31 Plays in 31 Days, #16 - “Game On”

[breakinglight11]

So, much as I love the character, the third trilogy of Mrs. Hawking needs to not include Mrs. Frost. She did her HUGE damage in the previous one, and now they have to move forward dealing in the wake of everything that happened.



But Frost is SUCH a cool character, I still find myself wanting to tell stories about her. And one of the bits about her that I thought was always interesting was the specific animosity between her and Clara. Clara is the person that she hates most, because Clara had everything she ever wanted and is basically who she’d always wished she could be. Plus, Clara is smart and knows how to learn from the people around her— after seeing what Frost did to Nathaniel and Mrs. Hawking, I was interested in the idea of how she might decide to deal with her given all that.

So here’s a bit of noodling on that idea.

Day #16 – Game On
From the Mrs. Hawking series
By Phoebe Roberts
~~~

CLARA HAWKING, a society lady, late thirties
ELIZABETH FROST, once a criminal mastermind, now institutionalized, mid fifties

London, England, 1889
~~~

(MRS. FROST waits in her room in the asylum. Enter CLARA.)

MRS. FROST: Good heavens. You.

(MRS. FROST stands.)

MRS. FROST: “Mrs. Hawking to see you,” they said. I confess for a moment I thought it was her at last. But no… it’s the other Mrs. Hawking.

(CLARA sits as MRS. FROST circles.)

MRS. FROST: Is she dead? She must be dead, she couldn’t possibly have survived. Could she? Creeping beasts are hard to kill. I never could find out for certain; I know your little party put my man Roland out of the way to put out my eyes and tie my hands. Are you going to tell me? Or would you enjoy tormenting me with uncertainty?

(From her bag, CLARA takes out a half-finished sampler and continues the embroidery.)

MRS. FROST: Is this it, then? You shan’t even deign to answer? If you’ve come to hear me beg, I promise you’ll go as disappointed as the last time you came to see me.

(Pause.)

MRS. FROST: So… do what do I owe the pleasure? If not for your thrice-damned dead aunt.

(CLARA continues to sew.)

MRS. FROST: What is this? Why are you here?

(CLARA just stares.)

MRS. FROST: Have you so little to occupy you that you’ll come here to gawk at the zoo animal?

(Pause.)

MRS. FROST: No. You don’t. You’d not sully your skirts with the dust of this place unless you had some end in mind. You’re no fool— you know what I did to your auntie, to your husband. You would not walk into the same trap unless the need were dire indeed. You want something… enough to walk into the lair of the beast. Whatever could it be?

(Pause.)

MRS. FROST: I see. You shan’t make it easy for me. But you must know by now— if there is something you want, that is something I can use. Are you certain you wish to go on?

(CLARA looks her dead in the eye, still silent.)

MRS. FROST: Very well, then. The game is on.

(MRS. FROST sits across from CLARA.)

MRS. FROST: I suppose the lady thinks of me after all.