Felicity's Fashions 7

 

Chapter 7

 

22 Henrietta Street.

28^th March

 

My dearest Phip,

It is late at night but I have to pen you a letter about Vivienne’s party.  I fear I have been too busy all week, sewing, to write before, but you will be astonished by what happened.

I was glad to finish both of Vivienne’s dresses; find sketches below of the designs, with which I was very pleased. I also squeezed in my own dress; as you can see, it is not fussy at all but turned out very elegantly, even with the insertion of the extra panel.

Anyway, I was glad to wear it, because paying off a dress commissioned for someone else which I then wear cannot be counted as being bought a dress by a gentleman, can it? I cannot see that Hartley would consider it the same as his gifts to his mistresses.

The middle one is over a jonquil petticoat with Jonquil yellow bodice, and I did the butterfly on the bodice as a beaded creation in the end, in shades of yellow. The butterflies on the Dhaka muslin were courtesy of my white-work classes; Oh, how fiddly they were, but so pretty, and so much more subtle than applique.  All the butterflies on the other gown are cutwork in yellow and white, and using scraps of the Dhaka muslin from the first dress.  I have been so excited to show them to Vivienne!

Anyway, I had Peter next door deliver them for me; he is to take up a position with Lord Hartley as boot boy as soon as he reaches his twelfth birthday so long as he goes to Sunday school to continue studying his letters.  Lord Hartley apparently has an arrangement with a group of Quakers to continue the education of any of his staff who wish it, which is, alas, precious few. He is not a Quaker himself, but admires their principles.

I confess, I had mixed feelings about going as a guest to Vivienne’s party. However, there was no sniggering from the butler, and Helen greeted me with a kiss on each cheek, and I was just thinking, ‘so far so good,’ when a man, a total stranger, came up to me, grabbed me by the shoulders, and shook me! Then he asked how I dare neglect my duties to gallivant up to town like this.

Oh, Phip!  I saw red, and I floored him, the way Dr. Mac does!

Then I saw Hartley rushing over, and the other man got up and screeched to me that I was fired, and I said, coldly, ‘You, sir, appear to be mistaken; since I am self-employed, and own my own business, you cannot fire me.” 

“Miss Goyder, I don’t know what you are playing at,” he growled, “But you are not a fit person to care for children.”

“I wouldn’t want to care for children, I don’t like them. They grow up like their parents,” I said. At which point I had a revelation and my mouth fell open like a cod. “Are you assuming that I am Philippa Goyder?”

“Of course you’re Philippa Goyder!” he yelled.

“Wrong,” I said. “I am Felicity Goyder. Philippa is my twin, the horsy one who keeps pets. Now I guess who you might be; that Samms fellow. I am not sure I want my sister working for a man who is so intemperate of temper. I believe I might send my solicitor to wait upon her to extricate her from any contract you might have signed, and a man who lashes out like that is no gentleman and certainly ought not to have control of children.”

And Hartley was there and put a hand on my shoulder, and said, “Samms, really! Can she be so like her sister?  I invited you for a joke for when you saw her, but to assault a lady, is indefensible, even if you thought it was your Goyder twin not mine?”

Samms spluttered somewhat.

“I apologise,” he said. “I... I have come to rely on your sister and her handling of my nephews and niece, and it disappointed me beyond measure that she might have deserted them for the social round.”

“Perhaps you should have addressed me more temperately, then, to ascertain if I was Philippa; because if Philippa came to London to a social gathering where you might be, you may be sure that she would have a very good reason for it, and  would impart this to you as soon as possible,” I said, icily.  “Philippa is straightforward and as honest as the day is long. If you suspect her of behaving slyly, you are not fit to have care of the harness of the donkey that fled.”

His lips twitched, though one of them was turning blue and purple where I hit him.

“You believe in straight talking yourself, Miss Other Goyder,” he said.

“I do,” I said. “And don’t think that Philippa lacks powerful friends in the wilds of Wiltshire, because she can always go to Haseley Court to our friends there.”

“I am glad she has friends, and when I am in residence, I will encourage her to ride over and see them,” said Samms. “I am a man of hot temper when I think someone has let me down, or proved false, and the children so adore your sister, it would have been another bereavement for them to lose her.”

“You have almost dug yourself out of the hole you leaped into,” I said. “Another time you may notice that Philippa has a cluster of freckles on her nose, caring little if the sun reaches her, and I do not.”

“I... I see,” he said, and bowed and kissed my hand properly and punctiliously.

I am not sure I am happy about him as an employer, Phip; you must be aware of his tendency to temper.

“I am sorry, it is my fault for wanting to play a joke on my old friend,” said Hartley.

“I can’t remonstrate, you know,” I said. “Philippa and I were practical jokers at school, and we did rather rely on our similarities at times.”

He laughed.

“How very self-honest of you, Miss Goyder!  Come and see Vivienne holding court; she was spoiled for choice over which to wear.”

“What did she choose?” I asked.

“See for yourself!” he said, and there was Vivienne, in the butterfly bodice, and she looked a dream. The quantity of pleated in Dhaka muslin floated out around her as she moved  - I put some lead shot in the hem to help with the line of it -  and the whitework butteflies on it fluttered as if they were flying in soft mist.

“Yes!” I said. “Exactly what I intended!”

“It will be the talk of the town,” said Hartley, “And so will you, for everyone will know about your fabulous designs.”

“Well, with luck I shall be able to employ more unmarried mothers,” I said.

“Is that a charity of yours?”

“It’s one Daisy got involved with, so of course we all follow Daisy,” I said. 

“Is she another sister?”

“In a manner of speaking; Daisy is, like Phip and me a founder member of the Swanley Court school,” I said. “Daisy; she’s something special.”  And I explained all about Daisy.

“I hope Trinity will want to go to this school,” he said. “I am not hearing any backbiting or jealousy of those orphans who turn out to have fortunes, even though you have to make your own way.”

“Why should I be jealous of Daisy?” I said. “Daisy was on her way to making her own fortune before it turned out that her parents left her wealth. But Daisy would rather have her parents back. Not like us, who hardly knew Papa.”

“I did not know my parents well, either,” he admitted. “I want Trinity to feel she has people she can turn to.”

“Swanley takes care of its pupils, paying or charity,” I said.

“I hope she will feel she can come to me, too,” he said.

This was a jolt; I had a rush of jealousy, Phip!  I have become very fond of Trinity, and I did not want him buying her. I am sure he does not look at it that way, but you know how easily I get jealous, when it seems someone is interfering in my family.  I am glad I can look on Phoebe with as much affection as you, and I know you would accept Trinity on my recommendation, but if she becomes Trinity Hartley, she will live in Grosvenor Square when she is not at school, and Victor Hartley will get termly reports on her behaviour and attainments, not me, and it hurt, Phip! I had to swallow back some hasty words, because it is right that her own family should take on her care. It’s why Julia’s tribe of half-siblings came to Swanley before she took them back with her Rupert and their little Bells [who should never be allowed anywhere near their real father.]

Anyway, after that I met a heap of people, and received congratulations on my design, and was essentially shown off by Lord Hartley as if I was another sister whose accomplishments were to be praised as if I was playing the pianoforte at a musical like a girl making her come-out.  Can it work, being introduced in public, and yet working for a day’s wage? I am not sure if it can, but at least I may make a modest fortune., enough to keep you and me, twin, in our old age.  I expect you’ll be breeding horses or something to add to our combined income. Our chances of marriage are slim, but I know that if either of us does marry, the other will always have a home with whoever does.

Actually, Phip, looking back, Mr. Samms was as upset as he was furious; I did not notice at the time, being shocked and angry, but I do wonder if he is sweet on you.

If he is, and if you feel the same way, make sure you extract from him a promise to curb his temper. I know you can take care of yourself, but the law is on the side of a man beating his wife, not on the side of the wife.

However, that is a bit nebulous, isn’t it!

I am going to bed now, to sleep the sleep of the just and the totally exhausted. I am glad I am not a society lady, the hours even a young girl like Vivienne keeps are too late for me.

Your loving twin.

 

 

51 Albermarle St

29^th March, by hand

 

My dear Miss Goyder,

Might I tender my apologies again in writing.

I am not sure how to explain my savage wrath over thinking you to be your sister and I am heartily embarrassed. I fear she will also ring a peal over me for my actions.

May I say you have a most excellent right cross. If your sister is as accomplished at pugilism, I may have her starting Philip on learning.

Yours,

Lionel Samms.

 

22 Henrietta St

29^th March, by hand by return

My dear Mr. Samms,

I accept your apology and I suggest you consider for yourself why you should feel so heated over my sister, and consider how best to behave as a gentleman in that case.  I also suggest that you do nothing precipitately for the sake of the children.

We have not studied pugilism, but coming from a school for indigent gentlewomen, we have suffered incursions from inadequate ‘guardians’ as well as the  impudence of local hunt members who thought little of riding roughshod over the grounds, regardless of quite little girls being out walking, feeling that nobody cared about ‘a pack of orphans.’ I have seen Dr. Macfarlane, who is an exponent of pugilism as well as a very fine doctor, chastise those who have posed a threat to one or more of the charges of the school. I am flattered that you consider that I have learned any science, but though Philippa can give as good an account for herself as I can, I doubt she could undertake to teach any more than we have been taught, which is literally self-defence. A lone young lady without family can find herself in an unpleasant situation, and since most of us are trained to be governesses, to be sent off to families which may, or may not treat a lone young lady with respect, we have been shown how to escape holds of various kinds, and where best to place a fan or the ferrule of a parasol, and how to maim an attacker without any kind of resort to Broughton’s rules, since preserving our modesty is considerably more important than any kind of sporting undertaking.

Yours sincerely,

Felicity Goyder.

 

Hartley House

Grosvenor Square

 

29^th March by hand

My dear Miss Goyder,

I hope you are recovered from last night’s upsetting start; I believe you will be receiving some orders on Monday. I have warned those who showed an interest that you probably will prefer not to copy any design precisely, as your dresses are works of art.  I would strongly suggest, however, that you double your prices for original gowns, in order to be taken seriously; because you are not charging for your creativity and talent designing, which should be taken into account as a fair addition to your costing. After all, if you were not so talented, you would have to pay a designer.

I confess to having had a bet with my cousin that if I made you fashionable, you would put up your prices; but I know you better now, and I was wrong to think you would do so. However, for originals, this is a different matter. You can ask, and get, much more, and it will help you to subsidise the makeovers on which I suspect you lose money for your time, if not for your materials. Please think about it.”

Hartley.

 

22 Henrietta Street

By hand

My lord,

Mr. Samms has written me a graceful apology. If you should wish to twit him on his reaction, I suspect him to be more disappointed that Philippa has not appeared in such finery for him and him alone, not that she cares for finery. She takes more interest in having a good seat than in having a fetching riding habit.

Trinity is hanging on my arm asking me to thank you for the indigestible goodies, which she has been, bless her, sharing with the household in an impromptu tea party. She has a noticeable cream moustache; excuse me, I must just wipe it off.

She is now writing you her own thank you without needing to be prompted.

I have always wanted to be able to provide beautiful dresses for girls in the sort of poverty-stricken gentility my sister and I might have found ourselves had not Papa managed to lose our house and lands as well as any other monies that he had; so I am very much in two minds.  Perhaps I should consider putting up prices to those people prepared to pay full price for the likes of Dhaka muslin, and read between the lines of any girls looking for something made with remnant lengths, and subsidise them as well as makeovers. I am glad that you know me better now than to have such a cynical view of me.

Felicity Goyder

 

 

22 Henrietta Street

Wensday

Dear Mister Lord Heartley

Fank you so much for the loverly sticky fings what I enjoyed very much, and so did Miss Flowerans and Mr. Bailey. They are my frens.

Trinity