Chapter Eleven: The Dance
Selecting a dress to wear is always the hardest part of being a girl. Elizabeth struggles in choosing her day two outfit in her dressing room. She reminds Mira when they dressed up like celebrities before they departed from the mansion three days ago. She supposedly helping her to be fabulous since she has a sense of a good fashion probably, but Mira was long gone to her hometown at Guilford.
It’s already a day ago after long days of a trip from the train station. Elizabeth succumbs by anxiety and nervous upon hearing her suitors will be back soon a day after they visited the mansion. She lethargically brisk, her body would like to show up, but her head wouldn't. She realises that it would be better if she didn't come home and instead staying in Enrico's presence from the inn they stayed for a night. Beside, his presence was quite better than scourging herself to plasticity in shifting her mood into hypocrisy.
The night of the royal highness commences upon the chiming of the pendulum clock striking at six. The visitors, guests, aristocrats, businessmen, and other important people even the average one convene altogether in the common room, extending outward towards the corridor. Everyone witnessing the debutante and the celebrant come forth to occupy the two glamorous chairs in the elevated platform. The master of ceremony welcomes everyone by her wonderful opening remarks, Mrs. Finnegan initiates it. The crowd applauds and some whistling. The guests and visitors suit their elegant dresses along with their fancy masks that covering their faces. Others are busy with drinking their favourite drinks such as; vodka, scotch, tequila, wines and rum.
The background music conjures in classical themes of prominent musicians and composers of all time like Mozart, Beethoven, Bach, Chopin, Tchaikovsky, and the like. Playing by an orchestra named the Shallow Deep. This band once been awarded before to play in the Buckingham Palace for Christmas Celebration sponsored by her majesty, Queen Elizabeth II in the year 1957 on Christmas Eve. The late Sir John Clearwater favours this band when he’s still alive.
On the other hand, all servants from Finnegan to Clearwater's mansion, properly dressing by a good uniform and working collaboratively hard despite of exhaustion and lack of complete sleep. Enrico blends himself into the crowd, carrying goblets with several drinks and delivering it to everyone who wants to drink. He wearing a uniform of a waiter along with his vest, trying to act elegantly like the others. It's his first time to witness a crowd of rich people and seeing gorgeous ladies accompanying by well-groomed tycoons.
The most awaited event is about to commence as Mrs. Finnegan tells the commemoration celebration for her mother's hundred thirteenth birthdays and her father's death anniversary. And since it's a grand celebration, the family decided to incorporate the eighteenth birthday of their beloved princess Elizabeth who is now to reveal herself in the public. Mrs. Finnegan announces the arrival of her beloved mother, Mrs. Mary Jane Margarette Clearwater and the crowd applauding.
"Behold! Ladies and gentlemen! I will proudly present to all of you, the celebrant of her 113th birthday and the mother who gave everything I need as a child. Please welcome! Mary Jane Margarette Clearwater." Mrs. Finnegan proclaims in delightful manner as she switching her sight on the red carpet.
Mrs. Finnegan assists her mother quickly in a wheelchair pushes by one of the maids. She snakes her arms unto her and kissing her mother's right cheek. Afterwards, she is carried by one of the gardeners, and placing her carefully to the golden queen's chair. Upon sitting, the crowd bestows a curtain-call. Others whistle and some chanting. The team of servants gathers together and throwing simultaneously a loud claps to the birthday celebrant.
Now, Mrs. Finnegan declares the arrival of debutante. The crowd conquers into great silence. As Mrs. Finnegan acknowledges the sponsors and other people behind the preparation, people from afar distant fill in the spacious crowd. It gets congesting and others pushing everyone forward just to have a perfect spot for the view.
"Ladies and gentlemen let us welcome, the celebrant of her eighteenth birthday─ the debutante, and above all, my only beloved daughter. Please welcome! Elizabeth Jane Clearwater..." Mrs. Finnegan twists her sight on the red carpet as Elizabeth slowly marching with a covered mask from her face towards the elevated platform.
Everyone traps at state of silence in astonishment as she trudging down, carrying herself mesmerizingly like a real princess in a castle. The great silence can be measured by a clang of casted tossed silver or gold coin on the floor, but surely, all attention still hers. Any eyes in that mansion wish to stare at her. Most of the men gulping unstoppably without any reason and all of them desire to touch her angelic beauty even at once. She is suiting a glamorously well-designed red gown with some sort of peacock's feathers for both of her shoulders. Her red sleeveless gown is partnered by red evening gloves. Her pair of burgundy wedges matching by her scarlet red pouch, with a gold arrowed heart-shaped necklace and golden pearl earrings attracts them. And her golden red-sunset hair covers her backless gown.
Her alluring smile enchants every man who desires her beauty, and envying those beauties made up by an artificial aesthetics and mixtures of powders and chemicals. Upon arrival at the elevated platform, a gentleman comes forth at the foot edge, offering his hand for the debutante. He's a childhood friend of Elizabeth when she was ten. His muscular fine-looking attracts every girl. His eyes coloured greyish, with a nice contour of his face. He also likes playing cards when he feels boredom and sometimes you can spot him smoking a cigarette when stress hassling his mood. Don't dare to crack a joke that he doesn't like because you'll receive an insult from him, his name is Julius Beckett.
The crowds gradually congratulating, except those who envy in her and the party has commenced. Thereafter, everyone precedes the party. Some loves to chitchat about their businesses and other economical perspectives, others couldn't stop their fun and giggles, some still eating and others drinking unrestrainedly. Elizabeth surrounds by her suitors in the balcony whilst Enrico is busy in delivering the drinks accompanied by Mr. Filch.
Few hours past, Mrs. Finnegan requests forgiveness about the absence of her husband because of some extenuating business matter, but to highlight the event. She announces the coronation of her mother as a gift for her hundred thirteenth birthdays with the debutante's dance by the eighteen gentlemen who will bring eighteen roses for the celebrant, and it will begin momentarily. Everyone once again returns, clogging in the chamber. Mrs. Finnegan first initiates the coronation of her mother holding a diadem of a vintage green rhinestone and placing it on top of her mother's head. This time Mrs. Clearwater smiling and waving her right hand towards the audience unstoppably. The crowds once more congratulating, clamouring by undying accolades and whistles under the background theme of coronation from the orchestra. The coronation has been remarkable like a true queen's coronation at Buckingham palace. Henceforth, the last presentation for the debutante dance is yet to begin.
"Without further ado, the coronation for her hundred thirteenth birthday celebration has been fulfilled, now let's proceed and witness the debutante’s dance with the eighteen gentlemen bringing their eighteen flowers. Ladies and gentlemen! Miss Elizabeth Jane Clearwater."
The music presses against the crowd. Elizabeth erects boldly and the dance begins with her favourite loyal close friend. He’s a fabulous─ fashion designer and long-time friend of her. They were classmates during their years at Charterhouse School, Godalming, Surrey. He's a make-up artist and Elizabeth’s fashion consultant. He appears when Elizabeth had a hard time choosing her tonight's dress whereby Mira’s absence lingering in her mind. His name is Liam Dixon.
The dance executes spontaneously from another man pass to another. It follows by Elizabeth's cousins, uncles until passes to her closest friends and classmates and even to her father's friend like Mr. Johanne Charles Ferguson who arrives late that night. Lastly, the dance concludes by her long-time childhood friend Julius Beckett. They dance once in for all. Everyone adores and delighting Elizabeth by her performance as she dancing gracefully accompanying the background music known as Waltz.
Mrs. Clearwater and Mrs. Finnegan burst into tears whilst remembering their days having danced by their suitors before as they reached their debutante’s year. The other envious girls murmur to each other. Perhaps they aspire to be like her at some point. Likewise, to those suitors who wish to dance with her even at once. The scene is fantastic. Enrico can't stop her fantasy towards Elizabeth by his flying imagination. He imagines himself dancing with her and their faces magnetizing closely. But a hollow voice dawns clairvoyance to him, awakening him from his deep imagination as Mr. Filch taps his shoulder and requesting him to get more drinks in the fridges. Enrico glimpses once again Elizabeth as she dancing so slyly to her childhood friend like a true lovers.
Few moments later, Elizabeth feels the odds from their dance. She pauses for a few seconds in the middle of her last dance to Julius and everyone stares at them so keenly, arousing their curiosity for the reason of her action. Surprisingly, she immediately walks out, running and blending to the clamouring crowd.