A Daughters Journey

[CHAPTER 2]- DRESS SHOPPING

(Hellen POV)

"What about this one?" asked Renée, holding up a formal blue gown.

It was perfect for the ball we'd be attending in one week's time. The Dubois family was trying to find suitors for Renée and me.

I gaped at the beautiful gown for just a moment before lying to my friend.

"It's not really my style."

Renée shrugged and placed the dress back where she had found it. That's why she was always such a great friend. She was always very understanding, even after I'd spent an entire year living with her and five of her nine siblings.
I felt bad for Renée's parents. They'd once had to care for all ten of their children at once, but now I was only increasing that number.

We lived in Paris. I had boarded the wrong ship in November the previous year, but that didn't bother me. I was nowhere near my family, and they didn't know where I was. That's what mattered.

"Hellen!" Renée shouted in my ear. "You're daydreaming again, Hellen. You should really stop doing that. It's creepy, sometimes."

"Sorry. You know how it is. I have one tiny thought about the past and it's all back like the tide."

"I thought that you were trying to forget the past and start over."

"I was, but that's proving to be harder than I anticipated."

"I can tell." My friend smirked. "Well, let's get this out of your head and keep looking."

She looked at the many ball gowns, but her eyes widened at the sight of a gold one with a train. She grabbed it and held it up so I could see. She grabbed it and held it up.

"Alright, Hellen. I know you didn't like the past—"

She counted on her fingers.

"—seventeen, but you need to agree when I say that this is the best one yet. It's screaming your name."

I raised an eyebrow.

"Okay, not literally, but it would be great on you! Try it on, quick." She practically shoved me into the fitting room with the dress.

I tried it on with great reluctance. Unfortunately, it fit perfectly. Now I'd have to go to the ball, and I didn't have an excuse to miss it like I'd been able to previously.

I showed the dress to Renée and she clapped with excitement. For a fifteen-year-old girl, she really had the enthusiasm of a nine-year-old being handed a flower crown.
Renée and I purchased the gown and left the store.

#

I couldn't help but grin once we returned to her estate. It wasn't much, but it was relaxing and quiet since there weren't many people nearby. Even if there were nine people living here at the same time, I found that a full residence made me feel more like I was home.

​No, I thought. You came here to start over. Don't keep thinking about the past.

​I sat in my bedroom—which I shared with Renée—and I was about to open the script for Romeo and Juliet when I thought of Charles and Charlotte. I held back a sob, just as a knock came at the door. The knock was followed by the entrance of a blonde girl who was just eleven years old.

​"Hello Jacquelyn. How may I help you?"

"What are you reading, Ms. Page?" asked the youngest of the Dubois family.

Jacquelyn was always the curious one, and she'd always called me Ms. Page, as if I were a teacher rather than her sister's friend. Then again, Jacquelyn was formal with everyone.

"Nothing, young one. I was just thinking."

"Why do you think with a book in your hand?"

"It—er—it helps to focus better. You see, once you're fifteen, like me, you'll often seem to zone out when you're reading a book as boring as this."

"What book is it, Ms. Page?"

"It's a tragic story about two lovers in northern Italy. It's by a famous poet called William Shakespeare."

Jacquelyn giggled. "I know who Shakespeare is, Ms. Page, but which book is it? What's the title?"

"Romeo and Juliet; would you like me to read it to you?"

She nodded and sat down next to me on the bed. I opened up the book and began to read.