PHILLIPPA LEARNS NEW WAYS

"This was so nice of Reckness. I've never been to a debutante ball before." Cousin Reckness's friend leaned her head towards Flip, smiling. "Do I look all right, Miss Latham? Thanks so much for the dress."

"Please, Mary, call me Phillippa, or Flip, for short." Flip patted a gloved hand on Mary's arm. "I wish you could see how pretty you look in the organdie. I would die for your hair. I hope you're having a good time. We're quite fortunate that Reckness could come to Missy's deb ball." Really, this blind girl was stunning, Mary Ingress, or whatever. Were all sightless people as attractive as Reckness?

As children, Reckness had been the devil of the family, putting wet soap into other boys shoes, using squirting flower lapels and the like. Mama always said Reckness acted up so you wouldn't feel sorry for him for having the eye affliction. But he'd always been sweet to Flip, who the other cousins called "Chubbette",although a lot of the baby fat was gone now.

After Father had lost a great deal of money in the Erie shares, they'd had to leave New York for the Middle West…so it was such a treat that when Reckness came to school here he could just hop a train to attend barbecues and parties and such.

The girl he'd brought seemed charming but a little bit stiff. She must be scared to death. Reckness said her daddy was just a common farmer.

With one eye Flip watched Mary grope for a biscuit on the treat table, and with the other she noted Reckness's kissing Titania Tomlinson. How that boy…he did make friends fast. And of course he could not be faulted for groping about to find Miss Tomlinson's hand and accidentally brushing her basque.

Did that boy ever behave?

RECKNESS MAKES UP FOR LOST TIME

The Tomlinson girl giggled as Reckness pooched his tongue in her ear. "Stop, please. What about your companion over there, the lame girl?"

Titania's laugh was a little bit ringing in Reckness's own ear. "Well, she's not lame, but the school asked me to bring her as a sort of chaperone…blind chaperone, that's funny, right?"

Reckness wondered if boys were asking Mary to dance. He'd worried about this, and had spread a light rumor that her eye affliction was from a dalliance of questionable nature, and that it could be catching. Cousin Dev had promised to keep mum, and we know how that would go.

Titania's voice blared again"But you're a bit blind yourself, Reckness am I right?" The girl evaded Reckness's wandering forefinger in her ruffle, but not terribly skillfully.

"I can see a bit, I'm actually at the school in more of a tutorial uh, capacity. Father wants me to work with afflicted people back in New York, perhaps run a charity when I'm not on the Stock Exchange." Boy, can I roll 'em out.

"That's very noble of you, Mr. Cardew. Please stop—hee hee!" There was a pause. "I think the blind girl is looking over here. I'm embarrassed."

Reckness wondered if Miss Tomlinson had been born in an asylum for idiots. Still, she was described by Cousin Devereaux as the belle of this ball. Reckness's sharp ear picked up his name being called by Mary.

Taking up his blackthorn walking stick, he released Miss Tomlinson's arm and tapped his way over to Mary Ingalls.

"I hope you're having a good time, Mary? The violins and cellos aren't getting on your nerves?" Reckness smiled, thinking of how awed a gaping hick from Minnesota must be terribly impressed with such an affair. It had been work getting the administration of the blind school, backed by that jealous idiot Adam Kendall, to give Mary a pass to this event.

There had been the ridiculous letter to the school…Nellie Ollson had been with child! It had been kept quiet, but only because Reckness (after Father had donated another wing)had suggested that Simon the hick had kept a friendly company with Nellie, as had Fitzie the accountant. Simon had been expelled, and Fitzie fired from the school, which must've really anguished Adam Kendall, as they were old friends, ha ha.

But now Reckness must be attentive as Mary was speaking. How she loved him! And could he blame her?

"Yes, yes of course. I'm having a glorious time, but it's all so new to me. I was hoping you'd keep me company a bit." Her voice sounded so forlorn. Reckness felt a little trapped. Had this been a mistake? He'd not estimated what a success his own presence would be at this event, and had actually brought Mary to keep HIM company, to help him feel secure.

And of course later, he might be able to tap his way to her room…

"Reckness, your cousin Phillippa speaks so highly of you. I think a lot of the teachers at the school would revere you more if they could get to know you better."

Flip was sweet, but Reckness had brushed his other cousin Missy's face with a finger and was amazed at what a homely debutante she was. Missy should, like the groundhog go in, not come out. But Mary was talking again, and Reckness was bound to listen, sort of.

"Adam Kendall doesn't understand your wit, your humor. Perhaps you are too stand offish because of your good character…I think there's a side of you that doesn't want people to know how kind you are."

Reckness, distracted, wondered how Titania was doing. He hoped she wasn't thinking he and Mary were sitting too close. "What? Yes, of course, you've found me out. But Mary…Adam Kendall is an um, good soul, and I don't like to clash with him. I am uh, trying to have him mentor me, if he will accept me."

Reckness felt a taffeta dress rub his hand. That must be Piers's sister, Edwina. Nasty thirteen year old thing, she'd spent an energetic half hour with him in a closet at Piers's birthday party in July.

"I-I have something terrible to tell you, Reckness. I-I think possibly the reason Adam has trouble mentoring you, or why he is holding you back, is because, I think he has a little crush on me, he's—got feelings."

Reckness was getting bored, and wanted to go out for a pinch of snuff. "That shocks me, Mary…but Mr. Kendall is a teacher at the school. Are you sure of this?"

Reckness wondered sometimes if everyone in the world was bumbling and slightly retarded except him. Still, life continually proved to be fascinating.