Hellen

The rest of that day I chatted a mile a minute to my friend about random things that happened years ago when I was in London. I told her about when Charles and I were five and had only just learned what the colonies were. We had also just been introduced to King George III. It was crazy to think about that experience; it was hard to believe that I hadn’t met the King until 1768. That was over seven years ago. 

“Ms. Capulet!” I heard Charles call eventually. Charlotte and I both rolled our eyes and laughed. “Your chariot has arrived!” 

Charlotte sighed and reluctantly stood up. She went downstairs and left on her buggy, which was once again driven by Ro—I mean—James Patterson. 

Charlotte and Rose returned again a few days later to fetch the Turners for a party that was being held downtown at the inn. From my understanding, it was something that one might call a “birthday party.” I didn’t quite understand it. In London, we didn’t exactly find it proper to celebrate a person’s birth, unless it was for the King or someone else of importance such as a Prime Minister. 

Anyway, the birthday party was for a sibling of the girl whom I’d met at Charlotte’s engagement party—wow, this family enjoys celebrations—Jo March. I still held a strange grudge against her. As I was saying, I received some information about the March family from Charlotte before they departed for the party. They were celebrating the birthday of one of her younger sisters, Elizabeth, to be specific. 

They were not wealthy, however, so they had scarce food, and yet when they did have some, they gave it to families who were of lower wealth than them. I scoffed—I know, how improper of a young lady such as myself—at the thought of how kind the March girls were to others. I wished that my parents would influence my siblings and me to be that way, but of course, we never lacked wealth, so I couldn’t make myself feel any sympathy toward those girls.

“Have fun at the party!” I said to the Turners, Joneses, and Pattersons as they all set off towards the countryside, where the March family farm was located.