31 Plays in 31 Days: #12 - "One Can Hide Anything"

Today's piece isn't an independent play, but rather a scene for Mrs. Hawking. I am counting scenes for larger plays as complete pieces for this challenge as long as they have an arc. This scene is where Mary first begins convincing Mrs. Hawking can't always go it alone-- and that perhaps she can be that help.

Day #12 - "One Can Hide Anything" - from Mrs. Hawking

(MRS. HAWKING winces and tenses her left side.)

MARY: Mrs. Hawking, your arm.

MRS HAWKING: I'd quite forgotten.

MRS. FAIRMONT: Oh, my goodness, you’re still hurt! We should send for someone.

MRS. HAWKING: No doctors, Celeste.

MRS. FAIRMONT: But Victoria—

MRS. HAWKING: Certainly not!

MARY: Please— allow me.

(She moves close to MRS. HAWKING, who instinctively withdraws.)

MARY: I have some knowledge of this, madam.

(MRS. HAWKING regards her a moment, and then undresses to her shift. MARY pushes it down off her shoulders and she pulls out her bare arm to reveal a bleeding rawness.)

MARY: Oh, my. This requires some attention. Madam, if you'll bring me the dipper.

(MRS. FAIRMONT brings over the basin of water. MARY draws a white cloth from her apron pocket.)

MARY: Mrs. Fairmont, have you any clean linen about? This will want wrapping.

MRS. FAIRMONT: Oh, yes, of course.

MARY: And some alcohol to clean it.

MRS. FAIRMONT: I'll go and fetch it.

(MRS. FAIRMONT exits. MARY wets her cloth and begins dabbing at MRS. HAWKING's wound.)

MARY: This is serious.

MRS. HAWKING: I have seen worse.

(MARY examines up her arm.)

MARY: You have... so many scars.

MRS. HAWKING: As I said.

MARY: Does this happen... often? In this work that you do?

MRS. HAWKING: On occasion. You may count how often.

(MARY works in silence a moment.)

MARY: And... what do you do?

MRS. HAWKING: Beg your pardon?

MARY: When this happens. If you will not see a doctor.

MRS. HAWKING: I manage well enough on my own.

MARY: I see. If I may ask… what if it were more serious than this? Something that you could not manage on your own?

MRS. HAWKING: Seeking medical attention is out of the question, Miss Stone. Any outside attention risks exposure of my… enterprise.

MARY: I understand. But… you’ve no other assistance? Is there no one trustworthy?

MRS. HAWKING: I cannot chance it. Discovery by the wrong person could mean the end of everything.

MARY: I think you make a great mistake in that.

MRS. HAWKING: I did not ask your opinion, Miss Stone.

MARY: Everyone has need of help sometime.

MRS. HAWKING: You are out of turn, Miss Stone.

MARY: Forgive me, madam… but if there is never anyone to help when you need it, it could mean the end of everything.

MRS. HAWKING: It is an easy thing to say when you need not live in fear of your well-meaning fool of a husband putting a stop to you for what he thinks is your own good.

MARY: He never knew?

MRS. HAWKING: I could not permit it.

MARY: In twenty years of marriage?

MRS. HAWKING: One can hide anything from anyone if one so chooses.

MARY: You couldn't hide it from me.

(MRS. HAWKING’s eyes widen in surprise, and she turns her head to regard MARY very seriously. MRS. FAIRMONT returns with the linen and alcohol. She hands it over to MARY.)

MARY: Thank you.

(She soaks the linen in the alcohol.)

MARY: There will be pain, madam.

MRS. HAWKING: I have no fear of that.

(Her face is stern as MARY wraps her wounds in it.)

Biweekly Theater Writing Challenge #14.2 - Mrs. Hawking 1.3

Had to submit my workshop manuscripts for the upcoming residency period of my grad school today. I included pieces of my Tailor screenplay, and the first four scenes of Mrs. Hawking. Here is scene three, which I just wrote, to complete that first chunk of the text. Scenes one, two, and four are also posted here.

As I've mentioned, Mary and Mrs. Hawking are very much a sort of female Watson and Holmes. This has been helped enormously by being in Sherlock Holmes: The Final Adventure right now. But there's also going to be something of a Bruce Wayne and Alfred Pennyworth thing going on here-- a brilliant, damaged heroic figure and the more well-adjusted person who takes care of that hero, once the hero lets their friend in enough to allow them to love them. That makes me smile. That will come out more and more as the story goes along.


SCENE iii

(MARY sits with an appointment book open on the parlor table. She springs up when MRS. HAWKING enters from the study followed by two well-dressed young women.)

MRS. HAWKING: Mary, please show these ladies out.

MARY: This way, misses. Did you have a pleasant visit?

FIRST LADY: Oh, very helpful indeed.

MARY: Oh… how lovely. Have a good day now. And do come again!

SECOND LADY: (Laughing) Not with any luck, we won’t!

(They exit and MARY closes the door behind them, a bemused look on her face. MRS. HAWKING starts digging through a bag on the table.)

MARY: So many visitors today!

MRS. HAWKING: Yes, I am unusually occupied. Do take care to keep the appointments from running into one another. It will not do to run off schedule.

(She pulls out a notebook and begins looking through it.)

MARY: Of course, Mrs. Hawking. It can be quite the undertaking to entertain so many friends.

MRS. HAWKING: Friends? Goodness, no. I am not a sociable creature. Strictly business, Miss Stone.

MARY: I see. And are all these ladies come… seeking the same thing?

MRS. HAWKING: Each in their own way.

(The front bell rings. MARY rushes to answer it and opens the door to an older middle-class woman.)

MARY: Good morning. How may I help you?

MRS. KELLEY: Good morning to you. I’m here to see the lady of the house. Mrs. Colonel.

MARY: Yes, right this way. Madam, your guest has arrived.

MRS. HAWKING: Ah, yes. Mrs. Kelley, is it?

MRS. KELLEY: I simply must speak with you. It’s become quite urgent, you see.

MRS. HAWKING: I very much understand. Please go into the study, I shall be with you shortly.

(MRS. KELLEY nods and walks past her to EXIT. Mrs. Hawking begins writing in her notebook.)

MRS. HAWKING: Mary, what name is marked down for one o’clock?

MARY: A Mrs. Henry Walter Northbrook, ma’am.

MRS. HAWKING: Indeed.

MARY: Will you and Mrs. Northbrook be taking luncheon together?

MRS. HAWKING: Luncheon?

MARY: It will be the luncheon hour.

MRS. HAWKING: Ah, no. Just tea will suffice.

MARY: Of course. Tea it is. I am happy to be of help in whatever what I can!

MRS. HAWKING: Most excellent.

(MRS. HAWKING goes to exit, with MARY on her heels. She stops in her tracks, presses her lips together, and looks over her shoulder at the girl.)

MRS. HAWKING: Thank you, Mary.

MARY: Oh! Oh, yes, of course, madam.

(MARY busies herself with some small chores in the parlor. Mrs. Hawking exits into the other room. MARY looks after her as if lost. Then the bell rings again. MARY rushes to answer it and this time it is a working-class girl.)

GRACE: Please, miss, I’ve just got to see the lady.

MARY: Of course. Do you have an appointment?

GRACE: Sure do, miss. Grace Monroe at eleven-thirty.

MARY: Ah, yes, I see you. You’re rather early yet, Miss Monroe, Mrs. Hawking is still with a prior engagement.

GRACE: No trouble, I’ll wait as long as I need.

MARY: Very well, then. Please sit and make yourself comfortable. I’ll be putting on the tea soon.

GRACE: Thanks very much, miss.

(GRACE settles into a chair, stiff and anxious. Again MARY attempts to busy herself, but after a moment sidles back over.)

MARY: Please, miss… might I ask… what brings you here?

GRACE: Begging your pardon?

MARY: Ah… on what business have you come to see Mrs. Hawking?

GRACE: Why, same as everyone, I should expect!

MARY: And… what business is that?

GRACE: Don’t you know?

MARY: I’m afraid I don’t.

GRACE: Miss, she’s known far and wide for it. She tells women what they ought to do.