Elizabeth picked up a pair of pear-shaped earrings and held them up to her ears.“Has Jewel dressed?”she asked Sally.
“Yes’m, she’s real purty.What you gonna wear?”
“I haven’t made up my mind,” Elizabeth admitted as she glanced up and met Sally’s gaze in the mirror.“I’m tired of all the dark winter colors.What do you think of my pink gown?”
“That’ll be right purty, Miz Elizabeth, what with your pink cheeks.And ifen you wear a shawl when in the cool air, you oughta be plenty warm.”
“Then it’s settled.”
“Better put on your gown ’fore I fix your hair,” Sally instructed as she went to the wardrobe.After several minutes, she produced the delicate pink dress.“Here ’tis.Sure is purty.”
Elizabeth stood and held onto the bedpost while Sally laced the whalebone corset.“Now you take a deep breath, Miz Elizabeth, while I pull on dese here strings.”When the corset had been tightened and tied, Sally said, “It’s chilly outside.You need to wear your flesh-colored pantaloons.”
“I think you’re right.”Elizabeth smiled and stepped into the undergarment.
Sally dropped the fifteen yards of pink muslin, then hooked the dress up the back.The dress was perfect, Elizabeth thought.A lightly folded drapery in the form of a stomacher adorned the bust.The sleeves were short and extremely full.Long, whitecrepe lissesleeves inserted at the shoulder were confined at the wrist with broad bead bracelets and ornamentalmancherons.
Elizabeth took her place back in front of her dressing table.“Have you seen Jonathan?”
“Ain’t seen nobody since I come upstairs,” Sally said as she started to twist Elizabeth’s hair and pull it up so it was full on the top with side ringlets.She’d barely gotten it secured with pins when Elizabeth shot to her feet.
“Wait!”Elizabeth shouted and looked desperately around the room, then darted over to the washstand.
She leaned over the porcelain bowl and emptied her stomach before letting out a pitiful groan.“Sally!”
Sally hurried over with a damp cloth.“What’s the matter, honey?”She held the cloth to Elizabeth’s cheek.“You goin’ to be all right?”
“I think so,” Elizabeth said weakly even though she wasn’t too sure at the moment.“Maybe we got my corset too tight.”
“I don’t think so.You probably just gotten excited over the party.”Sally shook her head, then took Elizabeth’s hand and led her back to the dressing table.“Here.”Sally reached in her pocket and pulled out some green leaves.“Bite on these peppermint leaves and you’ll feel better.Now let Sally make you real purty.”
“Don’t forget the final touch,” Elizabeth said and pointed to her waist.
“We don’t want to forget that purty thing.”Sally went over to the nightstand and brought back a piece of jewelry.
Elizabeth waited a few moments until her stomach eased, and then she stood so Sally could pin a gold watch set with rubies and a gold chain on herceinture.The watch dangled just above her waist Elizabeth turned and looked at herself in the mirror.The watch had been her mother’s, and she was proud of the small gift Her eyes traveled up until her gaze rested on her face.She was beginning to look like an old maid.Women her age usually had been married for years and had several children.Why was she so different?Had she waited all these years for Jonathan only to have him turn away?She tugged at her bottom lip with her teeth.Maybe she wasn’t pretty enough.
After she left her room, she hurried straight to Jewel’s room, only to find it empty.Evidently everyone was waiting downstairs.She took a deep breath and started down the wide staircase, but to her disappointment, she found the hallway and foyer empty.
Was Jonathan going to leave her waiting?Had he slipped that far away from her?She hadn’t bothered to check his room.Perhaps she should go back and see if he was upstairs.She heard the soft murmur of voices coming from the parlor, so she headed toward the sounds.Her heart pounded so hard her chest hurt.
Shoving open the door, she found the room bathed in the soft glow from a crystal chandelier; the three occupants who’d been in a lively conversation stopped and turned toward her.All except Jonathan, who stood at the fireplace already facing her way.
Jewel was seated on a rose-colored settee.Adam stood behind her, his hip resting on the back of the settee as he talked to Jonathan.However, as soon as the door opened, the conversation ceased.
“Elizabeth,” Adam said after an awkward moment.He rose and came to her, placing a soft kiss on her forehead.“You look quite lovely tonight.”
She let out the breath she’d been holding when she’d feared Jonathan would not be in the room.“Thank you.”She smiled at Adam, but then immediately looked at Jonathan.Standing beside the Italian marble mantel, he looked like royalty.A fire blazed in the hearth behind him, seeming to surround him with a warm halo.
“I’ve not seen that dress, Elizabeth,” Jewel commented, apparently wanting to break the silence that had settled upon the room.“It’s definitely your color.”
“Thank you,” Elizabeth acknowledged and moved further into the room.“I see you are dressed in my brother’s colors as always.”
“Of course,” Adam commented with a grin, placing his hand possessively on his wife’s shoulders.“She likes this color best.”He ran a hand over her royal blue sleeve, then gave Jewel a wink.
Jewel’s brow raised a fraction.“He’s lucky it’s my favorite color,” she said to Elizabeth, completely ignoring her husband.
Elizabeth smiled at the easy way Adam and her sister-in-law got along, and she wondered if she’d ever have that kind of a relationship with Jonathan.
