Charlotte

Three weeks after we’d received the invitation to the party, we tried on our dresses for the first time. Mother was putting a corset on Rose when I caught my breath. Rose was complaining about how tight it was but Mother continued tightening it. 

“It helps with your posture Rose! Now stop crying. We need to make a good first impression.” Mother said, finishing up on Rose’s undergarments. Mother came back over to me and put a weird birdcage thing around my corset. Then she added a long layer of dress and tied it around my corseted waist. 

“Since you are now a lady you get a long gown! Rose is still nine, so she gets a shorter dress.” Mother said, adding pockets to my layers. She added a thin second layer of dress and a weird cotton thing to my lower back, then another thick dress layer. I sat on a stool and lifted my layers of dress for Mother to put some stockings and shoes on me. 

“You always put the shoes on before the final layer of dress. If you don’t, you’d lose where your feet go!” Mother was very excited to put the final layer of the dress on. Mother opened a box with a blue ribbon wrapped around it. She pulled out a sky-like blue gown with gold trim. It was truly beautiful.  

“Not fair! I want a big dress like that!” Rose complained. 

“I don’t have enough money to get both of you big dresses.” Mother snapped at Rose. I lifted my hands and Mother helped me slide into the dress. It had white cuffs and a beautiful hat and fan to go with it. I twirled in awe. Mother guided me to sit down. She styled my hair into a bun that had curls and small twists of hair falling from it. Mother placed a tan hat on my head. The outfit was perfect with my blonde hair. Mother looked at me for a second, visibly proud of her work. She quickly moved over to Rose and began layering her with a dress as well. 

The party was a week later. We had just finished getting dressed when there was a knock at the door and two girls walked through the door.  

“We crushed some berries for your lips,” Delilah and Juniper handed me a bowl of red mush. “Charlotte, you look beautiful!” Delilah said in awe. 

“Well, if I could breathe, I’d like the outfit better,” I said with a giggle. 

“Are corsets really that bad?” Juniper asked. 

“Yes! Yes, they are the world's worst torture devices God has ever created!” Rose added while slipping into her final layer. Mother guided Rose to a chair and began on her hair.

“Well, we will be on our way. I wish you two luck!” Delilah said as they left the room. I pushed the bowl away from me. I don’t want to put any on. I think that I already have natural beauty. Or that’s what my father told me.

Rose had her hair in curls going down her back with a small ribbon holding her hair in place. Her dress was a pink gown, hemmed above her ankles. We all walked out towards the road where James #1 had the buggy (Carriage with no roof) ready. He was dressed in his proper clothes. Mother thanked James for taking us there. I undid my fan dramatically causing everyone to laugh except Mother.

“Young lady. You are about to go and meet your future husbands. You mustn't act like a child. Now girls' good posture and remember your manners,” Mother snapped at us. We set off for a thirty-minute ride to the Turner mansion. Once we arrived, James helped us out of the buggy, and we started towards the steps of the building. We entered the large house. When I stepped in, I saw a line of men and one boy. They bowed as soon as I looked at them. 

“I am Edmund Turner, Ma’am.” A man, or boy that looked around my age said in a polite tone. I curtsied.

“I am Charlotte Jones; it is my honor to meet you, Edmund Turner.”