Murder at the Valentine Ball by Andrea Kress

Author:Andrea Kress [Kress, Andrea]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Ibanez Literary Group
Published: 2022-02-01T05:00:00+00:00

12

I foolishly thought that we would be able to sleep in, but instead we were roused early because the hairdressers, yes, plural, were coming at ten o’clock to do the ladies of the house. Uncle Edward and my father ate a hasty breakfast and said they would disappear for several hours while we commandeered the second floor for our beautification. I thought I would get away with reading since my hair was straight but Enola, the senior hairdresser who worked with my Aunt Margaret, regularly turned my head from side to side and pronounced that waves could be achieved. She beckoned her assistant, Daisy, to take me to one of the larger bathrooms and get to work.

She sat me down in a chair and put a towel around my neck and dug into a large train case for her implements. Using her hands wet with warm water, she got my clean hair damp and combed through. Then some lavender-colored setting lotion was applied, and she produced long, light-weight metal wave clips whose teeth, properly applied, would create the needed waves. It didn’t take very long, and the only prescription was that I was not to touch or remove them until later in the afternoon. That meant I was effectively stuck in my room until the things were removed. It wasn’t painful, just strange, and she told me that if I felt I needed to take a nap before the big event that I should do so in an upright position. No pillows.

Next, she worked on Amanda, who had those waves in place already, but Daisy was attracted to doing something more dramatic than the usual chignon. While they discussed it, I went to watch my mother’s hair, still in a Gibson girl pouf, get rearranged into a more modern style with plenty of pins and a fixative spray. It made her look years younger, but I don’t think she liked it very much and I had the feeling she would resort to her usual coiffure soon enough.

Miss Manley was next, and I really wanted to see the transformation from grey hair pulled back in a bun to what? I couldn’t imagine that she would submit to the lotions, waves and back combing that would be necessary to make a difference, but I was wrong. I hadn’t realized how full her hair was and it gave Enola pleasure to transform the woman I considered plain looking into someone to take notice of. Amazing what a difference a small change made, although hers was a significant one.

“I’m even going to apply powder and rouge for this evening,” she said, smiling at her own courage. “I plan to be the belle of the elderly set’s ball.”

“Hardly elderly,” I said politely. I was thinking she wanted to make an indelible impression on Doctor Pembroke to rub in what a mistake he had made in throwing her over for someone with more money.

And who was I trying to impress? Not John, who seemed to prefer me with my simple tastes, but I didn’t want to be the country mouse in this glamorous setting.

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