His Wicked Revenge

Chapter 3

"My lady, you have an excellent body..." Gracia, the old seamstress spoke, wrapping the measuring tape around Iris's bosom,she continued with a delightful smile on her face "You have the right curves at the right places. You are going to be a piece of art, once the tan on your skin is removed for all good."

"You are absolutely right, Mrs.Gracia. Even though she inherited her father's features, Iris is a total beauty."

Is mother praising me and taunting father at the same time?, Iris wondered only to be answered yes by her subconscious. Shaking her head in amusement at her mother's antics, Iris stood like a rock while Mrs Gracia fiddled around with the tapes and pen, noting down the measurements with utmost care.

Iris stared at her reflection in the mirror- her original brownish skin now turned into a dull Wheatish shade. The now light shade of her skin, was the proud result of the combined efforts of the maids strength and her patience.

Iris could still not memorize the names of all the herbs and roots which had been used for her bath. They made her soak in a bath made of herbal water following which her whole had been scrubbed by various roots, the jarring actions of her maids making her skin burn for a couple of days. The burning sensation did not diminish in the slightest and as the time passed, she got used to it. Mud masks and various assortment of creams were applied to her skin, making her rough skin become soft like petals.

In addition to the skin-care routine, Iris had been learning the lessons of etiquette and decorum, those which supposedly make her a perfect lady in the eyes of the judgemental society. Now was the time to showcase her skills and after a moment of thought, Iris let out a deep breath, as if she was preparing for a world war.

"Thank you, Mrs. Gracia." With her head tucked down, Iris answered in a polite manner, as she wondered in her head if she was doing it right or not. If it was before, she would have just showed a Cheshire cat like smile after saying thank you. But, no, now she couldn't show her teeth, as it's considered to be rude and impolite. The four months had been a torture for Iris, but she managed to mold herself well.

"Iris darling! Look how lovely you are now." Lady Penelope's face was beyond delighted, as she observed her newly reformed and well tailored daughter. Her wild and reckless daughter was now very well-behaved, though Iris's snarky tongue comes into play sometimes, it was not of any concern. Her daughters fiery attitude is what makes her unique.

As a mother, she wanted to tame the fire in her daughter, but not extinguish it completely. As long as Iris was able to eat properly, walk and sit straight, it was enough for Lady Penelope.

" She is indeed very lovely, my lady." Mrs. Gracia prompted, her words of approval making the smile on Lady Penelope's face grow wider and Iris breath out in relief.

However, before the mother and daughter pair could celebrate, they heard Mrs. Gracia speak, yet again.

"Lady Iris, I have an immediate concern."

With a complicated look in her wrinkled eyes, she continued "Lady Ruby has provided us with the designs of your dresses. Pardon my offense, but they are rather conservative. They do not meet the standards of a debutante ball."

"Little Ruby has designed them well, they are perfect if I might add. I do not understand what aspect of them is lacking."

Witnessing the pure confusion on her face, Mrs. Gracia sighed " My lady, they are not suitable for a lady who wants to attract a man."

"I understand your concerns, Mrs. Gracia. But, believe me, I don't want to be dressed in those gowns which flatten my stomach and push my breasts up." Iris spoke up, her words making Gracia gasp and her mother send a threatening glare in her direction.

"My lady, are you still fixated on those designs?" Mrs. Gracia questioned Iris, to which the latter nodded her head. With eyes as wide as saucers, the old seamstress stared at the young girl, the disbelief in her gaze clearly evident.

"Fret not Gracia, those conservative pieces will suffice Iris's daily wear. Ruby is coming up with new designs, those which befit a ball." Lady Penelope spoke, with a smug smile she continued "I aided Ruby in designing the latest set of ball gowns, so the result will be perfect. Eventually Iris will have to deal with showing off her skin, I will make sure to increase her confidence."

"It's not the problem of confidence!" Iris protested, "If a man marries me for my body, I would throttle him to death on our first night."

"Iris Ava Blackwood!" Lady Penelope raised her voice, and Iris went silent as she knew that her mother using her full name could only mean one thing- the woman was extremely pissed off.

"Women should be bold and confident to display themselves with ease. And, do you think that I would dress you up like a courtesan? I know how a Lady should be dressed!" her mother declared, with a softer tone, she continued "I know that my daughter hates to show her skin off, and, I am sure that you would not feel any sort of discomfort wearing the ball gowns. That I assure you, dear and have faith in me, for mother will never let you down."

Iris let out a groan of annoyance, she had faith on her sister but the girl cannot outwit their mother, not yet. By now, Iris was more than sure that her mother was dead set on making her wear those bold gowns. Well, her mother did promise that she would not face any discomfort but the issue is that Iris did not trust her mother, especially with the smug victorious grin on her face.

"Fine!" Throwing her hands into the air, Iris spoke in manner which suited a rogue rather than a lady "I will wear those gowns and display my skin. If a man gets attracted to my physique then I will demand him to strip off and I would say yes only if his muscles are drool worthy!"

O Gracious Lord! What am I hearing?, Mrs. Gracia was bewildered, her mind now damaged beyond repair.

What the... Lady Penelope felt her lips twitch in annoyance. She wondered listlessly if all her efforts in training her daughter are futile in the end.