Walking down the long stairways and down the empty halls, Cecilia made her way to the dining room. Her slippers made a soft pitter-patter sound as she found herself approaching the impending doorways. Nodding a greeting to the footmen, she watched as they opened the dining room doors which swung open with a groan.
"Ah my dear! we've been waiting for you," Mr. Errington's voice cheerfully boomed, His voice echoing off the marble walls and wooden floorings, "Come and sit!"
Cecilia did her best to smile politely and curtsied to both her mother and Mr. Errington who both sat at each end of the long dining room table. Seeing the beautiful spread of cutlery Cecilia took her seat, noticing how her mother's sharp eyes silently critiqued every move she made.
"Good!" her mother's voice clipped, " Now that we are all present, I was just speaking to your father of the Yule Ball we'll be hosting,"
Keeping her hands in her lap Cecilia bowed her head,
"Well!?" her mother's voice clipped again, " Aren't you excited?"
Cecilia looked up from beneath her dark lashes and nodded,
"Yes mother I am..." her voice sounding soft and quiet in her ears, "It's been some time now, hasn't it?"
Before her mother could open her mouth Mr. Errington barked out a laugh,
"Ages! Will it not be delightful my dear, to bring some life to this dreary old place?"
Her mother smiled and blushed at Mr. Errington as she gracefully shook out her napkin. Her blue eyes sparkled in the candlelit room as the servants brought out their supper. She certainly seemed to be in better spirits, perhaps she and Mr. Errington had reconciled? Or perhaps it was the conversation and excitement of the Yule Ball that pleased her so.
" It will be splendid," her mother beamed proudly, " I've just ordered a new gown for such an occasion-it's the latest fashion of course, "
Diving right into his supper, Mr. Errington began the orchestra that emanated from him as he ate. His cutlery squealed while he let out a soft hum of satisfaction as he chewed his lamb loudly.
"Exquisite my dear! Absolutely Exquisite! " he said between mouthfuls, pointing his fork down at the slices of lamb upon his plate.
"Oh, it certainly will be!" her mother beamed, taking a deep sip of wine as her eyelids fluttered closed. Relishing the thought of her new gown gracing her ivory skin.
Seeing her mother and Mr. Errington bask in the presence of their supper,Cecilia could feel her mind begin to drift. Her thoughts wandered deeper and deeper to the back of her mind where her nightmare played out. The creature that lunged at her....the banshee like scream that emanated from its sharp jaws...
Cecilia hid back a chill that shivered up her spine.
'How could I conjure such a hellish creature?' she thought,
her mind reeled as she tried to think back to her book of fairytales in hopes of remembering any monsters that stuck out. No....there was no such creature... none that she could remember. The creature that attacked her seemed too demonic in nature.
"And how does that sound dear?" her mother chirped merrily, her voice wrenching Cecilia back to reality.
Looking up from her plate she stared. Her mind suddenly went blank. "I..." Cecilia fumbled with her words, feeling the air being sucked out from her lungs, "I.. think it sounds splendid.."
"Oh good!" her mother beamed, as she daintily took a bite from her supper, "You will look splendid in your green gown! You've always had! You wore it last year wasn't it?"
Relief flooding her body,Cecilia felt her muscles relax. Her mother must have still been speaking of gowns and the latest fashions.
she nodded,
"Yes, mother, "
It seemed her mother had planned on Cecilia wearing her gown from last year. Not that she minded...but it was strange her mother did not find this an opportunity to dress her up like a doll as she always had...But if she arrived at the Yule Ball wearing the same thing...her mother would be embarrassed by her, surely?With questions flooding her mind like angry bees, Cecilia tried everything to push them back down. Whatever her mother's decisions were about the dress it was plain to see they were already set in stone. Slowly eating her supper Cecilia sat with her back straight, her head bowed as she always did and listened to her mother chatter away about how many guests there would be attending, what sort decor would be needed for such an event... The thought of so many people in the ballroom and dining hall, shoulder to shoulder made her stomach jitter with anxiety. Apparently, this years Yules Ball would be an even bigger one than last years.
"It must be...extravagant! " her mother grinned excitedly, "Everything must be just so,"
And so it was! Soon after supper when Cecilia awakened to a new day. She saw her mother holding Prince at the front doorway. All of the servants were lined up, standing straight and proper. Her mother, like a general giving orders, paced back and forth as she began instructing the servants on where certain decorations should be, what sort of foods should be prepared, and what sort of manners they should all have when addressing the guests. Everything had to go according to plan for just in a short week's time the whole estate would be bustling with sounds of laughter and cheer. Something that Cecilia would never take part in. For her role, as her mother would have it, would be to stand beside her mother and greet guest after guest at the front doorway. And once every guest had arrived, her mother would instruct her to find a corner, sit there and stay out of the way so as to 'make room' for other guests. How Cecilia would have given anything to be a part of the warmth and glow of the jovial ball...but it seemed she would be bound for isolation, her sole companion for the entire night.
"Now I'd like you- Mary stand up straight! I can't have you slouching, is that understood!" her mother snapped at one of the servants. Prince wriggled in her arms and began barking and yipping excitedly, " Everything must be perfect! It must be a night to remember,"
"Yes ma'am," the servants spoke in unison, bowing and curtsying as they did so.
walking into the parlor quietly, Cecilia did everything in her power to be scarce. She knew that this ball meant the world to her mother and if she did anything to deter that... she could imagine the wrath that would befall her. So she Spent most of her days hiding and keeping her head down. She was, In every sense of the word, invisible, and It seemed with the passing days that perhaps everything was returning back to normal, just as it had been before Mr. Errington's arrival. It brought a strange contentment Cecilia secretly relished! And she Treasured each and every hour that went by when her mother looked right through her instead of right at her. Yet, of course, she could not entirely stay away. She'd meet with her mother and Mr. Errington for breakfast, supper, and afternoon tea each day, and there she'd listen to her mother as she'd go on and on about the Yule Ball, on what sort of guests would be arriving, how much this Yule Ball meant to her,
"Remember, ladies of the house must be quiet, beautiful, agreeable, " her mother instructed her during their afternoon tea " ...however difficult as that may be for you ...You will not disappoint I or our guests ,understood? "
"Yes Mother, " the magical phrase that turned her invisible!
And just as Cecilia was relishing her new normality, the day of the Yule Ball had finally come!
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