Lady Constance Ward-Courtly.
Biography of a feline Lady - 1902
Lady Constance Ward-Courtly lived at 615 Easton Place, Central London. She met her future betrothed, Lord Gregory Courtly, at a grand horse racing event. He spied her literally through his racing binoculars. With rakish good looks and a confident walk, Lord Courtly presented her with his card.
They soon were married. When the celebrations, guests, and endless parties settled, a time of quiet normality, uneventful weekends, and stilted dinner conversations soon became the norm. It was clear that his Lordship preferred the company of his society friends. He missed the weekend retreats and the silly party games. His new wife was very much a home person. She shied away from such company. He tried including her, but it was never quite the same. Group friendships are often fragile things.
So, Lady Constance opted to stay home while Lord Courtly would travel for days. It seemed better this way — But the Courtly home now had a sad air of solemnity.
A most unlikely source often lifted Lady Constance's spirits. She employed two mice maids, Daisy and Rose. They were loyally protective of her feelings. Often, in the early evening, they would do their best to entertain her. To ease her mind from her sadness. Reading books to her, acting out plays, and funny little skits. She would try to mask her smiles with her paw, as a lady of the time would. But oh, how she enjoyed their attention and friendship.
After several years, it became apparent to all that their differences were unreconcilable. Separation followed. Tragically, Three years later, his Lordship passed away in a boating accident. Her Ladyship mourned. After an appropriate amount of time, she allowed herself to be courted again. She was introduced to Mr. Edmond Quilley at a dinner party. A brash American cat. A little loud for the table. He was self-confident but without being conceited. Intelligent without being boorish, and most interestingly, he was single.
The next day, Mr. Quilley sent a messenger to Easton Place, presenting his card. A formal invitation to mid-morning tea from Lady Constance was returned. And so, they laughed; she played the piano for him, and he engaged her imagination with stories of his life as a rancher in the USA. He was such a different cat from any she had known.
ehind closed parlor doors, Daisy and Rose fought quietly to be the one to serve tea and biscuits. They wanted to meet this man who could perhaps be the key to her Ladyship's future happiness. After he had left a grinning, Lady Constance looked at both her mice servants, and with a subtle nod to each other, both Daisy and Rose approved of him.
Her Ladyship soon became Lady Constance-Quilley. Despite the comfort of her life in England, she was eager to embark on a new adventure in a foreign land. As a rancher's wife - a path she never would have imagined for herself but one that was full of promise and adventure. She invited Daisy and Rose to join her, but both had their own paths to follow. Daisy couldn't bear to leave her family behind, while Rose had become engaged to a Welsh coal miner. Despite the distance and social class between them, the three friends remained close, writing to each other for many years to come.
Daisy and Rose have a separate biography
'Two Mice Maids'
Illustrated in the style of a vintage Edwardian or Victorian photograph. This image is part of my 'Anicurio®' collection. Each original illustration is carefully hand drawn in pencil. Once finished, I often hand age and treat them with various dye methods, to resemble an old dusty antique photograph. I want this series to suggest something that was rediscovered by you. An inherited artifact from a mysterious benefactor? Or perhaps revealed in a long abandoned attic, lying at the bottom of a chest. Buried beneath old dusty clothes and fading hand written notes.
Paper print (Matte finish - Signed): 8" X 11" - $30.00
Paper print (Matte finish - Signed): 11W" x 14H" - $49.00
Original: Graphite and charcoal pencil on paper. 11" x 14" (image size) with frame and matte. Total size: 17" x 20" - $1450.00