Exploring the Wonders of the Circus | Early afternoon, Thursday 22nd September 1678

[Eleanor Bayning]

Most courtiers had likely rushed there the first day the wonders of the circus opened - apparently there had been some incident involving a large cat from one of the performances, and the situation was saved by a life guard, none other than her recent acquaintance, Lord Langdon of Tintagel! Perhaps he did have a touch of Round Table heroism to him. Still, despite how exciting it sounded, Eleanor rather hoped that things would continue rather more as they were intended today. It was the kind of excitement that a proper young lady didn't really need. 

Lifting the skirt of her cream and green striped cotton day dress through some of the dustier areas, Eleanor drifted from show to stall, venturing a coin on one of the more interesting looking performances, admiring the wares on offer. One man claimed to have treasures from the Byzantines, amongst others, but she had not the kind of coin to venture on such things, and was careful with the stipend provided by her guardians, though she did linger to admire the pearls. One day, she vowed, she would have a pearl necklace like her mother's, and pearl earrings to go with it. But still it was fun to simply admire such things and listen to the man's spiel, much as it was fun to watch the jugglers and the tamed animals. She'd even seen a cat of the type that had apparently attacked someone yesterday! 

Shadowed as ever by her chaperone Mary, Eleanor happily drifted, from place to place, enjoying being out after the last few days abed, and seeing spectacles the like of which she never saw at home. She even purchased a couple of flavoured sugar treats for Mary and herself that felt positively indulgent!