The Gilded Cage - Accepting My Place

Sunday Surprise

My best hour or so in ages was spent in church, helping with the bible classes. I had a pacifier in my mouth, and I was wearing a diaper beneath my gown as always, but I was helping rather than being helped, and I changed about twenty nappies with gay abandon, under Bella's close supervision. I was good at it, and faster than most of the others, which proved that I still had some special talents to offer, although I imagined Nicola telling me that changing dirty diapers was not a career. But it was enough for me right then and there, and I actually liked having Bella there with me. Again, she was several steps ahead of me, so she could talk and be more a part of things, but I did not even care. It just felt so good to be useful again. I worked as hard as I could, but remembered my place and did nothing to earn any unwelcome attention, and I was extremely pleased with myself when we were ushered outside to meet our responsible adults. But I kept that off my face as far as possible, and rejoined Mama, as expected, sticking close to her side and remembering my place. Not that she even noticed, because she seemed to be much more concerned with what was going on over by the main entrance. There seemed to be a crowd of people, standing quite close to the steps, in animated conversation, including several ladies and at least one pastor, but we were thirty metres away and it was impossible to see what was going on without obviously staring, which a good maiden should never do. So, I took no notice of the apparent commotion, concentrating on my behaviour.

"Colin...we shouldn't interfere?" Helen said automatically taking my arm but obviously too eager to talk to her husband to acknowledge me, who was just walking back towards us. Colin Montague looked strangely preoccupied, I thought, glancing back over his shoulder as he came back to his family.

"Since we currently employ Miss Davenport, it is hardly interfering...and she was upset, so I had to make sure that she was alright, don't you think?" Colin replied, winking at me, which I took to be a good sign, because if he was concerned about my behaviour, at all, he would not have done such a casual, friendly thing. I immediately blushed, and looked down, as a modest maiden should, but I had the smallest of smiles playing around my lips.

"Of course, yes...but she said that lady was her mother?" Helen frowned, clearly concerned about something, but it was evidently none of my business. I turned my head away from them both, not really wanting them to think I was eavesdropping, and watched Miss Stewart putting the girls into the child-carriers, ready to head home. Nicola caught my eye and grinned, and I grinned back, although deep inside my head, I was wondering why Karen was upset, and what her mother was doing in Meadvale. Or back in Meadvale, I suppose, as Karen had told me that she was part of the Ellesmere clan. Maybe a visit, I thought, because although Karen had said that she was not in touch with any of her mother's Reformist relations, it was quite possible that Mrs Davenport was. I had assumed that she had been shunned, if she had left the church at the age of eighteen, but that was obviously a long time ago. I was living proof of how quickly a life could change.

"Yes...and apparently, Richard Ellesmere is her uncle...her mother is his sister..."

"I never knew that, dear?" Mama said in obvious surprise.

"No...neither did I...all I was told was that Miss Davenport's mother was a former member of the church in her younger days...when she was recommended to me." Papa confirmed with a sigh, frowning at her. "She never told me which family she was related to...and I didn't want to pry...I had no reason to intrude on her private life?"

"If Hermione can help me with the pushchairs, we can take everyone home, if you like, Mr Montague? That will give you a chance to help Miss Davenport?" Annie suggested, no doubt thinking about the girls listening to whatever was going on, not to mention me. But she looked concerned too. "If she needs your help, Sir?"

"Good idea, Miss Stewart, thank you." Colin Montague said, appreciating her intervention apparently, before glancing back towards the church, where I could just see Miss Davenport's grey raincoat in the middle of the growing crowd of people. "Hermione, if you please?"