▁was ▁seven ▁months ▁pre gn ant ▁with ▁the ▁couple ' s ▁first ▁child , ▁John , ▁wore ▁black ▁during ▁the ▁ceremony . ▁Their ▁second ▁child ▁Kate ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 3 . ▁ ▁She ▁had ▁at ▁first ▁rejected ▁Russell ' s ▁offer ▁of ▁marriage . ▁In ▁common ▁with ▁some ▁radical ▁women ▁of ▁her ▁generation , ▁she ▁felt ▁the ▁laws ▁reg ulating ▁marriage ▁contributed ▁to ▁women ' s ▁sub j ug ation . ▁In ▁her ▁view , ▁only ▁parents ▁should ▁be ▁bound ▁by ▁a ▁social ▁contract , ▁and ▁only ▁in so far ▁as ▁their ▁co - operation ▁was ▁required ▁for ▁raising ▁their ▁children . ▁Imp licit ▁was ▁her ▁conv iction ▁that ▁both ▁men ▁and ▁women ▁were ▁pol yg am ous ▁by ▁nature ▁and ▁should ▁therefore ▁be ▁free , ▁whether ▁married ▁or ▁not , ▁to ▁eng age ▁in ▁sexual ▁relationships ▁that ▁were ▁based ▁on ▁mut ual ▁love . ▁In ▁this ▁she ▁was ▁as ▁much ▁an ▁early ▁sexual ▁pione er ▁as ▁in ▁her ▁fight ▁for ▁women ' s ▁right ▁to ▁information ▁about , ▁and ▁free ▁access ▁to , ▁birth ▁control . ▁She ▁regarded ▁these ▁as ▁essential ▁for ▁women ▁to ▁gain ▁control ▁over ▁their ▁own ▁lives , ▁and ▁eventually ▁become ▁fully ▁em an cip ated . ▁ ▁Russell ▁became ▁Count ess ▁Russell ▁on ▁ 3 ▁March ▁ 1 9 3 1 , ▁when ▁Ber tr and ▁Russell ' s ▁elder ▁brother ▁Frank ▁died ▁and ▁her ▁husband ▁became ▁the ▁ 3 rd ▁Earl ▁Russell . ▁Ber tr and ▁left ▁her ▁for ▁their ▁children ' s