“Amazing.” Leah eyed the package with excitement. If she hadn’t been the eldest child and expected to take over her family’s silk farm, I imagined she might want to do something in fashion. “Do you think it was a passive-aggressive slam, like ‘youdefinitelydon’t have something,’ or was it supposed to be nice?”
“No idea. I barely know her. To be fair, I definitely don’t haveanything fit for Society Hill.” I’d happily accept an outfit from my aunt if it meant I could fade into the party’s background instead of being the poor relation who stuck out like a sore thumb.
Leah smirked. “You could borrow something from Élodie or Birra.”
“I’d rather stab my eyes out, thank you.”
We took the package back to the common room, placing it on a coffee table and peeling back the brown paper. A white box lay within, emblazoned with the seal of a house of design I didn’t recognize.
“Oh my god,” said one of the other girls in the room, Suri, who sat with another fourth-floor girl, Danielle. “Is that from Shoshana’s?”
“I don’t know?” I said. “My aunt sent it over.”
The two girls joined us, kneeling on the other side of the coffee table. “It definitely is,” Suri said, examining the box’s seal.
“Nice,” Leah said. “I bet you can resell it for a ton.”
I undid the strings and lifted away the box’s top to reveal white paper folded around the outfit. Untucking it, I glimpsed the fabric within—navy silk with silver threading and glinting seed pearls. I lifted out the first piece, a high-necked top, and Leah pulled out the matching billowy pants with the classic cinched ankles of Talum fashion to protect against the wind.
“Your aunt hastaste.” Leah sounded astonished. “This cut only just came into style.”
“It’s tiny,” I said, holding the top against my front.
“That’s fashion.”
“Look at this threadwork,” Danielle said. “It’s impeccable.”
I murmured in agreement, then refocused. “What if I’m cold?”
“That is also fashion.” Leah slid the pants through her fingers.“You must suffer for it. Look at how luminous this is. This silk is really good quality. Do you have shoes to wear with it? Ideally silver.”
“I have a pair,” Suri said. “When are you wearing it? I can bring them over anytime.”
Daziel hopped out of the mirror above the fireplace, landing softly on the floor. Everyone flinched, then pretended not to; we were Talumizans, or we wanted to be, and we refused to be startled by anything.
Perhaps because we were looking at clothing, I noticed his: burgundy pants and a matching silk scarf held in place by a dazzling stick pin. He’d thrown his jacket over his shoulder with faux nonchalance; I was sure he was going for a rakish air, and it made me grin. He’d nailed it. I noticed Suri and Danielle noticing, which, confusingly, sent a twinge of pride through me.
Daziel practically quivered with excitement as he took in the fine silver embroidery done on the top’s high collar. He ran his fingers across the silk. “Stunning. Where are we going?”
The mere idea of Daziel interacting with my aunt gave me hives. “Notwe,” I said firmly. “I’m going to my aunt’s this weekend.”
“I will escort you,” Daziel said happily.
“No.” I doubled down on my firmness. “This is a family thing. I can’t deal with you at the same time.” I imagined my aunt’s dour expression and, worse, her writing a missive to my parents. Horrible. “You’ll stay here.”
~~~
Daziel sulked for therest of the week. It was very trying. He sighed endlessly, muttered asides to Paz, and draped himself across my couch like the world was ending.
“Have you changed your mind?” he asked Saturday night as I got ready. Leah had come over and was helping me paint my eyelids with kohl and silver shimmer.
“It’s a lost cause,” Leah told him. “She’s stubborn.”
I pulled a face. “I wouldn’t saystubborn. What about determined?”
“Two sides of the same coin.”
“I will be on my best behavior,” Daziel pleaded. He was currently hanging—upside down from his knees—from a chandelier he’d installed in our living room. Would I be fined for that? Probably.
