Lucid Waking

Passing Notes

Originally published on December 18, 2005

            Snow peppered the streets with a cotton coating. The street was full of black slush as horse drawn carriages trotted back and forth to the Southington’s House. The party was a bit of a bore for the child in the corner. She sat in her best clothes with Violet and Mourny pointing out the couples and making up stories about them. Elizabeth walked nervously with her mask in her hand towards the kitchen.
            “Lady Smith, what a pleasure to see you tonight.” A tall, but round man walked up to her and nodded his head cordially.
            “Ah, Colonel, what a pleasant surprise.” She managed a ladylike smile and nodded.
            “I trust you have seen William around.”
            She inwardly grimaced, but kept her smile up. “No,” she stuttered trying to get around him to get closer to the kitchen door, “I haven’t seen him lately. I’ll be sure to greet him before I leave.”
            “Splendid,” the Colonel said and walked towards the buffet table.
            Eyeing her surroundings, she slipped into the kitchen. Smells of hundreds of cookies, candied yams, and the holiday duck greeted her warmly before anyone else did.
            “M’lady,” Jack whispered as he walked up to her, “you have any news?”
            Jack was the Colonel’s second son, and a forgotten one at that. He had run away from the monkhood and was considered a disgrace with his family. The servants loved to have him around partly because he was such a good worker and mostly because of his charming personality. They had been friends longer than she could remember, but if anyone in the Colonel’s family knew she was talking with him, it would be a disgrace. Especially since, they were trying to match her up with William, the family’s oldest son.
            “Of, course.” She handed him a small red envelope with the insignia of a swan pressed into silver ink.
            Jack winked at her and stuck the envelope in his pocket. She smiled and slipped out of the kitchen. She managed to wander straight to where she had left Mourny, Violet, and the girl without running into William.
            “It took you long enough,” Mourny said disgruntled as he got off chair back the child was sitting on.
            “Lady Lizabeth! Look at that pretty lady over there, she looks like she’s a queen.”
            Elizabeth glanced over to the hostess, where the girl was pointing.
            “Euh, close enough.”
            Violet smiled and nodded at the child.
            “Let’s leave before William finds me. I shouldn’t like to have to endure subtle hints of marriage until next year, at least.”

“Not much between despair and ecstasy”

Passing Notes