••••••••••••• i could use a little something that has worth and illuminates the point of my being on this earth •••••••••••••
It had been wonderfully exhilarating to enter the theater but an hour and forty-five minutes ago. In visiting the capital of her country, this had been one of her first priorities--to see a play. The one she had seen tonight had been wildly entertaining; comedy and curiosity toward the play's plot had kept her interest well. Now she was greeted by the salty smell of the ocean and the mild chill brought by the night. In contrast, it was summertime, and the air had been just a small bit humid. She was not bothered and was greatly enjoying this visit. Her lady friends were elsewhere at the time, as they had not been so interested in coming along with her.
Lady Augustine Blackwood was off on a short holiday with five other daughters of nobility, most of whom she knew and a few whom she did not. They had ventured off elsewhere after dinner while she had gone to the theater alone. At present she was rather fancying the idea of a drink, but thought it might simply be better to go back to the place where she was staying.
The streets were dimly lit, and while it should have seemed more dangerous, Augustine enjoyed it. Couples of people strolled along the paths passing from one tavern to the next and she would have been just as happy to sit and watch them in their travels from one place to the next, but she figured it was best not to dawdle. Instead she took up a place off to the left of the doors leading into the theater, waiting for the crowd to pass and drift away to wherever 'home' was. She would drift as well, but later. At the moment she wanted to enjoy the time she could spend on her own.
While Augustine did not directly dislike keeping the company of women, she preferred socializing with men. Women gossiped and talked about marriage and children, ambitions for their futures. They were blind to everything Augustine found so fascinating. She could not relate to them--conversations were always hard, as she had the extended knowledge she had learned in lessons shared with her brother throughout childhood. She could speak intellectually and carry conversations based on facts and assertions. Augustine knew for a fact not many other women her age could say the same.
However they had one thing she did not have. They knew how to be mothers and govern households. They could manage, she could not. Augustine had brains, yes, but not the skills a woman of twenty-nine ought to have. Needlework had always been a bore, manners were important, but had not been anymore fun than the things she was expected to take as a hobby--or hobbies.
She watched women with their husbands, suitors, brothers...some of them possibly mistresses. On the one hand, she longed for what they had; Augustine was simply socially awkward (so she believed). On the other hand, she was glad to have the freedom to do whatever she pleased, if only for the time being. Trying not to stare or dote on one pair of people for too long, she pretended to be waiting for someone and attempted to watch over the heads of people.
••••••••••••• word count: 541 notes: a little short... tag: open to any and all
For the day Lena had closed the shop. No work was done, no orders delivered, no one seen. This day was the day she mourned. The day she spends most of her time in the Church repenting of her sins. She was a sinner; for she had done the unspeakable. She was a murderer; for she had killed her unborn child. Yes, three years ago in fear she had killed an innocent child because she could not face a life of seeing the child be a bastard, or losing people’s respect, or even of not seeing the child live and grow. Had been just three years ago?
At the time she had been eighteen and had been in Liston for two years. She had been taking the time to work on a new wardrobe for the spring and talking to Anna when something the girl said made her pause. That something was Anna asking her if she had any clean cloth for blood flow. It was at that moment that she realized that she hadn’t had her blood flow. For a whole month she had had no flow and she had never missed her time before. She had gotten the girl what she needed and had gone back to sewing… or she had tried to. She had never missed a blood flow and now she had. It could only mean one thing. She was pregnant. The fear was enough to drive her crazy.
After that day she barely ate, she barely slept, all she did was work. Looking back on it she might had hoped that the baby would die on its own. It wasn’t long before Elliott noticed that she was acting different and the minute he did she knew what she was going to do. She was going to kill her child… and so she did. The horror had stayed with her even to this day because… because she loved children. Of course the girls didn’t know about this no did but God and he had not seen fit to let anyone know. Still she couldn’t act like this was a normal day so she lied and said that it was her leaving-home-to-come-to-Liston anniversary. The only person who would probably counter her words is Elliott, but he was never around on that day since it was in the summertime.
“Galena! There you are! I have been looking all over for you! Quick the troupe seamstress is sick and they need your help.” And before she could protest she had been pulled from the church to the theatre. Never mind that she didn’t do work on this day. Once she arrived she quickly saw that there was trouble and thrown herself mindlessly into the work. By the time she finished the play was halfway finished. She took the time to watch the rest of the play from backstage while she rested. As she watched she found that she couldn’t even be mad. She had been mourning for three years now starting day. Maybe it was time she stopped. “Miss Basil! Thank you so much for your help!” The director said coming towards her in the final act. “If you would be so kind I would like to seen you once the play ends.” She agreed.
A few minutes later the play ended, the curtain calls taken, and the players and backstage help congratulated before the director came from Lena once more. He took her hand, slipped a purse into her hand, and walked her out. Outside she tucked the purse into her bodice and walked away from the shadows. She paused when she saw a woman, a noble woman, standing alone. That wasn’t safe, she thought as she went over to where the woman stood. “Um, excuse me my Lady, do you need help?” Lena completely forgot that she was somewhat in the same position. "I hope I'm not bothering you by asking."
A mother passed in front of her, a small child in tow with his chubby arms wrapped around his mother’s neck. Out from the flood of people emerged a man and the child cried out in rejoice “Papa!” She wanted that to be Peter and herself in the future. Her heart was warmed by it and she found herself smiling and watching the little boy, hoping her own son would be perfect, just like that. She would have a son, she thought ’It must be a son. We will name him after Peter and he will be blessed and loved like no other child born to Liston ever was.’ Her fingertips grazed her bodice thoughtfully wishing she were already pregnant. Her hand fell to her side once more and she looked up into the sky, the moon so bright and the stars ablaze. A gentle breeze tickled her nose, and then she realized she was being spoken to.
“Oh!” she gasped in alarm, now slightly embarrassed and wondering if this woman had just seen her think through all of that. She turned to her, looking her over. The woman looked simply dressed, common, Augustine thought, but she did not show what she was thinking, simply observing Galena with innocent eyes. “No…you didn’t trouble me. I am not in need of any assistance. I was simply enjoying…”’Enjoying what?’ she asked herself. “Being alive,” she looked upward again with a charming smile and thoughts of pleasance in her eyes. Augustine was a daydreamer when she was by her lonesome, but she figured she had nothing to worry about, being so far away from home. It was marvelous to be in the Capital for a change. It had been such a long time it seemed since she had been at court and even longer since she had set foot off the property where her home stood.
Perhaps she was just a little jaded, being out alone after dusk had come and gone, but she enjoyed the comfort that came of not being surrounded by five other giggling, gossiping women. They were illiterate, for the most part, save for her friend Jane who knew how to read a little. Sarah, Elizabeth, Mary, and Josephine were either married or betrothed, from what she had gathered, and they chattered endlessly about the goings-on at Court, gossiping about Prince Edward or other Lords and Ladies of the court…well, Augustine had not enjoyed any of it, really. She was betrothed, true; however she knew Peter did not expect her to behave like that—so absent-minded and frivolous, she thought to herself of how lucky she was to be taking a husband who was so comfortable with her and her mannerisms.
“I’ve only been to the capital a handful of times, you see, and I find myself pleasantly alone for a change. Unfortunately I feel I’ve come with women who simply do not understand the art of theatrics.” She smiled to Galena. “Mind, I did mean it—you are not troubling me in the least…” and then Augustine realized she perhaps was talking just a bit too much. Her forehead met with her palm and she shook her head feeling befooled “Oh, forgive me, I ramble sometimes.” She blushed. It was a habit of hers, saying the wrong thing or talking too much. When she did, she wondered what in the world it was that Peter found so darned attractive about her. Most men wanted wives who were quiet and agreed with their husbands. Augustine would have trouble with it.
“Lady Augustine Blackwood,” she introduced herself with the slightest incline of her head. She certainly hoped this woman did not take her for a fool. She was acting foolish, so Augustine could understand if the woman’s thoughts swayed that way, but she would’ve preferred not to be looked at like that.
It was a beautiful night, but then all nights had been like so every year regardless of how she felt at the time. Only on the day that she killed the child had it been cloudy and damp. A first, she had thought at the time, considering that it was in the middle of summer. At the time it was the prefect day for how she felt but every year after had not been the same and now she wondered if she had made a mistake. She loved children and she still did maybe that was why she still mourned when she did not have to. Still she was rather glad that she had been called to work. The money was always a help, but… she couldn’t put her finger on it, but she felt better than she ever had on this day for the first time in the years since it has happened. Now it was night and she was alone and for once her thoughts were not on the past. She glazed at the woman in front of her. She was a noblewoman, that much she could tell, but even that had not made her want to speak to them half the time. So what made her different? Was it because she was alone? She knew it wasn’t because she felt a kinship with her she didn’t even know her!
“No…you didn’t trouble me. I am not in need of any assistance. I was simply enjoying…being alive.” Was the woman’s answer. Being alive? Yes, to most that would be fine only most common born did not say this or at least they did not once they reached the age of marriage or to begin work. Lena could not remember the last time she just stopped to just enjoy being alive. There had been the mess with her family, her running away, the learning of a new language, and the running of her shop. There had not been enough time for her to enjoy anything. Unless she counted when she was sewing. “I believe a person is very fortunate indeed to be able to be able to stop and know that they are alive and enjoy knowing this fact, my lady.” Lena believed every word she said and she hoped that this woman saw it. She watched the woman a little longer before looking up at the sky as well. “It is a beautiful night my lady, très vrai, the feeling to stay still and just watch the world go by is very strong on a night like this.”
Most nobles looked down on those that worked for their money never realizing that it was those working that helped take care of them. Take away their help and they would be no better than someone of common birth other than the fact that they had money. In a way the working class got their pay back by gossiping about the nobles and most of the nobles did not realize this. Lena shook her head at the negative turn her thoughts went. She did not even know where that had come from. She lowered her head looking away then back when the noblewoman spoke. “I’ve only been to the capital a handful of times, you see, and I find myself pleasantly alone for a change. Unfortunately I feel I’ve come with women who simply do not understand the art of theatrics.” She smiled at her and Lena could not help but return it. “Does this mean you do not get out much my lady?” Lena nearly choked at what she just said. “Forgive me for that!” But it looked like she already had.
“Mind, I did mean it—you are not troubling me in the least…” Lena did not know what to think when the woman hit her head. “Oh, forgive me, I ramble sometimes.” Against her will- and probably better judgment- she chuckled then licked her lips to hide her smile. “Lady Augustine Blackwood.” The woman says. “Galena Basil,” She replied lowering herself to show rank before straightening to smile. “I am glad to know that Lady Blackwood I would hate to disturb you or for you to think that I am an annoying woman. So did you like the play? Would you mind telling me about it? I only heard the lines from where I was you see. It sounded interesting.”
She nodded complacently as the woman agreed with her observation of the night. “I like it here,” she said distantly, but pleasant. ”Perhaps it comes as a shock, but I do hate being at Court…not enough space, too many people, too loud.” Augustine had to stop herself before going any further. ’I wish I could trade places with you…’ she almost said, but she was afraid maybe that was offensive or something like it. She did wish her life could be simple though. To her current companion, she guessed the woman might have thought her to be similar to the kind of women Augustine despised; illiterate, simple minded, narcissistic etc. Augustine would have liked to confirm that none of those things were true.
In short, she did not believe life had been terribly easy for her… Her twin brother had been sick and above all else she had cared for him the majority of her young life, she was almost thirty, still unmarried, and without any children. She also had her conniving step-siblings to worry about, having her suspicions that they were up to something quite grave. The matter of her father’s health was ever constant and amidst all this, she did the things the woman of a house should do and maybe even more still. Was it any wonder why she didn’t bother spending time at Court when it seemed so damn frivolous?! There were bigger things to tend to in her life, and she could not understand for the life of her why some people found it so wrong for her to be concerned with matters that one ought to be concerned with.
“Oh…” Augustine sighed, “I could get out more if I so desired it, however, my mother has been long since deceased and my younger sisters cannot be trusted to care for my father. He’s in rather poor health these days and I don’t often dare to leave him for long,” she trailed off. For a long moment she was quiet and contemplative. “I’ve also taken to managing my father’s estate at present,” she added. “Practice,” she smiled, “I am betrothed but not yet married.” These were all very personal things, but surely this commoner was more down to earth than the friends she had traveled with, and that was blessing enough to Lady Blackwood.
It was uncommon for nobles to be so…kind?...to commoners, but Augustine had respect for the woman she was currently standing with. This woman worked for a living, ’Must be terribly exciting,’ she thought, almost agonized by the fact that she would never know whether it was or not. She and Rhys had previously had a conversation about being common. Oh, how he would have loved to be here now seeing how the other half lives!
“Oh, please don’t curtsy…!” Augustine almost reached out to grab her but by then it was too late and she’d already done it. ”Please…I beseech you, think of me as your equal,” she said sincerely. She was away from home and would meet people she was sure not to ever see again, she would have preferred the formalities to be dropped entirely, but of course that was impossible. Galena next asked about the play and since she had enjoyed it so, she wished to invite the woman to walk with her. ”It was a most magnificent production,” she said enthusiastically, ”I heartily desire you to walk with me, I’ll tell you all about it,” she smiled brightly in the dim glow of the street lamps. What a story she would have to tell Rhys when she saw him next!
Lena found this quite, what was the word, odd? Not that it was a bad type of odd. On a night like this one Lena wouldn’t be good company to any one if the theater had not had the problems it had tonight. It was funny how one could fine enjoyment in work but that would only be the case if they enjoyed what they were doing. Lena enjoyed what she was doing very much even at the cost of dealing with people who did not realize that it was not always out of loyalty that they had their workers. That made her smile and she turned her attention back on the Lady Augustine standing next to her.
“I’ve also taken to managing my father’s estate at present… practice… I am betrothed but not yet married.” Lena nodded and looked away. She would not say anything for or against marriage. Just like nobles didn’t marry for love the same would be said of those beneath them. Like her for example if she hadn’t run… no enough thinking about the past. Still on that note, probably the only difference was that most women did more than sit around. Of course she could very well do the same thing. She had enough money to be considered a Gentlewoman even if she didn’t have the training. All she had to do was hire a few more girls, teach them and let them do all the work while she took in the money. Naw she didn’t like the idea of that many people in her house and shop. Besides that would mean she would have to move and she couldn’t do that without Elliott’s approval. “Well then that’s good for you my lady I think that its wonderful to know what is going on even if its practice for your future husband. Once again she shouldn’t have probably have said that but Lena felt like she didn’t have to worry around this woman.
It was quite shocking, well, more than quite but she didn’t want to think that she had been rendered speechless by the Lady’s words. Think of her as an equal. The words, the words, were quite… well shocking. It is not to say that she had never heard the words before no, but, well not in Listonese. Before she had left to come here some of the noble women of the Farengalian had said the same thing. You would be surprised how trusting they were to their maids, hairdressers, and seamstresses and cold to everyone else even their husbands. All this time Lena had thought it was because her ma and her had always made the women shine that they said this, but by this woman’s, Lady Augustine’s, words Lena wondered if it was something more. She was even more caught off guard with the next words when she asked about the play. “It was a most magnificent production. I heartily desire you to walk with me I’ll tell you all about it.” Lena found that she could not quite turn this down and smiled at the pleasure the woman showed.
“Of course.” Turning she started off slowly so the Lady could keep pace. “As I have said I have only heard a few lines. I arrived well in the middle of the first Act first Scene so you could start at the beginning and I can tell you where I came in.” Somewhere in the back of her mind she knew that Henry would be waiting for her to return home, but damn it this was her day off and unlike her first she was going to make it so!
Perhaps she was being a bit…well…foolish. Augustine was almost greedily fascinated by the lives of the lower class people. She’d read hundreds of philosophies, histories, everything imaginable on what it was, but she had never experienced such a thing for herself. The best she figured she could do was treat the people beneath her humbly and judge kindly. All the same, she did quite admire them—they were so free to do whatever they wished; not like her, she had to obey at all times which was a thing of more burden and consequence than it was worth. At least Miss Basil could have a free will (not that Augustine never tried to cut corners or bend things in her favor here or there…). Hopefully her fascination wouldn’t show in an unappealing way.
Her steps were slow, and though she was long of leg, her stride was not large. Augustine knew that being 5’7” was a bit…unusual for a Listonese woman, but she was never bothered by this. She was simply glad to have the companionship of a down-to-earth woman for once during this entire rendezvous. If anything, Galena’s presence in this moment was refreshing. They were not going to talk about gowns, nor frivolous things like husbands and the other concepts Augustine couldn’t grasp but through experience. No, this conversation would be most enriching. “Oh, it was simply splendid!” Augustine said enthusiastically. “It was a satire, of course…most things tend to be these days, do they not?” She smiled brightly.
“It began with a wedding—a betrothal, really of a young girl to an older fellow. However, it was painfully obvious that the girl was in love with the boy she was supposed to marry before.” Augustine walked her through the entire storyline of two young lovers, a step-mother and a father, a quirky maid, and one very atrocious house guest, and by the end, she was laughing all over again. “Such a brilliant playwright, that man…” she mused with a sigh. It seemed as though it had been quite some time since she’d enjoyed herself that much.
The restraints of caring for an ailing father and keeping her home safe from the clutches of her undeserving step-brother left her quite tired, and often times she wondered for how long could she keep going? Thank heaven she would soon be married—hopefully by winter. Things would be much better then. At least she had that much to look forward to. It wasn’t a lot, really, but it was something, and that was all Augustine cared about.
For the present moment, she was happy with the company she was keeping. The fact that she had worthy company at all was nice enough to make Augustine a bit more satisfied with this trip away from home—at the beginning of the night, she’d been uneasy. Thoughts of her ailing father polluted her mind these days, and unfortunately she could barely think of little else. That’s how she’d ended up at the theater in the first place. The intent had been to take her mind off her own life and just that had happened. And very luckily out of it, she had come to make a friend. Of course, Galena was not the practical sort of friend Augustine probably should have had, but Augustine was perfectly content to keep her as a companion.
“So what is it that called you to the rescue backstage?” a little hint of a giggle had been linger and then made its way out of her throat.
Now that the sun was down the night air did feel cooler but it was still warm enough to remind one that it was still summer and winter was nowhere in sight. People walked slower as if they had time that was not seen when the sun was up and out. It did not mean that they were not paying attention just a bit slower. It was a good night that had nothing to do with the past. The past should stay in the past after all. Something like a smile curved on her lips again as she turned from the time of day it was. Henry was going to be quite mad at her, but she did not know why he would. His job was not to watch her and make sure that she was safely tucked into bed at night it was to read paperwork and make sure that no one took control of the fact that she could not read and write. Beside his wife was a shrew and Lena at more than one time wanted to prick her with her needles for all the woman’s complains and thoughts that SHE wanted her husband. Elliott would like to return home and fine that she has lost him money because she couldn’t do her job.
“It began with a wedding—a betrothal, really of a young girl to an older fellow. However, it was painfully obvious that the girl was in love with the boy she was supposed to marry before.” Lena laughed softly at the way Lady Blackwood’s face lit up. It was not a bad laugh by any means. Lena liked the joy that came to the woman’s face. Not everyone- by everyone she really meant nobles- would find happiness in something like a play. “Ah yes and here I was thinking that they were married before the play began.” Lena said thoughtful making connections in her mind of what she had done and what was being said. When she had walked in she had been given a wardrobe and told to take it out some since the understudy had to perform. The only problem was as the main heroine, the understudy, was in nearly every scene. She had to really work to get everything finished before the girl when on stage, but it had been enough to take her mind off her pain.
Lena glanced up at the Lady’s comment about the playwright and chuckled looking back ahead. “You mean Mister Howl? Yes I guess you could say he was, but then to me anyone can be with hard work.” Yes it was hard work tonight and she both wanted to swear and thank Mister Howl for calling her tonight. Still what person would pick people of two different sizes and no have copies of the clothing for times like this. And from the feel of her purse it didn’t seem like he gave her enough. She might have to go back tomorrow with Henry if that was the case. “Still he would love to know that you enjoyed it Lady Blackwood.” She replied still smiling at her joy. “So what is it that called you to the rescue backstage?” Looking like this was the night for laugher and she did not mind it at all. Some did not laugh enough.
“Oh that is right I did not tell you! Pardonnez-moi! I am one of the cities’ and, at times, the court seamstress’. The troupe seamstress was out sick tonight so I was called in.” Well if she was being honest it would be more like pulled in but she didn’t need to know that because Lena didn’t want to lie about what she was doing before she had went to the theater. Lena stopped walking and looked at the Lady Blackwood. She had asked… no, no she had not asked. “My Lady why were you alone if you do not mind me asking.”
“My Lady why were you alone if you do not mind me asking.”
At this point she felt like a child about to be scolded and chastised once again for playing in the curtains or something. Here she was, a woman of nearly thirty years, and she could not seem to overcome the guilt within her for sneaking away from her so-called friends. “I…well…I traveled with five other ladies…none of whom seem to possess any common sense at all. I’ve listened to frivolous chatter about gowns and court gossip and nothing else since I came to be here from Sistina.” She watched her feet for a moment as they walked along. “Please don’t take me for a whore, but I much prefer the company of men,” Augustine said rather candidly with a heavy-hearted sigh. “You see, I’ve been very fortunate in my life to receive something many women—even in the upper class—never obtain. An education.” She walked a little longer in silence this time, organizing all her thoughts into their proper places.
“My mother died a week after the birth of my brother and I and my father left us with a governess. He would not look at either of us for a very long time…so…Rhys and I only had each other. We were very close as children; so much so that he refused to attend his lessons were I not there with him, so I did. And I learned so many things, not the least of which is the common knowledge that most female courtiers are dull, uninteresting and not properly equipped to talk about fineries such as…well, theatre.” And then she was off in a distant world for a little while, thinking about these things and how utterly irritated noblewomen made her. They had no self respect and simply gave without taking anything in return and it bothered her.
She then stopped in her pace, turned to Galena and took her hands. “Take no offense to this, you are far smarter, more skilled and ten times more charming to keep in company. Birthright counts for nothing, please remember that.” She searched the ground before she continued. “I like you. You’re a flesh and blood human being and you’re not a rag doll,” at that moment she observed Galena’s palms, “Your hands have seen work and your eyes have seen experience. You should be proud of where you are because you will know infinitely more than any highborn daughter might ever dream of knowing in her whole life,” she paused trying to calculate her next words very carefully so that Galena would not be offended. She squeezed the hands of her knew friend and looked her straight in the eye, “Do not be ashamed of where you come from,” her voice was crystal clear, urgent to some extent, but not on the whole desperate.
Then Augustine dropped Galena’s hands and turned away, vaguely embarrassed that she had done such a thing. She started walking again, taking slow steps, wondering if she ought to regret saying the things she had. Keeping her eyes to the ground she began to think. This girl was a seamstress and certainly that meant she knew how best to clothe people. It was then and there that she got a most brilliant idea. “I am in need of assistance. I told you I am to be married soon, but I’ve yet to ask anyone to help me in preparation when the day comes. Will you do it? I’ll make sure you are well paid for it. Oh, please say yes.” Begging was not becoming in a noblewoman’s voice, but Augustine would have given anything not to be sacrificed to the torture of having her friends and other assorted maids helping her prepare to walk down the aisle. She didn’t want to hear their chattering or giggles, she wanted someone levelheaded there to keep her from floating away or getting scared and refusing to surrender maidhood. Galena seemed perfect enough for the job and Augustine was willing to do anything to get her to say yes.
The last thing Lena expected was for the Lady to become embarrassed that she had asked such a simple question. She had not meant at all for this to happen. It was more because she worried for her. Not all nobles were aware of the dangers that were around because they often thought they were safe. “I…well…I traveled with five other ladies…none of whom seem to possess any common sense at all.” Well in truth what did that say about her being alone like this? “Please don’t take me for a whore, but I much prefer the company of men.” Lena put her hands on her hips and rolled her eyes. “That would hardly make you a whore. It’s not like you’re sleeping with them.” She was stopped from continuing with what was added. “You see, I’ve been very fortunate in my life to receive something many women—even in the upper class—never obtain. An education.” Her eyes widened in surprise, hands dropped to her side, thankfully her mouth only opened partly. This was news.
What she told her next made Lena want to stop and stare. While she was by no means surprised that she was learning a woman she barely knew life story that was not why she wanted to stare. It was because she did in fact have what only men were able to have… an education. Lena felt proud of her and yet sadden. Proud because she knew something more than the normal noble woman and sad because she could not even pretend to have an interest in what the other noble women were interested in. It now made sense as to why she was out here alone instead of with the very Ladies she had come with. Compared to what this Lady knew they didn’t possess any common sense. Where did that leave Lena? Standing next to Lady Blackwood she felt like a dense child. She did not like the feeling it gave her.
When suddenly her hands were grabbed forcing her to stop in her tracks and thoughts. Lady Blackwood was very firm in her believes. She wouldn’t take offense, but they were not right, not right with the way most nobles thought. “You may say so ma Madame but that doesn’t mean that it is the way things are.” She said simply. There were always a few nobles who didn’t view the common class with difference. “I like you. You’re a flesh and blood human being and you’re not a rag doll. Your hands have seen work and your eyes have seen experience.” Watching her look at her hands before looking at her hands herself Lena took her words to heart. It reminded her to the time Elliott had build up her confidence when she had first come to Liston. “I have no doubts about where I stand in life or how much I know.” She looked up to stare into her eyes. “What do I have to be ashamed of? Where I come from? No. What I have done to get where I am today? Yes, but it doesn’t hold me back.” Memories of what she had done to her parents and the death of her child rose in her mind. Sadness descended over her.
Trying to hide that she wanted to tell this woman her story she remained quiet and watched her walk away. She hasn’t told anyone her story since she had become friends with that courtesan, Alexandria. “I am in need of assistance.” Lena blinked at the abrupt change in subject. “Y yes?” she sputtered. “I told you I am to be married soon, but I’ve yet to ask anyone to help me in preparation when the day comes. Will you do it? I’ll make sure you are well paid for it. Oh, please say yes.” Was she begging? Doing a half-hearted chuckle Lena put her hands back on her hips. Who could say no after such a heartfelt conversation? Beside Lena did like her. “Of course how can I say no after such a speech ma Madame? I would be honored to help you prepare for your wedding. Now,” Lena took a quick look around and knew exactly where they were. “Let’s get you back to the theatre. While those Ladies might not have common sense they at least have some smarts to know when to return and we don’t want them to go out looking for you.”
