Haven't You Noticed Me Drifting?

[Mariana Macnair]

TAG: Open
WORDS: 307
OUTFIT
NOTES:
DATE: October 1st, 1884

Mariana had never been one to sit around doing nothing or rather, engaging herself in activities most ladies of her station would consider enough to keep them adequately busy. Such things as sewing delicately in a corner, sitting in a chair looking pretty and hosting tea parties accompanied by pretty drivel no one cared about. Since she'd resigned from working at the hospital, she had been faced with the very real prospect of having nothing to do. Her plants, her reptiles and all her poisons and antidotes had been destroyed in the fire, she had salvaged her notebooks but everything else had been lost. What was she supposed to do with her time? She could only devote so much time to trying to procure new plant specimens and snakes but it would take months, maybe years to accumulate anything like the number she used to have.

It was only because of this free time she now had that she had decided it was worth attending the Black Ball, it was something to do, after all. Even her sister had more to do than she did, what with that new finishing school! She had always been immensely restless but it had been a long time since she had had nothing at all to occupy herself with, sitting in a corner sewing monograms on handkerchiefs wouldn't fulfill her. Nor would this ball, at least not so far. It was only a little more entertaining than sitting around at home.

Standing away from the dancing, her expression did nothing to disguise the tedium she felt. She didn't even have any close friends outside of her family so it wasn't as though she could seek someone out and make them entertain her. "Merlin help me," she muttered to herself, wishing the evening would come to a close sooner rather than later.

  

[Isabella Quirrell]

Isabella was only at the Black Ball in her function as chaperon to the girls from Pendergast School for Young Roses. She was dressed quite modestly in a tidy mourning dress that was formal enough for the occasion without drawing any avoidable attention to herself. She was trying to simply hang to the side and watch the girls when a voice caught her ear.

"Excuse me, what was that?" she asked -- and then she turned towards the voice and a flash of jealousy crossed her face at the sight of the lady's obvious condition. She loved her children, had been a good mother to them and a faithful wife! Still her sons had been taken from her. "I'm sorry -- um, were you speaking to me?"

  

[Mariana Macnair]

TAG: Isabella
WORDS: 154
OUTFIT
NOTES:
DATE: October 1st, 1884

Much to her annoyance, it seemed as though someone had overheard her and thought she was surely addressing them. If she was speaking to someone they'd be sure about it, she wasn't one for muttering at a person if she wanted their attention. What managed to distract Mariana from annoyance was the look that she almost missed flicker across the woman's face. What was that? Anger? No, it was more along the lines of contempt. Had they met? Had she been a patient in the Potions and Plant Poisoning ward and been in some way poorly treated?

"Yes, as a matter of fact I was," she lied. She gave her another sharp once over and was quite certain her face was familiar, a quick glance in the direction the woman had been looking gave her enough reason to make a guess. "You arrived with the young girls from the finishing school, did you not?"

  

[Isabella Quirrell]

Bella longed for another chance to be a mother, longed to have her sons back or even to have another child. Unfortunately, she was quite certain that her father had wished her not to suffer the dangers of marriage again; otherwise why would he give her such generous incentive to stay unwed? Between her living from her father, her portion from her grandfather (and one-thirteenth of Benjamin Potter's estate was nothing to scoff at!), and her wages at Pendergast School for Young Roses, she was quite comfortable. It was only her maternal instincts that were wanting.

"I did," Bella confirmed politely. "Mrs. Pendergast hired me as one of the chaperons for the young ladies."

  

[Mariana Macnair]

TAG: Isabella
WORDS: 110
OUTFIT
NOTES:
DATE: October 1st, 1884

Aha! Mariana liked it when she was right. "And are you enjoying the occupation? It must be quite the job keeping so many debutantes in order." She knew her sister's daughter wouldn't be a trouble, nor would Tatty but the others... She wasn't entirely sure what other girls were there but they probably weren't as well behaved as Lestrange girls. Not that she'd ever been the perfect example of being well-behaved, that had always been Olivia's territory. Had she any daughters she was sure they would all be spectacularly behaved where it counted, then again, she'd practically raised Tatiana and she was a model of perfection in a young lady.

  

[Isabella Quirrell]

"I do enjoy it, and most of the girls are very well behaved! There are a few of the younger ones who need an extra special eye kept on them" -- and Miss Cockburn, who was dreadfully clumsy! -- "but on the whole they seem to all want to be perfect young ladies!"

Miss Rosalind Pendergast especially seemed determined to be absolutely perfect, although Bella would never say such a think to a stranger! She did not know why, but she suspected it was because the girl was apparently being held up as the ideal for the school's students.

  

[Mariana Macnair]

TAG: Isabella
WORDS: 80
OUTFIT
NOTES:
DATE: October 1st, 1884

Mariana was quite sure had she been sent to finishing school she would have gone insane. Even at the worst points in her marriage, she was certain she would never have picked finishing school over marriage to Eustace. Why Tatty had wanted to go she would never understand; she was flawless and in need of no improvement as far as she was concerned. "If they're so well-behaved one has to wonder why they're in need of finishing," she mused.