Everyone In Season
14 April 1870, Thursday
Today was very nearly normal! This morning Tattvik and I worked on incorporating Great-Aunt Hethlyn’s things into our rooms. I had thought I would be returning with just one book, not three sacks of miscellaneous herbs, cutlery, and such. Finally we asked Graves for his help and he found a slightly battered but quite functional chest in the attic. Edward insisted on helping him carry it down. We moved the settee into Tattvik’s room to make a spot for the chest and packed everything away neatly.
This took only a few lines to describe but it was the work of the entire morning. I was wearing my more comfortable, and worn, Turkish Trousers so imagine my alarm when Graves, looking rather tense around the eyes, appeared at my door with the calling card of Miss Louella Pinker! I later learned that she was Sir Cosmo’s cousin, sharing the same Grandfather, the Earl of Greyminster. My heart fluttered! Female relatives coming to call for the first time are likely providing reconnaissance for someone else. And Sir Cosmo being unmarried, yet having at least three unmarried, unrelated women in his household would be viewed with suspicion by most of the women that I know. It was very aggravating to change clothes quickly but Tattvik helped both Myself and Miss Sinclair with our corsets and we both presented quite a respectable picture in very short order.
When we came down to tea, Miss Namaste and Sir Cosmo were already in the parlor with Miss Pinker. Sir Cosmo’s cousin turned out to be a charming woman in her sixties (I would guess). She did a very nice job of putting us all at ease. She has iron grey hair and the same sparkling eyes as Sir Cosmo. One could tell they were related by that feature alone. She did not seem as disapproving as I had feared and I hope that we made as good an impression on her as she did on me.
I plan to attend the Maundy Thursday service this evening at the church that Sir Cosmo recommended to me. The services thus far have been very pleasant and the Pastor keeps his remarks at the sermon direct and to the point. A nice change from my home parish. It remains to be seen wether he recycles the same material year-after-year or if he remains creative and pithy. It seems to me that having to come up with something relevant and useful to a congregation once a week all year long must be one of the great burdens of the priesthood.
April 15, 1870, Friday
Today was a day of awkward Interviews. It all started last night at Services. I was rather astonished to run into Sir Phillip as the services were letting out. My first thought was that there was some danger to our League that he had come to speak with me about. In fact, it was a much stranger conversation. He made light small talk and seemed to be trying to engage my attention. I had not remembered seeing him last Sunday and indeed finally asked him outright if he were a member of Trinity Church. He merely indicated that it was a convenient church between work and his home. I had the strong feeling that he was deliberately seeking me out and came away much disturbed.
The service itself was very peaceful. It is my favorite of the Services of the Easter Season and my mood was quite spoiled by the encounter with Sir Phillip! I was finally able to put it out of my mind after much tossing and turning and I’m afraid that every creak of the old House woke me throughout the night.
I awoke not much rested, but my spirit had been restored. Miss Namaste and I had both received letters from Mr. Salmalin– he has been taken off the laudanum and is beginning to recover in a much more satisfying manner than previously. As a result of the letters we had both planned a visit this morning. Miss Sinclair came along to visit Mr. Frazer, who is also still in hospital. She seems quite dedicated to seeing that he remains it good spirits and, from what little I saw during her visit last week, they seem to have much in common.
Miss Namaste and I had a rather strange and strained visit with Mr. Salmalin. He is probably quite distracted by the pain as he says little, and that in a fairly cryptic manner, but I am afraid some of the blame must fall on me. All my natural ability and training in holding conversation deserted me and all three of us sat in silence much of the time. How odd.
I wonder if part of it is the strangeness of the hospital setting. I have not had much occasion to visit sick people and perhaps that is a separate skill that I have yet to develop. I did learn that Sir Cosmo and Sir Anthony are proposing that Mr. Salmalin come to work for our League at Sir Cosmo’s house. Miss Namaste mentioned it to Mr. Salmalin and, while I had not been previously informed, I fully support this plan (as I told Sir Cosmo upon our return). There are many things that we could learn from a man like Mr. Salmalin and, despite the awkwardness of our conversation, I find him interesting. Conversation with him also greatly stimulates my ability to think in Hindi. I have learned several new words and concepts because of him and I find his odd frankness very refreshing. In the carriage on the way home the three of us compared notes. Miss Sinclair had quite a pleasant visit and discovered that Mr. Frazer was being released from hospital later that same day! He is planning to escort her to the meeting of the naturalists society next Wednesday.
Upon returning home, Miss Namaste and I found that Sir Phillip had stopped by and left his calling card for each of us. I took a moment to mention this to Sir Cosmo. I feel that it is quite inappropriate for Sir Phillip to be attempting to contact either of us in a social manner as we both work for Sir Anthony’s organization. That and I do not enjoy his company (nor does Miss Namaste). Sir Cosmo said he would take care of the matter. I hope this will be the end of it!
The third, strange conversation came late this afternoon. A Mr. Ramsey had asked Sir Cosmo if he could call upon Miss Sinclair (as if Miss Sinclair were not capable of dealing with such correspondence herself!) to Interview her. It was a very strangely worded request and we all thought it odd. Miss Sinclair decided to accept and the household was placed on alert should Mr. Ramsey turned out to have ill intentions toward Miss Sinclair. She asked Sir Cosmo and myself to sit in on the Interview and I agreed, with some reservations. He arrived promptly at the appointed time and was served tea.
Mr. Ramsey said that he belonged to the Order of St. Jerome (an order of Librarians who collect odd information) and he was trying to find out more about what had happened at the Merton Household on 5 April. Miss Sinclair gave a true account of what happened from her perspective and I could see that it was not to Mr. Ramsey’s liking. He wanted to know more and asked me what I had seen. I quite truthfully told him that I was unconscious during most of the events described by Miss Sinclair. None of us mentioned the mystical aspects of what had happened. Mr. Ramsey went away unsatisfied. That was all to the good, in my opinion.
It is now time for the Good Friday Service at Trinity and I must be off!
<Later>
I returned from Services to find the household in an uproar! Sir Cosmo’s Grandfather has invited himself to lunch Tuesday next. Graves took Miss Namaste and myself aside later and explained the whole history of their estrangement. I was right, Miss Pinker’s visit had been an inspection. Well either we passed or Lord Greyminster is so intrigued by our odd household that he is coming to see for himself. Either way much needs to be done in order to get the house ready for such a visit. Graves seems to have many of the preparations well underway while Sir Cosmo is walking around looking stunned. Miss Namaste and I retired to my room to practice for the visit as she is justifiably nervous and does not want to do anything that would embarrass Sir Cosmo. I put her in one of my crinolines and had her practice walking around the house. We met with no major disasters (she has very quick reflexes) through Graves did ask us to spare the parlour our attentions.
I have it from Graves that Sir Cosmo had already planned to have a dress made for Miss Namaste that was appropriate for more formal occasions. The seamstress has just sent the messenger back with a description of the dress and swatches of the fabric. It should be a lovely concoction and will look quite nice with Miss Namaste’s complection– though it seems to me that it would have been wise to avoid so much cream velvet, given Miss Namaste’s proclivities. Ah, well there is nothing for it now. The final fitting will be on Monday and the seamstress is quite confident that she can complete the dress that evening.
Miss Namaste and I did work with her hair to design a style that she can tolerate that is suitably formal. I think we shall use the hair combs given to her by Mr Graham. She is fond of him and I think that wearing something he gave her will give her much needed confidence in such a daunting social situation.
I must check with Tattvik and make sure that my formal afternoon blacks are clean and well tended. There is much to be said for being reduced to a wardrobe in a single colour. Though I fear it will be quite hot come full summer. August, our warmest month, will be my last of wearing the full black– I will then be able to switch to some of the more conservative colours. Though one advantage to the black, is that people who do not know me well mistake me for a widow, rather than a divorcee.
16 April 1870, Saturday
Miss Namaste and I spent the morning practising. I got out the household copy of Who’s Who and showed her how to use it as a research tool. I am rather amused to be reading it again. I was so excited to be presented to the Queen (actually the Princess Royal who is only a bit older than myself) over fifteen years ago and now I can’t imagine what all the fuss was about. Of course, I would love to meet Her Majesty and have an opportunity to converse with her August Presence; that is not the same as being herded through a room with a horde of giggling sixteen year-old-girls, bowing once over the Royal Hand and being further herded off to a formal tea. Now I can only think about it in terms of managing the stock with the Who’s Who as the stock book. Well no doubt I am still a bit bitter about William. Ten years is rather a lot to invest in someone. I still am not sure if I am happy that we never had children. It certainly made it easier to complete the divorce but it would be nice to have something tangible from that relationship. Something that would move forward with me and not fade away into the past.
Mrs. Cuthbert is coming over for tea this afternoon. I think I will send a message over to her house and invite her to stay the night and attend the Great Vigil and Easter Sunday services with me. She is a very strange woman– but then I am sure that is what people say about me. I find that I miss her company around the house. I wonder if she has any interest in taking a room her for her use. She and her Uncle Are Members of the League and I think she would find it much more congenial to be with other people. Mr. Spencer is a quiet man of action– you hardly know he is there until he is needed and then he steps in and acts. I do not know if he would enjoy our company or if he would rather have Cuthbert House to himself.
17 April 1870, Sunday
Well nearly the entire household turned out for Sunday Services! Mrs. Cuthbert had accepted my offer to stay the night and we alone attended the Vigil (which to my mind is the much more exciting service, but to be seen, one Must attend Easter Morning). Our household looked splendid– even Miss Namaste attended (though I think it was more to practice for the upcoming Luncheon than to practice the Christian Faith).
Mrs. Cuthbert and I had a very long talk yesterday. I told her everything that had happened at my Great-Aunt’s Cottage. I did find myself slipping into Hindi to describe some of the more incredible events, thus confusing Mrs. Cuthbert, who does not speak the language. Though she is conversant in serval languages so perhaps she would like to learn? We could do a trade that way. I could teach her Hindi and she could teach me the Mystic Arts. I will propose that to her.
Once Miss Namaste and I finished our tale, Mrs. Cuthbert related one of her own. She had attended a ball earlier in the week and had experienced a very sad vision of herself at the funeral of a young man, Mr. Robert Ditteridge. He is the son of Baron Ditteridge and the Grandson of Baron Scarisbrick. He is also an eligible widower who has mourned the loss of his wife these past several years. Miss Sinclair contributed the observation that the paper she and Mr. Frazer were going to hear read at the Naturalist Society was to be presented by the Baron Scarisbrick himself. Though something in her tone suggested that she did not take Mrs. Cuthbert’s vision seriously.
Mrs. Cuthbert and I adjourned to my room to do some research with the books that I have. Graves found two of MZ’s books in the Library and brought them to us, along with more tea. Graves is so thoughtful– I am afraid we might be overwhelming him with our requests since the household has grown from four to nine persons last time I counted. The only spell we turned up that might be of some use was one that gives a Stroke of Luck to the recipient. Mrs. Cuthbert and I decided to cast it on the entire family, using Lady Ditteridge as the focus since she believes in all this occult nonsense. Mrs. Cuthbert sent a messenger asking Lady Ditteradge for an appointment and we are now scheduled to appear at her house tomorrow at three in the afternoon.
We did consult with Sir Cosmo prior to taking action but he had nothing to add to our meagre store of knowledge so we continued on our own course. We also took the opportunity to broach the subject of Mrs. Cuthbert having her own Room here that she can use for League Business. It will be so helpful to have her close. She an Graves are picking out a room now while I practice the ritual for tomorrow night. Mrs. Cuthbert has nixed my idea of telling Lady Ditteradge that I am new to all of this so I should practise some more so I will know what I am doing.
Later this evening Miss Namaste and I will work some more on her social graces. Really, she is a lovely young woman and has the nicest manner. Now if she just had the confidence to carry it off! We got word by messenger confirming the fitting for tomorrow morning at nine. I am hoping that it will go smoothly and that the dress will be ready by Tuesday morning.
18 April 1870, Monday
We have just returned from our appointment with Lady Ditteridge The spell is cast– now to see if it helps at all. I wonder if there is a way to go back an review the impact a spell had on someone’s life? I will read some more in the works that I have here and maybe ask Mrs. Cuthbert as well. Lady Ditteridge seemed overly impressed with me and I am afraid that Mrs. Cuthbert felt slighted, so much attention was paid to me. It is so very vexing. I want to get along with Mrs. Cuthbert and not endanger her standing with people who trust her. I do not want the attention that was focussed on me. I only want to help where I can and I want to be taken seriously as a person and not be mistaken for some mystic table-shaker. Well I must be content that the spell felt as if it were cast properly– or as Dr. Wilson would say “nothing exploded that wasn’t supposed too.”
I arrived home to find that both Dr. Wilson and I had received invitations to the ball of Major General Sir Albert Phipps and Lady Phipps. From Graves account it is mostly a ball to introduce the 10 remaining Phipps daughters to potential suitors. Both Dr. Wilson and I are odd people to invite to such an occasion. At least he is male and a bachelor– if possibly inclined to make any woman he marries a widow rather earlier than in the usual course of things. I am female and, given the reputation of other divorcees I have heard of, competition. Fortunately I am not in the market for a husband and will take the opportunity to socialise properly and show the world that a divorced woman can behave herself in public.
Earlier today I sent a letter off to my solicitor, asking for information on Maggie Haywood. If she is still alive I would like to meet her. I guess I could find out if she were dead– though I think I would still need to know more about her in order to summon her spirit. It is one thing to have dead relatives come to you and quite another to summon them on purpose.
The fitting was splendid and the dress is beautiful. Miss Namaste seems content with it and with the hairstyle we came up with. The final test of our preparations comes tomorrow at lunch.
Graves just brought in the last post, in it was a letter from Mr. Ramsey asking if I wish to be trained in my gift and intimating that he knows more details of the events at the Merton Household than either Ruth or I told him. I will ask Sir Cosmo to have Our Employer check his background. I do not wish to spurn useful advice since I Really don’t know what I am doing, but I am also not terribly inclined to trust someone who shows up out of nowhere offering me exactly what I need right now. I’ve read Faust and while I trust Mrs. Cuthbert and my Great-Aunt, I do not know or trust Mr. Ramsey or the organisation he claims to belong to.
19 April 1870, Tuesday
All of this day’s effort went to one thing– making the Lunch with Lord Greyminster an easy and graceful occasion. Graves and I had suggested inviting the Cuthberts to fill out our table and Sir Cosmo had agreed. Graves and I dithered for a while as to the correct seating for four men and six women (I insisted Tattvik attend to make our numbers even as Edward has been removed to the kitchen for this particular meal).
We survived the lunch with only one minor mishap. Mr. Cuthbert caught a bottle of wine that Miss Namaste had accidentally launched thought the air. It was caught just before cracking Lord Greyminster on the head! He seemed barely to notice this event so focused was his attention on his Grandson. Edward was brought in and inspected. Miss Sinclair used that as an excuse to remove herself from the table. We all gathered in the parlour for coffee and tea after lunch. Miss Pinker was quite the charmer and would have stayed into the evening if Lord Greyminster had not had to leave for his Seat in Parliament.
It was quite sweet of Graves to claim that the wine bottle mishap was his own fault. It saved Miss Namaste embarrassment and since Mr. Cuthbert’s quick action made it seem as if nothing had happened we were able to conclude the visit quite satisfactorily. I am absolutely exhausted and plan to turn in early and sleep the sleep of the virtuous.
Proceed to 2. The Greedy Flames!
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