The assistant wrinkled her nose in disdain and said in an especially exaggerated tone, "Oh my goodness, what is this? So tacky and vulgar, how could we put this on Isla? It's simply beneath her dignity. Change it, change it at once!"
Amelia Clarke: "..."
Viola Harris's temper flared up immediately, and she stepped forward intending to argue with the assistant, but Amelia held her back, shaking her head and gesturing for her to calm down.
Amelia smiled at the assistant, her tone respectful yet not subservient, "I'm surprised and honored to have the chance to work with Miss Isla today, and I'm sorry that my design did not satisfy Miss Isla's assistant."
She specifically said she hadn't satisfied the assistant, not Isla.
Without pause, she continued, "This is my first time designing and making garments, and there are many shortcomings for sure. To be honest, I didn't harbor much hope for my own work, but now that I see Miss Isla, I feel ashamed of my previous negative thoughts..."