Between Wolves & Doves

Chapter 43 Sacred

Iris saw Cèline to her carriage when she came to take her leave. After they'd stayed in the orangery gossiping a while, naturally. Chattering about things much too indelicate for the ears of a husband and a lover. The fact they were a demon a and vampire, non-withstanding.

Mostly it was Céline filling Iris in about the more salacious aspects of her party.

Iris wanders along in awe beside her friend as she more than happily informs her about the types of goings on. Seeing her back up to the ballroom through Ranlor's gardens. Spring winds stirring gentle around them. Curling at their skirts and at Curled tendrils of Céline's fantastic pea green wig, fluttering are the petals of roses in her hair like pink butterflies waiting to take flight. Such a massive ornament, the wig, it must hurt her neck to hold the weighty thing aloft. They trundle along in companionship and the suns a soothing warm beat on their skin as they converse.

She chirps and trills about all the things she's organised for entertainment, it sounds like this simple house party will be the most elegant thing Iris has ever been lucky enough to attend in her lifetime.

Céline has a list longer than Iris's arm of a schedule;

The guests would arrive to a lavish lunch if desired, and be shown to their rooms to settle in. And then there would be lawn games to take part in, picnics, boat rides for the ladies across her own swan strewn lake from the boathouse perched on the shore.

Hunting, riding, cards and shooting for the men if they want it. Walks around the estate and gardens always brightened up a lively sunny afternoon out of doors.

Dinner the first night was to be ten courses of pure Parisian culinary delight. Oysters, poached truffles and breaded foie gras and so very many more rich dishes.

Then, après le dîner, was to be a display of Italian opera singers in one room. Spanish dancers from Seville in the next parlour. A sixteen piece string quartet in the ballroom for dancing with to go along with an endless supply of champagne and a banquet of chocolates and deserts.

Famous Parisian artists had also been invited to come paint life models, or guests, and be admired in their works in another parlour. Her attendees could flit from activity to activity if they wished. A nighttime treasure-puzzle hunt around the gardens and house after dinner too, to round off the first evening. A fun elaborate diversion of a game.

The second day could be filled however anyone wishes; more picnics or walks in the gardens. Possibly a ladies only luncheon on the lawn with tea and cakes. But for the second night, she'd insisted that she had outdone herself;

Céline explains how she paid a whole circus troupe of illusionists, palm readers, and acrobats to mingle amongst her guests at a masquerade ball. Dinner would be laid out like a medieval buffet for them to pluck at. Champagne enough to fill the Pacific Ocean. Absinthe too, and she'd promised a clutch of romantic poets would be reciting some famous works for all to enjoy. Very bohemian.

The final night would see a play hosted in the gardens; dinner out of doors, and blankets laid out on the lawn - weather permitting, and an acting company fresh from London will be performing Shakespeares midsummer nights dream out in the open air for everyone to watch. Fireworks and champagne to round off the final night. And a hearty breakfast the following morning before her guests take their leave.

Iris is agog at the detail of such fine delights; but more so at the manner in which Céline assures her the other guests will be both vampires and humans very much enjoying their glorious settings at Château Chaumont.