A Lady's Fate

Chapter Eighteen - Mary

For most young ladies of high society, passing some time in London was the ultimate dream. Here in the capital city were opportunities for balls, outings to the opera and strolls in the park amongst the very crème de la crème of society. It had long been Margaret's wish to have a Season, and she and Mary had spent many an hour fantasising about the dresses she would wear, and the gentlemen she would meet when the opportunity finally came.

Now Margaret had come to London, at the very age one would normally be presented to society – only to have to hide in Lord and Lady Eldham's house the entire time.

"Do you miss it?" enquired Mary softly, one evening in late February.

"The social events?" replied Margaret, absentmindedly stroking George's hair. "A little, I suppose."

As usual, Margaret and Mary were spending their evening in Margaret's bedchamber, playing with George and gossiping idly while the rest of the household were out. It made Mary's head spin to try and keep up with Lord and Lady Eldham's hectic social calendar; poor baby John hardly ever saw his parents as they were always dashing off to some sort of soiree or performance. They often did not return until the small hours of the morning - Mary wondered how they found the energy to keep all their engagements.

This evening they had gone to the opera, with Lady Helena and Mr Godwin also in attendance. Poor Lady Helena had been most unwilling to go after the business with Mr Godwin, but Lady Eldham had, as ever, been most insistent.

Lady Eldham and Lady Helena had once been very good friends, by all accounts – but Mary could not help but think that Lady Eldham no longer knew Lady Helena as well as she once had. If they were so well acquainted as Lady Helena claimed, then surely Lady Eldham was aware of Lady Helena's feelings towards her brother – why she insisted on continuing to force them together, then, was beyond Mary's understanding.

Whatever Lady Eldham's reasoning, there was nothing Mary could do now. She knew she had done the right thing in telling Lady Helena that Mr Godwin was married – and although it had hurt Lady Helena terribly to hear it, she had been grateful of Mary's warning. It was now up to Lady Helena to resolve the ongoing issue with Mr Godwin – be that by accepting that friendship would be the extent of their relationship, or deciding that it would be best to end their acquaintance altogether.

Mary would support Lady Helena whichever decision she ultimately came to, and would willingly offer her sympathy should Lady Helena require it – but for the moment, Mary was determined that all her attention should be focused solely on Margaret and her darling little boy.

"It is rather odd," mused Margaret, gently rocking George in her arms, "to think that the life I had been preparing myself for all these years no longer exists."

Mary nodded sympathetically. After all, she knew very well how difficult it was to adjust to a life you had not been raised for.

"I am so sorry this happened to you, Maggie," Mary told her friend earnestly.

It was strange to think, after all the years tending to Margaret, that her mistress was now in fact of an equal social status to Mary herself – or perhaps even worse off in some ways, for Margaret would never be able to marry. It pained Mary to see her friend condemned to such an existence; but to her credit, Margaret seemed to have taken her fall from grace extremely well.

"I would not alter my circumstances for the world," said Margaret now, gazing fondly at the little bundle in her arms.

Mary smiled; there was something so special about witnessing the powerful bond between Margaret and her baby. The pure, unconditional love radiating from Margaret was unlike anything Mary had ever witnessed before – motherhood truly must be an incredible experience. How peculiar and humbling it must feel, to know that a helpless little being depended upon you solely for its existence.