Seven
Elaine took one breath, then another, settling down into her desk chair and forcing herself to relax, reminding herself that she didn’t need to feel guilty about taking a night off from research—or two—to relax and actually have what could be construed as a life. Joslyn and Hadrian certainly seemed to think this qualified, so she would just have to take them at their word.
I can’t believe I said yes to this thing tonight. A faint sigh escaped her lips and she glanced at her VR headset, sitting on the desk next to her computer. She traced the upper curve of it with a fingertip and finally shook her head. Don’t dawdle or you won’t have a damn thing to wear.
Hadrian had needed to call it an early afternoon in the library that day, too, though not because of a promise to his wife—because of a text he’d gotten in the middle of digging through a source. The concerned look on his face had made an impression, etched itself into her memory. He’d excused himself for a moment after that, then returned about ten minutes later and started to pack up. When she asked what had happened, he’d just shaken his head.
“Is everything okay?” she’d asked. “The kids? Your wife?”
“They’re fine,” he’d told her. “It’s something else. I’ll see you Monday.”
And that had been that. He’d finished packing up and she’d watched him go, confused and not a little worried about what might have sparked his abrupt departure, but at the same time knowing that if it had been something she needed to know, he’d had said so. If it was something he was willing to talk about, he’d probably tell her all about it on Monday anyway.
It was early enough that Joslyn wasn’t home from work yet. While she’d agreed that she would go to whatever this ball was at Caius’s manor in the game that night, she wasn’t sure that she’d tag along with her friend to the gaming café for it. There was something more appealing about staying home—though she knew that Joslyn would just tell her that she was being silly and letting her overactive introvert tendencies win once again.
Still, there was something tempting about actually feeling the fabric of whatever dress she found to wear for the night.
Oh, who am I kidding? I am half giddy to do this. It’s not like I ever get to do something like this in real life, now is it?
Nor was it entirely likely that she ever would get the chance to do it in real life, unless she ended up doing some kind of living history with her degree—unlikely, but possible. Taking advantage of this opportunity was really the smartest option she had, for better or worse.
Besides, maybe it would be fun.
She glanced at the time—it would be at least an hour, maybe longer before Joslyn made it home. That was enough time to log in and find something to wear, then still enough time to change her clothes into something presentable in public to grab dinner before they went to the gaming café. Yoga pants and an old tee shirt didn’t seem like the right kind of attire for that, though she’d seen worse.
Elaine flipped on the computer and checked the connections on her VR headset and gloves before settling back in her chair. It only took a few minutes to get logged in and ready to go—for as little as she seemed to play lately, getting into the game was still like second nature, done by muscle memory and autopilot. She tugged on the gloves, settled the headset on her head, then took another deep breath.
“Okay,” she murmured to herself. Time to shop.”
She hit a key to log into the game, closing her eyes and counting to ten before opening them again. The faint sound of the city—muted on the outskirts—reached her ears as she sank into the game world. She was in her character’s townhome on the western edge of Coronet, near enough to the sea that on quiet nights she could hear the waves against the shore. Now, though, it was midafternoon and she would have to move quickly—or at least with more haste than usual—to find something for herself to wear tonight.
Joss is right. I need to check my mail more often.
She straightened her armor—she hadn’t bothered to change before she and Joslyn had logged out at the gaming café the night before—and adjusted her cloak before heading out, stepping out of the small antechamber and into the townhome’s foyer. Her actual holdings, miles away through the forests, were slightly more impressive—certainly larger—though she spent more time in Coronet than there lately, just because there were more people to roleplay with in the capital than out in the wilds. Joslyn had continually assured her that there were, in fact, plenty of people to roleplay with well beyond the city’s confines but Elaine remained unconvinced based on her own experiences.
The townhome itself was well-appointed, a three-storey building of wood and stone with a slate roof and a small garden in back. Inside, the rooms were neat, clean, though only sparsely decorated. She just hadn’t quite worked up the motivation to do that piece yet, though someday she intended to. What little decoration there was tended to reflect her character’s colors—rich wine-hued burgundy and deep blue. It wasn’t nearly as flashy as the Scarlet Dame, but there was something to be said for being more low-key—that was how she felt about it, in any case, and more importantly, it fit her.
A flutter of nervous excitement shot through her as she stepped outside, locking the door behind her and walking down the cobbled path from her front door to the street. I can’t believe I actually agreed to do this tonight. There’s probably going to be a ridiculous amount of people there and I’m going to feel so ridiculously out of my element it’s not even passably funny.
Elaine shook her head at herself as she set off down the street, heading for the tailor shops of the High Market, hoping she’d find something suitable. There was no reason to believe she wouldn’t, but every so often she found herself shocked at what she couldn’t get rather than what she could.
The streets of Coronet were relatively quiet, especially for the time of day. Part of her wondered if it was a byproduct of post-launch hype, driving everyone into the wilds to experience things differently—or anyone who could get to a gaming cafe to try it out—but it likely had more to do with it being earlier than usual login time on a Friday afternoon.
High Market was as quiet as the streets nearer to her townhouse, which came almost as a relief. Elaine paused at one edge of the roadway, studying signboards for a few moments, trying to decide which would be the best for her purposes. One, Mistress Margot’s, seemed the most likely candidate and with a deep breath and some steel willed into her spine, Elaine crossed the street toward the shop.
Bells hanging above the door jingled softly as Elaine stepped inside, peering around. Gowns of every shape and size hung around the shop’s interior or were draped over stress forms. Windows ran the length of the shop’s front wall except for where the door—itself with a large window of its own—allowed entry. The faint sound of a foot treadle sewing machine echoed softly from the back of the shop and along one full wall was a long counter with a display case full of accessories—tiaras, purses, jewelry, shoes, and more—and behind the counter, set into the wall, were racks upon racks of fabric, bolts tightly furled and organized by color and type.
“Be with you in a moment!” A voice called from the back of the shop. Elaine let the door fall slowly closed behind her, stepping deeper into the shop.
“Take your time,” she called back, though a bit faintly. Her gaze scanned over the racks and the mannequins, a faint furrow to her brow. There was just so much. How would she even know what was appropriate for the evening? The invitation had said formal attire suggested, but suggested usually meant just that—it was a suggestion, not mandatory. And how formal was formal, anyway?
Elaine chewed her lip, suddenly feeling more out of her depth than she had been when she’d interviewed for graduate school.
What the hell am I thinking? Why am I doing this to myself?
The temptation to turn on her heel and slip out before whoever was in the back appeared had almost won out when a small, plump woman with strawberry blonde hair gathered into a bun appeared from between racks and dress forms, beaming as she dried her hands on her skirt. “Welcome to Mistress Margot’s! What brings you in today?”
“I, uhm—” Elaine stammered, then started again. “I was invited to Lord Caius’s ball tonight. I know it’s terrible short notice, but I have nothing to wear and I’m in desperate need.”
The woman squinted at her for a moment, the look almost but not quite appraising. “You’re Lady Arenvale, aren’t you?”
Elaine nodded. “I am, yes.”
She beamed, clapping her hands together, clasping them. “Excellent! I couldn’t be certain but I suspected. You’ve never gone to one of these before, have you?”
“No,” Elaine said honestly. “I tend to be a little more…aloof, I suppose.”
“Mm, one after his lordship’s own heart then, I’m thinking,” the woman said, turning away and starting to search through the racks. “He has the same tendency, it seems.”
“Oh,” Elaine said, not knowing what else to day. “I—I’m sorry, I didn’t catch your name.”
“What? Oh! That’s right, you’ve not been.” The woman glanced back, grinning. “Mistress Margot Perry at your service, m’lady. Don’t you worry about a thing. We’ll get you set to rights and ready for the evening’s festivities.”
Elaine watched the woman as she wended her way through the racks. “Thank you for the help,” she said, unable to keep the uncertainty from her voice. Margot turned back toward her and flashed a smile.
“Oh, think nothing of it. Honestly, in the gossip circles we’ve all been wondering when you’d finally accept an invitation to a society ‘do. The chance to get you out of that dusty armor and into something lovely is all the thanks I need.”
It was all she could do not to actually squirm. Instead, she fidgeted with a glove for a moment, trying to gather her thoughts before Margot noticed the awkward silence. “Well,” she finally managed. “I still appreciate it.”
“Of course, dear,” Margot said, turning back to grin at her again before she was intent on the task at hand again. “If you’d like, there’s a place to sit a little further back. Would you like something to drink? Let me get you something to drink.”
“I—” Elaine stopped, frowning slightly as she started to weave through racks and mannequins on her search for the promised seating. “Will this take long?”
“Oh, it could take a little bit. What’s your preference, dear? Wine, coffee, tea?”
“Coffee if it’s hot,” Elaine said, sinking down onto a small couch buried amidst racks of dresses in every color and shape. The array was almost bewildering. “Otherwise, don’t go to the trouble, please.”
“No trouble at all,” Margot said. “I have some hot, besides. It’s my poison of choice, too. Do you take cream and sugar?”
“Yes, please,” Elaine said, her voice a little faint as she watched Margot bustle toward the back of the shop. As unassuming as she seemed, the woman was some kind of force of nature. Her own heart was pounding in reaction to the woman’s excitement—excitement that Elaine had to admit she shared just a little bit.
I couldn’t have possibly been the only one who’s never been to one of these ‘society dos’ can I?
Her lips thinned and she stared at her gloved hands as she confronted the very real possibility that was actually the case.
Oh my god, even in a virtual world, I’m still the biggest introvert to ever breathe.
It wasn’t true, of course, but in that moment, it felt that way.
Margot was back with the coffee—complete with cream and sugar—in record time. Elaine took the cup from her with a smile.
“Thank you.”
“Of course,” Margot said, studying her as she took her first sip. Elaine tried not to squirm under the scrutiny.
“What is it?”
“Just thinking, dear,” Margot said, still looking her over with what Elaine suddenly realized was the trained eye of a seamstress and designer. She was trying to figure out what would fit her best. Finally, the dressmaker smiled. “I think I have just the thing. Burgundy and blue, yes?”
Elaine lowered her cup, nodding. “Yes.”
Margot smiled and vanished into the racks. Her voice drifted back to Elaine. “I think it will just fit you, too!”
Elaine canted her head to one side, peering through the sea of gowns, trying to track where Margot had disappeared to, but found herself unable to locate the dressmaker, already lost amidst a sea of silks and velvets and hand-sewn pearls. Her brow furrowed slightly and she took another sip of coffee. There was a little less cream than she usually liked, but the added bit of bitterness was welcome, bracing. Somehow, it felt like a little extra fortification she needed.
“I hope I’m not putting you out,” she called after Margot, cradling her mug between her hands.
“Oh, not at all,” Margot called back from somewhere to her left. Her voice was muffled, as if it came from far away—or perhaps the amount of fabric in the room caused that effect. Elaine couldn’t be sure. “Doing this gives me joy, m’lady, truly. I love to make beautiful things and seeing people in them is perhaps the greatest bit of satisfaction I could ever ask for.”
“Oh,” Elaine said lamely. “Okay.” She gulped down some more coffee, hoping her blush would fade before Margot reappeared.
Hope of that dwindled as she heard the seamstress make a triumphant noise from somewhere among the gowns.
Sounds like she found whatever she was looking for. Elaine shifted uncomfortably on the couch, peering once again through the racks, hoping to catch a glimpse of Margot. She couldn’t.
“Here we are!”
Elaine jumped at the sound of Margot’s voice, coming from her right rather than her left. Heart racing at twice normal speed, she turned to look.
Her heart missed a beat and her eyes widened, fingers clutching at the ceramic of her cup a little tighter as she caught a glimpse of the gown Margot held up for her inspection. It sparkled in the sunlight streaming in through the shop’s front windows, copper beadwork catching and reflecting the light. The gown itself was silk, shimmering from burgundy to blue and back again depending on how the light hit it. It was hard to tell its actual shape beyond ball gown just hanging on the hanger, but Elaine’s breath caught as she studied it.
“Yes,” she whispered. “Yes, I think you’re right.”
“Come on, then,” Margot said, still beaming with pride. “Let’s get you into it so I can make any adjustments it might need before tonight. You’ll likely need gloves, too, and some jewelry—we can get you set up with that, too.”
“Okay,” Elaine agreed, feeling dazed.
For the first time, she felt like maybe she wouldn’t regret tonight—not at all.
