“Then why don’t you let your sister put away some of your things while you dress for dinner?”
Prudence threw her a simple white cotton chemise from the trunk and Rowena let her dressing gown drop to the floor. She pulled the shift over her head and then deftly caught the silk stockings Prudence tossed.
“I’ve met your cousin,” Prudence said as she unpacked.
“What did you think of her?” Rowena drew the silk stockings deftly up her legs, first one and then the other. Then she stood while Prudence fit the stays of the lightweight corset around her. All three girls had long given up the heavier, more confining corsets, preferring the simple riding corset, as it was much easier to move in. Because most clothing would not fit without the proper corset, the Buxton girls had most of the waists on their clothing altered. They decided long ago as a group that breathing a bit easier was preferable. The corset was only lightly boned and had a long, straight busk; Prudence buttoned up the front, adjusted it a second time, and then laced it up the back.
“She didn’t say much, though she did ask about the picture of my mother.” She pulled on the laces while Rowena held her breath.
“What did she say?” Rowena asked, clipping the suspender tags to the stockings.
“She just asked if it was my mother.” Prudence rummaged around in a small trunk before coming up with a pair of black French-heeled shoes. “It was strange, though. It’s almost as if she already knew who my mother was.”
Prudence arranged a light petticoat on the floor in a circle, while Rowena slipped the shoes on. Then she stepped into thepetticoat and Prudence pulled it up around her. The girls had been helping each other dress for years and knew the routine.
“Why is that strange? Your mother worked here before she married, didn’t she? Perhaps Elaine has heard of her?” Rowena held up her arms and Prudence slipped the dress over her head. Then she did the same with the sheer lace overdress.
“That’s what is so strange,” Prudence said. “Why should Elaine have heard of a mere housemaid who worked here before she was even born?”
Rowena frowned. “I’d never thought of that, but you’re right. It’s not like at home, where we know our staff so well. Most of the time, I don’t think they’d recognize the faces of half the people who work for them.”
“That’s what I thought.” Prudence cocked her head and eyed her critically. “Do you want me to do your hair up?”
Rowena shook her head and sat at the little vanity table. “I’m just going to pull it back and put it in a low knot.” She looked at Prudence’s reflection and hesitated. “It’s so strange for you to help me get dressed and me not doing the same for you.”
Prudence gave her a half smile. “What, you don’t think they’d appreciate my dinner gown?”
She whirled around and Rowena gave a halfhearted laugh. Even a half smile lit up the planes of Prudence’s pretty features and Rowena once again wondered how someone as attractive as Prudence could be unaware of how lovely she actually was. “I think you’re beautiful no matter what you wear.”
Prudence’s smile dimmed, then disappeared from her face entirely. “But it isn’t my clothes they would object to, is it? It wouldn’t matter if I were dressed from head to toe in an original Poiret, they still wouldn’t want me sitting at their dining room table.”
Rowena fiddled with her brush to avoid Prudence’s eyes. “I’m sorry, Pru” was all she could think to say. She had never thought of her family in this light before. The extent to which her father had shielded them from the realities of life at Summerset suddenly dawned on her. And yet he had never shied away from revealing the truth to his girls about anything else, so why hide the depth of entitlement and prejudice that defined places like Summerset? Because he loved it here, she realized. He saw the dark cost of places like
Prudence threw her a simple white cotton chemise from the trunk and Rowena let her dressing gown drop to the floor. She pulled the shift over her head and then deftly caught the silk stockings Prudence tossed.
“I’ve met your cousin,” Prudence said as she unpacked.
“What did you think of her?” Rowena drew the silk stockings deftly up her legs, first one and then the other. Then she stood while Prudence fit the stays of the lightweight corset around her. All three girls had long given up the heavier, more confining corsets, preferring the simple riding corset, as it was much easier to move in. Because most clothing would not fit without the proper corset, the Buxton girls had most of the waists on their clothing altered. They decided long ago as a group that breathing a bit easier was preferable. The corset was only lightly boned and had a long, straight busk; Prudence buttoned up the front, adjusted it a second time, and then laced it up the back.
“She didn’t say much, though she did ask about the picture of my mother.” She pulled on the laces while Rowena held her breath.
“What did she say?” Rowena asked, clipping the suspender tags to the stockings.
“She just asked if it was my mother.” Prudence rummaged around in a small trunk before coming up with a pair of black French-heeled shoes. “It was strange, though. It’s almost as if she already knew who my mother was.”
Prudence arranged a light petticoat on the floor in a circle, while Rowena slipped the shoes on. Then she stepped into thepetticoat and Prudence pulled it up around her. The girls had been helping each other dress for years and knew the routine.
“Why is that strange? Your mother worked here before she married, didn’t she? Perhaps Elaine has heard of her?” Rowena held up her arms and Prudence slipped the dress over her head. Then she did the same with the sheer lace overdress.
“That’s what is so strange,” Prudence said. “Why should Elaine have heard of a mere housemaid who worked here before she was even born?”
Rowena frowned. “I’d never thought of that, but you’re right. It’s not like at home, where we know our staff so well. Most of the time, I don’t think they’d recognize the faces of half the people who work for them.”
“That’s what I thought.” Prudence cocked her head and eyed her critically. “Do you want me to do your hair up?”
Rowena shook her head and sat at the little vanity table. “I’m just going to pull it back and put it in a low knot.” She looked at Prudence’s reflection and hesitated. “It’s so strange for you to help me get dressed and me not doing the same for you.”
Prudence gave her a half smile. “What, you don’t think they’d appreciate my dinner gown?”
She whirled around and Rowena gave a halfhearted laugh. Even a half smile lit up the planes of Prudence’s pretty features and Rowena once again wondered how someone as attractive as Prudence could be unaware of how lovely she actually was. “I think you’re beautiful no matter what you wear.”
Prudence’s smile dimmed, then disappeared from her face entirely. “But it isn’t my clothes they would object to, is it? It wouldn’t matter if I were dressed from head to toe in an original Poiret, they still wouldn’t want me sitting at their dining room table.”
Rowena fiddled with her brush to avoid Prudence’s eyes. “I’m sorry, Pru” was all she could think to say. She had never thought of her family in this light before. The extent to which her father had shielded them from the realities of life at Summerset suddenly dawned on her. And yet he had never shied away from revealing the truth to his girls about anything else, so why hide the depth of entitlement and prejudice that defined places like Summerset? Because he loved it here, she realized. He saw the dark cost of places like
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