Albina just had broken her fast, and was getting ready for the grand opening ball for her second season out in high society in a soft morning dress she had put on in the early morning after a relaxing bath. She had convinced her brother to spend a small fortune at the modiste for her dress for the opening ball. Her fingers ran over smooth fabric of the most elegant dress she had ever witnessed, it was waiting for her, a dress that had been made for her in the richest forest green colours to compliment her perfectly. She wanted to look more than the part, she wanted to look like the definition of exquisite. Today, everything about her needed to be flawless.
She sat down behind her dressing table and practiced her a smile a few times before applying her home-made paste of crushed almonds and milk. This paste, it was the success to Albina’s clear skin, it refreshed and renewed the skin, as well as preventing any breakouts, something she had found herself often prone to before using the paste. She thoroughly massaged it into her skin, mostly around her nose and her cheeks, those places that were the most prone to breakouts. She cleansed the paste off with rosewater. After letting it do its job hydrating her skin for a few minutes, she dried her face with a pink linen cloth by gently patting the product off. Now her skin was healthy and a clean canvas, she started doing her own make-up. While her maid, Eliza, had often asked if she needed assistance with doing her make-up, Albina preferred doing her own. She enjoyed the art of make-up. Most of Albina’s make-up products were personalised and made on request for her by Eliza however, and often contained roses from the family’s garden, for not only did she like the smell of roses, but the colour also worked perfectly for her complexion. She had started with putting on a coat of rice powder using a puff, to even her skin and balance her complexion. Part of which was concealing her freckles, she did enjoy the way they looked on her, but she could not be seen with something as fitting for someone from a lower class, especially not at this first event of the season. A soft rosy rouge followed, carefully blended for Albina did not want it to be too overpowering. She modestly applied some of the green-toned eye paste to harmonize with the dress. As Albina’s naturally barely visible eyebrows were one of her biggest insecurities, they were already shaped to perfection by her made yesterday, all she needed to do now was lightly apply some charcoal to darken and adjust them to her liking, which was perfectly arched and well-defined. Finished with a lip salve made from roses, both for a smooth feeling of the lips and a slight enhancement in colour. Everything about her make-up was meant to enhance her own features while still seeming natural. After the two-hour process, she looked in the mirror, and gave herself a satisfied smile.
She called over her maid, who rushed over to her immediately. “My lady,” Eliza said with a bow “how can I be of assistance?”
“I do believe time has come to tend to my tresses” Albina did not need to say a word more, for her maid started to work at once. Albina enjoyed the feeling of the brush through her hair. Her hair then was dived up into a dozen of different sections, each of which was meticulously braided to perfection by the maid. Braid after braid they would be placed and pinned down, all coming together into one updo. A floral hair accessory was added to complete the look. The maid worked away some final loose strands, while Albina analysed herself in the mirror. Now the biggest struggle would come, the dressing.
“Eliza, I would be most grateful if you could assist me with dressing for the day, please.” Albina said, hating everything about what would be happening. Especially the corset was something Albina had hatred for, she felt extremely restricted in it.
“Most certainly’ Eliza replied, bowing and walking off to collect all the necessities for Albina’s dressing. In the meantime, Albina undressed and put on the first layer of her undergarments, a chemise. A long loose-fitting dress. Then her maid returned with her arms filled with the different layers of petticoats, stockings, gloves, but what Albina was focussed on, was the dreaded corset.
Albina walked over and took the corset from her maid. “Eliza, may I be honest? I truly despise these; they’re dreadfully uncomfortable and make it so difficult to breathe. I understand their necessity, but if you could, please, lace it as loosely as possible today.” She handed it back to Eliza, who had put down everything she was carrying before on a chair. “Of course, Lady Albina. I’ll make it as comfortable as I can while still ensuring it provides the proper support.” Eliza started putting the corset at its right place and lacing it. While it was looser than the average corset, Albina still did not like how it felt. The stockings, petticoats, and the actual dress all went on much smoother, even if Eliza took minutes to close all 50 buttons on the back of the actual dress.
“You are ready Lady Albina” Eliza said. Albina looked into the standing mirror, and she became emotional. This was really it, the season she would be getting married. “I am most grateful for your assistance, Eliza. You are dismissed.” She sat down in silence, 30 minutes past in which she it was solely her and her thoughts. Until her mother knocked on the door, it was time to go.
As soon as she arrived at the first ball of the season alongside her mother, a sense of nostalgia hit her. This was not the first time she was standing here, no, she had had her first ball the year before. Still, it was nothing short of mesmerizing how exquisite the room had been decorated. It was a stunning location for a ball, that was for certain. Chandeliers, lavishly decorations and luxurious seating. Albina quite enjoyed these fancier moments in life, living these experiences. She looked around a little, seeing if there were any familiar faces who she might approach. Before she really had a change however, she heard a male voice she did not recognize say: "Miss Northwick, it’s a delightful surprise to cross paths with you at this gathering.” She turned around and gave a quick bow to the guy as had become an automatism, that often she had been corrected on it. He certainly was a handsome guy, not too much older than she was herself she thought. She liked his curly hair, and his eyes were more than stunning. It was weird however how he knew his name, while she had no clue whoever this individual might be, as of yet.
Before she could speak, he continued talking, slowly but steadily things started to connect. She did know who he was, well, indirectly. She had heard about him.
“Lord Ilyas Keats” she said, with some confidence in her voice, even if it was just an educated guess she made based on what she had heard and observed. “I presume, my Lord, that you had intended to converse with my sister instead of myself. However, due to your past actions, I must regretfully inform you that my sister shall not be gracing this evening’s gathering or any other social occasion of the season. You bear the responsibility for her matrimony, one that has brought her much joy as she now resides contentedly in the northern reaches of England, having recently welcomed a most handsome baby boy into her life.” she approached him closely and whispered in his ear “Not to worry, the boy is not,” she hesitated for a second “yours.”
Before he could react, she took a step back. And said one last thing before she walked away from him just loud enough so people surrounding them could hear: “It was most pleasing to make your acquaintance, my lord. If you would excuse me now.” she walked away before she could get his approval. She would be in control in this interaction, not him. While maybe she had come across calm, she really could not stand the guy, or what he had done to her sister. He had taken away the most important person in her life, without him, her sister would have never been married and moved far away. On the inside, she was fuming. She needed anyone to talk to, to distract, make it so this night and all the effort she had put into it would not go to waste. She looked around, and to her relief, a familiar face popped up. She walked over to him, while writing down his name on her dance card hastily. “Lord Orpheus Langston. May I have this dance?” she dragged him onto the dance floor, grabbing him by both hands. She wouldn’t take no for an answer. When they were in place she muttered “I am sorry, but I needed a rescue”.
@Madilfill ~ Ilyas
@DandelionKate ~ Orpheus