For those of you have read Book 5 of the "Intrepid Journey" series, "Changing Tides", you found yourselves at Adele Markham's fancy dress ball. Here's a quote from Adele as she spoke to her dressmaker prior to the ball:
“I was suddenly inspired this morning to hold a bal masqué for the new year. I have a large gala room which I’ve never used. The attire will be different from the masked balls of the past. This will be a fancy dress ball, but to add a little intrigue and mystery, our guests will wear a silk hooded domino cloak and a mask until the supper hour. Then they will doff their disguise at the announcement of supper for the reveal. One needs a little cheeriness and distraction these days, don’t you agree, Mrs. Busecot?” (She's referring to the civil war, of course).
When I wrote the ballroom scene, I thought it would be fun to later share a little about the domino cloak and mask as well as give you some visuals. You might even enjoy going back to Chapter 13 and reread the ball scene with your new insight.
The term Domino refers to both a mask and hooded cloak. It was connected to the 18th century mysterious masquerades. They were worn by both men and women. The cloaks were voluminous enough to easily cover the attire, and they were outfitted with a removable hood (referred to as bahoo). The word "domino" actually originated from the hoods worn by French priests in the Middle Ages.
The lady is holding her mask. Perhaps preparing for the reveal.
