A Game of Hearts

Chapter seven

Half an hour later, Matilda stepped into the blue parlour downstairs, and every face - five women - in the room turned to watch her. She looked radiant, and she knew it: the golden hue of the dress complimented the warm undertones of her skin, and Rosie had succeeded in doing her hair in the voluptuous and sensual style of a Gibson girl. Matilda wasn't sure if the style had reached the upper echelons of British society yet, but in Paris, it was just about to be all the rage. Matilda figured, that she might as well use the head start to her advantage and make a solid first impression. Even if the London ladies would find the hairstyle too frivolous, too provocative, the impression made would be worth it. And when had Matilda ever been one to care if society disapproved of a young lady's choice of appearance? She certainly wasn't about to start caring now.

Apart from Penelope in her black mourning dress, four other women were seated in the parlour, all of them in ornamental dresses and ridiculous updos. Three of them were as young as Matilda or a little older, while the third was middle-aged. She was wearing a dove-grey day dress and a startled look in her eyes as they landed on Matilda.

"Ah, Matilda!" Penelope said when Matilda entered the room. Her eyes landed on Matilda's bright dress, and Matilda could tell that she was annoyed with her. But she didn't show it. "How nice of you to join us. Ladies, may I introduce my sister, Miss Matilda Waters."

A small chorus of How do you do's filled the room and Matilda nodded at them. Her eyes glided over the unfamiliar faces, trying to discern what type of people they were. She could already tell that the older woman did not approve of her modern hairstyle, but the younger women looked at her in awe. Complacently, Matilda walked to an imposing armchair by the end of the sofa arrangement and sat down. Penelope shot her a stern look; that chair was usually reserved for male guests, and it was unladylike for Matilda to choose it. Of course, Matilda was well aware of that and ignored Penelope's scornful glance.

The women in front of her all looked vaguely familiar, and Matilda naturally assumed they were the Halverstons that Mr Hanson had announced earlier. All of them had dull brown hair done in ridiculously elaborate hairdos with braids, pearls and ribbons, and the two younger ones were wearing dresses in bright, but unsuiting colours. One of them was sporting a budding baby bump, so small it still only protruded slightly from the lower part of her belly. The last one, who seemed more demure than the other three combined, had dark brown hair and a plain blue dress with no ornaments or embellishments at all. A distant cousin, perhaps, or another kind of charity case. Her eyes were downcast.

"Matilda, dear, this is the Halverstons," Penelope said, and Matilda arched an eyebrow at her. She'd never called her dear before.

"Mrs Margaret Halverston and her daughters, Mrs Hyacinth Halverston - daughter of Margaret and married to a distantly related Halverston, and Miss Marigold Halverston," Penelope said, extending her hand in a showing motion from one guest to the other as she announced their names. "Oh, and Mrs Halverston's ward and cousin Miss Jane FitzWilliam."

"Lady Ellismere!" Mrs Halverston gushed her cheeks burgundy from excitement. "I didn't know you had a sister! How lovely!"

"Lovely indeed," Penelope said with a soft, but borderline tense smile. "Half sister, to be fair. Half."

"Half or not, it seemed good looks run in all branches of your family!" Mrs Halverston continued in a saccharine tone and then turned to Matilda. "Well now, Miss Waters, I am more than happy to make your acquaintance! You have such a lovely family, Lady Ellismere!"