The newborn baby girl opened her beautiful misty eyes. The midwife gasped and immediately rushed her way from her gasping mother. "Where are you taking her?" the mother asked. The midwife ignored her and bustled away.
Two days later…
"What are you saying, Henry?" the mother spoke through clenched teeth.
The man exhaled long and deep, "I'm not going to keep a blind child."
The mother squeezed the folds of her dress to keep from slapping him, "You're Elizabeth's father. You are supposed to love her. You are supposed to take care of her. We are supposed to take care of her."
"I realize that, but what would people say? No one would want to marry our sons. We could lose everything."
"So you're just going to send her off to some unloving family!? I want her to know her parents. I want her to be loved."
The father shook his head, "Marie, you're not thinking straight…"
Marie interrupted, "Not thinking straight?! Leonard, you're the one that's not thinking straight! You're saying we give my first daughter away? That's absurd!" Leonard put his wife's hand in his. She quickly pulled it away. "No," she hissed.
Leonard threw his hands in the air. "What do you want me to do?"
"Keep her," Marie spoke softly as the maid carried the sleeping baby in and put her in Marie's arms. "Please."
The man sighed, "No. I won't risk our family's prosperity."
"That's all you care about-money and status. We are written in the Book of Silver, Leonard. No one can take away our status and we have enough friends to marry our sons. We will be fine, and you will keep her."
Leonard's featured hardened, "I said no. No woman tells me what to do. Women may be gaining more rights but you must remember your place." He rubbed his eyes, "But, I will meet you half way. You can pick where she is placed."
The women reddened in indignation, but kept the calm in her voice. Knowing she would never win she gave in. "Fine, and we get to say she caught a disease as a young child and has to live in seclusion." Leonard raised his eyebrows. "In case her blindness is temporary. I want her to be able to come home."
Leonard agreed. "Where will we send her?"
Marie kissed the top of the baby's head. "The Shang. If she's going anywhere she will learn to take care of herself." Leonard nodded and left the room. Marie sat with her baby. "I'm sorry," she whispered, "its no place for a countess's daughter, but it's the best I can do." The baby looked up with her glazed eyes and smiled.