Flutter

Flutter: Neuf (1/2)

"I want to rip that smile off of his face." Nora thought to herself, grabbing the teacup off of the table and throwing it onto the stone floor, rendering its delicacy into useless glass shards.

o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o

"Mary, who's coming over for dinner?" Nora asked, as she slipped on a lilac colored floor length gown over her head. Nora walked over to the vanity and peered at herself in the mirror, pleased with how the fabric fitted her. It was a one-shoulder dress of iridescent chiffon, with roses going from her shoulder to the middle of her chest. More fabric draped from her front to the back.

"Oh Mary, look." Nora said twirling around, unused to this couture.

"You look marvelous. Excellent choice, dear. May I suggest these to go along with your dress?" Mary held up a black box that held two elegant, emerald dangle earrings with a matching bracelet.

"These are so pretty!"

"They'll look even better on you. Try them on for size." Mary handed it over and began tidying up Nora's room. 

Nora put on her earrings and then tried to apply makeup. Maribel had bought a make up kit for her before she left. Nora was a novice. As she carefully applied eye liner and mascara she thought about her mom's delicate hands as she would make herself up in the mirror, a little Nora on tippy-toe at her feet. Just as she became of age, her mother had passed. there were so many conversations to be had still. Talks about womanhood, femininity, and all the other delicate aspects of life but there wasn't enough time. 

"You never answered my question, though, Mary." Nora said, slipping on the bracelet.

"And what was that dear?"

"Who are the guest for tonight?"

"Ah, yes. Acquaintances of Quinton. A woman by the name of Charlene Vespar and her cousin, Todd Vespar."

"They sound important."

"...I wouldn't say that exactly."

"How do they know Quinton?" Nora said, brushing her hair. Mary paused, searching for some way to explain without telling too much.

"Uh, well, Quinton met the two at an event and they've kept in touch since."

"Hmm. Are they nice people?"

"I know not much about Todd, but Charlene could be Catherine's sister, so be on your guard around her. She is a venomous woman."

"Quinton seems to surround himself with that sort." Nora said rolling her eyes.

"Come now, it's nearly time to go downstairs. Let me have that brush." 

Mary morphed Nora's hair into loose sideways bun at the base of her head.

"There you go. Very classy."

"Thank you, Mary I'd be lost here without you." Nora said, grasping Mary's hand.

"Maybe." She gave Nora a squeeze. "Now, you'll be meeting the dinner party in the game room and from there you will head off to dinner. I'll escort you. Let's be off."

"Okay. Time to face the music."

After slipping on some light green flats, Nora followed Mary down the stairs to the game room. As she neared the hallway Nora could hear chatter and faint music in the air. Nora wrung her hands, wanting to be so very far away from all of this right now. She'd rather be baking a pie, or chasing after Maribel's kids back at Wicks, where her life had been open to all possibility- not dictated. Mary paused just before the door and turned to Nora, offering her a smile, before leaving her on her own. "Get yourself together, Nora. Come on." Nora cheered herself on as she took in a deep breath.