Characters: the six sisters dressed as before, except that Jane has now changed so she also looks about 35, and is wearing a pale yellow toga and sandals to match the others.

Additional characters for this scene:

Mary Michell Eager - (Born in 1783 - daughter of Elizabeth’s from first marriage - and goddaughter of Mary’s).She is now 78 - and is dressed in black in an elaborate outfit of the period. She is thin and upright, and very bossy.

William Eager - (Born in 1815 - now aged 56. He is Mary’s only child.) He is dressed as a prosperous gentleman land proprietor, as that is what he is. His family live in Wutbourne, Surrey, and they have three servants, although they are not present in this scene.

Ellen Michell Eager (Born in 1826 - now aged 45. She is William’s cousin in that her father, Edward Michell, was Mary Michell Eager’s brother) She is tall and thin and shy and dressed in grey silk, her dress looking sober but expensive.

William Eager (Born 1848 - aged 13 - He is a boarder at a school in the nearby town, and is dressed in the school uniform. He had special permission to come for this meal with his grandmother.)

Ellen Blanche Eager (Born 1854 - aged 7 - she is dressed in a bright red calf length dress, very fancy, with ruffly long bloomers. She is full of her own importance, being the apple of her grandmother’s eye.)

Esther Cooper (aged 26, general servant) - dressed plainly, white blouse, black skirt, white apron, frilly cap.

The stage set is a dining room from a small terraced house in mid Victorian times - in Bramley, Sussex.

The table has elaborate place settings for five, with a carver chair at the top of the table. The food is on the table in heavy metal dishes with pull over lids covering them. There is a decanter of wine, and another of water for the children.

The Ghosts can see and hear everything, and can converse between themselves, but the other characters cannot hear or see them. Their speech will be in italics to make it distinct from the others.

Elizabeth: Well, hello again, and nice to see you all.

(They settle themselves around the dining room which is as yet empty of the other characters - standing in a semi circle behind the table.)

Maria: This is my choice, so I should be the one doing the introducing. Mary is my goddaughter. She has been a widow for over 20 years, and back in 1840, when I last saw her, she was very much the head of the house, as it was before her son was married. They also had her mother-in-law, Elizabeth, who was 92 and a right pain in the head, living with them. William did the farming, of course, and quite a nice bit of land they had Nice part of the world this, with gentle hills and woodland. Anyway, I am assuming that things are not what they were, as Mary appears to be living on her own - and his family must be coming to visit. I would have thought she would be living with them, but maybe they don’t want her there, interfering with their fancy lives.

Elizabeth: Hush, I think somebody is at the door. Let’s listen and see what we can learn about what is really happening.

(Knock at the front door, and a very harrassled looking maid, Esther Cooper, rushes through the dining room, from stage left to stage right, to go to answer it. We hear her voice in the background.)

Esther: Good day, Mr. Eager, Mrs. Eager. Do come in?

William: Good day, Esther. I hope you are well. We are here for dinner with mother, as you no doubt know. How is she today?

Esther: Pretty much as usual, Mr. Eager. Can I take your coats?

Ellen: Thank you Esther.

Mary: There you are. You’re late as usual. I would have thought you might have been more consideration on this occasion. Well, now that you are here, we might as well go right into the dining room. The food is ready, and has been this past half hour. Don’t blame me if the vegetables are overdone and the gravy is too thick. Esther does the best she can, but even she can’t perform miracles when people don’t arrive when they say they will.

(The party now come into the dining room, and for the first time we see the other characters. Mary leads the way, and takes her place at the head of the table, but waits for her son, who will have the place on her left, to hold her chair for her before she sits. Ellen makes her way to the chair on the other side, but Mary brushes her away.)

Mary: (in a very different softer voice) My little sweetheart Blanche wants to sit next to me, don’t you darling?

Blanche: Yes, grandmother.

(William junior takes his place next to his father, and Ellen, sits next to her daughter, and feels very much as if she has been slighted in the situation. Once Mary is seated, the others all sit down.)

(Willy lifts the lid on the container nearest him and puts out a fork to spear a potato.)

Mary: William, where are your manners. Really, Ellen, I would have thought you would have brought up the children to behave better than that. When I lived in your house, Willy wouldn’t have done such a thing. I suppose going off to his boarding school has ruined him. Willy, you know we say grace before we eat, and you know that as the head of this house, I must be served first.

Willy: Sorry Grandmother.

Mary: Well, William, (indicating that she is now talking to her son) will you get on with it and say grace, please.

William: (under his breath) Give me patience. (Louder) Yes Mother. Let us all bow our heads. (They all do) For what we are about to receive, may the Lord make us truly thankful.

Mary: Well, I don’t suppose you were late because you were at church. I certainly didn’t see you at the service this morning.

William: I had some business that needed attending to, that is why we missed church and why we were late. I do have work to do you know, Mother, and sometimes it doesn’t happen to my convenience or yours.

(Once the casserole tops are lifted, William helps his mother to a small portion of all the items, and then himself. Then he lets his wife serve the children and herself. He and his mother start to eat before the others are served, not seeming to think that this is in any way rude. They continue eating for a short time.)

Mary: Well are you not at all curious as to why I invited you here for the meal today?

William: I just thought you wanted to see your family again. It has been some time since we were together.

Mary: You don’t have to tell me that. Anyway, forgetting the way you have treated me for awhile, I have made the decision that today I am going to bestow on my beloved Ellen Blanche, something that is very important and precious - just as she is to me. (She smiles and pats her granddaughter’s hand.)

Blanche: What is it Grandmother? Is it something for me to keep? (she can hardly contain her excitement)

Mary: Well, yes, it is for you to keep, but also for you to take good care of. (She reaches off to the sideboard where there is a small ring box. She picks it up, opens it and shows it to Blanche.)

Blanche: A ring! And is that for me? Can I wear it for all times?

Mary: It is not only just a ring - it is a ring which comes from a very old and noble family. I was given this ring by my mother on my 21st birthday. She had been given it by her grandmother, a woman who was called Elizabeth Paulet Bates. The Paulet family are very important, and we are connected to them. This ring is proof that we spring from their roots. Anyway, Blanche, this is for you, and you may wear it when you are old enough, but you must in turn, give it to your oldest daughter. (wistfully) I never had a daughter. (bitterly) If I had, perhaps I wouldn’t be ending my years on my own. (softly againk looking fondly at Blanche) But luckily my son and wife eventually provided me with a granddaughter, and so it is to you, my darling, that I pass on this ring. Guard it with your life, as I have.

Willy: Who were these Paulet people then, Grandmother? I don’t know anyone with that name and yet you say we are related to them.

Mary: My grandmother had only daughters, six of them. My mother, Elizabeth, was the eldest. That is her picture there on the wall. (points and everyone looks)

Mary: Well the story goes like this. Grandmother Elizabeth was married to a man called Mr. Bates. We never did know his first name, and he died long before I was born. Nobody ever talked at all about him. It was Elizabeth Bates’ father who was Peter Paulet. The oldest male Paulet becomes the Marquis of Winchester, and that title is one that goes back before the time of Henry the VIII. I suppose you have heard of him?

Blanche: Oh, yes, grandmother. He was a King who started our Church and he had six wives.

Mary: Yes, well, enough said about him, I should think. Anyway, your great great grandfather, Peter Paulet was not the eldest brother, but the fifth son in the family - so he didn’t inherit the land or the riches. But his daughter felt that there should be something from her family that was passed down through the generations. So each of the six daughters got something, and my mother, being the eldest, got the best present of all - the ring.

Mary: So do you promise, Blanche, that you will always take the most care of the ring, and that you will pass it on to your oldest daughter when the time comes?

Blanche: Oh, yes, grandmother. I do promise.

William: I would have thought you might have told me about your famous ancestors, Mother. Did you care so little for me because I wasn’t a girl that you couldn’t even have let me into the knowledge of being related, if ever so remotely to the Paulets. It would have been useful to me in my contacts. I might have met some of my relatives and not realised.

Mary: Well, I did as I thought fit, and it turned out all right. If you hadn’t produced a daughter, I suppose I would have had to have given the ring to you sometime before I died, but as that didn’t happen, it has all ended up for the best.

William: I seem to have lost my appetite. Thank you for the dinner, Mother. Would you ask Thomas to bring our carriage around? (She rings the bell and the maid comes in.)
 
Mary: Esther, tell Thomas to bring the carriage around as my son says he has more important things to do than to spend any more time with me. Then you can get their coats.

Esther: (curtsying)  Yes. ma'am.

William: Now that you have made it clear how little you think of me, mother, can you wonder that we are most relived not to have you any longer living in our house. Come Ellen, come children. Say goodbye to your grandmother. And Blanche, shall I take that ring for you and put it in my pocket for safe keeping?

Blanche: No Father, Grandmother has entrusted it to me, and I will take care of it myself.

Mary: Well, I must say this is a fine way to end this meeting. But I can’t say I am surprised. Well, I do hope that I shall see more of you in the future, but if not, and I die tonight, as I may well do, having had you speak to me in this manner was such a shock, that at least I will die knowing that I have carried out my sacred trust.

(The family leave the table, and can be heard collecting their coats from the maid.)

Ellen: Thank you Esther. It was a very nice meal.

Esther: Thank you ma’am.

(The doors is heard slamming, and Mary sits on her own surrounded by plates still full of food, and she looks as if she might cry, but she looks up at the picture of her mother.)

Mary: I kept my word, Mother. I valued it as you told me I must, and I have given it to a worthy successor.

(The sisters look at each other, a bit embarrassed, a bit sad, not really knowing what to say, and the curtain falls.)