Bath by Night
Two days later, with one final flourish, Sabrina removed the curling iron from her hair and pinned back the final stray lock covering part of her ears. The iron hissed. A wisp of steam rose into the air. Half of the bathroom mirror was still covered in condensation.
“Are you going to pin the mask in place too? The big reveal will be about two hours into the ball,” Nora said.
She held Sabrina’s turquoise masquerade mask with two hands, its eye slits surrounded by a dozen clear Swarovski crystals. The sides of the mask were adorned in iridescent shells and white pearls. Black velvet ribbons would blend seamlessly into her hair.
Sabrina glanced over her shoulder. Sheepishly, she said, “I was going to double knot it and hope for the best.”
“With all the effort we’ve put into prepping for the ball, you arenotgoing to just ‘hope for the best.’” Nora rolled her eyes. “If you don’t wish to use bobby pins, we can braid your hair and sew the ribbons of the mask into the braid. You just won’t be able to remove it.”
Sabrina recoiled. “Sew it into my hair?”
“Haven’t you ever wondered how us royals wear tiaras in our hair?” Nora chuckled. “We can’t have multimillion-euro tiaras falling out of our hair at a state banquet.”
“I’ll stick to the pins.” She absently ran her hand over her scalp.
Sewing it sounds painful.
“Once you finish your makeup, I’ll help you secure the mask in the back.” Nora gently set the mask down on the bathroom counter.
Sabrina faced her body to the mirror. “Ditto. I’ll help you with your mask too.”
Nora waved her off. “I’ve opted for the comfort of a handheld mask tonight. Every year I beat myself up for going for looks over practicality. There is nothing worse than having the mask constantly pressing and rubbing against your face.”
Sabrina tapped the excess setting power on the applicator brush against the container. “And you’re only mentioning this to me now because—”
“You’re going to your first ball. Wearing the masquerade mask is an important part of the experience.” Nora pointed to a plastic bag on the counter. “I made sure that I brought some special adhesive for your mask to keep it from slipping and pad any sharp bits.”
Sabrina applied a thin layer of makeup to her cheekbones. “What would I do without you?”
“It’s all part of the fairy godmother duties.” They shared a laugh. “I’ll be dressing in the bedroom. Holler if you need any help. We have about forty-five minutes until our transportation arrives.”
Sabrina reached for her eye shadow palette. “Will do.”
* * *
Nora clicked the door closed behind them. She held a pair of long white satin gloves in her hands. A red feather swayed atop her head. Under her crimson-red cape, she wore a ball gown of vermillion red. An embroidered pattern of gold, scarlet, and black tulips formed a V in the front and continued along the neckline and caps of the sleeves. Nora had opted for a collar-style necklace of rubies and pearls.
Sabrina tied the slippery gold ribbons of her mint-green and pale-yellow cape into a secure double knot. She’d never felt more glamorous and powerful in her cornflower-blue and gold gown. After its alteration, the dress hugged her body like a warm embrace. The empire cut of the dress visually slimmed her waist and drew the eye away from her stomach, banishing her usual self-consciousness about it.
“Where is it?” Nora walked out to the street and frowned as a taxi drove past them. “Our ride was supposed to be here waiting for us.”
We’re only a ten-minute walk from the Bath Assembly Rooms. It’s not as muddy as it was during the promenade. We don’t really need a car.
Nora snapped open her reticule handbag and checked the screen of her mobile phone. “Lorenzo had one job. If he forgot to confirm the details with the driver—”
She could’ve asked me to follow up with this driver. Granted, we have both been busy today. Why bother Lorenzo when he’s in another time zone in another country?
“I appreciate the effort, Nora, but we don’t need a car.”
The night was clear. The lamps lining the road outside of their hotel twinkled. In the distance, Sabrina heard the sound of horses’ hooves.
“I beg to differ.” Nora pointed to the street. “Ah. Here it is.”
The distinct sound of horseshoes making contact with the cobblestone streets grew louder. Tourists down the street pointed and whipped their phones out as a black-and-red open-top carriage pulled by a team of two white horses approached. Two footmen dressed in Regency era servants’ livery—a red-and-gold coat and white knee breeches—rode on the back of the carriage.
Sabrina’s jaw dropped. She bounced up and down on her toes. “Pinch me.”
