The Murdered Girl in the Castle

Chapter 3: The belle of the ball

As evening drew by, a slew of maids and servants hurried through Charlotte's room and helped her dress. A seamstress came in and fitted her with a baby-blue, corseted dress that billowed about her in voluminous folds. A servant came in and powdered her face with white talcum powder and roughed her cheeks and lips in shades of vermilion. A tufted, white wig was place atop her blonde, curly hair and she was transformed into one of those paintings Nick had seen at the Louvre.

Charlotte stood in front of her full-length mirror and twirled about, letting the many petticoats beneath her swing about. "You can come out, now."

Nick stepped out from behind the burgundy, velvet curtains. "Wow. You look beautiful?"

Charlotte squealed. "Don't I look ravishing? I shall be the most beautiful girl at the party."

Nick smiled. "You're the most beautiful girl I've seen."

Charlotte lowered her head, bemused. "Thank you."

"What kind of party are you going to?"

"My parents are hosting a ball for their friends, but really it's so The Duke of Dourdan can meet me."

Nick suddenly lit up. "Because you're going to marry him!"

Charlotte smiled. "How did you know?"

"Just a hunch. In the future, we're really good at guessing."

"Is that so? Then what am I thinking of now?"

"I said we're good at guessing, not reading minds. So, do you want to marry this Duke guy?"

Charlotte sat down at her vanity table. "Well, I'm only 15 and he's 40, so no, but it's not like I have much of a say."

Nick crossed his arms. "Why not? "

"Because my parents want me to married well so I can live in comfort."

Nick walked towards her. "What do you want to do?"

Charlotte smiled. "I want to run away. I want to go sailing and visit other countries. I want to go to the Americas. Where you're from. Or to Africa. Maybe China. Anywhere else, but here. Say, do you want to see whom I'm promised to?"