[Rose nodded in response, though the other woman's aura and scent hadn't changed. it was like breathing in winter, even more so than out in the Trench. clearly she put her foot in it somewhere or another]

It's true. For a woman, one has to be twice as mentally strong as a man, if she wants to navigate the world on her own terms. Certainly to make a career of one's own in the creative arts. Though, I have been told that things got better in time. Still not equal but a little closer to such.