Honor and Desire (Gold Sky #3) - Rebel Carter Page 0,6
a fine idea, sweetheart. We can do that after lunch if you like.”
“Oh really? That would be—”
“You have to take Rose to her dress fitting,” her mother broke in with an aggrieved look on her face. “Not to mention that you have a fitting to attend as well.”
Seylah’s eyes widened. “What fitting? How am I now a part of the dress expedition?”
Julie’s hands went to her hips. “Expedition? It’s simply a trip to Rosemary’s.”
“That is an expedition of sorts,” Forrest supplied.
Seylah nodded solemnly. “Nearly a journey to another continent, it is.”
Julie rolled her eyes and waved a hand at the pair of them. “Stop being so dramatic.”
Seylah pursed her lips, shoulders slumping down, and gave her mother a pleading look. “Must we?”
“Yes, now put the book away and get ready for your fitting.”
Seylah sighed and stood, handing the book off to Forrest. “Oh, all right,” she said giving her mother a mock salute, “I’ll collect Rose and off we go.”
She turned, setting off in search of her younger sister, who most likely could be found pouring over the latest news in fashion and beauty. The youngest Wickes-Barnes girl had inherited a healthy interest in the latest and greatest in style that could only be satisfied by a constant supply of periodicals via her grandmother in New York. The pair were holy terrors when the family visited the big city for the holidays, and Seylah was always content to tagalong when Rose and her grandmother had their fun, so long as she was able to stay on the sidelines.
She didn’t much think that a dress fitting at Mrs. Rosemary’s would allow much time for sideline sitting. What happened when one wasn’t enjoying their place on the sideline in terms of the fashion world was a mystery to Seylah. She desperately hoped it wouldn’t run long as she had it in her mind to spend her afternoon inspecting the inner workings of her new shotgun with her Papa.
If she were lucky, she might be able to duck out after her fitting and leave Rose to the finer points of frippery and fitting. Maybe her sister could even be persuaded to handle the logistics of Seylah’s outfit. So wrapped in her thoughts of how to best avoid an afternoon spent drowning in fabric choices and patterns, she scarcely noticed the journey into town, and it was only when she was standing with Rose in front of the dress shop that Seylah asked the question she hadn’t thought of when her mother first told of her of the appointment.
“What dress fitting are we here for?” She asked, turning to look at her sister.
Rose raised an eyebrow. “You’ve come for a fitting and have no idea what it’s for?”
Seylah lifted a shoulder in a shrug. “It didn’t seem that important when Mama stopped my reading to tell me of it.”
“Mama stopped you from reading?” Rose gasped, a hand flying to her chest.
Seylah gave a solemn nod. “She did.”
“But why?” Her sister asked still aghast.
“For this, of course,” Seylah said, pointing at Gold Sky’s premiere dress shop, The Modern Dress, and then frowned at the shop window where an assortment of fine dresses in pastel shades were displayed.
“You mean the appointment you have no idea about?”
Seylah nodded in agreement. “I haven’t the faintest clue.” She turned to look at her sister. “Do you know?”
Rose bit back a laugh at the confused look on her sister’s face. “Know what we are doing here?”
“Well, yes.”
Rose nodded. “I do.”
“What is it for then?” Seylah wanted to know, but Rose only looped her arm through her sister’s and pulled her along.
“You’ll find out soon enough, darling,” Rose said shooting her a mischievous grin that had Seylah digging her heels in.
“I don’t know about this. Mama didn’t say anything about this.”
“About what?” Rose asked feigning innocence.
“About whatever has that expression on your face,” Seylah replied giving her sister a shrewd look. “Whatever it is that has you grinning like the cat that got the cream is not an affair that I want to be found getting fitted for.”
“Oh you’re always so dramatic,” Rose sighed sticking her tongue out at her sister. “We are here for a very simple affair.”
“Which is what?” Seylah asked, begrudgingly following her sister into the dress shop.
“Mama’s in charge of the spring dance this year.”
“But she’s in charge of that every year,” Seylah pointed out.
“Well, yes, but this is the last year she’ll be doing it, and that means we have to all be in attendance. It’s