Sabrina walked over to the mirror and stared at her reflection. She ran her hand over the soft, slippery cream-colored silk hugging her figure.
This dress sat in the back of my closet for so long and now I’m finally able to wear it.
Placing a bonnet trimmed with purple ribbons on her head she asked, “Do you think the purple makes it too garish with this dress?”
Nora exited the bathroom and secured the back of her pearl earring. “Caroline Bingley’s orange dress would be garish. Purple is just right. It’s a more neutral color than it’s given credit for. Fashion is what you make it. As JA said, ‘One man’s style must not rule another.’” Nora approached the mirror. “You look regal. Your body was made for the cut of Regency clothing. If Lorenzo saw you in this outfit, I guarantee that he wouldn’t be able to keep from staring at you.”
Sabrina’s cheeks warmed. “I’d say the same about you and Lucas.”
“Lucas wouldn’t take notice of me unless I was part reptile. We’re just friends. Nothing more, nothing less.” Nora fastened the hooks of her lemon-yellow spencer jacket. “He’s one of the few friends I have who enjoys the theatre. We make it a point to see a show whenever he’s in town.”
Sabrina slid a pair of white kid gloves over her fingers. “Just how did you and Lucas meet, if you don’t mind my asking?”
“Lucas was the boyfriend of my uni roommate Siobahn. We always got on well and stayed in touch.” Nora secured a peacock-blue hat with an obnoxiously long feather atop her head. “I do declare we have never looked better, Miss Sabrina.” Nora picked up her parasol and reticule. “Are we ready to depart?”
“Indeed, we are.”
They descended the stairs of their accommodations. The morning sun shone upon them. Sabrina looped her arm through Nora’s. “With how warm these costumes are, I’m glad we didn’t opt to wear a corset and all the other authentic undergarments that go with Regency dress.”
“Agreed. But compared to the number of layers a gentleman was expected to wear, women have it easy.”
They set off in a leisurely pace across the green square. Behind them, the famed Royal Crescent provided the perfect backdrop for a Regency-inspired festival. After enjoying a breakfast of toast, grilled tomatoes and mushrooms, sausage, eggs, and bacon on the green, Sabrina and Nora strolled to the Sydney Gardens for the kickoff to the festival weekend—the costume promenade.
“Festival attendance grows every year, but this has to be one of the best turnouts yet,” Nora observed.
People of all ages, cultures, and nationalities chatted amiably amongst one another while watching a militia unit perform drills. Most festival participants had committed to wearing Regency costumes. Women wore long gowns in all color shades. Men were dressed in scarlet-red military tunics and in the form-fitting waistcoat, tailcoat, and breeches of a gentlemen.
At eleven, the town crier ordered the militia band to report to the head of the procession. An electric feeling of excitement lingered in the air. High-pitched penny flutes played a melodic Regency tune. Five hundred Janeites lined up behind them and proceeded to parade through the historic town center, waving enthusiastically to onlookers.
Sabrina opened her parasol and twirled. “It’s surreal to be strolling through the same streets Jane might have wandered with her sister Cassandra.”
She marveled at the untouched historic facades of Bath’s buildings. Many of the shops they passed had been built into the ground level of converted terraced homes. Also noticeable was the abundance of bricked-up windows.
I remember reading about how a lot of Bath’s residents bricked up their windows to avoid paying Britain’s window tax in the 1700s. I would’ve thought in this day and age, the owners of these buildings might have removed some of those bricks, but seeing it in person adds to the historic flavor of the city.
“If you think you’re giddy now, just wait until you tour the Jane Austen Centre, and visit other sites like 4 Sydney Place or the Pump Room.”
Sabrina pictured Nora and herself being driven in an open-top carriage with Lorenzo at the reins.
He’d appear extra dapper in a top hat.
The parade made the turn onto York Street. “Over there, on your left, are the ancient Roman baths. They’re built on top of the only set of natural hot springs in the UK.” Nora pointed to a queue of people waiting outside of a sand-colored building.
“All the roads I follow seem to lead me back to Rome,” Sabrina joked. “We’ll have to stop by the baths later. Maybe even go for a swim.”
“The ancient baths aren’t safe for swimming.” Nora chuckled “But there is a modern spa around the corner. It was meant to be a surprise, but I’ve booked us into it tomorrow.”
Sabrina gasped. “Nora!”
“You yourself told me that one of your fantasies was to spend a day as a lady preparing for the Season. So we’re going to make it happen with a twist. Instead of preparing for the Season, we’re going to spend the next two days preparing for the Masked Ball.”
Sabrina’s lips grew dry. Her stomach fluttered. She opened the fan looped around her wrist and fanned herself. “Tickets for the ball are sold out. I’ve stalked the JA festival website for weeks hoping that they might announce a second allotment of tickets.”
“NoblePatroness, one of the admins from the Never Far From Netherfield forum, sits on the festival’s organizing committee. Securing a ticket for the event won’t be an issue.” Nora winked. “Any excuse you come up with, I have an answer for. I’m your fairy godmother, and you are going to the ball.”
The corners of her eyes grew moist. “Thank you, Nora.”
Reaching the Paradise Gardens, the group of sharply dressed Regency men and women dispersed. Throughout the green square, stalls were set up, selling everything from “I Heart Darcy” shirts featuring the face of Colin Firth to handmade fans and reticules. A second militia unit began to recruit volunteers from audience members, putting them through the paces of marching drills.
