Caroline

1

"Bring the tea Edith, It's dreadful hot out" Mama waved over the maid with a lace gloved hand.

I sipped my iced beverage slowly, not wanting to waste it, Mama only let me have small servings of anything during her tea parties to make sure I appeared "ladylike" at all times.

It was a hot Saturday afternoon and that meant Mrs. Jeffing, Mrs. Killiang and Mrs. Killiang's daughter Jeniveve  were here for two tedious hours of mandatory socialization. Jeniveve was closest to my age, but she was still just a child and I could tell she found these meetings as tortuously monotonous as I did. 

It was a nice day at least. The sky was was brilliant blue and dotted with clouds, the garden was in full bloom about us and the hedge lined stone garden wall muted the hustle and bustle of the city just a few yards away.

our little white table was crammed with trays and tiers of finger sandwiches  and tiny cakes all a which were untouched because the women could only bring themselves to eat two.

In tea time, two is a magic number, the number two keeps one's lady like figure still standing while still showing the host that you enjoy and appreciate their food enough to have more than one.

We all learned this rule at a very young age.

AS Mrs. Killiang , Mrs. Jeffing and Mama covered the usual unvarying topics. I stared absentmindedly at the  

absentmindedly at a rose bush next to me. It's flowers were in full bloom, their petals were painted the bright delicate pink Mama adored so much.

I turned to study Jeniveve, you could tell by the look in her pale eyes that her mind was somewhere else. She wore a delightful, if somewhat childish, baby blue day dress with puffed sleeves and a matching lace bonnet that concealed her platinum curls. She was nibbling on a bit of sponge cake. 

My stomach grumbled. I wish I hadn't eaten all my things at the very beginning! I was starving! I sighed and returned to my quiet contemplation of the rose bush.

"What do you think Caroline dearest?" Mama's patronizing voice jolted me from my stupor. I jumped in my chair.

"I'm sorry?" I asked timidly, Mama gave me her, we'll talk about this later glare then returned to her honey sweet smile. 

"Don't you think it's about time you started courting? Your old enough to need to start looking for a suitable husband" 

The sentence was a question but it was clearly rhetorical, there was only one answer in Mama's eyes.

"Oh, uh, yes of course Mama" I said hastily

Mrs. Jeffing scoffed, "You can't be serious Mrs. Hurtz, The girl's barely even 19, let alone eligible to marry, besides, where are you going to find a man to marry her off to, suitors are hard to come by, I didn't meet Albert until I was 23!"

"Really Mrs. Jeffing are you naive?" Mrs. Killiang argued. 

" Your own sister, married at 20. Just a year older than Caroline here, and suitors are as easy to come by as arrogant young students, which is what they are, and believe me, one stroll down Crownsberry and you've seen enough eligible bachelors to marry off a finishing school!"

"Now now ladies," Mama intervened, ever the queen bee of the party.

"There's a very simple  solution to this problem" she paused, smiling for dramatic effect.

"We will have a coming out gala for our dear Caroline! We'll invite all the best families! The whole court even! I know of several very fine heirs who'd be perfect for our Caroline!" 

Jeniveve looked up as Mrs. Jeffing and Mrs. Killiang burst into exited chatter. Mama looked at me,  her honey sweet smile ever plastered on her perfect face, "What do you think Caroline?"

"Marvelous Mama, I'm sure it will bring good fortune to our family" I smiled to this time to communicate my happiness to the table. 

Always Smiling, Ever Climbing

The Lady's Code.

When it was clear that I was no longer included in the conversation of my future husband I returned to looking at the rose bush. As a young lady high up in society such things were expected of me. There was really no way around it. The motto was Except it or Regret it. Girls who didn't marry up were kicked out of their family, left to fend for themselves as disappointments. Mistakes.  They usually ended up bald, toothless and half naked in some freezing back alley in the middle of winter. It was much easier just to live with a loveless marriage, it didn't really matter, one could find happiness in different mediums than romance.

Something moved in the rose bush. A rabbit perhaps? I leaned in closer, peering deeper into the thicket of thorns and wilted petals. Then jolting back with a cry. Staring back at me were two soft brown eyes, two human eyes. The other women around the table caught on to my distress quickly when a dirt smeared rag-clothed figure leaped from the brush and onto the tiny white table, sending pastries flying. 

Finally, the boy, for that is what the person appeared to be, alighted on the garden wall. He leered down at us as he surveyed the chaotic scene. Strawberry jam from a tart or something dripped down his face like pink blood. He cackled maliciously at the pitiful clamor we created, then disappeared behind the wall, leaving me with three traumatized women and a lot of explaining to do to Papa.