No Confessions

Ch2

"Miss?" Lucy's equivalent to a Lady's Maid, Catherine Lane, called from the top of the stairs. "My lady? Are you alright, I thought I heard crying. Is that Miss Murray?"
Maids usually weren't allowed to speak to members of the family; Catherine had permission being Lucy's maid. Catherine may not have been the house steward, but due to Lucy, she was given many permissions outside of usual boundaries. 
Even though Catherine was Lucy's favorite maid of the estate, she put her hand up, a sign of dismissal, "We are fine, Catherine. Tell my mother that Mina will be staying tonight."
Mina's eye darted up at the statement. "Oh no, Lucy. I can't stay overnight! I spend enough time here already, what would Jonathan think?"
"Jonathan can wonder all he likes, assume whatever he wishes. You are staying with me tonight." Lucy said, a firm tone. She was not going to let Mina go back to the twit of a fiance called Jonathan Harker. Mina came to her, not Jonathan.
Mina looked down at her feet, seeming defeated but not upset. She seemed to surrender to Lucy's offer. "Just tonight."
"See? This is what friends are for." Lucy said, internally cringing at the word 'friends'. With that, Lucy took Mina's hands and led her towards her room. Catherine came in to inform her that Mrs Westenra was out on business. Odd, as Mrs Minerva Westenra doesn't usually leave for 'business'. Lucy thanked her, dismissed her and went back to comforting Mina. Catherine seemed to stay drawn to Lucy's room and took a moment before actually leaving.
"Dearest Mina, what is the matter?" Lucy requested, hoping Mina was calm enough to speak. Mina had stopped crying but tears still painted her flushed cheeks. Lucy had sat her by the fireplace, taken her overclothes and placed them by the fire and had made her a cup of her most favored tea.
"Charlotte had told me you had gone off your head and said you had become..." Mina trailed off, toying with the strings of her corset. Odd as in 1896, the twentieth century just four years ahead, corsets were becoming of the past. "That you had become a Mary Ann. How perplexing is that? Calling you something such as such? Preposterous." Mina chuckled, eyes trailing to the lit fire.
Lucy hums, taking a comb from her vanity. "Utterly."
"She said many other curious things of you. Such as that you are to abandon me soon. It worried me so much so that I ran here after Jonathan–"
"What did Jonanthan do?" Lucy hit with a very firm tone. "Mina."
Mina looked up, dropping her corset strings. "Nothing. Jonathan did nothing. Lucy, I know you aren't very fond of him but–"
"Mina, do not try to sell me a dog. What has he done?" Lucy countered, the brushes teeth combing through caramel locks. "Mina."
"He wishes me to cease my career in medicine." The combing of her hair ceased.
"That man." Lucy's voice was cold as the pavement outside. "Mina, you have worked your entire life in the medical field. You are the first and only woman to graduate from the University of London! The medical field is all you've ever worked for! It's your one passion."
"I know, I know, Luce." Mina murmured. "But it's Jonathan. I love him, Lucy, I do."
Lucy silently groaned. "Well, I don't. I don't give a fig about Jonathan, dare I say. He wishes to marry you and yet cannot support your passions? That is a cowardly move. He will make a terrible husband. Please tell me you rejected his dastardly request."
"I did." Mina's eyes were stuck on the fire. Flickering, fluttering flames licked the wood, turning it a charred brown.
"Good. I could not live with myself if you had said yes to him. He is what some call, what is the term. It's a peculiar word, I've heard it once." Lucy trails off in thought.
"Misogynistic." Mina bit. "Someone with a hatred of women. Charlotte said you'd call him that." A shine came into her eyes. Blue eyes glowing in the fire light. She was crying again.
"Mina, Mina dearest. Come, let's get you undressed, you must be dreadfully tired." Lucy said, beckoning her to the bed. "Here, turn around." Lucy told, turning Mina to face away from her. As Mina turned, her face was lit up by the fireplace. The warmth was comforting. Comfort was quickly replaced with alarm. Hands were taking off her corset.
"What are you–"
"I'm just undoing this. No need to panic, it's just me." Lucy's soothing voice came from behind her. "I'll have a nightgown brought up for you. Relax, Mina."
"Sorry, Luce." Mina whispered. "Just worried, is all." 
Lucy hushed her, humming as her hands reached around to pull Mina into a hug.