Once Upon a Romance 01 - Before the Midnight Bells Read Online Free PDF

sauntered off, whistling a dancing tune.

CHAPTER SIX
    Ella’s needle flashed in the lamp light as her hands drove it over and over into the heavy, felted broadcloth she was working on. Each night this week she had fallen into bed exhausted, only to force herself up again a few hours later with the sunrise. It had taken almost an entire day to sell the mirror and purchase cloth for all the costumes. For the last two days, Ella had let the hearths in the house grow cold and left her stepmother and stepsisters to feed themselves as they could—she’d had no time to cook for them. All of the orders had been picked up now, and Ella had spoken with each maid who came to fetch a costume, making sure that the girls all knew how they should be worn.
    In the attic of the Emberton town house, Ella was finally putting the finishing touches on her family’s costumes. She looked with satisfaction at the three dress forms holding the outfits. The first ball was the Paupers’ Ball, with all the attendees dressed like the inhabitants of the lowest rungs of society. It was a nice conceit, though Ella suspected the nobles of the kingdom would make poverty look very clean and pretty. She had certainly done so for Beatrice, Prudence, and Millicent.
    Beatrice was going to be dressed as a tavern wench, with her skirts kirted up to show her legs, her blouse scooped low to display her bosom, and a very stout leather belt cinched tight to give the illusion of more waist than that to which she was rightfully priv ileged . The deep burgundy and rich brown fabrics were heavy and lush; they would look marvelous on the dance floor.
    Prudence had opted to be a milk maid, and Ella had spent one long night sewing enough frills onto the snowy white peasant’s blouse that even Prudence would look well endowed. The forest green skirt fell in heavy velvet folds that stopped just above the petticoat’s white lace ruffles; Prudence’s legs, bared to the calves, would be covered with delicate white stockings to which Ella had added thin green ribbons which wound around in spirals.
    Millicent’s costume, though, was the true masterpiece, at least as far as Eleanor was concerned. Millicent was attending the Paupers’ Ball as a baker woman, and her dark blue gown hid an amazing number of undergarments all designed to restrain her overly generous figure. The square neckline was cut low, allowing Millicent’s more obvious assets to be viewed, while the V of the waist hid many of her flaws. The gown had sleeves that were turned up and pressed, so that Millicent’s hands—which were her only delicate and truly pretty feature—would be displayed to full advantage. Ella had rummaged among the stairwells one afternoon and found a real prize: a beautifully embroidered apron. It was left over from Millicent’s embroidery phase, and after being washed and starched it made an excellent addition to the costume.
    Ella was just finishing Millicent’s hem, and then she would be done. The tastefully dark blue fabric was hard to see in the lamplight, but Ella worked on, knowing that soon she would be able to seek her bed. As she bit off the final thread, the bells of the city chimed out the hour—not so much late at night as hideously early in the morning—and Ella thought wryly that it was a good thing she was finally finished. She could sleep the day away, and then rise in the afternoon to prepare both herself and the ladies for the ball.
    Prepare… herself… Ella looked wildly about the attic, as though if she looked hard enough she would find it, but her heart plummeted.
    She had forgotten her own costume.
    With tears of sheer exhaustion in her eyes Ella walked over to the wall and began pulling fabrics. Her bed would have to wait.
    ***
    Ella relaxed back into the seat of the hired carriage and took a deep breath. She had finally fallen into bed mid-morning, hoping to sleep until late afternoon, but her stepsisters had roused her after only a few hours,