I feel the air leave my body as the maid tightens my corset behind me, my mother pacing while she curses Mr.Walsh

“I can NOT believe that man, I should have him fired for this insolence, the nerve of him, move girl i’ll do it!” she huffs replacing the frail maid. The constriction around me worsens as my mother pours her frustrations into the ties behind me.

“Mother…” I ask for her attention with a weak breath as he grumbles more, now about Herschel.

“That boy… I’d bet more than anything it had something to do with him, am I wrong?” her question is rhetorical although I open my lips to answer cut off by her once again.

“I don’t see why we must keep him in our house, up at all hours of the night swinging that sword… that sword.” I cough softly as my insides are squeezed harder,

“Mother!” I yell, taking shallow breaths as she throws the ties of the corset down glaring at me.

“Am I to breathe or just look pretty?” I ask sarcastically and she looks at her work seeing the metal cut into my skin.

“My apologies dearest, perhaps I should take a break” she steps back motioning for the maid to take her place again to loosen the corset.

“You know what we could have done in that extra hour? Do you know?!” I let out a sigh of relief as soon as I could manage to breathe again.

“Yes mother.” she sits on a lavish couch, the exhaustion of her rant getting to her as she fans herself

“Your debut is stressful enough without all this… this… “ she pinches the bridge of her nose motioning to one of the maids.

“Get me my medication i’m getting a migraine” she says softly as the girl leaves, she comes back with two other girls that hand her a glass of water. The two others lift a crinoline cage over my head until it sets on my waist. The dressmaker, Archer, comes in. A rather spindly man with long and thin fingers. He doesn’t speak, holding pins in his mouth with the balls sticking out, his wispy white hair barely moves as he dances around measuring and mumbling to himself about fabrics. His eyes are sunken in and have the far away look of someone who is inside with his work more than outside talking to people.

“Your grace” He says in a high pitched and croaky voice getting my mother’s attention, she moves her hand away from her head showing her attention is on him.

“I know you asked for a sage green but I believe a powder blue will pair better with the Lady Wardwell’s pale complexion” He eyes me uncomfortably closely.

“Mother must I wear a gown that will be this large?” I ask as maids bring in generous amounts of powder blue satins, silks, and other fancy fabrics.

“Or this extravagant, I’m not a princess” I rest my hands on my head in an effort to take the ache away from holding them up while Archer does his work.

“You wouldn’t be in need of such a large or extravagant dress if you didn’t look so plain Adilyn” My mother bites at me before taking her fan from next to her to cool herself down.

“I suppose you’re right, if only I was blessed with my fathers looks” I retaliate hearing the snap of my mother’s fan before she stands.

“Perhaps if that dress is distracting enough people will excuse your tongue” she huffs before leaving the room.

“Dress her in whatever color you want Archer i’m going to lay down” she calls back, I can’t help but chuckle at how flushed she got.

After hours of standing and measuring Archer is finally done with me for the day, I stretch as I walk through the halls before feeling large hands grab my waist from behind extracting a gasp from my lungs. Before I can open my mouth to alert a guard, familiar chuckling in my ear eases my mind. I turn to the man behind me, shoving him backwards.

“Herschel you gnat!” I watch him laugh joyously, barely moving despite the push I gave him.

“You gave me a proper fright, what if I had fallen?” I accuse him to which he only grins down at me.

“Well I would ‘ave caught chu” he reasons making obvious reference to the previous day’s events causing my face to heat up instantly.

“You. are a true scoundrel Mr. Stott” I continue walking, hearing the click of his steps behind me.

“You shouldn’t be walkin’ around the house all alone anyway.” he reasons as I stare at the walls of the house, dreadful yellow stripes the shade of tobacco paired with an eggshell white.

“Dear boy that is why I have you” I can’t help but smile to myself when I hear him chuckle.

“Ain’t you s’posed to not be alone with a man?” He asks and my heart flutters in my chest causing my steps to falter slightly.

“I am not alone with a man, but with a boy. Were you a gentleman caller and I out in society there may be potential for a scandal, but sense neither of those things are in play here we should be fine” I can’t help but sigh deeply and imagine if Herschel were a caller, the flowers he would bring, the things he’d say, the places we’d go, chaperoned of course.

“Lady Wardwell!” I am snapped out of my thoughts by the man in question calling my name.

“Hmm?” I look at his face and he gives me the same cocky smile as always chuckling at my lost composure.

“Got nothin’ smart to say now huh Adi?” He asks insinuating a previous quip I must have missed.

“I beg your pardon?” I ask softly and he laughs openly, a hearty and warm sound that travels through my veins like a drug making my head spin.

“You’re too cute sometimes, My Lady” he bows down and kisses my knuckles as he does every time he teases me. This time, unlike any time before, I feel blood rush into my face so fast I'm sure my cheeks could be seen beating in rhythm with my pounding heart. I rip my hand away and walk past him quickly making sure to keep my footing as I hear him chuckle before he follows.