Page 6 of Introducing Miss Joanna (Once a Wallflower 2)

“Oh?” Jo studied Letty’s beautiful ballgown in disbelief.

“My aunt had antiquated ideas about dress. You are far more fortunate than I was. My gown featured a large

double ruffle around the neck, which one might find on a lizard.”

“Oh, no!” Jo giggled.

Letty grinned. “The style of your gown is fashionable, but the flowers detract from the overall picture, don’t you think?”

“I wanted rosebuds,” Jo admitted.

She nodded sympathetically. “Let me see what I can do.” She studied the gown, from the largest flower on the skirt to the smallest decorating the short sleeves, and those rioting around the bottom.

Her face burning, Jo stood in silence while Letty considered it. How mortifying. She would love to go home, but how could she disappoint her father and Aunt Mary? It was insupportable.

“We can improve it,” Letty said finally.

“How?” Jo couldn’t help being hopeful. Letty seemed confident.

“With these.” Letty opened her reticule and took out a pair of scissors. “Let’s remove some of those flowers.”

“Oh… do you think we should?” Jo’s eyes widened in the mirror. What if Letty cut a hole in her dress?

“I do.” Letty took hold of the flower positioned near Jo’s navel and cut the threads holding it in place. The camellia came away in her hand.

Jo turned to the mirror. Her gown was better without it.

She tried not to tremble as Letty snipped away. More flowers fell to the floor. She kneeled to remove some of those crowding the hem, then straightened and made Jo turn around. “I like the sleeves, they’re pretty, we shall leave them,” Letty decided as she viewed her handiwork. “The gown is quite elegant now, don’t you think so?”

“Yes. I do,” Jo said cautiously, moving closer to the mirror. There were no holes in the fabric, and the change was miraculous.

“Now, please sit. The style of your hair is too severe.”

Letty fashioned a knot high on Jo’s head, then teased a few long curls to rest against her neck and face. Taking a hairpin from her reticule, she tucked one of the smaller camellias into Jo’s hair behind her ear. “You have beautiful hair.”

“There’s too much of it. It’s difficult to manage,” Jo admitted.

“Every woman should have such a problem.” Letty laughed. “It is your crowning glory, Jo.”

“That is what my father says,” she admitted.

“He is quite right. A good cut will make it more manageable. I can recommend my hairdresser. I’ll give you her address if you wish to use her.”

“I would appreciate it, thank you, Letty.”

Letty smiled. “Now, give me your opinion. Have I wrought magic?”

Jo rose to study herself in the mirror. Her gown was still unlike the other debutantes’, but it looked much better. Even the small flowers decorating the sleeves looked pretty. Jo turned a shoulder to better view her hair. She approved of the camellia.

Jo twirled. “I love it.” She grinned. “I can’t thank you enough, Letty.”

“I should like us to talk again,” Letty said. “But Cartwright and I always dance the waltz. The ton frown on a woman dancing with her husband, but I suspect they have grown used to us.”

The waltz was called as she and Letty returned to the ballroom. Letty said goodbye and joined a tall, dark-haired man who led her onto the dance floor. Mr. Cartwright was handsome. He smiled down at his wife with such affection, it sent a flood of longing through Jo’s chest. Would a man ever look at her that way?

Aunt Mary gasped when Jo returned to her chair. “What have you done to your beautiful gown?”

“Improved on it,” Jo said with an impish grin.

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