“Thank you, Terence. Would you help me with this, please?” He hurries forward and takes my ceremonial cape from me. With some difficulty, for I am taller than he is, he succeeds in draping it around my shoulders and helping me to fasten the ornate clasp at the front. It is a rare treat for me to be able to go out in public dressed as a witch. The fashion for fancy-dress parties has allowed me this small pleasure. Beneath my cloak I am wearing a favorite velvet gown. There is a medieval look to it, with long sleeves looped over a finger on each hand, and a low-slung gold-stitched belt sitting on my hips. Earlier I rinsed my hair in lemon juice so that it shines as it swings, the blunt cut stopping level with my jaw. I have kohled my eyes, and chosen my favorite dragonfly tiara, so that I do indeed resemble an exotic witch from an ancient land.

Downstairs, when Louis sees me he smiles broadly.

“What a wonderful costume, Lily. It suits you terribly well. Why is that, I wonder?” He kisses my hand and leans forward to touch my cheek. He is dressed as a vampire count, though he has decided against donning fangs. He still manages to look dangerous somehow and, disconcertingly, more like his father.

“Louis. I hope you aren’t planning on biting unwary maidens tonight.”

“Even Charlotte’s parties don’t get quite that wild.”

“Don’t be so certain.”

Louis’s chauffeur has the motorcar outside and we are sped the short distance through the nighttime streets. People are out enjoying the pleasant evening. Couples stroll arm-in-arm along the river. A few horse-drawn cabs still ply their trade, retaining something of a romantic appeal in these fast-moving modern times. Within minutes we are at the party venue and are escorted inside by a doorman liveried as some sort of Arabian pirate.

Louis whispers to me as similarly attired maids take our coats. “Oh dear, was there some theme or other we were supposed to know about, d’you think?”

I shake my head. “No, don’t worry. I’ve already spotted two Marie Antoinettes and a Robin Hood.”

The party is an uneasy marriage of old and new trends. The club itself has been recently refurbished and is a wonderful example of Art Deco, from its newly built facade, through the arrangement of the interior, to the smallest detail of the decor. The reception area has as its central focus a wonderful mural of angular shapes arranged in a starburst. Colors are clear, lines are crisp, with the thinnest strips and lines of gilt highlighting the geometric designs and shapes.