Of course there were several people the “mulatto seeress” read tarot for at the masquerade. All the attendees had their moment before the small table. Some were warm and pleasant to both the seeress and the old man standing over her. Some were so distasteful in their lack of decorum, their asses will be paying off the suddenly accrued debt for years and years. And then there are those jealous of the too lightly brown woman in the raven feather dress. Of such one was gifted with a direct reply from the ash faced man…
“What is it to you what I do with her? You have your place. She has her place. You can not do what she does. She can not go where you can. Why are you jealous? You have [blood], and a [house], and [an earned title]. You have rank in society. Turn your eyes back onto what you have and stop crying about the little you don’t have. Or I will make you her equal and we shall see who is the better then!”
His words to an attendee that was asschapped because I sat where I sat and not her. When she huffed that it would take too much effort to elevate me to her social rank, he responded it only took one more word to lower her to mine.
Yet another reminder that no matter how kind, pleasant, and gaily playful he is with me, he is still who he is. I must never forget that. No matter how far he allows me to verbally abuse him.