A Time and Place for Us

Desperate Times Call for Desperate Measures

People, many people she'd never seen before flocked together to congratulate her and Harold on their engagement. And Nellie, who'd always yearned for friends was, nevertheless, feeling like a fish out of water. Because these were not her friends, not really, for they wouldn't even glance her way if they'd met in London. They were simply being friendly because of the power and the status she'd soon hold as Mrs. Winslow. And even then, they could barely contain their disdain behind those fake smiles.

She sighed, aware that she would have to get used to it and for one, it was better than the alternative: the dirty looks, the constant murmur whenever she walked the streets, and even insults she received from their kind: dollymop, trollop, whore... it was certainly much better to simply be referred as miss Payne. She would never be one of them, but they would all gladly pretend. And wasn't that her specialty?

The next couple that approached them, with the haughty look of the elite amongst the elite plastered on their long narrow faces, seemed familiar despite her not remembering being properly introduced to them. Especially the man...

He went pale upon registering her presence next to Harold, and she knew then that they certainly must have met before, but where? Where could have a distinguished man like him met a woman like her? Perhaps at one of the Judge's libidinous parties? Because they truly looked like they would be good chums with that kind of rich vermin.

The woman was tall and slim, and she wore an expression of perpetual disgust on her face, while her bony husband only had a few wisps of ratty grey hair crowning his rapidly balding head and the same rotten teeth as the late magistrate hinting at a putrid breath that would surely made her want to vomit when... Oh God.

"Hierarchy!?" She blurted out, shocked beyond belief.

Just as shocked were Harold and Hierarchy's wife, whose eyes travelled to the Lord and back to Eleanor. "Have you met before?" she asked, seemingly revolted by the mere notion of it.

"We haven't! Oh, Lordy, the liqueur is messing with my head and I'm just talking gibberish. Just heard his name from Mrs. Lucas and I am just completely awestruck to meet such a distinguished man" She topped off her lie with a fake laugh a big gulp to the drink she was holding but hadn't yet tasted, hoping to make it more believable.

She was a bit distrustful of the drink Harold handed her earlier, aware that not long ago he may have put something in it with nefarious intentions in mind, but she was relieved it tasted normal. Perhaps now that she would soon be his wife, he saw no reason to drug her so he could take advantage of her, but it wasn't like was pounding on her door every night demanding she opened her legs for him. Strange man, this Harold...

"Perhaps you should lay off the champagne, dearest" Harold said, sounding slightly miffed which had Nellie's stomach twisting into a knot. The least she wanted to was to embarrass him, to help him realise she could never rise up to their standards of propriety and decorum and thus, call off the wedding. She needed to marry him, for herself and her baby and the comfortable life he or she deserved. She was determined that her baby would have everything she couldn't growing up.

"I would like to formally introduce you to Lord Hieronymus Russell and his lovely wife Lady Geraldine, Duke and Duchess of Bedford" he spoke nonchalantly, as if Nellie did not know. This man got a kick of being called 'My Duke' in their melting moments, after all. He then turned to the Russells. "My Lord, My Lady, this is Miss Eleanor Payne, my bride."

"A pleasure to meet you" Nellie said as she curtsied for them. Harold smiled, pleased and Nellie was glad to see her evenings reading that etiquette book back in Fleet Street and absorbing everything it had to say about manners had paid off.