especially the dresses meant to go over a crinoline.”
“Will I look odd if I don’t wear one?”
“No.” Fiona snorted. “You don’t need one of those big old hoops anyway.” She hugged Tiki’s arm. “You’re going to be the most beautiful girl at the ball when I’m done with you.”
Tiki smiled but didn’t reply. It was difficult to remember what it felt like to be a girl and impossible to even imagine being beautiful.
Fiona shoved the gown back between the other gowns so it could barely be seen. “Come on. Let’s make sure we haven’t missed anything else.”
Tiki followed through the rows of stands and hanging garments, feeling slightly lost and disoriented. She’d never had much interest in clothes when she’d lived with her parents. Now, she knew how much more freedom there was in a pair of trousers.
“How much’ve we got in the coin purse?” Fiona asked.
Tiki recited the amount in a low whisper close to Fiona’s ear so no one else could hear. “But we have to use some of it for a top hat for Shamus. And some slippers to wear with my gown. And we still need a dress for you to visit Clara.”
Fiona stopped dead in her tracks. “A what for Shamus?”
Tiki giggled. “Shamus is going to be my driver, of course. He needs a hat.”
Fiona laughed out loud. “Shamus is going to be a ruddy gentleman. This I have to see.”
* * *
T HEY’D searched through most of Petticoat Lane before Fiona led her back to the first dress. As they passed a shop window, Tiki stopped.
“Fi,” she called. Fiona retraced her steps to stand next to Tiki in front of the bay window. Inside was a display of masks. Sequins sparkled from around the cutouts for the eyes, and feathers arched from the brow. Tiki motioned to the contents of the window. “I need a mask.”
“Oh, good Lord, you’re right,” Fiona said.
“Something simple,” Tiki warned. “I don’t want to draw attention to myself.”
“Look at that gold one in the back.” Fiona pointed. “That will go with your dress.”
Tiki gazed doubtfully at the frilly feathers attached to the center of the mask. “I can’t imagine wearing half a bird on my face.”
“You’ll be glad for it when you’re there and everybody else is wearing one,” Fiona replied. “Especially if you’re sneaking around.” She nudged Tiki with her elbow and smiled.
They returned to the shop where Fiona had spotted the gold-and-ivory dress.
The shopkeeper eyed them with a frown. “What do you two lads want with a dress?”
“It’s a gift,” Fiona snapped. “I’ll give you three shillings for it.”
The man’s eyes narrowed. “The price is six shillings.”
“I’ll give you three shillings, sixpence, but you’ll throw in some slippers,” Fiona replied.
Tiki glanced over her shoulder as Fiona negotiated, trying to ignore the uneasy sense that she was being watched. They were paying for the dress. She had nothing to feel uncomfortable about. Still, there was something that pricked at her senses.
Fiona haggled back and forth with the shopkeeper until they finally agreed on a price and she managed to have him throw in a plain brown dress as well.
They left with Fiona gaily swinging their bag of purchases. “If only that old codger could see you when you’re all fixed up,” she said. “He’d probably lose his teeth. When I get done with you, he wouldn’t recognize his own dress.” She grinned over at Tiki. “I bet he’d think you were bloody royalty yourself, he would.”
Tiki giggled. It was hard to imagine looking much different from the way she did every day, masquerading as a boy in her dark trousers and oversize jacket. “He’d probably only wish that he’d struck a harder bargain for the dress.”
Fiona barked out a laugh. “That’s true, too.”
* * *
T HE next afternoon, Tiki entered the hospital wearing her one blue dress. She’d scrubbed her face and hands with the water from the fountain in
“Will I look odd if I don’t wear one?”
“No.” Fiona snorted. “You don’t need one of those big old hoops anyway.” She hugged Tiki’s arm. “You’re going to be the most beautiful girl at the ball when I’m done with you.”
Tiki smiled but didn’t reply. It was difficult to remember what it felt like to be a girl and impossible to even imagine being beautiful.
Fiona shoved the gown back between the other gowns so it could barely be seen. “Come on. Let’s make sure we haven’t missed anything else.”
Tiki followed through the rows of stands and hanging garments, feeling slightly lost and disoriented. She’d never had much interest in clothes when she’d lived with her parents. Now, she knew how much more freedom there was in a pair of trousers.
“How much’ve we got in the coin purse?” Fiona asked.
Tiki recited the amount in a low whisper close to Fiona’s ear so no one else could hear. “But we have to use some of it for a top hat for Shamus. And some slippers to wear with my gown. And we still need a dress for you to visit Clara.”
Fiona stopped dead in her tracks. “A what for Shamus?”
Tiki giggled. “Shamus is going to be my driver, of course. He needs a hat.”
Fiona laughed out loud. “Shamus is going to be a ruddy gentleman. This I have to see.”
* * *
T HEY’D searched through most of Petticoat Lane before Fiona led her back to the first dress. As they passed a shop window, Tiki stopped.
“Fi,” she called. Fiona retraced her steps to stand next to Tiki in front of the bay window. Inside was a display of masks. Sequins sparkled from around the cutouts for the eyes, and feathers arched from the brow. Tiki motioned to the contents of the window. “I need a mask.”
“Oh, good Lord, you’re right,” Fiona said.
“Something simple,” Tiki warned. “I don’t want to draw attention to myself.”
“Look at that gold one in the back.” Fiona pointed. “That will go with your dress.”
Tiki gazed doubtfully at the frilly feathers attached to the center of the mask. “I can’t imagine wearing half a bird on my face.”
“You’ll be glad for it when you’re there and everybody else is wearing one,” Fiona replied. “Especially if you’re sneaking around.” She nudged Tiki with her elbow and smiled.
They returned to the shop where Fiona had spotted the gold-and-ivory dress.
The shopkeeper eyed them with a frown. “What do you two lads want with a dress?”
“It’s a gift,” Fiona snapped. “I’ll give you three shillings for it.”
The man’s eyes narrowed. “The price is six shillings.”
“I’ll give you three shillings, sixpence, but you’ll throw in some slippers,” Fiona replied.
Tiki glanced over her shoulder as Fiona negotiated, trying to ignore the uneasy sense that she was being watched. They were paying for the dress. She had nothing to feel uncomfortable about. Still, there was something that pricked at her senses.
Fiona haggled back and forth with the shopkeeper until they finally agreed on a price and she managed to have him throw in a plain brown dress as well.
They left with Fiona gaily swinging their bag of purchases. “If only that old codger could see you when you’re all fixed up,” she said. “He’d probably lose his teeth. When I get done with you, he wouldn’t recognize his own dress.” She grinned over at Tiki. “I bet he’d think you were bloody royalty yourself, he would.”
Tiki giggled. It was hard to imagine looking much different from the way she did every day, masquerading as a boy in her dark trousers and oversize jacket. “He’d probably only wish that he’d struck a harder bargain for the dress.”
Fiona barked out a laugh. “That’s true, too.”
* * *
T HE next afternoon, Tiki entered the hospital wearing her one blue dress. She’d scrubbed her face and hands with the water from the fountain in
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