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Thanksgiving Weekend- Part 3

Diana was just about ready for thanksgiving dinner and trying to help Ruby chose a dress when she heard her mother calling her from the parlour.

"Diana for heaven's sake get down here, you should be here to greet Mr. Andrews when he arrives!"

"In a moment Mother" she said as she rolled her eyes and turned her attention back to Ruby.

There was a particularly beautiful fushia dress that Diana had just received as a gift from Aunt Josephine and Diana was eager to have her friend wear it.

"Are you sure ?" Ruby said looking apprehensive. "Don't you want to wear it?"

"Absolutely not, this is the dress my mother  wanted me to wear" said Diana as she finished fastening the last button for Ruby.

"Is James Andrews particularly grotesque or something?" asked Ruby.

"Not particularly" said Diana.

They turned towards the mirror and saw themselves in all their splendor. Diana chose a Saphire green coloured gown in a soft velvet that was finished with a wide, cream colored, silk sash at the waist.

"Diana, you look so lovely in green, I never could have imagined how lovely you could look in that color".

"My mother hates this dress. Its perfect for this evening" Diana answered slyly "another gift from Aunt Jo".

Ruby sighed and smoothed out the pretty taffeta gown and straightened out the sleeves. With the fushia dress and her hair pulled up into an elegant chignon, she looked like a ravishing young lady.

Diana straightened her hair so it fell all around her shoulders and pulled one side up with a beautifully jeweled hair comb. Hero lovely jade and gold earrings accented the green dress and the shining gold comb. She looked somewhat mysterious in her dark colours, but it was a welcome change from the childish way she'd always dressed. She pulled on a pair of black satin gloves and gave herself a good look over. She was ready...

The doorbell rang and the two girls made their way down the strairs in time to see Mr. James Andrews entering. He wore a slate grey evening suit with a crisp white shirt and a blue silk cravat tied in an elegant barrel knot. His light brown hair was perfectly styled with a shiny slick finish. He looked up to see both girls after greeting Mr. and Mrs. Barry and little Minnie Mae. His eyes fluttered from Diana to Ruby and his broad smile was adorned with a beautifully set dimple.

"Good evening Miss Barry, so lovely to see you again" he said, placing his hand across his stomach and gracefully bowing his head. " I don't believe i've met your..."

"Friend, yes this is my friend Ruby Gillis"

Diana could not help but see the look of horror on her mother's face as she eyed Diana in the green dress she hated and Ruby in Diana's new fushia dress. She felt somewhat terrible for her mother, on the other hand, the effect she was looking for had been acheived...it let her mother know she was no longer a child, and also kept Mr James Andrew's eyes on the beautiful Ruby.

"How do you do?" Ruby said with a glorious smile. She looked at James with the kind of adoration only Ruby could muster up and with no shame. The poor girl was a hopeless romantic and often marvelled at shiny things, like James.

Mr. and Mrs.  Barry ushered everyone into the parlour to have a few pre dinner drinks and appetizers. James kept very close to Diana and kept looking at her from the corner of his eye. To him, she was exquisite. The dark dress and her long black hair made her look mature and mysterious and James suddenly felt more intrigued by her than he was before. But then he saw Ruby, this wide eyed innocent looking beauty who's eyes stayed on him with no unease. His night just got more interesting.