Mother and father had allotted Caroline an ample allowance for new gowns when she arrived in London. Of course she had had plenty made in Boston, but not wanting to appear out of style when the Season began she had argued the point of having more gowns made upon her arrival to London. It wouldn't do to appear as anything less than a fine lady to achieve her mission.

Of course right now Caroline looked anything but a fine lady. She had gone to the House of Lytton for a fitting by way of a carriage. It hadn't been raining, a surprise in London - if Caroline had learned anything in the few weeks since her arrival in the famed capital - when Caroline arrived at the Leaky Cauldron. Nor had it been raining when she entered Diagon Alley. In fact it wasn't until half way through her fitting when Hope had pointed out the first fat drops of rain had pattered to the pavement outside the shop. By the time they had left the store it was absolutely pouring. It hadn't been a problem in the confines of Diagon Alley, but in muggle London one simply couldn't enchant the rain to stop following on one and Caroline had neglected to bring an umbrella. Hope had managed to get them a carriage back, looking quite like a drowned sailor while her mistress tutted about being a polite young lady in an alcove outside of the Leaky Cauldron.

Once stashed inside the carriage and making way toward the townhouse it seemed as if the venture would be a success. That was until the carriage wheel broke. Never having been one to be left out of what was going on Caroline - quite to her maid's dismay - hopped out of the carriage onto the street to see if she might be of some assistance. The carriage driver waved her off, encouraging such a fine lady to return to the inside of the carriage - just as another passing carriage splashed Caroline's gown with mud and water. Truly it was quite a mess and it didn't look like the carriage would be alright anytime soon.

Wet and covered in mud Caroline didn't really have much to lose at the situation, and determining that the townhouse was only a few streets away she began on her way home. By the time they arrived inside the townhouse mud coated the skirts of the two girls and water had drenched them entirely but they were both laughing at their plight, just as Shawn caught sight of them dripping in the entrance.

Shawn Delaney