"Very well, I'll let you get on with it then," Ella said, unable to keep her lip from curling with distaste as she looked at the harlequin dress. But when she looked back up at me, her eyes were dancing and I realized she was doing her best not to laugh at me. "I expect you'll be back in time to join the queen on her walk?" she asked. "Of course," I replied, before Ella slipped from the room. As the door closed behind her, I rushed at Audra, a million questions crowding to the front of my mind. But before I could open my mouth, she reached over clapped a hand over it, nodding towards the door. "Go put the dress on, please," she said a little louder than necessary. I looked down at the harlequin dress again. "You can't be serious," I mumbled through her hand. She nodded her head towards the door again, this time more urgently before she released my mouth. "Yes, just over there behind the screen. I'll go fetch some pins," she said, shooing me behind the changing screen as she made her way to the door. I took my time in ducking behind the screen, looking back when there was a little yelp from the other side of the door as Audra opened it. "Oh my goodness! My lady, please forgive me!" Audra gasped. Behind her, Ella was straightening, massaging her forehead. I frowned before ducking behind the screen. "I was just...adjusting my slipper," Ella said. I sagged against the wall as I realized that Audra had suspected my cousin would stay to eavesdrop. Audra shut the door behind her as she continued to apologize profusely to my cousin, offering to escort Ella back to the debutantes' quarters. As their voices faded down the hall, I looked down at the monstrosity in my hands. With a sigh, I pulled off my day dress and struggled into the harlequin one. Audra re-entered a few minutes later with a pincushion, bursting into laughter as I emerged from behind the screen. The harlequin dress was at least three sizes too large all over and at least five too large in the bust. I was holding it up, pressing the bodice against my chest so it wouldn't fall right off. "It seems you have your work cut out for you," I said, looking down at it with a grimace. Audra nearly doubled over with laugher against her work table. "Take that ridiculous thing off," she managed as her giggles slowed, "And explain to me why I just had to lie through my teeth to a debutante," "Audra I honestly have no idea what's going on. I thought you would know the answer to why I was summoned down here," I said, shaking my head in confusion. Her giggles calmed and she fixed me with a knowing grin. "So you honestly had no idea that prince Andrew ordered you a masquerade dress and came up with that whole lie about a foreign dignitary's daughter?" I was so shocked I let go of the dress I'd been holding up. It tumbled off me into a puddle of harlequin satin on the ground. Audra laughed anew. "Careful! That's Hattie Hensley's," she said, gesturing for me to step out of the black and white dress as she collected it and laid it back out on her table, "Let's not make more work for me than necessary," "Andrew ordered me a dress?" I repeated, dumbstruck as I stood before her in my corset and bloomers. "Yes and I'm under strict instructions to smuggle you down here the night of the first masquerade to get you all done up in it," Audra said, tilting her head towards the magnificent royal blue dress on the pedestal. I reached out to brace myself on her table, feeling faint for the first time in my life. "Audra..." I started weakly, turning to face the dress on the pedestal. "I know, I fear I may have out done myself," she said, coming to stand beside me. I stared in wonder at the dress for a few moments, before Audra clapped her hands to snap me from her reverie. "Well it isn't going to alter itself now, is it?" she said, shooing me towards the dress. She pulled it lovingly off the dress form, freeing up the pedestal so she could pull it on and tie it into place around me. It fit as closely as I could have expected, the dress so glamorous that even in with the simple braid in my hair and utter lack of makeup, I still looked ready to attend a ball. "It needs some work," Audra said, a fist to her mouth as she circled me to inspect it. I was too busy staring at myself in the mirror, my hands running over the bodice in disbelief. I'd never worn anything so fine in my life and the thought that it had been custom made for me made me feel dizzy. "I'm having a mask fashioned with bluebird feathers to go with it. Blue, pink, and black, just like the real thing," Audra continued, as she started pinning and adjusting the dress, "And the prince has asked me to acquire a wig. Would you care to be blonde or brunette for your grande soirée?" I was still staring at myself in disbelief, barely registering her words. "Halloo in there!" Audra called, giving my waist a little pinch as she tightened the bodice. I bed away my stupor. "A brunette I suppose?" I answered, shaking my head, "This is...this is too much..." Audra smiled at me in the mirror. "I disagree. I've met every one of the debutantes and they're dreadful. You've treated me more kindly than anyone in the four years I've been here," she said. I looked over at her, still bewildered. "You're my friend, of course I'll treat you kindly," I said. She kept smiling as she resumed her adjustments. "Which is exactly why this is not too much, not by far," she said. I resumed staring at myself in the mirror, realizing that this was the reason for Andrew asking Audra's name in the library. But instead of feeling the giddy joy that I should have felt, I couldn't shake the feeling that this was all careening too wildly beyond my control.