31 Plays in 31 Days, #10 - "Humiliated"
Today's piece is also part of "Disgraced," my idea for a series about an upperclass English girl in 1914 who is forced to move with relatives in Newport, Rhode Island to escape the shame of a scandal and build a new life.
This is slightly spoilery for my larp Brockhurst, as this references an incident in the past of one of the PCs, Marcus Loring, who is one of the characters herein. He would definitely be a recurring character in the Disgraced story. This piece takes place after "#3 Companion", "#6 No One Knows You Here," and "#7 Repute."
Humiliated
By Phoebe Roberts
ELISE CHARNMORE, niece to the earl of Brockhurst
MARCUS LORING, nephew to the CEO of Loring Textiles, Incorporated
~~~
(ELISE drags MARCUS, well-dressed and film-star-beautiful, off into a private alcove.)
MARCUS: I must say, Elise, you used to be happier to see me.
ELISE: What are you doing here?
MARCUS: Do you think your aunt’s is the only family to summer in Newport? I have business besides.
ELISE: You have gall, to look me in the eye as if you didn’t run like a dog when they caught us!
MARCUS: It wouldn’t have saved you to have us both shamed.
ELISE: Do you have any idea what’s come of it? I’ve become a complete outcast. I was sent here because I’m a laughingstock in London!
MARCUS: What did you expect me to do about it?
ELISE: More than run away, that’s certain!
(She casts about.)
ELISE: You could have married me.
MARCUS: For what possible reason?
ELISE: Excuse me!?
MARCUS: Come off it, Elise. When I marry, it’s going to have to be to my advantage. There’s no advantage in some spoiled London society girl.
ELISE: I am the niece of an earl!
MARCUS: With no title or position of your own. Heaven knows I’ve no need of your money. And it isn’t as if we were in love.
ELISE: You humiliated me.
MARCUS: I didn’t, because no one knows I had anything to do with it.
ELISE: Thanks to me! You know I could have exposed you at any time, and I didn’t.
MARCUS: Not as any favor to me. You only did it to spite your family.
ELISE: Still. You owe me.
MARCUS: For that, perhaps. If there’s anything in my power that’s no harm to me, and could actually do you some good, I’ll try to make it up to you.
ELISE: Well. How heroic of you, sir.
(MARCUS shrugs and tosses her a devastatingly handsome smile.)
MARCUS: You didn’t scream for me because I was a saint.
(He exits, leaving ELISE to fume.)
This is slightly spoilery for my larp Brockhurst, as this references an incident in the past of one of the PCs, Marcus Loring, who is one of the characters herein. He would definitely be a recurring character in the Disgraced story. This piece takes place after "#3 Companion", "#6 No One Knows You Here," and "#7 Repute."
Humiliated
By Phoebe Roberts
ELISE CHARNMORE, niece to the earl of Brockhurst
MARCUS LORING, nephew to the CEO of Loring Textiles, Incorporated
~~~
(ELISE drags MARCUS, well-dressed and film-star-beautiful, off into a private alcove.)
MARCUS: I must say, Elise, you used to be happier to see me.
ELISE: What are you doing here?
MARCUS: Do you think your aunt’s is the only family to summer in Newport? I have business besides.
ELISE: You have gall, to look me in the eye as if you didn’t run like a dog when they caught us!
MARCUS: It wouldn’t have saved you to have us both shamed.
ELISE: Do you have any idea what’s come of it? I’ve become a complete outcast. I was sent here because I’m a laughingstock in London!
MARCUS: What did you expect me to do about it?
ELISE: More than run away, that’s certain!
(She casts about.)
ELISE: You could have married me.
MARCUS: For what possible reason?
ELISE: Excuse me!?
MARCUS: Come off it, Elise. When I marry, it’s going to have to be to my advantage. There’s no advantage in some spoiled London society girl.
ELISE: I am the niece of an earl!
MARCUS: With no title or position of your own. Heaven knows I’ve no need of your money. And it isn’t as if we were in love.
ELISE: You humiliated me.
MARCUS: I didn’t, because no one knows I had anything to do with it.
ELISE: Thanks to me! You know I could have exposed you at any time, and I didn’t.
MARCUS: Not as any favor to me. You only did it to spite your family.
ELISE: Still. You owe me.
MARCUS: For that, perhaps. If there’s anything in my power that’s no harm to me, and could actually do you some good, I’ll try to make it up to you.
ELISE: Well. How heroic of you, sir.
(MARCUS shrugs and tosses her a devastatingly handsome smile.)
MARCUS: You didn’t scream for me because I was a saint.
(He exits, leaving ELISE to fume.)