In the pivotal seventh episode of Black Cake, Eleanor's confessional recordings draw to a close. She had fleetingly mentioned an encounter with Gibbs mere months after her arrival in London, but now, she unravels a deeper truth: a year had actually elapsed before that fateful meeting. Pregnant, Eleanor was besieged by symptoms of vomiting and dizziness, with no place to turn in the vast city of London and no one to rely on.
The harsh doctor who delivered the news of her pregnancy offered a grim alternative: abortion. In a moment of confusion and turmoil, she sought solace in a church, where Sister Madeline tenderly attended to her, as Eleanor wept, revealing her plight. Madeline's kindness extended to a warm meal and a temporary home.
The church operated a boarding house where they housed young, expectant mothers and promised to find suitable homes for their newborns. This haven was predominantly white, with Eleanor and Madeline standing out as exceptions. Yet, among the residents, Irene took a liking to Eleanor, guiding her through the unfamiliar surroundings.
While preparing a meal for Eleanor, Irene confided her own plans to elope with her boyfriend, Tommy, once the baby was born. He was the father and had pledged to start a new life with her. However, Madeline pressed Eleanor to sign an authorization form, binding her to surrender the child to the church's care. Eleanor had little choice in the matter, as none of the girls did. This act revealed the sinister undertones of the church's motives, as it became evident what they truly gained from this arrangement.
The girls were treated akin to indentured servants, performing all manner of chores within the boarding house as a guise for payment, given their inability to afford an accommodation fee. This scenario echoed the plot of the sci-fi film Coyote, released earlier in the year. Eleanor walked a predetermined path, knowing that keeping the baby was not an option. She distanced herself emotionally, treating the unborn child as someone else's even before its arrival. When Irene's dreams were shattered by Tommy's abandonment, Eleanor urged her to do the same.
Irene approached it all with a skeptical eye, yet the primal bond with her newborn daughter was unbreakable, despite her intentions to detach. She gave birth to a robust baby girl, sadly destined to be known only as "Baby Number Three," her identity reduced to a mere entry on the church's ledger of offerings. As Eleanor entered her third trimester, she found herself increasingly incapacitated for work.
The episode unfolded, revealing the church's cold and uncaring facade. Irene, along with the other mothers who joined her ranks, were forced to continue their chores after giving birth. Their sustenance and shelter were merely means to keep them nursing the newborns. This apathetic treatment struck Eleanor deeply. Gradually, she found herself drawn to her tiny bundle of joy, christening her Mathilde, a nod to Mabel's middle name. Eleanor's resolve to part with her child began to waver.
Irene's rebellious behavior eventually led to her expulsion from the house. Eleanor, however, hatched a plan to flee with Mathilde, but Madeline intervened, her calm demeanor prevailing over Eleanor's desperation. Fearful that Eleanor might falter, Madeline ensured that Mathilde was swiftly placed in the arms of her adoptive parents. Eleanor's heart broke with the loss of her child, yet she was powerless to intervene. The echo of her mother's abandonment years ago resonated within her. After Mabel's departure, Eleanor was cast out of the house, wandering the city for a while before encountering Gibbs and finding the resolve to "carry on with life" and "forge a new beginning."
In the present, Mabel found solace in B&B's embrace as he showed her Eleanor's cherished garden. In her recordings, Eleanor had alluded to the blooming of daffodils, synchronized with Mabel's birth. Benny remarked that he finally understood the significance of the daffodil bed to Eleanor; it was a reminder of Mabel, her firstborn child. The episode's closing chapter marked the culmination of Eleanor's story, revealing also that Pearl had poisoned Little Man. Eleanor entrusted the trio with the task of finding her mother and Bunny, the only ones who could unravel the mystery.
