It was 10:30 am. Dad long since left for work. There was kind of a mid morning lull and the house was very quiet. I decided to call a staff meeting. I love being able to do that. Still, my father had taught us to always respect the staff. Most people treat their staff as if there were subhuman but Dad is very good to our staff.

By a quarter to eleven the entire staff had assembled in the parlor. Johnny and I stood at the front of the room. I had never actually done this before. "Umm, sit." I said to the staff. They looked at me kind of surprised but then sat down on the chairs and sofa. "I don't think you're supposed to do that." Johnny hissed. "Well too late now!" I growled.

"Ok," I began, "tomorrow my father, Johnny, Jack and I are going to the theater. And, see, Dad has never met Jack so we need to make sure he makes a good impression. So we have to teach him manners and get him cleaned up all before Dad gets home. So, James, could you help us with him? And everyone else, you cannot breathe a word of this to my father! Be on the watch for him tomorrow night. Nothing can go wrong. Nothing. You're free to go." "Free to go?" Johnny chuckled and elbowed me. I glared at him. "What was I supposed to say?"

Halfway up the stairs I was �intercepted' by Jeanne, my maid. "Oh, Miss Angela, we have so much to do!" she cried. I still can't get used to being called �Miss'. Normally the help would call me �Miss DeLanci' but I insist they at least use my first name. I know it's kind of an uncommon thing to be uncomfortable about; if I had lived in America all my life I would be used to being called �Miss DeLanci' but it hasn't always been that way. I've led a very unusual childhood...

"What?" I asked confused. What did we have to do? What in the world was Jeanne talking about? "Why, we have to get you ready!" she exclaimed. I shook my head, still confused, "For what?" "Friday night!" she said, dragging me down the stairs.

"Now," Jeanne said, her eyes sparkling, "we have to get you a dress for Friday." I couldn't help but be a little excited. After all, who doesn't like new clothes? "Mr. DeLanci left me with some money told me that once I was done with my morning work I should take you shopping for a new dress." This was a surprise! No one had said anything to me. Not that I really minded...

I stepped into the dress shop in New York's upper end. I smiled to myself, excited. Almost instantly a women appeared by our side, ready to help. In fact, her eagerness was almost suffocating but I ignored it. I studied the store, looking at everything. My eyes fell upon two girls and their mother. They looked at me, disdainfully. They probably would have been familiar to me if my family involved themselves in the entire upper-class social scene. Well, my father did but only because he had to for business. He usually didn't drag Johnny and me into it.

I flicked my eyes away from the two girls and started studying the dresses. Many of them were pale, wispy pastels. I look horrid in pastels. Pastels have always seem, almost weak to me. I sighed. Those must be the popular colors. Pale yellows and blues. Then I saw it. "Jeanne," I said, interrupting her and the attendant. "Well, what is it dear?" "That's it. That's the dress I want." I breathed.