una nicnevin is not her real name (leannan) wrote in shadowlands_ic, @ 2017-11-04 14:26:00 |
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Entry tags: | leah allen, una nicnevin |
Who: Leah and Una
What: Tea with a fairy godmother
Where: Una’s mansion
When: October 4, 1888 (backdated like woah)
Ratings/warnings: tbd
Leah had been beyond excited when the invitation first arrived to take tea with Baroness Balmore. She’d known the Sidhe noblewoman all her life, but only as a remote figure that she saw a few minutes at a time here and there as a child. The brief introduction at the Baroness’s engagement party was the first time she'd met her in nearly a decade.
Una had promised (as much as a Sidhe would without incurring an obligation) to invite her for tea and now it was happening. Without her father being present. It could only be taken as a sign the Sidhe viewed her as an adult, which for a young woman intent on forging her own path was a welcome sign indeed.
Leah wasn't exactly sure what one wore to tea with an immortal being. Una had seen fashions change from Roman times clear up to today, which meant she’d likely seen everything under the sun. Wearing something from Miss Lydia’s was out of the question (it was too cold for ‘clothing’ of that sort anyway) due to not wanting to mingle her dual identities, and there was the baroness’s reputation in mortal circles to remember as well as her own. In the end she settled on the new tea gown she’d had commissioned that flattered her figure and coloring but was suitable for wear outside the home as well.
Her carriage arrived promptly at the Baroness’s home five minutes ahead of schedule, as had been drilled into her by her father. Fashionably late was for balls and parties, not intimate gatherings with family friends and potential mentors.
Una's butler was glamoured to appear human but Leah might well know that he wasn't. He showed her into the parlour where Una was waiting for Leah; Una was resplendent in pale blue that showed off the colour of her eyes. She rose from her sofa and came to greet Leah with a fond smile. "I won't embarrass you by saying how much you've grown, Miss Allen, but it's a pleasure to see you blossom into the young woman your childhood promised. Be welcome in my home, and enjoy my hospitality without obligations."
She gestured toward the sofa, which was quite wide enough for two ladies and their skirts. "Come sit with me, and they'll bring in the tea, and we'll speak of all the things we should speak of. Your father has told me a bit about your situation, and I've been thinking about how we can arrange things to make your life easier. But first, you must tell me how you've been, and what you're doing, and what you want. Because a woman should have what she wants, even if the world of men doesn't like it that way."
Leah took the praise in with a blush and remembered at the last second not to say ‘thank you’ as she normally would in these situations. “You’re too kind, your ladyship, you flattered me just with the invitation alone. Please. call me Leah if you like.”
Una gave Leah a bright smile. "And you must call me Una, Leah, since we are to be friends."
She sat where indicated and made herself comfortable on the couch next to the Baroness. “I’ve been all right, all things considered your ladyship. I have to make an extra effort to get a proper diet so to speak, but I have a far better life than many women. The past several months have been...eye opening.” It was putting it mildly.
"I can imagine things are difficult for you in that regard. I can do what I please because I'm older and accounted a widow for social purposes, but you're young and potentially marriageable, and that means they want to lock your undergarments and reserve you for one man. As if that could be enough." Una rolled her eyes with impatience at the folly of mortals. "But tell me, my dear, what do you want? Do you want a husband who will accept you and agree that you should have affairs? Do you want to go abroad for a time and return 'a widow' and do as you please? Do we need to find a fellow to marry you and have an unfortunate accident? There are many options for dealing with your situation and protecting your good name in society.
"And if you're to try to carry on as you are for some time, we can also look at making a glamour for you so you can't be recognised. A girl in your situation is vulnerable to blackmail and I'd hate to see you and your father in trouble for doing as your nature requires."
Leah’s eyes grew round as saucers at the options presented by Una. Not so much because she’d never thought of them before, but that they were put out so matter of factly by the Sidhe. It made sense that someone of Una’s age and experience would have no patience for such things.
She took a moment to gather her thoughts and then addressed the underlying thought behind the question. “I guess the answer is I’ll do what I have to do even if I don’t like it. I honestly hate going to Miss Lydia’s, not because of the girls, they’re all wonderful,” well, not all of them, but most of them and the others didn’t much matter. “But it’s the principle of the thing and that so many women don’t have any better options than to sell themselves to men. I’m afraid it’s made me something of a radical for women’s suffrage.”
“Ideally I’d like to find someone I can love, who loves me in return, and accepts me as I am.”
Una's smile was wistful. "Marriage for love is a rare joy. Where women love passionately, we may not always marry, and where we marry, sometimes the best we can hope for is companionable agreement in life. But if that's what you hope for, we'll do our best to make it happen.
"And I cannot say I find the idea of women voting very radical. Not if men are to have the vote. I'm a monarchist at heart but what serves in the Courts may not serve here in the mortal realms," she added, her expression turning wry. "The rules are different. And not fair.
"I can put you in the way of meeting men of quality by having you at the wedding and at social events afterwards. And I can also make sure you're introduced to all the men who might be seeking a wife, and seem to have the right qualities. We'll put as much kindling in front of you as we can and hope for the flame to strike.
"But in the meantime we must also make sure you're sustained. Would a glamour make your situation easier?"
“They’re not fair and I’m going to do something about it.” Leah’s tone was firm. She wasn’t sure yet how she was going to, but getting women the vote seemed like a good place to start. From what she’d seen women were just as intelligent as men, if not more so, and ought to have every right to contribute to the political process.
“I know I might not meet the right man straight away, or maybe not for decades.” She shrugged lightly as a servant brought in the tea service, a being who had to be a sidhe but there was no hint of anything but human. “If I need to marry in the meantime I want to find someone I at least like, and who will accept what I am. Hopefully the flame will strike though.”
The idea of a glamour piqued her interest. “You mean non fae can use glamours? How would it work?”
"I could put it on a piece of jewelry for you. Something like a ring that you needn't remove during your amours," Una explained. "A mild one, to alter your appearance enough, but not too much. Change the apparent shape of your face a bit, the cheekbones, the colour of your eyes and hair. That and the difference in dress should be enough to disguise you from any man who might recognise you in other circumstances."
“That would be wonderful,” Leah enthused. “It’s always been my biggest worry that I’d be recognized somehow and the word spread. Having something to disguise myself from discovery is definitely an ideal.”
"Then we will do this, without obligation on your part." If anyone was going to feel obligated about this, Una would let it be Gabriel and not his daughter. "For which I have my reasons," she added, before Leah could say anything. "Not least of which is that I support your other aims to make life better for women, in matters of suffrage, and otherwise. I think, in fact, that I would like you to meet another friend of mine, with whom you might have some things in common. Because we women must work together in this world that so advantages men, mortal and otherwise."
“That’s it? Really?” Leah was wide eyed at the implications. Una offered her freedom and asked for nothing in return but wanting to meet a friend of hers. How could she possibly refuse such a request? “I’ll be happy to meet your friend, especially if she supports the cause. Who is she?” Any friend of Una’s was a friend of hers after today.
Una, delighted at both Leah's pleasure and her easy agreement, smiled. "She is called Zipporah Bakst, and if you have not already met, you will find her, I think, most interesting, and vice versa."
Leah wasn’t a prude (hah!) or automatically prejudiced against someone because of their religion but she couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow “That’s an interesting name. What does she do and how did you meet?”
"She is a healer, mostly dealing in women's matters, and not among the wealthy. My acquaintance with her is social, though I would trust her with my health if I were in need of such care. Her work, I believe, has brought her to the conclusion that women need more freedom than they currently have." Una thought that was enough for Leah to read between the lines about what sort of care Zipporah provided and how it, like Leah's own situation, would open a woman's mind to radical political ideas.
Leah nodded as she took up her cup. She understood quite well as all the musicians at Miss Lydia’s had regular medical checks. Her father was one of the better brothel owners in the city when it came to taking care of his workers, but she’d heard several horror stories from other girls who hadn’t started their careers there and undergone much rougher experiences.
Seeing the healer’s side of that as a woman could be an eye opening experience indeed.
“I can’t think of a more solid endorsement than that if you would trust her if you needed such care. I look forward to meeting her.”
"She and I have tea on occasion, and I would like for you to join us. I'll send round notes so we can all three arrive at a convenient time. Before the wedding, I hope, but the plans for that seem to be growing to devour the time allotted and all the rest remaining." Una put up her hands in a show of helplessness at the demands of weddings. "You will, I hope, find this out yourself soon enough."
“Surely for one such as yourself planning a wedding isn’t that much of a burden?” Leah’s question was asked in genuine innocence and ignorance. She had a few mortal friends who were getting married, but none were titled aristocrats and her mother’s family was always somewhat distant in nature. There simply weren’t many women she knew who might be going or had gone through this struggle. “Are you having a grand ceremony then?”
"Given my own estate and that of the Earl, it's hard to avoid a grand ceremony, or at least a grand reception." Una cast her eyes to the heavens with momentary impatience. "You and your father will be receiving your invitations shortly; writing them out is taking forever. There is a great deal to do, the etiquette changes from century to century--" which she said as if it might have been from week to week "--and of course there are the concerns of the Courts and the covens to consider. And," she leaned in to confess to Leah, "I have never been married before. So I must do it all on my own."
“Never?” It was hard to imagine a being as old as Una, even as powerful and independent as the Sidhe Lady, never having married and it clearly showed on the face of the young succubus. Not that she thought Una was lying, why would she?
“Is it not common among your people to wed?” Perhaps immortality made it unusual. Leah knew she was young and there was much about the world she’d yet to discover.
One thing she did know for sure: Una’s wedding would be an event to remember.
"I have dwelt in these mortal lands many a year, and I would not choose to marry after that fashion. I will be a partner to the Earl, but I will not be 'et uxor', not now and not ever, to no man nor lord of the Sidhe." It had the ring of a well-rehearsed speech, one that Una had spoken many times over the years, if not necessarily in exactly that language. "So I have not married. I hold the Scottish barony of Balmore in my own right, for services rendered to the Crown, not through any man. It is one way I found to true independence, or as much as any woman can have in a man's world."
Leah’s eyebrows rose at the speech. She had the distinct impression Una had said those words or something like them, many, many times over the centuries. “I can’t imagine anyone trying to make you chattel.” Things were changing, had changed, just since her own parents had spoken their vows a few decades before. Still, they had a long way to go before men and women were considered equals in practice and in law.
It was something to consider for when she eventually married.
"Certainly no man has ever succeeded. And we shall make sure it is the same for you, my dear." At that, Una smiled. She might have to make her own sacrifices, but she could at least make sure Gabriel's daughter was protected from some of the harder choices Una had had to make. Leah had enough hard choices of her own.