Hildegarde

When Elizabeth woke up the next morning, the bright sun was filtering in through the windows, illuminating her room. Sitting up, she touched the back of her head and felt the slightest bump. She couldn't quite remember what happened before falling asleep. Surely, she wouldn't have willingly fallen asleep in her day clothes. In fact, she couldn't even remember even getting into bed. Feeling a soft breeze whistle through the room, she noticed how her balcony doors were slightly ajar. Just as she considered it strange, she slowly recalled her memories.

There was something on her balcony... a man was it? Then the feeling of being carried...

"Agh!" She rubbed her temples from the pain of trying to remember anything else. As though her memories were padlocked in a chest. She could assume whatever put her in bed had removed her shoes and bonnet as well.

*Knock knock* "Elizabeth, are you dressed?"

She wrapped herself in a blanket to disguise her clothes from last night and let him in.

"I was worried since you hadn't come downstairs for breakfast yet. Are you feeling alright?"

She wrapped her blanket around herself tighter and nodded. "Apologies, I just had a restless night."

"I see." His eyes glanced over at her bonnet carelessly tossed aside and her falling hairdo. "I was wondering what time you were planning to appeal to the academy."

"What? Oh! Yes..." She looked at her pocket watch and was horrified to see it was nearly noon. "The meeting is at one o'clock. I'll meet you downstairs soon for an early lunch, yes?"

"Sure." He had a mysterious smile, as though seeing through her act but still left without further questions.

...

Eliza dressed quickly and tightly pinned her hair up. She wore her more expensive clothes today to appear as someone with a higher status even though she held no peerage. The two rode a carriage to the school while she avidly read over her notes. It was to prepare herself for how to explain this particular case to the board of directors.

Hildegarde's Academy for Exceptional Women was a renowned school with a long history of nurturing the greatest minds in women's history. Josephine was accepted into classes that were levels above for someone her age. Eliza knew how this would affect Josephine's future and may even help her with her communication issues. It was a wonderful opportunity that no one in their right mind would give up. Approaching this specific issue was difficult but Mr. Taylor assured her that this meeting wouldn't jeopardize Josephine's admission. That fact helped Eliza settle easier in her seat and take her first steady breath of the hour.

...

"What is the purpose of this meeting, Lady Girard?" The woman at the center of the directors' long table was Lady Hildegarde's great-granddaughter and the current headmistress. She was the epitome of class and etiquette, while also emanating a powerful aura that could silence anyone with one look.

Eliza first curtsied with wobbling knees the tried to quell the way her heart jumped to the back of her throat. "Headmistress. I have come to humbly request reassignment of one of the oncoming students next semester."

Headmistress threaded her fingers and leaned forward with curiosity. A teasing gesture unlike her image as an honorable lady, "Is that so? And what is the relation?"

Eliza crossed her arms behind her back and pinched her wrist to regain her focus. "She is my younger sister, Josephine Girard, Madam." After a moment of silence, she timidly continued, "She's a brilliant young lady who suffers from an illness. That is to say, she is shy and mute. I worry she may not handle being in the Capital, so far away from her family. If possible-!"

Headmistress held up her hand to silence Eliza and she swallowed the rest of her words.

"I am well aware of Miss Josephine's condition. In fact, I assigned her placement myself."

"Then why!? Er, Madam." She pinched herself harder to stop herself from raising her voice. Letting her emotions get the best of her was something she struggled with. Isolating herself for so long made her forgetful of proper etiquette.

"Why?" Headmistress chuckled softly, "Simply speaking, this academy is too small for such a bright mind. Additionally, we do not have the amenities here to account for her constitution."

Noticing Eliza's downcast expression, she sighed in sympathy. "I understand your concerns, Lady Girard. However, I ask that you properly consider your sister's feelings in all this. Has she shown any hesitation in her placement?"

Eliza bit her lip in silence. She couldn't respond to that because she caught Joe reading over the acceptance letter every night since it arrived. Joe knew which location she would be attending and didn't seem to mind at all. In fact, she had already begun packing even though it was months until her departure.

"I will agree to this reassignment."

Eliza whipped her head up in shock.

"Only if Josephine herself asks for it. Otherwise, I will deny your request until then." Taking a quill with red ink, she wrote 'Denied' in big letters on her plea document.

Mr. Taylor couldn't even get a word in and only watched from behind as her representation. He had watched Elizabeth digging into her wrist with her nails until she drew blood while her shoulders slightly trembled. After a deep curtsy, she turned around and with a blank expression, walked out of the courtroom with long strides. Mr. Taylor followed without sparing a look back at the councilwomen. He knew he had no real place in this discussion, even as an established lawyer.

...

Eliza sat in the carriage, staring out the window with a forlorn expression. Mr. Taylor remained silent for the majority of the ride but became worried when her silence extended past twenty minutes.

"Elizabeth, I understand if you feel discouraged by this. It is a disagreeable arrangement but if you explain your concerns to Josephine; surely, she will understand." He glanced at her fingers anxiously rubbing the bandage around her wrist.

She stared out at the buildings they were passing by and the many children running around in school uniforms. Finally looking away, she nodded in agreement with his words. "You may be right, Uncle."

A few more minutes passed until they were being escorted out of the carriage and entered the townhouse. Right away, they were greeted by the head butler who informed Eliza of a package waiting for her in the drawing-room.

Sitting on the table was a large, white box with a frilly golden ribbon tied around it. It had no identifiable tag on the outside, so she reluctantly opened it. Inside was a folded, pastel pink gown. It was a gaudy design and covered in lace and frills, everything she hated in a dress. Resting on top was a white mask and an envelope addressed to her. She scowled as soon as she recognized the handwriting.

She scoffed aloud, "Hah! This insane bastard." Inside was a formal invitation to the Masquerade Ball taking place this same night. There was even a footnote that read, "Your attendance is highly anticipated tonight."

"What is all this?" Mr. Taylor, who had only just entered after placing their coats, inspected the package and then the invitation with skepticism. He quickly got a grasp of the situation and looked at her with sympathy.

"Don't say it..." Eliza looked at her Uncle with her hands held in prayer. "It's too last second, yes?"

Mr. Taylor rubbed his forehead with a sigh and avoided her pitiful expression, "I regret to inform you, but there is no way out of this."

"How so!?" She huffed and crossed her arms.

He was a blunt man, "If your attendance has been announced already, you could lose face to the upper society."

"What if I claim I'm sick?"

"Do you expect the Baron to give up with an excuse like that? You've also been spotted wandering the city just yesterday." He closed the box and held it out for her to take, but even he couldn't hide the way his lip twitched seeing the dress design.

She bit her bottom lip until it turned white.

"If you want to maintain the reputation of the Girard name so that Georgia can have an easy coming-of-age, this is unavoidable."

"Tsk." She grabbed the box and marched herself to her room. There were only a few hours left of daylight before the ball begins so it would be impossible to find a fitting gown at this point. She also didn't bring any appropriate dresses with her to wear instead.

Glancing at the peach-colored dress she carelessly tossed onto the bed, she lifted the corner of her mouth as an idea formed.