Beauty Unseen: The sisters of Folly trilogy (Book One)

Chapter Three: A mother's love

WARNING: E.D. Trigger 

"Mother, I think I feel a headache coming on" Wendy heard her own tired voice once her eyes met with Countess Folly who stood in the doorway of her room. Her maid poised behind her at the ready to cinch her corset even tighter for the ball at Lord and Lady Baxter's "Perhaps it would be best if I stayed home tonight so you wouldn't have to worry about me and simply go with the twins."

Wendy turned to Bianca just as a scowl took over her face, she moved into the room and pushed Wendy's maid to the side as she took hold of the corset strings, placing a heeled foot against the stool Wendy stood on, and gave the strings one violent tug.

"Ahh!" Wendy's voice came out in a sharp breathless gasp as pain shot through her ribs and her lungs cried out against the restriction of their movement.

"I will hear no more of your complaints, Wendy" Bianca's voice carried a note of disgust that tore at Wendy's rapidly beating heart "Your figure is simply too full to attract a suitor and so we must give the illusion that it is much smaller." Another tug and Wendy gasped yet again, the pain in her ribs was screaming for her to release the pressure "We must all make sacrifices for beauty and marriage, you will simply have to make more due to your unfortunate features" She tugged one last time and then sighed heavily as she looked at Wendy in the full length looking glass she stood in front of "I suppose that's the best we can do. Don't even think of eating at the dinner tonight, Wendy, there just isn't enough balls left this season to be foolish or lazy and maybe shedding a bit of weight will tempt an offer of marriage from someone, do not look for anyone of too high a title, they are surely looking for a young beauty." Bianca rattled off the list of instructions that Wendy was sure had been engraved in her heart, words she had been hearing for as long as she could remember. Looking once more at her, she shook her head and muttered her usual words of disappointment and made her way out of the room as Wendy tried to swallow the tears that she felt were choking her.

"Miss Garren" Her maid Sarah touched her shoulder lightly as she led her to her vanity to sit as she began the difficult task of detangling and styling her mess of curls, they hung to her mid back and stuck out in odd directions from her head, tears streaked their way silently down her cheeks as she refused to give into the sob blocking her throat. "Do a simple style please, Sarah, you know how the Countess hates when we attempt anything too intricate."

A frown marred the pretty young maids face and she bit her lip to not speak out against her mistress' mother. Her own mother had never had anything but a kind word to say to Sarah and her heart broke that her mistress would never know that same love "Your hair is something quite pretty, miss" she pitched her voice cheerfully as she tried to stop the tears flowing down her cheeks, she wanted to tell her that the Countess would yell at her more if her face was swollen, but she wished she didn't have to hear another negative word tonight "My own hair falls flat at any attempt that's been made to curl it, my sisters used to braid it just to get it to hold some form but it always falls flat, I would've liked very much to have your pretty wild curls, Miss Garren."

Wendy looked in the looking glass at Sarah's beautiful strawberry blonde hair and knew she was trying to make her feel better after the harsh truths spoken by Bianca. "Truly, I think your lovely hair suits you, Sarah." She spoke past the lump in her throat and tried to move on as she always did before "Do you have many sisters?"

"I do, Miss" Sarah smiled fondly as her quick and efficient hands worked her curls into braids that led to a tamed bun, wisps of curls framing her face and neck, laying softly against her visible collarbone "I have two older and three younger sisters, I also have one brother but he's been away in the royal navy since I was a very young girl."