116
Views
Views
8 Votes
Chapter 3:- In Which Adelice Faces a Monster
It wasn't until it was well past noon that Mademoiselle decided to show up. Her bonnet was pulled down low over her eyes and she winced at the slightest of sounds. Adelice and Sophie knew she had arrived when they heard the harpies in the outer room (Adelice wondered at their tenacity) twitter their sympathy and worry for the poor sick Mademoiselle.
"Oh, you poor dear!" Adelice craned her neck towards the door, hoping to hear how Mademoiselle was going to pull this one off. Mumbling something about a slight chill, Mademoiselle took their orders, then ushered them outside. "Feel better soon, dear!" She heard one of the harpies call.
Footsteps neared the door and Mademoiselle creaked open the door, wincing all the while. She must have had the messenger fetch her a change of clothes as well, seeing as she wasn't wearing the clothes she'd worn yesterday. There were dark circles under her eyes, and she held a hand against her temple, but she was still dressed in the utmost fashion.
"Bloody..." She grumbled. Neither Adelice nor Sophie looked up from their work. "You." She pointed at Adelice. "Adelice." Adelice looked up from her sewing. "Mrs. Mienershaagen wants this done by next week. You should still have her measurements from last time." She handed a slip of paper to Adelice. This is going to be one monstrous dress. In the order, Mrs. Mienershaagen specified that she wanted the body to be made of purple velvet, lace trim that was trimmed with beads, and feathers pinned throughout the skirt. "You, the other one."
Sophie didn't look up from her work.
"My name's Sophie."
Mademoiselle put her hand over her eyes and massaged them. "Yes, Sophie, Ms. Rachenberu wants this before Friday." She handed the paper to Sophie, who held out her hand, not bothering to look up. "And both of you can work on Mrs. Floofenhaus' dress." She set the last sheet of paper on the desk that sat in front of both of them. "I am going to lie down..." Mademoiselle stumbled up the stairs that led to her lair.
After they were sure she couldn't hear them, Adelice and Sophie scooted their benches closer together and compared notes. "What's yours like?" Sophie asked.
"Ugh, mine's horrid. Mrs. Mienershaagen want feathers pinned all over. Feathers of all things!"
Sophie grimaced. "Where in the world did she get such an idea? She probably thought she could outdo Mademoiselle's dress from the ball last month. You know, the one with the single feather across the bosom?"
Adelice nodded. Though Mademoiselle was a bit of a slush and almost never did any work, both Adelice and Sophie had to admit that she knew fashion better than anyone else in the city. Adelice sighed and shook her head. "Silly Mrs. Mienershaagen. More is not always better. What'd you get?"
"Oh, nothing quite as interesting as feathers everywhere. Just silk with some beading on the hem and lace around the throat and cuffs."
"Lucky. I don't even know where I'm going to get such a large amount of feathers!"
Sophie looked over the project they were supposed to make together. "Just find a chicken."
"Oh, yes, I'm sure that would go over quite well. Imagine, chicken feathers on Mrs. Mienershaagen's dress!"
Sophie smirked. "Well, I'm sure you'll figure something out. This last order is pretty simple as well. Nothing unusual."
"Well that's good. But seriously, where am I going to get all these feathers?"
It wasn't until it was well past noon that Mademoiselle decided to show up. Her bonnet was pulled down low over her eyes and she winced at the slightest of sounds. Adelice and Sophie knew she had arrived when they heard the harpies in the outer room (Adelice wondered at their tenacity) twitter their sympathy and worry for the poor sick Mademoiselle.
"Oh, you poor dear!" Adelice craned her neck towards the door, hoping to hear how Mademoiselle was going to pull this one off. Mumbling something about a slight chill, Mademoiselle took their orders, then ushered them outside. "Feel better soon, dear!" She heard one of the harpies call.
Footsteps neared the door and Mademoiselle creaked open the door, wincing all the while. She must have had the messenger fetch her a change of clothes as well, seeing as she wasn't wearing the clothes she'd worn yesterday. There were dark circles under her eyes, and she held a hand against her temple, but she was still dressed in the utmost fashion.
"Bloody..." She grumbled. Neither Adelice nor Sophie looked up from their work. "You." She pointed at Adelice. "Adelice." Adelice looked up from her sewing. "Mrs. Mienershaagen wants this done by next week. You should still have her measurements from last time." She handed a slip of paper to Adelice. This is going to be one monstrous dress. In the order, Mrs. Mienershaagen specified that she wanted the body to be made of purple velvet, lace trim that was trimmed with beads, and feathers pinned throughout the skirt. "You, the other one."
Sophie didn't look up from her work.
"My name's Sophie."
Mademoiselle put her hand over her eyes and massaged them. "Yes, Sophie, Ms. Rachenberu wants this before Friday." She handed the paper to Sophie, who held out her hand, not bothering to look up. "And both of you can work on Mrs. Floofenhaus' dress." She set the last sheet of paper on the desk that sat in front of both of them. "I am going to lie down..." Mademoiselle stumbled up the stairs that led to her lair.
After they were sure she couldn't hear them, Adelice and Sophie scooted their benches closer together and compared notes. "What's yours like?" Sophie asked.
"Ugh, mine's horrid. Mrs. Mienershaagen want feathers pinned all over. Feathers of all things!"
Sophie grimaced. "Where in the world did she get such an idea? She probably thought she could outdo Mademoiselle's dress from the ball last month. You know, the one with the single feather across the bosom?"
Adelice nodded. Though Mademoiselle was a bit of a slush and almost never did any work, both Adelice and Sophie had to admit that she knew fashion better than anyone else in the city. Adelice sighed and shook her head. "Silly Mrs. Mienershaagen. More is not always better. What'd you get?"
"Oh, nothing quite as interesting as feathers everywhere. Just silk with some beading on the hem and lace around the throat and cuffs."
"Lucky. I don't even know where I'm going to get such a large amount of feathers!"
Sophie looked over the project they were supposed to make together. "Just find a chicken."
"Oh, yes, I'm sure that would go over quite well. Imagine, chicken feathers on Mrs. Mienershaagen's dress!"
Sophie smirked. "Well, I'm sure you'll figure something out. This last order is pretty simple as well. Nothing unusual."
"Well that's good. But seriously, where am I going to get all these feathers?"
