Masquerade

Chapter 5: "She Knows"

Posted 9/25/12

~

London, 1871

(Paulette’s POV)

The dress of baby blue silk flourished around her body; her hair was braided and pinned to the side of her head.

Paulette Johnson sat at the make-up table as one hand-maid smoothed the wrinkles out of the skirt on her dress.

“You look very beautiful Miss,” she said, looking up at the blonde.

“Thank you,” she said, kindly.

Paulette had never really noticed, before now, how much she, herself, had changed. She had been timid and shy, she’d been afraid to stand up for herself, she’d always been in the background, and pushed back by her sister. But now, even as Pamela Jones, Paulette was center-stage, and up front; Paulette had the chance to change herself.

“Miss Jones?” the maid’s voice floated over and pierced Paulette’s eardrums.

“Hm?” Paulette said, looking up at the woman.

“Is there anything else that I can get for you?” she asked.

“No thank you,” Paulette said, as she stood up and then slipped her feet into a pair of silk slippers.

“If that is all then, Miss Janette requests your presence on the veranda for tea,” she said, in her English accent.

“Yes, of course,” Paulette walked out of the bedroom door and down the stairs, through the kitchen, and then proceeded to the back veranda, where Janette and Cecelia Hamilton were stationed.

Janette had a kind smile on her face, and Cecelia’s face was scrunched up, like she had an unpleasant smell under her nose.

The tea pot was white with pink cherry blossoms drifting from the upper right corner to the bottom left; the tea pot, along with its matching cups and white saucers, sat on an ornate silver tray. Beside the tray, was a small silver plate with triangle-shaped sandwiches stacked on it.

“Where is dear Ana?” Janette asked, as she looked behind Paulette.

“Probably thinking about how she can never afford such nice things,” Cecelia said, as she poured herself a cup of tea. Her comment, however, earned her a pointed look from Janette and a narrow-eyed look from Paulette.

“She’s coming,” Paulette responded.

~

(Mari’s POV)

The white slippers enveloped my feet, and I walked out to the veranda, where Janette, Cecelia and Paulette were stationed, talking amongst themselves, already.

“Hello all,” I said, as I sat in the chair next to Paulette.

“Thank you for joining us,” Janette said, cheerfully.

“It is my pleasure,” I said, smiling, as Janette poured a cup of tea for me.

“Where are you from?” she asked, curiously.

“Estershire,” I said, as I took a sip from my cup.

“Is it lovely there?” Janette asked.

“Oh, very lovely,” Paulette responded, and then she went off, explaining about “Estershire”, which left me to get absorbed into my own thoughts.

So far, my life had been a never-ending story; first my family was slain, and I was kidnapped by a band of pirates, then, years later, I arrived in Alabastor and got sent on a mission to steal a rare gem, The Atlantic Emerald, all the while getting tangled in a mess of lies. My secret was revealed, and I ran, with one of the two women, whom had decided to join me, and then Paulette and I came here.