Something about the color of the gown and Lucy's complexion? Like, Portia says that Lucy's very daring to wear a gown of [blue/cream/whatever], considering her complexion. Portia could phrase it in that catty way that, on the face of it, sounds like a compliment, but really is an insult.

t edit Heh -- funny x-post with AmyLiz!

Heh -- funny x-post with AmyLiz!

Great minds and all that.

any Nicholas Blake? The Nigel Strangeways mysteries?

Nope. But I love recommendations. Oh! I know! I meant to tell you I read a mystery called Haunted Ground that made me think of you, because the author (Erin Hart) uses some folk music in it. It's set in Ireland, and concerns the discovery of a bog body (and then there's a present-day mystery, as well). Really nicely written, and I liked the way she used the song lyrics as a way to puzzle out some of the mystery.

Hmmmm. That being the case, why precisely is Portia worried about not slagging off Lucy, whom she despises? The presence of other people have never stopped her before. Why would she watch her tongue? What am I missing?

The cross-conversation is really frellin' funny...

What about backhanded "compliments", Susan? Something like (and this will suck 'cause I'm really tired), "Yes that color will look lovely with your darker complexion." (Because being quite fair was all the fashion then, right?)

I've seen conflicting sources (and I couldn't cite any of them, unfortunately--all part of that great encyclopedia in my head labeled "I'm sure I read it somewhere once") on whether blondes or brunettes were more fashionable, so I don't know if a blue-eyed blonde like Portia would be considered closer to the ideal than someone like Anna, with fair skin and dark hair. But Lucy is about as dark-complexioned all around as you can get and still be 100% British, and I'm pretty sure her skin tone in particular would be seen as a liability.

The dress she ends up choosing is an extremely flattering pure white with crimson trimmings (which will no doubt delight the 'Bama fans among my relatives). I guess Portia could hint that white just makes her look that much darker, or try to talk her out of the red trimmings and into something a bit less brunette-flattering?

Why would she watch her tongue? What am I missing?

Um, me being worried that Portia is a little too over-the-top and trying to tone her down?

Um, me being worried that Portia is a little too over-the-top and trying to tone her down?

Ahhhhhhhhh. Got it. Would that be served or accomplished as well by having her rather too obviously biting back sharp comments? "Really, Lucy, your taste is - peculiar. You do want the oddest things for such a brown-complexioned little thing. But," rather too obvious, with the "crap, they're going to hate me some more, I should cool it", obvious to Lucy at least, no matter who else gets fooled, "if you think your complexion can carry that, I suppose...."

That sort of thing. (Sorry, my brain is UXBing)

Oooh, I like that, deb.

Of all the characters that's coming more to the fore now that I've written out Cordelia, Portia is the greatest challenge to write, just because I have relatively little real-life experience of her type. Passive-agressive, I've both given and received. "We don't like you that much so we'll mostly ignore you" is the story of my high school life. But out-and-out catty bitchiness I mostly missed out on.

Thing about the catty bitchy thing is, you're going to want to define where it's coming from, with this particular character. Does she secretly doubt herself, and this is her out? Or does she have the Bush-think "I am Privileged! You are Poor Annoying Beneath Me SCUM!" thing going on? Or is she just reeeeeeeeeeeeally shallow?

What's her thing?

I love my husband. At my left elbow is a current London A to Z (street map, detailed), the same thing from 1915, one ginormous coffee table book called London from the Air, showing detailed views of the Isle of Dogs and docklands from the eighties, the volumes of both the 1911 and 1941 Brittanicas with details about that area at those times, and (prize! prize!) one paperback copy of "Danger UXB".

I'm in hog heaven.

It's the Bush thing (it really bugs her to have a close relative as common as Lucy), with a side of envy and hunger for power. Portia is the youngest, and was never quite so highly valued in the family as her two older brothers. So when Lucy arrives on the scene, Portia finally has someone lower than her on the pecking order that she can pick on. And it bothers her that while on the whole they're near-equals in intellect and ability, Lucy is more talented at music and riding. (Portia is better at anything to do with the visual arts--watercolors, sketching, needlework, and the like--but since Lucy views them as necessary evils she must learn just well enough to teach them if she has to become a governess, Portia can't use them to score points off her very effectively.)

What I'm having trouble figuring out is how that childhood dynamic should play out now that they're 18 and 19.