A Dance with Death

Chapter Five

(Moonlight Cottage ASMR, 'Getting You Ready for the Ball 1812')

"Arinya! Have you seen my gloves?" Sophie cried from across the room.

It was the night of the ball, and my sisters and I are hurrying to get our last minute things on before Aunt Olga's carriage arrived.

"No," I replied from my spot under the bed.

"Maybe if you weren't looking for dust bunnies..."

I growled as I pulled myself out. "I was looking for my other slipper."

"Girls," Mother chastised in the doorway. "Please, keep your voice down. The neighbors will think I raised you in the countryside."

"We'd have more freedom to do what we wanted." Sophie muttered, looking inside her wardrobe.

"Now, as for your attire " Mother continued. "Sophia, your gloves are on my bureau. Arinya, your slipper should be in your wardrobe. Honestly, I thought you would be ready by now.

"I am ready, Mother." I slipped my shoe on. "I saved my slippers for last."

"Then please help your sisters get ready. Your aunt's carriage will be here soon."

If the driver was her trusty old Mr Smith, then we had about half an hour before she came. I knocked on Christina's door. "Crissy? Are you ready?"

The door opened and there she stood, dressed in a white silk, gloves and her hair was was pinned up elegantly, decorated with pearls and a cream colored shawl wrapped around her. "Yes, is Sophia ready?"

"Here I am." She nearly pushed me down. "Do you have a pair of peal earrings I could borrow?"

Christina nodded. "Give me a moment." She walked over to her vanity and opened her small jewelry case full of mostly peals. "Here, Sophie," She gestured to her chair. "Sit for me."

"What are you going to do to me?"

She laughed. "Nothing yet." She handed her a pair of blue jewels. "I must say, I'm glad Mother changed her mind about the dress. You look beautiful that shade of blue."

"She does." I agreed.

The dark blue complimented her pale skin, Mrs Darlington had sewn shades of green and purple into her skirt to bring the peacock theme to life. Feathers decorated the bottom of the bodice and the sleeves and even made a matching mask. She'll definitely be the most envied of all the young women.

"Do you need help with her makeup?"

"Makeup?" Sophie gasped and glanced at the door. "Won't that upset Mother?"

"Of course not." She picked up a small oval tin container of rouge. "Try to relax, Sophie, I'm just applying rouge to your cheeks."

I came behind and pinned back the curls that always covered her face. "I'm glad Mrs Darlington sewed peals along your neckline. It looks lovely."

She smiled. "Thank you."

Christina patted her fingers against Sophia's cheek until they were a natural looking rosy red. "And now, the rice butter."

Crissy and I finished her makeup, until we realized she had no more coal. Thankfully we had a little bit of time so Christina went ahead and crushed some.

Sophia sat on the bed while I finished her hair. "Are you excited to go?"

"A little, but nervous."

"I know. I was nervous when I went to my first ball too."

"Oh, guess who visited earlier today while you were at Aunt Olga's."

"I haven't a clue."

"Charles Sinclair. You know, Ralph's older brother?"

My hands froze. "Why the hell would that man's brother visit us?"

Crissy gasped and almost broke the castor oil bottle. "Arinya!"

I ignored her. "Sophia? Answer me."

"He-he was being neighborly?"

"The hell he was!"

"Arinya, Mother is nearby."

I glared at Crissy, shutting her up. She knew not to continue angering me.

"What did he want, Sophia?"

She swallowed, looking at Christina. "We simply exchanged pleasant words. Talked about the weather, what we've been doing. He offered to take me to the ball but I told him our aunt was taking us in her carriage. He left, saying he and his brother would see us at the ball."

Dead silence. No one dared to breathe.

I let out a slow deep breath and rose from the bed. I opened the small wooden chest of hair pins, looking for the right matches and setting them aside.

"Ari?" Sophie started slowly.

"I'm fine."

Christina glanced in Sophie's direction. "Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm completely fine."

"Because if you're not-"

"Look, I don't want to hear that man's name again from either of you for the rest of the night. And as for Sinclair, he can rot in hell!" I throw a hairpin, sticking it into the wall.

"Girls," Mother knocked and opened the door. "Are you almost ready? Aunt Olga will be here soon."

"We're almost ready, Mother. We just need to finish getting Sophie's hair done."

"Well, don't take too long." She shut the door.

We were ready and out the door when Mr Smith drove up, and offered a hand for each of us up into the carriage.

Aunt Olga was smiling. "Well, girls, are you ready for the night that shall change your lives?"

No one answered. My sisters were too afraid to speak.

"What's the matter? It's the dresses, isn't it? I warned your mother not to go Mrs Darlington, but she insisted because the woman is like family and-"

"It's not the dress, Aunt Olga." Christina spoke softly.

"Then what it is?"

"It's-"

"Sophia made the mistake of mentioning the one person we vowed not to."

"I see. Well, you can't expect to avoid him forever, Arinya."

No, but I can try. "But how would you feel if he did that to you while you were to be married?"

"I'd kill him."

"Aunt Olga!" Crissy gasped.

"Oh, come on. You and Sophia know I'm not a saint, so why try?"

I smiled. This is why I loved Aunt Olga. She was unapologetically self-assured, she didn't let anyone belittle her or demobilize her character. Granted, she does have an ego the size of Europe.

"And as for Sinclair," Olga continued. "Try not to worry too much. Maybe he caught pneumonia and won't be there tonight."

I laughed. Maybe tonight's masquerade ball won't be as bad as I believed.