A Taste of Candor

Chapter 18

~Tahlia.

It was a most ironic turn of events that my week of isolation would come to an end on the very day we hosted the most robust social gathering of the year. My father had invited all the wealthiest and most influential families in Silverport to partake of a delectable feast in honor of his birthday. If my life were a book, I should not have to labor long to establish the idea this night would be no insignificant tea party on the front porch. On the contrary, a night like tonight could vastly change a lady's life, for better or worse.

It would also be a matter readily understood that the reputation of the Paige family as a whole could be significantly improved or downgraded depending on how we presented ourselves during this gathering. As such, our service staff had begun at the crack of dawn to perform a deep cleaning of the entire mansion, clearly aiming to give the place an even more pristine shine than usual.

However, it wasn't only for our staff to prepare; far from it. Mother and Father both led separate expeditions to prepare us for the evening, with Father taking all his sons to get fresh clothes and haircuts for the occasion, and Mother doing the same for me and her.

By the time me and my mother returned late that afternoon, we'd both had our hair expertly twisted into elegant braids, with little flowers and bows woven in for decoration, and makeup to accentuate and beautify our facial features. We'd also purchased new dresses. While my mother flaunted a dress bathing her in glittering crimson hues, I'd picked out a charming gown in a soft pink, which I'd pair with a cardigan of bolder color I already owned. And of course, I'd wear matching shoes.

Of course, time is always a paradox when one waits for something as I awaited the arrival of our first guests. Seconds dragged on like minutes, and minutes crawled on almost reluctantly, as if time itself had grown weary of our plans. But nonetheless, the doorbell finally chimed, and our servants ushered in the first family to arrive.

Namely, the Profit family had arrived, a clan of bankers, investors, and stock traders who essentially represented the richest of the rich in Silverport. I greeted each member of the family graciously as they passed me, while noting an oddity among them. Every Profit seemed remarkably old or remarkably young; they all wore crowns of silvery hair or toddled along with the assistance of hired aids. Scarcely three of them appeared capable of bearing children, yet children they had in abundance.

Not long after came the Wraths, who owned most of the shipping and distribution infrastructure in the city. Quite contrary to their name, they showed themselves to be the kindest and gracious souls one could meet. I especially found myself excited to greet Delilah Wrath, a member of their clan only a couple years older than myself whose company I'd enjoyed greatly the last time our families met. Her chief quality in my eyes was a talent for telling stories, making even mundane occurrences sound like epic adventures.

And then the Abrams arrived. Predictably, Keene attached himself to me the moment we locked eyes, and I gave him a modest hug in greeting. Given our close friendship with the Abrams, formality gave way to familiarity when we welcomed them into our home.

At any rate, when all our guests had arrived, or else, individuals' absences had been explained away, we gathered in the massive dining hall, prayed over the food, and started into feasting. I most certainly quirked a brow upon glancing up at the stage in the back of the room and spotting only six musicians there, but of course, with all of Steelfort's most powerful men and women around me, that thought quickly saw itself out the door. Not only that, but nothing outweighed food in importance.

The dishes on the table were so numerous and diverse it would take three plates full to even try a little of everything. Needless to say, that fact led to some very difficult decisions in choosing what I'd eat. Ultimately, I settled on three cuts of different meats, accompanied by a mound of mashed potatoes, a dinner roll, and a little custard.