The Gallant South- Part One

Chapter VIII- October 12-15, 1912

        When Cora walked into her closet after lunch and picked out a fine day dress made of lace and dark maroon velvet, she contemplated whether or not she should complete her ensemble with the mandatory corset.
        After a careful moment of consideration, Cora changed into a chemise with drawers and stockings, but this time, instead of lacing on a corset, she simply put on a camisole and petticoat, then carefully put on the dress she'd picked out.
        It was the first time since she was ten years old that she'd ever worn a dress without a corset. It was a strange feeling, but she felt more mobile, and less restricted. Although, corsets weren't necessarily restricting. Despite the Victorian-era advertisements claiming that corsets were so awful, they actually were not so bad if you had a well-fitting one. Cora had never had a problem with any of hers.

        There is something odd about an empty house. You know when you're alone. When Cora exited her bedroom, she could hear nothing but the slap of her thick-heeled day shoes hitting the wooden floors. As she sauntered down the stairs and into the foyer, she looked around and saw that there was no one anywhere. When she opened the front door and looked out across the lawn, she saw that the automobile was gone, along with Jim's horse, Julie. Everyone was gone.
        There was a note on the kitchen table in Masterson's handwriting that announced that he and Cecelia were on a drive through the city, as she had wanted to see it. Henderson had wanted to see it too. Nothing on Jim, so Cora figured he was at the store.
        With nothing else to do, and not wanting to think about the events of the previous day, Cora decided to make herself a cup of tea. As she opened the back door and walked across the elevated walkway, inhaling the brisk autumn air, she looked up at the sky and noticed how overcast it was. It was the first truly cloudy day in Estelle thus far, and Cora figured they were due for a little rain as she opened the screen and door to get into the kitchen, closing the screen door but leaving the regular door open.
        She rooted through the large collection of tea bags and loose tea before settling on a regular Earl Grey. She took one of the bags from the small metal tin and set it on the tile counter as she looked around for a teapot. After finding a brass teapot in one of the cabinets, Cora filled it with water and turned on one of the stove eyes, placing the teapot down.
        While she waited for the water to boil, Cora sat in the chair next to the window and looked at the sky, which was quickly becoming dark, as if it were to storm. Cora hoped the others would be alright.

        When the tea was ready, Cora poured it into a larger teacup, found a matching saucer, and retreated into the library to find a book to read. After a moment of browsing the shelves looking, she ran back up to her bedroom, threw open the door, snatched the copy of The Hunchback of Notre Dame from her nightstand, and hurried back down into the library.
        After a second thought, Cora stepped outside onto the front porch and sat down in one of the rocking chairs, setting the teacup and saucer down on the little wooden table next to the chair.
        As she opened the book to where she left off, there was a quiet rumble of thunder from off in the distance. The few birds that were in the trees got up and flew off into the distance. Overhead, a flock of birds flew in the direction of the road. A squirrel dashed across the front lawn and up one of the numerous trees scattered across the property.
        She read a bit more of her book while the air grew more humid, and the wind picked up a slight, going from a cool autumn breeze to a wind that rustled the tree branches. The clusters of Spanish moss swayed, and the leaves on the thick bushes under the windows blew around. There was definitely a storm on the way. The first storm in Estelle in the time that Cora had been there.
        There was another rumble of thunder from off in the distance, and the wind picked up for real. The wind chimes that Henderson had hung up began to play their sweet tune with the wind, and a few dead leaves tumbled down the road. From the first floor porch, Cora could just see the top floors of some of the buildings at the edge of the city, but she could hear the hurried clomp of horse-drawn wagons hurrying to find shelter. An automobile hurried down the road, followed a few moments later by a man riding a horse that was hitched up to a wagon full of grocery bags.
        After a third rumble of thunder that was a bit closer than the last two, the sky grew darker and darker until it was blanketed by dark gray and blue clouds moving so quickly she could see them moving without trying to. The wind picked up even more, picking up loose strands of her hair, which blew around her face annoyingly. When there was a fourth rumble of thunder, Cora tucked the book under her arm, picked up the teacup and saucer, and hurried inside, closing both doors firmly, but keeping one of them unlocked.
        Not knowing what else to do, Cora retreated back into the library and took a seat in the velvet cushioned chair that sat at the table underneath one of the two back windows. After setting the teacup and saucer down on the glossy wooden table, she unlocked the window and slid it up, glad she had screens installed on the halves that could open.
        In the tone of Fleur-de-lys's brief replies there was still something that betokened displeasure. The captain was more and more at a loss what-
        Cora's reading mindset was again interrupted by a rumble of thunder, this one much closer and louder than the ones of the past. Outside, there was a light drizzle of rain, and the wind blew it forwards, plucking leaves off of bushes and trees, and taking those with it as well.
        The captain was more and more at a loss what to say. He stooped down over the tapestry. "A charming piece of work, by my fay!" cried he. At this exclamation, Colombe de Gaillefontaine, another beautiful girl, of a delicately fair complexion, in a dress of blue damask, timidly ventured to address a-
        When Cora's train of thought in reading was once again rudely interrupted by yet another rumble of thunder, this time with a strike of lighting, she finally marked her page once again, before closing the book and setting it down on the glossy table, which still held her teacup and saucer. With each rumble of thunder, the table shook slightly, and Cora worried the tea was going to spill from it's cup and onto the table. If that happened, it would mean Cora having to dash outside, across the elevated walkway in the thunderstorm, and into the kitchen to retrieve a dish towel. Of course, there were towels in the bathroom and powder room upstairs, but they were lovely white Turkish bath towels with golden trim, not to be used to clean up a tea spill. Not under any circumstances.
        As she sat and watched, sipping her tea at the same time, the rain turned from a light drizzle into a steady downpour, projected forwards by the wind. There was a quick flash of lightning, and about fifteen seconds later, there was another rumble of thunder. The rain fell even harder, and the raging wind blew it around wildly. With only one dim light on in the library, the mood was set for a thunderstorm. And yet, Cora did not feel at peace.