It won a scoff and a gesture into the further embrace of the modiste’s parlor.
“We must be gracious, Mae,” Rosalind said in a whisper. “It is a gift.”
“Indeed it is,” Vix agreed. “If I’m forcing you all to attend my ball, then I thought it only decent that I provide the requisite silks.”
“I like silks,” Dinah announced from behind several dressforms. “And satin. And crinoline. And brocade.”
Hannah sighed. “Good morning, Vix.”
“Good morning, sister mine,” Vix answered with a little smile. “Am I missed at home?”
“Missed?” Mae scoffed. “I bet Hannah will be pregnant within a fortnight now that you aren’t there to interfere.”
At that, Hannah gave a little gasp and turned pink. “Not yet!” she protested. “Not for some time yet. I want to enjoy being married alone for a bit first.”
“Oh, but you have no control over that,” Rosalind said, tilting her head curiously to the side. “Do you?”
Mae and Hannah only turned to stare at her.
“Do you?” Rosalind repeated, a little breathier.
“Rosalind,” said Mae softly. “Come here, sweeting.”
“This will be my first ball!” Dinah announced, exploding from behind the dress forms with her arms piled high with fabrics. “Did Hannah tell you? My first!”
Hannah startled and then glared at her sister. “I don’t need to tell anyone that, Dinah. It is obvious.”
“Now, now,” said Vix, clicking her tongue. “Are you planning to sew all that together like a quilt?”
“Can I do that?” Dinah asked, staring down at it with a worrying sparkle in her eye.
“No,” said Hannah and Vix in unison.
“Do you think someone will ask me to dance?” Dinah continued, swaying back and forth with her armful of textile contraband. “What about that Mr. Reed?”
“No,” said both Hannah and Vix again, making Dinah giggle.
“All right, all right,” she said, moving forward to shove the fabrics at the other two women. “Help me, then.”
“What do you mean, removes himself?” Rosalind was gasping from the corner where Mae was explaining something with many, many hand gestures. “What?”
Vix glanced over at that and frowned. “Come along, Dinah.”
“There are also teas and herbs,” Mae said with a sigh behind them. “And a contraption made of sheep intestine.”
“Good Lord,” Hannah muttered, pushing them with her hands to move faster out of the vestibule and into the inner chamber. “Dinah, cover your ears.”
“Why?” Dinah said, grinning. “Everyone knows about the sheep intestine.”
Vix, to her supreme and benevolent credit, did not laugh.
The next handful of hours unspooled productively, with each woman outfitted in fabrics Vix thought would make them shine prettily on the ballroom floor. By the end, her stomach was growling and so was Bear, whose patience withplatz-ing appeared to have worn thin after a certain amount of time.
“Shall we take him to the park? Just for a bit?” Dinah begged. “I’ve brought a little ball I can throw.”
“I think he is hungry, love,” said Vix, frowning and wishing she could just ask the dog like a reasonable companion what it was he preferred.
“There is a butcher near the park,” Mae said. “I bet he has scrap bones he’d offer.”
