The Gilded Cage - Put in my Place

My Rightful Place

"No point in having nurslings if you can't enjoy them, you know." Grandmama said happily as she cradled Naomi in her arms, expertly getting my youngest sister into the best position for her bottle. She was clearly used to handling nurslings, always supporting my sweet little sister's weight and holding her tight and close. She had daughters of her own, two of them, and lots of other grandchildren, and she was obviously a very hands-on grandmother. Her face shone with happiness as she cuddled Naomi, who was responding to her warmth, naturally nuzzling into Grandmama's neck, enjoying having a fuss made of her. "We will all be giving the girls their evening bottles, after their tea, before they go upstairs for their baths and bedtime...every single night, without fail...part of our family routine and we will never miss it...and then we will all retire and change for dinner at eight, whilst Nanny Ford gets them all to sleep. Nurslings need that time with their mother's, they need to know that they will have that time, whatever else is going on in the house...is that quite clear, Helen and Susannah?"

"Yes, Grandmama." Mama and Auntie Susannah replied, showing proper respect as they fed Nicola and dear Caris respectively. Miss Knight was feeding Natalie, Nanny had Georgina and Philippa, and I had Henrietta cuddling up to me. Miss Knight had dressed me as a maiden, in one of my DiMarco gowns, after lacing me into the dreaded corset, and I had rejoined the rest of the family in the drawing room as an adult, once more. It was a dream come true, and I was still finding it so hard to believe. But Catriona Montague, whilst being terrifying and clearly an old dragon when she wanted to be, was of the opinion that keeping me in the nursery for even a day longer was really quite ridiculous. In her view, the short sharp shock Mama had initially intended when she returned me to the nursery had gone on far too long, clouded by the furore caused when Mama and I had resisted the odious Miss Danvers. She said, quite forcibly, whilst Miss Knight settled me on the sofa next to Mama, that my behaviour with Danvers, in support of Mama, was not something I should actually be punished for. On the contrary, she felt that I should be congratulated for protecting my sister and helping my Mama. And she had a lot more to say on the state she found her family and the church community in.

"Susannah...you, in particular, need to spend a lot more time with your sweet daughter...and Helen dear, you must not let your new responsibilities in the village keep you away from your daughters...although I do not think you will for a moment...I must say that I find your maternal instincts to be perfectly admirable and your love for all your girls quite inspiring. Family really must come first from now on...and young Hermione will be helping Miss Ford in the mornings and the evenings as her equally inspiring love for the children...and her completely unique experience and background...make her ideally suited for the task...she may well have a lot to learn, but God chose her for us...it is God's will that she is here...and we must let her use her God-given talents. There will be time enough for her education when the girls are at school, I think?"

"Yes, Grandmama." The two chastened ladies said, joined by me that time. I was trying but largely failing to keep a broad smile off my face. Henrietta smiled around her bottle, suckling away, and I kissed her hair. And Mama smiled at me, catching my eye as I cuddled Henrietta to my chest, looking slightly stunned herself, I thought, but also pleased by her mother-in-law's kind words about her.

"There always was too much stuffiness in this community...and as far as I can see, it is worse than ever." Catriona continued, holding Naomi cradled in her arm and gazing down at her with real affection and a mischievous smile. "Piety is important...it is up to people like us to set an example to those who are less fortunate than ourselves...but the most important thing to display for the world to see is a happy, devout family growing up in God's love. Extreme behaviour is not the image we want to present to the world...but the faith and love we share should be clear to anyone who sees us."