Winter Is Past

“Miss Breton.” Mrs. Coates came up to her with a look of concern. “Shouldn’t you be getting upstairs to dress? It’s going on eight. The guests are all here.”

Althea looked at the watch pinned to her dress. “Oh, so it is. Let me just put the shrimp into this sauce and check on the fish.” She removed the sauce from the stove, then opened the oven door and looked at the flat white fillets baking in butter. She tested one. “Yes, these are ready.”

While Mrs. Coates took the pan out of the oven, Althea pricked the pheasant with a long fork. She basted it and the venison one last time.

“Daisy, come here and stir the shrimp carefully into this sauce. Giles, you will be able to oversee carving the pheasant and venison?”

“Yes, miss.” Giles was sharpening the long carving knife with a whetstone.

“How does the table look upstairs?”

“All is in order. Sixteen places, with their place cards.”

“And the sideboard?”

“All is in place.”

“The wines?”

“Uncorked.”

Althea walked to each servant in turn and gave last-minute instructions.

“Oh, thank you, Mrs. Coates,” she said, taking a glass of lemonade from her. “That tastes wonderful.”

“Your cheeks look so flushed. That stove is awfully hot.”

“Yes, it certainly is. I begin to see why Cook might take to drink.”

“Oh, no, miss. She’s a disgrace. We shall speak to her in the morning, you can be sure.”

“How is she? Have you looked in on her?”

“Snoring like to wake the dead.”

Althea drained her glass, then proceeded up to her room. As soon as she had closed the door, she began stripping off her clothes. They were drenched. As she was walking to her basin, a knock sounded on her door.

“Yes, who is it?”

“It’s Dot, miss, the parlor maid.”

Althea opened her door a crack then, when she saw it was the young woman who had sat with Rebecca, bade her enter. “How is Rebecca?”

The young woman smiled. “Oh, she’s fine. Dropped off to sleep while I was still talking, poor lamb. We had a grand time imagining the dinner party tonight.”

“I was going to stop in as soon as I took off these wet things.”

“I heard you come in. Would you like me to help you dress?”

Althea was going to refuse help, then thought about how late she was. “Thank you. Please come in. I must hurry. I should have been down by half-past seven. Could you help me undo these buttons?”

“Certainly, miss.” Dot came toward her. “Oh, miss, is this what you are going to wear? It’s beautiful!”

“What?” Althea turned. “Oh—” She hadn’t noticed the dress draped across her bed. “My, who put this here?” She moved to the bed and picked up the garment. It was a beautiful evening gown of jade-green gauze over a white silk underskirt. Matching green kid slippers sat on the floor beside the bed. Alongside the dress were laid underclothes, gloves, hair ribbons, even a soft white cashmere shawl. As she picked up the dress, a note fluttered to the ground. Dot immediately bent to retrieve it.

Althea took it from her and unfolded it.

Dearest Althy, I heard you were attending a fashionable dinner party. Please accept this dress with my compliments. I have grown much too large for it, and I know it will suit you admiringly. Enjoy it on my behalf, as my dinner party engagements are few and far between at this juncture!

It was signed Gillian, her sister-in-law. Althea smiled despite herself. How like Tertius’s wife. She looked at the maid. “I must hurry. Let me wash. I can’t wear this garment in my present state.” She walked to the washstand and began sponging off her skin. The maid handed her the fresh underclothes and petticoats.

“Oh, we must hurry!” It was past eight. She hoped Simon had not missed her. The maid brushed out her hair then dressed it for her. Althea turned toward the door without even glancing in the mirror. Instead she turned to Dot. “How do I look?” she asked quickly, not sure if she wanted to hear the reply. She felt a little naked with her upper arms and throat exposed.

“You look beautiful.” The maid hesitated. “Haven’t you no jewels, miss?”

Althea’s gloved hand went to her neck. “Does it look too bare?”

“It looks very pretty, miss, but isn’t it usual to have a few jewels?”

Althea nodded. She went over to her dressing table and opened a box. “I’ll wear these,” she said, taking out the only jewelry she possessed, a strand of pearls.

Dot helped her with the clasp. “They’re just the thing,” she said in approval, giving her one last looking over.

“My father gave them to me at my coming out.”

“They’re beautiful.”

“Well, I had better go down.” She squared her shoulders, feeling as if she were about to face a firing squad.

She bolstered her courage with scripture, which she recited as she descended the stairs.

By the time Althea reached the double doors leading to the main salon, her heart felt as if it were pounding in her throat. She gave her hair a pat with both hands, having no idea what it looked like. “‘Not my will, but Thine,’” she murmured under her breath, wanting to run as Elijah had when he fled from Queen Jezebel.

The first thing that greeted her when she opened the doors was the noise. After weeks in the quiet household, Althea was no longer used to crowds. A buzz of voices greeted her. The light from the chandeliers and wall sconces gave the room a bright glow. Several gentlemen stood about in groups, their dark-colored evening jackets contrasting with the brighter gowns of the ladies. Although her reasoning told her there were not more than fifteen or sixteen people in the room, certainly not more than twenty, her senses felt an assault of noise, heat and light.

Giles spotted her over the crowd of heads and came toward her. His gaunt, wrinkled face suddenly seemed the friendliest one in the world.

“Very good, miss, that you’re here. Mr. Aguilar told me to inform him as soon as you arrived.”

“Thank you, Giles.” Already she felt at a disadvantage, hoping she had not held things up through her tardiness. She ventured a few more steps into the room, wishing there was a quiet corner where she could fade into the background. As her breathing steadied, she noticed one or two gentlemen turn to look at her. She kept walking without meeting anyone’s eyes directly, but smiling in the general direction of everyone. Before she could reach a wall of the room, Simon came up to her.

“What kept you so long? Dinner’s long overdue!” His tone was a sharp whisper as his dark eyes frowned at her behind their spectacles. Not waiting for her answer, he turned to Giles, giving him the signal to announce the meal.

The couples began pairing up. Althea had no idea what the gentleman she had assigned herself looked like, so she stood waiting. All she knew about him was that he worked with Simon as a clerk of some sort.

A young man approached her and gave a discreet cough. “Miss Breton?”

She gave him a smile. “Yes, Mr.—” Oh, no, she could not recall his name.