Dreaded Dresses

Ilona and her brothers said good night to the Duke and Duchess once they had all finished their meal. Delaney Adair told Ilona she would be up to help her with the dresses soon, and the pirate pursed her lips but nodded.

Walking up the stairs with Ian, Nick, and Jamie, they caught sight of a short, old maid with carrot-colored hair carrying an armful of clothing into one of the boys' rooms. The younger Blacks frowned at one another and walked a bit quicker. They hurried into the room just as the maid was turning around, startling her half to death.

"Oh, Ian!" her hand flew to cover her heart as she looked past the boys to their older brother, "I'm glad I've caught you before you went to bed. I've brought the clothes Lady Adair asked for. The ones for your brothers to try on. What do you think?"

Her last words were directed at Nick and Jamie. She smiled warmly at them, and they looked to Ian and Ilona for an explanation.

"I'm sorry, Ms. Bird, I'm afraid they don't speak English," Ian informed her before quickly translating her words to his brothers.

"Oh well, I'm sure they understand a smile at least," the old maid grinned with rosy cheeks, "Aren't you going to introduce us?"

"Oh, yes, of course," Ian stammered, caught off-guard, "Ms. Bird, these are my younger brothers Nick and Jamie." He pointed at each in turn before looking to Ilona. "And this is my older sister Captain Ilona Black of The Black Tide. Ilona, this is Ms. Bird, the Duchess's lady's maid."

Just like Ian, Ilona was surprised there was a servant interested in meeting them. So far, the others all seemed to wish them gone.

The plump little maid smiled at each of them, and her smile only wavered a bit when her gaze landed on Ilona.

"If I'm not mistaken, you do speak English, do you not?"

"I do," Ilona nodded, trying to force a smile to her lips.

"Well, it's a pleasure to meet all of you," Ms. Bird said warmly, "Your brother has been lovely to have with us, so I'm sure the three of you will be as well."

"Thank you, Ms. Bird," Ian looked down at her fondly, and Ilona couldn't help but like the woman. She seemed very kind and motherly.

"I'll leave you now," the maid headed for the door but paused to look back at Ilona, "But I will see you in just a bit in your bedroom."

"Alright," Ilona sighed, and her apparent unhappiness made the older woman chuckle.

"Oh, come now, it won't be that bad. Aren't you a Pirate Captain? Surely some dresses won't be the death of you."

Ian laughed and translated her words to the younger boys, who joined him in laughter. Ms. Bird smiled fondly at them all once more before leaving them and closing the door.

As soon as she was gone, all of the siblings went and began picking through the clothing that had been piled on the bed.

"I don't think either of our mothers would have ever put us in clothes as expensive as these," Ilona commented, picking up a vest with intricately carved wooden buttons.

"There were too many of us for that," Ian shrugged, "Father would never have been able to afford it. There were only two Adair children, though. Vincent and Miles."

"Ah, so that's who your Duchess was talking about earlier," Ilona smirked as she looked at him.

"She's not my Duchess," Ian said defensively, lightly smacking each of his giggling brothers upside their heads.

Ilona rolled her eyes and dropped the clothes back onto the bed. "I don't think any of these things are going to fit the two of you."

"Oh well," Jamie shrugged with a grin.

"We'll have to hope you have better luck, Lona," Nick smirked, using her pet name to soften the blow, "You'd better get going."

Ilona groaned and pressed the heels of her hands to her eyes.

"The dresses aren't going to kill you," Ian crossed his muscular arms as he looked at her, "And you might actually like Delaney if you'd give her a chance."

"It doesn't matter if I give her a chance or not. She hates me."

"Well, you did let your men storm the beach, take her husband hostage, and beat him up a bit," Nick shrugged, "That's not an easy thing to forgive."

Ilona frowned at him, but Ian was stepping around the bed, and he gave her a light push towards the door.

"Just go," he said, "You'll be fine."

Ilona walked towards the door and gave them all one last glare before she left.

-

Ilona had only been in her room a short time when the women knocked lightly at the door and waited for her to open it. Ilona hesitated a moment before giving in, knowing there was no use in trying to hide now. When she opened up, she saw the armfuls of dresses the Duchess and her maid were carrying. Right away, she looked stricken.

Delaney Adair laughed and rolled her eyes as she stepped past Ilona to walk into the room. Ms. Bird was right behind her with an encouraging smile.

"All these?" Ilona asked as they dumped dresses on the bed, "I have to try on all these?"

"Well, we need to see what best fits you," Delaney answered, "That way, it will need fewer adjustments."

Ilona swallowed and looked down at them with her chocolate eyes full of concern.

Ms. Bird chuckled at the sight of her, "Don't worry my dear. Come with me and we'll get you into the right undergarments to start with."

Ilona wanted to argue that her own undergarments would be fine but she knew she was defeated. There was no point in fighting this anymore. This entire house seemed to be against her.

Delaney sat back on a chair and waited while Ms. Bird took Ilona behind the screen and began the process of helping her into the women's clothing.

As she did, Ilona realized there was no torture quite like having to survive as a well-dressed Lady. She cursed and complained as she was poked and squeezed into things. She could hear Delaney quietly laughing at her from the other side of the screen.

Ilona couldn't understand how the woman lived like this every day. Perhaps it was the delicate figure she and Lucia both shared that made these clothes work. Ilona's frame wasn't made for it. Her wider hips and fuller chest felt smashed.

When she was finally ready, she stepped out again and faced Delaney. Ilona was surprised when the lovely Duchess gave her a pearly smile and stood, picking out the first dress and handing it to Ms. Bird.

Delaney picked out one dress after another and handed them to her maid who tugged and worked to fit them onto Ilona's more curvy figure. It was a struggle. Ilona may have been the same height as the Duchess but their bodies were definitely not the same.

When Ilona stepped out from behind the screen to be judged, she looked in the mirror each time and immediately regretted it. The Pirate Captain was overflowing from the bodices of the gowns and the seams around her hips were pulled so tight they looked like they would burst if she so much as sneezed.

Lady Delaney was determined though and picked through the last of her dresses, looking for something that might solve their problem. Ilona waited, feeling defeated. She looked sideways at the reflection in the mirror of herself in the undergarments and felt her heart hurt. She looked ridiculous. It was a good thing she had her ship to go back to because there was no way she would ever find someone to love her looking like this.

Oh well. She didn't need that sort of love. She had dozens of siblings to love her and her ship for her to give her love to. They didn't care what she looked like.

At last, the Duchess and her maid came to a dress that fit Delaney a bit more loosely and was a different style than the others. When Ms. Bird helped Ilona into it they all breathed a little sigh of relief when it didn't burst at the seams.

It would still need adjustments so Ms. Bird took measurements and Ilona frowned at herself in the mirror. The dress wasn't that bad although it clearly wasn't made for her. Her dark toffee-colored hair was a mess from taking the dresses on and off. She looked like she had weathered a storm.

"I don't know how you're going to pull this off," Ilona shook her head sadly, "This is going to be a disaster."

"Hush," Ms. Bird chided her, "You've yet to see the magic I can manage with a needle and thread."

The Pirate Captain sighed, "I hope you mean actual magic... because we're going to need it."