Vancouver Mist

Cara Morrison smiled as she walked into the grand foyer of the elegant ballroom of the New Blue Ribbon Ball. She had decided to come after several of her friends had been successful meeting dates and boyfriends. So, out of curiosity, she bought a membership, and while she had danced quite a bit, she enjoyed the atmosphere of the old world mix of the feminine French and masculine Spanish décor more. She especially enjoyed strolling through the lush gardens just beyond the ornate French doors on the other side of the ballroom.

As a landscape architect and designer, she was always interested in gardens and how they were laid out. After stopping at the concierge welcome table to choose a wrist corsage that showed that she was a member, she wandered across the huge ballroom her high heels tapping on the white marble floor. The ballroom featured offshoot rooms for relaxing, talking, and sampling the food from the several decadent buffets, she passed other girls being escorted to the dance floor, giggling, and smiling at their dance partners. She stopped at the sidelines to watch the dancing and listen to the live music.

Cara suddenly realized that she was the only woman standing with the dotty old chaperones, who were there to lend some authenticity to the atmosphere.

Cara gracefully turned, straightened her rose-colored gown that showed off her full figure to its best advantage, and headed for the French doors leading to the gardens. She had just stepped out of the ornate doors when out of a corner of her eye a tall, elegant blond woman stepped to her side. “Was getting a bit warm in there” she said. Cara smiled and agreed with a nod. She wasn’t really in the mood for a conversation. “So, no one to your liking, or are you just here to be social?” Cara turned toward the blond to tell her that she didn’t want to talk but hoped she was having a good time and met her partner for life when she finally got a good look at the woman who had spoken to her. “Mrs. Roche! I’m so sorry I didn’t recognize you at first”. Marlena Roche smiled and nodded. “Good,” she said. “I come here to make sure that everything is the way that it should be. Not to be recognized.” “Yes” ...Cara said. “I know that you and your husband sponsor these dances, as they are a part of the New Orleans history. Extremely glad you updated it.”

Originally Blue Ribbon Balls or Quadroon Balls as they were also known, were only for the most beautiful women of color in the parish to find wealthy white partners. At the time interracial marriages were illegal, so these partnerships were considered more than a betrothal, but less than a marriage. The men were contracted by the women's mothers and exactly what was expected of the men was negotiated.