| Rutledge and her daughter and a few select ladies of her
choosingSheba could remake rags and flour sacks into creations as
elegant as anything in Gody's Lady's Book
Baptized Queen of Sheba by her lay-preacher father, she was indeed a
queen in her own worldShe ruled the ladies' cloakroom at the Saint
Cecilia every year, supervising her two neatly uniformed maids, and
any
maids accompanying the ladies, in rapid, effective action to meet any
and all feminine emergenciesTorn hems, spots and stains, lost
buttons, drooping curls, faintness, overeating, bruised insteps, broken
hearts -Sheba and her minions dealt with them allEvery ball had a
room set aside for ladies' needs and maids to staff it, but only the
Saint Cecilia had Queen of Sheba
She politely refused to work her magic at any ball other than the
finestShe could afford to be particularRhett had told Scarlett
what vuitton gold bag most people knew but no one said aloudSheba owned the most
lavish and profitable whorehouse on notorious "Mulatto Alley," the
stretch of Chalmers Street, only two blocks from the Saint Cecilia,
where officers and soldiers of the occupying military forces spent the
better part of their pay packets on cheap whiskey, crooked gambling
wheels, and women of every age, every shade of skin, and every
price
Scarlett looked at Hannah Ellinton's bewildered expressionI'll bet
she's one of those abolitionists who's never seen a black person close
up in her life, she thoughtI wonder what she'd do if somebody told
her about Sheba's other business
Rhett said Sheha's got more than a million dollars in gold in a vault in
a bank in EnglandI doubt the Ellintons can match that
hen Scarlett reached the entrance to the ballroom, it was her turn to
stop short, unaware that there were others gucci clearance following herShe was
overwhelmed by a beauty that was magical, too lovely to be realThe
huge ballroom was lit brilliantly, yet softly, by candlelightFrom
four cascades of crystal that seemed to float high aboveFrom paired
gilt-and-crystal sconces on the long side wallsFrom tall giltframed
mirrors that reflected the flames again and again in opposing images
From night-black tall windows that acted as mirrorsFrom tall
multi-armed silver candelabra on long tables at each side of the door,
holding monumental silver punch bowls that held curving light
reflections golden in their rounded sidesScarlett laughed with
delight and stepped across the sill
"Are you having a good time?" Rhett asked her much later"My, yes!
It really is the best ball of the Season She meant it, the evening
had been everything a ball should be, filled with music and laughter
and happiness on all louis vuitton kabelky sidesShe'd been less than pleased when she
was
given her dance card, even though it was presented with a bouquet of
gardenias framed in silver-lace paperThe Governors of the Society,
it seemed, filled in the names on all the ladies' cards in advance
But then she saw that the regimentation was masterfully
orchestrated
She was partnered by men she knew, men she had never met before,
old
men, young men, long-time Charlestonians, visiting guests,
Charlestonians who lived in many other places but always came home
for
the Saint CeciliaSo that every dance held the tantalizing potential
of surprise and the assurance of change
Middleton Courtney's name wasn't on her cardShe had nothing to
think
about except the pleasure of being in the exquisite room dancing to
the
beautiful musicIt was the same for everyoneScarlett giggled when
she saw her aunts dancing every dance; even gucci bangle watch Eulalie's usually
sorrowful
face was alight with pleasureThere were no wallflowers hereAnd
no
awkwardnessesThe terribly young debutantes in their fresh white
gowns were paired with men skillful at both dancing and conversation
She saw Rhett with at least three of them, but never with Anne
Hampton
Scarlett wondered briefly how much the wise old Governors knewAnd it made her laugh to see the
EllintonsHannah was obviously feeling like the belle of the Ball
She must be dancing with the biggest flatterers in Charleston, Scarlett
thought maliciouslyNo, she decided, Townsend looked like he was
having an even better time than his wifeSomebody sure must be
sweet
talking himThey'd certainly never forget this nightFor that
matter, neither would sheThe sixteenth dance was coming up soon
It
was reserved, Josiah Anson told her when they were waltzing, for
sweethearts and married black spy bag couple |
| 