North Road {HS}

10. Adelaide

Yellow wasn't my color. Never has been and never will be.

But there I was in the only gown I was able to have made this season looking like a daffodil that had sprung up a little too soon. The decision had been rash, but the spite involved almost made the entire thing worth it.

You see, when the season had started I had ran into Ingrid Beecham at Miss Knott's salon and Ingrid had been in desperate need of a yellow gown. She was pretty with fiery red hair and milky skin. Yellow would have looked lovely on her.

She had waltzed into the salon with her posse of friends who resembled a flock of hens considering the quantity of feathers that were weighing down their hats and the vigor with which they were pecking apart they other young ladies in society as they shopped.
I was behind a screen with one of Miss Knott's assistants, the mousey one with grey eyes, when I heard her.

"Oh and you wouldn't believe who spoke to me at church this past Sunday," she had exclaimed loudly, waiting for the squabbling of her brood to commence before continuing,
"That handsome Mr. Schultz."

I released the breath I had been holding in hopes of cutting an inch or two off of my measurements after the Christmas season before shushing the assistant who was going on about textile prices so I could hear better.

"Oh he is quite lovely!" exclaimed one of the other girls.

"And quite the flirt," agreed Ingrid, "I quite like it."

But wait? Wasn't it just a few weeks ago she had her eyes set on Joshua as I had him very beck and call?

That minx.

But was Pierce really considered a flirt? I guess that was a concern for another moment.

The topic lost its excitement after a moment and the hen's clucking had turned to the dresses on display.

"I think I should wear yellow this season. No one else will be wearing it," Ingrid had announced.
So to the chorus of her friends crowing their approval I had decided.

The first time I wore it it had all been worth it. Ingrid had been furious. But now I had to wear it out again because, of course, it was the one store bought gown I had ordered this season. Unlike Ingrid who sat across the hall in a new pink silk. My only consolation was that pink was most definitely not her color either.

But it didn't matter that the shade of pink she was wearing made her pale skin look sickly or her hair a frightening shade of orange. It didn't matter because I was sitting with an empty glass in my hand as Joshua Winters droned on watching Ingrid giggle at everything Pierce had to say. The amount of giggling that had spilled out of her mouth in the past half hour had me concerned she might be seizing up in one of those shaking fits at one point. But no, apparently Pierce was just being especially witty this evening.

I rolled my eyes and looked away scanning the room for someone to commiserate to or at least distract myself with. Joshua wasn't doing the trick.

"You know if looks could kill that pretty redhead over there might just be dead," said a voice behind me.

I turned to find Harry with a smug grin painted on his face.

"I wasn't staring," I defended, but I felt my cheeks going red as I spoke the words.

"No, you're right," he nodded seriously, "What you were doing would more aptly be called glaring."

I shook my head and let out a low chuckle to cover my embarrassment.

"Is Kitty here?" he asked taking me by surprise.

"No she stayed home to watch the children so Marj could have the night off."

I could have sworn I saw something in his eyes change, which oddly made me feel the need to explain.

"She promised her ages ago. Even tried to pawn it off on one of the boys but they couldn't be bothered."

"Sounds like your brothers," he agreed, but some of the playfulness in his voice was gone.

We stood in an awkward silence watching the crowd for a moment before he cleared his throat and turned to me.

"I best find Marjorie," I mumbled smoothing down my skirt. He seemed back to his moody self and I didn't need any other dampers on my already frustrating Valentine's Day evening.

"Good seeing you," he muttered in response before the playful grin returned to his face as suddenly as it had disappeared and he called out, "By the way, Pierce's favorite color is yellow."
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What a petty queen.
Also, pretty sure another updates coming tonight. 🤞🏻
Love you all.