Anne stepped down from the stool, for she was afraid that she would faint from dizziness. And then Mrs. Blacke stepped in and she felt even worse. She didn't want to seem like a beggar. It was her fault that she hadn't asked her father. "Oh, no, please, Mrs. Blacke. I'll ask me father for money..." she said.

"Would go from six shillings for a plain model," the lady answered.

A fat lot of good he's done 'til now! Lottie thought silently at Anne's pleading that her father would provide. Lottie was certain that Anne's late mother, Hannah would never have let this happen.

"Yer family's been busy, Anne. Yer sister's should have seen to ye, but they were busy too. Someone has to take care of ye."

Bill and Joe could be without beer money this week, so a child had proper clothes. She would have done the same thing if it were Kate.

Anne was near tears, partly because she felt embarrassed and guilty, but also because some part of her really wanted someone to take care of her. She bit her lip to fight back the tears, nodded reluctantly, and then went to hug Mrs. Blacke. "I don't know how to thank ye. I feel bad."

Anne's act moved Lottie deeply and she swallowed to maintain her composure. She gratefully accepted the young girl's hug and returned it, wrapping her stout arms around Anne's small frame. Hopefully some of her warmth and mothering would soak into this poor dear.

"Everything will be alright" Lottie whispered to Anne before turning her attention to the assistant.

"We'll go with a plain one as well." she said firmly.

"Very well, then step behind the curtain here, dearie, so I can measure your sizes. I bet we'll have to amend that dress entirely differently now. That's right." Anne cast Lottie one last grateful look before following the lady. After a minute or so the lady came back to fetch two different sizes of corsets, and then after another two minutes while the black dress.

When Anne returned, the dress fell a great deal more graciously. She could hardly believe her eyes when she looked into the mirror. Though she was still far more plump than she would like and a far cry from the hourglass figure that was fashionable, her curves were more defined and she looked far more like a young woman than before. She blushed at what she saw and turned her eyes to for approval.

The lady meanwhile put the old heavily patched and ragged corset on a table. Definitely a young girl's corset.

Lottie glanced at the ratty and spent corset and shook her head before turning back to look at Anne. The girl turned toward her as if seeking her approval.

"Much better. How do ye feel?" Lottie asked.

Anne smiled at Mrs. Blacke and then looked back in the mirror. "I feel so grown up."

"Well, ye should, dear. Lemme look at that dress now." said the lady who was helping her, and she began pinning the dress in different places. "Right. That only needs small adaptations now. It should be ready tomorrow at four. Ye might want to keep that corset on." And the woman cast a look of horror at the old garment.

"Ye look it." Lottie replied, remembering her own youth as the assistant busied around Anne. Lottie made a note of the time the dress would be ready.

"Tomorrow at 4 o clock." Lottie repeated. Again she cast her eyes towards the tired and shabby corset and her jaw stiffened. She'd give the Wards a piece of her mind.

"Ye needn't throw that old thing out. We'll take it away with us." She would need the garment as evidence.