The Travels of Anadrasata Nearabhigan: Day 6
Here we are with just under 800 words of more goings on in first class on the Pearlish Star. The specifics of a new passenger's intentions are almost going straight over the head of our point of view character, but other people know exactly what is going on.
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Hakkarsday, 16 Ochd, 1893 C.E.
Dear Journal,
All the military gentlemen and Mrs Naighteer made their farewells at breakfast this morning as they are disembarking when we dock at Dhairhgriel. The Baron dh'Ghair and Mr dh'Ghair are leaving us there too so our company will be much reduced unless a large number of civilian passengers join us today - Major Abhulgaid explained that Army passengers going north generally join their airship at Jhihardine, the next stop, as a savings measure. [Airship transport from Ulgorial to Dhairhgriel or Jhihardine costs about the same so not paying the fare between Dhaihgriel and Jhihardine is a saving.]
The Dowager Baroness came to breakfast this morning and I stayed out of her way. She served herself at the buffet and I stayed in my seat, etc. The Dowager Baroness, for her part, ignored me. I think this was for the best.
After breakfast I walked around the promenade deck and then attended to my language lessons. I have progressed to possessive pronouns. I took a break from my studies to watch the soldiers disembark - all brave and bright in their uniforms until you take in the number of crutches and eyepatches among the men of all ranks. I know that Mother only gets the provincial newspaper but if fighting the glacier worms produces this many injuries from one battle, shouldn't we be hearing about it in even the provincial papers?
Our new passengers today are an actress, a Miss Dhaighan, and her entourage. The entourage includes her manager, Mr Kaighen, and her personal secretary, Miss Lhaidair. I have never met anyone quite like Miss Dhaighan before - I am used to people who ignore me because I am of no use to them, but I have never come across anyone so blatant in their attempts to attach themselves to someone and making no bones about it. The unmarried ladies and their mothers of my acquaintance are that blatant, but they also pretend that they aren't.
The titled gentlemen are both taking up defensive positions.
I am not sure what to make of Mr Kaighen but I like Miss Lhaidair who seems very conscientious about her duties.
More exercise and embroidery this afternoon and when the tea tray was brought in there was myself, the Vahtraiti ladies, the dh' Uhghitairs including the Dowager Baroness, and Miss Lhaidair present. The Vahtraiti ladies took charge of pouring tea again and they had just prepared their own cups when Miss Dhaighan joined us. She then made a great fuss about liking her tea weaker than the pot had already steeped to and having a squeeze of citrus, any type of citrus, in her cup. A wedge of something acceptable was obtained from the kitchen but I thought that Miss Lhaidair was girding her loins in preparation to undertake a request for the impossible.
I wondered if there is a dh'Aighan family who find Miss Dhaighan's profession and self-promotion an impertinence or an embarrassment.
At dinner I was on the Second Officer's table between the Reverend Doctor Saphaidos and Mr Kaighen. The Captain, heaven knows what he has done to offend the Chief Purser, had the Dowager Baroness on his right and Miss Dhaighan on his left. Baron and Baroness dh'Uhghitair were on our table and Lord Elnaith was on the Captain's table between Mrs Vashaiti Vahtraiti (a lesson to all of us on carefully choosing the right family to marry into) and Miss Lhaidair. I was not trying to listen in on anyone else's conversations, but Miss Dhaighan's speaking voice is very penetrating - this must be an asset for an actress. I think the Captain was lucky not to be sitting directly between the two women.
When the ladies retired to the balcony parlor both women continued to boss around the younger women in their retinues - a dominance and territory thing, I think. Miss Dhaighan had many trivial tasks for her secretary and the Dowager Baroness did the same thing with her granddaughters.
When the gentlemen came in, the Baron went straight to his wife's side despite Miss Dhaighan trying to draw him into conversation. Lord Elnaith did not manage to escape and as the evening went on, she beginning to claim liberties of touch with his person that I believe he was not expecting. Miss Lhaidair seemed to have a generally resigned air to her about her employer's behaviour, as did Mr Kaighen, and having seen Miss Lhaidair and Miss Dhaighan's profiles together when Miss Lhaidair was handing her employer a cup of tea, I wonder whether she wants a relative who behaves better.
Lord Elnaith escaped the parlor alone when his valet came to him about something, and I left a little later when the Misses dh'Uhghitair retired for the night.
Anadrasata Nearabhigan