Her Royal Match

Teach me

Chapter 3

The night seemed longer than usual to Marine as she sat by the typewriter and contemplated what to type. There was not a moment that went by without thinking about ways to outwit Eric especially on the academic frontier. Term them as sworn enemies or not, they greatly despised each other. While he found it derogatory to have the fairer sex competing with men in all fields, Marine had her own reasons to detest him in which her family had a major influence. True to her nature, apart from being a bookworm, she was highly judicious. There was not one such incident where she had not judged a person or thing before approaching it.  She believed in the opinions she formed about everything and wouldn’t budge from it.

Unlike Rose, being carefree was far away from her dictionary. Her mind could never stay idle, she would make it work round the clock, judging people or studying to prove the world that a woman could make a difference too.

Likewise she was now wondering how to improve her thesis on mental disorder, being a medical student she strongly felt that medicines alone couldn’t help cure a patient and that it was more to do with the patient’s psychology. As she set the paper roll in the typewriter, she heard her mother step in and close her chamber door.  Walking in with a candle in hand, she placed it beside the typewriter and caressed her daughter’s head.

“I thought you may need more light, knowing that you stay up late…studying,” Lady Helen whispered and took a brief pause before uttering the last word.

Marine looked across her chamber and noticed all the lit candles that were gradually melting. “The last time I visited you all, the electric lamps were working fine,” she broke her silence and shifted her gaze on the dusty wall lamps.

“Need I explain why?” her mother stated and looked at her with a straight face while Marine sighed.

“Are you still angry on me?” she enquired hesitantly.

“Why do you ask when you know that I can’t stay angry on you for long?” Marine replied and shifted her gaze on her mother who heaved a sigh of relief.

“I know that, and I also know that you will agree to whatever I say,” Lady Helen smiled and rested her hands over her shoulders. “I’m doing this for your own good, Marine. Your knowledge and degree won’t help you alone to survive this society, what you need in the end is a man to lean on and build a family of your own when we are gone,” She added.

“That was old school, mamma. Times are changing things are not the same as they were eleven years back. This is 1890’s where a lady can survive alone without depending on a man,” Marine explained animatedly and spoke about the time when Thorn married Rose. “Women are managing stores, working in factories, assisting doctors and inventing…” She had hardly completed her sentence when her mother interrupted.

“So am I supposed to visualize your future in the leagues of the labour class or let’s say since you’re a princess you’ll end up being a nanny to the Queen's children,” Lady Helen passed a sarcastic comment and paused while Marine sighed in disappointment.

“I won’t mind ending up as a nanny to Rose's kids, I love them, and I’ll live for them,” Marine replied and fixed her attention on the typewriter.

“And when will you start living for yourself?” her mother stated and took a pause.

After a brief moment of silence, Marine gave up and looked at her mother. “When are your guests coming over to see me?” She asked and delighted her mother.

“I knew you were sensible enough to know what’s right for you, because no matter how much you try to hide it, you’ll always feel the void that can only be filled by a man,” her mother drew in a deep breath and got excited.