"I love this dress," Clara gushed, fingering the fabric, "it's the nicest thing I've ever seen," she added. Angela smiled a little, "well, it's yours to keep, you know." Clara looked at Angela quite surprised before exuberantly thanking her.

"Now," Angela said, turning to the maid, Brigitte, "let's do something about her hair." Clara wore her hair in two long blond braids, looped over the top of her head and secured in place. Clara protested momentarily but then allowed Brigitte to restyle her hair into an elaborate bun.

Clara wrung her hands nervously, trying to get used to wearing the gloves Angela had given her. She couldn't help but grin with excitement-she was attending a real party, with all of Boston's high society. She impatiently gazed about the carriage, Johnny, looking out the window, Angela, staring at her hands, sitting next to Jack. Clara smiled at Jack, noticing how impressive he looked in a tuxedo.

Jack smiled uneasily back at Clara and turned to Angela. "So, uh, is dis gonna be a long party?" he whispered in her ear. Angela rolled her eyes. "Not too long I hope," she said wryly. "I'll have to do some quick introductions but we'll keep the socializing to a minimum," she added. Jack nodded, making a mental note to try and drop his accent.

Johnny looked up as the carriage came to a slow halt. "Well, we're here," he said anxiously, looking back out the window. The Tate's lived in a beautiful Georgian plantation style house, set on a grassy hill overlooking a magnificent garden. It was dusk, just dark enough to give the white house a glow with all its lights ablaze. Men and women made their was across the curved driveway and through the front entrance framed with marble columns.

"Are we ready?" Angela inquired, glancing at her companions awed faces.

"I, uh," Clara looked up at the house apprehensively, wringing her hands feverishly. "Well, I..." she looked at Angela pleadingly.