Cinderella's Dress

by Shonna Slayton

  “What? But I told you that dress isn’t for display. Now they’re going to want to use it.” This couldn’t be happening. Her last chance to do the right thing just got a whole lot harder.

  “So? They can talk the owner into it, can’t they? Miss Lassiter can be very persuasive.”

  Kate shook her head. “Not this time.” She headed back down the hall.

  “Sorry,” said Josie. “I thought I was helping. See you later?”

  “Sure.” She’d have to tell Adalbert what happened. He could help her stand firm and ask for the dress back.

  …

  Every day, she and Josie had gone to the Oberlins to work on the dresses. Kate welcomed her friend’s light-hearted chatter. Her excitement kept Kate from thinking too much about what was at stake.

  And with Josie’s help, the dresses quickly took shape. It was apparent that Uncle Adalbert spent every waking moment sewing. Dark circles under his eyes grew deeper each day, evidence he was working hard into the night, too.

  Uncle Adalbert determined that they did not have time to apply all the diamond-like appliqués to the dresses. Instead, he instructed them to concentrate on the areas that would show when the dress was folded. They were counting on the Burgosovs not taking too close a look. And he wasn’t angry about the mix-up with the wedding dress. They would simply put his fake dress on the manikin in place of the real one and tell the Burgosovs they’d have to wait for it. Meanwhile, he would secret away all three of the real dresses.

  “I still can’t believe my parents are allowing me to be in the Fashion Show and Benefit this year,” said Josie. She wiggled her eyebrows at Kate. “For real this time. I’m one step away from Hollywood,” she proclaimed.

  “Go home, girls,” said Adalbert. “You have school tomorrow. You have done enough. I will finish. Thank you for your help.” Adalbert pushed a parcel into Josie’s arms. “Scraps, for you. Enough to make one dress each?”

  Josie smiled her best Hollywood actress smile. “You bet, Mr. Oberlin. I know exactly what to do with this fabric.”

  Adalbert turned his attention on Kate. “And I’ll see you tomorrow for window night.”

  “What about Aunt Elsie?”

  He looked at her empty chair at the sewing machine. “I’ve made arrangements for her.” His voice caught. “She will be fine,” he said, as if trying to convince himself.

  Chapter Thirty-eight

  When Kate left for school, she found an envelope stuck under one corner of the doormat. She pulled it out and saw her name scrawled in a thick hand.

  Inside was a small slip of paper. In bold letters it read:

  12:00 under Tiffany clock

  She shuddered. At some time in the night, the Burgosovs had stood right outside her door. And they knew her name. Tiffany clock. So that was where she would deliver the first dress. She smiled at the irony. The fairy-tale Cinderella lost her dress at the stroke of midnight. Kate was supposed to hand over the real Cinderella dress under another famous clock.

  She went back into the apartment to call Uncle Adalbert.

  “Forget something?” called Mom from the bathroom where she was fixing her hair.

  “Uh, yeah. I wanted to remind Uncle Adalbert that it’s window night tonight.”

  “Ask him how Elsie is doing.” Mom came out holding her hairbrush.

  “Today’s the day he’s putting her in a facility. Window night will help him take his mind off of things.”

  Mom’s face softened. “Oh dear.” She banged her palm with the brush. “It’s been too long since I’ve seen them. Tell him I can go sit with Elsie any time he needs me to.” She returned to the bathroom.

  “Really?”

  Her mother nodded. “I think Elsie and I have a lot to talk about. I can’t fix what happened with her and my mother, but maybe I can help ease Elsie’s mind. We’ve been a divided family for too long. I appreciate all you’ve done to keep us together. Don’t think I haven’t noticed whenever you set up a dinner or go there for tatting or some such lesson.”

  “Thanks, Mom.” Kate quickly placed her call. When Adalbert answered, she whispered, “Under the Tiffany clock at midnight. They gave me a note.”

  “We’ll be ready for them.”

  …

  “Nothing for me,” said Josie as she and Kate stood before the sandwich bar at the Automat. “I’m too nervous. I don’t trust my stomach.”

  “You?” Kate popped in her nickels, choosing a chicken salad sandwich for herself and a roast beef for her mother.

  “I know! Now I understand how you always got the heebie-jeebies before an event. Except I think I’m more excited than nervous. It’s going to be so fun, my first official fashion show. My mom really did a job on my dad to get him to agree.”

  Kate packed the wax-paper-wrapped sandwiches into a bag, and the girls headed out to the street. She smiled at Josie. “Who’d have thought you’d finally be on your way?”

  “What about you? You seem to have settled into window design. And your brother will be home on leave soon, won’t he?”

  “He might. He couldn’t tell us for sure.”

  “And what about Johnny?”

  “He’s going away for the summer. Doing a movie for his dad before he starts school.”

  “Is he going to write you again? Like during the war?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “You know he will.”

  “Maybe.” Kate tried not to smile.

  “Just think, you can save all your love letters to show your grandkids one day.”

  “If I marry Johnny Day.” Kate slapped her hand over her mouth and opened her eyes wide in surprise at herself.

  Josie pointed wildly at her. “You said it! You said it!” She laughed heartily. “I knew you were thinking about it. Ha! I know you too well.” Josie kicked up her heels in the middle of the street.

  …

  “Supper is served,” said Kate, pulling out the food and arranging it on Miss Lassiter’s desk. The boss was out on the floor directing the florist so Mrs. Allen could get a quick bite to eat.

  Mother and daughter sat together, each deep in contemplation. Kate went over the night in her mind, imagining handing off the dress. In one scenario, the larger Burgosov noticed the dress was a fake. Kate quickly stopped that dream. The other scenario, the men barely glanced at the package and left without a fuss.

  Kate studied her mother, who was going over her own list for the night, a written list of the order of models.

  Perhaps feeling Kate’s gaze, her mother looked up and smiled. She plopped two sugar cubes into her coffee and stirred.

  “You know that family treasure Babcia told you about?” Kate began. She didn’t like keeping secrets from her mother. Especially since she’d been trying so hard to connect lately.

  Her mother continued to stir her coffee, but with slower circles. “Yes?”

  “Elsie told me about it, and it’s not really a family treasure after all. Well, it is a family treasure, but it doesn’t belong to our family. Elsie has been keeping it for someone else. Kind of like how I keep Josie’s scrapbook for her.”

  “Why wouldn’t this family keep their own treasure? Put it in a vault like normal people?”

  “Apparently, it’s a job that has been passed down through our family for centuries. It’s partly tradition. Partly a precaution.” Kate folded her wax paper, carefully creasing each fold. “And I think it ties the two families together, and they like that.”

  “Why have they shared this with you?” She sipped her coffee. “Do they want to give you this treasure next? What is it?”

  “I don’t know what’s going to happen. But I can’t tell you what the treasure is.”

  “If it’s going to be in my house I should know what it is. What if we get broken into, and it gets stolen? Will this mysterious family expect you to replace it?”

  “I don’t have all the details.”

  “I’ll need to talk with Adalbert and Elsie about this.”
>
  “No! You can’t. I’m not even supposed to tell you as much as I did. I just, well, you know. Wanted to talk to you.” Kate hoped her reference to the dinner at the Automat would help to curb her mother’s insistence. She never should have said anything.

  Her mother held her gaze for an uncomfortably long time. “Fine.”

  …

  On the way down to Windows, Kate sought out Josie. She was perched on the hairdresser’s chair, waiting for her turn. Her face was pale against her black hair.

  “How are you holding up?”

  “I’ll never question your nerves again. But I am excited.” She bounced a little. “Your mom is letting me wear such swell outfits. Too bad you can’t watch.”

  “I’m a little nervous myself right now.”

  Josie rolled her eyes. “What’s for you to be nervous about?”

  Kate shrugged. She was trying not to think about the Burgosovs catching her trying to trick them.

  “It’s too bad Adalbert won’t let his dresses be put in the fashion show. His designs would fly off the racks.”

  “I know it. But he’s more concerned about Elsie than dresses.”

  The hairdresser, finished with the model, came over to Josie. “Did you use any setting lotion?” she asked.

  Josie looked horrified. “Last night. Wasn’t I supposed to?”

  Kate waved good-bye. Her friend was going to have a swell time once the show started. Since the store was still open, Kate had to find something to do before they could start on windows. Maybe she could find Johnny.

  Chapter Thirty-nine

  Kate wandered in amongst the window crowd outside the store. She decided she wanted one last look at the real Cinderella dress in its fairy-tale setting. After tonight, one way or another, it would be secreted away. The thought made her more than a little sad.

  “Kate!” called Johnny.

  She turned around, looking through the crowd for him. There he was, winding his way through the people. She lifted her hand high to wave him over.

  He squeezed in close beside her. “Are you ready for tonight?”

  She nodded. “You?”

  “Of course. I’m your bodyguard, remember?” He looked around. “Spotted our guy yet?”

  “No, but there are so many people. I’m sure he’s here somewhere.”

  “This is crazy, isn’t it? All these people here for a look at a fancy window display?”

  “Not the window, the dress,” she said. “People are drawn to it.”

  He looked at Kate intently, a bit of a goofy smile on his face.

  She narrowed her eyes. “What?” Oh, dreamy, dreamy, dreamy. He was close enough he could probably hear her heart beating out of her chest. She tried not to stare at him.

  He rubbed his neck. “Nothing. I was picturing you in that window, going from a teen-age window trimmer to a princess.”

  “Oh.” She grinned and turned around. Oh? What a lame thing to say. He was being romantic and she says, “Oh.” Johnny, my prince charming? Or is it the effect of the dress?

  A spot opened up, so Kate stepped forward to the window for her final look. The dress took her breath away each time she saw it. Roy had done an expert job of shining the spotlights. In the darkening night, the shoe and clock were the focus. But the dress, under a softer glow, still sparkled from the diamonds. The crisscross bodice fit snugly on Marge, and the bell-shaped skirt was made for ballroom dancing. Again, Kate admired the long lace wrap that matched the gloves. Elegant. The dress was a showstopper.

  “Okay, let’s go.” Johnny put his hand on the small of Kate’s back and directed her through the crowd. Once they had broken free, he kept his arm around her until they reached the back of the store. Her heart was fluttering, but not from nerves over what would happen tonight. She was very aware of the gentle pressure of Johnny’s fingertips guiding her.

  The crew was already busy lining up props in the back room. Mr. G spotted Johnny and came marching over with one arm extended, the other holding his rolled-up plans against his side.

  “Johnny? What are you doing here?” Mr. G shook Johnny’s hand. “Coming back to work for me?”

  “No sir, I’m here to walk Kate home tonight.”

  “Oh,” he said, raising his eyebrows questioningly. “I take it you two have made up.”

  Kate examined her fingernails. Would her face ever stop blushing?

  “Yes sir,” answered Johnny. “We have.”

  Mr. G looked at his watch. “Excuse me,” he said to them. “Look alive, crew. Five minutes till showtime.”

  The store closed, and the window curtains dropped. “Everything out,” called Mr. G. “It’s time for a wedding. Lots of gunk; lots of sparkle.”

  Marge came out first, and Kate was right there to guard over the dress. The finery made all the men nervous. It was like they instinctively knew how much the dress was worth, and none of them wanted to risk soiling it.

  The men got busy swapping out the window, but where was Adalbert? Kate needed the fake wedding dress to put on Daphne. He would take the three real dresses somewhere safe—he wasn’t saying where—and Kate would take the fake ball gown to the Burgosovs.

  Mr. G rushed in, pushing a clothing rack with the real wedding dress hanging from multiple hangers to keep it from dragging on the floor. “Swap ’er out.”

  “Right.” Kate began to wheel the wedding dress to the service elevator.

  “Whoa, where are you going?” Mr. G stopped the rack with his foot.

  “To steam it.” And bide my time until Adalbert arrives with the look-alike.

  He shook his head. “Done. Miss Lassiter took care of it today. She did an excellent job. Such a capable woman,” gushed Mr. G. “I’ve got something else I want you to do tonight.” He pulled out the sketches of the front windows. “Gimme everything you’ve got. What is missing from this window?”

  “You want me to add to the design?” Kate’s voice squeaked. Sure, he’d taken her suggestion for the theme and willingly used her dresses. But he’d never come out and asked her directly for her design ideas. She glanced at Johnny long enough to see his mouth open in disbelief.

  “I ain’t got all day, bobby-soxer.”

  “Right.” She quickly studied the design. It was a traditional wedding display, lots of flowers, Cinderella and the prince. What else could she add that would be interesting enough to “catch the hare,” like Roy said?

  Mr. G started pacing. She was taking too long.

  All that work to convince him to let her design a window. This was the first step; it was a test, and she needed to pass it. She thought back on all the windows that had stood out to her. The most memorable was that first display when she posed with the manikins, feeling like she was in a snow globe staring out at the world.

  Now Johnny was pacing. Were they trying to make her nervous?

  “Throwing rice. Can we make it look like the people outside are throwing rice or confetti? We’d be bringing New Yorkers in on the event.”

  Mr. G snapped his fingers. “Done. Now, go ahead and get Marge ready.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Johnny gave her a thumbs-up while Mr. G marched away.

  “Has he ever asked your advice before?” she asked.

  “Nope. And that was for the front window, too. Impressive.”

  “Thanks. Now if only the rest of the night would go so well.” She looked helplessly around for Adalbert. Why wasn’t he here? She positioned Marge so she could see the minute Adalbert arrived.

  Fortunately, the ball gown had about a million tiny buttons to unhook. Kate took as long as she could with each button, but when she reached the last one, Adalbert was still not there. Was he stuck working on the dress, or did something go wrong with Aunt Elsie? Perhaps the Burgosovs got suspicious?

  She took her time laying out the ball gown, folding it, and tucking in all the ends. It may be the last time she ever saw the dress…unless she could pull off tonight’s switcheroo and convince everyone that sh
e was capable of becoming the next Keeper. No, I can’t let myself follow that line of thinking. “You stay out of trouble,” she whispered to the dress before wrapping it first in the plain muslin Adalbert had given her, and then in his special brown paper. If Adalbert didn’t show up soon, she would put the dress back in her locker when she took out the fake ball gown already stashed there.

  Johnny, who was helping the guys move some heavy stairs into the window, caught Kate’s attention. He raised his eyebrows as if to ask what the holdup was. Kate shrugged. They only had half an hour to be at the delivery spot. Fortunately, Mr. G was in such a good mood, and apparently so used to Kate, that he hadn’t noticed when her ten o’clock work time came and went.

  But now, there was nothing else she could do but put the real dress on the manikin. They’d have to find another way to swap out the real with the fake. She tilted her head up and listened closely. She thought she could make out the music from the Fashion Show and Benefit, being held for the first time in the Phoenix ballroom. The Fashion Show portion should be over, and they would have moved on to dancing.

  The wedding dress took longer to put on the manikin than any other dress Kate had done. She had to be extra careful of the delicate material, and the layers and layers of the tulle-like material had to be placed perfectly. She fluffed up the bow at the back and adjusted the rosettes. As she worked, there was a thought forming in the back of her mind that she couldn’t quite get at. A piece of the puzzle she was missing. Whatever it was, it better form a full thought quickly. They were running out of time.

  Despite the night’s stressors, Kate took pleasure in seeing the wedding dress go on their Cinderella. Knowing that Adalbert knew, and was fine with displaying the dress, took away the guilt she’d felt during the other displays. At least he approved the fake dress. It couldn’t be helped that the real one was slipping in.

  The final window was going to be the best one yet. She could only imagine the response of the Harmon-Craig shoppers.

  Johnny grabbed her elbow. “We gotta go,” he said.

  Kate nodded. She adjusted the bow one last time. “I know.” She reluctantly brought the real ball gown up to her locker to retrieve the swap-out. Already her heart was pounding. The Burgosovs weren’t going to be happy to learn that the wedding dress was in the window instead of being given to them. Kate already planned how she was going to complain about her strict boss and that there was nothing she could do about it until the window series was over.