corridor which would send us scattering for cover; we knew that he hated to be disturbed going about his business. Becky had told me she had even hidden in a cupboard once, hearing his step outside the room and not having any other means of escape. And now here he was, smiling at me! Something about his expression reminded me of my father - which is the only time a baron has been compared to a fisherman, I should imagine. That was certainly a thought to keep to myself.
Then Lady Vye cut in, and that was the next extraordinary thing. ‘I have discussed the matter with Henderson,’ she said, ‘and decided to give you another chance. There are aspects of your behavior I find unacceptable, but clearly your heart is in the right place. Henderson tells me your work is satisfactory on the whole and you are still young - there is hope you will improve. You may continue to work at the Hall, so long as you manage to control your conduct. Do you understand? There is no place for a saucy, bold little madam here.’
‘Yes, M’lady. No, M’lady,’ I said, hardly knowing what to do with myself. I could have jumped for joy! However that would have done me no good at all, so I merely curtseyed again with so much feeling that I nearly fell over backwards.
‘That is all,’ she said. ‘Off you go.’
‘Just a minute.’ His Lordship was beckoning me towards him. He reached into his pocket and then slipped something into my hand. It was a sovereign - a whole gold sovereign! I had to look twice at the coin before I realized what it was, never having seen one before.
‘Good girl,’ he said, and smiled at me again. ‘You did well today.
Six
General Rules for a Ball
Wall-flowers: The master of the house should see that all the ladies dance; he should take notice, particularly, of those who seem to serve as drapery to the walls of the ballroom (or wallflowers, as the expression is) and should see that they are invited to dance. But he must do this wholly unperceived, in order not to wound the esteem of the unfortunate ladies.
From Manners, Culture and Dress of the Best American Society , Richard Wells, 1893
I hurried back to work up the servants’ staircase as though I were floating on air. My job back, and a sovereign into the bargain! Never in my wildest dreams had I expected such a stroke of luck. All along the upstairs landing, bedroom doors were opening and the ladies came sailing out in rustling clouds of silk and taffeta, chiffon and ostrich feathers. (I had noticed most of the gentlemen already downstairs.) Some were already wearing their masks, other held fans before their faces. The air seemed to hum with excitement, laughter, and whispered secrets. Miss Eugenie was the belle of the ball, very grown-up in ivory crêpe de chine embroidered all over with seed pearls, and a mask in her hand made of swans’ feathers. I hoped the evening would be everything she could have wanted, and more.
‘You look pleased with yourself all of a sudden,’ Jemima remarked as we started to tidy up the bedrooms.
‘I am not to leave after all,’ I told her, brushing up a quantity of face powder which the Duchess had managed to spill over the carpet. ‘They’ve given me another chance.’
That took the wind out of Jemima’s sails. ‘Better not waste it, then,’ she remarked. I could tell she was put out but didn’t take any notice; nothing could spoil my mood.
When the rooms were back in their proper order and the slops at last emptied away, I went to take my place in the conservatory. It had been set up with several dressing tables and a full-length cheval mirror, and the ladies soon started trickling in: dropping off cloaks and furs for me to hang up, checking their reflections or adjusting their hair. Once the dancing began at ten, I was not so busy - until a very grand lady in burgundy brocade came sweeping through the door.
‘Can you sew tolerably well?’ she asked me.
‘Yes, ma’am. At least, so I have been
Then Lady Vye cut in, and that was the next extraordinary thing. ‘I have discussed the matter with Henderson,’ she said, ‘and decided to give you another chance. There are aspects of your behavior I find unacceptable, but clearly your heart is in the right place. Henderson tells me your work is satisfactory on the whole and you are still young - there is hope you will improve. You may continue to work at the Hall, so long as you manage to control your conduct. Do you understand? There is no place for a saucy, bold little madam here.’
‘Yes, M’lady. No, M’lady,’ I said, hardly knowing what to do with myself. I could have jumped for joy! However that would have done me no good at all, so I merely curtseyed again with so much feeling that I nearly fell over backwards.
‘That is all,’ she said. ‘Off you go.’
‘Just a minute.’ His Lordship was beckoning me towards him. He reached into his pocket and then slipped something into my hand. It was a sovereign - a whole gold sovereign! I had to look twice at the coin before I realized what it was, never having seen one before.
‘Good girl,’ he said, and smiled at me again. ‘You did well today.
Six
General Rules for a Ball
Wall-flowers: The master of the house should see that all the ladies dance; he should take notice, particularly, of those who seem to serve as drapery to the walls of the ballroom (or wallflowers, as the expression is) and should see that they are invited to dance. But he must do this wholly unperceived, in order not to wound the esteem of the unfortunate ladies.
From Manners, Culture and Dress of the Best American Society , Richard Wells, 1893
I hurried back to work up the servants’ staircase as though I were floating on air. My job back, and a sovereign into the bargain! Never in my wildest dreams had I expected such a stroke of luck. All along the upstairs landing, bedroom doors were opening and the ladies came sailing out in rustling clouds of silk and taffeta, chiffon and ostrich feathers. (I had noticed most of the gentlemen already downstairs.) Some were already wearing their masks, other held fans before their faces. The air seemed to hum with excitement, laughter, and whispered secrets. Miss Eugenie was the belle of the ball, very grown-up in ivory crêpe de chine embroidered all over with seed pearls, and a mask in her hand made of swans’ feathers. I hoped the evening would be everything she could have wanted, and more.
‘You look pleased with yourself all of a sudden,’ Jemima remarked as we started to tidy up the bedrooms.
‘I am not to leave after all,’ I told her, brushing up a quantity of face powder which the Duchess had managed to spill over the carpet. ‘They’ve given me another chance.’
That took the wind out of Jemima’s sails. ‘Better not waste it, then,’ she remarked. I could tell she was put out but didn’t take any notice; nothing could spoil my mood.
When the rooms were back in their proper order and the slops at last emptied away, I went to take my place in the conservatory. It had been set up with several dressing tables and a full-length cheval mirror, and the ladies soon started trickling in: dropping off cloaks and furs for me to hang up, checking their reflections or adjusting their hair. Once the dancing began at ten, I was not so busy - until a very grand lady in burgundy brocade came sweeping through the door.
‘Can you sew tolerably well?’ she asked me.
‘Yes, ma’am. At least, so I have been
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