[DirtyDesmond]

There used to be a movie in the early 1990's than ran regularly on HBO. It seemed to be set in 1800's in a Victorian era and was about a young woman who had a relationship that an older woman with which she was related to (niece, daughter, sister?) disapproved strongly of. The younger woman had either a younger sister or daughter (sorry my memory is somewhat foggy in parts) which was from at least age 7 to 10. They ended up staying with the older matriarch whom was cruel to the woman due to her disapproval and beat her with a leather whip on a nightly basis.

The younger woman's suitor comes by at one point and they try to escape along with the little girl with promises that they will finally be free but the older matriarch calls the authorities and have both the woman and little girl returned.

Eventually the younger woman leaves though her (daughter, younger sister) cannot as the matriarch forbids it. The little girls toys which she has developed friendships and talks to frequently throughout the movie are bagged and taken away from her by the matriarch due to bitterness toward the younger woman. In the end the little girl finds a roll of socks and lipstick left behind by the younger woman and in her lonely desperation creates a doll with them with which is her last toy.

An old mansion and a rose garden which the matriarch tends and allows the little girl to play in are also present in the movie.