An Evening With Mr Maxwell-Scott Chapter 6

At Gatsby’s parties my favorite place to stand is in the entrance to the library. Here you can observe the swarming masses of the party without actually having to come into contact with anyone else. Obviously there are always a couple of strays who, slightly too inebriated, seek the comfort and quiet of the library. In fact, there was one man who once spent an entire evening marveling at the fact that each book was real. Imagine, Gatsby has managed to create such intrigue about his life, about who he is, who he was, that it is worthy gossip that his library is filled with books. Of course, everyone would acknowledge that there are too many books for a lifetime but obviously they are absolutely real.

He is a mystery. The motivation behind his having so many parties is equally unclear. And yet, not a single person here would deny that Gatsby’s parties are the best in town. There is no place that you would rather be on a Saturday night but among this noise. The music is always magnificent. It reverberates along your spine, filling your nervous system with a buzz that continues throughout the next day. Simply, Gatsby’s parties awaken the senses. It draws all of us out of our mundane everyday lives and adds that vital spark to the week. After all, there is an inevitable craving for glamour. I often wonder when historians analyse and empathize with this era – what will they focus on? Of course politics and the economy are absolutely imperative but there is magic dust in the air that I doubt they will ever be able to properly capture. Nowhere is the air more thick with this magic than the Gatsby household.

I think part of the allure is the beauty of the entire spectacle. Women dressed in shimmering fringe, complemented by dramatic headdresses and make-up that deepens their features and emphasizes their charm, dance with an innate joy. All the meanwhile diamonds catch the light, adding dashes of pure white radiance among the bodies. In complete contrast, the men often don a dark smoking jacket – cotton in spring, linen in summer, wool in fall, velvet in winter. The pattern was established to the point at which it is now almost a rule. As these two separate entities, one in glittering silver the other in deep black, weave into each other it is as if the night sky is reflected on the dance floor. From the library door, this artistic impression of the stars above is clear. And it is spectacular.

Drawing my eyes away, I looked down at my Rolex Oyster that I had carefully chosen earlier in the evening from my Italian leather watch case that sits proudly on my dresser. In that split second, my senses were overwhelmed with a heady mix of floral scents. Clear notes of jasmine softened the deeper tones of rose and oud, it was like breathing dreams like air. A slender blonde dressed head to toe in the most beautiful cream silk dress swept past me with steely determination. I quickly followed the drape of her dress across the marble floor and into the library. All of this happened so quickly and yet, she did not seem to be in a hurry. Instead, I watched her glide way into the depths of Gatsby’s midnight blue mansion completely and utterly alone.