The Travels of Anadrasata Nearabhigan: Day 17 Incidental
I thought people might be interested an incidental result of the Day 16 drama onboard the Pearlish Queen. This piece runs to 642 words, and I hope that you enjoy it.
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Lady Saidhelait dh'Ironaith knocked on the door of her mother's cabin. Usually she went straight to breakfast in the dining room while the Dowager Countess dh'Ironaith broke her fast in bed but this morning her mother had passed a message through their lady's maids for her to visit before breakfast. "Come in!" The voice from inside the cabin was clear.
Lady Saidhelait opened the door and entered. Seeing that her mother was still in her bed, she closed the door behind her. "You wanted to see me, Mother?"
"Yes, thank you for coming. Please sit down," her mother indicated the chair in front of the vanity mirror, so Lady Saidhelait turned it around, and sat, smoothing her skirts as she did so.
Lady dh'Ironaith waited a moment to see if her daughter had anything to say and then began, "Yesterday's events gave me food for thought, and I have realised that I do not wish to be Mrs Gritteye or Mrs Nearwhatever her name is." She dismissed the mother of their fellow female passenger with a swish of her hand.
Lady Saidhelait waited for her mother to continue, her expression offering neither forbearance nor denial.
"I'm sure it hasn't escaped you that I have not been assisting you to find suitable potential husbands as I did your sisters," went on Lady dh'Ironaith and there may have been a flicker of a nod from her daughter. "That was because I thought I wanted one of my daughters to stay with me be familiar company in my middle and old age. I did not consider that your desires might be different. Mrs Gritteye is possessive of her son to the point of - well, the outcome was ugly even without the overdose problem. Miss Nearabhigan is clearly her mother's housekeeper-companion, and she's dressed as such if I'm any judge. I suspect the woman wants to get her hands on that trust fund. My point is that I don't want you to become either Mr Gritteye or Miss Nearabhigan." She looked at her daughter for a response.
Lady Saidhelait said carefully, "I am aware, Mother, that you have been unenthusiastic at the prospect of my leaving your household. I have also been uncertain of what role you expected me to play now that you have employed Miss Ghaighain."
Her mother looked at her some more and said, "You know, I don't know that I did give that any proper thought. I thought that we would just continue on forever and Miss Ghaighain would deal with all the little peripheral tasks and errands." She made a gesture that somehow indicated busy work or minutiae that she did not wish to deal with. "And, of course, now, if I am not mistaken, you have met a gentleman whose interest you would like to cultivate."
Lady Saidhelait blushed and replied, "Yes, I find Major Vhenghahair's company agreeable, and we have interests in common." She paused and then asked, "He was promoted from the ranks to his current position. Will that be an insurmountable problem?"
"I don't see why," Lady dh'Ironaith replied tartly. "My maternal grandfather was promoted from the ranks and the Brigadier did quite nicely in our level of society, thank you very much. I think your father would have liked Major Vhenghahair - I was speaking to Half Colonel dh'Zhangain about him, and not only was he the Major Regimental Sergeant Major of two line different regiments in his last postings before he was promoted, he's three time and current Army shabh-hab champion."
"He didn't tell me that," said Lady Saidhelait, her mouth curving into a smile as she spoke. "That would explain why he plays such a good game. You're right, Father would have liked him - I would probably have had to fight to get a game with either of them, if they'd met."