Two weeks later a very stressed and harassed Sue was back in town on the Saturday evening. Her family had driven her mad the last week or so, nothing was good enough for them.
Her mum thought she was mad for kicking her ex out, in her mind all husbands had a fling or two. Her brother and his wife were even more disappointed as he had been hoping to arrange some business with her ex. Now he was going to have to stand on his own two feet. As for their spoilt little brats, they were a nightmare!
To be fair, her father had been the only one there who understood and took her side.
"My dear your mother would never let me say so, but I knew he wasn't right from the start. But she just saw his money and decided he was a perfect match for you. You are best rid of him."
Sue laughed, "Oh I know Dad, and she doesn't need to worry about me losing his money, my lawyer has done him up like a kipper!"
They both laughed and enjoyed a couple of glasses of her ex's favourite malt whisky.
The shopkeeper had told her to come along at seven, so he could get the other customers sorted with their costumes first. She had taken a taxi into and gone for a nice Italian dinner and a few glasses of wine. Starting to feel a little more relaxed Sue made her way to the shop.
The lane was quite dark now, but she she could just make out the lights of the shop window further down. Checking her phone, she was right on time, Sue tapped lightly on the door. It swung open almost instantly the Shopkeeper standing just inside.
"Aah Mrs Benn, punctual as ever. I wish all my customers were like you. I have had a real rush getting the others through to their party on time. You however are going to be fashionably late, so the party should have warmed up a little when you get there and you can just blend straight in," he smiled as he spoke, guiding her into the shop and locking the door
"Now your usual glass of bubbly I presume, you are looking a little strained if you don't mind me saying so?"
Sue smiled, "I would love a glass thank you. It has been a nightmare two weeks since I last saw you, I am so looking forward to tonight."
The Shopkeeper smiled, "In laws can be such a strain sometimes, never knowing when to shut up and mind their own business."
Sue gulped on her champagne. "I never mentioned in-laws to him just family." she thought to herself.
He looked back at her and winked, "Mrs Benn, don't ask me how, but I know lots about all my customers, even things they don't know themselves. For example I know your husband is in America on a long business trip and the in-laws from hell have now descended on your brother in law and his family. But rest assured, no-one else knows what I do, and I would never tell."
She had reached the bottom of the glass and he deftly refilled it. "This could be a longer adventure than usual, so I will have a taxi waiting when you return to take you home."
He handed her 1920's style dress and a small bag of accessories.
"Try it on and see what happens. It might help release some of that stress and tension."
She stepped into the dressing room, hung the dress on the hook and opened the little bag. Taking another sip from the glass of bubbly, she laid out the contents of the bag on the little table in the room. A headband and feather, silk arm length gloves, silk french knickers, tie on silk stockings a fan and cigarette holder and a pair of delicate twenties heeled shoes.
"Oh this is going to be exquisite!" she giggled to herself.
"I didn't think you would want bra," called the shopkeeper.
"Oh most definitely not," she called back, "it would totally ruin the lines of this gorgeous dress!"
Stripping off her clothing and hanging it on the hook, she slowly dressed herself. Starting with the knickers and stockings, sliding the silk up her legs and then tying the bows to hold them in place on her thighs. She ran her hands up and down her legs, relishing the luxurious feel. Then came the dress, slipping it over her head, it was a perfect fit as always. The hem came just a few inches below the tops of her stockings, then a fringe of long tassels fell away below her knees. Finally the gloves, headband and shoes.
With the cigarette holder and fan in her hand she looked at herself in the full length mirror. The magic of the dressing room had even styled her hair and make up to match the era.
"I look like I have stepped off the set of Gatsby!" she smiled to herself, "this is so my era!"
Nervously she opened the door to the dressing room and stepped through. She found herself on a city street, stepping out of an old taxi.
"All paid for my darlin'," came the very London voice of the driver, "his Lordship is covering the bill for taxi's to and fro for the dinner."
She looked up to see the steps of a grand London house, with a doorman waiting at the top holding the door for her.
"Welcome Miss Benn," he announced, "the rest of the guests are in the drawing room to your left."
As she crossed the threshold into the grand entrance hall, a maid offered her a glass of champagne. As Sue took the glass another maid tied a silk ribbon with a piece of card with a pink and blue stripe and a number on attached to her wrist. Then she secured a gorgeous white Venice style face mask covering her eyes and nose, before directing her into the next room.
As she walked into the room, she realised all the ladies were wearing white masks and all the men red masks, with red card tags on their wrists. The majority of the ladies were wearing similar styled dresses to her own, but few were dressed in men's attire. The men were all in diner jackets and bow ties or cravats, looking very dapper as they sipped on tumblers of whisky or glasses of brandy as they puffed on their cigars. Interestingly the ladies appeared to outnumber the men by about four to one.
