Motherhood
The Crawley sisters were both in the nursery, playing with Sybbie, George and Marigold. The children had so much fun.
George asked: "Mama, can we play bears? I am the little bear and you are mama bear?"
"Oh, why not?" answered Mary "You see, I'm a brown bear, I have brown hair." Then she sank down on her knees to appear more like a bear.
"Oh yes!" cried George happily "But you have to growl like a bear!"
"Must I?"
"Yes, if you are a real bear" her son said.
"Very well, if you insist" Mary said and tried to make a sound like a bear. The children cried with joy and tried to imitate the sound.
Edith laughed "I never thought you would do this. Play a bear and growl like one to please you son."
"Why not, if it makes him happy? You are not the only mother in this nursery who wants her child's happiness."
"What do you mean by that?" asked Edith, slightly alarmed.
"Oh, come on Edith. Don't pretend you're not Marigolds real mother because I won't buy that."
"Since when do you know it?" Edith asked and caressed absent-minded Marigold's hair.
"Since I tended to the children alone in the nursery some days ago. I brought all of them to bed. That was when I felt certain that Marigold looked a bit like Michael. I had a suspicion before."
"And have you told somebody else?" Edith asked nervously.
"No, nobody."
"Thank you for being so nice to me." Edith said.
"Well I can't always be mean, even to you." answered Mary and shrugged her shoulders.
Edith rolled her eyes. Then, she smiled.
Together, they played again with the children.
