Chasing Cecilia

CHAPTER 10

Cecilia:

A servant boy had found me just as I was exploring the vast kitchen garden of the Clampton estate. I was happily wondering between the rows of courgettes, peppers and pumpkins, envisioning a painting of the three vegetables and colours in harmony, when the boy approached me, gasping for breath.

"Your...Grace..." He managed to say in-between laboured breaths. "House... Dressmaker... Now..." He rasped out. Still not quite understanding the meaning of the boys errand, I followed him back out of the enclosed garden spilling with life and we hurried across the lawn to the house.

By the time we had reached the main hall I myself was on the verge of panting. I thanked the boy, still unsure of his mission and made my way to the front parlour where most guests were, apparently, received. I smoothed down my dress, which was really not appropriate for seeing visitors in now that I was Lady Huntington, future duchess of Wotley, and, after catching my breath, walked into the room with a smile plastered to my face.

I was met by a large woman dressed from head to toe in yellow and pink rather resembling something one might find in a pastry shop, I stifled a laugh at the thought before taking in the rest of the parlour. The chairs and sofas were covered in fabric and ribbons, a mirror had been positioned in one corner and a small meek looking girl was hurrying around the room adding more fabrics and changing ribbons. The large woman turned when she heard me enter and gave me a jolly smile, pushing the thick rimmed glasses up her nose as she did so.

"Oh how nice to meet you, your grace," She gushed animatedly, tottering over to me and opening her arms to embrace me in a motherly hug. "I have heard so much about you," she continued, then she shook her head, letting a bubbly laugh out in the process. "How silly of me dear! I have forgotten to introduce myself!" The jovial woman fizzed, still not giving her identity away. "I am the local dressmaker, Lucille Baxter, at your service your grace," she curtsied deeply to me.

I felt embarrassed at the gesture but I knew I would have to get used to it. The animated woman continued enthusiastically, "I am sorry we arrived early," she gestured to the girl behind her, "Oh by the way, this is Kitty, she is my little protégée," The girl dropped into a curtsey at the mention of her name.

"Where was I again?" She asked, before diving back in, "Oh yes! We arrived so much earlier than we thought we would didn't we Kitty?" She turned briefly to glance at the small girl behind her but did not wait for the girl to reply. "We didn't pass a soul on the way here, rather unusual for this time of day isn't it?" I didn't know whether it was unusual or not but she gave me, like Kitty, no time to reply either way.

"I must say your grace, you are definitely more beautiful than I had heard, the rumours of your looks do not do you justice. Why, I am quite sure you shall be the most handsome of my customers!" She smiled at me affectionately and I blushed in return at the compliment.

"Your husband is a very lucky man to be sure, though he is rather handsome himself is he not? Cor! The whole town was up in arms to see him married off so soon before the girls got a proper chance, but I can see why he was in such a hurry to marry you." The woman winked at me, encouraging another blush from me.

"But law!" The woman cried again, "I have forgotten myself! I do talk so, frightful isn't it?" I shook my head at the round woman who I had taken an immediate liking to.

"Not at all Mrs Baxter," I smiled kindly.

"You are very generous your grace, but golly, I must stop chattering, there is so much to do and so little time! His grace has asked that you are to be provided with a full wardrobe befitting of the duchess of Wotley, he cant have his wife dressed in rags now can he?" She threw me a sympathetic look as she eyed my dress.