Following the morning bath and a late breakfast, Harry parted company with his mummy and Auntie Lucy. He thought he saw the rain abating but Mummy Nature was being a horrid tease. He then made up his mind to continue sticking a few more pins in some unlucky members of his bug collection so that he'd at least use his time wisely while waiting for the rain to finish with its business.
He thought maybe he'd have a chance for the rain to stop and then he'd take the dogs out for a wee and a run as he lugged a gun through the fields and blasted something to smoking bits.
Nothing doing.
He occupied himself with his bug collection some more and then for a bit with his stamp collection until he was summoned for lunch.
The meal went splendidly enough with the rest of the family but at the end of things, Aunty Lucy reminded him that he'd be needed shortly for that appointment up in her chambers that she'd spoken of before. Suffice to say, he was instructed not to roam too far afield as it were. So much for entertaining thoughts of taking the dogs out, however he did notice lovely blue breaks in the clouds and far off through the window he even caught a splash of sunshine on the horizon so his heart leapt at the possibility of doing something outside later.
The family arose and began to prepare for whatever it was they were about to do for the afternoon. As Aunty Lucy rose from the table and was about to excuse herself, her mother, Grand Mah-mah Rebecca shot her a look over the clearing dishes that were already being cleared. It was a serious look that she gave her daughter. There was a heavy pause as Lucy contemplated what might be vexing the old woman.
"Remember Lucinda," Rebecca said sternly but a little under her breath so that only Lucy could hear, "a full report. I want to know!"
"Yes of course Mah-mah," Lucy replied, "I shall tell you everything!" She stood along with Edwina and all the children and waited for Grand Mah-mah to rise and leave the room. Once she'd left, Harry noticed Auntie Lucy's chest sag a bit as his aunt breathed a side of relief. It was as if one of the storm clouds from earlier in the morning had quietly taken lunch with them and now had just left the room. Lucy-Rex was oh so intimidated by Rebecca-Rex and in that instance it was never so self-evident for Harry!
Harry was occupied with his stamp collection and was fussing over a few Penny Blacks of his when Meredith, the upstairs maid; came down the stairs for him. She walked straight over to Harry seated upon the settee and informed him that he was needed upstairs by his Aunt Lucy. It was a little after one o'clock. He moved his stamps back to the bookcase and hurried up the stairs to his Auntie Lucy's bedchamber.
He knocked upon the door and Lucy's voice bid him to enter. He reached for the door handle and curiously, he noticed it had a black ribbon tied around it in a bow. It struck him as
rather odd.
He opened the door and entered the room.
The room was darkened, save a few cracks of light shining through the windows. Everything else was blanketed in shadows and dim light. It felt heavy in there at first, intimidating.
Harry looked about the room and attempted to make things out in the gloom. To the right of the doorway was a large cherrywood clothes dresser; in front of it were the trunks that Aunty Lucy had brought with her. Behind these next to the drapes and windows was a large full-length standing mirror. Far over in the corner of the room beside the nightstand was a small writing desk and chair, unoccupied for the moment.
Curiously he noticed a strange odor in the room. A heavy perfumey sort of something hung in the air like smoke but he could not see anything save a dull haze in the room. He also noticed another strange odor; not quite perfume but not quite smoke or soaps. It was as if the two scents were vying for control of his nostrils and neither one would yield.
Harry now looked to the left and saw the bedroom loveseat another low dresser and another nightstand. Directly before him and in the middle of things he saw the large four-poster bed. Ominously, the curtains were pulled shut making him feel even more ill at ease. Auntie Lucy's voice came from the darkness, someplace within the curtains.
"Undress Harry," she said, "and remove everything. Not one thread upon your body please. And fold your clothes neatly and place them on the loveseat with your shoes underneath." Her voice sounded serious but not angry or unpleasant; no...
it was just serious.
She sounded like a schoolmistress telling him to take out a lesson book.
It definitely appeared Harry'd be in for more of the same as this morning. He did as told and then walked to the small love seat to begin folding his clothing and to put his shoes "in their proper place." As he approached the low sofa, he noticed Lucy's skirts, corset, stockings and chemise were all folded neatly to one side of the cushions. He took it as an example and hurriedly did the same.
"Are you done yet Harry?" Auntie's voice came out of the darkness between the curtains of the four-poster.
"Nearly there Auntie Lucy," he replied.
"It is highly impolite to keep a lady waiting," she commented. Her voice was not angry, just observant and strangely it trailed off into a chuckle. For all the "dark as Hades," aspect of the room he now did not find it fearful, it was...
