Acte 2 of 4

A Tea for the Tillerman

Acte 2

 

Tea Party Misadventure

 

One would never have guessed anything out of the ordinary would be occurring at Mum’s soiree that early summer afternoon as we all gathered on the back lawn, surrounded by our gardens.

 

It was a beautiful sunny day, not too warm, with a cooling breeze that hinted, but not yet threatened, rain.

 

The yard and garden look beautiful, trimmed and cleaned up by my father and my twin brother the days before. Neither one would be in attendance, having fled well before the guests' arrival to the sanctuary of our local, the Poet and Peasant Pub.

 

The “boys” were usually pressed into service to help out at Mum’s larger afternoon teas. But this time she was helping out a friend by hiring her cousin’s budding catering service.

 

The story actually began for Ginny and me at the pub when we nipped in for a quick pre-tea drink, catching up with my father and brother.

 

We wanted to show off the outfits that we were wearing to the two of them. There also was an ulterior motive. I was sweet on a lad named Bryon, who was one of the 2nd year Detective Constables under my Father’s command.

 

To my silent congratulations, I had guessed correctly that he would be there

 

Ginny was besotted over my brother, and the pair of lovebirds had already been a couple for some time, she just liked to keep him reminding him as to why.

 

Since Ginny and I were already going out to an evening wedding reception formal do the next evening, we decided on wearing the same outfits to the tea as sort of a trial run.

 

I had on a smart teal-coloured silk dress with the pleated knee-length skirt and a slick solid top with a mock turtleneck collar. The long sleeves flared out just before reaching my wrists. I was wearing my gold mesh necklace with matching semi-long earrings. Also being worn was my rhinestone cuff bracelet. The same one my brother once nicked from me at the very pub we were heading to. And that is another story I promise to tell. I also added two of my real gemstone cocktail rings to complete the glittery effect.

 

Ginny?

Well, our Ginny girl was smashing.

 

She had poured her lithe figure into the sleek satin Japanese style Qipao sheath dress she had bought to wear in a play she acted in last spring. It was midnight black with a brite lime green inner lining and tight lime green Lycra pants. The only decoration on the elegant dress was a glittery silver rhinestone Dragon, with green slanted eyes and a red fiery tongue. It was embroidered crawling up one side of the dress, reaching around up towards her bosom.

 

“Naughty Dragon.”

 

Ginny had green mascara above her eyes, around which she drew lines of black mascara to give them a slanted look. The whole effect looked a lot like Shirley Jackson did in the Michael Caine movie Gambit. Right up to the solid gold headpiece in Gunny’s reddish hair.

 

Ginny also had in her emerald drop earrings, along with her emerald bracelet and a fancy emerald cocktail ring.

 

But it was her necklace that stole the show.

 

The opulently handsome necklace was the estate auction-won long pendant that had neatly set her back a month's wages. We both had opened bids on it at the same time, with me immediately backing off so she would win it.

 

It was a very shimmery piece of jewellery, with its long rhinestone encrusted chain hanging past her breasts, ending with a dangling pendant which held a birds egg size synthetic oval-shaped emerald, surrounded by long rhinestone fringes that resembled the silver beard of the dragon on her dress.

 

It was a very striking effect, especially when it stopped swaying and hung straight down, appearing just out of reach from the grasping front rhinestone claw of the gem greedy dragon.

 

So dressed, the pair of us caused quite a stir as we causally entered the pub that late morning. With a lot of compliments and bugging out eyeballs sent our way.

 

After hanging out at the pub for a bit, my plan was accomplished(judging by the look on Bryon's face). I pried my brother off of Ginny(or was it the other way round?) and we took our leave and headed over to my parent’s house to help mum with any last-minute details for her tea.

 

We located my mum in the kitchen showing the head caterer the location of various items they would be using.

 

Ginny and I politely waited till she was through.

 

Mum then came over, fawning over the way we looked.

 

But my Mum was also looking exceptionally pretty that afternoon.

 

Her long red hair was up in an elegant bun, held by a deep blue rhinestone trimmed satin ribbon.

 

She wore the solid sky blue taffeta dress that shone with a tight sleekness along her still svelte figure. It was the same dress she had worn out earlier that week for my parent's anniversary” Date Night” dinner and show.

 

I loved that dress and relished in its feel as I had tried it on while we were out shopping for dresses. Mum is short and petite, like me so we are nearly the same size. I rather thought it looked good on me and was already planning on borrowing it.

 

The skirt was higher in front(below knees) than in the back where it was just above her ankles. The neckline of the dress was an open low scoop and had wavy ruffles running along its opening, the sleeves went to her elbows, ending in ruffles.

 

Missing were the 3/4 length satin gloves of deep blue she had also worn that anniversary evening.

 

Not missing, however, were the glittery diamonds she had worn out for that evening. Her really good jewels, the ones that everyone always asked for...

 

“They’re not real, right?”

 

But they were, the only real gemstones she owned, given to her by papa over several wedding anniversaries. My parent’s kept them in a safety deposit box in a city bank. Mum had cajoled Papa not to return them until after her tea, yearning to wear them to “show-off,” Just this once Honey” she had winningly purred.

 

 

The silver diamond set consisted of pierced earrings, set with 1 1/4 carat round stones with a full 2 carat pear-shaped larger stone dangling. The necklace was a silver chain with 5 round 1 1/4 caret diamonds in a v pattern. Hanging from the two end and middle round stones were three 3-carat pear-shaped diamonds, the same size as the ones swinging from her earrings. There was also a 3-carat pear-shaped diamond pinky ring(10 Anniversary gift) which mum was wearing on her right pinky. She also was wearing her diamond engagement and wedding bands.

 

 

Mum had cheerfully introduced us to the caterers. a small rag-tag crew of six, all girls. The owner, her black-dressed goth daughter, and four of the daughter’s similarly clad school chums.

 

They appeared very wet behind the ears as far as experience, but it was better than Ginny and I being pressed into helping serve, which had sometimes been the case previously.

 

When I was much younger mum actually had me wearing a black satin maids outfit with white frills to serve her guests tea and biscuits.

 

We were there in plenty of enough time to help greet the first arriving guests.

 

Soon Ginny and I were in the thicke of it, mingling in as more and more arrived. I don't think we had been there more than an hour before the tea was in full swing.

 

Now amongst the usual caste of characters, there was a lady(Sharie) from church who had her sister(Clarice) visiting up from London. She had asked if the sister could come, which of course she was more than welcome to attend.

 

Clarice had brought along her daughter, a lovely shy toddler named Claire, all 3 years old. An adorable, precocious blue-eyed imp with long gold tresses of gold hair.

 

Claire’s mum must have been told about how all the guests were dressing.

 

Clarice was wearing a short shiny floral patterned dress, an unadorned scooped neck with layered scalloped sleeves hanging just over her shoulders. Her jewels were a pair of silver chains hanging down from her neck, diamond stud earrings, and a diamond tennis bracelet, along with her pricey-looking engagement and wedding rings.

 

She had her daughter Clair dolled up in a long yellow lacy silk number with a black satin sash that held a round rhinestone pin. Along with a neat black velvet jacket. She wore what appeared to be genuine pearls, consisting of earrings along with a long dainty necklace.

 

The little darling was soon running around unheeded, tripping over herself in excitement to be on the loose.

 

I had always heard first-time mums were always ultra protective of their first born.

 

But not Clarice. She let her young daughter have the run of the place and figured others would keep an eye on the tyke.

 

And there were plenty of mothers in that group who did, at first, before it got old later on.

 

Ginny and I had been talking to Mum, Sharie, and Clarice when little Claire troll-loped back over to her mum.

 

Ginny happily picked up Claire, who was soon playing with my friend’s diamond pendant.

 

“Should ‘ave brought my nieces over to play with you..” Ginny chirped to the happy Lass, who answered by cooing out some words in an unknown toddler language.

 

The older three ladies moved off, leaving us alone, with Ginny still holding the huggy Claire.

 

It was soon after, that this grandmotherly-looking lady wearing glasses with big rose-coloured lenses, approached us.

 

Neither Ginny nor I recognized her.

 

She was wearing this long raw silk muddled brown garment, a long canvas purse over one hooded arm, with wood beads looking like miniature croquet balls, hanging from her neck, and perched on her head, a turban.

 

She seemed out of place with Mum’s crowd. I mean who wears a turban and wood beards to a dress-up tea?

 

She had come up to Ginny and admired our “just darlhing” outfits. Treating us like we were 14-year-olds instead of the twenty-something Ginny and I both were at the time.

Very annoying.

 

Stroking and caressing along my dress with clammy dime store ringed fingers, which she also used to finger my hair, as she bombarded us with questions.

 

Ginny had put down the wriggling Claire and was now politely listening.

 

As she reached up to admire Ginny’s necklace, I saw her beady fox-like eyes darting around.

 

She gushingly told us that we were the prettiest thing ever, and she would not be surprised to find the mother of ones so cute would also be pretty. She looked around.

 

“So which of these lovelies is are your mother’s, my sweethearts?”

 

She drew out her words while asking this in a silky, but still oddly demanding tone of voice.

 

Ginny shook her head, admitting her mum was out of town with her father on a re-election jaunt (Ginny’s mum is a local politician)

 

I obediently began to look around for mum, the whole while explaining she was the hostess. Finally, I saw her and pointed her out.

 

She laughed with a snort, attempting, but failing to produce, a friendly smile.

 

 

“I would have thought it was that fetching lady over there luv, wearing those pretty rubies...”

 

She said this while digging her fingers into my soft sleeve while pointing out a lady wearing a silvery slinking gown similar to the one I saw worn by the character Ana Steele in the movie Fifty Shades Darker.

 

“That is Mrs. Shannon,” Ginny said, correcting the lady for me, as all three of us looked over in that direction.

 

I noticed that Claire had made her way over to them, so much for us keeping an eye on the child.

 

Next to Mrs. Shannon was her 12-year-old daughter, a shy lass named Gabrielle. She was very pretty wearing a long silky cream dress that looked like a slip. A black velvet bolero jacket completed her look. She was also wearing real rubies like her mom. Though hers were a smaller version.

 

I figured that Claire had recognized a fellow child in Gabrielle and had gone over to play with her.

 

Indeed, Gabrielle had now captured Claire and was holding the toddler.

 

A girl named Estella, Gabrielle’s school chum, stood next to her, teasing Claire.

 

I shuddered.

 

If I had a daughter, Estella would be my last choice of a friend for her.

 

There was just something about that cheekily sly little imp that I just found to be unsettling.

 

But poor awkward Gabrielle had a hard time making friends. And I'm sure that Estella was only pretending to be one to take advantages of her rich classmate. Like being invited to parties like this

 

Gabrielle’s mum was totally clueless about this fact. And I’m sure encouraged the two to be friends.

 

But I do harbor a case in point.

 

Estella had a birthday party last summer. Inviting her like-minded friends, as well as Gabrielle. Gabrielle wore an expensive ring to the affair to compliment her party dress.

 

I was not surprised to hear the ring had been lost at the playground Estella had led them all off to during the party…

 

“Lost my eye.” I thought. “Probably was nicked right off her finger. Stolen during a game that had been specially chosen by the conniving Estella just to provide her with just that opportunity while playing it.

 

Anyway, With her long black hair straight Estella was wearing a black taffeta dress with verticle white stripes. She was wearing an eye-catching wide rhinestone dangling necklace and matching clip earrings. I recognized them as being borrowed from Gabrielle, who had worn them to Mum's tea party last year with her gold taffeta dress.

 

As I watched, Estella coached Claire to leave Gabrielle and come to her.

 

Gabrielle giggled nervously

 

Taking my eyes off them, I finally answered the wood bead lady

 

“Mrs. Shannon? No that’s not my mum. “

I assured her.

 

Mrs. Shannon was wearing some rather nice rubies, which wasn’t surprising seeing her husband is a snobby jeweler. But Mrs. Shannon was raven-haired, whereas I’m a natural redhead, like my mum. So I’m not sure where this wood bead-wearing lady was making a connection. “Wood Bead Lady,” I thought, giving her that name in my mind.

 

Then the lady, looking directly into my eyes, asked a most peculiar question as she massaged my side.

 

“Perhaps you could introduce me?” she asked indicating the group that was fawning over wee Claire…

 

(I will not be using the name given to us by the “Wood Bread Lady” for legal reasons)

 

Seeing we had no choice, we lead the “Wood Bead Lady” over to greet them and make the requested introductions.

 

As the “Wood Bead Lady” began fawning over Mrs. Shannon and the girls, I made an excuse for Ginny and me to leave them and greet newer guests.

 

Neither Ginny nor I gave that experience any more thought as we began to meet, greet and mingle in amongst the other gaily dressed and jewel bedecked females who were now arriving in force.

 

Next up the Acte 3

 

Tea Party Shenanigans

Done