Southampton
Meg had found solace beneath the lilac bushes in the backyard. She hadn’t come here for years, though when she was smaller, on occasion, she would hide here. The sound of shouting from the house had driven her outside, and even though she knew it was for a good cause, the idea that someone else was being punished for what she had done was enough to make her sick to her stomach.
She was fairly certain Kelly would find her soon, though she was still supposed to be studying with Ms. Cunningham. The sound of her uncle berating Wilma downstairs, and then obviously striking her, had sent Meg running down the back stair case. Ms. Cunningham was young and inexperienced—nothing like Ms. Strickland—and whenever Meg ran or hid from her, she never bothered to go hunt her down.
A few minutes later, Meg watched as Wilma came through the back door, her tattered garment bag in one hand, the hand of her young daughter, Angelina, in the other. Even f
New York CityWith high school nearly at an end, Charlie was glad to be back at home for one final weekend before his end of term exams. Then, he’d have the summer off before he attended Harvard in the fall. Though it had been a difficult decision for him to make, his father assured him that Harvard’s business program was one of the best in the country, and if he wouldn’t be attending his father’s alma mater, then Harvard was the next best thing.Walter would be attending New York City University, and Charlie was a bit concerned about not having any friends at his new school, though he did know of a few others from his school who would be attending. It wouldn’t be the same not having Walter around, but his mother had recently taken ill, and he wanted to stay close to home. Charlie had also considered NYCU but in the end, he just didn’t feel there were many schools in the same league as Harvard, and NYCU certainly didn’t meet th
SouthamptonMeg pulled up to the large estate in her uncle’s motor coach, which he insisted on driving himself despite her mother’s embarrassment at having Mr. Bitterly sit beside him in the front seat as if the auto was his, and stared at all of the finely dressed people.She had never been to a ball before, but now that she was fifteen, she would be allowed to attend, though there were certain rules she had to follow as she had not yet had her own coming out party. She absently wondered what the point of that might be since she was already promised to someone, but as she took the offered hand of a young man dressed in high-fashioned servant’s clothes and made her way out of the backseat of her uncle’s prized possession, her focus was on the people, the lights, the music, and the dancing.She could hear the musicians from outside. The house was lit so spectacularly, one might think it was daytime. Though the majority of the lighting was
Though she didn’t dance herself, Meg quite enjoyed watching the others spin around the room. Alise was asked to dance by her own father, which was a bit of a faux pas in some stricter rule books since she was so young, but Meg found it endearing. She was hopeful that some of these ridiculous rules would begin to change. After all, she should be able to get up and use the ladies’ room without having to wait on an escort. Watching her young friend spin around the dance floor with her loving father was both joyful and melancholy. How she longed to have the opportunity to dance with her own father once more.She watched her own mother dance as well, though she had no idea where her uncle might have gone off to. She assumed he would be getting his fill of the spirits and other alcoholic beverages Mrs. Edgebrook had on offer. There were not too many times in her life when she could actually remember being proud of her mother, but watching her twirl so gracefully around
Cambridge“It’s not quite like a ball; it’s more like a dance,” Charlie’s roommate, Quincy, insisted. “There aren’t so many of those ridiculous rules like you’re used to. You have to experience it to believe it.”“Why would anyone allow their daughter to attend a ball without following the formalities we’re all accustomed to?” Charlie asked, still unable to fathom precisely what his friend was describing.“Why not? Are American gentlemen so unruly that we can’t be trusted? Besides, most of the girls will be from Radcliffe, and their parents are far away. Listen, Charlie, just come for a bit, have a drink, and if you don’t want to dance, that’s fine. You’ve just got to liven up a bit, old boy. You live like an old married man, and you’re not even formally engaged yet!”While Charlie had a scathing response ready, he bit his tongue. Perhaps Quin
SouthamptonMeg entered her room and noticed an envelope on the desk, something she hadn’t seen for several months, and was a bit surprised to see that Charlie had finally written her back. The last time he had corresponded he had seemed quite distant. He’d discussed his classes at Harvard and a few of his friends, but the letter was short and not very personal. She wondered if it was in response to the sort of letter she was forced to send him, but she couldn’t imagine what it might have been that had changed his tone.She picked the letter up and was about to open it when she heard footsteps behind her. Setting it back on the table, she found Kelly approaching her bed, the expression on her face quite serious. “What is it?” Meg asked, sitting down next to her.“I have something important to tell you, and I’m not quite sure how you’re going to react,” the redhead said with a heavy sigh.Meg was quite
Turning away, Meg took a deep breath. Clarity began to sink in, and she couldn’t help but hope that her mother was out for the day or else she’d likely be upstairs giving them both the what for. She knew she needed to be happy for Kelly, but it was so difficult when it seemed that Kelly was realizing everything Meg had always wanted for herself. She’d fallen in love with a good man—one she’d chosen for herself, and even though he was a simple carpenter, he was a hard worker who loved her back and wanted to do whatever she needed to be happy. Now, she was talking of going to America, and even though that had always been Meg’s dream, she hadn’t bothered to tell Kelly that she hoped one day they would both go off to America together, to start again, as sisters, to find love and happiness together. Now, here she was, all alone again, wondering if she had the strength or courage to defy her parents and run away to America on her own.It cr
Meg’s mother was nowhere to be found, but when she walked into the kitchen, she found Kelly there scrubbing a pot, and she couldn’t tell if the beads of liquid running down her face were tears or perspiration. She instantly felt awful for how she’d treated her friend.Noticing her entering the room, Kelly shouted over her shoulder, “Don’t worry. As soon as I finish this pot, I’m off to find a stocking.”Leaning on the counter next to her, Meg said, “I’m sorry, Kelly.” She ignored her, still concentrating on the pot, scrubbing so viciously, Meg thought she might tear a fingertip off. “I only said those things because… because I was afraid of losing you. That’s all.”“I already told you that will never happen,” Kelly replied, setting the pot back into the sink and turning to face her.“I know, but you can imagine, from my perspective, how worrisome that mi
CambridgeThough it was still rather hot outside for a late September day, Charlie didn’t mind the temperature so much as long as they sat in the shade. Visiting the park in the spring or late fall was always more appealing—even the winter was generally better than the summer—but this was the best place for him to meet Stella without anyone of consequence taking note, so he waited on their park bench for her now, his thoughts darting back between the conversation he’d recently had with his father and the letter he’d sent to Mary Margaret a few weeks ago.The last year and a half had been a whirlwind ever since Quincy introduced him to a new sort of social life he’d never experienced before. While part of him wanted to blame Quincy for being a bad influence, Charlie knew that his friend had only been the catalyst. A young man with money, influence, a new set of wheels, and eventually, alcohol, along with a few girls with coy smiles, a