With the Second Ball only a few short days away, the dressmaking was underway and took up most of my time. My room had become something of a command center, with Charlotte, Elva, the nanny, Mark, and I as regulars. Susie visited quite often, sometimes with a maid or two in tow.
Her gown, leopard-themed, she shared, was already completed.
“The design wasn’t overly complicated,” Susie said. “The leopard-print fabric is what makes it.”
“I’m sure it’s beautiful,” I told her.
“So am I,” Mark added. When Susie looked at him, he quickly glanced away.
She continued to watch him as she said, “Thank you, but I truly have little interest in this event.”
Mark, surprised, finally glanced back at her. “But if you don’t do well, you might not make it through the elimination.”
If she did stay, it w
