PARADE OF MARRIAGEABLE WOMEN VISIT BUCKINGHAM-2
316 Words
“OI, MAIL!” PRIYA, AMELIA’S flatmate, hollered as she strode into their apartment with a cardboard box clutched to her chest. The curtain of her sleek black hair swung forward into her face as she dropped the letters on their all-purpose kitchen table/study area/mail repository. “I think you got invited to one of those royal garden parties or something,” she said.
“What’s in the box?” Amelia asked as Priya set it down in the kitchen. Their apartment comprised five tiny rooms: their bedrooms, the sitting room, the miniscule kitchen, and the bathroom. With London real estate being what it was, they’d been lucky to find this space even with their families’ means. After the sprawling under-heated splendor of Kirkham House, Amelia was grateful for the cozy rooms and radiators that actually performed their office.
She was less grateful for the collection of pictures Priya had stuck on the fridge. The Bollywood stars and various Indian models, Amelia didn’t mind. In fact, she strenuously approved of the shirtless photo of Sidarth Malhotra. What she did mind was the picture of Arthur, sitting tall astride a horse on his estate. She wanted to ask Priya to take it down, but doing so would only invite questions.
“Stuff I’ve left at Raveesh’s house and half his liquor cabinet,” Priya answered Amelia’s question, rifling through the box.
Amelia picked the cream-colored envelope off the table. “Are you breaking up with him?” she asked as she slit it open. She had no idea what it was, but its appearance was at least interesting.
“We’d have to call it dating first, but seems like.”
“His idea or your idea?”
“Mine, thank you.”
“Then why’d you take his booze?” Amelia asked.
“Because I could?”
“Fair.” Amelia looked down at the card in her hands.
The Lord Chamberlain is commanded by
The Prince of Wales to invite
Lady Amelia Brockett of Kirkham
to a private Tea
at Buckingham Palace
on Monday, 16th, Year 21 of the Reign of King Henry XII, at 2 pm
Not a garden party. Not, in fact, something that made the slightest bit of sense.
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- Writer
