Allure Of The Night

Music Recommendation: Jane Fairfax plays Mozart- Amber Anderson

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Eve had planned to go to Thresk Hills to buy the dress for the ball, but Miss Rosetta was persistent in buying their dresses in Hollow Valley—a town specifically built for the use of the high-class people. 

The only reason she had agreed to come at the end was because Miss Rosetta mentioned that her aunt had told her about some shops in Hollow Valley that were known to stitch the gowns in less than three to four days. 

The two young women stepped down from the carriage. Miss Rosetta waved her hand while ordering her coachman, 

"Park the carriage, and come back quickly. We'll be at one of the shops." She then turned to Eve and said, "Which shop shall we go to visit first? There's Madame Russo's shop, and then the older seamstress Mrs. Houghton." 

"Whichever has the least crowd," Eve replied with a smile, because it was always the less popular shops which were not crowded, which in turn would be less expensive. 

But Miss Rosetta took it in the most literal way and said, 

"You must be worried about buying a dress as soon as you can. Do not worry about it, Eve. I will get you the dress that you are looking for, there's never been a time where I wasn't able to get my hands on the dresses and gowns I intended to buy." 

The two young women walked on the side of the street like any other folks in the town now. It wasn't just Eve, who was looking around the shops, but also Miss Rosetta, who said, 

"I have been living in Skellington for two weeks, and this is my third time coming here. Have you been here before, Eve?" 

"Once, Miss Rosetta," and on Eve's answer, Miss Rosetta looked impressed. It was because she was sure that a person from Meadow would never step foot in this kind posh town. The shops and people intimidated the middle-class people, to the lower-class people, it was almost forbidden. "When do you need your gown?" 

"Tomorrow," came the straight words from Miss Rosetta, and Eve raised her eyebrows. "The seamstress back in my town takes just a few hours to make a dress."

"Your seamstress must have had many helping hands," Eve stated, and Miss Rosetta nodded. 

"She indeed did. Back at my place, most seamstress are vampiresses and they are experts when it comes to stitching beautiful gowns. All one has to do is to pay the extra money to make haste and you will have a decent dress in a matter of a few hours," there was slight excitement in the young Miss's words, and she looked excited to be here. 

The rich were privileged, Eve thought in her mind. She asked, 

"Your aunt seems like a nice person, why were you having a disagreement?" 

Miss Rosetta pursed her lips before saying, "She is a nice person. So nice that she failed to reject the invitation to the ball when there's no need to go."

"The ball?" Eve turned to look at the young miss. 

"Yes, I am supposed to be attending this ball that is taking place in one of the families in Skellington. And the invitation is from the same family, whom my father wanted to form my marriage alliance by marrying me off," Miss Rosetta huffed and complained, "Why would I go to attend a ball there? I am only doing it because Aunt Camille threatened to send me back home if I don't listen to her words."

A deep frown appeared on Eve's face, and she asked, "Do you know the family's name whose ball you are attending?" 

Miss Rosetta scrunched her face in thought, "Now that you ask, I am unable to remember the name for the life of me. Was it Mioglari?"

Eve's lips twitched, and she asked, "Moriarty?"

"I don't remember," Miss Rosetta shook her head, who wasn't interested in getting married to the man her father had earlier chosen, she hadn't bothered to remember the name after returning home from the awful lunch. "Like I was saying, why would I need to go..."

Miss Rosetta's voice dulled in Eve's ears, along with the sound of the moving carriages and people who walked past them after she realized Vincent was with Rosetta that day at the inn. Thankfully Miss Rosetta kept on speaking without asking why she needed a dress.

"Look there, Eve!" Miss Rosetta quickly pulled her arm, breaking her away from her thoughts. Eve looked in the direction of where the vampiress was looking. "We have two men like these guarding the front part of our mansion. Oh… I wonder if he heard us, we should hurry!"

It was the same giant-looking guard man guarding the front entrance of 'Little Teeth's Inn'. The man's eyes fell on Eve and she bowed her head in greeting. She greeted him,

"Good evening, Mr. Guard."

Miss Rosetta had not expected Eve to speak to a man like this, who looked scary in appearance. His clothes were duller than the people around them.

"Hmmm," the giant man didn't speak, but the sound he made came deep from his throat.

"Do you know this scary looking man?" Miss Rosetta asked Eve in a low voice while standing behind her.

Eve nodded, "I met him the last time when I visited town. He's a nice man." She then turned to look at the man and said, "It was nice to see you here again. This is Ms. Hooke. Are you on your break?"

"Hmmmm," came another response from the giant man, and he then walked past them. 

Miss Rosetta peeked from Eve's shoulder, and said, "I never knew you were friends with a person like him."

"Why not?" Asked Eve, turning to look at the young miss. 

"He's a giant. A kind who is lower than the lower class in status. They say people like him and some others, they don't fit in any class," Miss Rosetta explained the views of what she had been taught. 

Eve smiled at Miss Rosetta, the smile was kind. "Don't you think it is unfair, Miss Rosetta? To be snatch the right to belong just because a person is big or small. The way we are born should not be used to classify us into factions."

"But this is how society has been organized. It is what we people have been following for years," Miss Rosetta said with a small frown as they continued to walk again. She asked, "How would you suggest arranging people?"

"Good and bad," replied Eve, but as easy as it seemed, she knew it was still difficult. As much as people didn't like, it was the faction in the current society that kept peace and order. 

Miss Rosetta softly laughed and said, "I don't think I can imagine a place without factions. Before I left my parents house, I heard papa speaking to one of his men and telling there have been disturbances with the factions. I didn't ask about the de—the shop is here. Let's go in!"

The young miss quickly stepped in front of the door, and a man opened it for her. Miss Rosetta turned around and called, "Come, Eve," and she disappeared inside it. 

Eve shook her head from the previous thoughts and stepped towards the door. Unlike for the young miss, where the man at the door had opened it for her, he didn't bother to open the door for Eve. 

She pushed the shop's door herself and stepped inside the fancy looking shop. She noticed Miss Rosetta already going through the gowns. There was a white stand placed at the centre, in front of which stood three tall mirrors. Mannequins were placed at four corners of the room, dressed in the finest silk and other materials one would not see in Meadow or any other town apart from Hollow Valley. 

"Good evening, ladies! Are you looking for any specific gown? We have the rarest material of clothes that were consigned through the ships last week," said a woman, who walked into the room. 

The woman appeared to be the seamstress of this shop. She had her hair tied up in pencil and a measuring tape that hung around her neck. Her eyes were more drawn out, hidden behind her glasses with high cheekbones and she had a lean figure. 

Miss Rosetta, who was looking at the gown that was worn by one of the mannequins, decided, "I would like to try this one."

The seamstress cleared her throat and said, "I don't think it would fit you well, miss."

"You mean to say the size is too big? I have been told that I have an hourglass shape," Miss Rosetta placed her hand on her waist. The seamstress stared at the young miss because the young vampiress didn't have an hourglass shape. "Come now, we have to look for another gown after this. Let me try it."

The gown was taken off the mannequin, and Miss Rosetta wore it after being helped by an assistant. Standing in front of the mirror, the young miss held a grim expression on her face. 

"What do you think, Eve?" 

For a second, Eve blinked and said, "I think you should try another gown. Something that will reflect your personality."

"You are right, it doesn't suit me," nodded Miss Rosetta. 

"It is what I said earlier, miss," stated the seamstress before saying, "Do you prefer to look at more gowns, or would you want me to take your measurements?" 

"Measurements for me," replied Miss Rosetta. 

The assistant of the seamstress appeared from the back side room to take the body measurements of Miss Rosetta's. 

During that time, Eve knew she wouldn't be able to afford a gown even for half the price. She was looking through the fabrics when she noticed the seamstress walking towards the back room. 

"Excuse me..." Eve stopped the seamstress, who raised her eyebrows in question. "But might you have a used gown which hasn't been bought… in a very long time."

The seamstress's lips set themselves in a thin line. She asked, "Why do you think there is a gown that I haven't been able to sell? Every design here has been loved and praised by many women."

"Forgive me for my rudeness," Eve offered a bow and politely said, "It was only to ask if you have a gown that has been priced for a lower cost than the others in here."

The seamstress narrowed her eyes. Eve turned worried, if the woman would ask her to step out of her shop. It was because the older woman sized her up and down the clothes and shoes that she wore. 

But instead, the woman went, "Hmm."

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