Free Intermezzo by Eleanor Anne Cox Page A

but must the dress be quite so drab? Even the Ice Queen, who is very restrained, would never wear anything quite so drab.”
    “What Ice Queen?” Adela asked abstractly while stirring her tea and concentrating on the wonderful sensation of a sugared ice melting in her mouth.
    “Surely you know, Adela, the Ice Queen is Lady Diana,” the child answered with perfect seriousness. “It’s a sort of nickname.”
    Adela began automatically to reproach the child for a lack of respect to her elders when Lady Spencer came to Rebecka’s defense. “I’m afraid Becka is truly not to blame. All the ton refers to Lady Diana as the Ice Queen.”
    “Still waters is she?” Adela asked, determined on finding an honorable interpretation of the title.
    “Oh, she isn’t still waters precisely,” Rebecka volunteered. “More like ice, you know. Not like Miss Oliver at all. But even Lady Diana would not wear such a restrained gown to a ball .”
    Nancy answered for Adela, “True, Becka. But Lady Diana, although very restrained, as you say, is also very, very expensive in her tastes and attracts a good deal of attention to her person. Your cousin Adela would not want a gown half the ton will discuss for days on end.”
    “Precisely, Nancy. You see, Rebecka, I want a dress which is almost anonymous. It will be perfect for a pianist. I do not want people to notice my clothes; I want them to notice my music. As it is, I shall be quite terrified in a room full of people who are unfamiliar to me. I shall most probably be acquainted only with Aunt Sophia, your uncle Charles, Miss Owens, and Mr. Worthing.”
    There was an awkward hesitation before Nancy spoke again, “I don’t believe I will be there, Adela. You shall have to manage without my support.”
    “Not be there! Why ever not, Nancy? Are you leaving London?” Adela asked somewhat ruffled.
    “Nothing of the sort, child,” Sophia answered. “Lady Diana Rathbone had the making of the invitations...”
    “And Lady Diana does not approve of her cousin courting a mere cit,” Miss Owens explained and then added, “I have asked both Lady Spencer and Thomas not to interfere in this matter. You must not concern yourself either, Adela.”
    Sophia almost growled, “Nevertheless, I do not expect that Thomas will attend.”
    “Thomas will decide for himself,” Nancy answered quietly.
    “Drat the Ice Queen,” Rebecka commented and they all of them laughed in order to relieve the tension.
    Adela, suddenly world-wise, turned to the child. “And now, Rebecka, I find that I am doubly delighted with my choice of gowns. Has it not occurred to you, little greenhead, that it is very much to our advantage for me to appear modest and unprepossessing on the occasion of my formal introduction to your future aunt?”
    Hours later, seated alone at the keyboard, Adela began to rethink those scenes at Helene’s. Of course I am quite plain, she thought to herself, and beautiful clothing would look silly on short, dumpy Miss Trowle, but somehow the prospect of Adela Trowle exquisitely beautiful in a ball gown, even were it possible, was almost terrifying. In a moment of honesty she realized that she did not wish to be noticed as a person. There was a great deal of safety to be had in being less than noticeable. Having erected thick walls to protect herself from the world, Adela found herself, in this new environment, constantly having to shore up those defenses. So many little things seemed to be threatening her hard-won security. Slowly she was growing to love Rebecka and she really did not want to love anyone else again. She had closed herself to love and to life and was quite content with her music, until just two months ago. Now when Becka laughed with the imp in her eyes twinkling out at the world, Adela would begin to laugh with her and then like a knife to the heart would come the memory of another laugh, the sure quiet angelic laughter of her brother, that other child who had been entrusted