks by those around her for sitting to the side and refusing to dance. It wasn't that she couldn't dance, in fact she was better than most at the activity. It was just she didn't enjoy it, and she always told herself:

I came into this world to be happy, not to be moulded and influenced by those around me and result in my own misery.

That was why she was sat to the side of the grand hall, admiring the guests' attire and then giggling after she imagined how freaked out Antoine would be if he had attended, considering how little dresses had lace and complex fabric techniques.

"Excuse me, everyone!"

The sound of Lord Grey's voice shouting over everyone from the podium that centered the back of the hall shook Lucinda from her thought, and she turned to listen considering it was clear that he, and her father who was beside him, was about to give an announcement.