A Lady's Fate

Chapter Thirty-One - Mary

There were voices. Too many voices; too loud. They pounded within Mary's skull, each resonating at clashing frequencies which made her head spin.

Where was she?

Mary strained her ears to listen, before realising it was her brain preventing her from understanding the words they spoke. She could not see them, either - could not see anything, in fact, for her eyes did not seem to be working.

A burst of panic erupted within her as she realised that her brain was filled with a swirling fog. Casting her mind back, she drew nothing but a decided blank, which only served to terrify her further.

Where was she?

The most sensible option, Mary decided, would be to explore her surroundings - but aside from the fact that she could not see, her body also seemed to feel peculiarly heavy, as if she no longer had control of her limbs. Coupled with the swirling fog in her brain, Mary appeared to be in a very sorry state indeed; a thought which caused her breath to hitch as a fresh wave of panic rolled over her.

Taking a few deep, steadying breaths, Mary forced herself to try and comprehend what the voices were saying.

"... do not know what you are doing!" one of the voices was saying. Its tone was clipped, and full of frustration - and also familiar.

"You are a fool if you truly believe this to be in her best interests!" it continued, with the hissing, snake-like quality of one wishing to express anger without speaking too loudly.

"I am far better acquainted with her than you - therefore I believe I do have greater authority to speak on the matter of what is best for her," replied a second voice.

The deliciously mellow tone of the second speaker - even whilst full of barely-suppressed rage - sent a tremor throughout Mary's body. She found herself wishing more than ever that she could see, but despite further desperate attempts to force her eyes open, still she saw nothing but blackness.

"Very well; but do you consider yourself to have greater authority on the matter than a doctor?"

It was the first voice again. Mary felt an inexplicable flash of frustration towards the speaker, for he had appeared to silence the second voice - the one she so dearly wished to hear again.

How could a voice cause such strong feelings to stir within her? This sudden, fierce pull of emotion scared Mary far greater than any other aspect of her terrifying circumstances; it was completely alien, and completely overwhelming. It provoked a completely unbidden lurch deep inside her, as if her heart were about to take flight - accompanied by a sudden flood of memories, of dancing, and laughing, and swishing along luxuriously-carpeted corridors in an impossibly elegant gown.

"Sir Edmund!" Mary realised aloud, her voice a good octave lower than she had been expecting.

There was a brief pause; Mary had clearly stunned the owners of the voices into silence.

"Mary!" cried Sir Edmund, followed by a swift rustle of movement.

"No!" insisted the other voice. "You - must - not - disturb - her!"

"We were not to disturb her until she awoke," replied Sir Edmund. "She is awoken now, so I must have this opportunity to speak with her. There are matters to be discussed which simply cannot wait, Godwin - I would not behave so irrationally were it not of the utmost urgency and importance."

"Very well," conceded Mr Godwin with a sigh.

Mary wondered at Mr Godwin's attempts to prevent Sir Edmund from speaking with her. Mr Godwin could usually be counted upon to be reasonable and level-headed; why, then, would he be reluctant to grant Sir Edmund the opportunity to speak with Mary, when it was clearly of such great importance to him?