Noticing movement out her peripheral vision, Vera turned to see Mama looking a little bemused as she took her seat in the pew. She was holding a small card with some writing on it, and a small envelope into which it’d been sealed by red wax.
Papa, being closest to Mama, leaned over to her and made enquiry to which Mama replied by handing him the card silently. Papa read it over, then handed it to Ordell, who was seated next to him.
Ordell held it so that Vera was able to see what it said as well.
The card was of very high quality, handsome stationery that was bordered with red and gold curlicues, with elegantly handwritten text informing them that they were cordially invited to attend a soirée on the coming Saturday.
It would be taking place at the Romelda Plantation, home of Mr. K. Virgil and Mrs. Ambrosia Forsyth, beginning at six in the evening, during which there would be the opportunity to engage in social dancing, with refreshments being provided.
There was no option for them to decline the invitation, but at the same time, Vera didn’t know that Mama and Papa would necessarily be inclined to do so, nor would anyone else, as she knew the whole town had been burning with curiosity to know what the Forsyth mansion looked like on the inside, and they were now actually being invited to see it for themselves.
Vera did note at the bottom what she felt was something of a snobbish note that everyone was expected to be clean and dressed in their finest clothing, which implied that the Forsyths didn’t believe the people of Emerald Wood bathed often.
As much as Vera couldn’t speak for anyone outside of her family, she could say that her family bathed, usually on Saturdays at least, although during the winter especially, Papa would end up having a midweek bath owing to his having gotten exceedingly muddy while attending to a patient in the outdoors, as was sometimes required when something happened to a logger.
“You’ve read it?” Ordell asked.
“Yes,” Vera replied.
Ordell handed the invitation back to Mama, who returned it to the envelope, which she then gave to Papa, who pocketed it inside of his coat.
“Are we going to go?” Ordell asked quietly.
“I don’t see why not,” Papa replied. “We don’t necessarily need to be there at the beginning, nor stay to the end, but since we’ve been invited I think we should be able to at least oblige for a time.”
Ordell nodded, as did Vera. That was what she’d thought too. If they were going to be invited, they might as well accept the invitation and see what there was to see, but once they were tired, they could return home.
Surveying the congregation around her as Mrs. Dosdall continued playing the prelude, Vera noticed that many people in the congregation were looking at similar cards, many of them with eagerness, even if they were people she knew didn’t like the Forsyths, the idea that they were going to be allowed in the family’s grand mansion was something which appealed to many people who had been itching for months to see what it looked like.
Pronunciation:
Ordell: oardehll
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