The ladies' in the room eyes widened upon hearing Madame say that. Madame smiled, and continued, "Brigitte was wearing an especially short-skirted uniform that day and she also seemed to be wearing extra-full white crinoline petticoats. Normally her petticoats were fairly standard, no real ornamentation. But that day, dear ladies, Brigitte was wearing petticoats which flashed an abundance of ruffled white lace hems I had not ever seen her wear before. And the lacy hems were permanently displaying themselves below her midthigh black satin skirt. I had never seen her wearing those petticoats before. They were VERY feminine and lacy. And, of course, the fact that she was carrying one of my fullest and stiffest minicrinoline petticoats also seemed curious to me. There was no room under my dress for another petticoat! As I descended the stairs ahead of Brigitte, my lacy poetticoat hems were everywhere to be seen. The swishing, swaying, and rustling sound of my skirts could certainly be heard from afar. As we approached the room where billy, his stepmother, and my Mother were waiting, Brigitte stopped me before entering. There seemed to be a slight argument occurring between billy and his stepmother. My mother was holding a measuring tape around little billy's waist. But then it became clearer to me. little billy anderson wasn't arguing at all. No, he was PLEADING! His back was to me and I thought I heard the sound of soft crying. My Mother had a half-disgusted look of contempt on her face, assuring billy that 'little boys don't cry. Little Girls do...and sissies.' 'B...b...but......nooooo.....puhleeze.....nooooo...not this.....please not this......puhleeze....' 'Stand still, billy!' My mother responded. His shoulders were shaking as if he was crying. And when I looked at Brigitte, she was...laughing...albeit softly....but laughing nonetheless. Ms. Anderson said softly, "Now, now, billy, I still have time to share your naughty little secret when Miss Kyra comes back down. Would you like Mummy to do that?' 'No, Mummy.....no.....please don't.' 'Very well, but you really are starting to test the limits of my patience, billy.' My Mother immediately went back to taking some additional measurements, calling them out to billy's stepmother as she wrote them down. My mother was all business with little billy. ALL business. When the little boy raised his arms, Mother admonished him for not keeping them straight. Nothing little billy could do now would satisfy my mother. She was clearly in charger. And she knew it. When they were finished, mother ordered the boy to sit on the sofa between billy's stepmother and my Mother. Brigitte then led me back into the room, curtseying in front of Ms. Anderson and my Mother. I followed and dutifully curtseyed as well, my petticoats in a froth of net and lace. Poor little billy's eyes darted first to the beautiful Brigitte and her petticoated French Maid's uniform, and then to me, now even more severely petticoated beneath my ice blue satin party dress. My mother then introduced Brigitte to Ms. Anderson and to billy. This time, when Brigitte curtseyed, little billy's eyes were clearly focused on the generous display of Brigitte's frilled undies and stiff petticoats. He didn't even notice the extra petticoat Brigitte was carrying. 'Brigitte is Miss Kyra's personal maid. She assists Kyra by helping her into her frilly party dreses...the dresses, as you know, have so many buttons, it is simply IMPOSSIBLE to remove the dainty dress once she is wearing it. For example,' Mother continued, 'This adorable little party dress is of a silk bridal satin. It is a pale ice blue and has, of course a built-in organdy and net petticoat. In order to give it the proper fullness it deserves, multiple petticoats MUST be worn to ensure it's ultimate ultrafeminine appearance. As a matter of fact, this frilly little confection allows for the real girly girl, like my darling little daughter, to add an extra petticoat. My dear,' ordered my mother, 'You ARE wearing your additional petticoat, are you not?' 'Oh, yes, Mother Dearest,' my sugary girly response met my Mother's approving eyes. 'Very nice, my sweet little daughter. Is it your favorite white net minicrinoline with the exquisity white lace overlay?' 'Yes, Mummy,' I replied. 'That's my sweet little girl.' Then mother turned her attention to Ms. Anderson, remarking, 'According to the measurements, this particular frilly little dress would be the perfect 'starter dress.' An 'initiation dress,' so to speak, Mother laughed gaily, Ms. Anderson joining in the merriment. Billy was squirming. But billy also was staring...directly at my frilly ice blue satin party dress and, of course, my lace petticoats. And then my mother addressed Brigitte. 'Brigitte, please show little billy....err...I mean....little billy's stepmother the adorable mini-crinoline petticoat of Miss Kyra's you are holding. Hold it up closer for billy...err...I mean...Ms. Anderson to examine...'