A meal of chicken salad on cheese biscuits, lobster bisque, and an asparagus and watercress salad was served to the Skye Castle Party before they set out for Olympus.
Annabeth could scarcely eat a thing due to excitement. Olympus was so much more glamorous than where she was from. Even more glamorous than Skye Castle. The King himself and his family were said to frequent Olympus. What if her hair and gown were outdated and made her look like a country bumpkin? Some of the new fashion plates from London showed ladies dressed like figures from Ancient Greek vases in high waisted, column-like gowns and their hair styled in loose, tumbling curls bound with ribbons and turbans. In the plates for ballgowns and evening dresses, the necklines were low and worn without fichus and the sleeves left the arms practically bare. Her blue striped, zone-front gown and hedgehog hairstyle adorned with pink wax flowers would seem twee and dowdy.
Piper was similarly dressed in her purple and white gown but Piper could show up in a sackcloth and ashes and still outshine every other girl there. White roses adorned her thick, glossy dark brown hair.
Lord Skye had told the ladies that they should bring their warmest shawls because it was going to quite chilly that evening. Annabeth wrapped her blue paisley kashmiri shawl around her shoulders.
Kashmiri shawls imported from India were becoming a must have fashion accessory and Annabeth's had been sent to her by her Uncle Randolph, who was a London merchant, for her last birthday.
Lady Thalia said that theaters could get crowded and hot, so Annabeth made sure to grab her blue painted silk and mother-of-pearl fan, which she had borrowed from her mother.
The entire party was gathered in the front hall, except for Piper who, apparently, was still in her room. Everyone wondered why she was not yet ready to leave. When they were growing concerned and were about to send a servant to get her, she came running down the stairs with a pink shawl embroidered with white flowers haphazardly thrown around her shoulders.
"Sorry to keep you all waiting," she told her companions.
"I had to use the chamber pot before we left," she whispered to Annabeth. "It's going to be a long trip."
"Let's get going," Dona Reyna cut in. "We'll miss the curtain."
The carriage ride to Olympus took about two hours but seemed to take forever. Excitement made the journey unbearable for Annabeth. She fidgeted in her seat and frequently asked how far they were from their destination. All of her companions seemed to restless as well. Piper fiddled with her crimson silk fan, opening and closing it.
Miss Levesque and Mr. Di Angelo at the window on either side of the carriage. She sometimes stood up to look at the scenery as it passed by while he stared off into the distance with a blank expression on his face. Lady Thalia and Dona Reyna bickered because Lady Thalia accused Dona Reyna of taking up too much room on the seat. Dona Reyna insisted that Lady Thalia was the one who was taking up too much room. Lord Skye had nodded off on Lieutenant Jackson's shoulder.
A/N tag yourself on road trips- I'm a mixture of Nico and Annabeth.
Lieutenant Jackson wore his navy dress uniform for the first time since Annabeth had met him. As much as she hated to admit it, he looked dashing. The way his chapeau-bras dipped into the center of his forehead, shading his green eyes, and his brooding expression took her breath away and made heart flutter. She tried not to look at him.
Lieutenant Jackson woke up Lord Skye when they arrived in Olympus and announced to the rest of the party that they had reached their destination.
Annabeth was not able to get a good look at Olympus because it had grown dark by the time they arrived. She could only catch glimpses of the newly built terrace houses through the flicking light of the street lanterns.
The carriage dropped them off at the theater and Annabeth reached into her reticule for her ticket. She, Piper, Miss Levesque, Mr. Di Angelo, and Lieutenant Jackson each had a ticket made of printed paper and decorated with scrolling designs.
Lord Skye and Lady Thalia, their family being subscribers to theater, had ivory tokens inscribed with their names and the name of the theater.
The Grace family had their own box towards the front of the theater, close to the stage.
"Welcome My Lord, ladies, and gentlemen," a pompous usher intoned as her showed them into their box.
"Thank you," Lady Thalia replied, handing him her red silk shawl.
The ladies handed him their shawls and the gentlemen handed him their hats as they walked in.
"Smooth your gown," Piper whispered to Annabeth. Her skirt had become rumpled during the carriage ride and she straightened out the fabric in front of a mirror inside the box. Her reflection showed a tall, elegant young woman who was quite beautiful. In the dim light and ornate surrounding, she almost looked like a glamorous lady of fashion.
Once she took her seat, Annabeth looked around to admire the decor and architecture of the theater. Red velvet curtains, white moldings trimmed with gilt, and crystal chandeliers sparkled in the flickering candlelight. Above her was a classical style domed ceiling.
The entire audience seemed to be aware that the Marquis of Skye and his friends had arrived because Annabeth felt like hundreds of eyes were now looking at her and Piper.
"Such remarkably pretty young girls have not been seen here in Olympus in many years," a gentleman in the box nearest to her whispered to his lady.
"I know vaguely that they are staying with the Duke of Olympus and his family," his lady replied. "What a feat it would be for one of them to catch young Lord Skye for a husband?"
"Such enchanting creatures," another lady cut in.
"They're looking at us. They're talking about us," Annabeth whispered to Piper.
Piper blushed scarlet and lowered her head with embarrassment from being the center of attention. This only served to make her look even lovelier.
As she waited for the curtain to rise, Annabeth listened in to all of gossip going on around her: who was engaged to who, who was having an affair with who, and who had fought a duel with who.
Lady Thalia was greatly admired, especially her swanlike neck, around which she wore her mother's string of black pearls.
Annabeth had always envied Lady Thalia's long, graceful neck and narrow sloping shoulders. She often worried that her own neck was too short and her own shoulders were too broad. Hera Olympus's black pearls were exquisite and expensive. Annabeth knew that she could only ever dream of owning something so luxurious.
The curtain began to rise and the men who were talking in loud, boisterous voices all went silent. Most of them wore evening dress though Annabeth noticed a few red coats from the local regiment among them. The silks and jewels worn by the ladies glittered as the lights dimmed. Everyone turned their heads towards the stage.
The Conscious Lovers was about a young man called Bevil Jr. who is unable to marry Indiana, the girl he loves because she is a poor orphan. He is pressured to marry a wealthier girl called Lucinda, who his friend Mr. Myrtle loves. Lucinda's mother wants her to marry Cimberton, a rich coxcomb who only wants her for her money. Bevil Jr. and Mr. Myrtle hatch a plan to stall Lucinda's marriage to Cimberton.
Annabeth found the story rather contrived and difficult to follow. The way the actors performed made them seem more like pompous orators haranguing the masses than real people. Their heavy makeup and wigs and clothes which Annabeth's grandparents would have worn added to this unreal effect. But she pretended to dab her eyes with her handkerchief at the emotional moments of the play since tearing up at the theater was a sign of a refined and virtuous soul. Lady Thalia appeared to agree with Annabeth that they play was ridiculous since she used her black lace fan to hide her sniggering.
Piper and Miss Levesque genuinely cried when the lovers were kept apart and when circumstances change and allow them to be together and made a charming picture doing so.
During the middle of the first act, a dazzlingly handsome young man in a red coat holding a chapeau-bras under his arm swaggered down one of the aisles of the theater towards his seat near the stage, his sword and spurs jangling. To less attractive man, such confidence and audacity would have seemed ridiculous. He looked right up at their box before taking his seat in the front row with some other men from the local militia.
Annabeth recognized him as Captain Castellan, the young officer who had retrieved Lady Thalia handkerchief that day they had gone into Skye-on-Styx, by his distinctive scar. She watched Captain Castellan throughout the second act. He frequently looked up at their box to wear Lady Thalia was sitting. Lady Thalia would partially cover her face with her fan or twirl it around in her left hand. Both signals meant: we are being watched. Some other prying eyes had noticed their meaningful glances.
Between the performance of The Conscious Lovers and The London Merchant, there was a half-hour intermission. Annabeth stayed in the box while her companions went to get refreshments.
Once they had gone, tall figure entered the box, sword and spurs jangling.
"Miss Chase," he greeted her with a bow, "I have long wished for the happiness of seeing you again."
Annabeth let out a startled gasp. His smile was warm and good natured, the type which wins one over right away. He was even more handsome up close than he was from a distance.
"Captain Castellan, what a pleasure," was all she could manage in reply.
"Who did you like the performance? I heard that Mrs. Sugar fell from the stage last week in Bath."
Mrs. Sugar was the plump blonde actress playing the heroine, Indiana. She was approaching forty and her face was layered with white greasepaint and red rouge. She might have been convincing as young girl from the back row but the front row did her no favors. The idea of her flopping off of the stage made Annabeth laugh.
"I and some of the other officers some times go to the assembly rooms here in Olympus. Have you been to the assembly rooms yet?"
"No, I have not."
"You and your lovely friends should come. Lady Thalia hasn't been seen there in weeks and Olympus society has been deprived of one of its brightest lights. I would be forever indebted to you if you convinced her to come."
Annabeth recalled that Lady Thalia and Captain Castellan had formed an attachment which was broken off due to the disapproval of her parents.
"I'm certain Lady Thalia would love to come but it would depends on her parents giving their permission."
"You must speak with them, Miss Chase. I'll take this flower as a promise that you will."
He plucked one of the wax flowers from Annabeth's hair and stuck in his buttonhole. With a smile and a bow, he left the box. Annabeth had to sit down, catching her breath, and cool herself off with her fan.
Piper, Lord Skye, Dona Reyna, Lady Thalia and Lieutenant Jackson returned a few minutes later.
"I brought you a cup of punch and some biscuits incase you wanted it," Piper told her.
"Thank you," Annabeth replied, taking the cup of punch and the dish of biscuits.
She was hungry since it had been several hours since she last ate but mostly she was thirsty.
"Miss Chase," Dona Reyna asked as she hung her dark grey shawl embroidered with silver thread on the back of her chair. "Who was that young officer who came to see you why we were away?"
"His name is Captain Castellan," Annabeth explained, "I believe you know him."
Lord Skye's expression turned thunderous.
"That bounder tried to seduce my poor sister," he warned. "If my parents hadn't intervened, she would have been ruined. What on earth were you doing here alone with him?"
Lady Thalia flushed and lowered her eyes.
"He came here looking for Lady Thalia. I asked him to leave and stay away from her."
Dona Reyna sat down in her seat and cooled herself with her mauve silk fan. Her dark eyes looked at Annabeth with disbelief.
Miss Levesque and Mr. Di Angelo returned a few minutes later. They had gone for a brief walk outside of the theater since Miss Levesque had wanted some fresh air. She was wrapped in a dark turquoise colored Kashmiri shawl with a pale yellow and lilac colored paisley boarder.
They took their seats as the curtain was rising again.
The London Merchant was the story of young apprentice named George Barnwell who falls under the sway of Millwood, an immoral lady of pleasure. Her corrupting influences drives him to rob his honest employer and murder his loving uncle. The two end up sentenced to death. While Millwood feels no remorse for what she has done, Barnwell repents of his sins and is forgiven by both God and Men. Miss Levesque covered her face with her black lace fan during the risqué scene when Millwood is seducing Barnwell.
She gasped during the murder and wept when Barnwell was absolved of his crimes.
Her large golden eyes were wet and heavy as she left the theater on her brother's arm. Annabeth imagined that the dear child was not used to being up so late. She herself found it hard to keep her eyes open and not contort her face with loud yawns.
The Graces owned one of the fine terrace houses in Olympus so there was a place for them to stay the night. Annabeth and Piper were shown to one the guest rooms. A maid brought them a pitcher of hot water for washing and a plate of bread, cheese, and cold meats for a late supper.
"You had eight flowers in your hair," Piper pointed out as she was helping Annabeth take the pins out of her coiffure and comb out her curls, "There's only seven now."
"I must have lost it," Annabeth shrugged.
Piper must not know about how the eighth flower had been taken by Captain Castellan as a pledge that she would convince Lady Thalia to come to the assembly rooms. Annabeth was not sure how she should handle the situation. She knew that bringing them together would only cause trouble but she found it difficult to refuse Captain Castellan. Those clear blue eyes and that cocky smile wore down your resolve. No wonder Lady Thalia had become infatuated enough with him to risk her own ruin.