: The next time you face a room full of strangers . . . you might tell yourself that some of them are just friends waiting to be found.
: "Well . . ." St. Vincent walked slowly with her to the crowd of dancers. "I'm a wicked man who can, on occasion, be just a bit nice. And I've been searching for a nice girl who can, on occasion, be just a bit wicked."
: Aristocrats never displayed enthusiasm, but rather detached interest. Aristocrats relied on subtle inflections of the voice to convey meaning. Aristocrats would say "relation" or "kinsman," rather than "relative." And they used the phrase "do be good enough" rather than ask "would you." Furthermore, it was mandatory that an aristocratic lady should never express herself directly, but instead hint gracefully at her meaning.
: "I still don't get why I have to eat breakfast if you don't," Josie muttered.
"Because you have to be a certain age to earn the right to ruin your own life."
: "Oh, Daisy, it's revolting the way I want to fawn all over him. I'm afraid I'm going to do something dreadfully silly today. Burst into song or something. For God's sake, don't let me.
: "As you can see," Daisy said, "one glass is filled with soap water, one with clear, and one with blue laundry water. The other, of course, is empty. The glasses will predict what kind of man you will marry."
They watched as Evie felt carefully for one of the glasses. Dipping her finger into the soap water, Evie waited for her blindfold to be drawn off, and viewed the results with chagrin, while the other girls erupted with giggles.
"Choosing the soap water means she will marry a poor man," Daisy explained.
Wiping off her fingers, Evie exclaimed good-naturedly, "I s-suppose the fact that I'm going to be m-married at all is a good thing."
The next girl in line waited with an expectant smile as she was blindfolded, and the glasses were repositioned. She felt for the vessels, nearly overturning one, and dipped her fingers into the blue water.
Upon viewing her choice, she seemed quite pleased. "The blue water means she's going to marry a noted author," Daisy told Lillian. "You try next!"
Lillian gave her a speaking glance. "You don't really believe in this, do you?"
"Oh, don't be cynical. Have some fun!" Daisy took the blindfold and rose on her toes to tie it firmly around Lillian's head.
Bereft of sight, Lillian allowed herself to be guided to the table. She grinned at the encouraging cries of the young women around her. There was the sound of the glasses being moved in front of her, and she waited with her hands half raised in the air. "What happens if I pick the empty glass?" she asked.
Evie's voice came near her ear. "You die a sp-spinster!" she said, and everyone laughed.
"No lifting the glasses to test their weight," someone warned with a giggle. "You can't avoid the empty glass, if it's your fate!"
"At the moment Iwant the empty glass," Lillian replied, causing another round of laughter.
Finding the smooth surface of a glass, she slid her fingers up the side and dipped them into the cool liquid. A general round of applause and cheering, and she asked, "Am I marrying an author, too?"
"No, you chose the clear water," Daisy said. "A rich, handsome husband is coming for you, dear!"
"Oh, what a relief," Lillian said flippantly, lowering the blindfold to peek over the edge. "Is it your turn now?"
Her younger sister shook her head. "I was the first to try. I knocked over a glass twice in a row, and made a dreadful mess."
"What does that mean? That you won't marry at all?"
"It means that I'm clumsy," Daisy replied cheerfully. "Other than that, who knows? Perhaps my fate has yet to be decided. The good news is that your husband seems to be on the way."
"If so, the bastard is late," Lillian retorted, causing Daisy and Evie to laugh.
: "All husbands are unfaithful in one way or another."
Lillian and Daisy glanced at each other with raised brows.
"Father isn't," Lillian replied smartly.
Mercedes responded with a laugh that sounded like crackling leaves being crushed underfoot. "Isn't he, dear? Perhaps he has stayed true to me physically" one can never be certain about these things. But his work has proved a more jealous and demanding mistress than a flesh-and-blood woman could ever be.
All his dreams are invested in that collection of buildings and employees and legalities that absorb him to the exclusion of all else. If my competition had been a mortal woman, I could have borne it easily, knowing that passion fades and beauty lasts but an instant. But his company will never fade or sicken, it will outlast us all. If you have a year of your husband's interest and affection, it will be more than I have ever had."
: "Well . . ." St. Vincent walked slowly with her to the crowd of dancers. "I'm a wicked man who can, on occasion, be just a bit nice. And I've been searching for a nice girl who can, on occasion, be just a bit wicked."
: Aristocrats never displayed enthusiasm, but rather detached interest. Aristocrats relied on subtle inflections of the voice to convey meaning. Aristocrats would say "relation" or "kinsman," rather than "relative." And they used the phrase "do be good enough" rather than ask "would you." Furthermore, it was mandatory that an aristocratic lady should never express herself directly, but instead hint gracefully at her meaning.
: "I still don't get why I have to eat breakfast if you don't," Josie muttered.
"Because you have to be a certain age to earn the right to ruin your own life."
: "Oh, Daisy, it's revolting the way I want to fawn all over him. I'm afraid I'm going to do something dreadfully silly today. Burst into song or something. For God's sake, don't let me.
: "As you can see," Daisy said, "one glass is filled with soap water, one with clear, and one with blue laundry water. The other, of course, is empty. The glasses will predict what kind of man you will marry."
They watched as Evie felt carefully for one of the glasses. Dipping her finger into the soap water, Evie waited for her blindfold to be drawn off, and viewed the results with chagrin, while the other girls erupted with giggles.
"Choosing the soap water means she will marry a poor man," Daisy explained.
Wiping off her fingers, Evie exclaimed good-naturedly, "I s-suppose the fact that I'm going to be m-married at all is a good thing."
The next girl in line waited with an expectant smile as she was blindfolded, and the glasses were repositioned. She felt for the vessels, nearly overturning one, and dipped her fingers into the blue water.
Upon viewing her choice, she seemed quite pleased. "The blue water means she's going to marry a noted author," Daisy told Lillian. "You try next!"
Lillian gave her a speaking glance. "You don't really believe in this, do you?"
"Oh, don't be cynical. Have some fun!" Daisy took the blindfold and rose on her toes to tie it firmly around Lillian's head.
Bereft of sight, Lillian allowed herself to be guided to the table. She grinned at the encouraging cries of the young women around her. There was the sound of the glasses being moved in front of her, and she waited with her hands half raised in the air. "What happens if I pick the empty glass?" she asked.
Evie's voice came near her ear. "You die a sp-spinster!" she said, and everyone laughed.
"No lifting the glasses to test their weight," someone warned with a giggle. "You can't avoid the empty glass, if it's your fate!"
"At the moment Iwant the empty glass," Lillian replied, causing another round of laughter.
Finding the smooth surface of a glass, she slid her fingers up the side and dipped them into the cool liquid. A general round of applause and cheering, and she asked, "Am I marrying an author, too?"
"No, you chose the clear water," Daisy said. "A rich, handsome husband is coming for you, dear!"
"Oh, what a relief," Lillian said flippantly, lowering the blindfold to peek over the edge. "Is it your turn now?"
Her younger sister shook her head. "I was the first to try. I knocked over a glass twice in a row, and made a dreadful mess."
"What does that mean? That you won't marry at all?"
"It means that I'm clumsy," Daisy replied cheerfully. "Other than that, who knows? Perhaps my fate has yet to be decided. The good news is that your husband seems to be on the way."
"If so, the bastard is late," Lillian retorted, causing Daisy and Evie to laugh.
: "All husbands are unfaithful in one way or another."
Lillian and Daisy glanced at each other with raised brows.
"Father isn't," Lillian replied smartly.
Mercedes responded with a laugh that sounded like crackling leaves being crushed underfoot. "Isn't he, dear? Perhaps he has stayed true to me physically" one can never be certain about these things. But his work has proved a more jealous and demanding mistress than a flesh-and-blood woman could ever be.
All his dreams are invested in that collection of buildings and employees and legalities that absorb him to the exclusion of all else. If my competition had been a mortal woman, I could have borne it easily, knowing that passion fades and beauty lasts but an instant. But his company will never fade or sicken, it will outlast us all. If you have a year of your husband's interest and affection, it will be more than I have ever had."
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