DIALOUGUE #4386A5
Elizabeth adored Bowdens; their pastries were a firm favourite of both her and her daughter, Charlotte - especially the eclairs. Often would mother and daughter find themselves seated upon the crimson leather, fine bone china laid out before them upon pristine tablecloths; it was a world away from what she had been use to as a child, yet it was an experience she gifted her daughter with pride and amusement to see Lottie act like such a little lady. Today, however, her retreat to the tea rooms wasn't so much a jolly excursion as it was the desperate attempt to curb some boredom. Only a few weeks prior, Lizzie had discovered that she was once again pregnant. Naturally, the new elated both her and James; Lizzie loved motherhood, there could be no doubt over the devotion she had for her family - but, Elizabeth was not born to be just a housewife and mother. She was an intelligent woman with some genuinely good ideas, she would be a credit to the family business not a hindrance and yet, here she was, reduced to the image of her own mother.
To be perfectly honest, none of that was fair. Alas, pregnancy hormones weren't exactly her friend at this time and often they lead to irrational thoughts and utterances. It didn't take long for the guilt to overwhelm her, however, especially when her frustrations were directed toward her husband. Lizzie had been lucky in love, she had married a man who loved her as fiercely as she loved him; there was no doubt in her mind that James was indeed her soulmate, should you believe in such things. He had never once attempted to hold her back or dominate her - they were equals in everything and Lizzie adored him all the more for it. To some extent, she could understand his reluctance in letting her get more involved within the business; it could be incredibly dangerous and it wasn't just herself that she had to look out for, it was Charlotte and their unborn child too. But Elizabeth needed something - anything to stop her from going stir crazy! Even if it was just the chance to go over their books.
"Mummy, are you listening to me? I asked you a question." Charlotte may have been young, but she knew her own mind and knew how to articulate just exactly what she wanted - in this instance, it was the attention of her far-away mother. Upon hearing her daughters voice, Lizzie shook her grumblings from her thoughts and turned her attentions to her daughter with a sympathetic glimmer. "I'm sorry, sweetheart. What did you ask me?" She responded warmly, reaching over to wipe a bit of chocolate from the corner of the girls mouth. "I was asking about the baby, whether it would be a boy or a girl - I would prefer a sister." Oh how Lizzie was bemused by that. "Would you now? Well, we'll just have to wait and see won't we, darling? But no matter what the baby is going to be, I think you are going to make an excellent big sister. Daddy and I both think so." Charlotte seemed contented by that and returned to her eclair, leaving Lizzie to admire her eldest - she certainly took after them both, a fact which simultaneously filled her with both pride and dread. Heaven know what she would be like in her teenage years; she would be a trouble maker, Lizzie could sense it.
Lifting the ornate teapot, the brunette replenished both of their, equally beautiful, tea cups, before adding a little milk and sugar to both. Only then did she note the figure heading towards them, and with a raised brow Lizzie peered down her nose at them, a nasty habit she had whence plagued by a foul mood."Will you be joining us then?"