The Art of the Corset (2017)

Chapter One- Orphan

Tears mixed with the rain that poured against her cheeks as the young girl searched anxiously for shelter of any kind. Her fingers slid to pull her cape closer around her body in hopes of becoming warmer, but instead, only deepened her decreasing temperature. As her teeth began to chatter and her vision grew blurry from lack of nutrition, she made her way to the other side of the street and found each set of steps to be a deeper battle each time moving forward. Gasping as the elements of nature became too much to handle for her frail and petite figure, she fell onto the damp ground-just beside an orphanage.

By morning, the young girl found herself to awaken before several women all looking to her with deep concern. One of the girls, dressed in only a corset, gave the girl some water, as another with only one stocking on offered some bread. The young girl looked around before the eldest woman of them all placed her hand upon the girl's.

"What is your name dear?" An aging voice spoke kindly as the child looked at her surroundings and averted her gaze to her own feet before murmuring her six-letter name;

"Evelyn." With a shaky response, the elder woman slid her a blanket and then took a seat beside her.

"Evelyn...where is your family?"

"I don't got none."

The ladies all scowled at her answer, as they found it dreadfully sad that a child so young was orphaned and unknowing of the main roots of survival.

"What if she stays here?" One of the younger girls asked as she threw her natural red hair over her shoulder and gave a caring look towards Evelyn.

"It would not be the best for our clients." The elderly woman spoke as she looked to the ground in hopes of coming to a solution.

"I was round her age when I was brought up in this life..."

"How old are you?" A Scottish accent came ringing through the room as a long blonde haired woman ceased brushing her hair and focused her attention on Evelyn.

"Eight."

"My...my...." The woman let out a deep sigh before slowly nodding towards the other girls, as they then left one by one-leaving them alone. "My name is Lucille Belladoux, my girls will introduce themselves later...I have a proposition for you, but I do not want you to feel inclined to accept."

Evelyn froze for a moment as the woman then deduced her academic speech to something a child her age could comprehend. This time, Evelyn nodded and awaited the offer.

"What I do here...it is something rather private...such as having a secret."

Evelyn nodded.

"There are people that would hurt us if they know this secret. And I am willing to offer you a great deal of life if you would help keep this secret..as well as assisting with what I need done."

"What would I do?" She asked with the shakiness reducing into pure curiousness.

The woman looked into the eyes of the young girl and saw an unshaken innocence, although she was burdened with loneliness so soon in her life. Stroking her hair, she then took the back of her hand and caressed Evelyn's cheek before supplying an answer.

"Clean. I would teach you to be a proper lady in this society and you would continue to assist in whatever I needed...such as...delivering post and acquiring customers."

"How could I do it?"

"I would teach you, along with my brightest girls. We will teach you how to be seen as a perfect example of a woman."

"Why?"

The woman scowled in confusion.

"What do you mean?"

"Why would you do this for me?" Although she was not even a decade in age, it was clear that the young girl was tainted with the dark sides of the world. Although a physical innocence had been present in her, it had been obvious that a child-like playfulness was not-if ever, there.

"Because you deserve a chance at a life without begging. To awaken with fresh tea and to experience life and all it offers."

"Thank you! No one has ever been so nice!" Evelyn lunged forward and wrapped her small arms around Lucille as the woman could feel the sincerity in the girl's embrace.

"I will take care of you, Evelyn...I promise."