The Secret Garden Chapter 19: Deliberations by D.L. Copyright  © 2011 D.L. All Rights Reserved. Inspired by the classic children’s tale by Frances Hodgson Burnett.

Three gentlemen sat waiting in the sitting room for a fourth to return. Samuel Headley had called upon three of his closest friends to assist him in making an important decision. Sitting with him in the room were Mr Hobbs, the local schoolteacher who had recently assessed Richard, and Reverend Swan, the local vicar.

After a long wait, they heard footsteps approaching and they were joined by Doctor Craven. The Doctor sat down, thanking the host as he was handed a glass of port.

“You were gone a while, I assume you have given a thorough examination,” Lord Headley declared.

“I have examined both children,” the Doctor replied, “Master Richard was most insistent that I should examine Miss Jenkins first.”

The Doctor paused to sip his drink before continuing, “Miss Jenkins is showing signs of malnourishment, but thankfully none of the associated diseases such as rickets. Despite her recent fall, she appears to be reasonably fit. A healthy diet with plenty of fruit and veg will soon correct that problem. Now that she is spending a large amount of time outside in the gardens, the sun and fresh air are doing wonders for her complexion.”

“That is good to hear,” Samuel replied, “When I saw how thin she was, I was concerned. I hadn’t realised it when I first saw her as the clothes she was wearing hid her arms and legs, but when she was pushed down the stairs last week, and Richard treated her in my study, I was able to see the thinness of her limbs.”

“As for Richard,” the Doctor hesitated, “I agree with the child. A change of name to Rose does seem appropriate. I had to look extremely closely to find evidence that I wasn’t examining a girl. Whoever patched him up did an excellent job. Most of the scarring has faded and he is left with the outward appearance of a young girl. Any sign of the testis and phallus have gone. The only evidence that she isn’t a natural born woman is the lack of the normal orifice to the birth canal hidden in the folds of skin.”

Taking another pause to sip his port, the Doctor then drew his conclusion, “The child completely lacks reproductive organs, and therefore can no longer be considered male, but neither can be defined as female. From a medical point of view, either classification would be equally appropriate as the child is now asexual.”

Lord Headley then turned to the vicar for advice. The Reverend collected his thoughts before declaring, “This is a difficult theological issue. God created men and women, and is infallible in his infinite wisdom. He gave us freedom of mind and body, and unlike the almighty, we are capable of making mistakes. I’m reminded of an incident when I was a young curate, training under a wise old vicar in Nottingham. We had the unusual task of rechristening a young girl, who was originally christened as a boy. Due to a birth defect, the child was originally thought to be male, but several years later, when the child was brought to the local workhouse and examined by the doctor, it was discovered that a mistake had been made, and what was thought to be male genitalia was in fact a skin growth. We rechristened the child as a girl, correcting the original error.”

The vicar paused and sipped his drink before adding, “God moves in mysterious ways. The church is founded on a series of miracles, events that cannot be explained. Who is to say that this child was not meant to be a girl all along, and that this is God’s way of righting a mistake? From the accounts of the accident, it was a miracle that the child survived in the first place.”

“This isn’t quite the same though,” stated Mr Hobbs, “we know that Richard was born male.”

“Do we really?” the vicar countered. “We only have the child’s say on the matter, and what can currently be seen by the Doctor. We don’t know exactly what was removed. We assume that the child was a fully functioning male before the accident, but we don’t know for certain.”

“Legally he is male. I assume you have the records of his birth?” Mr Hobbs enquired.

“Yes, I have Richard’s birth certificate. However, I also have a birth certificate for Rosie,” Lord Headley replied, pulling both pieces of paper from a folder and placing them in front of his guests.

The three men took turns in examining the documents. Lord Headley added, “I have checked with the authorities in India, both documents are genuine as far as the government’s concerned. I don’t know how Fred obtained the second document, but I do know that shortly before his death he withdrew several large sums of money from his bank account in Darjeeling.”

“You think he may have bribed a government official to obtain a new identity for his offspring?” Doctor Craven asked.

“I think that’s a distinct possibility,” Samuel replied, “It also leaves me with both an opportunity and a moral dilemma. If one of those documents were to accidentally fall into the fire, then effectively the person named would cease to exist, another missing casualty of the fever.”

“I read a quote in the paper the other day, ‘when I see a bird that walks like a duck and swims like a duck and quacks like a duck, I call that bird a duck.’ I think that the principle applies here,” Mr Hobbs declared.

“I didn’t see it immediately, but as soon as Hattie called Richard, Rosie, it was as if a candle had been lit,” Samuel said, “She looks like a girl, her mannerisms are as feminine as any debutant I have seen, and that voice. When she shouted at Horatio the hairs on the back of my neck stood up. For a moment I thought my beloved Clara had returned, she sounds so like her.”

“The only nagging thing in my mind is the doubt that it isn’t God’s will for this child to grow up as a girl,” Reverend Swan acknowledged. “After all why take away the very people who were helping her to become a woman. If it was God’s will to punish those turning the child, why cause the deaths of several hundred people. The God I worship is loving and forgiving, not a tyrant. If he had wanted the child a boy then the accident would never have happened, and he would have taken the child into heaven with his parents rather than make the child live in a role that he can never fulfil. I know some of my peers wouldn’t approve, but I’m willing to rechristen Richard as Rose given the Doctor’s verdict and the paper you have in your hand.”

“Sam, given that you have just been referring to the child in the feminine, I think your mind may already be set,” the Doctor said to his friend.

“Thank you, gentlemen, your support has been most helpful,” confirmed Lord Headley, “Reverend, I will let you know if we decide to take up your offer. I need to think this through.”

The three guests departed the manor leaving Lord Headley to consider his options.

He was informed by his housekeeper that both children had departed for the garden, still in male clothing, as was their normal routine. They had only stayed indoors on his request so that they could be found when the doctor arrived.

Nobody had witnessed what the children got up to while outside, as they always stayed away from where the garden staff where working. It had taken several weeks for Hattie to be spotted with Richard.

Deciding the fresh air would be a good idea; Lord Headley headed out of the house and started to walk through the gardens.