"Oh dear," Sibella tutted as she strolled into the dining room, with Henry and Bella trailing behind her nervously, "This is far worse than I feared."
"Please help us, Auntie," begged Bella, practically tugging at Sibella's arm.
"We really need your help," added Henry with a downcast look towards the floor.
"Yes, my dears I gathered as much. Has your Mother taught you nothing on how to host a gala?" she muttered.
"Well-" Bella started, but Sibella waved her away.
"No, my sweet. That was rhetorical. I know both of you have been rather…not well versed in the ways of dinner parties."
"Father says you put on the best parties in the country," Bella complimented.
Sibella smirked slyly to herself. "Did he?" she laughed, "I'll have to remind him of that if he starts complaining at one of my parties once more."
"Does Father complain much at your parties?" Bella inquired, her face curious.
"Not if certain people are unable to attend. Your father is quite picky about who he spends his time with."
"He spends an awful lot of time with you and Mama," Henry kicked at the floor.
"Yes, that he does," Sibella's voice had a touch of a tone to it. It was enough to get Henry to stop this moody nonsense and cut it out.
"Now," she clasped her hands together, "I gather the servants have prepared the food, and know what your Mother wants to be decorated as towards the room and whatnot, but what we need to figure out is the guest list and the seating chart."
Bella's eyes widened. "Were we supposed to do that?"
"No, darling. Your Mother will mostly likely have it. I'll go fetch it from her. You two sit and we'll get started."
Sibella left them and climbed up the stairs towards the bedroom. She knocked twice, and was greeted with a hoarse, "Come in," from Monty.
Sibella kept a scented handkerchief under her nose, just as a precaution.
"I don't dare come any closer, lest I catch your illness. I just came to inquire on how you were doing, and where the seating chart and the guest list were."
Phoebe and Monty did look horribly sick. Sibella felt bad, she wanted nothing more than to comfort them, but if she fell ill then who in the world would instruct the children on tonight's dinner? Someone had to keep this place running.
"We're alright," coughed Phoebe. "Light headed but Violet has been taking excellent care of us."
"I daresay she better be," scoffed Sibella. "Or else we shall have to hire someone else."
"Come now, don't be snobbish. Is that what you're teaching my children downstairs to be like?" Monty teased her.
Sibella frowned, half wanting to pout at him.
"Your children are fine. They're making themselves wretched about tonight, I doubt they're even comprehending what I'm saying."
"They are so very worried, and yet so excited," sighed Phoebe.
"Yes, well, they are children perhaps, and you have put them in a quite tight spot by becoming ill on the same day, the pair of you!" Sibella chided them.
"Yes, Sibella, this was all part of our master plan to seduce you into coming here. What exactly did you tell Lionel you were coming here to do?" Monty asked, grinning.
"To help out the children, of course," she replied smartly.
"You're so very fortunate that your husband is as dumb as rocks, my darling."
"Aren't I?" she laughed, grinning.
Sibella then glanced at Phoebe.
"The guest list, then love? And the seating arrangements?" she titled her head.
"On my table in my study."
"Thank you, get better. I shall tell you all about it this evening, but I'm sure it will be a smashing success!"
She shut the door lightly behind her and went to retrieve the lists. She found them and then came down to sit with the children.
For the next hour, she spent with the two children going over the details of how to act at a dinner party, who eats first, which fork was for eating when, how to turn a conversation that's boring you into something fun, how to sit up straight, how to introduce others.
A whole hour.
By the time she was finished, Bella sat back, entranced by all of this information, while poor Henry looked overwhelmed.
"You're not going to leave us to do this by ourselves, are you?" Henry asked, his voice wavering from nerves.
"Heavens, no." Sibella said firmly. "You're much too young, even if you are of age to attend a dinner party. No, I shall be staying. Now, I say it's nearly time for us to go get dressed in our finest. Shall we?"
The guests started to fill in at half past seven. Sibella stood next to Bella and Henry as they introduced themselves and welcomed their guests, apologizing for their parents' absence.
The dinner went splendidly. Absolutely perfect. The guests all were charmed by Bella and Henry, especially Bella, who for a girl of sixteen, held up the conversation quite well for someone so young. Henry discussed with the Lord Albert various books he had been reading, and Sibella had chatted away with Lady Cavendish.
By the time it was over, and it ended late for everyone was having such a good time, it was nearly midnight. Sibella kissed both of their heads and sent them off to bed, but not before both of them thanked her for helping them with the dinner.
Sibella then, still dressed in her gown, went to check on Phoebe and Monty. They were asleep, she had rather suspected that, and she tiptoed into the room quietly. She pressed a light kiss to both of their cheeks, and fell asleep in between them, vowing to tell them all about it in the morning.
After all, Sibella's parties were always a success.