to the elbows. The bride and groom
stood just beyond the camera, talking in low voices. Delia’s
younger brother, Justin, seemed to be assisting Clayton, following
his instructions with speed and efficiency.
Clayton’s presence seemed little less
dazzling than the sunlight. Catherine stood with the four
bridesmaids and watched him. The girls were all younger than she;
none was married and she could see from their whispering and
giggling that they were quite taken with Mr. Pierce. He appeared
not to notice but concentrated on the challenging
task of getting the newly married couple and
two sets of parents in one photograph.
As they moved into place, he said, “Some of
you have never sat for a photograph before, so I’d like to explain
briefly, ladies and gentlemen, how this works. There’s a plate that
my able assistant has prepared with chemicals, making it very
sensitive to light. In a moment he’ll bring it out in a plate
holder and place it in the camera.
“When everyone is ready, I’ll expose the
plate, and light will be projected onto the lens of the camera to
form the image. It’s important that no one move—try not to even
blink—during the exposure time. It should only take a moment or
two. Then the plate will be carried back to the darkroom for
development. Do you have any questions before we get started?”
No one had any questions but everyone looked
nervous. Clayton talked and joked with them as he directed how and
where each person should stand, until they visibly relaxed. He bent
over the large, box-shaped camera. Justin removed the exposed plate
as Clayton inserted another one.
“Miss Delia has requested a picture of her
attendants,” Clayton said. “Mrs. Kelly, how nice to see you again.
Come and stand here, please. Ladies, if you’ll step this way.”
The blushing girls, including Catherine,
lined up across the room. Clayton adjusted the camera.
“Mrs. Kelly, if you’ll stand in the middle,
please. The second young lady from the left, will you turn slightly
to your right?”
In the two or three times in her life
Catherine had posed for photographs, she always felt foolish
staring into the lens of a camera, but never more so than at this
moment. At last it was over and Clayton excused himself to go and
attend to the developing of the plates.
The young girls scurried off together, still
giggling. The bridegroom and his bride exchanged a tender moment
with their parents, and Catherine discreetly left the room and
walked down the hallway. She could see the great dining room, its
table loaded with crystal dishes, food, a tall white cake and a
bowl full of bright red punch. People glanced at her and smiled and
some of them who had heard about Andrew asked to be remembered to
him and promised to visit when he felt up to it.
She made her way into the dining room. A
young man who had courted her when she first came to Richmond
brought her a glass of punch. She was quickly surrounded by some of
her friends from church. There seemed to be people everywhere—and
she had never felt so lonely.
She noticed that one of the side doors stood
partially open to let fresh air into the room. The afternoon sun
was fast disappearing. She asked one of the servants to bring her
shawl, and after throwing it carelessly over her shoulders she made
her way across the room and through the doorway. The cold air was
bracing and she followed the little bricked path.
A trio of steps led into a sunken garden,
circular in shape and surrounded by a dense row of shrubbery. Like
the path, the walkway around the garden was bricked, with a
profusion of white chrysanthemums occupying its center and giving
off an exquisite scent. Wooden benches fitting neatly against the
trimmed hedge completely encircled
the garden.
Tears came into her eyes. In a moment she
would be squalling like Delia. She was a fine one to lecture
Delia…coming out here feeling sorry for
stood just beyond the camera, talking in low voices. Delia’s
younger brother, Justin, seemed to be assisting Clayton, following
his instructions with speed and efficiency.
Clayton’s presence seemed little less
dazzling than the sunlight. Catherine stood with the four
bridesmaids and watched him. The girls were all younger than she;
none was married and she could see from their whispering and
giggling that they were quite taken with Mr. Pierce. He appeared
not to notice but concentrated on the challenging
task of getting the newly married couple and
two sets of parents in one photograph.
As they moved into place, he said, “Some of
you have never sat for a photograph before, so I’d like to explain
briefly, ladies and gentlemen, how this works. There’s a plate that
my able assistant has prepared with chemicals, making it very
sensitive to light. In a moment he’ll bring it out in a plate
holder and place it in the camera.
“When everyone is ready, I’ll expose the
plate, and light will be projected onto the lens of the camera to
form the image. It’s important that no one move—try not to even
blink—during the exposure time. It should only take a moment or
two. Then the plate will be carried back to the darkroom for
development. Do you have any questions before we get started?”
No one had any questions but everyone looked
nervous. Clayton talked and joked with them as he directed how and
where each person should stand, until they visibly relaxed. He bent
over the large, box-shaped camera. Justin removed the exposed plate
as Clayton inserted another one.
“Miss Delia has requested a picture of her
attendants,” Clayton said. “Mrs. Kelly, how nice to see you again.
Come and stand here, please. Ladies, if you’ll step this way.”
The blushing girls, including Catherine,
lined up across the room. Clayton adjusted the camera.
“Mrs. Kelly, if you’ll stand in the middle,
please. The second young lady from the left, will you turn slightly
to your right?”
In the two or three times in her life
Catherine had posed for photographs, she always felt foolish
staring into the lens of a camera, but never more so than at this
moment. At last it was over and Clayton excused himself to go and
attend to the developing of the plates.
The young girls scurried off together, still
giggling. The bridegroom and his bride exchanged a tender moment
with their parents, and Catherine discreetly left the room and
walked down the hallway. She could see the great dining room, its
table loaded with crystal dishes, food, a tall white cake and a
bowl full of bright red punch. People glanced at her and smiled and
some of them who had heard about Andrew asked to be remembered to
him and promised to visit when he felt up to it.
She made her way into the dining room. A
young man who had courted her when she first came to Richmond
brought her a glass of punch. She was quickly surrounded by some of
her friends from church. There seemed to be people everywhere—and
she had never felt so lonely.
She noticed that one of the side doors stood
partially open to let fresh air into the room. The afternoon sun
was fast disappearing. She asked one of the servants to bring her
shawl, and after throwing it carelessly over her shoulders she made
her way across the room and through the doorway. The cold air was
bracing and she followed the little bricked path.
A trio of steps led into a sunken garden,
circular in shape and surrounded by a dense row of shrubbery. Like
the path, the walkway around the garden was bricked, with a
profusion of white chrysanthemums occupying its center and giving
off an exquisite scent. Wooden benches fitting neatly against the
trimmed hedge completely encircled
the garden.
Tears came into her eyes. In a moment she
would be squalling like Delia. She was a fine one to lecture
Delia…coming out here feeling sorry for
Similar Books
