“We certainly could, Mari,” her aunt said warmly, which made her pleased that she had thought of it. “You know, this was Thomas’ suggestion for your Christmas present—and I suspect he had an ulterior motive, because it means that he won’t be in the Workshop from now until Christmas, trying to somehow craft something for you in secret and finish his commissions.”
“Well, I can’t blame him, since he’s running out of space in my room to put the things he’s made for me,” Marina replied, casting an anxious tendril of energy toward the sky. Was it going to rain? They had umbrellas, but Holsworthy was more than twice as far away as Killatree.
No. We’ll be fine. That was another lesson learned from Elizabeth; how to read the weather. Later she would learn how to change it, although that was dangerous. Little changes could have large consequences, and disturbing the weather too much could change convenience for her into a disaster for someone else.
So the pony trotted on, through the wet, cold air, along the road that smelled of wet leaves and coal smoke from the trains. Out in the pastures, sheep moved slowly over the grass, heads down, like fat white clouds—or brown-and-white cows raised their heads to stare at them fixedly as they passed. Jackdaws gave their peculiar twanging cry, and flocks of starlings made every sort of call that had ever echoed across the countryside, but mostly just chattered and squeaked.
In a little more than an hour, they reached the town of Holsworthy. It had a main street, it had shops, not the single, all-purpose little grocers, dry goods, and post office run by Peter Hunter and his wife Rosie. It even had a town square with a fountain in it, which had a practical purpose rather than an ornamental one. It provided water for anyone who didn’t have it in their house, and for man and beast on the street.
Cobblestone streets led off the main road, with the houses and shop buildings clustering closely together, huddling together like a flock of chickens in a roost at night. Marina had been here before, usually twice or three times in a year. There was an annual wool fair, for instance, that they never missed if they could help it. Uncle Sebastian ordered some of his artistic supplies here from the stationer, and Uncle Thomas some of the exotic woods he used to make inlays. This was where Aunt Margherita got her special tapestry wool as well as her embroidery silks.
Of course, there were things that could not be bought in Holsworthy; for those, Sebastian or Thomas went to Plymouth, or even to London, perhaps once every two years.
“While we’re here, oughtn’t we to do other Christmas shopping, especially since Uncle Sebastian and Uncle Thomas aren’t with us?” Marina asked, “I wanted to get them books, and there’s a lovely bookshop.”
“Exactly what I had thought.” Margherita pulled the pony up to let a farm cart cross in front of her, then reined him toward the fountain. The pony, nothing loath, went straight for the basin and buried his nose in the water. Margherita and Marina got down out of the cart, and Margherita led the pony and cart to the single inn in town. It also had a stable, and the pony could wait there in comfort and safety while they did their shopping.
The sign on the shop and in the window read, “Madame Deremiere, Modiste.” Now there was no Madam Deremiere, and had not been within the memory of anyone living in Holsworthy. Probably the lady in question had been an asylum seeker from the Great Revolution, or perhaps Napoleon. The current seamstress (also, by courtesy, called “Madame”) was the apprentice of her apprentice, at the very least.
The first task before them, once the greetings and mandatory cup of tea had been disposed of, was the selection of material—and here, sadly, the selection was definitely not what it would have been in Plymouth. There was no emerald wool like that of the suit that Marina had coveted. The choice of fabric was, frankly, limited to the sort of thing that the well-to-do yeoman farmer’s wife or merchant’s wife would want, which tended to either the dull or the flamboyant.
There was, however, a wonderful soft brown wool plush that Marina could see Margherita had fallen in love with. She resolved the moment that her aunt’s back was turned to purchase it and hide it in the back of the cart. In the colors that she preferred, there was a green velvet that was both utterly impractical and far too expensive, a pale green linen that was too light for a winter suit and an olive green wool that had too much yellow in it. She was about to give up, when Margherita said, “But what about gray? Something soft, though, like that brown plush. Something with a firm hand, but a soft texture.”
“I do have some gray woolens like that; I ordered them thinking that I might convince some of the ladies to commission me to tailor some little boys’ suits, but nothing came of it,” the seamstress replied, and went to the rear of her establishment.
Of the three choices, there was a woolen in a dove gray that Marina loved the moment she touched it. It was soft and weighty, a little like fine sueded leather. “Oh, that’s merino, that is,” the woman said. “Lovely stuff. Too dear for Holsworthy, though; if a lady of this town is going to spend that sort of money on a suit for her little boy, she’ll go up a bit and have it done in velvet. Not as much difference in price, you see, when you’re only using two yards or so.”
“And how ‘dear’ would that be?” Margherita asked, settling in for a shrewd session of bargaining—Christmas present or no, she had never bought anything without a stiff bargaining session, and she clearly wasn’t about to break that habit.
In the end, by pointing out a couple of odd places where a moth had gotten to the fabric, and making the case that since the lady was getting not only the price of the fabric but the commission to make it up, Margherita got her price. Then it was time to pick the design. Out came the pattern-books and sketches, and now Margherita excused herself. “I am not going to attempt to influence your choice, my dear,” she said with a smile. “I want you to pick what you want, not what you think I think you should have. And I know I’ll try to influence you, so I’ll return in an hour or so.”
And with that, she picked up her gloves and donned her cloak, and left Marina alone with the seamstress.
“And what do you want, miss?” the seamstress asked, with hint both of humor and just a little apprehension.
“Oh,” Marina paused. “Lady Hastings, a friend of ours, had the most Beautiful suit with a trumpet-skirt and a train—”
She saw the apprehension growing, and knew that her aunt had been right; this seamstress in a small town was not at all confident of her ability to replicate something that a person like Lady Hastings could purchase.
“And I thought, something like that, but much simpler,” she finished. She looked through the first few pages of “walking suits” and “resort dresses” and suddenly her eye alighted on a design that was precisely what she wanted, a jacket fastening to the side instead of down the middle. “Like this!” she said, laying her finger on it, “But without the trimming.”
It was labeled as a “walking suit” as well; it had a lappet collar and a double skirt, and in the sketch, was trimmed quite elegantly and elaborately. But the lines were simple and very tailored, the skirt less of a train than Elizabeth’s, and so a little old-fashioned, but to Marina’s eyes it looked a little more graceful.
“Without the trimming…” The apprehension was replaced by relief, as Marina watched the woman mentally removing soutache and lace, pin tucks and ribbon. “Yes, indeed, miss; that’s a very good choice, and if you don’t mind my saying so, it will look very well on you.” She marked the sketch and laid the book aside with the fabric. “Now, let’s get you measured.”
It wasn’t quite that simple. First, Marina had to be laced into the new-style corset that the suit required. And she had gone un-corseted for so long that the only one she’d had up to this point had been bought when she was fourteen and still looked brand new. She hadn’t worn it more than once or twice, and both times she had needed help to get into it.
It was something of an ordeal, although the modiste helpfully taught her how to manage on her own. So at least when she got it home, she’d
be able to get into it!
“I hope you aren’t wanting a fifteen-inch waist, miss,” the seamstress said frankly, looking from the corset in her hands to Marina in drawers and camisole and back again. “You’ll never get it.”
“I’m wanting to be able to move and breathe,” Marina replied feeling a certain amount of dread at the sight of the thing, all steel boning and bootlaces. “My aunt doesn’t believe in tight lacing, and neither do I. I just want to look right in this new dress.”
“Oh! Well, then you’ll do all right,” the woman laughed. She unhooked the basque and handed the garment to Marina, who put it on, hooked the front back up again, one little steel hook at a time, and turned her back so that the seamstress could tighten the laces. “You’ll be doing this with the wall-hook I told you about, miss,” the modiste said, deftly pulling the laces tight, but not uncomfortably so. “Just have someone put one into a beam, and you won’t need a lady’s maid.”
When the woman was done, it felt rather like she’d been encased in a hard shell, or was wearing armor. It wasn’t uncomfortable, in fact, it made her back feel quite nicely supported, but she definitely wouldn’t be able to run in a garment like this. But a glance at the mirror showed a gratifyingly slim figure, and if she didn’t have a fifteen-inch waist, she didn’t particularly want to look like a wasp, either.
The seamstress, measuring tape and notebook in hand, went to work.
She was very thorough. She measured everything three times, presumably to make sure she got the measurement right, and it seemed as if she measured every part of Marina’s body. Wrists, the widest part of the forearm, biceps, shoulder-joint, neck. From shoulder to shoulder across the back and across the front. Bust, under the bust, waist, hips, just below the hips. From nape to center of the back. From nape of the neck to the ground. She even measured each calf, each thigh, and each ankle, though Marina couldn’t imagine how she’d use those measurements, and said so.
“It all goes in my book, my dear,” the woman told her. “Some day you might want a cycling costume, for instance, and I’ll have the measurements right here.”
Marina couldn’t think of anything less likely, but held her peace as the seamstress unlaced her corset and helped her out of it. For the first time she realized just how very comfortable her aunt’s gowns were.
But she still wanted that suit. Already in her mind, she was planning the trimming that she and her aunt would put on it. Black, of course—black would look wonderful on the gray wool.
She paid for the brown wool herself, out of the pocket-money her parents had sent before they went to Italy. After a quick survey of the street to make sure that Margherita was not on the way, she hurried across to the inn and hid her purchase under the old rugs they kept in the pony cart in case it became too cold. Then she hurried back to the seamstress, and was looking over sketches of garden-party dresses when her aunt returned.
“Well, how did it go?” Margherita asked.
“I’m finished,” Marina said, with triumph. “Look, this is what I picked—without the trimming. I have some ideas—”
“Hmm! And so do I! That’s a fine choice of design. Well done, poppet!” Marina beamed in Margherita’s approval. “When should we return for the fitting?” she asked, turning to the seamstress.
“Not sooner than a week,” the woman replied promptly. “Now, that suit rightly needs a shirtwaist—did you have anything in mind for that?”
“This, I think,” Margherita told her, turning back to the shirtwaists and pointing out a simple, but elegant design with a high collar and a lace jabot that could be tied in many ways, or left off altogether. “Two in white cambric, and one in dove-gray silk, and we’ll want enough extra fabric to make three jabots for each.”
Marina stared. “But—Aunt—I thought my old shirtwaists—”
“Nonsense, a new suit demands new shirtwaists.” Margherita bargained again, but with the unexpected sale of the brown wool plush, the seamstress was feeling generous, and let her have her way after only a token struggle.
They left the shop arm-in-arm and headed up the street. “Luncheon first, I think,” Margherita said, steering Mari in the direction of a teashop. “It’s our day out, and I think we’ll spend it like ladies. A proper lady’s luncheon, and none of those thick ham-and-butter sandwiches your uncles want!”
Marina giggled, but wasn’t going to argue. She could count the number of times she’d eaten in a teashop on the fingers of one hand; it was a rare treat, and she was bound to enjoy it.
“Well, Mari, are you happy with your present?” Margherita asked, when they were settled, with porcelain cups of tea steaming in front of them, and a tempting selection of dainty little sandwiches arranged on a three-tiered plate between them.
“Oh, Aunt—” Marina sighed. “I can’t tell you how much!”
Margherita just smiled. “Well, in that case, I think we should complete the job. What do you say to a new hat, gloves, and shoes to go with it all? Your mother sent a real surprise, but I’ve hidden it, and you’ll just have to wait.”
Marina had no thoughts for future surprises in the face of present generosity. “But—Aunt Margherita—isn’t all that—expensive?” she faltered.
Margherita laughed. “All right, I’ll confess. This year I finally convinced your mother to entrust the purchase of at least some of your Christmas presents to me. Oh, don’t worry, you’ll be able to give your Uncle Sebastian his usual largesse of painting supplies, but I pointed out, providentially it seems, that you were getting older and probably would start to need a more extensive wardrobe than I could produce. And that your mother, not being here, could hardly be expected to purchase anything for you that would actually fit. So although some of this is from us, the rest will be from Alanna and Hugh.”
“Ah.” She nibbled the corner off a potted-shrimp sandwich, much relieved. “In that case—”
Margherita laughed. “I know that look! And I knew very well that you would be more tempted by the bookstore than the seamstress!”
She flushed. “But I would like a hat. And gloves. And shoes.”
Then recklessly, “And silk stockings and corset-covers and all new underthings!”
“And you shall have them,” Margherita promised merrily. “But I am very glad that your uncles are off on their own errands, because by the time this day is out, they would have perished of ennui!”
Chapter Seven
BOXING Day was one of Marina’s favorite days of the Christmas season, second only to Christmas itself. Perhaps this was because she really enjoyed giving gifts—not quite as much as receiving them, but she did take a great deal of pleasure from seeing the enjoyment that her gifts gave.
Traditionally, Boxing Day, December 26, was the day when those who were better off than others boxed up their old clothing and other things and distributed them to the poor—or at least, to their servants or the tenants on their property. But the inhabitants of Blackbird Cottage had a kindlier version of that tradition. No secondhand, worn-out things were ever packed up in the boxes they put together; instead, in odd moments throughout the year, they all had projects a-making that were intended to make those who weren’t likely to get anything on Christmas a little happier on Boxing Day.
Uncle Thomas carved kitchen implements and other useful objects of wood and horn, as well as wooden boats, trains, tops, and dolls. Uncle Sebastian painted the toys, constructed wonderful kites, and used his skill at stretching canvas to stretch parchment and rawhide scraped paper-thin over frames to be mounted in open windows. Not as transparent as glass, perhaps, but tougher, and his frames were actually identical to the old medieval “windows” that had been in use by the well-to-do in ancient times. They kept the winter wind out of a poor man’s cottage better than wooden shutters, and at least permitted some light to shine within during the day. Aunt Margherita knitted scarves, shawls, and stockings with the ends of her skeins of wool. And it was Marina’s pleasure to clothe the dolls, rig sails to the b
oats, and stitch female underthings and baby’s clothing. There were always babies to be clothed, for the one thing that the poor never lacked was mouths to feed and bodies to clothe.
As for the underthings—well, she considered that a form of comfort for the heart, if not the body. She knew how much better it could make a girl feel, even if she was wearing second-hand garments, to have brand new underthings with an embroidered forget—me—knot border to make them special. Many a village girl had gone into service with a set or two of Marina’s gifts proudly folded in her little clothing-box, knowing that she would have something none of the other maids she would serve with would have—unless, of course, they were from Killatree as well. And many a poor (but proud) village bride had gone to a laborer-husband with a carefully hoarded set of those dainty things in her dower-chest, or worn beneath her Sunday dress (if she had one) to serve as the “something new” on her wedding-day.
Small things, perhaps, but they were new. Not secondhand, not worn threadbare, not out of the attic or torn, stained, or ill-made. For no few of the parish poor, this was the only time in their lives they ever got anything new.
So, on Boxing Day, Marina and Margherita drove down to the village with the pony-cart full of bundles of stockings and gloves, scarves and shawls, useful things and toys, heading down to the Parson, who would see that their gifts were distributed to those who needed them for another year. This year, Uncle Thomas had added something to his carvings; Hired John’s son had expressed an interest in learning carpentry, and the uncles had put him to making stools and boot-jacks. If the legs were a trifle uneven, that was quickly remedied; and those of his efforts that he didn’t care to keep—and how many people could actually use twenty stools and boot-jacks?—went into the cart as well.
Marina wore the “secret” present from her mother and father—a magnificent beaver cape, warm and soft, like nothing she’d ever had for winter before. She needed it; the temperature had plummeted just before Christmas, and it had snowed. Christmas Eve had resembled a storybook illustration, with snow lying thickly on the ground and along the limbs of the evergreens. The snow remained, softening the landscape, but making life even harder for the poor, if that was possible.
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