And what a surprise that was! When Arabella crossed the threshold of the room behind Katherine, her eyes were met with the gaze of the Lady, sitting comfortably in a high back chair while Grace and Allegra stood next to her, facing Mr Kallum on the other side of the coffee table.
"Oh! There she is!"
The instant Mr Kallum glimpsed her figure, he pushed his weight off of the chair and opened his arms wide.
"Mr Kallum! What a surprise indeed!" Arabella's eyes flickered towards Katherine momentarily before returning onto him.
"The more I look at you, the more impatient I am to see you in it," he allowed a hearty laugh out, clasping his hands together.
"I am sorry, in what?" she muttered.
The answer came from Lady Persephone, "Mr Kallum here forsook sleep for the past two nights just to finish your dress before time,"
"Oh dear!" Arabella's hand slowly traveled up and hovered over her heart, "You really shouldn't have…,"
She trailed off, watching as the man picked a white box that lay on the other side of the couch and held it up for a moment before putting it down on the table.
"I know, I know, I said I'd be done with it in three or four days but limiting myself to working on it during my business hours simply wasn't enough. I had to finish it and behold the result as soon as possible," he chuckled, removing the lid off the box.
Arabella approached it as Mr Kallum lifted the protective sheet of paper off the fabric. Stars were quickly born in her eyes, gaping at the mesmerizing piece he presented before her.
Gemstone green and velvety it was, marked with a touch of gold around the stitching lines.
"Oh! If you think it looks beautiful as it is, wait until you try it on," he smiled while holding the dress up for everyone to see.
"Come on, now! I'd like to see it on you too!" Grace rushed and took Arabella by the arm as Allegra did the same with her other arm. The two vampires guided her out of the room with Katherine on their trail, carrying the white box in hand.
Perhaps her eyes deceived her, she thought… But the mirror told no lies as it faced her figure.
It took the four of them fifteen minutes to fit everything correctly around her body.
Her irises traced the golden patterns adorning the voluminous skirt of her gown while the three sisters swirled around her chirping and giggling, hands over their mouths and dreamy eyed.
"Oh Lord help us!" purred Grace.
"So, beautiful!" Katherine nodded, a bright smile on her features.
The young woman held her head high and clutched her gown from both sides in order to travel back to the previous room.
Upon entering, and for a very brief moment, Arabella could've sworn there was a spark in the Lady's eyes.
"Oh! My, my! Absolute perfection," Mr Kallum stood up.
"Come closer, girl," ordered Lady Persephone.
Arabella obliged, carrying herself closer to the chair then halted before her hostess. The vampire's gaze lingered on the flawlessly fitting bust that underscored Arabella's form. The skirt of the gown was not round per se, but it had its fair share of volume.
"I've encountered some trouble finding a supplier that would provide a lighter metal for the petticoat of the dress. I figured a human couldn't carry the weight of the usual one I use for your dresses, Ladies," Mr Kallum glanced between the Lady and the vampire sisters. He then cleared his throat and turned to Arabella, "How do you feel in it?"
In reply, Arabella pinched at the skirt of the gown and made a slow spin around herself, "It is simply perfect, Mr Kallum. Thank you very much,"
At that moment, even if she'd tried to stifle her smile, it would have won that fight against her efforts with great ease.
"Since the ball was quite close, I admit, I was reluctant to order a full gown from you at first," the Lady looked at Mr Kallum, "I thought it wouldn't be fair to you, but I do not regret my decision. You shall be compensated both for your work and you've earned a rush fee, of course,"
"Nonsense, my Lady. I couldn't take a dime more than my work has earned me," he shook his head no, "Oh!" as though lightning had struck him, his expression switched, "I almost forgot. The box please, Miss Katherine," he took the box from Katherine, settled it down then picked a smaller gold garnished piece of fabric out of it, "I made this for your locket. I was told you never separate from it,"
It was a collar that wrapped elegantly around Arabella's neck while falling a tad on her chest.
"May I?" he pointed at her locket.
Hesitant at first, she held it in her hand but then released it and nodded in his direction.
Mr Kallum unclasped the chain then separated the locket from it only to then bring the pendant and hook it on the little bait hanging from the collar, allowing the locket to dangle right between the collarbones of the young woman.
"You've thought of everything, haven't you?" Lady Persephone's smirk became a little more apparent.
Arabella caressed the green gemstone embedded into the golden locket, face flushed pink under everyone's eyes, she smiled warmly.
Though her simper faded a tad upon spotting Edna's figure who'd walked into the room, a silver tray in hand.
"Here is your tea, my Lady," the maid made her way straight towards the Lady and laid the teacup on the table then turned around to leave, but not before throwing a vitriolic glare in Arabella's way.