COVE

Why is it that I am both eager and afraid to read this letter? Is it cowardice to have such excitement when I see the flourish of Watergates seal on the envelope? I have always thought of women who fawn over men and their words as foolish and conceited, yet here I am, blushing at the thoughtful words of this man. I have honestly spent too much time thinking over the possibilities with Watergate, when I should be focusing that energy on my sisters and our shop. I don’t have time to fret over something so frivolous as love, yet why do I keep pondering over it? There is nothing to be gained by allowing myself to be weak. Only the determined and free woman can truly make something of herself from the ground up, and I don’t need Lord Watergate there to hold my hand through it. Maybe years from now when I have built our business into something too big to fail might I allow something like a romantic tryst. But until then, I need to keep my eye on the prize and not let anything dissuade me from my purpose. There is nothing more important than what I might achieve here with my business. Is that my pride speaking, perhaps, but a little pride in one’s achievements isn’t so wrong in my opinion. Not when so many areas of life are so set against you.

 Editorial Commentary:

Beginning with the letter, it seems this Lord Watergate harbors intimate feelings of sorts with the recipient of the letter, Gertrude. He comes across, in what little we have to analyze here, as the quintessential English gentleman of the time. Yet, Gertrude, and I will use only her first name as we never receive the benefit of a full name, is reticent to embrace his kind words. From her first few sentences, we can gather that she mirrors the sentiments of Lord Watergate to a point. She allows herself to fancy the thought of a life with someone like him. However, the repercussions of tying herself down in the knot of marriage like so many other women of her time do seem to sicken her. She embodies this “new woman” who looks out for herself and what she can achieve with her life, just as most men already have the luxury of. Yet for a woman in Victorian England, so many more avenues of life are barred or heavily restricted without massive effort and dedication. Her business is her focus, and in this sense, she gains the even playing field that so many women wished for by sheer force of will and determination. The mentions of romance and marriage are also points of interest. This entrepreneurial woman sees the trap of a life as a married woman, even to someone as considerate and charming as this Lord Watergate. To her, it may be a sweet trap, full of figurative honey and pleasurable days, but it would not be the life she truly desires.