Chapter Eleven
The following
Saturday Liza found herself pacing the front hall dressed head to foot in a
fine reproduction of a King George the third era ball grown. It was a golden
yellow and had lacy detail but it bulged around her hips in a most
uncomfortable way. She felt contracted by the corset she wore and weighed down
by the endless hop skirts. She desperately wanted to scratch in itch she has on
her back. How the hell was anyone an actual fan of these clothes, she thought
to herself as she attempted to rub her back against a hallway table in a most
indelicate, un Georgian kind of way.
Just then the
doorbell rang and Rupert, the butler, appeared from around the stairs to answer
the door. Liza thought Mary looked much better in her deep purple dress than
she did in hers. Mary seemed almost radiant in it.
“My goodness Mary,
you do wash up rather well.”
Mary gave a hearty
laugh. “As do you Liza. I have to admire your dress, it looks like a radiant
sun.”
“Oh, this old
thing? I mean it Mary, this old, musty thing! I will be very glad to be
done with this fool’s errand tonight.”
“You’re not
getting cold feet are you?”
“Feet? No, but I
am sure this damn corset is going to end up cutting me in half.”
“Well, then, I
think we should get going while you are still whole.” Just then the Colonel
stepped into the house behind Mary.
“Colonel
Thornsberry, Grandfather is expecting you, come in.”
“Good evening
Liza.” he said with a small bow. “Now I am sure your Grandfather has already
talked to you-“
“Yes, he has, so
no need for a repeat. Don’t look so shocked Colonel. I am not some wet behind
the ears private when it comes to these social events. Whatever other failings Grandfather
might be guilty of in raising me, he has always made sure I attended the right
finishing classes and the right coming out parties. Now, I cannot say I enjoyed
any of them or even tried very hard, but I think I can recall enough to fake
it.”
“And Uncle, I will
be with Liza.” Mary chimed in, sounding a bit too eager, “Mother has done a
good deal more than even sending me to classes. She has very drilled me day and
night about how to handle these affairs.”
“Truth be told I
wasn’t worried about your social graces ladies, more about you skulking around
Igsseldin’s house.”
“Ah that, no
worries Colonel. I already have a plan to tell anyone I might run into that I
was looking for the loo.”
The Colonel
registered some schlock at this but soon he and Mary and Liza were laughing
loudly.
Just then the
General huffed into the hall, smoking a large clay pipe.
“Leave them alone
Colonel. This is woman’s work after all.”
“Grandfather!”
Liza said. “Honestly, we should send you and the Colonel in our place. And in
these dresses!”
“Humph!” the
Colonel said. “I should like to see the upstairs maid try and fit me into a
corset!”
”Off you go then!”
The General said. “Keep an eye on her” He told Mary “She’s libel to get us all
in trouble before the night is over…”
Liza and Mary
arrived at the Igsseldin’s house not a half an hour later. The house was a
proper mansion, not connected to any other house, and took up half of a block
in the best part of London. Its elaborate Victorian architecture loomed over
the sidewalk as the two young women alighted from their cab up to the front
door. They joined a steady stream of party goers making their way into the
house. It was as if half of London was invited.
“At least we can
get lost in the crowd” Liza said to Mary as she gave her invitation to the
brutish butler that stood guard in the doorway.
While the night
air had a certain chill to it, inside the large house was warm and brightly
lit. Liza and Mary came into large entrance hall decked out in what seems like
a market’s worth of flowers. Massive arrangements spilled out of large Chinese
blue vases. To the left was a large opening frames by folded out French doors
that led into a large ballroom. People streamed in and out of the ballroom
through the opening, often 2-3 astride. From the ballroom came the sounds of
what sounded like almost a full orchestra playing 18th century baroque music.
Through the doorway Liza and Mary could see people dancing a Contredance. Off
the right side of the hall way was a large room that held tables groaning with
food.
“There must be
several hundred people here.” Mary said fairly loudly so she could be heard by
Liza, envy thought the two were only a few feet apart. They could scarcely get
any closer because of their large hoop skirts.
“Yes, this is
great, I think. You stay here and look around, see if you can talk to any
servants, I am going to take a look around. Oh1 Pardon me!” Liza said as her
large skirt bounced off of a gentleman behind her. “These things are
impossible!”
“Very” Mary said,
“How are we supposed to get about the house in these? We did not plan for this
I guess.”
“Au contraire!”
Liza said with a smile. “Follow me.”
Mary followed Liza
down the large hall until it split into two at a “T.” Liza took a left and kept
going until she came to the end. There was a small door next to a side table.
She pulled on the handle and opened the door, just managing to squeeze her
dress through. She turned to find Mary looking at her strangely.
“What? It’s the
maid’s passage. All of these big houses have them. There’ll be a landing here,
come on, come on!”
With some effort
Mary got herself and her skirt through the narrow door. And, as Liza had said,
there was a compact landing behind the door.
“This is where the
maids can prepare things, like a tray or perhaps set up a table for cleaning
the rooms. All of these houses have them, areas where the maids can do their
work out of sight. Terrible, you know, but people want the maids to do
everything for them, but not to actually see them doing it.”
“Well, it’s about
the same out join the country Liza.” Mary said, distractedly looking around,
her massive skirt bumping into the wall.
“Now, I am still
not sure how we are to get about the house.”
“Not we, just me.
Watch Mary dear.” Liza took her left hand and reach roundabout halfway to her
hip. She fiddled for a moment and then, as if by magic, the skirt around her
fell off, leaving her in tan slacks.
“Hey!” Mary said,
her face registering shock. “That’s cheating! Where are all of your ruffles and
those endless stupid layers of material.”
“Well, I figured
since this was all fake anyway, why not make it a good, useful fake. It’s just
batting and a handy snap. Now, if you could be so good as to go back out and
spy from the dance floor, I will skulk around. Perhaps you will meet nice boy
and make your mother happy”
“I would much
rather be sneaking around, but I suppose that isn’t very likely in this thing.”
Mary said sourly. “Very well, I shall expect you back with in the half hour, if
not sooner. Where will you leave your skirt?”
“Just here, on the
landing. If a maid finds it I will shall say I got over heated.”
“Good idea. Do be
careful Liza.”
“See you soon
Mary, do not worry.”
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