A Fete worest than Death

A Fete worst than Death
A Somerset Short
By Susan Waterflower Bell


In Flanders field the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row.
That mark our place, and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the dead. In short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and where loved, and now we lie
In Flanders Fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hand we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders Fields
-John McCrae

The Poppy Fete was held at the height of the social season, the party was known to go from morning to the wee hours of the night. The festival was traditional held at Swan Lake country club, a small rural country club located in the heart of the flat rolling delta land that surround Somerset. A small gauge railroad ran from the club to station, the line was used to ferry people in and out. It had been upon this small, privately owned railroad that Sunflower and her mother had rode upon to join her father who was a guest of honor at this years gathering.

It had been around midmorning when Sunflower and her mother had stepped off the clubs railroad carriage, Each one had been given a new coat of paint and each side bore the bright snow white letters of SLCC. had been painted upon each of the four doors. A feeling of being a princess had taken over the young tomboy as she was guided toward the main grounds where the party was to take place.

Though as the hours wore on, the feeling of being a princess had turned to one of sheer boredom, there was had been nothing for her to do once they reached the party. Tasting each dish had been something of a thrill, a little slice of mutton and a little slice of roast beef had been a nice treat, both dish’s where normally reserved for holidays.  Though this pleasure had only lasted for a hour a or two. Soon every dish had been sampled and talk of the party had turned to village gossip.

And judging from the amount of chatter filling the air, the village rumor mill was going at full blast. And it was not only the local busybodies going at it, but also the upcoming young women, who come the summer months will be Debutante’s in the annual Deb ball. A formal garden party that would be held upon these very grounds. Something that would be the talk of the town for many seasons she was sure.

“Something wrong?” The voice was clear and motherly and shook the girl out of day dreaming. “I know, that look in your eyes, I can see it in your eyes my daughter.” The voice belonged to her mother,  The middle age women was wearing a formal tea green gown that had been trimmed in lace at the sleeves at and the helm. White gloves completed her formal dress. Her blonde hair had been styled in curls today’s event. And each curl seemed to bounce with each step she took.
Once the voice reached her ears, Sunflower turned her head and looked into her mothers eyes. For a minute the two women locked eyes and more information that could be covered in a weeks worth of talking was conveyed in half of minute. Indeed there was something troubling her, something had been bothering her since her little adventure a week or so ago.

“Just concerned mother.” Sunflower said taking a deep breath as she placed with the lace around her sleeves, “I’m surround by wealth and fine dress’s, women of class and social grace, and yet, I have none of those things.” Said Sunflower taking a deep breath as she looked down at her simple flora print dress, the dress reached down to her thighs, polished black pumps with a strap around the heel and white gloves completed the rest of her dress.

The middle age women smiled a little as she reached over and wrapped her arm around her daughters shoulder,  taking a deep breath as she pulled her daughter into a one arm hug. She could understand where her daughter was coming from, she had once been in her shoes, life could be hard for a young girl caught between the cliffs of childhood and adulthood. Those where troubled times for most young people.

Sunflower smiled a little as she felt her mother wrapping her arm around her shoulder. A sudden feeling of being loved, care for and cherished filled her body, sensing it was okay, the placed her head upon her mothers shoulder as she peered toward a group of chattering ladies. She sky above the chattering ladies had turned from a clear blue to a bright orange with a ribbon of purple running through it.

“Its getting late.” Sunflower said, directing this comment toward her mother.

“Indeed it is, soon the beef will be brought out, and my daughter, since it’s a special day. I think I’ll allow you to join in the toast. I mean you are of age, and a little wine will not hurt you.” She said winking toward her daughter as she lifted her arm from her shoulder and stood up from the chair. Once she was standing she started to run her open palms down the folds of her dress, removing the winkles that might have formed in the course of there little talk.

Sunflower smiled a little, getting to taste wine was one of the stepping stones to adulthood and marriage. In fact if she was allowed to drink at this party, even just a little then maybe this had not been a waste after all. Following in her mothers footsteps she stood up, smoothed out her dress and walked toward the refreshment table.

As she neared the table, a sudden blush colored her face as she caught sight of one of the cadets from a local military academy. The boy had robed himself in a handsome uniform, with each step his broad shoulders seemed to flex a little under the rough  gray fabric of the woven tunic. Before she could catch herself her eyes fall toward his flat, inward curving chest that seemed to flow within the weave of the tunic.

Taking a deep breath, Sunflower quickly ducked behind a near tree, her heart was racing and her mind was bubbling, her heart yearned too with strange feelings, totally new to the young maiden. But one thought above all else seemed to hover above the maelstrom of feeling,  that one saving strain of sanity was the wish her mother would have brought her a fan or something, both to fan her blistering cheeks and to hide her blushing face.

“The lady will pardon me, but I could not help but see you looking in my direction.” Came a voice from behind the tree, the voice was smooth, refined and had a hint of southern twang to it. Cleary somebody from the southern lands, or one of the southern port cities.  The voice also had a strong, firm undertone to it, like the one the voice belonged was use to giving commands and commanded a great deal of respected.

It took only a hand full of seconds for the voice to travel through the airwaves and reach Sunflowers ears.  Once the voice did reach her years though, she perked up her head and once more felt the blush washing over her face as she peered into the youths  face. His dark gray eyes seemed so glow with love and understanding and yet the same time seemed to he shadowed of firmness and strictness.

“And the young gentleman will pardon me too, for being a being rude too,” Started Sunflower taking a deep breath and praying that the blush that haunted her cheeks would soon vanish, before the noticeable traits of her current state of mind became clear to all. A pair of blushing cheek bones was the oil, the rumor mill ran on. “But would the young gentleman please tell the lady his name, before we advance the conversation.”

The young man smirked a little, it was clear the lass before him was trying to play up her age by acting in a mature fashion.  His smirk only lasted a minute and was soon replaced by a more acceptable smile.

“My name is Wheatfield, Wheatfield Richard.” He said smiling as he took the girls glove hand into his own,  he knew well enough the power and prestige his last name carried, and with such power came the vital understanding of how to employ it, using a balance of charm, luck and social grace. All where key elements in climbing both the social ladder and the ranks. A little charm and grace could easily sway the headmaster to grant you a promotion at the end of the second term.

“And now since the gentleman has be so polite in honoring the lady by giving his name, would the lady be so polite as to tell her own name.” He said taking his thump and starting to rub the back of her hand. She was kind of cute, not pretty by any means, but indeed she was cute, cute enough to flirt and possible have quick go at. After all men of class cared little about the aftermath, they lived for the moment. And as his mother had told him, the same held for the daughters as well, the lower class’s my dream of falling in love and retiring to a life of bliss with there husbands or wife’s.  But for Somerset’s elite, it was only sex, marriage being a formal alliance between two families.

Sunflower blinked and blinked again as she felt the boys thumb rubbing her hand through the cotton fabric of her gloves. There was something gentle about the jester, and a sudden, pleasing chill ran down her spine with ever pass of the gentle action. She felt special and deep within her heart, she felt for this brief span of time she was the center of his word, and that made her feel like a goddess.

“Beauvilliers, Beauvilliers Sunflower,” She said blushing, her name was a small one, nothing compared to his, her folks for generations had been merchants, and bank clerks and a few had even toiled to bring forth the fruits of the earth from the hard, unforgiving soil that cursed the lot they had been given when the lots had been drawn during the founding of the village.

The boy offered Sunflower another smile as he switched to rubbing the top of her hand, “I was wondering if you would like to accompany me this evening. It seems everybody has a date, and alas by some run of bad luck, I’ve failed to secure one.”

The boys proposal took her by surprise. Before Sunflower could catch herself, her flushing cheeks turned from pastel pink to a deep, dark crimson red. One could even feel the heat rising from skin.  Wishing once more for a fan she folded her hands in her lap and fixed her eyes upon the ground.  The shock was so profound that her mind had been forced to shut down to process this request.

“Well,” Sunflower Started trying to fight her way through the fog that now cloaked her mind. “I’m honored you would consider me worthy to accompany you this evening.” She said  lifting her hands from her lap and quickly moving a lose strain hair from in front of her face and quickly tucking the lose lock upon her ear.

Richard smiled as he reached down and took the Sunflowers glove hands into his hands. “I would be more than honored to have you by my side.” He said smiling softy as he peered toward her blushing cheeks. Flirting was like playing a war game, one had to be careful about how one presented themselves, words had to be chosen with the utmost care and employed with same care one would employ ones men into battle.