31 Plays in 31 Days, #4 - "Enough Time to Learn"

[breakinglight11]

Another scene from the first draft of Gilded Cages. This scene sets up Nathaniel's journey in the play, his discovering of the Colonel's turning down a knighthood and struggling with the fact that he'll never know why. Originally I was going to set this piece in 1885, pushing it a little farther into the future, but I looked at my timeline and realize that since the Colonel died in 1879, I should go with a year earlier to get that five-year milestone. I kind of wish it could occur a little later-- a historical event I'm planning on including in part 6 happens in 1888, so I'm trying to spread out the time jumps between episodes --but I think this shift was necessary.

The scene I posted for day #2 - "The One" is the next step of this story thread.

Day #4 - "Enough Time to Learn"
From Gilded Cages

London, 1884

VICTORIA HAWKING, lady's society avenger
MARY STONE, her assistant and housemaid
NATHANIEL HAWKING, her nephew and second assistant
~~~

NATHANIEL:

One more thing, Auntie. Next Friday is the twelfth. I don’t know if you thought of it.

MRS. HAWKING:

I have. As a matter of fact.

MARY:

I’m sorry, the twelfth?

NATHANIEL:

The anniversary of the Colonel’s death. Five years to the day. I thought I’d take a moment to visit the grave. Say a prayer, leave some flowers.

MRS. HAWKING:

You are quite welcome, if you so choose.

NATHANIEL:

I was hoping, madam, you might come with me.

MRS. HAWKING:

I think not, Nathaniel.

NATHANIEL:

Ah. Well. I’m sorry to hear it, madam. Are you quite sure? I could send a carriage—

MRS. HAWKING:

Asked and answered, Nathaniel. Five years is enough time to learn.

NATHANIEL:

I suppose I’d hoped you’d softened.

MRS. HAWKING:

That man shadowed my life enough when he was alive; I should think I might be free of it after he’s dead. In fact, it’s high time I saw to that. There’s no sense in leaving that study of his a monument after all this time. Nathaniel, take anything you’d care to keep from there, and when he’s done, Mary, see that the whole thing is cleared out. At least I can take something of the house back.

NATHANIEL:

I didn't mean to upset you, Auntie.

MRS. HAWKING:

It isn’t you, Nathaniel. Now I have work to attend to.

(MRS. HAWKING exits.)

NATHANIEL:

Well. I don’t know what I expected.

MARY:

I’m sorry, Nathaniel.

NATHANIEL:

Am I mad that I thought she was… settling a bit?

MARY:

Not at all, I’ve seen it too. She’s not as hard as once was.

NATHANIEL:

But not about him. Never about him.

MARY:

She remembers a very different man than you do.

NATHANIEL:

I don’t understand it. They weren’t right for each other, certainly. But… she despises him. He was the best man I knew— how could she see nothing of that? And… what couldn’t I see, when I knew him?

MARY:

I… I don’t know. I can’t imagine.

NATHANIEL:

I wish I knew what happened between them. How did it all come to this?