in a small voice, her eyes downcast.
Hope had thought that to be a happy event, but clearly not for Honoria. She watched her friend as tears slowly sprang from her eyes and ran down her cheeks.
“What is it?” she asked.
“It is nothing,” Honoria said, brushing her tears away. “Married life is not what I expected it to be, that's all, but that is probably the fault of my own expectations.”
Hope was very aware that she didn't have long and she had probably stayed too long already. As if on cue there came a tap at the door.
“I have to go,” she said. “The staff could get into trouble if I am discovered in your room.”
“I understand. Thank you for coming, it means the world to me.”
Hope kissed her forehead and turned to leave before she could change her mind.
“Hope?”
She turned back.
“Please don't say anything to James. Promise me?”
As much as Hope wanted to say 'no', she couldn't do that to her friend.
“I promise.”
She turned and left. The housekeeper was waiting in the hall and ushered her quickly down the servant's stairs, then out to the yard at the side of the house, where her horse was waiting.
“Thank you,” Hope said when she finally stopped manhandling her.
“Don't thank me yet. Lord Ashdown is back from town and if he should discover that you have seen his sister when he can't, there'll be hell to pay!”
Hope nodded her understanding and they waited a few moments.
“That's the front door,” the housekeeper said, pushing Hope towards her mount. “Now go, and be quiet about it!”
Hope approached the stable lad, who was holding Shelly. He gave her a leg-up and told her to ride home through the forest, so that Honoria's brother didn't hear the hooves on the gravel.
“Thank you,” Hope smiled, then turned and cantered towards the trees.
Hope felt a little better for having seen Honoria, but she also felt much worse now that she knew for certain that her friend was being hurt.
She did the only thing she could to keep from going crazy, and that was to work. She still had no creative ideas but before Martha had let her start designing, she had insisted that Hope understand the process of sewing first, so that she knew exactly what she was talking about when she designed something. Hope had been taught from an early age how to embroider and was fairly good at it, so Martha rounded out her knowledge, teaching her things such as how to use a sewing machine, how to hand sew beading, how to reinforce seams on practical garments and a hundred and one things that a true 'Lady' would never dream of using in embroidery.
As such, Hope knew that there was always a job for her at the factory, which is how she found herself hand sewing jet beads onto the collar of a cape. It was intricate work and required her full concentration, so that the beads were evenly spaced. It was just the distraction that she needed at the moment. She worked on the shop floor with the other girls, so that she had the hum of activity around her.
The off-the-peg garments were made on sewing machines now, but the bespoke items were still sewn by hand. The room was roughly divided into two, with one third being used by the hand sewers and the remaining two thirds taken up with machines. The girls kept up a line of chatter, even with Hope there, for they were used to her presence and besides, they didn't discuss anything scandalous or salacious.
On the occasions when Hope had worked with them before, such as when there was a very special garment requiring her or her mother's hand, Hope would often join in with the conversation. Now though, she wasn't interested. She wasn't unfriendly, she just didn't want to think too much. About anything.
However, she couldn't stop herself from thinking of possible escape routes. She and Honoria could escape to Egypt and spend their lives exploring the Pyramids or the Valley of the Kings. Or they could travel China, and see just how much tea 'all the tea in China'
Hope had thought that to be a happy event, but clearly not for Honoria. She watched her friend as tears slowly sprang from her eyes and ran down her cheeks.
“What is it?” she asked.
“It is nothing,” Honoria said, brushing her tears away. “Married life is not what I expected it to be, that's all, but that is probably the fault of my own expectations.”
Hope was very aware that she didn't have long and she had probably stayed too long already. As if on cue there came a tap at the door.
“I have to go,” she said. “The staff could get into trouble if I am discovered in your room.”
“I understand. Thank you for coming, it means the world to me.”
Hope kissed her forehead and turned to leave before she could change her mind.
“Hope?”
She turned back.
“Please don't say anything to James. Promise me?”
As much as Hope wanted to say 'no', she couldn't do that to her friend.
“I promise.”
She turned and left. The housekeeper was waiting in the hall and ushered her quickly down the servant's stairs, then out to the yard at the side of the house, where her horse was waiting.
“Thank you,” Hope said when she finally stopped manhandling her.
“Don't thank me yet. Lord Ashdown is back from town and if he should discover that you have seen his sister when he can't, there'll be hell to pay!”
Hope nodded her understanding and they waited a few moments.
“That's the front door,” the housekeeper said, pushing Hope towards her mount. “Now go, and be quiet about it!”
Hope approached the stable lad, who was holding Shelly. He gave her a leg-up and told her to ride home through the forest, so that Honoria's brother didn't hear the hooves on the gravel.
“Thank you,” Hope smiled, then turned and cantered towards the trees.
Hope felt a little better for having seen Honoria, but she also felt much worse now that she knew for certain that her friend was being hurt.
She did the only thing she could to keep from going crazy, and that was to work. She still had no creative ideas but before Martha had let her start designing, she had insisted that Hope understand the process of sewing first, so that she knew exactly what she was talking about when she designed something. Hope had been taught from an early age how to embroider and was fairly good at it, so Martha rounded out her knowledge, teaching her things such as how to use a sewing machine, how to hand sew beading, how to reinforce seams on practical garments and a hundred and one things that a true 'Lady' would never dream of using in embroidery.
As such, Hope knew that there was always a job for her at the factory, which is how she found herself hand sewing jet beads onto the collar of a cape. It was intricate work and required her full concentration, so that the beads were evenly spaced. It was just the distraction that she needed at the moment. She worked on the shop floor with the other girls, so that she had the hum of activity around her.
The off-the-peg garments were made on sewing machines now, but the bespoke items were still sewn by hand. The room was roughly divided into two, with one third being used by the hand sewers and the remaining two thirds taken up with machines. The girls kept up a line of chatter, even with Hope there, for they were used to her presence and besides, they didn't discuss anything scandalous or salacious.
On the occasions when Hope had worked with them before, such as when there was a very special garment requiring her or her mother's hand, Hope would often join in with the conversation. Now though, she wasn't interested. She wasn't unfriendly, she just didn't want to think too much. About anything.
However, she couldn't stop herself from thinking of possible escape routes. She and Honoria could escape to Egypt and spend their lives exploring the Pyramids or the Valley of the Kings. Or they could travel China, and see just how much tea 'all the tea in China'
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