Page 2

2

“You’d be surprised by the number of life’s problems that can be solved with dessert and a new frock.”

A Seelie Guide to Happiness

N ia’s silk skirt clings to my hips and catches beneath my feet every time I try to step forward. Although, it’s not nearly as unappealing as her corset mashing my breasts together. “I cannot go out in public like this.” If the entire city is to know my name, I’d rather it be for my ruffles than for having my nipples on display.

Nia purses her lips, stacks of gowns and skirts and corsets piled on either side of where she sits on the bed. “If we hemmed it?—”

“The length is the least of my worries. My nipples are about to pop out.”

“I’ve been told men are quite fond of nipples.”

“Nia!”

She flops back onto her mattress, her cackle echoing around the room. The dresses tumble on top of her, burying my cousin beneath a mound of silk and lace.

I try to stomp over to the bed, but on my way, I trip on the skirt and collapse right on top of her with an unceremonious oof. I pluck a pinstriped corset from atop her face, finding her grinning beneath. “May I please have my own dress back?”

“Fine. But we are going straight to Market Street to buy you something without ruffles.”

She says it as if I’m bound to protest when I’m as anxious to go shopping as she is.

By the time we find my dress, the entire room is a disaster. I offer to help Nia clean up, but she insists on leaving for town straightaway, saying she would simply share the guest room with me tonight and deal with the mess in the morning.

I change out of the too-small corset and back into my mother’s favorite dress. The mauve satin might not be in the height of fashion with its high neckline and flouncy skirts, but at least my nipples are well hidden.

* * *

Together, we stroll down the cobbled streets while Nia points out all the best cafés, the library, a handful of greenhouses, and the apothecary that sells creams to make one’s skin as smooth as butter.

The sloped-roof homes blend seamlessly with one another like a tiny mountain range. Then there are the houses built in trees that look as if they sprouted roots of their own. Imagine living in a tree house, with birds roosting outside your window, singing you awake every morning.

Sounds heavenly.

Friendly smiles abound, with most people either bobbing their heads or waving at Nia as we pass. The men sport fancy, multi-colored cravats and bow ties. Some even wear top hats. The women twirl lacy parasols over their shoulders, shielding their milky skin from the blazing sun.

And the fashion .

I’ve never seen so many different patterns of fabric.

Nia nods her chin toward two women strolling arm-in-arm across the street. “See that pink dress? Not the light one, the dark one. That’s a Madame Ella.” She inclines her head toward the burbling fountain in the square. “And the tangerine-colored one over there? That’s a Madame Ella as well. She only uses the highest quality fabrics, and no two are alike. Other dresses wear you, but in a Madame Ella, you wear the dress.”

“And you think this woman will be willing to make a dress for me?” By the sounds of it, the designer must be in high demand. What if she’s too busy to take a commission? What if she costs a fortune? I brought a decent amount of money, but I’ll need to pay for other things while I’m here too.

Nia comes to a stop outside a building with a cherry-red door. Colorful pansies spill from the low window boxes, a splash of color against gray stone and glass. “There’s only one way to find out,” she says, swinging the door aside.

Madame Ella’s salon is as bright and colorful as the marbles I used to play with as a child. Fabrics of all colors and patterns drape from the walls, swathe dress forms, and hang like banners from the ceiling.

High-quality, indeed. The prints are some of the most intricate I’ve ever seen.

Where did she find such beautiful cloth? And would you look at all that lace? There must be over a hundred spools.

The unmistakable click clack of heels on stones drifts from the back of the establishment, followed by a sultry voice. “I’m afraid we have no more appointments today. You’ll have to come back another time.” A woman emerges from between two dress forms, gold bangles stacked on her wrists and colorful gemstones sparkling on her fingers.

When she sees us, she sucks in a breath, and her hand flies to her ruby lips.

Nia curtsys like the woman is the queen herself. “Good afternoon, Madame Ella. I’m not sure if you remember me. My name is Nia Quill. You made the dress I wore for my fifteenth birthday.”

Madame Ella’s gaze flicks to my cousin. “Emerald chiffon with a velvet trim, correct?”

Nia beams. “That’s right.” She grabs my hand. “I was telling my cousin what a brilliant designer you are. She just arrived from Gravale this afternoon, and?—”

“Gravale, you say?” Madame Ella steps closer, squinting at me as if searching for the hole at the top of a very small needle. “You aren’t by chance related to Celeste Hanson, are you?”

I force a smile even as my eyes start to burn. “Celeste was my mother.”

“Remarkable,” she murmurs with a shake of her head, sending her auburn hair tumbling over her shoulders. “The two of you could have been twins.”

Everyone in our village said the same thing, and I loved and hated it in equal measure. To look in the mirror and see the person you miss most in the world staring back is a special kind of torture.

“What brings you down from the mountains?” she asks.

“Husbands.”

Her eyes widen. “Surely, you’re not already twenty-five.”

“I will be in a few weeks.”

Nia squeezes my fingers. “I know that you don’t usually take walk-ins, but given your connection, I thought perhaps you might be willing to make an exception? All she has are her mother’s ruffled dresses from thirty years ago.” She gestures to my current ensemble, and the unease that had evaporated returns full force.

“Yes, well, ruffles were in fashion back when I made those gowns,” Madame Ella says with the smallest smile.

“ You made this dress?” I don’t believe it.

“Of course. Your mother and I grew up together. Thick as thieves, we were. I designed and sewed all the dresses in her trousseau. If you have them with you, I could make some alterations and bring them into this century if you’d like.”

“That sounds incredible.” While I wouldn’t mind a new dress or two, the thought of getting rid of my mother’s gowns makes my heart ache anew. Especially since everything else that belonged to her was destroyed. “Thank you so much.”

“It’s my pleasure. Now, let’s see what we can find for you in the meantime.” She breezes past us in a jingle of bracelets and starts grabbing bolts of fabric.

This is going to be fun.

* * *

In the soft peach wash of sunset, the city looks downright magical.

Bells chime in the distance, marking the end of another hour. Birds soar through the pink clouds, searching for someplace to lay their heads for the night.

Nia takes both my hands, spinning me around so that my skirts billow like a daffodil’s trumpet. “I told you that Madame Ella was a sorceress, didn’t I?”

I’m not even sure sorceress accurately describes what Madame Ella managed to do in just a few hours. Not only did she tailor this teal silk and lace masterpiece, but she also promised four more dresses in the next few weeks. After seeing her behind a sewing machine, there’s no doubt in my mind that she will be able to revive my mother’s gowns.

The price she charged for it all feels scandalously low, even by Gravale standards—not that I’m complaining.

“Thank you, Nia. I couldn’t have done any of this without you.” I yawn into my fist. I’m going to sleep like the dead tonight.

“You act as if the day is over when it’s only begun.”

“You have more plans?” From the gleam in her eye, I’m not sure whether to be nervous or excited.

“Of course I do. You’re not only here to shop for dresses, Kerris.” She tugs me back toward the city center. “You’re here to shop for a husband, and it just so happens that I know where to find the perfect one.”