#s4 history challenge
24th May, 1910- Windenburg House
In one of the trunks they found a treasure trove of headdresses, costumes and accessories.
‘The Ilvars have always been madly keen on theatricals’, said Lady Elaine. ‘There used to be the most outrageous masquerades and fancy-dress balls. Apparently in 1880 the Duchess of Henford came as Cleopatra with a live grass snake. Of course the dashed thing got loose at dinner and one of the footmen had to chase it out of the epergne and hit it with a salad fork.’
Honour stepped back from affixing a gauzy pair of wings to Daisy’s back. ‘You look like a fairy queen, Daisy.’
‘Those were part of a Titania costume, I believe’, said Lady Elaine.
Clem smacked her forehead. ‘How stupid we’ve been! We should do A Midsummer Night’s Dream. It’ll be midsummer when we put it on, or very nearly.’
There was a chorus of general affirmation. The moment of consensus was short-lived, however, as discussion turned immediately to casting.
‘Ican’tbe Titania’, Daisy pleaded. ‘I’m much too short and dumpy. Whoever heard of a dumpy Fairy Queen?’
‘You’re not dumpy, Dizzy’, Clem said. ‘But if you don’t want to be Titania, you can be Hermia. Though she be but little, she is fierce.’
‘And Helena is tall and fair- that sounds like Myrtle’, Honour said.
‘I suppose that means Honour will be Titania’, Myrtle sniffed.
‘I suppose it does’, Clem retorted. ‘Can’t you learn to take a compliment, Myrtle?’
‘We don’t have enough boys’, Honour interjected, ‘even with Clem. Playing one, I mean.’ They shared a brief, secret smile. ‘Someone else is going to have to be one.’
‘I am not being a boy’, Myrtle said with a delicate shudder. Clem sighed.
‘I will’, said Mattie, surprising everyone. She flushed a deep red as they all turned to look at her. ‘Well, why shouldn’t I? It’ll be jolly.’
‘Thank you, Mattie’, said Clem. ‘You’re a sport.’
‘I will too’, said Diana. ‘Mattie’s right. It’ll be a lark.’
Post link
