#MidWeekTease...where the ladies are preparing to dance

(Taken from the story I'm updating... Ladies of London)

The pandemonium in the dressing room was indescribable. Girls in various states of undress chattered as they donned costumes, masks, and rouge. Tonight there were six of them. The troupe was elastic on purpose. Never more than twelve, never less than five. All willing and eager to find time for rehearsals and the events themselves. Each girl had signed a confidentiality contract, and in a reversal of usual practice, had paid to become a part of the troupe. If any member of the Ton got a hold of those contracts, all hell would be let loose. It was no wonder the solicitor in charge was one of the brothers of La Bella Isabella. As was often said, a younger brother. She shuddered to think what her other brothers would make of it all.

"My petticoat keeps slipping, and it won't tie any tighter."

"Has anyone seen my mask?"

"Who's on first?"

"How long have we got?"

"I can only find one shoe."

Questions, pleas, and general chitchat vied to be heard. Anyone walking past would have thought there were sixty girls in the room, not six.

She clapped her hands for silence. Dressed in an elaborate gold and silver mask, which covered the top half of her face, with a silver scarf loosely covering her hair—making it impossible to know what color it was—and a swirling, sensual slither of a dress—gold and silver and hinting of all manner of things—it was obvious; here was the boss. La Bella Isabella herself.

"Ladies, please. We have fifteen minutes." She proceeded to answer questions patiently. "Margot, is it your petticoat? Don't forget it should have your stage name sewn into it, not your real one."

Margot laughed, groaned, and took the offending garment off.

"Exactly. Louisa, your mask is where you left it by your dressing table. Susannah, you are holding your other shoe." There was a general laugh at this, Susannah being notoriously absentminded; her head was usually in a book, except when she was on stage.

"Now, remember, this is all about illusions. No nudity, no crudity. They may imagine they see our breasts, our bodies. But we know they actually see less than when we accompany them in a waltz."

Catch the other #MidWeekTease posts here

Happy reading,

love Raven x