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breakinglight11) wrote2020-08-26 12:01 am
breakinglight11) wrote2020-08-26 12:01 am
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31 Plays in 31 Days, #26 - “Fierce Girls”
I really like the idea that in the next installment of the mainline Hawking series, Clara gets a journey of having to accept that yet another one of her family members is drawn to Mrs. Hawking and her work in a way that Clara will never understand. But it’s particularly hard, because it’s her only daughter, Beatrice, who she had hoped would stay in her world.
This shows a moment of Clara making that transition to allow her daughter to be her own person and pursue her own dreams. But it also calls on Mrs. Hawking to acknowledge Clara, to make her own effort to make sure her grandniece understands that she comes from many formidable women, and to not ignore her mother’s strengths in favor of other kinds. It demonstrates a pretty big step for both of them, given how rocky their relationship has been over various points.
This would follow after Day #4 - “Soft Touch” and Day #26 - “Her Own” from 31P31D 2019.
Photo by Daniel Fox
Day #25 - “Fierce Girls”
From Mrs. Hawking part 7
By Phoebe Roberts
~~~
VICTORIA HAWKING, the lady’s champion of London, early fifties
CLARA HAWKING, society lady and her nephew’s wife, late thirties
BEATRICE HAWKING, Clara’s daughter, mid teens
London, England, 1890
~~~
(CLARA enters as MRS. HAWKING and BEATRICE work.)
BEATRICE: Mother.
CLARA: I thought I might find you here. You took your books with you, but your mother is no fool.
BEATRICE: I’m sorry I lied. But you haven’t been fair.
CLARA: My dear girl. Have you any idea what you’re asking for? For your mother to stand by against the future and all its hopes and fears? And for all the paths that you could walk, for this to be the one you choose?
BEATRICE: I want to help, Mama, that’s all.
MRS. HAWKING: She’s got a brain and she wants to use it, Clara. It’s hardly deciding of the whole of the future.
CLARA: I’m sure we all thought that the first time Nathaniel had a thought on a case. But we know better now.
MRS. HAWKING: She came to me, just as he did. And she wouldn’t be put off either.
BEATRICE: I only lied because I know you don’t want me to be here. I know you don’t want me to help people like Auntie does.
CLARA: Good heavens. Whatever have I done to make you all think I don’t want to see you do good?
BEATRICE: Are you frightened? Do you think I’ll be hurt or captured?
CLARA: It’s not so far off as you might think, my girl.
MRS. HAWKING: I would not permit her anywhere near—
CLARA: If only that were all of it! It’s only hard, you know. Letting go of… what you thought you were building to. What you hoped for all your life.
MRS. HAWKING: I know.
(Pause.)
CLARA: Beatrice Clara Hawking. You will help your great aunt and learn from her, if that’s what you wish. You will obey her, and your governess, and me, if you are to continue. You will be careful of your studies and your chores. And you will not lie to me. I have asked that from the start, and will not brook any less.
BEATRICE: I will. I mean, I won’t, Mama. I mean— I shall do everything you ask. I promise.
CLARA: I certainly hope so, young lady. For all our sakes.
MRS. HAWKING: Thank you, Clara.
BEATRICE: Oh, yes, thank you! I’ll be ever so good, Mama, you’ll see! This is so very important, I want to do it. That’s all I want, really— to do something important. Can you understand?
CLARA: I’ve been trying for a very long time. I suppose I shall get there someday.
(Pause.)
MRS. HAWKING: Beatrice, did your mother ever tell you of the time she helped capture one of the most dangerous criminal minds in London?
CLARA: Oh, goodness. Of course not.
BEATRICE: What? What do you mean?
MRS. HAWKING: When we took on Elizabeth Frost. She was so brilliant that none of us were clever enough to beat her alone. But she had one weakness. And you mother was the one to find it.
BEATRICE: What was it?
CLARA: She… she was very cunning, and she had built an army around herself, like a queen in a castle. But she wasn’t a queen; in fact, behind her gates and her gowns she was just a girl like any other girl, and she was ashamed of it.
BEATRICE: Why was she ashamed?
CLARA: Perhaps she shouldn’t have been. But I think she knew, deep down, that she was not good. She thought becoming a lady would change that. But nothing changes who you are, and I reminded her that.
(Pause.)
CLARA: I was hard, even cruel then. But it had to be done.
BEATRICE: Why?
MRS. HAWKING: To save your papa.
BEATRICE: From the villain?
CLARA: And to protect you.
BEATRICE: Golly.
MRS. HAWKING: Do not underestimate your mother, girl. She is not to be trifled with.
BEATRICE: Yes, Auntie.
This shows a moment of Clara making that transition to allow her daughter to be her own person and pursue her own dreams. But it also calls on Mrs. Hawking to acknowledge Clara, to make her own effort to make sure her grandniece understands that she comes from many formidable women, and to not ignore her mother’s strengths in favor of other kinds. It demonstrates a pretty big step for both of them, given how rocky their relationship has been over various points.
This would follow after Day #4 - “Soft Touch” and Day #26 - “Her Own” from 31P31D 2019.
Photo by Daniel Fox
Day #25 - “Fierce Girls”
From Mrs. Hawking part 7
By Phoebe Roberts
~~~
VICTORIA HAWKING, the lady’s champion of London, early fifties
CLARA HAWKING, society lady and her nephew’s wife, late thirties
BEATRICE HAWKING, Clara’s daughter, mid teens
London, England, 1890
~~~
(CLARA enters as MRS. HAWKING and BEATRICE work.)
BEATRICE: Mother.
CLARA: I thought I might find you here. You took your books with you, but your mother is no fool.
BEATRICE: I’m sorry I lied. But you haven’t been fair.
CLARA: My dear girl. Have you any idea what you’re asking for? For your mother to stand by against the future and all its hopes and fears? And for all the paths that you could walk, for this to be the one you choose?
BEATRICE: I want to help, Mama, that’s all.
MRS. HAWKING: She’s got a brain and she wants to use it, Clara. It’s hardly deciding of the whole of the future.
CLARA: I’m sure we all thought that the first time Nathaniel had a thought on a case. But we know better now.
MRS. HAWKING: She came to me, just as he did. And she wouldn’t be put off either.
BEATRICE: I only lied because I know you don’t want me to be here. I know you don’t want me to help people like Auntie does.
CLARA: Good heavens. Whatever have I done to make you all think I don’t want to see you do good?
BEATRICE: Are you frightened? Do you think I’ll be hurt or captured?
CLARA: It’s not so far off as you might think, my girl.
MRS. HAWKING: I would not permit her anywhere near—
CLARA: If only that were all of it! It’s only hard, you know. Letting go of… what you thought you were building to. What you hoped for all your life.
MRS. HAWKING: I know.
(Pause.)
CLARA: Beatrice Clara Hawking. You will help your great aunt and learn from her, if that’s what you wish. You will obey her, and your governess, and me, if you are to continue. You will be careful of your studies and your chores. And you will not lie to me. I have asked that from the start, and will not brook any less.
BEATRICE: I will. I mean, I won’t, Mama. I mean— I shall do everything you ask. I promise.
CLARA: I certainly hope so, young lady. For all our sakes.
MRS. HAWKING: Thank you, Clara.
BEATRICE: Oh, yes, thank you! I’ll be ever so good, Mama, you’ll see! This is so very important, I want to do it. That’s all I want, really— to do something important. Can you understand?
CLARA: I’ve been trying for a very long time. I suppose I shall get there someday.
(Pause.)
MRS. HAWKING: Beatrice, did your mother ever tell you of the time she helped capture one of the most dangerous criminal minds in London?
CLARA: Oh, goodness. Of course not.
BEATRICE: What? What do you mean?
MRS. HAWKING: When we took on Elizabeth Frost. She was so brilliant that none of us were clever enough to beat her alone. But she had one weakness. And you mother was the one to find it.
BEATRICE: What was it?
CLARA: She… she was very cunning, and she had built an army around herself, like a queen in a castle. But she wasn’t a queen; in fact, behind her gates and her gowns she was just a girl like any other girl, and she was ashamed of it.
BEATRICE: Why was she ashamed?
CLARA: Perhaps she shouldn’t have been. But I think she knew, deep down, that she was not good. She thought becoming a lady would change that. But nothing changes who you are, and I reminded her that.
(Pause.)
CLARA: I was hard, even cruel then. But it had to be done.
BEATRICE: Why?
MRS. HAWKING: To save your papa.
BEATRICE: From the villain?
CLARA: And to protect you.
BEATRICE: Golly.
MRS. HAWKING: Do not underestimate your mother, girl. She is not to be trifled with.
BEATRICE: Yes, Auntie.