A ball was typically a fancy gathering of fancy or pretentiously appearing to be fancy people who would do fancy dances together while eating fancy light food and making fancy light talk. Or so Olli had been lead to believe as she was hurried around morning prayers, a breakfast in the room they were staying in, and a crammed together series of lessons on arithmetic, writing, literature, history, geography, and divinities.
Luckily, she had not been alone.
Joining her were three other children, Rosa, Liliana, and Lucy. Rosa and Liliana were, as per Baroness-Aunt-Mrs Cecilia’s explanation, her age. Lucy was older by a year. But they were all taking their lessons together in the room under the watchful sharp eye of Miss Marsh. Unlike in House Graef, where Olli had to write on slate with some chalk, here they had paper and pencils to use at Cecilia’s insistence. The pencil was very strange to Olli, who had gotten used to chalk dusted hands and had vague memories of pencils being yellow. It was a thick wooden stick with red paint on it and one end needing frequent sharpening to retain its point.
Lucy was very quiet, but had a small pen-knife that she used to cut everyone’s pencils into sharper points which was their only form of interactions as they rushed through six hours worth of lessons in one and a half. By the time they had finished, Olli’s brain had hurt and yet she was not quite sure she remembered a single thing.
After the lessons they took another brief hurried meal, and were then sent to dress up for the children’s ball, and so the children were separated then.
Olli endured stiff never worn before new silk stockings, two new buckled shoes shined so as to reflect the sunlight from the window outside, the usual fluffy petticoats, and then finally the dress itself which to her view was a mass of stiff wide fabric in a pink rose color with white ribbons. Putting it on and looking at the mirror did not make it any better in Olli’s opinion.
“It looks lovely on you,” Miss Marsh declared.
“I look like a… a… I don’t know! I look like a something!” Olli huffed, putting her hands on her hips. There was an airy frilliness to the dress. She jumped in place to watch the skirts and petticoats flutter dramatically down. Miss Marsh finished the ensemble by putting a headband with a lacy pink bow in Olli’s hair, standing in a stark contrast to her dark hair.
“Pink is a vigorous and healthy shade of red,” Miss Marsh said as she smoothed out the long dull grey skirt of her own dress.
“Why don’t you have a fancy dress?” Olli asked.
“What would I need a ‘fancy’ dress, for?” Miss Marsh asked in return before answering. “I am dressed well enough for public and my station, I do not need anything more.”
“Why do I need to wear this then?”
“Because you, Miss Olivia, are a representative of the Earl’s household, and you must dress accordingly. He bought that for you to wear and this is how he wishes to present his household.”
“He chose this!?” Olli yelled, aghast.
The two went down a long hall with red wooden floorboards and walls covered in dull yellow wallpaper with portraits and landscape paintings. It reminded Olli a little of home, yet she could not help but notice that everything seemed much cleaner and new. There was less dust and nothing was moldering.
Everything felt a little brighter as well.
At the end of the hall was a large double door, the light wood had been polished to the point they had an almost golden sheen to them. A servant stood at the ready, opening door with a bow of his head to gesture the two inside.
Olli was stunned for a moment by the brightness. The sun was shining directly into the room from dozens of windows on the ceiling, which in turn was painted with strange whirling humanoid figures who were alternately reaching to embrace or devour the sky framed by the windows. The walls rose up dramatically, with sweeping banners pinned or looped over golden colored poles that jutted from the top of the walls which themselves were painted white and hung with large landscape portraits of beautiful forests, rolling hills, and cheerful beaches all lit up by the light of unseen suns.
Tables were set against the wall, along with numerous chairs. Some were already occupied, others had their potential occupants milling around the center. There was a small stage set up at the northside of the room, with well dressed men checking instruments such as violins, an odd piano, and cellos.
“Here, dears!” A raspy voice called out. Baroness-Aunt-Cecilia was sitting on a chair, partially covered by a comfortable looking blue and purple quilt, with her three children beside her in their own chairs. Cecilia pointed to two unoccupied seats beside her. Once Miss Marsh and Olli had sat down, she offered them two wrapped drops. “Here, these are violet essence, they are good for steadying nerves.”
“Thank you,” Olli said under the watchful eye of Miss Marsh as she accepted the sweet.
Lucy glanced over at her from her own seat with a slight smile, but was quiet. Rosa and Liliana however were much more talkative.
“I didn’t know Uncle Theo had a relative our age!” Rosa said excitedly, bouncing in her yellow dress like an excited baby chicken.
“What’s your favorite pattern? I like a cross-stitch of daisies,” Lilian inquired. “No, actually, I like the one with Saint Rachelle’s Bones that Papa got for me.”
“You change your mind too much,” Rosa said. “Have you ever read ‘The Rose Bush’? Maman and Papa named me after that. It’s not for little girls but I co-”
“Rosa!” Cecilia laughed nervously, her face burning.”Goodness.”
“Lucy makes lace patterns,” Liliana continued as though nothing had happened. “Last month there was this big butterfly pattern that was all over the nursery table! Grand-mère said Lucy-”
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There was a soft trembling sound, as one of the musicians drew his bow slowly over a whining viola.
“Oh, I think the dance is about to begin! Children, sit well!” Cecilia clapped eagerly.
“Bar-Cecilia,” Miss Marsh spoke, leaning to the woman. “Have you read any Sally Stout books?”
“Ah, a fellow novel reader!” Cecilia leaned towards the other woman. “I have only read ‘The Phantom Emerald’ and ‘Mystery of the Wine Cask’.”
“In truth, I have only read the very first one-”
“Oh, I have yet to read that one myself! My husband goes to get it for me, but, oh you must understand he means well, but he’ll forget the name and get me something else…”
Olli stopped listening to the two adults, instead looking around. There were plenty of other adult ladies all sitting down. Some were earnestly chatting with each other, or speaking to their children, or had busied themselves with books or sewing. But the children who were up were all boys, she realized. They ambled around like confused sheep for a moment. One, a brown haired boy with a green jacket was coming towards her.
“May I ha… may I dance with you?” A nervous blonde boy asked Rosa.
“Yes!” Rosa hopped to her feet and grabbed the boy by his arm, easily pulling him along with her to the center where a few other children now awkwardly shuffle-danced together.
Another boy had popped up somehow, whimpering something about dancing to Liliana, who sighed and got up to take his arm.
The boy in the green jacket finally approached. He gave a sharp bow, “my name is Morris Darcie, may I please have a dance with you?” He asked.
Olli glanced over at Miss Marsh, who gave her a nod. Olli got up awkward and allowed Morris to take her arm. He felt weedy under his jacket as they walked towards the center. For a brief moment Olli worried her bad dancing skills would be revealed, but as she glanced at the other children and was half-dragged by Morris she was immediately assured that she was no worse or better than anyone around her. After some misplaced steps, Morris and she came to the mutual unspoken agreement to walk around in a slowly spinning circle rather than attempt any actual movements.
“Who are you?” Morris suddenly asked.
“What?”
“Uh, that’s impolite,” Morris admitted. “Where are your parents?”
“...Gone,” Olli said. There were no faces in her memories besides a blurry shape she could not focus her mind on, Theodore’s, Motzy, and Miss Marsh’s. They took another spin near where Miss Marsh, Cecilia, and Lucy sat. Olli saw that Miss Marsh and Cecilia were in deep conversation, but Lucy was watching them. The girl was fidgeting with one hand in her blonde hair to look casual, then her head turned to Rosa who had finished her dance early. Olli could see the boy Rosa had been dancing with was at that moment sitting on a chair, red faced and sweating.
“Oh. Sorry.”
“I live with Uncle Theodore,” she added with a nod.
“Uh, the Earl of Brynebourne?” The boy’s brows furrowed in thought as the music wound down. A woman in elegant white lace and summer blue cotton dress had come close to them. Morris turned and his eyes widened a little. “Oh! Mother! She says she lives with the Earl of Brynebourne.”
“The Earl? He doesn’t have a child.” She said, curious. “I am Lady Darcie, you are…?”
“Olivia,” Olli replied.
The woman’s eyes flickered, her face was polite but there was now an odd coloring to it. “Morris! Release those hands at once.”
Morris immediately let go of Olli and stepped away. Olli did not know why, but she suddenly had a feeling she was being looked at like vermin.
“It’s Graef’s ward, the thing from the poorhouse. I heard about her from the Flattes, they said she was consumptive and pestilent.” She sniffed. “She’s certainly dark enough to be of common blood.”
Olli blinked. Her face felt hot. “I’m not a pestilent.”
“Do you know how to speak?” Lady Darcie said, “I said pestilent. It means you bring illness. I only have one son so I would appreciate it if you do not come any closer to him.”
Something warm touched her arm, and an unfamiliar but faint voice spoke up. “Lady Darcie, please don’t be mean to Miss Olivia.” Lucy had come to stand beside Olli, trembling terribly as she spoke. Her face had a strange coloring to it, like faint golden veins.
“Lucy, you too should best step away. You are already in poor health, and so is the Baroness,” Lady Darcie spoke gently now to Lucy.
Olli tried her best to keep her tears from flowing, but they fell regardless. Hot and painful she was only kept from crumpling to the ground by Lucy leaning against her. Rosa and Liliana hovered near her now, patting her back. The music was starting up again, few others were paying attention since they were busy with their own children or dances.
“Ugh, now look at you,” Lady Darsie snorted away her gentle tone, fanning herself as she set one hand upon her son’s shoulder. “Dear, look at that whelp. Do you see how easily it loses control of itself as soon as it gets a little bit of pushback?”
“Yes mother,” said the boy with an ugly and victorious sneer.
“This is the cost of bad breeding! A surge of base emotion, poor skin coloring, bad hair, a rotten constitution, good gods, see even her tears are filthy,” Lady Darsie took a step back. “Regardless of her being that Worm’s ward or not, people of good blood must know to not pollute themselves with the po-”
CRACK!
Lady Darsie collapsed backwards in mute silence. Miss Marsh stood beside where the woman had been standing, her hand reddened still from the force of the slap she had just graced Lady Darsie’s face with. No one had even heard her walk up to them. The room was silent in shock for a moment, even the musicians having ceased playing, before the Lady Darsie sucked in a deep breath and wailed. “Sh-she hit me! I was hit!” She gawped, covering her bruised cheek. A trickle of blood was escaping her mouth as she spoke, flailing her limbs beneath her voluminous skirt. “Someone save me!!” The doors to the ballroom was opening, more people were quickly coming in followed by the smell of cigar smoke.
Miss Marsh now rounded on Morris, who shriveled in fear at her cold sharp face. “Bad breeding, you say?” Her voice was glacial in its chill. “I have seen better mannered sailors than you two!”
“Bu-” Morris tried to say something, but after a second he raised his hands in surrender and bolted away.
Somehow, Lady Darsie had gotten back to her feet all by herself, still holding her cheek and with her hair in a disarray. “Y-you… you’ll pay for this…”
“Pay for what?”
Theodore had also appeared, there was a bit of ash on his lapel and his spectacles poked out from their pocket. He was squinting slightly. “Lady Darsie, I can recognize your voice, why are you yelling?”
“You… do you not care? I was hit!”
“Are you dying?”
“I could be! There is blood! What if it gets infected!?” Lady Darsie sobbed.
Olli used this time to hide behind Miss Marsh, who had placed a gentle hand on her head. Tears were still running, and she did not know why. What had she done wrong?
“Then I would hurry to a doctor, or perhaps an apothecary may be easier to afford,” Theodore said with a bloodless smile. Then he put his spectacles on and walked to Olli and Miss Marsh. He pulled a handkerchief from a pocket and wiped away Olli’s tears with cold but soft hands. “Would you like to leave?”
Olli shook her head, hiccuping, “I don’t… why was she mean to me?”
“I do not know what she said, but be assured Olli that they’re worth less than dirt. At least dirt has uses,” Theodore said gently. “I will stay here with you and Miss Marsh.”
With that excitement over, onlookers dispersed back to their own little dealings. Theodore sat with Cecilia and Miss Marsh, and the three de Mausargille children and Olli simply danced with each other.