Shay.

"Oh, my goodness." Hannah stood with her hands over her mouth staring at Shay. "You are so beautiful."

Shay couldn't help but smile. She turned to look at herself in the full-length mirror. "Which one do you prefer? The green one or this one."

"This one." Hannah gushed again. "Lilac suits you so well." She took Shay by the hands and spun her around.

The dressmaker laughed with them. "Madam, how does it feel?"

"It's so soft." Shay ran her hands down the fabric, and then looked up at Thomas. "What do you think, Papa?"

Thomas smiled. Shay had grown into a very beautiful young woman, just as he knew she would. He loved the fact that she now called him Papa, even though she still called Rebecca, Aunt. "You look very beautiful. I agree with Hannah. The lilac is my favourite too, but it's up to you." He cocked his head and grinned. "After all, it is your birthday. Aunt Rebecca and I want you to have a new dress to take back to school with you after the holidays."

They had no idea when her real birthday was, or if she was really seventeen. At the end of her first year with them, they had decided to make her birthday the date of the day Thomas had first brought her home. That day hadn't been a pleasant one, but it had changed all their lives, and only good had come of it. Shay had never given them any real trouble.

I'll take your advice and have this one." Shay reached up on tiptoes and kissed him on the cheek. "Thank you, Papa."

Thomas chuckled at the memory of some of her antics as he watched her swirl in the mirror once more. She had finally developed. This dress modestly exposed just enough of her breasts to let a man know she was a woman, and not a child. The green dress had shown much more and seemed to have been designed to push her breasts higher. Thomas was pleased with her choice. He wasn't ready to lose her to another man, just yet.

"Hannah. Have you made a decision?" Thomas looked at his eldest daughter. She was just as beautiful as Shay, but in a different way. Hannah was taller, her figure shapely like an hourglass. Even though they accepted Shay as being older, they suspected she was younger. Hannah had developed earlier, and she had looked like a woman the last time they had been home.

Smiling, Thomas waited for Hannah's answer. She beamed up at him with her bright blue eyes, did a spin so her long soft brown hair flared out as she turned. It fell in waves when she faced him.

"I think I like this one best, Papa." The dress was made of deep red velvet and accentuated her figure, her breasts on full display.

"Are you sure?" Thomas coughed, and then waved his hand over the top half of his own chest hoping she'd understand what he was meaning. "You're, ah, comfortable with the design."

"Oh, yes." Hannah grinned. She knew exactly what her father was trying to say. "It's the height of fashion, Papa. I wish to wear it tomorrow evening."

"It's just a dinner party, Hannah, not a ball. There are only six guests." Thomas couldn't understand why she would want to wear such a dress at their own dining table.

"Mr. Witherspoon is coming." Hannah beamed and looked at her reflection.

"Mr. Witherspoon?" Thomas creased his brow. Why would she want Mr. Witherspoon to see her dress?

"Papa." Shay laughed, gripped the top of his arm and whispered, "Mr. Edmond Witherspoon."

"Ah... I see." Thomas chuckled. How stupid was he? Not old Mr. Witherspoon but young Mr. Witherspoon. He looked down at Shay. "Well, you had better wear your new dress too, since it is your birthday party."

"I will." Shay reached up and kissed him on the cheek once more. She loved coming home and seeing everyone. Julia was nearly fifteen and would be returning to Paris with them. Tommy had shot up. He was going to start at Eton, now that he was thirteen. So that only left the twins, Izzy and Andrew who were coming up eleven and little Simon who was now three and a half.

Shay couldn't wait until tomorrow night. This was the first birthday party she'd had where guests were attending. Mr. and Mrs. Witherspoon would be there. They had become great friends with Papa and Aunt Rebecca. Their son Edmond, who was apparently twenty-one and had partly taken over the running of the families shipping company, was coming. He had invited one of his friends whom they were yet to meet. Then there was Father Hampton, who barely tolerated her. Shay vowed that when she was independent, or if she ever did marry, she would never attend his church again. Father Hampton had a gift of being able to turn his flock into a very, rude spiteful bunch. The Dowager Stephenson, for one, who still disapproved of her, would be at her party, but only because she had been a close friend of Aunt Rebecca's mother. Shay had no idea why that connection deemed she must be invited to every event held at Lytton House. Shay wasn't going to let the dowager bother her. This was her party and her whole family was going to be there seated at the table with her. Even little Simon.

Her one regret was, that Jack would not be allowed to attend. Since coming home, he had avoided her. If he saw her heading in his direction, he shot out of sight. Lily had said he and Polly had severed their friendship, and he was courting a girl from the village. Shay was determined to say hello to him, after all, they were no longer children, and she had never forgotten what a great friend and support he had been to her when she had first come to live at the estate.

Shay is finally growing up.

What do you think of Hannah's red dress?

Top photo - taken from Victorian ballgowns.

2nd Photo copyright - Jill Morena - GWTW dress