at the Abbas. Oh, you haven’t seen them. Velvet, I think. You would make a fine Spaniard with your dark hair piled up high and a comb and a mantilla.”
I was excited now. I said, “I have Spanish blood; my grandfather was Spanish. I could get the comb and mantilla.”
“There, you see. Red velvet, I think, for you. My Mamma had a red velvet evening gown. Her things haven’t been touched.” She was up again, taking my hands and twirling me round. “The masks are easy. You cut them out of black velvet, and we’ll do patterns on them with beads. We’ve got three weeks to get ready.”
I was far more excited than she. It was true my invitation was a little oblique and would never have been given had Lady St. Larnston known who was receiving it; but still, I was going. I was going to wear a red velvet dress which I had seen and tried on. It had to be altered and reshaped, but we could do it. Miss Kellow helped, not very graciously, but she was an expert needlewoman.
I was pleased because my costume was costing nothing, and the money — not very much — which the Reverend Charles had given Mellyora could all be spent on her. We decided that her costume should be Grecian, so we bought white velvet and gold-colored silk on which we sewed gold sequins. It was a loose-fitting gown caught in by gold, and with her hair falling about her shoulders and in her black velvet mask she looked beautiful.
As the days passed we talked of nothing but the ball and Sir Justin’s health. We were terrified that he would die and the ball have to be canceled.
I went to tell Granny Bee about it.
“I’m going as a Spanish lady,” I told her. “It’s the most wonderful thing that’s ever happened to me.”
She looked at me a little sadly; then she said: “Don’t count on too much from it, lovey.”
“I’m not counting on anything,” I said. “I’m just reminding myself that I shall go in the Abbas … as a guest. I shall be dressed in red velvet. Granny, you should see the dress I’m to wear.”
“Parson’s daughter have been good to you, lovey. Be her friend always.”
“Of course I shall. She’s as glad to have me to go with her as I am to go. Miss Kellow thinks I shouldn’t be going, though.”
“’Tis to be hoped she don’t find some way of telling Lady St. Larnston who you be.”
I shook my head triumphantly. “She wouldn’t dare.”
Granny went to the storehouse and I followed and watched while she opened the box and took out the two combs and mantillas.
“I like to put mine on some nights,” she said. “Then when I’m here alone I fancy Pedro’s with me. For that’s how he did like to see me. Come. Let me try this on you.” Lightly she held up my hair and stuck the comb in the back. It was a tall comb set with brilliants. “You look just as I did at your age, lovey. Now the mantilla.” She draped it about my head and stood back. “When it is done as it should be, there won’t be one of ’em to touch you,” she declared. “I’d like to dress your hair myself, Granddaughter.”
It was the first time she had addressed me thus and I could sense her pride in me.
“Come to the parsonage on the night, Granny,” I said. “Then you can see my room and dress my hair for me.”
“Would it be allowed?”
I narrowed my eyes. “I’m not a servant there … not really. Only you can dress my hair, so you must.”
She laid her hand on my arm and smiled at me.
“Take care, Kerensa,” she said. “Always take care.”
An invitation had arrived for me. It said that Sir Justin and Lady St. Larnston requested the pleasure of Miss Carlyon at the costume ball. Mellyora and I were almost hysterical with laughter when we read it, and Mellyora kept calling me Miss Carlyon in an imitation of Lady St. Larnston’s voice.
There was no time to lose. When our dresses were finished we tried them on every day and I practiced wearing the comb and mantilla. We sat together making our masks, sewing shiny
I was excited now. I said, “I have Spanish blood; my grandfather was Spanish. I could get the comb and mantilla.”
“There, you see. Red velvet, I think, for you. My Mamma had a red velvet evening gown. Her things haven’t been touched.” She was up again, taking my hands and twirling me round. “The masks are easy. You cut them out of black velvet, and we’ll do patterns on them with beads. We’ve got three weeks to get ready.”
I was far more excited than she. It was true my invitation was a little oblique and would never have been given had Lady St. Larnston known who was receiving it; but still, I was going. I was going to wear a red velvet dress which I had seen and tried on. It had to be altered and reshaped, but we could do it. Miss Kellow helped, not very graciously, but she was an expert needlewoman.
I was pleased because my costume was costing nothing, and the money — not very much — which the Reverend Charles had given Mellyora could all be spent on her. We decided that her costume should be Grecian, so we bought white velvet and gold-colored silk on which we sewed gold sequins. It was a loose-fitting gown caught in by gold, and with her hair falling about her shoulders and in her black velvet mask she looked beautiful.
As the days passed we talked of nothing but the ball and Sir Justin’s health. We were terrified that he would die and the ball have to be canceled.
I went to tell Granny Bee about it.
“I’m going as a Spanish lady,” I told her. “It’s the most wonderful thing that’s ever happened to me.”
She looked at me a little sadly; then she said: “Don’t count on too much from it, lovey.”
“I’m not counting on anything,” I said. “I’m just reminding myself that I shall go in the Abbas … as a guest. I shall be dressed in red velvet. Granny, you should see the dress I’m to wear.”
“Parson’s daughter have been good to you, lovey. Be her friend always.”
“Of course I shall. She’s as glad to have me to go with her as I am to go. Miss Kellow thinks I shouldn’t be going, though.”
“’Tis to be hoped she don’t find some way of telling Lady St. Larnston who you be.”
I shook my head triumphantly. “She wouldn’t dare.”
Granny went to the storehouse and I followed and watched while she opened the box and took out the two combs and mantillas.
“I like to put mine on some nights,” she said. “Then when I’m here alone I fancy Pedro’s with me. For that’s how he did like to see me. Come. Let me try this on you.” Lightly she held up my hair and stuck the comb in the back. It was a tall comb set with brilliants. “You look just as I did at your age, lovey. Now the mantilla.” She draped it about my head and stood back. “When it is done as it should be, there won’t be one of ’em to touch you,” she declared. “I’d like to dress your hair myself, Granddaughter.”
It was the first time she had addressed me thus and I could sense her pride in me.
“Come to the parsonage on the night, Granny,” I said. “Then you can see my room and dress my hair for me.”
“Would it be allowed?”
I narrowed my eyes. “I’m not a servant there … not really. Only you can dress my hair, so you must.”
She laid her hand on my arm and smiled at me.
“Take care, Kerensa,” she said. “Always take care.”
An invitation had arrived for me. It said that Sir Justin and Lady St. Larnston requested the pleasure of Miss Carlyon at the costume ball. Mellyora and I were almost hysterical with laughter when we read it, and Mellyora kept calling me Miss Carlyon in an imitation of Lady St. Larnston’s voice.
There was no time to lose. When our dresses were finished we tried them on every day and I practiced wearing the comb and mantilla. We sat together making our masks, sewing shiny
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