"You want to do what!" Thomas pushed his chair back and looked from the young man who had presented himself, and had just asked if he might pay Shay some attention, to the girl herself. He tried to calm his voice. "I'm sorry, Alex ah... Mr. Temple." He held up his hand, shook his head, and then focused on Shay. "Have you just heard what you have said? Mr. Temple. A man of good means, has just asked if he can court you, and you have said you do not have the time, because you are going to work in an asylum for homeless girls."

"Yes, Papa." Shay heard the tension in her father's voice. "I understood what I just said. After all it was I who said it."

"Are you trying to be clever with me, Shay?" Thomas' baritone rose.

"No, Papa. Just honest." Shay took a breath and looked at Alex Temple. She hardly remembered him. In fact, she only had a vague recollection of dancing with him at one of the events. She couldn't for the life of her remember which one. Well, there had been so many. Shay looked back at Thomas. "Papa, we have talked about this. I have no intention of being courted or married." She faced the young man again. "I am deeply honoured, sir. I am sorry, but I will have to say no."

"I make the decisions around here, young lady!" Thomas slammed his fist down on the desk.

Shay cringed. She had never heard her father raise his voice like this before. The door suddenly burst opened.

"What has happened?" Rebecca stood gasping for breath. "Oliver says there's a commotion."

"Commotion!" Thomas yelled.

"Papa."

"Sir."

"Thomas."

They all spoke at once.

Alex stepped forward. "Sir. I am very sorry. It appears my offer has been rejected, so I feel it is my duty to withdraw it." He bowed his head at Thomas, and then did the same to Shay and Rebecca. "Good day to you," he said, then hurriedly left the room.

Once he was gone Rebecca spoke again, "Thomas. What has happened?" She looked at her husband's bowed head, and then at her daughter's. "Shay?" When neither answered, Rebecca huffed, "I see." She walked to the door, closed it, and then turned on the pair. "Speak. One of you. Now!"

Thomas looked up and held his palm out to his daughter. "Shay. Tell your mother what you have just told me."

Rebecca gasped and covered her mouth. "You haven't been dishonoured by that young man, have you?"

"Oh, for goodness sake woman! Of course, she hasn't." Thomas shook his head and walked around the bureau. "That young man offered to pay Shay some attention, with the prospect of marriage. That young man, is the son of the King's conscience, no less. Lord Chancellor Temple and your daughter has just told him she does not have the time to be courted or married, because she is going to volunteer her services to London's asylum for poor orphan girls, the 'Blue Maids Orphanage'. What do you think of that?"

"Oh." Rebecca sat down in the wing backed chair. "To be honest I don't know what to say." She looked up at the girl hanging her head. "Shay?"

"It is true, Mama." Shay swallowed and looked from Rebecca to Thomas. "Papa please don't be angry with me. I want to give back to society. I want to give to a worthy cause, and it is because of you both." She looked at each of them again. "You love me like a real daughter. You have done so much for me. Please don't think I am ungrateful. In fact, I am so grateful that to give back a little of what you have given me, is such a small thing. I wish to help homeless girls as you helped me. I want to teach them. Help them learn to take care of themselves, to be a little independent. All the things you have taught me." Tears ran down her face. "It is something I have been thinking about for a while." Shay gasped in a breath. "I thought you both understood that I am not like Hannah. I do not wish to marry. I wish to help people."

Thomas let out a loud heavy breath. "You had so much fun this Season. I thought you were enjoying the attention you were given by many young men, Shay. I thought perhaps marriage was now on your mind."

"Papa." Shay wiped a tear from her cheek with the back of her hand. "I did enjoy myself. I did, honestly, but not to the point of seeing myself devoted to any of those men. In fact, I do not even remember Mr. Temple."

Thomas burst into laughter. "Oh... Shay... what will I do with you?" He grabbed her in a hug. "Of course, you don't remember him, because there were so many young men vying for your attention." Thomas looked over at his wife who was also smiling.

She gave him a look that said, so what are you going to do now?

Thomas smirked and gave her a look that said, I don't know. Thomas sighed, took Shay by the shoulders and pushed her back so he could look at her face. "Here is what is going to happen. I will allow this, but there are conditions. You understand?"

"Yes, Papa." Shay beamed up at him, her face like a lit lamp.

"Number one. You will live in this house while in London and travel to and from here. Two. I will assign a manservant and a maid to accompany you each day. They may also volunteer at the orphanage. Three. This project will last one year, and next Season you will be open to offers of courtship and marriage."

"But..."

"No." Thomas put his hand on Shay's lips. "There are no buts. If you cannot follow these rules there will be no orphanage. Do we have a deal?"

Shay ran through the list of terms. She could cope with them, except next year's Season. Then again, next year was next year, and by then, her parents would have a better understanding of who she was, and what she wanted from life. Let future Shay cope with next year's situation if and when it happened. Shay smiled and threw her arms around Thomas' neck. "Deal, Papa. Deal."

Oh, my.  I think future Shay might find a battle on her hands. Hahaha and you never know there might be someone very interesting in the picture by then.  What do you think?

The Blue Maids Orphanage - Was a real orphanage in Bristol, Gloucestershire, originally called Asylum for Poor Girls, it opened it's doors on the 1st of January 1795. The first three girls moved in on the 12th of that month.  The name 'Blue Maids' came from the uniform the girls wore, which was dark blue with a large white apron and mop hat. It wasn't until 1916 that the orphanage made 'The Blue Maids Orphanage' its official name.  It was opened to "rescue destitute orphan children from the contaminating examples of idleness and vice."  (taken from Children's Homes. org)  The girls were aged between 6 - 12.  They had to produce a birth certificate and marriage proof of their parents to be allowed in.  I'm sure that must have been very hard to do for most homeless children.  The orphanage taught the girls household work so they could become domestic servants.   I have used this orphanage in my story but acknowledge that my interpretation is completely fictional. 

Photo taken from Children's homes. org.uk of a group of girls from The Blue Maids Orphanage in the early 1900s.

Top photo - Avon Local History - Author Mary Wright.