Chapter 97 – The Auction Evening
The charity bazaar organised by The Dowager Countess of Canareith had finally reached its grand finale.
In such a setting, the auction pieces sent by noble households were usually rare items, hard to find elsewhere: autographs of famous authors, hunting invitations to a gentleman’s private estate, crafts from foreign lands, fine art from renowned artisans… or, at the very least, an elaborate sugar sculpture that bidders could display at their social gatherings.
However, the Dowager Countess disliked such charitable performance; she preferred to support local crafts and artisans whose names were not yet famous. Hence, none of those typical luxury items were present at her charity bazaar.
Many had expected the occasion to be dull and uninviting. The initial requests for invitations to the auction evening were few, and those who did ask for them did so solely for the purpose of flattering the old Lady.
Yet, the news regarding the charity bazaar caught quite some attention in the papers. The oyster sauce was one of the highlights mentioned, the pincushion booth hosted by a foreign nun was another, and, most importantly, everything from the booth hosted by the Ragged School of Wrynfield Domus.
Their tabletop decorative screen, lightboxes, artificial flowers, displays, and the biscuits, sweets, and pastries served on the second and third days – everything offered a rare experience, as no one in Velport had ever seen items made with such techniques.
And as the cherry on top: the five-panel decorative screen, featuring roses of various colours contrasting against a blue sky and a golden field.
The texture was humble, with only cotton thread and a limited palette forming the entire illustration. Yet, the design was remarkable, with shades derived from blending threads, utilising a technique rarely seen in the kingdom. It successfully caught everyone’s attention. Every lady who caught a glimpse of it immediately decided that she must have this piece placed in her drawing room. Until a similar piece was created, the lady who secured this screen would become the most welcome hostess in the region, and everyone would be delighted to receive her invitation.
Miss Clara Whitcombe.
This was the name mentioned when a bidder asked who had created such a brilliant screen.
“She helped instruct the children in needlework while staying at the domus,” a footman replied to a lady seated beside a column. “The screen is titled The Bloom of Harvest, and it compiles the hard work of twelve girls over the entire course of last winter. From learning the basics to mastering the craft, it took hours of matching colours and pulling threads, Madam. Many have set their eyes on this piece.”
Catching the hint that competition would be fierce, the bidder calculated her available budget and glanced around the room. She recognised many familiar faces, and they had far better allowances to secure her favourite piece. Pressing her lips together slightly, she asked, “I suppose Miss Whitcombe had overseen more than one piece?”
“I am afraid Miss Whitcombe only instructed crafts related to needlework,” the footman replied, remaining bowed as he spoke in a lowered voice. “However, the same domus had other interesting crafts worthy of notice. The hair accessories are particularly unique, as they employ rare techniques.”
The lady frowned. She had seen those in the catalogue; though they were delicate, they were not to her taste.
“Or perhaps Madam would like to commission Miss Whitcombe for a new screen to your liking?” the footman suggested. “Miss Whitcombe is in the corner, and is willing to assist the ragged school girls in accomplishing more advanced pieces. I heard they may establish a workshop solely for the purpose of making embroidered screens, as it would greatly benefit the desperate children.”
The lady glanced around the hall again, confirming once more that she would not be able to compete with the wealthier ladies. Hence, she decided that she would be the first to commission a second five-panel screen.
“Is Miss Whitcombe available for a brief meeting?” she asked. “I look forward to being introduced to another talented artisan.”
“Yes, Miss Fairborne is in the morning room,” The footman said, gesturing toward one of the entrances. “She would be pleased to introduce Miss Whitcombe to you.”
Clara wasn’t the only vendor invited into the morning room. Though the embroidered screen was undoubtedly the finest craft within the venue, there were several other artisans who had displayed refined skills, and many guests wished to place orders with them as well.
She had originally been arranged to be seated near a column – the auctioneer had informed her that she would be introduced to the guest as the instructor who had created the decorative screen, and she would simply need to nod at the invited guest when he gestured toward her from the stage. The guest would not have seen her clearly as she was sitting in a dimmer section, a choice made mainly to honour her status as the daughter of a deceased solicitor. The same applied to Miss Arrowot, who was to be seated beside her.
Jade and Josh, however, were to remain standing in the waiting room, just in case anything was needed.
Miss Arrowot asked once more before taking her seat inside the hall, “Miss Jade, are you certain you wish to remain here instead of being seated inside the hall? You are the one who has taken care of the entire tuition class.”
“I would prefer to stay here,” Jade said with a wry smile. “Not really feeling comfortable seating among the rich and glamorous… Just send me a note when you need me, I’ll be here for you two.”
Jade held Clara’s hands. “Clara, don’t worry. It’ll be alright!”
“I know…” Clara could feel that her own hands were cold. She squeezed out a smile. “The column I’m sitting by is very close to the door… so please come quick.”
“I will, I will,” Jade gave Clara a light push. “Now get in there, you’ll be fine!”
Clara had thought she would be seated in that spot for hours until the embroidered screen was displayed as the final auction piece. However, a footman delivered an unexpected invitation to the morning room, and there she was met by Miss Fairborne – the Dowager Countess’s ward – and her future customer, who wished to order an embroidered piece.
This was entirely outside her expectations, and all the explanatory materials regarding the embroidered screen had been left with Jade, who carried a bag.
“Is there anything you need, Miss Whitcombe?”
Clara lifted her gaze and met Miss Fairborne’s eyes, feeling a hint of relief at the inquiry. She truly did not know the protocol for summoning someone inside a clubhouse – she had never entered one to begin with, and her parents had never taught her how such things were done.
She nodded sheepishly. “Yes, Miss Fairborne, I require my companion to assist me, as the pamphlets regarding the decorative screen are in her possession.”
Miss Fairborne raised her finger. Without a word, a footman dashed out the entrance and soon returned with a young woman in modest dress. Miss Fairborne raised her brows slightly, amused by the appearance of the bold and innovative ragged schoolmistress she had been quite curious about.
Jade, who was slightly confused, gave the room a quick glance before bowing slightly and standing a half-step behind Clara. She leaned in and asked, in a voice that was audible to the others yet remained soft, “Miss Clara, you are calling?”
“I need the pamphlets for the decorative screen,” Clara said. Though she was still nervous, having Jade standing beside her gave her a small boost of confidence.
“Please give me a moment,” Jade immediately understood her task. She pulled the papers from her bag – making her utmost attempt to appear elegant – and placed them neatly on the table, with the pages of sketches facing the customer. The customer was a lady dressed in an elaborate silk gown decorated with lace, adorned with jewelry that shimmered brightly under the yellowish gaslight.
Before straightening her posture, Jade whispered to Clara and gave her a subtle, light pat on her lower back. “Be confident. She is just the same as the customers you served in the past few days. Don’t be startled by her appearance!”
It was easy to differentiate people of status from others, especially in settings such as a clubhouse. It was also easy for someone unaccustomed to handling such people to be startled, particularly when a young woman from a professional family, dressed modestly, met a high-status lady dressed extravagantly.
One would easily feel inferior in such a situation.
Just like Clara.
She had been fine when handling customers of status during the bazaar, but now that the atmosphere had changed, she had lost her confidence to the point that Jade could feel her back was covered in a cold sweat.
Jade gave Clara another light pat, and was pleased to watch Clara brave herself after a deep breath. Her voice was slightly shaky at first, but soon smoothed out, and the customer was completely absorbed in her explanation. Shortly after, an agreement was signed with Miss Fairborne as witness.
Clara passed the stamped document to Jade – the agreement contained not only Clara’s signature, but also Jade’s stamp as the ragged school teacher, representing the institution. Clara turned to Miss Fairborne and was about to excuse herself, but the young lady, who was in truth the one managing the entire bazaar, gestured for her to remain seated.
“Miss Whitcombe, I suggest you to remain here,” Miss Fairborne said, her eyes giving Jade a brief glimpse before turning back to Clara. “The embroidered screen is such a brilliant creation, and I trust that many who are unable to purchase this piece at auction will come to you soon. If you have little interest in the auction itself, staying here would be a much more leisurely option than coming and going between two locations.”
Clara blinked. “T-thank you for the suggestion, Miss Fairborne.”
And soon enough, ladies and their housekeepers came in one by one. Some looked for Clara, while others sought out different artisans. The morning room gradually filled with the quiet murmurs of explanations and negotiations.
Jade, after making sure Clara was doing fine, politely retreated to the waiting room. There, Josh had swiftly found himself several companions to make small talk with, actively promoting the domus’s sweet biscuits and handing out Jade’s cards.
“We start baking at half past ten in the morning, and eleven during winter,” Josh said eagerly in a lowered voice. “If you would like to purchase more than two dozen biscuits, you may send us a letter and we shall bring them to the stall. You can retrieve them there and need not wait in the queue if you pay in advance.”
“Boy, are you certain you can promise such an arrangement?” one of the valets asked, frowning.
“Yes, I can assure you my words are valid.” Josh thumped his own chest. “It actually does us good because we can close the stall earlier. We can spend time on other tasks.”
“Hmph.” The valet still looked dubious, but tucked the trading card into his pocket nonetheless.
Josh turned and found Jade was back. He immediately approached her and asked, “Is Miss Whitcombe alright?”
“She’s alright, just needs a little confidence boost in managing the orders.” Jade nodded. She glanced at those who had been conversing with Josh and asked with a smile, “Having fun making new friends?”
“Nah.” Josh whispered. “They are from noble households, not very keen on having a small talk with me. They are just interested in our biscuits.”
Jade let out an “oh”, feeling the weight of the social gap once again. Josh was right; those people had no intention of waiting around for him and left the moment he spoke with her. Only one younger boy still stood nearby. Even so, that boy did not look interested in Josh; it seemed more like he still had questions to ask before leaving.
Josh swam back into the crowd to continue promoting the domus’s biscuits. Jade, on the other hand, remained distant from the other maids and servants. It was not that she preferred to stay alone, but she really found no fun in discussing whose master acquired a new kept woman, whose young mistress had eloped with some random man, or which countess had such terrible taste in choosing gowns for her daughters… and apparently, no one was interested in talking to her either.
The Silver Acorn was a grand venue. The masters and mistresses attending the event were all dressed in their finest attire, and so were their servants, wearing starched, stark-white uniforms and maids in stain-free aprons and ruffled caps. Any flaw in attire would indicate poor household management, and no respectable mistress would allow such a disgrace to be broadcast to other households.
Hence, in the waiting room, only a handful of private servants were dressed humbly, with patches so visible on their clothes that embarrassment was evident in their expressions. The other maids did not want to be seen standing anywhere near a woman dressed so poorly – just like Jade.
However, compared to the maids who were embarrassed, and perhaps even irritated by their surroundings, Jade was perfectly at her leisure with no need to socialise with anyone. She rearranged her agenda for tomorrow’s meeting in her mind and jotted down points in her notebook, trying hard not to dwell on what her future would become if she were never able to own a shop of her own.