As she describes an extremely awkward meal, Mansfield employs situational irony to illustrate the unexpected consequences of Nurse Andrews's extended stay at Josephine and Constantia's home:
Nurse Andrews had, of course, jumped at the idea. But it was a bother. It meant they had to have regular sit-down meals at the proper times, whereas if they'd been alone they could just have asked Kate if she wouldn't have minded bringing them a tray wherever they were. And meal-times now that the strain was over were rather a trial.
The situational irony arises from the contrast between the intended and actual outcomes of Nurse Andrews remaining in the Pinner house as a guest. Josephine asks her to stay, anticipating that it would simplify their lives during a period of adjustment after their father's death. She also wants to be kind, as the Nurse did so much for the Colonel. However, this decision ironically leads to more stress and complications for the Pinner sisters. Instead of experiencing more comfort and ease, Josephine and Constantia find themselves bound by the social conventions of hosting a guest. They are forced to maintain formal mealtimes and a level of decorum that they might not have stuck to as strictly were they on their own. The class difference between themselves and Nurse Andrews is also unexpectedly uncomfortable; they find it difficult to adjust to the awkwardness of socializing with a former employee.
This ironic situation emphasizes the sisters' inability to escape the pressures of social expectations, even in their private mourning. The presence of Nurse Andrews, rather than being a source of support, becomes a nagging and constant discomfort. Jug and Con aren’t experiencing any aspect of mourning their father in the way they had expected. The Nurse's presence highlights the gap between their expectations and reality. The irony of their situation is further compounded by the fact that—given Nurse Andrews’s desperation to fit in with them socially—Jug and Con now have to perform the roles of proper ladies to an exaggerated degree. Her presence is just one of many elements of their new post-Colonel daily lives that restrict their freedom to grieve and live as they please.
