“I am certain that we can make something even better,” the modiste replied. “What do you say, Lady Sophia?”
“I think it is quite nice,” she replied.
“Now for the color…” The modiste held up several shades of white next to Sophia’s face. “You have a wonderful pale complexion, and I believe that a cream-colored gown would complement you best.”
“I agree,” the Duke interjected, causing Sophia to blush.
“I do not have a problem with it either,” she replied. “A cream color is fine by me.”
“Lovely, that is very lovely,” the modiste replied. “Now, we must talk about the finishing touches. A ribbon at the waist to cinch it in? It would accentuate your figure well.”
Sophia was getting overwhelmed with all of the options presented to her, so she decided to just trust the modiste as she clearly knew what she was talking about.
“Yes, yes. That is fine,” Sophia replied.
“Wonderful. I must say that, Duchess Anna, you have picked yourself a great daughter-in-law. She is not fussy in the slightest,” the modiste laughed.
“Well, it is my son who has picked her. I am merely adhering to his wishes,” Duchess Anna replied. “Though I do agree with you that she is not fussy. It is refreshing to see.”
The modiste gestured for the seamstress. “Could you bring in the dress I have prepared?”
Moments later, the seamstress emerged with a dress. She laid it across on the table for them to observe.
“So,I should tell you that I was told that Lady Sophia had some special… requirements, and I prepared some gloves to cater to them.”
The modiste’s eyes flickered over to the scars on Sophia’s hands, and she immediately felt self-conscious as a result.
“Would you like to try them on? I have crafted them from the finest cloth, and they will look elegant when paired with the dress.”
“Sure,” Sophia replied reluctantly and then slipped on the gloves. Her scars were hidden from plain sight, and the modiste clapped her hands together in a delighted manner.
“See? They fit just perfectly and will be a great compliment to the dress,” she gushed.
The Duke watched as the scene unfolded in front of him. He saw how Sophia’s face had fallen immediately, but she was far too polite to protest outright.
“And I have also thought of the perfect hairstyle. If we do an updo that makes part of your hair fall on the side, then it would hide the scars on your face perfectly as well,” the modiste recommended.
“If that is what you think is best…” Sophia muttered, looking at the ground now.
His mother turned to him and whispered in his ear, “It’s quite convenient that the gloves and hairstyle cover Lady Sophia’s scars, don’t you think?”
“Convenient? Mother, we’re not hiding anything. Lady Sophia’s scars are part of her, and they need not be concealed,” the Duke said in a loud voice, appalled by what was being discussed.
“Duncan, please lower your voice…”
“There is nothing to hide,” the Duke reiterated. “Wouldn’t you agree, Lady Sophia?”
Sophia opened her mouth to speak, but the Dowager answered on her behalf.
“It is a small compromise that I believe we should make. I think it is important that we do not give the ton more to gossip about than they already have. It is a smart decision to make choices that complement Sophia’s appearance. It is not hiding, rather, it is amplifying the features that she already has…”
The Duke felt a sense of disgust at how easily his mother was justifying hiding her scars. He could clearly see that Sophia was uncomfortable with this and did not want her to feel bad about herself, especially when it came to something that she had no control over.
“I believe that Lady Sophia should answer that question, for it is she who will be wearing the gown,” he stated firmly.
All eyes were on Sophia, now, waiting for her response. She shuffled her feet, gulping loudly.
“Well…” She glanced at the Dowager, “I… I agree with Duchess Anna. In society, appearances matter, and showing my scars might cause unnecessary gossip.”
