The Sins of the Fathers

Chapter Nineteen

Ellington Manor

Meadvale

Surrey

Caroline Blackstone smiled at Brogan Osborne as her vision slowly returned to normal and her earpieces stopped broadcasting the words of God directly into her brain, marking the end of their evening devotions. Both ladies were dressed for dinner, Caroline in her only decent evening gown of black and gold striped satin, and Brogan in peach silk, and arranged neatly on their small sofas, facing each other. Brogan smiled back, her mittened hands resting in her lap, whilst Miss Bryant returned her remote-control handset to her pocket.

"Such an inspiring reading...don't you think so, Caroline?" Brogan said, meekly making polite conversation under the steely gaze of the young keeper. She had not enjoyed the chosen selection of lessons on obedience, or her day as a whole, but she did like Caroline and wanted to be pleasant to her, and to help her settle into her temporary home, well aware that she was finding some things hard to bear. "I count my blessings every day that I have the good fortune to be able to devote so much of my time to prayer?"

"Yes, Ma'am...we are so fortunate." Caroline replied, just as Miss Bryant slipped out of the room, finally leaving them alone. Brogan watched Bryant go, waiting until the door was firmly closed before saying anything else.

"Miss Bryant seems to be taking great delight in her responsibilities...whilst Miss Cooper is otherwise engaged assisting our husbands, my dear...and I am sure they wanted to settle you today," Brogan said as Caroline used her left mitten to scratch her nose, shifting in her seat a little, after an hour spent sitting perfectly still. "Hopefully we will be able to venture out tomorrow...after our morning devotions, of course...I am sure you would like to see the village, Caroline?"

"Yes, Ma'am...it would be nice to see the sights?" Caroline smiled again, trying so hard not to show how difficult she was finding things. She was well aware that her routine at home in Brockham was nothing like the life of a genuine Daughter of Eve, and she had expected visiting Ellington Manor to be a challenge. She always found staying with her daughters, and submitting to their keepers, tough and unpleasant, and she knew that Lady Osborne would be in another league when compared to Chelsea and Catherine, but her day with Brogan had been quite incredible. "Miss Bryant is very...competent...and thorough?"

"Yes...only the best Crowthorne graduates for me...she was a nun, of course...and then trained in the fine art of keepership...I would imagine that your keeper is rather less pedantic and rather more patient at home?" Brogan suggested with a twinkle in her eye. "If she has been with you since the pandemic?"

"Miss Walker was a nurse, Ma'am...she worked with Hugh...before?" Caroline explained carefully, not wanting to say anything that might cause offence. Gentlewomen like her were not generally admired by sincere Daughters of Eve, because they were thought to be doing no more than paying lip service to the holy doctrine. That might be acceptable in a working-class household, because conspicuous piety was expensive, but a doctor's wife ought to make more of an effort, many thought. Registered keepers like Diane Walker had been common in the early days of the revolution, because there were not enough Meadvale trained keepers to meet the demand as women like Caroline Blackstone were forced to accept their new status in life. In her case, she agreed without knowing exactly what she was agreeing to, simply to get Hugh demobbed, and then quickly to secure Diane's release. But in the forty years since they saved Diane from the Order, most registered keepers were replaced by licensed keepers who had been trained to manage Daughters of Eve. Hugh had worked hard to keep Diane and save his wife from anything more onerous than the law demanded of her, and ironically his own service during the pandemic worked in their favour. Diane had to take courses, and pass regular inspections, but Hugh was a recognised and decorated hero of the war against Covid, and with Harrison Slade's legal advice assisting them along the way, they had all just about managed to stay as they were. It was not quite so easy for the girls, as they had to marry to avoid their national service, and although Hugh found them both good husbands to keep them as safe as possible, they had to have licensed keepers, but they had done well, so much better than most. "But I am well kept, Ma'am?"