Allure Of The Night

Music Recommendation: A new Era- John Lunn

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The seamstress didn’t utter another word to Eve and turned away to step inside the back room of the shop. After a good three minutes, a male assistant stepped into the room where Eve and said to her,

“Miss, you are being called.”

Startled, Eve asked him, “Me?” pointing her finger at her and the assistant nodded. She turned to look at Miss Rosetta, who was busy discussing with another assistant the kinds of fabric she wanted and how she wanted her dress to be designed.

Seeing the young miss occupied, Eve followed the assistant, who led her into the backroom. Many lanterns had been lit, hanging on the wall even though the rooms were enough to fill the passage and room with light.

“Mrs. Russo, you wanted to see me?” Eve tried to ensure that the assistant had the right woman, and the seamstress turned to look at her with the same shrewd eyes.

“Yes, I did. You were looking for a cheap gown?” the seamstress confirmed.

“I was,” Eve nodded.

“Young lady, you should know that there is nothing ‘cheap’. Not just in this shop but in the entire Hollow Valley. To speak, no one with less than five five gold coins can afford a decent glass of juice to even drink in this town. I must praise your courage to step into a shop and ask for it,” said the seamstress, and Eve offered an apologetic smile.

“Forgive me if I have offended you,” Eve realised she would have to see if she could fit into Lady Marceline’s dress, but maybe- “What if I exchange a gown? The fabric might be of some use for you?”

The seamstress, who had been staring at Eve let out a hearty laugh, and the other assistants turned to look at their owner. The woman said, “It has been a while since I have come across someone like you.”

Eve bowed her head and said, “I wouldn’t have brought up the exchange, it is just that there’s an urgency and I am in need to attend something.”

“How unfortunate,” murmured the seamstress and she then said, “Let me see the dress that you want to exchange and believe that it is of value. Bring it to me later and we shall speak then.”

Though the seamstress didn’t promise to reduce the price of the gowns here for her, Eve was grateful that the woman was willing to take a look at it. After Lady Rosetta was done speaking to the assistant about her gown while asking Eve,

“Did you find a gown you like in here Eve?”

“I think I will continue to look later, Miss Rosetta. Are you done here?” Eve asked and Miss Rosetta nodded.

“I believe I am,” replied the young miss and she placed a red velvet bag on the table for the seamstress to take. She said to the woman, “It is fifteen gold coins.”

The seamstress was more than happy to make business with the daughter of a Marquess and she offered a polite bow, “I will have the dress prepared in the next forty-eight hours.”

“Excellent,” replied Miss Rosetta, and she stepped outside the shop.

When Eve’s eyes met the seamstress, the woman offered a slight bow and she did the same before following Miss Rosetta out of the shop.

Later, when Eve returned home, she quickly went to her room and picked up the blue gown that belonged to Lady Marceline. She would have taken the other torn gown, but Eugene had cut the fabric into pieces and had used it to clean the various parts of the house or the carriage.

Eve took a second trip to Hollow Valley; this time, the sky