The Groundwork Laid

[Ophelia Dippet]

11 November 1887

Dear Calliope,

You'll have to forgive my not writing earlier, but of course being abroad has made me terribly busy. This morning we are traveling aboard some strange type of Chinese transport - a bit like a train but in the sky instead of on rails. It's very strange, but it's given me a moment to sit down and write. I imagine you haven't missed my letters, with everything that must be happening in England at the moment with the political sphere. The last news I heard before I left was that the Chief Warlock was to run - and I admit that I find him personally quite odious and so would be very hard pressed to support his politics regardless of his platform. I hope he hasn't become a favorite of yours since I've been away.

I found something for you in Beijing that I think you'll enjoy, as souvenirs go - but that wasn't really my purpose in writing, as I intend to make you wait until I get back to see what it is! Of course you've heard about my resigning my membership at Rose & Thistle - which, I will admit, I had planned as a temporary measure until they did something about that questionable woman. Since the management seems so unwilling to take into account the needs of their members (honestly, enough women left that it was reported in the Prophet so I can hardly see the appeal for them in keeping Mrs. Greyback at the expense of so many others) of course I won't be able to return, as I'd planned. I've been rather put out contemplating how lonely my winter will be once I'm back in England, with no social events until at least May and no place to go in the meantime.

I realized that there would be a good many women facing my predicament, as well - winters are always dull, even with the benefit of ladies' clubs - and I've decided someone ought to do something about it. There ought to be - well, I hesitate to say a club, because that isn't really what I'm picturing at all. The only thing that ever happened in the club was that ladies sat around drinking tea and exchanging gossip, you know, and while that may serve to whittle away the winter tolerably it is hardly what I would consider the ideal. I wish there was a way that women could be more actively engaged when the social season is off, and do the sorts of things that men do - going to lectures and having political luncheons and spending weekends out on riding parties and trying out new sports and things. Not that it would be masculine, though, just more intellectual and more active than the tea room at the Rose & Thistle ever was.

I've been turning over the idea the entire time I've been abroad, but I'm still not sure how best to execute it. Of course I can just try to throw parties with those sorts of themes, but it's terribly uncouth to be throwing events every other week outside of the social season. This really would only work with some sort of framework for it, and I'm quite frustrated that no such thing currently exists. What do you think?

Best Wishes,

Ophelia

@'Calliope Riley' @'Elias Grimstone'