Page 9 of The Curious Story of the Missing Lady
Chapter 5
There is nothing that charges the atmosphere of a great house more than the splendid chaos on the morning of a wedding day.
Lady Madeline could barely hold her wits, let alone keep her body still for a mere moment. At her head, Lisbelle’s deft hands danced through thick curls of auburn. Off to her side, the Ladies Abigail and Emily supervised as a bevy of maids flitted in and out of the room, laying out the bridal dress, inspecting every inch of it, running off for items and accoutrements called for by Lisbelle, who commanded them in such a voice that one would think she were the Lady of the house herself.
And indeed, when she herself noticed that her tone was more suited to an admiral in Her Royal Navy than a Lady’s maid, she stopped and blushed and begged the pardon of Lady Abigail.
“Not at all, Lisbelle,” Madeline’s mother returned, withholding a chuckle, “you do this house credit with your marshalling of the troops!”
“Are you sure Lord Oliver hasn’t seen you?” said Lady Emily, her hands twiddling before her.
“Don’t you worry,” Madeline said into the mirror. “There will be no curse upon this marriage.”
“I should hope not,” said Emily. “Lord Oliver is quite the catch.”
“Emily!” her mother rebuked, again stifling mirth.
“Well, it’s true, Mama. Any girl would throw herself at him. He’s handsome, well educated – did you know he's read Cervantes in the original Spanish?”
“You don’t say,” said Abigail.
“This is news to me,” said Madeline, staring quizzically at her sister.
“He told me as much that day he proposed to you. We made small talk in the library when I showed him the family crest. So, Madeline, you should be proud. And wary. I may snatch him up myself if you’re not careful.” She put the back of her hand to her lips.
“Emily,” said Abigail, this time without a shred of joviality. “That will be quite enough. You’re being most impertinent.”
“Oh, Mama,” said Madeline, “she’s being Emily, is what. For your sake, my dear sister, we shall hasten the day’s proceedings else I shall lose my beloved to you before the time.”
Emily turned her head down, a smile on her lips. “I only meant that he’s a wonderful man. Even if he’s not an heir or anything like that. A man of business is a man who knows his way about the world and its people. That, to me, is far more important than some stuffy, cloistered old peer—”
She caught herself again when her mother glared at her.
“I’m sorry, Mama. All I meant was—”
“All you meant was nothing. And it’s only the joy of the day that allows me to forgive you.”
“If you ask me,” said Lisbelle, “Lord Oliver is a handsome man, to be sure, if you don’t mind me offering that, M’Lady.”
“Not at all,” said Madeline.
“And he’s got a roughness about him, to be sure. But you’ll no doubt discover that in time in order you should tame it out of him on the wedding night.”
The two sisters and their mother exchanged shocked glances, then erupted in laughter.
Lisbelle’s eyes widened. “Oh ... dear. I didn’t mean to be ... to suggest ...”
“We’re all women here,” said Abigail. “We’re allowed to share a secret or two. But just to be certain we’re not speaking out of turn, I think it’s best we leave it at that, Lisbelle.”
“Yes, M’Lady,” Lisbelle said weakly, her cheeks ripe.
Emily and Madeline tried desperately to suppress their giggling, to no avail.
“Alright,” said Abigail, rising. “I believe we've all had quite enough of this. Emily, let’s leave Madeline to Lisbelle’s artistry and go and check on Mrs Andrews.”
When they had left, Madeline looked at Lisbelle through the mirror. “Well, alone at last.”
“Yes, M’Lady,” came the curt reply.
