Chapter 84 – Departure For the Charity Bazaar
A good festival could do much to lift a community’s spirits.
After the parish Spring Ball, everyone Jade encountered seemed more lively, as though the bonfire had burned away the gloom of the past and left them renewed for the year ahead.
Even the tuition students had managed to complete the detailing on their auction pieces, in addition to making the other goods. What remained was to mount them in frames and glass, or package them neatly in boxes. No one quite understood the importance of presentation – except Jade, who came from an era where attractive packaging could turn a $50 item into $250, and with the right branding, even drive it into the thousands.
“Then we must line the boxes with embroidered fabric and artificial flowers!” Clara exclaimed. She deftly took charge of the discussion among the needle, trinket, and lily projects. Decisions were quickly made on how to assemble the packaging using their half-finished materials, and Jade was pleased to find they required little guidance from her.
The curtain project needed the least attention. They simply needed brown wrapping paper to bundle the curtains, securing them with the hay rope they had made. To Jade’s surprise, the result was rather delicate, and one of the bundles was even good enough to be sent for auction.
“Really?!” John Potter exclaimed, his face lighting up. “We can submit one for auction?”
“Well,” Jade gestured toward the white, bean-chain curtain, decorated with yellow, beige, light brown, and orange beans arranged in a radiant motif. “It would suit a very religious household.”
Radiant, in Jade’s understanding, was this world’s equivalent of an angel though their forms were vague, often described as manifestations of light and colour. Lustitior, the Blue Radiant, for instance, was said to take on a humanoid form and preside over judgement.*
The symbol woven into the curtain belonged to Hestian, the Orange Radiant, guardian of home and relationships. Jade could easily imagine it purchased by a loving housewife and hung across a kitchen doorway as a good omen.
“It was Veriny’s idea!” Josh Potter said. “She’s Denny’s older sister who works at the laundress.”
Jade tried to recall this name, but came up blank. “She’s… not one of our students?”
“No,” John Potter shook his head, “but she joined us while we were weaving the curtain.”
“Oh,” Jade replied, assuming she was one of the adults who kept watch over the children at night. Jade thought for a moment before saying, “She seems to have a talent for designing these curtain motifs. Maybe she could make crafts of her own and sell them for extra coin.”
John Potter’s eyes widened, “Miss Jade, you mean we can make these outside the domus?”
“Of course you can.” Jade blinked at his astonishment. “You’ve learned the skill. There’s no contract forbidding you from using it, so use it. But, I’d suggest waiting until after the charity bazaar. Once people have seen these curtains there, they’ll have an idea of the shape and quality, and Veriny can then take custom orders from the housewives.”
John Potter jumped eagerly. “I’ll go tell her this good news!”
“Don’t forget the packaging!” Jade called after him, but the boy had already dashed off.
Jade then turned her attention to the greeting card project, represented by Walter.
In addition to bundles of greeting cards and bookmarks, they had produced several dozen small shadow art lightboxes suitable for table decoration. Their main piece, as large as a landscape painting, was a carefully carved composition of snowflake-like patterns framing the central scene of The Stag Guide.
It was primarily white – Jade suspected they had used starch powder or white paint to brighten certain layers – accented by shades stained with tea grounds. The entire masterpiece was set within a cheaply made wooden frame.
Jade frowned.
Such frames were acceptable for the smaller lightboxes, but for a piece of this size, they lacked the necessary sturdiness.
“I shall order a proper frame and a glass cover for your auction piece as well,” Jade said. She caught the way Walter’s eyes lit up and smiled. “As for the packaging, yours will be rather different. At least, I don’t think it would be suitable laying upon embroidered fabric. Do you have any ideas? Let’s see if we can achieve it.”
Walter considered this for a moment. “Miss Jade, you taught us about colour contrast… I think the lightbox would look good set against navy or black fabric, inside a box. Something like a thin wool blanket?”
“Good suggestion. I shall see if I can find something suitable from the second-hand traders,” Jade nodded. Then, looking at him, she let out a soft sigh. “I wish I could teach you more about drawing.”
Walter was another of the students Jade had recognised as talented. Yet unlike the girls, who might find work or apprenticeships with seamstresses or milliners and continue improving their skills, his ability in drawing could take him no further without resources.
If he had been born into a middle- or even working-class family, his parents might have sent him to school or secured him an apprenticeship with an artist, because they were people who could afford paints and pigments. To become a painter required constant practice, which meant a steady supply of materials. Such expenses were far beyond a tenant farmer’s means. And in any case, few artists would accept a farmer’s son as an apprentice.
In Jade’s previous life, one could learn from free tutorials online. Here, a farmer boy like Walter could not enter libraries, could not find a teacher, and could scarcely afford to draw at all because any spare coins would be spent on food before anything else.
“It’s alright, Miss Jade.” Walter understood Jade’s unspoken concern and smiled. “I will use whatever we can grab, just as you do. You mentioned that when spring comes and the plants grow, you can make us colours from them.”
Jade had introduced basic colour theory during tuition using scraps of fabric. She had even explained a little bit about colour blending, as the girls needed to combine unraveled threads to imitate new shades. The idea had fascinated the students; many found it difficult to imagine that mixing blue with red can produce purple. But that was hardly a proper lesson on colours. She planned to host a two-hour lesson specifically to let students play with colours she extracted from plants and mixed with mashed potatoes.
Among the students, Walter had been the most eager for the colour lesson. He likely knew this might be his only chance to work with colours or anything related to drawing.
“I can create things with paper, too, like the lightboxes!” he added cheerfully. “I can use scrap papers and old newspapers.”
A pang tightened in Jade’s chest. It felt as though she stood on the verge of witnessing the rise of another Leonardo Da Vinci or Raphael, only to see that future collapse before it could begin…
She could do nothing. Not only did she lack the skill to teach him properly, she also lacked the means to support him. And asking Mr. Rich Sponsor to support this boy wasn’t a good solution either; she suspected scandals would emerge if she were the one to recommend him to the Lord, though she wasn’t sure exactly how such scandal would unfold.
She blinked, then made one final attempt. “Come to me on Sunday. I’ll teach you everything I know about line art,” Jade said. “No colours, just pen, ink, and paper… or even just pencil and paper. You should be able to afford those, right?”
Not that Jade had ever formally studied line art – or any art at all – but having had access to the internet in her previous life meant she had seen a great deal. She had encountered countless works by online artists who used all manner of line techniques. What she could offer were examples and insights that were very valuable, especially for a boy whose world was so limited. Since arriving here, she had made full use of that advantage.
Walter’s eyes lit up. “Yes, Miss Jade, I can afford that!”
“Great.” Jade nodded and dismissed the meeting. She still needed to order the frame and glass for this large lightbox, and collect the frame for the five-fold screen.
Time flew. And soon, the day of the charity bazaar arrived.
Jade had hired a stagecoach to transport the more valuable pieces – Miss Arrowot and Clara rode with them to keep watch – along with three horse-drawn carts for the remaining goods and the students, who would present themselves as prospective servants seeking employment.
Everyone gathered at the domus early in the morning. They needed to reach the venue before eight to set up their booth, and most importantly, to allow the lads and lasses a moment to rehearse before greeting guests. Nervousness had painted their palms damp and their hearts racing.
“It’ll be alright, we are well-prepared!” Jade reassured them, including Clara. Miss Arrowot, by contrast, appeared remarkably calm… or perhaps she was simply better at concealing her nerves; Jade could not quite tell.
A few minutes before departure, to Jade’s surprise, Ashborne pulled up before the domus gate in a relatively low-profile carriage – not the luxurious kind she had seen and ridden in before.
Jade raised brow. Behind her, the students seated on the horsecart watched with open curiosity. Though their landlord had visited the domus several times, most of them had never seen him in person. Even the hired coachmen cast interested glances at the gentleman in the refined coat as he approached. Jade could practically feel the intensity of Clara’s stare at her back.
So, Jade could not appear too familiar with Ashborne – she was a ragged schoolmistress; he was a noble. By right, she should not even dare to initiate conversation with him.
Jade wore the apron that marked her as a waitress for their charity bazaar’s booth. Of course, the term and occupation “waitress” didn’t exist yet; only “waiters” were found in high-end restaurants, so she would likely be regarded as a shopwoman or attendant. The only difference between her and her students was she did not have a nametag pinned to her neck ribbons.
And so, when facing Ashborne, she acted like one: slightly lifting her skirt, right foot behind her left ankle, and bowing her head while slightly bending her knees.
“Greetings, Milord,” She said.
A perfect curtsy – far more polished than the last time, when he had brought her to the Silver Acorn for the TRPG. In fact, it was the first time Ashborne had ever received such a gesture from her.
The students quickly realised who he was – their school patron and landlord – and scrambled down from the carts, bowing and curtsying in neat, if somewhat hurried, unison. The two women from the carriage were a moment slower, but they too paid their respect, along with the coachmen.
Ashborne did not like the feeling of Jade curtsying to him.
That was his first, immediate thought, and it emerged out of nowhere.
It was too polite, too distant.
He missed the night she had threatened to kick his arse if he didn’t get back into the carriage… Well, he could not recall her exact words, but he remembered the spirit of them well enough.
Was she offended by me that night? Ashborne wondered wryly.
Still, he knew this was hardly the setting for a private conversation, nor the moment to question her distance. Perhaps he should visit her the following day once the haze of drink had cleared, and apologised properly. Had he done so sooner, perhaps she would not seem so distant now. Instead, he had avoided her for nearly a fortnight, too embarrassed by his behaviour that night to face her…
Under the watchful eyes of many, he could only respond with a polite smile and a nod. “Greetings, Miss Jade. It has been some time since our last meeting.”
“Yes, Milord.” Jade straightened, her gaze lowered, not meeting his – just as a ragged school teacher was expected to behave before a noble. Behind her, the students stood in the same posture, upright and deferential, their eyes cast down.
Just as Ashborne began to think she truly meant to keep her distance, and that whatever friendship they had might quietly fade, she stepped closer. Then, he heard her lower her voice and say, “I thought we were supposed to meet during the auction evening. Aren’t Milord supposed to be busy among the clubs and discussions?”
Ashborne caught her meaning at once. She was not rejecting him over his drunken conduct; she was simply keeping a low profile! Why, he could not be certain, as most commoners would be eager to display any association with nobility, but this behaviour was something expected from her, and she must have her reasons.
So he replied at a normal volume, “As your recommender, I wished to see matters for myself before your departure, to ensure all is in order. Miss Jade, you have done excellent work in guiding these students.”
Only then did he take proper note of the aprons the students wore. Their uniformity spoke of discipline and training. He had not paid much attention to Father Rochester’s recent report, but at a glance, he understood: Jade was presenting her students as potential servants!
It was an innovative and bold approach, one that might well draw scrutiny. Traditionally, the hiring of servants was conducted discreetly, with a lady of the house – or a butler or housekeeper – visiting the candidate’s home to assess their suitability. While there were agencies that recommended servants for a fee in private settings, Jade had eliminated that step entirely. However, tagging the students with their names on their aprons risked criticism, as some might see it as reducing them to commodities.
It was a conspicuous method.
Even so, anyone observing the orderly line of well-presented boys and girls would have to admit that this ragged schoolteacher had trained them remarkably well, far beyond the usual standards of such schools, many of which existed only briefly and with little structure.
“A very fine effort,” Ashborne said again after a long glance.
He turned back to Jade, deciding this was neither the time nor place for a more personal exchange. With a brief nod, he concluded, “Well then, I shall see you at the auction evening. I have yet to view the pieces myself, so do ensure they are presented to their best advantage.”
“We shall, Milord. Thank you for all the support you have provided,” Jade replied with another slight bow. “We will present them to the best of our ability, and bring honour to your name.”
They exchanged their farewells. Jade and the students retained in place to see their patron off before swiftly climbing onto the carts and setting out.