A designer was set to come to the manor as soon as the following day. It was beyond Amelia how Gordon had managed to find someone to design her dress so quickly, especially bearing in mind that the duke's birthday was only two weeks away. To her understanding dress shops usually demanded at least a month's notice if not more.
Considering that she had only been informed of the meeting a short while before the agreed upon time it had probably been a last minute arrengement. Poor Olivia had panicked when told that Amelia needed to be ready in less than an hour.
It was early in the afternoon. Gordon had asked Amelia to wait in the reception room while he greeted the guests in the hall. It was the same room that she had fallen asleep in the night when she first arrived to the estate, though it had a much more pleasant air about it during the day. The sunlight that made its way through the thin curtains revealed all the intricate details of the interior and tinted the entire room in a soft yellow hue.
The coffetable had been set for two with expensive looking chinaware that Amelia had not seen before and in the center of it stood a vase filled with freshly cut roses that spead a pleasant scent throughout the room. It seemed like the servants had put in quite an effort to decorate given how little time they'd had to prepare.
'Is the designer someone very important?' Amelia wondered.
Too anxious to just sit down and wait she started pacing around the room all the while nervously fiddeling with her hair. She could not help but to worry that she would make a fool of herself since she'd never before given her opinion on what she was given to wear. And this was going to be a ballgown, something that she had never seen in person and much less ever worn. How could she possibly offer any valuable input?
She stopped her pacing as footsteps and cheerful voices sounded from the corridor. Realising that it would appear strange for her to still be standing she hurridly had a seat down in the sofa closest to her. Two figures appeared in the doorway moments later, one of them being Gordon. The other person who stood slightly behind him was a tall and robust woman who looked to be in her late fourties. She was dressed in a get up that was nothing short of extravagant and the low neckline of the dress put her big chest on full dispay.
Assuming the woman to be the designer Amelia began to stand up to greet her but she was quickly interrupted.
"Oh dear, it won't be necessary for you to get up since i am not a noble".
The womans friendly exclamation made Amelia pause. Given the lavish clothes she had assumed that the woman was someone of high status.
"Ah, that's my mistake..." Amelia awkwardly responded while sinking back into the sofa.
"Oh no, I take it as a compliment." The woman smiled happily. "It's a pleasure to meet you miss Ainsworth. My name is Adeline Lovett, I have been asked to design a dress for you."
Adeline's introduction was paired with a deep curtsy as if she was greeting a true noble. This made Amelia flustered.
"Ah, it is good to meet you as well, mrs Lovett."
"Just Adeline is fine" the woman waived her hand dismissively.
"Then, Adeline. Would you like to sit down?" Amelia motioned towards the sofa across from her. She was not completely sure that taking on the role of a hostess was the appropriate thing to do but since no one reacted strangely to her action she could only assume that it was correct.