I guess you could say I had a pretty eventful week leading up to the night of the ball. I went out to dinner with the nurse. It was fantastic by the way, thanks for asking. I also had to get a custom tuxedo and face mask made.
Mrs. Hudson was very passionate about the suit and mask. She was actually the one who took my measurements, and the whole time she kept mumbling something about the color red. I pushed it aside only hoping that the tux wouldn't be bright red.
Before I knew it though, I was buttoning the jacket of a deep black tux. I stood in the den and the fire was blazing. Scarlett had gone with Mrs. Hudson to put on her dress. I was face to face with a mirror attempting to tie the damn bow tie choking my collar.
"Damn," I cursed after my index finger that gotten stuck in the knot for the sixth time. Mrs. Hudson finally emerged from Scarlett's room and shut the door behind her.
"How many times is that?" she barked. She pushed against the wall and took the black tie off my neck. "And what is this? You are not wearing a black tie, young man." She threw the tie in the chair and took a small box from the end table. Mrs. Hudson open the box and inside was a silk red bow tie. It was magnificent in the glow of the heart. The landlady swung the tie around my neck and tie perfectly on the first try. After this was done, she took a red rose from the vase in the kitchen and placed it in my blazer pocket. "There, now give us a spin!"
I did as I was told and walked around in a slow circle. Mrs. Hudson smiled and pinched my cheek. "Forget James Watson, dear! Tonight you are James Bond!" said sang. I really starting to enjoy the old woman, she seemed like family to me. "Scarlett, get out here!" she shouted.
"I look ridiculous!" Scarlett's voice shouted back.
"You look beautiful, now you get your tiny little butt out of that room!" I heard a deep irritated sigh, and the door knob turned.
Scarlett was wearing a black flowing floor-length gown, and there was a slit in the skirt that traveled all the way up to her upper thigh. The dress was strapless but she had a red laced shawl hanged from the crook of her arms. Not much could be down with her short curly hair but Mrs. Hudson had tamed it into a slick bun with a single black coil framing her face. A single, matching, red rose was pinned to the bun.
I could help it, I stared. For a long time. To make it worse, I didn't even speak. Mrs. Hudson took notice of the silence.
"Oh, wait, I forgot something!" she said. Mrs. Hudson shuffled out of the room and down the stairs. She quickly popped back up carrying a dusty black and red box that was tied shut the silky black ribbon. Mrs. Hudson gently untied the knot and opened the lid very carefully.
Inside were two masks. The first one was larger, obviously mine. It was black and only covered half the face, it was the darker vision of the Phantom of the Opera's mask. The mask's partner was a deep, blood-red that, once put on, would cover both eyes and the top of the face. My mask had thin red vines that flowed through the surface forming thin images of flowers. Scarlett's was the opposite with black vines connecting all over the face to make flowers. To put it simply, the two face masks were made for each other in every possible way.
Mrs. Hudson put the red mask on Scarlett's face and tied it in the back with black ribbon. I picked mine up and put it to my face. The sculpt was perfect. Scarlett finally turned to face me.
"Well? Say something, you been quiet this whole time!" she said.
I found it hard to make out the correct words. All that came out when I looked at her was; "Best. Bond-Girl. Ever." Suddenly, the door bell rang, meaning that out ride was here. Scarlet just rolled her eyes at me.
"We'll be back late," she said to Mrs. Hudson. Scarlett bent down to kiss the elderly woman on the cheek.
"Take all the time you need, dear. Just make sure to stop those killers."
I followed Scarlett down the stairs and out the door. Our cab wasn't as fancy as some of the other ball goers. Some rode in limos or fancy short cars. Once we arrived a short, plump man opened my door and another man opened Scarlett's. I quickly got out and helped her out of the vehicle. She took my arm and we walked up the large stairs of the gallery.
The ball room was huge. And I mean about so huge that you could fit two three-ring circuses in there. The ceiling was tall and the string music bounced off the pure marble floors. Two grand stair cases on either side of the room led up to a long landing that made a balcony around the entire room. Small tables and brass chairs lined the outside of the dance floor and on the balcony. Men in black, white, and gray tuxedos escorted woman dress in every color imaginable to the dance floor or secretly through a closed-door upstairs.
As we entered, Scarlett got some stares. She looked downwards and got closer to me. I knew instinctively, that Scarlett felt as if she was being judged.
"Where are we supposed to go?" I asked.
"We have to somewhere we can see the whole place," she said.
"Upstairs?"
"Too obvious."
"I know the perfect place," I said. I held Scarlett's arm as I made my way to the floor.
"What are you doing?" she asked. She almost shocked.
"Why are you so afraid? Last time I checked I was the one who couldn't dance," I said.
Once on the floor, I twirled he around and took hold her waist. I pulled her close. Awkwardly, she put her hands on my shoulders. We were about the same height but she still had to look up at my face. The string band played their own rendition of "The Way You Look Tonight." Couple around us dance to the song up I had the feeling that they had their hawk-like eyes on Scarlett and I.
Scarlett's eyes, however, hadn't left my face. They had grown in the last few minutes. "What's wrong?" I asked.
"N-nothing," she stuttered quietly. "It's just-never mind."
"It's just what?" I pressed. Just then the song ended with the long, drawling notes of the cellos and violins. Everyone let go of their partners and clapped as the band took a bow.
The conductor turned and took a microphone. "Now, if everyone will please clear the floor, it is time for our very special guest." We moved together off the floor and took two chairs at the closet table possible.
Twelve beautiful women, of all ages, in pink dresses took their places on the marble floor. The string band pulled their bows across the instruments and show started. I glanced over to Scarlett whose eyes were turned to the stairs. Someone had just arrived.
A man and woman of equal age glided down each of the stair cases. The woman wore a dark, emerald dress with a white fur shawl over her shoulders. Her white, blond hair was pulled into a bun and was swirled with what looked like poison ivy leaves. The man had the same white blond hair and wore a suit so green it was almost black and was accented with a white bow to match the woman's shawl. He carried a long black cane. The couple's masks both covered one half of their faces. The woman's covered the left side and the man's on the right. They were both emerald-green and on white sticks.
Scarlett's jaw dropped. She was scanning them. "James?"
"Yeah?"
"The killers are here."