Designs of Godmothering
The problem with carriages, Miss Patience Lovelace had decided, was that they were designed with more imagination than actual consideration for the occupants. Certainly the green flourishes set in the sides were perfectly lovely with the pale orange walls, but they seemed to be arranged in just the ideal pattern so as to always poke into one's elbows or knees depending on how one tried to sit. Not to mention the seats had been designed in such a way that Miss Patience was certain the builder of the carriage had never actually sat in a chair in his entire life! They were all sharp angles and sharper edges.
Reginald, her driver, had kindly assured her that the second day of travel was the worst, and afterwards you adjusted to the monotony and discomfort. After a week of travel down the Great Road, which was said to stretch like a serpents across the entire empire, Miss Patience very respectfully cared to disagree with her driver. Given, the second day had been dreadful, but the aches in her backside had been pin pricks compared to the agony every bump in the road now caused her tortured rear. She rearranged the blue seat cushions for the umpteenth time this afternoon and redoubled her efforts to find distraction in her book.
"There are of course advantages and disadvantages to this more direct form of debate." She read out loud in an attempt to drown out the clip-clop of the horses hooves as it was driving her crazy! "Stating the thesis before the evidence allows the listener to form their own opinions on the subject before yours can be proven, depending on how- Good lord!" she screamed. "The sleezing flea ridden son of a windbag who designed this rattling crate called a carriage should be hung by the toes over a moat until this time next decade!" she screamed, throwing the book at one wall and the pillow at the other.
Reginald chucked from above at the antics of the lady below. "Don't you dare laugh at me, Reginald, I am at my wit's end!" Miss Patience ordered through one of the regrettably small windows. "You are the only one around to see me act such a way or I should never dare throw such a tantrum. It is not at all befitting a lady, all the same it is not befitting a gentleman to laugh at me for it."
"I would ne'er laugh at you, Miss," Reginald assured her with only the slightest hint of sarcasm in his voice, "I was simply thinkin' that whate're bloke did design this carriage ought to be scared out 'o his wits, as I know you mean e'ery word o' that."
"You may be quite certain I do," Miss Patience, agreed, back to trying arrange her cushions, "I never say anything I do not fully intend to act upon if given the proper opportunity. The likelihood of such an opportunity ever arising, however, was taken into account."
Reginald was a thin, good humored man, who's hair seemed to be that flip-flopping age when it could not decide whether to stay brown or just drop the pretense along with it's color. He had taken to wearing wide rimmed hats in hopes of coaxing it towards the former. While Reginald was well adjusted to the monotony of long and painful trips, he felt for the lady in the carriage, and put forth an effort to smooth the gait of the pair of white horses pulling them. Judging by the groans and growls from inside his efforts were mostly in vain.
"When we have made it to court, I do not know who, but I shall be sure to let someone know exactly what I think of this ancient Great Road of theirs! The north has been laying rails for years now, and what do we have?" Miss Patience complained loudly below, "I'll tell you what I have, I have an aching backside and a foul disposition! And it's all because we can't seem to figure out how to do business with the iron and coal rich countries! Why if we would only-"
Reginald returned his attention to the white paved road and the lovely view of farm land in all directions. Miss Patience often worked herself into rants like this, he knew she was nervous, but he could not decide if she meant to blow off steam so that she would be calm and composed when she got to court- or to practice. Either way, it was often a very short period of time before he got lost in all the complexities and politics and stopped even trying to listen.
.o.o.o.
The sun was beginning to set and Miss Patience had managed, by some miracle, to fall asleep earlier and was quietly dozing in the uncomfortable seats. Reginald knew this, because the last hour or so, the only sounds of protest had been from the horses or the wheels.
The sun cast a last warm glow over everything, giving the hills a certain color and beauty only visible in half light. The grass glistened warm green as a rainbow of colors leaked down the sky. The Great Road wound away, a single white ribbon, beckoning travelers to follow until they reached the sinking sun. It was one of the many times Reginald let his mind wander aimlessly, and so it was not until he heard Miss Patience, suddenly woken from her slumber, say, "Who is that girl up ahead?" that he noticed the sad lonely little figure just a little farther up the road.
"Pull up beside her, will you?" Miss Patience asked in that way of hers that seemed to take all the option out of a request.
Reginald nodded, "We'll be on 'er in a minute." And indeed they were, as the carriage slowed down almost to a crawl, Miss Patience poked her head out the window. "You there, girl, why are you walking all alone here?"
The girl looked up and both Reginald and Miss Patience recognized very quickly two things about her. First, the girl was remarkably pretty. Not just pretty, she was beautiful with golden curls, gleaming in the last rays of sun, big doe eyes, and a lovely delicate figure, even in her old, but once fine, clothes. Second, they both realized that she had run away from home, as she had a determined look about her and a large suit bag that looked to be crammed with everything she owned.
"Oh, ah, I- I was just-," she flustered and flailed for a reason.
"What is your name?" Miss Patience asked, not unkindly.
"Miss Elanor Chimneyside," she bobbed a quick curtsy.
"And where are you going, Miss Chimneyside?"
"Well... I was... I was going to the capital- I suppose,"she trailed off and quickly her cheeks turned red as Miss Patience Looked her over from her seat in the carriage. Whenever Miss Patience Looked at someone it was an unabashed and hardly subtle judgment of their character and appearance, completely deserving of the capital lettered distinction. The person subjected to the Look could never be certain what conclusion Miss Patience had come to until she spoke.
"Well, get in if you would like a ride there," Miss Patience opened the door and quickly replaced the cushions she had stolen from the other side of he carriage. Miss Elanor stared in shock a moment then quickly clambered into the carriage as if in fear that this strange woman would change her mind.
Miss Elanor arranged her bag in the corner and tried to find a comfortable position on the seat given to her. "Oh, umm, I'm sorry, I think I've crumpled your paper," Miss Elanor realized as she heard the crinkle of paper as she shifted and pulled out the sheet from beneath the cushions.
"Oh no, not to worry, just my designs for a new more comfortable carriage," Miss Patience smiled and tucked the papers behind her own chair somewhere. "Right then, all set? Thank you Reginald, if you would continue on?"
Reginald who had been caught just as off guard as Miss Elanor, shook himself and flicked the horses forward. It was no use trying to understand Miss Patience Lovelace, one might very well die trying, and probably prematurely.
Inside, Miss Elanor was trying anyway. "Thank you very much, I can't say how much I appreciate this, Miss-"
"Miss Patience Lovelace," she introduced herself. "It was no problem at all," she assured Miss Elanor, "As you can see, I have room. If you don't mind my asking, what were you planning on doing once you got to the capital?"
"Oh I- well, I don't really know, but I couldn't stay in my home anymore," Miss Elanor admitted.
"Why?"
Miss Elanor hesitated only a moment, "Well, my step mother- when my father died, she started favoring her own two daughters and made me work as a servant in my own home! I was raised well, but manners don't teach you much about, well about trouble like that and I didn't know what to do, so I stayed for years. But, when- I'm sorry, I'm probably breaking all types of etiquettes burdening you with all of my problems after I just met you, I'm very sorry I-"
"Not to worry, it's a very interesting story," Miss Patience assured her. "A nice girl like you, I'm sure you could find some work in the capital. I don't have many connections at the moment, but I quite hope to and as soon as I do I shall recommend you, I like you already. For now though, of course, you must stay with me. Well, I am staying with my aunt, of course, but I am sure she would be delighted to have more guests, she loves having guests. Of course, we'll have to find you some more suitable clothes, not that yours aren't lovely, but it is very important to keep up with the fashions when you are in town, you never know who you might see on the street."
"I- yes- what?" Miss Elanor was trying very hard to keep up with Miss Patience's rapid way of speaking, but was having quite some trouble.
"Some dresses, you can wear some of mine until then, but you will have to get some tailored to you," it was obvious even to Miss Elanor by this point that Miss Patience's mind was working rapidly off somewhere else and that the best she could do for the moment was just agree and hope that everything worked out.
"That sounds wonderful," she nodded, or at least the things that she had caught did. She couldn't believe that someone could be so generous and welcoming to someone they just picked up off the road, but Miss Elanor just got this feeling that Miss Patience meant everything she said.
.o.o.o.
Miss Patience had been greatly cheered by the distraction that Miss Elanor Chimneyside presented, so much so that the last few hours to the inn had been almost comfortable despite the significantly lessened leg room. Miss Elanor had been quite a find, and not just because she was a pleasant traveling companion, though Miss Patience did rather wish that Miss Elanor would say something a little more intelligent from time to time, but then again, Miss Patience knew she could come across a bit strong. No, what really delighted Miss Patience, was her Plan.
Miss Patience was plain. It was a fact she did not like to admit to, but she did recognize it as a fact. She had straight brown hair and strong dark features that might have been called noble or exotic with a lot of imagination and some poor lighting. She was not ugly by any means, but she would never manage more than nice or passably pretty. This posed an obstacle to her aspirations of being a part of the court where, unless you were royal, only the smartest and handsomest men and women were accepted into society. Miss Elanor, however, with a little fixing up, she would be pulled right into court as soon as the men caught a glimpse of her. She had even been raised the daughter of a gentleman, so her manners would need only a little work! With Miss Elanor as a foot in the door, Miss Patience was certain she would meet the right people and form connections, all she needed was to catch some attention.
She smiled to herself as she pulled her sheets aside and crawled into bed. Good things came to everyone, but it only mattered if you took advantage of them when they reared their head. Miss Elanor was a very good thing.
This was actually more along the lines of the sorts of things I had imagined going here. This was, at one point, supposed to be a beginning to a story, which then quickly died because it had no plot to speak of and nowhere to go. Unfinished, just like Goldilock's breakfasts. However, it sort of manages to stand alone, and I still like it enough to present it to other people. I quite hope that you agree, otherwise I just probably just seem really lazy right now! X)