31 Plays in 31 Days, #8 - "Like You"

[breakinglight11]

I have a rule that I do not repost new versions of scenes I initially drafted for previous 31 Plays in 31 Days, even if I substantially edit them. It makes it tricky when I'm trying to pull out postable scenes from a larger project that has lots of parts I don't want to spoil. Aaaaaaall the way back in 2015, I wrote a scene about Mary telling Mrs. Hawking that Arthur had asked to her to marry him. I knew that would happen, and that has been maintained, but the circumstances have changed— in part V, it blew up that Mary had been keeping things from Mrs. Hawking, and now she's resolved not to do that again. Still, it's hard to be honest with Mrs. Hawking when she's in such a bad emotional place. I can't repost the confession part, as that would technically be a repeat. But this is a later part of that scene, examining some of the fallout.

This also happens shortly before yesterday's scene Day #7 - "She Could Be Everything" and informs Mrs. Hawking's thoughts and reactions in that next one.



Day #8 - "Like You"
From Mrs. Hawking VI
By Phoebe Roberts

London, England, 1888

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

MRS. HAWKING:

So you’re in love. And for that, you’ll throw your whole life away?

MARY:

I don’t mean to throw away anything.

MRS. HAWKING:

I wonder if you’ll have the choice.

MARY:

Indeed? And who will make me choose?

MRS. HAWKING:

The circumstances. As they do for us all.

MARY:

Nathaniel gets his life. He’s got his work and his family outside of us. And you don’t begrudge him that.

MRS. HAWKING:

I’m only grateful he has something to get him out from underfoot every once in a while.

MARY:

But it doesn’t stop him. It doesn’t keep him from doing the work. Would you expect any less from me?

MRS. HAWKING:

On the contrary. I expect more. You can become things that Nathaniel never could.

MARY:

And what is that? You?

(Pause.)

MRS. HAWKING:

Better than me! You could carry on real change in the world. Not just a few rescued souls here and there, but a true challenge to everything that makes them so vulnerable. You can be more than I ever could.

MARY:

If that’s so… why can’t I do it my own way?

MRS. HAWKING:

Because I don’t want to lose you.

MARY:

Why ever would you?

MRS. HAWKING:

Marriage will take it all from you. I would move heaven and earth to spare you that.

MARY:

I know what your marriage was like. What your husband was like. But that’s not Arthur. You don’t even know him.

MRS. HAWKING:

I know men. There is no free pursuit of our work among them. And there’d be no need for it without them.

(Pause.)

MARY:

You say I can do better. Be better. But you don’t believe that.

MRS. HAWKING:

I believe that more than anything.

MARY:

No. Because that would mean you believe things could change. And that you cannot imagine. Not even for me. So I pray to God, madam, it is true after all. So that I need never, ever be like you.