Angelique
Chapter 2: Family Affair
The Collins family never believed in having small-scale events. Angelique and Barnabas' Engagement ball was no different. The ball was a masque and appropriately served as a grandiose prelude to an even more grandiose wedding. The only problem was when it came to Angelique's family. Indeed her family roots were scattered across the face of the earth and generally of meager means. They would be rubbing elbows with the crème de le crème of New England and needed to look presentable. To remedy the issue Angelique had the idea to have a day of shopping for appropriate ball gowns and masks while escorted by Barnabas' menservants.
The night of the ball Yvonne and Simone, Barnabas' two younger sisters insisted on preparing Angelique for the ball. Angelique went to Yvonne's room, where Yvonne's cranberry colored gown hung in a wooden wardrobe away from Barnabas' eyes until the proper moment for his future bride to make her debut.
"Does it make sense to apply this much make-up seeing how it's a masque?" Angelique asked as Yvonne applied rouge to her cheeks.
"Of course it makes sense, you're Barnabas' betrothed. He will likely want to see your face at some point during the ball and when he does, it needs to be flawless."
"I suppose you're right." Angelique replied. She looked back at her reflection in the gilded dresser mirror. Who she saw looking back at her was more than: rosy cheeks, shiny brown hair that had been curled, sea green eyes that had its eyelashes dyed and two full crimson lips; she saw how she would look as a Collins. Angelique as a Collins was far more striking then Angelique the scullery maid. It almost made her want to have invited Josette just so she could see her reaction when Barnabas unmasked Angelique's radiating countenance. Perhaps it would happen on the balcony where he once passionately consumed Josette's face and swore his love to her.
Currently Simone, the younger of the two Collins sisters was spraying Angelique's hair with a perfume that smelled like expensive holiday spices she would be cooking at this time of year if she hadn't won Barnabas' love with a lure stronger than nymphs in the Iliad.
"Next, we'll help you dawn your gown." Yvonne said resuming her leadership over Angelique's preparation. The two women grabbed her satin petticoat and went to work fastening the contraption of cloth over her flank. She couldn't wear the bust or the elliptical crinoline cage because of the baby.
"Has my mother arrived yet? "Angelique asker her future sister-in-laws. Simone hastily replied "She has indeed. In fact I believe that she was asked into father's study to talk with our parents." Simone spoke freely until she caught a glare from her older sister who stared at her from behind Angelique as she secured a few final sashes to the petticoat.
"Why has she been called into the study? Is everything alright?" She pressed after noting Simone's abrupt silence and what she surmised was silent admonishment from Yvonne.
"Nothing's the matter, it's quite customary for the parents of both the bride and groom to speak with each other before an engagement ball."
Angelique was not satisfied with Yvonne's answer but dropped the matter because she would investigate the matter later. She knew every crevice of Collinswood and had her own means of retrieving information.
When the ball began the guests poured in like herring into the Collinsport fishing boats. Nobody doubted that the affair would be decadent but what they were waiting for was the ensnaring kitchen wench the Collins allowed to sully their name and pose as a proper Victorian bride. The guests were fully aware of the rumors that stained Angelique, especially those that originated from their own tongues.
The Collins foyer was a sea of fine gowns, waste coats, capes and powdered wigs. The Collins extended British relatives congregated like a school of fish in the foyer and then dispersed amongst the piranhas and snapper fish dressed in colorful masques and clothing. Barnabas came among them like a fisherman testing the line and bating them with the Collins legacy and wealth so that their mouths would be too busy to snap at Angelique.
Speaking of Angelique, he hadn't seen her since breakfast. The closer they got to the wedding, the greater his separation anxiety as though he feared that they wouldn't make it to the wedding day. As he moved further away from the long winding staircase Angelique was to descend during her debut, he saw the outline of a familiar face, it was Josette's. He didn't have to speculate much longer because Josette came right up to him in a crimson dress and mask decorated with peacock feathers.
"Josette, how did you even get in? You weren't invited."
Josette's one angelic crystal blue eyes had a diabolic look in their irises.
"Oh my dear Barnabas, you honestly didn't think that I would allow myself to be shipped to London without putting in a proper appeal do you?"
"It's too late for that you're spoken for and I'm to be wed in five days and to father a child in a matter of months."
Josette prepared to caress his face with a gloved hand but Yvonne cut in before she could.
"Evening Josette, I believe congratulations are in order. Please excuse Barnabas; he has his fiancé to attend to." Yvonne said with a sharp terse tone that could slice through ice.
Barnabas graciously took the opportunity to go to the winding staircase. He arrived just in time to see Angelique in her cranberry gown and golden mask rimmed with scarlet glitter.
" Lady Angelique of the house of Bouchard.", their manservant; Mason announced effectively directing everyone's attention to Angelique as she descended the stairs. When Angelique reached the bottom of the steps she fully basqued in everyone's stares and poorly hidden shock. Barnabas kissed her hand and took her to the center of the ballroom that the foyer lead into. The violinist of the performing quartet began to stroke his violin strings with his bow, softly releasing a melody Angelique and Barnabas began to dance to.
Barnabas hooked one hand around her waist and put his leading hand in her right one. Angelique had watched the guests of previous balls dance enough times that she learning the footing of each dance, currently sailing with Barnabas across the floor. The glided over the polished marble floor in graceful circles until Angelique leaned in to whisper into Barnabas' ear, which gave him cause to slow down.
"It's like how I dreamed it would be." She said wistfully while still holding onto his left shoulder and right hand.
" Like how you imagined being at a party in your honor?"
"No, what it would be like to dance with you at a ball."
Barnabas stopped their movement and removed her mask from her profile to reveal a face so pretty you couldn't imagine it ever being smeared with soot from the chimney nor flour from the hearth oven. When Angelique saw how he looked t her with the awe due to a goddess sculpted into marble, the faces of the other nobles faded from her vision and there was only Barnabas. She prepared to lean in for a kiss but was interrupted by the sound of Barnabas ' father Isaac, striking a crystal gauntlet with a silver fork while he stood at the foot of the stairs.
"My honored guests, dear friends and family I want to thank for coming to celebrate my son's engagement to Angelique of the house of Bouchard." He started. Angelique put her mask back on and tried to turn towards her future father-in-law without bracing her bump and confirming her pregnancy.
As she turned to face Isaac she got a glimpse of the various faces in the room but realized that she did not see her mother's. Suddenly she was being taken by the hand and following behind Barnabas as he was bringing them to their father at the foot of the stairs. As she moved she got a spectral gland of the ballroom and realized that she didn't see her mother's face among those of the masked guests. She wanted to bring it to Barnabas' attention but she knew better than cause a scene especially when his father was toasting to them.
When they came to the base of the steps with the patriarch stood above them like an officiator of their union. Both received a glass of libation, though Angelique's drink was non-alcoholic and simply the juice of apples, which was planned and explained to her before the ball began. Isaac held up the glass and said "to the bride and groom." To which the guests echoed " to the bride and groom". Angelique swallowed her apple juice and resolved to investigate further about her mother's alleged absence.
