"Mary!" Mother called. "Mary Elizabeth Baker! Get down here!" She called again as she caught my attention away from my readings. I quickly ran downstairs only to see my mean old uncle standing there. Oh, how I despise this man.
"Yes, mother? Oh, hello Uncle Thomas."
He glared at me with a displeased look. "Eleanor, you have raised such a disgrace of a girl. You expect me to bring...this...back to England with me to raise on my estate at my expense?"
My eyes widened in shock. " ENGLAND?! Mother!" I exclaimed in remorse. Mother came over and held my hand.
"Mary, I'm sorry I had not told you sooner...I just couldn't find the courage to do so." She took a long pause. "I'm afraid I must give you up."
"What?!" I threw her hands of me and stepped back from her. "Mother, did I do something wrong? Don't you love me anymore?" I asked, starting to cry a little.
Mother shook her head. Tears started forming in her eyes. "Please, Mary, let us all sit down and talk about this".
"Eleanor, you haven't told the poor girl yet? I have a schedule to keep. The ship leaves in an hour." Uncle Thomas impatiently stated.
"Uh, yes brother. But please, just a moment to settle things." Mother begged.
"Very well. I'll be back in a half hour to gather Mary and her belongings. I expect her to look presentable."
"Yes brother. She shall wear her best Sunday dress." Mother agreed.
"Good. I shall see soon." And with that said Uncle left.
"Mary, I think you should sit down."
"No! I beg of you to tell me right now! What's going on?" I pleaded.
"Mary, it's not your fault. I've met a man....A man I've come to love and cherish." She started.
"You've fallen in love? I'm going to have new father and you're sending me away?" I asked, confused.
"No...well yes. It's not that simple, Mary. You see, he's an officer...a hero if I must say. He can take care of me and give me things I could never dream of. He's never been married and his family is quite wealthy."
"I still don't understand why I'm being sent away. If he's financially stable, he surely can take care of both of us." I interrupted.
"I'm sure he can."
"Then why, mother? Why must you send me away?"
Mother came back over and hugged me. "In order to marry my love, I must give you up darling. His family doesn't approve of women who have children out of wedlock. Sweetheart, I'm still young enough to marry and start over. What his family doesn't know, wont hurt them. They live on an estate in Virginia and I'll be well off. I'm 23 years old. My time to marry is running out. This is my one and only opportunity to have my name restored. I won't be a disgrace to society anymore and neither will you. You'll have a fresh new life in England with your Uncle. You'll have everything you could want that I could never give you and with a clear name, and one day when you grow up, you will have more suitors than you could imagine and marry a nice man. You wouldn't be able to do that here. A young child of 8 years deserves a better life. Do you understand darling?"
I shook my head. "I just don't understand how you could give me up for this man whom I don't even know! Does he even know about me?"
"Yes, Mary. He does know of you and he would do anything to have you in our lives, but the fact is, he would be an outcast from his family if he married a woman with a child. And then where would we be? We'd be right back to where we started...poor and disgraces. Mary, he's already taking a chance with me. I can't allow him to ruin his name."
I nodded.
"So will you go with your Uncle to England? For me?....For us?" Mother asked.
I nodded again, without looking at her.
"Good. Darling, look at me." She pleaded. I shook my head, trying to hide my tears. Mother didn't push the matter anymore. "I've already packed your things. Your Uncle should be back any minute. Darling, please don't let this be my last memory of you...of you crying and hating me?"
"BUT I DO HATE YOU! I HATE YOU, MOTHER! HOW COULD YOU?" I ran upstairs and locked myself in my room.
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Author's note: Hey everyone! I hope you like this new story. It's something a little different than what I usually write, but I think this is going to be good. I've really been into the Jane Austen based movies lately and so I thought I'd write something in that time frame...I think.
