Lavinia Thistledown entered the Old Hall with trepidation laced with gratitude. She'd not been there in years.
She had tried to hold her sister's hand, but she'd shooed it away, "Pride, Lavinia, for heaven's sake", Lavinia's older sister ,Agatha, had scolded.
They'd both been invited to the Old Hall today, to visit with their distant cousin, Lady Sybil Soft-Paw, who'd returned to the district and by all accounts was taking up the place.
They were shown into the Drawing room, which was still littered with crates and bits of packing straw. Lavinia spotted the old furniture she remembered, tho it'd been years since she and her sister Agatha had been invited, long before the place was shut up and left all but abandoned.
"Do sit down and make yourselves comfortable," came Sybil, straitening her gown and motioning for Cranston, her lady's maid, to ring for tea. Tho she was still uncertain who'd respond to that call? The old staff had been sent off a few years earlier, and an old couple just managed at present.
Molly Cranston, lady's maid, did as she was told and made her wat to the little bell pull by the Chimney piece, but not before she gave a soft 'Hurmph' as she passed the old ladies. She was not impressed, was Molly. Thinking the old ladies a bit beneath her Lady's company in the Drawing first thing upon arrival.
"I'm so happy to have you back to the Hall, dear cousins, I'm afraid I can't offer much in the way of tea , but we'll see what we can scrounge up." Lady Sybil was not expecting her distant cousins arrival so soon, but word got around quickly in small villages. Tho, she'd so hoped to welcome them back with the proper fanfare in the future. One they most likely Never had received at the Hall before.
Gertrude and Lavinia Thistledown were aged spinsters and distant cousins of Lady Sybil. Lady Sybil knew what she suffered as a poor relation With a title at the old Hall, so she could imagine what treatment these poor spinster cousins had endured.
She'd recalled an afternoon when she'd first come to stay as a child.Up in the nursery wing with her more priveleged cousins, she'd seen this pair of ladies, much younger, bent over needlework in the schoolroom She'd thought they were servants. They were not servants.
Gertrude and Lavinia Thistledown were those creatures that fit truly no where. They were well born "enough" (Enough was always emphasized when they were spoken of in Sybil's hearing) to find a place at the Hall at Christmas holidays Tho, to Gertrude's own angst, never even educated enough to be proper Governess, the true place for those who had no place above or below stairs.
Having been the daughters of a third son who had gone into the church, they grew up in a darling little house behind the Vicarage and there they were to this day. Their father was long gone, a new Vicar in the main house, no suitors ever at the door, and no needlework and invitations anywhere. The sisters simply existed in a quiet no-man's land.
Sybil smiled, tho, as she'd planned to make up for such slights. Having had her own version of 'Poor Cousin' attached to her, she wanted to make up for lost time. Lavinia seemed more than happy to be here, looking about with her bright open face, but her elder sister Gertrude was not. She looked suspiciously about her and sideways at Sybil. She'd be a hard nut to crack, but Lavinia was so open and cheerful.
Lavinia Thistledown was filled with appreciation as she balanced the slightly cracked cup and saucer on her knee. She was so happy to be back at the Hall. She knew her sister Agatha was not so. She'd always hated it here, complaining of being put up with the children in the nursery wing. Or when invited down to dinner, seated so low at table she'd be stuck with the most odious and uninteresting guest.
Lavinia felt her sister Gertrude didn't appreciate their advantages because she was too bookish. She'd had her nose in books all the time they'd been invited for Summers or Christmas Holidays. Not Lavinia, she adored the place. Lavinia had played with the children of the house, hiding in the secret passageways or dressing up in the attics wardrobes full of old clothes.
When the place was shut up after the death of the Old Earl, she was sad not to be invited any longer and to see it fade into cobwebs and disrepair. She'd always make a bee-line for the Hall on she and Gertrude's country Rambles.
And Here she was, back in the Drawing room and a guest of the new Lady of the Hall, in the drawing room. Lavinia was happy, as was her nature. She ignored her sisters dour countenance and sipped her lovely , slightly tepid weak tea. Things were going to finally happen for the pair, she could feel it in her old bones.
The sketch/outline of Lavinia before color is added.
I'm having fun getting to know these characters more and more and I hope my stories aren't becoming too long or boring. Tho, the advantage of being the artist and author is , if one doesn't like your words, they can at least look at your pictures (which you hope they also like of course.)
Here a few layers in GIF form, for fun.
I think I'll most likely draw Lavinia's sister, Gertrude next. We shall see, but I'm trying to keep up with my MWF schedule. It is still a bit of a struggle getting into the studio on time each day, but it is getting to be that time of the year.
IF YOU WANT TO READ OTHER STORIES THEY ARE HERE:
Old John Mossfoot:
Ida Acorns Story and art is here.
If you enjoyed Ida's story, read about her son ENOCH here and about her husband SILAS here and the stories of her possible new Employer Lady Soft-Pelt here. and of course the Lady's maid she'll have to contend with Here. I'm having fun with their stories.
Thank you for stopping by and looking at my art and possibly reading my little stories. I Hope you find a moment in your day to indulge in your own passions and remember to stay creative.
If you'd like to follow my Work Here are some Links:
My Ladies with Pets Series as prints and on things
Bunny Portraits