"Girls," Mister Kupka said after dinner. "Your dresses have arrived just in time."

"Oh my!" Beth jumped up, clapping her hands together. "I was afraid they wouldn't arrive in time for adjustments!"

"Harper, Holden, bring in the boxes."

The two men entered, carrying boxes. Even my heart was pounding. The big event was in less than a week, and we had ordered it from catalogues, so we didn't know how the dresses would look on us yet. The masters had paid for it, as a Christmas present, so it was the most expensive article of clothing I've ever owned—and would ever own.

"Let's go upstairs to try it on," Clo said, then gestured for us to go upstairs. Giggling, Beth grabbed my hand and pulled me up the stairs. When we reached our room, we took the boxes from Harper and Holden, thanked them, and then slammed the door shut, eager to try them on.

We opened the boxes, stripped, and began changing into the dresses. Even Rhiannon did it with us without us having to usher her to do it.

When we all finished helping each other button or lace things up, we stood in a circle facing each other and asked nervously,

"How is it?"

Then at once, we began answering.

"Yours looks sophisticated, Rhiannon! But maybe it could use something," Beth said. It was indeed more on the modest side.

"Some ribbons would look nice," I suggested.

"Isn't yours also a bit plain, Shuyan?" Clo asked me. My blue dress was also free of any lace, pattern, or bustles. "Maybe I'll add something to mine, too."

"Gosh, red looks wonderful on you, Clo," Beth said, and then to me, "and blue on you, Shuyan."

"But the skirt is so awfully heavy," Clo complained.

"That's why we need adjustments," Rhiannon said, sighing. "I guess we all need to do some sewing."

"If you don't mind, I can do everything," I said. "I'm confident in my sewing and embroidery, and even a bit of dressmaking. That's if you don't have any issues with it."

"Really? I would love that!" Beth squealed, holding my hands in hers. "I'll do something for your hair on the day in return!"

"And I'll do your face!" Clo added, smiling.

"I don't have anything to offer, but I can do any chores," Rhiannon said. I laughed.

"Then it's settled."

In a week, I hurried to make the according changes and additions to their dresses. After dinner, the first thing I did was fix their dress. Eugene understood, as I told him prior to him that I had a lot of sewing to do, and he was busy too, sending invitations and checking which guests were coming and which were not.

Since it was the first ball in years, a lot of curious people were coming, and the whole house was under a lot of pressure. The valets, too, were busy polishing silverware and priming up their masters, and we maids had to clean every corner of the mansion.

When Christmas Eve finally arrived, we servants had an early special feast and then the valets went to greet the guests. We, on the other hand, rushed to dress up in our fixed dresses, and Beth hurried to do our hair and Clo our makeup. We were all made up like noblewomen, and I was sure that one wouldn't be able to tell we were maids from how we looked.

Rhiannon was in her dark green dress, with newly-added satin ribbons at the bodice and laced hem of her outer-skirt, and long white gloves reaching the elbow. Beth also pinned up Rhiannon's golden hair like the noble ladies wore it, and Clo added faint blush to her pale cheeks and a little rouge to her lips, so she looked different from her usual self.

Beth swirled in her cream dress, with puffed sleeves, as always filled with ruffles and frills, but now also with white fabric flowers I made for her. She tied up her hair, now nearly shoulder length, with a ribbon, but left her face plain, so she still looked youthful like her usual self.

Clo changed the most out of all of us. Beth had brought a hair iron from our visit to the department store last time just for today. Beth had tried to curl her hair but failed, so Rhiannon took over, rolling them into tight ringlets before tying them up with a ribbon. When she was finished it bounced around her neck and all of us were awed by her skills.

"Have you done this before?" I asked. She raised her chin.

"I wasn't a lady's maid for nothing."

Clo's dress was off the shoulder and revealed her collarbones, and she looked lovely in it. It was not as puffy as Beth's but flared out beautifully at the bottom. She added a black ribbon on the neck as a choker and also wore long white gloves.

As for me, I kept my blue dress simple: it only had short, trumpet sleeves reaching my elbows, a modest neckline, and did not have a distinct silhouette, but I felt comfortable with it. Beth let down my hair and only tied a part of it back, letting the rest cascade down to my waist. They agreed it was best that way, so I left it at that. Clo put some color on my lips, and that was it.

Before we knew it, the valets came to to tell us to come to the party. They said it looked as though we matured.

"I still think it's frivolous, but it's Christmas Eve, so I'll let this go by," Mister Kupka said with a shake of his head. Rudy patted his shoulder.

"You look nice," Harper said to Clo, making Beth elbow me.

Clo narrowed her eyes at us, made sure we weren't laughing, then replied, "Thank you." I saw a corner of her lip curved upwards, though.

"Weren't the gowns slightly different?" Matheus recalled.

"Yes," Beth answered. "Shuyan added the flowers on my dress, ribbons to Rhiannon's gown, and cinched up the sides of Clo's skirt."

"How skillful," he commented. I thanked him.

As we walked down we could hear the noises, and I began to wrung at my hands.

"It sounds like there's an awful lot of people."

"There is, but don't worry," Clo said, "today is different. We aren't maids." She suddenly grabbed my hand, and as we walked down the stairs, she whispered to me,

"I'm sorry for what I said that day. But today is different. Today you can be an equal."

Clo remembered.

She let go of my hands and then we were downstairs.

The front hall was filled to the brim with people, all dressed up in beautiful colors, even men, but the ladies were an entirely different story.

They pranced about with trains, gloves up to their upper arms, hair in high coiffures, and glistened with their jewels and gold.

"I've never seen such a sight!" I turned to look at the girls and the valets. They looked just like me, eyes wide and mouths gaping.

"Nor I! I can't believe this is the same Beardsley manor I've worked in for twenty years," Rudy said.

"Well, I admit it's pretty grand myself," Phillip agreed.

"The masters are there!"

I looked at the pointing, and saw the masters.

Each of them wore a new waistcoat and perfectly tailored coat-jacket, hair styled and combed back, standing with their backs straight at the tree, like illustrations of a love interest in a romance novel.

Even Eugene. Only in his hand was his cane.

He had finally stopped using the leg braces, and that made me happy—even happier than seeing him again after so long.

"Look! There's an orchestra too," Beth squealed, and there was, only they weren't playing yet.

"Settle down, now," Mister Kupka said, but he seemed ready to jump out of his shoes too. "It should be time for the first dance. Let's line up."

Once we began lining up, Silas stepped out of his line. Under the cue the guests cleared the middle of the front hall. Silas, his beard trimmed, and ruffles spilling from his collar, cleared his throat before he began to speak.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I want to say two things before the ball commences. First off, I want to thank you for attending the first Christmas Ball the Beardsleys have hosted in over decades. Despite our Father's untimely death and the unfortunate situation regarding the inheritance, we brothers believe Christmas is still a holiday we shall enjoy to the utmost." He smiled convincingly, looking crestfallen although I knew it was only an act. "Our Father in heaven would surely wish that too.

"As for the second thing, I would simply like to wish each and every one of you a merry Christmas Eve and to enjoy your time here." He turned to the orchestra." May the first dance begin!"

At his command, the musicians's limbs began to adjust themselves. The composer raised his arms, and with a sudden movement, noise began to flow. It was a beautiful song.

However, no couple went on the floor yet. People looked at the Beardsleys. Without any hesitation, Silas walked over to where the maids were standing. I clammed up, but thankfully he headed towards Rhiannon.

He placed one arm behind him, bent down, and then offered her a gloved hand.

"May I have the pleasure?"

Unshaken, and as if he was not her master, and with her chin still held high, she nodded.

"Yes."

We watched in awe as the first couple walked into the middle. Rhiannon danced gracefully, like she was born to dance, and they looked like a pair made in heaven, if not for Silas's terrible personality. Then another surprise, and more pleasant one, happened.

"May I also have the pleasure?" Harper offered his hand to Clo. He looked awkward standing there, clueless as to how to bow, but Clo's eyes were soft.

"I don't know how to dance," she said, in a voice we never heard before. We wondered where her usual sass went.

"I can't either."

"Just go, Clo!" Beth teased. Without further ado, she took his hand, face down, and then they also went into the dance floor that was slowly, but surely, getting filled.

"They are going to become a pair at this rate, I just know it!" Beth watched them with a cheeky grin, and I laughed.

"Don't you have anyone you want to dance with?"

"Maybe I'll ask Mister Kupka for the fun of it—oh, but can a lady ask a gentlemen—" she was saying, but then her face suddenly turned pale. "I think I need to go somewhere, Shuyan."

"Beth? Wait, Beth—" before I knew it, Beth had weaved into the crowd of people. A couple danced by, then two women trailed after, their dresses taking up another minute or so. Before I knew it, I lost track of her. Why had she ran away?

I turned back to find some familiar faces, and saw Matheus.

"May I have the pleasure of your first dance?" he asked. I blushed, flustered.

"Are you sure? I'm not much of a dancer."

"Oh, you're bound to be better than me. I can hardly even walk for long now." Smiling, I took his hand and we went into the dance floor where people waltzed to the piano and violin. We swayed in tune with the couples around us, forgoing the more complicated steps, but I felt warm and happy as I gazed into his laughing face. It was the face I'd always imagined Santa Claus to have in my childhood.

As we waltzed, I could see his eyes grow teary.

"What's wrong, Matheus?" Was my dancing that terrible? "Do you want to sit?"

"No, no," he said, shaking his head softly, the smile still on his face. "You just have no idea how happy I am to find someone who can make my master look forward to everyday." He looked at the crowd, and when I followed his eyes, I saw Eugene. He stood there at the Christmas tree with Elijah and Olive, probably because those three couldn't dance.

"Ever since I became his valet, some time after he broke his leg, I have thought it was hopeless to make the young boy desire for life again. For anything. He always holed up in his room, growing more distant to his brothers with each day and closer to his animal companions. But you—I don't know what you did or say, but with you he changed."

I watched Eugene as Matheus spoke, unable to comprehend it. No—unwilling to. Because if I did, then I was sure I would get too ahead of myself. I would desire too much.

"Shuyan, I want to thank you for everything. And I also wish that you would never leave the boy, because if you ever did, I'm sure that would be too much for him to bear."

Eugene suddenly turned around and caught my eye. My heart skipped, and I turned my head back to Matheus as fast as I could.

"There is no need to thank me." I gave a shaky smile, and then the music stopped.

The first dance was over.