breakinglight11 | 31 Plays in 31 Days, #24

Blargh. Didn't want to post this. But need to post something, and I'm behind, and I have to finish the goddamn draft.

Day #24 - "How Long"
From Mrs. Frost
By Phoebe Roberts

VICTORIA HAWKING, lady's champion of London, mid forties
MARY STONE, her housemaid and assistant, mid twenties

London, England, 1886
~~~

MARY:

Madam. I thought you were out.

MRS. HAWKING:

How long?

(Pause.)

MRS. HAWKING:

First the cases behind my back. Now— you and that policeman…

MARY:

Madam—

MRS. HAWKING:

How long have you been lying to me?

(Pause.)

MARY:

Over a year.

(Pause.)

MARY:

Please, madam—

MRS. HAWKING:

How could you?

MARY:

We only meant to spare you.

MRS. HAWKING:

Spare me!?

MARY:

You have not been yourself.

MRS. HAWKING:

So you betray me instead?

MARY:

No, madam! Never!

MRS. HAWKING:

Then what would you call it? What does that policeman know? What have you told him?

MARY:

Not much. Not everything.

MRS. HAWKING:

For God’s sake. Is this why you were so keen to have him on? So you can carry on beneath my very nose?

MARY:

I was going to tell you, madam. I swear. I only— I only—

MRS. HAWKING:

I don’t even know who you are.

MARY:

How can you say that? After everything we’ve been through!

MRS. HAWKING:

I thought you understood. What it meant to— live this life, do this work.

MARY:

I told you, I can’t do it like you do.

MRS. HAWKING:

You can’t do it at all if some man can decide it all for you!

MARY:

Arthur isn’t like that! He’s a good man.

MRS. HAWKING:

And yet a man still. Why would you take that risk?

MARY:

Because… I care for him.

MRS. HAWKING:

More than everything we’ve done here?

MARY:

You know what this means to us. What you mean to me.

MRS. HAWKING:

Then how could you lie?

MARY:

Because of what you mean! Because to disappoint you, in anything, is more than we can bear! It’s why we keep your secrets and bear your anger. It’s why Nathaniel is in that woman’s trap. Don’t you see by now, that we’d do anything for you?

MRS. HAWKING:

Anything… but what I need. I’ve heard that before.

MARY:

Do you think we did this to hurt you? What were we to do, when women came begging for help? Watch their hearts break on their faces that you turned them away?

MRS. HAWKING:

You could have faith in me! Faith that everything I did, I did to a purpose and a greater end!

MARY:

They had faith in you, madam! We could not look them in the eye and say, “I’m sorry, but Mrs. Hawking is not who you thought she was.” We had to be certain they saw you. Saw you for what you are.

MRS. HAWKING:

And what is that?

MARY:

A hero.

(Pause.)

MRS. HAWKING:

If only I were. Perhaps then I would be equal to all this.

MARY:

You are, madam.

MRS. HAWKING:

Perhaps if I were better, I could manage every challenge that came my way. What I do, what I stand for… the stakes are so high. I must be perfect to all the challenges, or I fail. But I am not perfect. And so I am not enough.

(The bell rings.)