Ah Friday, the end of another week of prompts. Well and another week too of course. I am still feeling the joy of having The Academy done and out. I love the characters but they have been sitting in my mind for a while and I am more than ready to trade them out for another cast. But before a new project can begin, we have the morning prompt. Are you ready? Then forward we go. Let the timer’s fly.
Oh I like this one. I especially like Sebastian. He is a control freak who knows things are about to get out of control. I almost didn’t want the timer to go off with this one. It was just about to get fun.
Friday, July 15th: The execution was perfection.
The execution was perfection. Every last detail was in place. The snowy white linens covered what Sebastian could only describe as hideous and mismatching tables perfectly making them look both respectable and identical. The chine was spotless, the delicate silver stripe around the edge of the white porcelain glinting tastefully in the low lights. The silver matched the antique silverware his staff spet three days polishing. From where he stood in the doorway he could see the initials of the family member who commissioned this particular set. The letters were F W. The W he knew stood for Worthington. He didn’t know which ancestor of the Worthington family the F stood for but blessed their soul for their good taste.
Sebastian had been arranging such gatherings as this for several decades now and had learned that while all of the older families in the Dranstian Empire came with vast land holdings and often immeasurable wealth, not all of them were blessed with good taste. Some had to be guided into it.
‘Which is where I come in,’ he thought as his eyes continued to scan the room. The glassware was washed and polished to remove any potential water stains that might occur from letting it dry naturally. Finding it had been a mercy. While he was certain that the good taste of F Worthington insured that the classically tasteful glassware made it to the Worthington table setting there were several styles in the dish pantry that had clearly been purchased by the more style challenged members of the family.
‘I hope F was gone by then so they didn’t suffer,’ he thought. Luckily the tasteful glassware matched the silver already chosen so there was no argument.
Sebastian studied the flower arrangements. ‘Tasteful and flawless,’ he decided.
There were few other decorations in the room. The coats of arms were on the wall and the sideboard was set with decorative looking trivets and awaiting the arrival of the food. ‘The first course arriving after the guests have been seated and the first drinks have been served.’
The host wanted the beverages before the food. He planned on a toast before the meal and Sebastian realized that it was this toast that had him double and triple checking the work of his ever efficient staff. He was one of the few who knew the contents of Lord Worthington’s upcoming announcement. It wasn’t going to be received well.
‘Perhaps I should have used the distasteful glassware instead,’ he thought. ‘That way if it gets broken no one will mind.’
Ten til Midnight 