Chapter 34

Francine had gone ahead and asked the ladies if they would close their eyes and no peeking, because Charlotte wanted to surprise them. Then she came back and led her to the pedestal in from of the three angled mirrors.

Turning to face them, she said, "Okay. Open your eyes and tell me what you think."

Sharp gasps were heard from all three women.

Amber and Miney, at the same time said, "It's perfect."

It was a fitted bodice with thin straps with seed pearls and tiny glass beads sewn on. The waist had a band of beadwork and the rest of the white shimmering satin was plain. The skirt flowed down and out and was covered in a two layer chiffon overskirt. The dress flowed down into a four foot train that would follow behind the bride. A corset had been made into it for support so that the bride wouldn't need a bra.

Charlotte walked down to where Agnes was sitting and hugged her, while she cried. "Thank you. It's beautiful." She whispered in the woman's ear.

Agnes smiled. She felt so comfortable with this young woman, even though there was at least a ten year age difference between them.

Francine, ever the professional, clapped her hands to get everyone's attention.

"Now, mademoiselle, we look for your wedding gown. Yes?" At Amber's nod, Francine took her by the hand and led her through the gowns and asked her to pick four different styles to try on."

Amber picked a Mermaid style, a ball gown style, a sleek straight dress and an art deco style dress. On they way back to the dressing room, they passed a dress that stood out to Amber. It had simple clean lines and was flowy, with a deep narrow vee at the bust, going down to the waist. At the waist was a gold belt woven to resemble gold rope and shaped into a Hercules Knot, or a Reef Knot. She snatched that one ad they went by it, thinking it would most likely be the one she chose.

Going into the dressing room, she went through the same process that Charlotte had. The mermaid dress, while great for the extra height, was not as flattering as she had thought it would be. The ball gown was absolutely lovely, but didn't really feel like a wedding dress to her. The sleek start dress was very similar to the art deco style, but was more of a shift with sheer material from the bodice to the shoulders and was encrusted with small crystals. The art deco dress was very well liked. It was off-white satin with a tapered bodice that had a gentle flair at her hips and settled on the floor. The material shimmered when Amber moved creating an illusion of vision of 1920's. It came with a feathered and crystal studded headband in the flapper style.

The last dress she was told by Francine was a Roman style wedding dress. When Amber tried it on, Francine did the same thing that she did with Charlotte's final dress.

Again the sitting room was filled with gaps. The wedding dress was elegant but simple. The knot at the waist was a symbol of undying love and commitment. It hung in clean lines to the floor and when Amber took a step, a small slit halfway up her thigh showed on both sides of the dress.

"My son is going to lose his mind when he sees you in that dress. It is so cleverly cut that you would never know that it was open up to the mid-thigh and down to the waist." Miney clapped her hands. "I absolutely love them both, girls. You both have picked fabulous dresses. Of course, we mustn't forget Agnes's contribution. That dress that you picked for Charlotte looks like it was made with her in mind. Well done ladies. Well done. Miney stated emphatically.