A Factory of Cunning by Philippa Stockley

Author:Philippa Stockley
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781448208494
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Published: 2019-12-06T00:00:00+00:00

July 26, 1784

Violet Denyss, XXXX Street, etc

To Clio Denyss

Monday

Hide this letter after you have read it, nb.

Clio, dear, I thought you might have answered my letter, that it wasn’t much bother, but you were never good at writing, and besides I don’t expect anything What-So-Ever has happened at home. I doubt that Mama and Papa have even noticed that I am gone, since they never pay me any attention! Have they?

So much has happened here that I do not know where to begin.

We were going to visit a mantua-maker, but then Mrs B said that I could just as easily be measured ‘at home’ (of course that meant H— Street, not our home!) for my dresses, which was a grander way of doing it. She gave me a rather strange look when she said that and I realised that I must have missed a compliment and should have curtseyed, so I did and she said, that’s better, and we were the best of friends again.

I would have liked to go out in the carriage but did not mention it again. Presently she knocked on the door of my room, which is on the fifth floor, or the fourth not counting the basement, and came straight in, although I had not answered. One of the undermaids came too, and a small lady I have not met before, whom I could scarcely look at she was so beautiful, with such jewels, and her hair like yellow mist curling round her head.

She was Mrs Salmon who I think must own the house, and she turned to Mrs B and said in a funny high voice, I see what you mean. Mrs B gave me her look to make me understand that I had been paid a compliment, although it certainly did not feel like one, so I curtseyed.

At that Mrs Salmon smiled and said that this girl would measure me, and also look after me while I was having a holiday in the house. She said that rather loud, as if the maid, who had her back to us, opening her work basket, might be deaf, and Mrs Salmon did not want to exclude her from the conversation. I asked what she meant, and she said that it was just a lovely visit, wasn’t it, I could go home whenever I wanted? So I said, yes, but I didn’t want to go home. Then she patted me and told me not to cry, and bid the maid take very good care of me. She suggested it would be a good thing to undress, which I felt shy about doing; but that is the proper way to get measured for fashionable clothes. Mrs Salmon then sat in a chair, with Mrs B standing next her.

The girl took a long time turning me this way and that, while the two ladies stared to make me blush and decided what might suit me. They said that I would need bosom friends, which was most considerate, so I curtseyed again.

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