From The Times of London Society Page
Earl Dashwood Plans a Magical Masquerade for the Upcoming Season
Earl Bertram Dashwood-Maxfield OBE and his wife Flora are planning a special party for the upcoming social season. It will be the first such event at the couple’s sprawling West Wycombe estates since the death of Flora’s Grandfather, Earl Frances Dashwood some 40 years ago.
The house is being extensively renovated for the affair including several rooms decorated in Egyptian and Greek themes keeping with the Earl and Countess’s recent travels to those antique lands.
In years past, the Earl Dashwood, previously known as Bertram Maxfield-Fleming, was a frequent topic in these pages, typically in association with his scandalous behavior and piano playing amid the music halls of Fleet Street. That ended 6 months ago when he virtually disappeared following his surprise engagement and marriage to the Countess Dashwood, herself not well known outside of Europe where she was raised in seclusion by her father, the late Earl Edward Dashwood.
He reappeared last week following his return from Europe and Egypt where he had been apparently assisting the Crown with Her Majesty’s Expedition to Abyssinia. His first public statement was an announcement of the Ball and his desire to improve the reputation of his wife’s family and estates. Per Earl Bertram himself, “We want to banish shadows of the past. Not just those on the family but also those on the house and the best way I see is to do this is to throw open the doors and have a grand ball.”
For the house’s re-presentation to Society, The Dashwood-Maxfields are preparing a special Masquerade. All revelers will be presented with unique magical masks created by local Thaumaturges that are said to completely disguise the wearer.
Invitations have gone out to the cream of London society as well as few additional guests of the Earl’s acquaintance. A limited number of these have also gone on sale for a price of no less than 25£. Proceeds from ticket sales and donations collected at the ball will go to Royal Charities and to help endow a new chair with John Dee College at Oxford.
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